Picture frame

Abstract

A picture frame arrangement in which a decorative member is held within the periphery of a supporting member to impart a floating appearance to the decorative member. The decorative member has a portion surrounding a cutout or picture-positioning location on the exterior side of the supporting member. The supporting member is recessed along the periphery of the cutout to form a ledge-shaped portion through which the picture may be exposed for viewing. Tracks secured to the back of the supporting member hold a backing member for retaining the picture in the frame. The supporting member may be clear or opaque.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to picture frames and especially to a picture frame on which a decorative member having a floating appearance is provided. While picture frames have taken various forms, such picture frames generally have not been provided with a decorative type of bordering member which may be floatingly mounted as part of the picture frame through which a picture is exposed in an improved manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, a picture frame arrangement is provided, in accordance with the invention, in which a clear or opaque plastic supporting member has a rectangular-shaped cutout, for example, through which the picture held by the supporting member is exposed. A decorative floating member surrounds the cutout and applies a decorative portion against the side of the supporting member exposed to the viewer. The floating member, furthermore, has bent portions bearing against the internal surface of the cutout in the supporting member. These bent portions provide for the shadow-box effect of the picture frame. Tabs projecting from the bent portions of the decorative floating member are further bent to be pressed into recesses within a ledge-shaped portion surrounding the periphery of the cutout. The ledge-shaped portion is formed by a recess in the supporting member and provides a seat for a clear cover sheet of glass or plastic and for the picture. A backing plate or card is received within tracks fastened to the back of the supporting member and holds the picture within the ledge-shaped portion of the supporting member, with the decorative member blocking the tracks from view.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved picture frame with a decorative floating member.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved picture frame in which the decorative member also provides a shadow-box effect.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved picture frame in which a picture may be held behind or within a ledge-shaped portion recessed within the main supporting frame member.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved picture frame in which a floating decorative member carried by a transparent or translucent supporting frame masks the appearance of the tracks for the picture and backing member.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification and drawings.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the picture frame constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of the back side of the picture frame and shows the construction for clipping on the floating decorative member and retaining the picture in place by a track assembly, in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the picture frame when supported on a tabletop surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the picture frame arrangement indicated generally at 11 has a supporting member 12 made of a plastic material. The plastic material can be transparent, translucent or opaque, and can be clear or colored. The supporting member 12 has a cutout 13 through which the picture is exposed to the viewer.

The back side 12a of the supporting member 12 is recessed to form a ledge surface 14. A protective clear glass or plastic sheet 15 is introduced from the back side 12a of the supporting member 12 and bears against the ledge surface 14. A picture 16 is placed against sheet 15. To hold the sheet 15 and picture 16 against the ledge surface 14, an easel member 18 is provided which is slidably retained by tracks 19 secured to the back of the supporting member 12. The easel 18 may have attached to it, for example, a hook 20 by which the frame assembly may be suspended along a wall surface. The tracks 19 are fastened to the supporting member 12 by means of rivets 21.

A decorative member 22 of copper sheet material, for example, has an exposed portion 23 running along the cutout 13 on the front side 12b of the supporting member 12. This decorative member 22 "floats" within supporting member 12 about the cutout 13 and includes bent portions 24 which are substantially at right angles to the portion 23. The bent portions 24 bear against the interior surface of the cutout in the supporting member 12. The bent portions 24 provide a shadow-box effect for the frame, while the portion 23 functions as a decorative element. The exposed portion 23 of floating member 22 also serves to hide or cover up the rivet head of the rivets 21 on the front side of the supporting member 12 and the tracks 19, which would be visible with a transparent or translucent supporting member. To allow bending of the portion 24 at right angles to the portion 23 without interference at the corners of the cutout 13, the portions 24 have angular cuts 25 at the corners.

To prevent the floating member 22 from dropping out of the supporting member 12, the floating member 22 is provided with projecting tabs 26 which are formed integral with the bent portions 24. After the decorative floating member 22 is inserted into the cutout 13 so that the portion 23 bears against the front surface of the supporting member 12, the tabs 26 are bent at right angles to the portions 24 so that they are brought to bear against the ledge surface 14. The surface 14, furthermore, is recessed at the locations of the projecting tabs, so as to form a seat for the tabs, while allowing the surface 14 to remain a continuous planar surface after the tabs have been bent over to hold the member 22 in place. The planar surface 14, thereby, forms a bearing surface for the sheet 15, with the external surface of the tabs 26 flush with the surface 14. The recess 27 which accommodates the tabs 26 within the surface 14 may be seen in FIG. 3. With the bent portions 24 and tabs 26, the decorative member 22 is floatingly held within the cutout 13.

In the embodiment above, the picture is assumed to be a photograph, for example, requiring a glass covering. Should the picture be in the form of an oil painting, however, requiring no protective glass covering over the viewing surface, then the protective glass is omitted and the picture becomes the member 15, while a spacer becomes the member 16.

Tracks 19 are arranged on opposite sides to allow sliding of the easel 18 between them. Tabs 28 at one end of the tracks serve as a stop for the sliding easel 18. Thus, after the easel 18 is brought between the open ends of the track 19 and is slid along the guiding tracks, the easel 18 is brought to a halt by the stops 28, which then locate the easel properly along the back side of the supporting member 12. The track 19 may be formed of copper sheet material, for example, and fastened to the supporting member 12 by rivets 21 or other suitable fastening devices well known in the art.

For purposes of suspending or supporting the picture frame assembly, a hook or eye element 20 may be provided on the back surface of the easel 18. The hook or eye element 20 serves particularly for suspending the picture frame assembly from a wall surface, for example. In the event that the picture assembly is to be supported on a tabletop surface 29, for example, an extending arm 30 may be provided on the back of the easel 18 in the conventional manner, as shown in FIG. 5.

The supporting member 12 may be made of clear plastic material, wood or other suitable framing material. The peripheral edges of the supporting member 12 may also have a bevel 31 for purposes of providing additional decorative effects. The supporting member 12 may also have a circular or elliptical shape, for example, in lieu of the rectangular shape shown in FIG. 1. In such construction, the cutout 13 may also assume a circular or elliptical shape correspondingly.

When the supporting member 12 is a clear plastic material, the decorative floating member 22 serves to hide or cover up both the rivets 21 and the track 19 attached to the supporting frame by the rivets. The supporting member 12 can also be colored or be of opaque material, for example. The member 15 held within the cutout of the supporting member 12 may be of glass, clear plastic or an oil painting, for example.

If the supporting member 12 is clear plastic, it may be possible to combine it with sheet 15 as a single piece without a cutout 13. In such event, decorative member 22 would include only portion 23, which would be adhered to surface 12b of the supporting member.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween;

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A picture frame arrangement comprising, in combination, a supporting member having a picture-viewing area formed as a cut-out in said supporting member, said supporting member including a recessed ledge shaped portion in said supporting member and extending along said cut-out on the rear surface of said supporting member to provide a predetermined location in said supporting member for a picture; a decorative member secured to said supporting member wholly within the periphery of said supporting member, said decorative member having a portion extending along said cut-out against the surface of said supporting member and bent portions at right angles to said portion extended along said cut out, said bent portions lying against the internal surface of the cut-out of the supporting member for providing a shadow-box effect for the picture frame, and tab portions projecting from the bent portions of the decorative member, the tab portions being bent at right angles to said bent portions and bearing against the recessed ledge-shaped portion in said supporting member, and auxiliary recesses provided in said ledge shaped portion for retaining said tab portions therein so that the external surface of said tab portions is flush with the surface of said ledge-shaped portion, and track means carried by said supporting member for supporting a picture against said recessed ledge.

2. The arrangement as defined in claim 1, including a transparent plate member within said recessed ledge-shaped portion for covering the frontal area of the picture to be viewed.

3. The arrangement as defined in claim 2, including an easel removably positioned within said track means on the rear side of said picture and the rear side of said supporting member for supporting said picture frame.

4. The arrangement as defined in claim 3 wherein said track means includes stops thereon for predetermining the position of said easel.

5. A picture frame arrangement comprising, in combination, a transparent supporting member having a picture viewing area; a decorative member secured to said supporting member wholly within the periphery of said supporting member and surrounding said picture-viewing area; and track means carried by said supporting member for supporting a picture thereon; said decorative member overlying substantially all portions of said track means thereby removing the track means from the sight of the viewer.