Poster Frame and Molding Method

The prior art shows a number of wooden and molded plastic frame structures having interlocking back panels for holding an object to be displayed within the frame, such as pictures, signs, mirrors and the like. Esry U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,015 is directed to a display frame having an outer shell with a transparent face and peripheral vertical sides forming an opening for a display card. A core of corresponding configuration is provided which fits within the sides of the outer shell. A pair of inwardly directed tabs is provided on opposite edges of two of the sides that releasably engage over the back surface of the core. Place, in his U.S. Pat. No. 1,842,285, uses wire pins having bent arcuately contoured heads that engage within slots or holes in the back flanged edge of a molded picture frame to hold the backing sheet thereagainst.

Another illustration is Novak U.S. Pat. No. 2,928,199 which discloses a metal mounting structure for mirrors having a front frame with four L-shaped corner clips that are locked in place by a hook and socket arrangement on the back plate. U.S. Pat. No. 2,116,584 to Shelby shows a ribbed T-lock joint and recess combination for holding sections of wooden pieces together without the necessity of clamping during the drying of glue used in the joints. The Ware U.S. Pat. No. 1,837,348 incorporates a pair of headed studs on the edge of a pedestal that releasably engage a matching pair of key-hole slots in the edge of a frame for holding a display card on or from a horizontal surface. The display frame of Siegel in U.S. Pat. No. 1,692,999 utilizes an interior and exterior frame which fit in a locking arrangement by means of spring-loaded detents or plungers on the periphery of the interior frame which engage recesses in an inner edge of the exterior frame.

The instant invention represents an improvement over these prior art structures as hereinafter described.

In accordance with the present invention, a unitary molded picture frame and duplicate clamping members are provided which facilitate the mounting of the picture therein. The clamping members are molded within the plane and frame of reference of the frame member proper. The clamping members are of such a size that they encompass a substantial portion of the periphery of the picture cardboard and its backing so that practically the entire peripheral edge of the picture is in clamped relationship with the frame. The mold is divided in four sections, both transverse the longitudinal axis of the frame and also within the plane of the retaining edge for the picture cardboard and the plane of the backside of the clamping members. Because of the essentially rectangular configuration of both the frame and the clamping members within the inside opening thereof, it is possible to orient the two clamping members in such a manner that they are reversed from their positions when in use and fit within the retaining edges of the back opening of the frame in the desired manner. In addition, the raised portion of the backside of the clamping members lie in the plane of the front edge of the frame proper which greatly simplifies the preparation of the mold. This arrangement also allows the proper placement of the spew openings for the plastic to flow into the various corners and configurations of the mold in an even manner.

Relating to the structure of the frame and clamping member combination of this invention, a number of features have been incorporated which represent marked improvements over the prior art devices. One primary consideration is that the manner in which the clamping members engage the frame, for, they not only clamp the picture cardboard pieces into the back opening of the frame, but the hanging configuration of the frame tends to increase this clamping action. These and other improvements in picture frame construction will be described or become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

A specific embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the picture frame of this invention showing the front side with a picture exposed therein;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the combination of the integral molded frame and its clamping members as they are removed from the mold;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the backside of the frame showing the assembly of the picture, the back-up cardboard and the pair of clamping members;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the backside of the frame showing one corner thereof in conjunction with one of the clamping members to illustrate the relationship between the clamping portions thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the backside of the frame showing a clamping member in place holding a backing cardboard and picture within the frame;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken along lines 707 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 8--8 of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 1 the frame member 10 includes, in the orientation shown, a side wall 12 and top wall 14 molded in a unitary rectangle and having the inner flange 16 which defines an opening and retaining edge for the picture 18. The exposed surfaces of the walls 12 and 14 can include suitable decorative embossments provided by the mold surface configuration. The picture 18 is printed on a relatively thin paper sheet (see FIG. 3) which is flexible and may require a backing 20 of cardboard so that it will be stiffened and lie or be retained in a flat and un-wrinkled condition in the frame 10.

The sides 12 and 14 are of the same cross-sectional configuration to include the outer facing edge 22. As further indicated in FIG. 8, the side walls 12 and 14 can have beveled surfaces and the outer or facing edge 22 can carry a trim embossment raised for hot stamping for contrasting or accent colors.

The side walls 12 and end walls 14 can be of the same length and the frame body is generally U-shaped in cross-section, defining a first inner edge 24 and a second inner edge 26 which are not coplanar, the wall 16 being fore-shortened so that there is provided an encompassing recess to receive the picture 18 and the cardboard backing 20.

Projecting inwardly from the edge 22 is the intermediate wall 30 that is spaced from the outer walls 12 and 14 as well as the inner flange wall 16. The innermost edge 32 of the intermediate wall 30 extends above (or further inwardly from the wall 22) the edge 26 of the inner flange 16.

Both the flange 16 and the intermediate wall 30 extend in the relationship shown in FIG. 8 around the inside of the frame 10. The difference between the heights or widths of these inner walls 16 and 30 defines an off-set to receive the edges of the picture 18 and the back-up cardboard 20.

A pair of identical clamp members 40 and 40a is provided for attachment against the contiguous backing 20 and picture 18, same being molded integral with the frame 10 as shown in FIG. 2 wherein these parts are shown as the molded plastic frame is removed from the mold.

In FIG. 2 the pair of U-shaped clamps 40 is shown with the inter-connected runners 42 across their ends and connected by means of the gates 44 to the main body of the frame 10 at their ends. A pair of intermediate smaller gates 46 is positioned mid-way of each clamp. The pair of runners is connected longitudinally by the runner 48 having the smaller cross-runners 50, each connected by a gate 52 to the ends of the clamps 40. The mold proper would be in four parts, divided longitudinally along the line A-B and horizontally in the plane of the bottom surfaces of the clamps 40. Additional small runners and gates are provided at 54 near the corners of the clamps.

The design of the frame 10 and its clamps 40 is such that the general principles for designing with plastics are followed to eliminate welds and flow lines as well as undesired surface imperfections and to prevent warpage of the longer flat parts of the clamps. The molded parts of FIG. 2 are compact and essentially coplanar so that they can be packaged and shipped in the form shown and the clamps can be readily broken out for use.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 it is seen that the end or top wall 14 of the frame 10 joins the side or bottom wall 12 at the corner 60 and also the inner part of the frame has the upstanding inner walls 16 and 30 extending in uniform, spaced parallel relationship around the inside of the frame and joined at their respective corners 62 and 64. If desired, the corners 60, 62 and 64 can be rounded instead of angular.

The intermediate wall 30 is deeper than the wall 16 and includes the pair of tabs 66 on the edge 32 having arcuate top portions 68 and a pair of oppositely opening notches 70 with a larger base 72. The tabs 66 extend vertically from the edge 32 of the wall 30 at each end 14 of the frame and are of the same thickness as the wall 30.

The sides 12 each have the upstanding pair of hooks 76 (see also FIGS. 5 and 6) which are an extension of the inner wider wall 30 and its top edge 32 and are equally spaced longitudinally from the corner 64. The hooks 76 have the notches 78 that open toward the center of the frame, that is, away from the ends 14. Thus, each pair of hooks on the sides 12 have their notches 78 opening toward each other. The tabs 66 are of identical dimension and the hooks 76 are similarly sized. Each of these attaching means 66 and 76 is the same thickness as the wall 30 and the notches 70 and 78 define openings that slideably engage the clamping means 40 in a manner to be described.

As before mentioned, the clamping means 40 are readily broken out of the integral molded assembly shown in FIG. 2. Each of the clamping means 40 has a generally flat cross body 80 with the equal-length flat legs 82 on each side defining a U-shape, having a width sufficient to span the inside of the shorter dimension of the frame 10. The legs 82 are long enough to span about one-third of the length of the longer side of the frame 10. Substantially central of the body 80 there is provided the box-shaped hanger 84 while each leg has a similar box-shaped hanger 86.

Both the body 80 and the legs 82 are flat and include the reinforcing rib 88 on the back side that extends over a substantial part of each clamp member. The body has the pair of raised, box-like open-bottomed housings 90 having upstanding end walls 91 and covered by the flat top 92 having the T-shaped slot 94 therein. The slot 94 has its narrow open leg 96 on the inner side and the corners 98 are rounded. The housings 90 are identical in construction and spaced on each side of the hangers 84.

The T-slots 94 extend longitudinally of the body 80 and to the outside of the plane of the rib 88. The T-slots 94 are slightly wider than the tongues or tips 68 of the tabs 66 while the narrow open legs or bases 96 of the slots are slightly wider than the distance between the two notches 70 on each tab 66. The housings 90 are spaced along the body 80 the same distance as the tabs 66 are spaced along the inner wall 30 of the frame 10.

The central box-shaped hanger 84 has spaced end walls 100 and 102, each having a downwardly or inwardly projecting ear 104 that extends below the planar, inner surface of the body 80 of the clamps. The purpose therefor will be described. The top wall 106 joins the back wall 108 which extends from the outer edge of the body 80. A pair of spaced holes 110 are included in the top wall 106 for attachment of picture wire as desired. A series of notches 112 are provided in the inside edge of the top wall 106. An odd number of such notches is provided in order that there be a central notch for engagement with a nail or other projecting hanger affixed to the wall to facilitate hanging the frame in a level position therefrom.

The pair of hangers 86 are similar to the central hanger 84 except that the ears 104 are omitted. These hangers have end walls 114 and a top wall 116 and extend about the same height as the central hanger 84 from the respective legs 82. The hangers 84 also have a series of notches 118 in their top walls 116 for this same purpose.

Each hanger 86 is spaced from the flat ends 120 of the legs 82 and an elongated slot 122 is provided in these respective ends.

There being two spaced tabs 66 on each end of the frame 10 and two spaced tabs 76 on each side, it is now apparent that, with a picture 18 in place with its outer edge on the edge 26 of the inner wall 16 and a backing cardboard 20 thereover, each of the U-shaped clamps 40 can be placed thereover with the tabs 66 within the slots 94 and the tabs 76 within the slots 122 and the ears 104 upon the edge 32 of the intermediate wall 30. In this position, it is merely necessary to move each clamp 40 and 40a toward the respective wall 14 so that the notches 70 cam over the round corners 98 of the notches and engage across the base openings 96. At the same time the notches 78 engage over the outermost ends of the slots 122 as shown in FIG. 6. This brings the corners or ears 104 into a position where they snap behind the edge 32 of the wall 30 as shown in FIG. 8.

If the picture frame is to be hung from an end 14 on the clamp 40 in FIG. 4, it is seen that the weight of the picture holds the clamp 40 in this snap-fit relationship. If the picture frame is to be hung from the pair of space box hangers 86 along the side 12 of the frame 10, the weight of the frame and picture does not disturb this relationship.

From the description of this invention it is apparent that a number of modifications can be made in the picture frame. Only one clamp member 40 can be used if desired. In order to take advantage of the single mold method of fabrication, one dimension of the frame must be longer than the other in order to accommodate the length of the body portion of the clamping members along that longer side and leave room for the runners 42. However, the legs 82 of clamping members 40 can be of different lengths as long as the sum of the lengths of the legs across the side of the frame, which is shorter, is less than this shorter dimension. This would mean that the runner 48 could extend at an angle between the runners 42 and thus shorten one leg 82 by the amount the other is lengthened.

The use of box-like hangers 84 and 90 places the point of attachment of the frame closer to the wall surface and assures that the picture will hang essentially parallel to the wall surface. The frame 10 can also be oval instead of rectangular as long as the tabs 66 are set at a slight off-set so that they engage the slots 94 in the manner described.

Any type of moldable thermoplastic resin can be used to fabricate the frame and clamp members in accordance with this invention, a preferred plastic being high impact polystyrene or the equivalent.