Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Picture frame – For providing a three dimensional effect
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-22
2001-10-23
Green, Brian K. (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Picture frame
For providing a three dimensional effect
C040S768000, C040S792000, C040S798000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305112
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a frame for framing pictures and being composed of a plurality of frame sections.
It is well-known to manufacture picture frames from extruded aluminum sections which are mitred in suitable lengths and arranged around the picture e element, whereupon the members are assembled into a whole frame by means of corner brackets, and clip bodies, typically in the form of leaf springs, are disposed between the supporting lip and the picture element back to fix the latter to the frame. Such picture frames are distinguished by rapid assembly and a relatively nice appearance while being very robust.
Picture frames of this type a re suitable for picture elements composed of several different layers, such as an external layer of glass and a picture surface located behind it and supported by a rigid panel, but are normally not used in case of pictures on frame-mounted canvas. Simultaneous with the framing, the layered picture elements must be fixed in the frame.
German patent publication No. DT 24 47 041 B2 describes a frame of the above type in which the screen wall stands upright from the visible front surface of the frame section and in which the supporting lip is a loose element that can be arranged at two different distances from the holding lip to accommodate the actual thickness of the picture element. The screen wall is manufactured quite conventionally with a depth corresponding to the thickness of the picture element so that the picture flushes with the lowest part of the stepped front surface of the frame section when the picture element comprises glass, mat, picture and backing. Paintings are also known which are painted on canvas on a blind frame, the surrounding frame being at a distance from the edge of the painting. EP 0 367 129 A2 describes a picture kept at a distance from a frame by means of four stiffeners mounted between the corners of the picture and the frame, respectively.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a picture frame having an aesthetically attractive appearance while retaining the known advantages of using prefabricated frame sections.
It is another purpose of the present invention to present printed pictures, such as posters, in a manner so that the presence of the frame does not disturb the viewing of the picture.
It is a another purpose to allow easy mounting of a picture element comprising a pane of glass and a picture mounted on a backing.
According to the present invention each frame section has a bottom surface, a frame section back with a channel for corner brackets, an upstanding screen wall on said bottom surface, an external side wall connecting the bottom surface with a visible front surface, and a clear gap between the front surface of the frame section and the screen wall, said visible front surface extending from the external side wall towards a picture element in the frame, said screen wall having a projecting holding lip and a subjacent supporting lip for the picture element, said screen wall extending a distance down past the supporting lip to the bottom surface, and said clear gap between the front surface of the frame section and the screen wall being of a smaller width than said distance from the holding lip to the bottom surface.
By placing the screen wall on a bottom surface which extends to the external side wall independently of the front surface, the front surface is visually disconnected from the screen wall and thus from the picture element and the bottom surface is located further down than the back of the picture element, e.g. further down than the supporting lip. At normal lighting, the bottom surface will remain substantially darker than the front surface of the frame section, which appears clearly illuminated, and the contrast between these light conditions gives the impression that the picture element is hovering or floating in the frame.
Preferably, the depth of the screen wall between the supporting lip and the bottom surface is at least half the depth from the holding lip to the supporting lip. This provides a suitably large distance between the picture element front and the bottom surface so that the latter can be untreated and have the same surface character as the front surface of the frame section without giving the impression of being illuminated, and the manufacture of the frame section may thus be finished by performance of the extrusion.
Preferably, the holding lip is at a shorter distance from the bottom surface than the visible front surface, as this makes the visible front surface more prominent and enhance the visual effects of the clear gap.
The visual separation of the front surface of the frame from the picture element can suitably be strengthened by the front surface of the frame section ending at the clear gap in a wall part extending substantially in parallel with the screen wall and towards the bottom surface. Alternatively, the wall part can be omitted.
The wall part can extend fully to the bottom surface with the result that the external side wall, the front surface, the wall part and the channel on the back form a closed cross-section. Alternatively, the wall part can end in a free edge located at a distance from the bottom surface, providing the effect that nearest the bottom surface there is a cavity at the side of the clear gap opposite to the screen wall. The cavity makes the bottom surface appear darker, because reflected light from the wall part is avoided, and reflected light from the screen wall enters into the cavity. Consequently, the bottom surface may be closer to the holding lip without appearing as an illuminated surface.
The shadow-creating effect of the cavity can be heightened by the back of the external side wall and of said front surface and possibly the bottom surface being matt and/or provided with a light-absorbent coating, such as black paint.
Preferably, the bottom surface is plane and through-going directly from the screen wall to the external side wall, but it is possible to give the bottom surface a stepped shape upwards or downwards, which may be an advantage in case the part of the bottom surface located in the clear gap is desired at a predetermined distance from the holding lip, and the bottom of the channel for the corner brackets is at a distance from the visible front surface of the frame section different from said predetermined distance.
The width of the clear gap between the front surface of the frame section and the screen wall may suitably be in the interval from 6 to 12 mm, preferably around 8 mm, which provides an aesthetically attractive appearance of the framed picture. If the width of the clear gap becomes substantially larger than 12 mm, the frame section as a whole must be larger for the clear gap to obtain a depth that makes the bottom surface appear visually subdued or absent.
The clear gap on the outside of the screen wall provides a functional separation of the actual mounting of the picture from the frame section, which is located radially outside the clear gap and is perceived as the frame proper around the picture. In an embodiment this has been exploited so that the visible front surface and possibly also the outer surface of the frame section is/are disposed on a separate element mounted on the remaining part of the frame section. This separate element can be designed in an especially expressive shape in another material than the remaining, extruded part of the frame section, which provides great freedom to give the same basic frame very varied expressions in terms of design. The separate element can further be exchangeable, such as a plastics strip that can be pressed into a channel-like opening in the front of the frame.
The frame is very suitable for framing of posters, pictures on paper, cardboard or a panel, possibly being glued to a supporting backing, where there is a layer of glass and possibly a mat over the picture. Such layered picture element can be retained securely in the frame with the rim area of the picture element front be
Green Brian K.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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