GB2133982A

GB2133982A - Framing system

Info

Publication number: GB2133982A
Application number: GB08302208A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Chilton Wescott
Original assignee: GOLDEN DESIGNS Ltd
Current assignee: GOLDEN DESIGNS Ltd
Priority date: 1983-01-27
Filing date: 1983-01-27
Publication date: 1984-08-08
Also published as: GB8302208D0

Abstract

A framing system and kit of parts therefor including a rear plate 11 and a transparent front plate 10 between which a sheet for display can be located, a plurality of resilient clips 12 which engage the outer faces of the two plates and urge the two plates together, and a surrounding frame 20 which in cross-section has a channel in which the edges of the plates and at least part of each clip are received, the resilience of the clips retaining the frame in place. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Framing system This invention relates to a framingNsystem which is suitable for framing pictures, photographs and the like.

At the present time it is of course possible to purchase picture frames, but these are nearly always ready-made and they are quite expensive for what they are. This is particularly true for larger frames. The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved framing system which allows the provision of completed picture frames, or of kits of parts by which a user can make a picture frame to his requirements.

According to the present invention there is provided a framing system including a rear plate and a transparent front plate between which a sheet for display can be located, a plurality of resilient clips which engage the outer faces of the two plates and urge the two plates together, and a surrounding frame which in cross-section has a channel in which the edges of the plates and at least part of each clip are received, the resilience of the clips retaining the frame in place.

The invention also provides a kit of parts for making a frame system including a rear plate and a transparent front plate, a plurality of resilient clips which can engage the outer face of the plates when placed together and urge them toward one another and means to form a surrounding frame which in cross-section has a channel adapted to receive the edges of the plates, when placed together, and at least part of the clips, so that in use the resilience of the clips retains the frame in place.

In the kit of parts according to the invention the front and back plates need not necessarily be supplied, as the user may well be able to provide these himself. When present however, and in the system of the invention, the back plata may typically be of hardboard and the front plate of glass or a transparent plastics material.

Preferably, the clips are such that their engagement in the channel of the frame causes the clips to urge the two plates against one another and also against an edge of the channel.

Preferably, means are provided by which the sections of the frame are or can be joined to one another at the corners. The joining means can be sufficiently robust to ensure that the sections are "square" with one another. When this occurs, greater pressure is applied by the frame on the spring clips and there is a more secure fastening of the plates against the edge of the channel. The joining means preferably comprise angled plates to be received in additional slots in the sections of the frame and to be fixed therein for instance by screws frictionally engaging the frames. Such an arrangement is particularly appropriate in providing resistance against the twisting of adjacent sections which is likely to arise due to the resilience of the clips. However, other securing arrangements can readily be contemplated.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description which is given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is 3 partial rear plan view of an assembled framing system of the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line Il-Il of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the clips; and Figure 4 shows a section of the frame.

Fig. 1 shows the rear of a frame system according to the invention in its assembled condition and a part sectional view thereof is shown in Fig. 2. In these Figures numeral 10 indicates a front plate generally of glass or some other transparent material and numeral 11 indicates a rear plate which is likely to be of hardboard. The item to be displayed is held between these plates and is not shown.

Additionally the plates are held together by a plurality of clips 12 at least one of which is provided along each straight edge of the assembly. The clips 12 have, as shown in Fig. 3, a hook part 1 3 which passes across the edges of the plates and terminates in a turned back part which engages the front face of the front plate 10. Part 13 is at the end of an elongate limb 14 which extends to a rear section 1 5 from which depends a leg 1 6 having a small projection 1 7 designed to fit into a hole made for the purpose in the rear plate 11.

Extending forwardly from the rear section 1 5 are two resilient limbs 18 which in use engage the rear face of the rear plate 11. It will be understood that when the clips only are applied to the two plates, they hold the plates together by reason of the limbs 1 8 pressing the plates toward the turned in portion of the hook part 13.

Surrounding the assembly of front and rear plates and clips is a frame 20 which for clarity is shown on its own in cross-section in Fig. 4 and which can also be seen in section in Fig. 2. The frame has a channel 21 in which are received the edges of plates 10 and 11 as well as parts of the clips 12. The channel is bounded by one edge 22 of a curved wall which engages against the front face of the front plate 10. A slot 23 is formed on the outside of the opposite wall of the channel by upstanding and turned in rims 24 and 25. A corner plate 26 is received in the end of this channel in adjacent parts of the frame and as shown in Fig. 2 is a reasonably close fit therein. The corner plate can be secured by means of screws 27 threaded through it which when tightened press against the bottom of the slot 23, so as to wedge the corner plate against the in-turned rims.Although not shown, various loops, rings and means for forming stands can be provided on the rear plate 11 or indeed on the frame section and the slot 23 could be utilised to improve the security thereof if desired.

It can readily be seen how a picture can be framed by firstly being placed between the plates 10 and 11 which are then held together by the clips 12, which will be provided along each edge in a number depending upon the length of that edge. Thereafter, assuming the picture is rectangular, four pieces of the frame will be cut and mitred to the appropriate length. The parts for two opposite edges will then be applied to those edges, so that as shown in Fig. 2 the edges of the plates and parts of the clips are received in the channels 21. For the remaining two parts the corner plates 26 are first inserted and then these parts are applied to the corresponding edges and at the same time the other limbs of the corner plates 26 are received in the slots 23 of the previously applied parts of the frame.When all parts of the frame have been pushed into place, screws 27 are tightened. This tightening has an important effect. As may be appreciated from Fig. 2 the upward thrust of the limbs 1 8 of the clips 12 causes the limbs 14 of the clips to tend to rise. It can be seen from Fig. 2 that this will tend to cause the frame 20 to rotate slightly in a clockwise sense. Such a rotation on all four sides will cause joints between adjacent parts of the frame to be not be particularly true. However, when one of the angled corner pieces 26 are tightened into the slots 23, and by reason of the angled pieces 26 desirably being fairly robust, the various parts of the frame section can be caused to rotate slightly, as the screws are done up, in the direction which in Fig. 2 is the anti-clockwise direction.As a result, the base of the slot 23 will become parallel with the plates 11 and 10. Moreover, the limbs 14 of the clips are pressed downwardly towards the plates and the parts 1 8 are also so pressed. A result of this is that the parts 1 8 press the plates 10 and 11 together and they also urge the plate 10 firmly against the edge 22 of the frame section.

Overall, the resulting frame is unusually robust and provides an excellent seal between the transparent plate 10 and the frame and also between the front and rear plates. Naturally, various decorative arrangements can be contemplated for the frame and various thicknesses (front to back) of the sections can be considered, not only to accommodate different thicknesses of plate but also to provide inherent strength in the frame, for instance for very large pictures or posters. Although robust and secure the frame is lighter than many known frames while any unsightly parts are hidden at the back of the picture when framed. Normally the frame sections 23 will be of aluminium but other materials can be contemplated. The angled pieces 26 will normally be of an appropriate stiffer material.The clips 12 will be of spring steel, and alternative designs which firstly allow the frame to be held and secondly assist in urging the plates together and towards the edge of the channel can be employed.

The invention has various commercial possibilities. Firstly, it can be used directly to frame pictures which are then sold. Secondly, systems comprising all the required parts including the front and rear plates can be sold assembled or kits can be sold disassembled for the purchaser to mount his own picture or photograph. Due to the lightness combined with robustness and strength it is contemplated that frame systems sufficiently large to accommodate posters as are now commonly sold could readily be provided and the cost would be far from exhorbitant. Finally, kits involving corner pieces, sections and clips alone are regarded as being within the invention on the basis that many purchasers will be able to provide hardboard and glass, for instance to the appropriate size, themselves.

Although angled corner pieces 26 have been described, alternative means for securing the junction between adjacent parts of a frame section can be contemplated though they should preferably impart the effects of ensuring that adjacent parts of the frame section are true in respect of each other with the bottoms of the channels 23 all lying in one plane.

Claims

1. A framing system including a rear plate and a transparent front plate between which a sheet for display can be located, a plurality of resilient clips which engage the outer faces of the two plates and urge the two plates together, and a surrounding frame which in cross-section has a channel in which the edges of the plates and at least part of each clip are received, the resilience of the clips retaining the frame in place.

2. A kit of parts for making a framing system including a rear plate and a transparent front plate, a plurality of resilient clips which can engage the outer faces of the plates when placed together and urge them toward one another, and means to form a surrounding frame which in cross-section has a channel adapted to receive the edges of the plates, when placed together, and at least part of the clips, so that in use the resilience of the clips retains the frame in place.

3. A kit of parts for use in making a framing system which system has a rear plate and a transparent front plate, such kit including a plurality of resilient clips which can engage the outer faces of the plates when placed together and urge them toward one another, and means to form a surrounding frame which in cross-section has a channel adapted to receive the edges of the plates, when placed together, and at least part of the clips, so that in use the resilience of the clips retains the frame in place.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the clips are such that their engagement in the channel of the frame causes the clips to urge the two plates against one another and also against an edge of the channel.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim including means by which sections of the frame can be joined to one another at the corners.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein such means include angled plates receivable in additional slots in the sections of the frame.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plates are fixable in the slots by screws threaded in the plates.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the clips each have a hook part to engage across the edges and on one face of the two plates, the hook part being provided on a limb which is connected to at least one resilient arm which is to engage the other face of the two plates.

9. A framing system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

10. A kit of parts for making a framing system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.