PICTURE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 3,771,246 A
• Filed: 09/27/1971
• Issued: 11/13/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emanuel C. Ebner
• Original Assignee: Emanuel C. Ebner
• Inventors: Ebner, Emanuel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Contreras, Wenceslao J.
• Application Number:
  US05/183,883
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 40/152,152.1,10,125,156,154
• US Class Current: 40/720
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/14 Photograph stands
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2001/145 Picture cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/14 Suspending devices, supports or stands for time-pieces insofar as they form part of the case wrist watch straps, fastening means therefor A44C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/16 on clocks, e.g. controlled by the clock mechanism

Abstract

A modular display device adapted to stand individually on a flat surface or hang on a wall, and alternatively to cooperatively fit with five identical devices to form a three dimensional display device in cube form. Such a cube may include a suitable stand and some of the sides of the cube may be put to uses other than for displaying a picture. Several of the devices may be secured together by a connector to form flat combinations for display or educational toy purposes.

Claims

1. A modular picture display device comprising:

a frame member having a central opening therethrough, frontfacing sides surrounding said central opening and a body portion extending rearwardly from said front-facing sides and surrounding said central opening, said body portion including a slot extending laterally outwardly from said central opening within said body portion and complementary coupling means extending rearwardly from said body portion, said coupling means comprising male coupling elements including at least one rearwardly extending tab on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion and female coupling elements including at least two rearwardly extending tabs on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion, said male and female coupling means being spaced and similarly oriented on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion;

said coupling means being adapted to couple with similar coupling means on other identical picture display devices so that said picture display devices may be fitted together in back-to-back relationship to form a device having two display sides or coupled at a 90* orientation to form a three dimensional display device having up to six display sides thereby forming a cube.

2. A modular picture display device as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising:

a relatively stiff backing member removably fitted in said slot and covering said central opening, said backing member being configured to provide support for a picture being displayed through said central opening and to provide means for standing said picture display device substantially upright on a flat surface.

3. A modular picture display device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said body portion of said frame member is formed with at least one arcuate cutout to facilitate hanging of said picture display device on a wall.

4. A modular display device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said frame member is also formed with an arcuate rearwardly extending element surrounding and increasing the length of said arcuate cutout to facilitate hanging of said picture display device.

5. A modular picture display device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said picture support comprises a stand element folded more than 90* rearwardly from said backing member, and a locking member folded from said backing member and adapted to engage said stand element, said backing member being substantially smaller than the overall dimensions of said display device, said stand element being diagonally oriented with respect to said backing member and being more than half the length of said diagonal, whereby said stand element supports said display device in a substantially upright position on a flat surface.

6. A modular picture display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sides of said male tabs are substantially parallel and the rearwardly extending end thereof is beveled, the facing sides of said female tabs are substantially parallel and the rearwardly extending ends thereof are beveled inwardly toward the opening between said facing sides, thereby facilitating engagement of said male and female tabs from any direction.

7. A modular picture display device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said body portion is formed with a beveled edge facing generally rearwardly, said beveled edges of adjacent modular frame members abutting each other when said adjacent frame members are fully coupled together.

8. A modular picture display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said slot opens out on one side of said body portion to provide external access thereto, said slot is formed with ribs projecting from one internal surface of said slot thereby narrowing said slot in that area, said ribs being located within said slot on the opposite side of said central opening from said open end of said slot, whereby items inserted fully into said slot are wedged positively in place by said ribs and whereby said items are retained for viewing through said central opening.

9. A picture display device comprising:

a plurality of modular frame members, each having a central opening therethrough, front-facing sides surrounding said central opening, said body portion including a slot extending laterally outwardly from said central opening within said body portion and complementary coupling means extending rearwardly from said body portion, said coupling means comprising male coupling elements including at least one rearwardly extending tab on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion and female coupling elements including at least two rearwardly extending tabs on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion, said male and female coupling means being spaced and similarly oriented on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion, the coupling means of each said frame member being engaged by the coupling means of each adjacent frame so that said frame members are oriented at a 90* angle with each adjacent frame member, thereby forming a three dimensional display device having a plurality of display sides.

10. A picture display device as set forth in claim 9 wherein one of said frame members is fitted with a stand for supporting said display device above a flat surface.

11. A picture display device as set forth in claim 10 wherein said stand includes a swivel fitting to permit said display device to be rotated and tilted as desired.

12. A picture display device as set forth in claim 9 wherein one of said frame members is fitted with a clock, the face of which is visible through said central opening in said one frame member.

13. A picture display device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said slot opens out on one side of said body portion to provide external access thereto, said slot is formed with ribs projecting from one internal surface of said slot thereby narrowing said slot in that area, said ribs being located within said slot on the opposite side of said central opening from said open end of said slot, whereby items inserted fully into said slot are wedged positively in place by said ribs, whereby said items are retained for viewing through said central opening.

14. A picture display device as set forth in claim 9 wherein the sides of said male tabs are substantially parallel and the rearwardly extending end thereof is beveled, the facing sides of said female tabs are substantially parallel and the rearwardly extending ends thereof are beveled inwardly toward the opening between said facing sides, thereby facilitating engagement of said male and female tabs from any direction.

15. A picture display device as set forth in claim 14 wherein said body portion is formed with a beveled edge facing generally rearwardly, said beveled edges of adjacent modular frame members abutting each other when said adjacent frame members are fully coupled Together.

16. A picture display device array comprising:

a first plurality of modular frame members, each having a central opening therethrough, front-facing sides surrounding said central opening and a body portion extending rearwardly from said front-facing sides and surrounding said central opening, said body portion including a slot extending outwardly from said central opening within said body portion and complementary coupling means extending rearwardly from said body portion, said coupling means comprising male coupling elements including at least one rearwardly extending tab on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion and female coupling elements including at least two rearwardly extending tabs on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion, said male and female coupling means being spaced and similarly oriented on each rearwardly facing side of said body portion; and

a second plurality of elongated connector elements, each having one end shaped and configured to positively engage said male tab and the other end shaped and configured to be positively engaged by said female tabs;

each adjacent male and female coupling element of each adjacent frame member being mutually coupled by said connector elements to form a composite flat array of said modular frame members.

17. A picture display device array as set forth in claim 16 wherein a plurality of said picture display device arrays, each rectangular in form, are coupled together by mutual engagement of said coupling means at the edges of said arrays to form a rectangular enclosure.