Frame, more particularly for a picture

• US 4,802,294 A
• Filed: 05/04/1987
• Issued: 02/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altura Leiden Holding BV
• Original Assignee: Heinz G. Baus
• Inventors: Baus, Heinz G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEHNER, CARY ELLEN
• Application Number:
  US07/045,565
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 40/155, 40/156, 40/152, 403/295, 403/401, 403/402
• US Class Current: 40/782
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/0605 made from extruded or moulded profiles, e.g. of plastic or metal
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/101 for insertion within frame members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/555 Angle section

Abstract

A frame, more particularly for a picture, comprises profiled rails which are joined together at the corners of the frame by a corner-connector. Each corner-connector comprises two plugs arranged respectively in a cavity in each profiled rail, and each of the cavities comprises an opening extending in the longitudinal direction. The object to be achieved is a functionally reliable joint between the profiled rails which is simple to produce and can easily be released when required. To this end, each plug comprises a tongue which passes through the opening in the cavity and which engages, by means of a hook element or the like, behind a retaining element. A retaining element of this kind is arranged on at least one web of the profiled rail.

Claims

1. A frame for a picture comprising:

profiled rails joined together at the corners of the frame by means of corner-connectors, each of said rails comprising a cavity and two webs extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail, and said two webs having an opening between them also extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail, said cavity being formed from a substantially U-formed portion of the profiled rail comprising of rearwardly directed legs each carrying one of said two webs, each web projecting laterally toward the web carried by the other leg ,

each of said corner-connectors comprising two plugs formed integrally with each other in a single piece, each plug being inserted from an end inside the cavity of a rail,

at least one of the webs comprising a retaining element projecting rearwardly behind the rear surface of said at lest one web,

each plug comprising in the vicinity of said retaining element a resilient tongue with a free end which extends outwardly from the cavity through the opening between said two webs, said tongue being formed integrally with the plug and having a width which is at the most equal to the width of said opening,

at least one laterally projecting hook element being provided at said free end of the tongue, said hook element extending outside said cavity and overlying said rear surface of said at least one web, said tongues and lateral hook elements having a maximum width no wider than the width of said plugs, and

means for locking said hook element to said retaining element.

2. A frame according to claim 1, wherein said retaining element is arranged at an angle to said rear surface of said at least one web, said retaining element being obtained by stamping out and rearwardly bending a portion of the web.

3. A frame according to claim 2, wherein two hook elements are provided at the free end of said tongue, one at each lateral side of the tongue, each hook element being engaged under spring bias with a corresponding retaining element provided respectively on each of said two webs.

4. A frame according to claim 2, wherein said retaining element comprises a first engaging surface remote from a corner of the frame, against which a second engaging surface on the tongue and the hook elements bears.

5. A frame according to claim 1, wherein said profiled rails are joined together at right angles.

9. A frame according to claim 1, further comprising a spring element (32) arranged adjacent said cavity (14) extending toward the center of the frame and having a curved resilient central portion (46) and a hook element (44) at one end which engages an L-shaped extension on the leg of profiled rail (2) located at the inner margin of the frame, and said spring element further having a base part (48) at its other end extending forwardly and outwardly along the back of a member enclosed by said frame to a position in front of said cavity.

10. A frame according to claim 1, wherein each of said two webs has a retaining element formed thereon, said tongue carrying two laterally extending hook elements 26, 28 which overlie said two webs, and each of said hook elements engages a respective one of said retaining elements.

11. A frame according to claim 1, further comprising rearwardly directed extensions carried on said legs, said extensions projecting rearwardly of said tongue and hook elements to prevent said tongue and hook elements from sticking out behind the frame.

6. A frame according to claim I wherein said corner-connectors are resilient.

7. A frame according to claim 6, wherein said corner-connectors are made of plastic.

8. A frame according to claim I, wherein the leg of profiled rail (2) located at the outer margin of the frame carries an L-shaped leg (56) extending forwardly and laterally toward the Center of the frame, said cavity (14) and said corner connectors comprising the plugs (16, 18) are arranged behind the outer edge of a member (52) enclosed by the frame, and the outer margin said enclosed member (52) is overlapped in front only by the laterally extending portion of the L-shaped leg (56).

12. A frame comprising a plurality of profiled rails joined together by corner connectors to form corners of the frame, each of said rails comprising a cavity and two webs extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail, said two webs defining between them an opening also extending in the longitudinal direction f the rail, each of said corner-connectors comprising two plugs, each plug being inserted from an end inside the cavity of a rail, at least one of the webs comprising a retaining element projecting rearwardly behind the rear surface of said at least one web, each plug comprising in the vicinity of said retaining element a resilient tongue with a free end which extends outwardly from the cavity through said opening, said tongue having a width which is at the most equal to the width of said opening, at least one hook element extending outside said cavity behind said rear surface of said at least one web, and means for locking said hook element to said retaining element, said retaining element being arranged at an angle to said rear surface of said at least one web and being obtained by stamping out and rearwardly bending a portion of the web, said retaining element comprising a first engaging surface remote from a corner against which a second engaging surface on the tongue and the hook elements bears, and wherein said first and second engaging surfaces are arranged at an angle to the outer surfaces of the webs so that said tongue is urged towards said outer surfaces of the webs by the resulting wedging action.

13. A frame according to claim 12, wherein said free end of the tongue is provided with a nose adapted to be lifted by hand for disengaging said hook elements from said retaining elements thus permitting the removal of said plugs from said rails.

14. A frame according to claim 13, wherein said tongue extends from a free end of each plug, said tongue being corrugated for providing resilience thereto.

15. A frame according to claim 14, wherein each rail comprises extensions directed towards a rear edge of the frame, said webs being so located with respect to said rear edge and said extensions having such a predetermined height that said tongue, said nose and said hook elements are prevented from projecting beyond said rear edge of the frame.

16. A frame according to claim 15, wherein each profiled rail comprises on a front side opposite to the rear side of the frame containing said rear edge, a leg directed toward to the center of the frame, against which a picture is pressed.

17. A frame according to claim 16, further comprising a carrier and a sheet of glass sandwiching said picture.

18. A frame according to claim 16, further comprising a spring-element adapted to press said picture sandwiched between said carrier and said sheet of glass against said leg.

19. A frame according to claim 18, wherein said spring element comprises a hook and each of said profiled rails comprises an L-shaped extension in which said hook of said spring element engages from as side opposite said rear edge of the frame, said spring element further comprising a base part connected by a curved portion to said L-shaped extension, said base part bearing against said carrier.

20. A frame according to claim 15, wherein means directed from said cavity towards said rear edge of the frame act upon said tongue when said hook elements are pushed over said retaining elements, and wherein when said hook elements have been pushed over said retaining elements, the resilient tongue along with the hook elements, is moved towards said cavity and engages said retaining elements.

21. A frame according to claim 12, wherein two hook elements are provided at the free end of said tongue, one on each lateral side of said tongue, each of said two webs having a retaining element formed thereon, and wherein each of said retaining elements is engaged with a respective one of said hook elements.