Snap-together picture frame

• US 4,982,517 A
• Filed: 05/07/1990
• Issued: 01/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raymond Bilodeau
• Original Assignee: Raymond Bilodeau
• Inventors: Bilodeau, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US07/520,840
• Time in Patent Office: 246 Days
• Field of Search: 40/155, 40/159.1, 40/152
• US Class Current: 40/781
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/0605 made from extruded or moulded profiles, e.g. of plastic or metal

Abstract

The picture frame consists of four rectilinear members which can be joined a right angles to each other to form the complete frame. The members are joined together by interlocking components which are formed in mating parts on the ends of the members. One of the components is a fixed catch which is disposed on one end of the rectilinear member, and the other component is a flexible latch which is disposed on the other end of the member. The rectilinear members are formed in a number of different lengths which are then packaged in groups for forming different size frames. To form the frame, the latch end of one member is simply pushed into the catch end of the adjacent member. The frames can also be manually disassenbled.

Claims

1. A one piece picture frame component for forming one entire side of a picture frame, said component comprising:

an elongated member of a length which substantially conforms to the length of one side of a picture to be framed, said member having opposed beveled ends, and inner, medial and outer flanges which form two adjacent channels on a back side of the member, which channels have open ends formed at said opposed beveled ends;

a U-shaped channel component permanently secured in one of said elongated member channels and extending therefrom at right angles to the axis of elongation of the elongated member, said channel component having a transverse outer dimension substantially equal to the transverse inner dimension of said one of said elongted member channels;

a resilient latch element permanently mounted in said channel component, said latch element extending toward an open end of said channel component, and said latch element having a hook part facing toward said elongated member, and a camming surface facing away from said elongated member; and

a catch plate permanently mounted on said medial flange and extending across said one of said elongated member channels at an end thereof opposite said channel component.

2. In combination with the picture frame component of claim 1, clip means removably mounted on said medial flange and extending over and biased onto said inner flange for engaging and pressing an edge of a mounted picture against said inner flange to hlod the picture in place in the picture frame.

3. The picture frame component of claim 1 further comprising hanger means mounted on said outer flange for engagement with a nail to hold the picture frame in place on a wall.

4. An easily assemblable and disassemblable picture frame, said frame comprising:

(a) top, bottom, left hand and right hand one piece elongated frame members each of which is disposed at right angles to adjacent ones of said frame members, each of said frame members having a back side therof formed with outer, medial and inner flanges forming adjacent open-ended inner and outer channels therein which flanges and channels extend lengthwise of the frame members;

(b) abutting forty five degree beveled ends on each of frame members forming right angle corners on said frame whereby said inner and outer channels in each frame member communicate with the inner and outer channels in each adjacent frame member;

(c) a channel member permanently mounted in one end of one of said inner and outer channels on each frame member, and extending at right angles into the corresponding channel on an adjacent frame member to be snugly received therein;

(d) a catch member permanently mounted in said corresponding channel in each adjacent frame member, said catch member overlying the channel member which extends into said corresponding channel; and

(e) a latch member permanently mounted in each of said channel members, each of said latch members engaging the catch members overlying the channel members to hold the frame members together and resist pulling of the channel members out of said corresponding channels.

5. The picture frame of claim 4 wherein each latch member is formed with a leading cam surface and a flexible stem part, whereby each latch member will deflect past said catch members through engagement of said catch members by said latch cam surfaces when said channel members are pushed into said corresponding channels during assembly of the frame.

6. The picture frame claim 5 wherein said channels and channel members are open from the back of the frame whereby said latch members are accessible to allow manual release of the latch members from the catch members.