Photographic case with cover with interlock mat

• US 5,044,100 A
• Filed: 11/20/1990
• Issued: 09/03/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Art Leather Manufacturing Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Art Leather Manufacturing Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Roberts, Mark H., Troche, Luis P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safavi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/616,689
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• Field of Search: 40/158.1, 40/159, 40/159.2, 40/156
• US Class Current: 40/735
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 5/04 with transparent pockets

Abstract

A mounting case for one or more photographs including a cover member and a rim member having an inner stepped edge attached to the inner surface of the cover member and a card member having inner and outer edges attached to the rim member, the inner edge of the card member being spaced slightly more inwardly than the inner stepped edge of the card member so as to form a locking recess between the inner stepped edge of the rim member, the inner surface of the cover member, and the card member. A mounting mat capable of holding a photograph has an outer rim edge that is adapted to lock into the recess against the inner surface of the cover member against the inner stepped edge of the rim member. Once the photograph or photographs are mounted to the mat, the mat is slid by way of a slot into the locking recess. The mat can form a number of cutouts of varied configurations that frame various photographs simultaneously. The case can include one frame with a stand or two, three, or four frames that open to a viewing position or that close to a nonviewing position.

Claims

1. A photograph mounting system, comprising,

at least one frame member including

cover means having opposed inner and outer sides and a cover peripheral edge,

a rim member secured to said inner side of said cover and having a rim inner peripheral edge and a rim outer peripheral edge, said rim outer edge being generally coextensive with said cover peripheral edge, said rim inner peripheral edge and said inner side defining a space,

a card member secured to said rim member and having card inner and outer edges, said card outer edge being generally coextensive with said rim outer edge, said card inner edge being configured the same as and extending less inwardly than said rim inner edge, said rim inner edge, said card member, and said inner side of said cover means forming an inner peripheral recess,

said inner peripheral recess extending around the entire length of the cover means,

mat means for holding the photograph for viewing said mat means having a peripheral edge and being adapted to be received within said space and positioned in locking relationship with said rim inner peripheral edge, said cover means providing a backing for said mat means,

slot means formed between said card member and said rim member for allowing passage of said mat means to and from said space, and

the entire peripheral edge of the mat matching and snugly mating with the entire length of the inner peripheral recess,

whereby said mat is locked into place along its entire peripheral edge within said inner peripheral recess.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said mat means includes a flat mat mounting member having inner and outer mat sides and forming at least one cutout adapted to provide a viewing frame for a photograph, said mat mounting member being positioned in said space with said inner mat side in contact with said inner side of said cover means, said mat mounting member including an outer mat edge locked in a recess disposed along said rim inner stepped edge.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said system is adapted to include a plurality of photographs and said at least one cutout includes a plurality of cutouts adapted to provide a plurality of viewing frames for said plurality of photographs.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said mat means further includes a mat backing member secured to said inner mat side, said mat mounting member and said mat backing member forming at least one sleeve adapted to hold a photograph, and further including entry means for allowing passage of a photograph into and from said at least one sleeve.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said at least one sleeve is a plurality of sleeves for holding a plurality of photographs, and said entry means is for allowing passage of each of said plurality of photographs into each of said plurality of sleeves.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said rim member, said rim inner stepped edge, and said mat edge are rectangular.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said rim member, said rim inner stepped edge, and said mat edge are square, whereby said mat mounting member can be aligned in said space and locked in said recess in four different viewing alignments.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein said cover means includes at least one cover member having a stiff backing portion including said cover peripheral edge and having opposed inner and outer surfaces, said rim member being secured to said inner surface.

9. The system of claim 8, said at least one cover member further including an outer portion secured to said outer surface of said stiff backing portion.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein said cover means further includes a flexible, decorative covering material secured to said outer side.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one frame member is a plurality of frame members, each of said plurality of frame members being rotatably connected to at least one other adjacent frame member, said plurality of frame members including at least two end frame members, said mounting system being movable between open and closed positions, wherein in said open position each said cutout is viewable and said mounting system is capable of being placed in an upright position on a surface, and in said closed position said plurality of frame members are folded one against the other.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said one frame member includes mean for holding said one frame member upright upon a surface, said means for holding being connected to said outer side of said one frame member.

13. The system of claim 11, further including connecting means for rotatably securing said adjacent frame members.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said connecting means is said flexible covering material.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein said slot means is a slot formed along a portion of said rim member, said slot being adapted to pass said mat means into said space into locking relationship with said stepped edge.

16. The system of claim 1, further including a U-shaped trim secured to at least said card outer peripheral edge.

17. A photograph mounting system, comprising:

at least one planar frame member including

planar cover means having opposed inner and outer sides and a cover peripheral edge,

a planar, flexible rim member secured to said inner side of said cover and having a rim inner peripheral edge and a rim outer peripheral edge, said rim outer edge being generally coextensive with said cover peripheral edge, said rim inner peripheral edge and said inner side defining a space,

a planar card member secured to said planar rim member and having card inner and outer edges, said card outer edge being generally coextensive with said rim outer edge, said card inner edge being configured the same as and extending less inwardly than said rim inner edge, said rim inner edge, said planar card member, and said inner side of said planar cover means forming an inner peripheral recess,

said inner peripheral recess extending around the entire length of the planar cover means,

planar mat means for holding the photograph for viewing said planar mat means having a peripheral edge and being adapted to be received within said space and positioned in locking relationship with said rim inner peripheral edge,

planar slot means formed between said planar card member and said planar, flexible rim member for allowing passage of said mat means to and from said space, and

the entire peripheral edge of the mat matching and snugly mating with the entire length of the inner peripheral recess,

whereby said mat is locked into place along its entire peripheral edge within said inner peripheral recess.