Frame assembly and composite inclusive thereof

• US 5,549,267 A
• Filed: 01/10/1994
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Stegink, David W., Armbruster, June M., Moris, Steve W., Callahan, Joseph P. Jr., Bastiaens, Willem V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERGER, DEREK JOEL
• Application Number:
  US08/179,610
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 248/205.3, 248/442.2, 248/918, 248/174, 40/594, 40/124, 211/50, 434/365, 400/718, D14/114
• US Class Current: 248/442.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/045 Fastening means for paper sheet; Paper trays; Accessories for typists, e.g. line indicators
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0094 Copyholder for VDU screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1607 Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/918 Ancillary device support associated with a video display screen

Abstract

A frame assembly for use on a device such a computer monitor having a front viewed surface surrounded by a housing. The frame assembly includes a stiff frame having generally planar front and rear surfaces that includes elongate border portions having inner edge surfaces that define an opening through the frame corresponding in shape to the front viewed surface. The rear surface of the frame can be attached along the front surface of the housing with the opening in the frame aligned with the front viewed surface, and a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to the frame is accessible along the front surface of the frame so that sheets of paper and other objects can be releasably adhered thereto. The frame assembly can be supplied as a part of a composite that can provide other separable smaller bulletin boards or frames that also can have pressure sensitive adhesive accessible along their front surfaces.

Claims

1. A frame assembly adapted for use on a device including a front viewed surface of a predetermined shape and a housing having a front surface at least partially around the viewed surface, said frame assembly including:

a frame having generally planar front and rear surfaces, said frame including elongate border portions having inner edge surfaces defining a first opening through the frame corresponding in shape to at least a portion of the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used;

means for attaching the rear surface of the frame along the front surface of the housing on which the frame is adapted to be used with the opening in the frame aligned with the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used; and

a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to said frame, said layer having an attachment surface accessible along the front surface of the frame adapted to have sheets of paper and other objects releasably adhered thereto;

said frame comprising;

a stiff outer layer providing the front surface of the frame, said outer layer having a back surface opposite said front surface and having through openings; and

a recessed layer attached along the back surface of said outer layer and extending across said openings; and

said layer of repositionable pressure-sensitive adhesive being coated over the portions of said recessed layer extending across the openings.

2. A frame assembly according to claim 1, wherein said openings through said outer layer are disposed in a decorative pattern along said front surface, and said front surface of said frame and said recessed layer or layer of adhesive extending across said openings are of different colors.

3. A frame assembly adapted for use on a device including a front viewed surface of a predetermined shape and a housing having a front surface at least partially around the viewed surface, said frame assembly including:

a frame having generally planar front and rear surfaces, said frame including elongate border portions having inner edge surfaces defining a first opening through the frame corresponding in shape to at least a portion of the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used;

means for attaching the rear surface of the frame along the front surface of the housing on which the frame is adapted to be used with the opening in the frame aligned with the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used; and

a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to said frame, said layer having an attachment surface accessible along the front surface of the frame adapted to have sheets of paper and other objects releasably adhered thereto;

said layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive being adhered along the front surface of the frame, and said frame assembly further comprising;

a plurality of sheets having from and rear major surfaces and generally the same shape as said frame;

decorative patterns on the from surfaces of said sheets; and

layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive coated on the front surfaces of said sheets over said decorative patterns;

said sheets being adhered together in a stack with the sheets aligned and with rear surfaces of sheets in the stack removably adhered to the layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on the sheets; and

the rear surface of the bottom most sheet in the stack being releasably adhered to the repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on the front surface of the frame;

said sheets being sequentially removable to present fresh layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on the sheets in the stack and/or to change the decorative pattern on the top sheet on the stack.

4. A frame assembly according to claim 3 wherein said decorative patterns on said sheets are different.

5. A frame assembly according to claim 3 wherein successive decorative patterns on said sheets in said stack relate to successive events and/or seasons of the year.

6. A frame assembly adapted for use on a device including a from viewed surface of a predetermined shape and a housing having a front surface at least partially around the viewed surface, said frame assembly including:

a frame having generally planar front and rear surfaces, said frame including elongate border portions having inner edge surfaces defining a first opening through the frame corresponding in shape to at least a portion of the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used;

means for attaching the rear surface of the frame along the front surface of the housing on which the frame is adapted to be used with the opening in the frame aligned with the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used; and

a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to said frame, said layer having an attachment surface accessible along the front surface of the frame adapted to have sheets of paper and other objects releasably adhered thereto;

said frame being slit at least once around said inner edge surfaces defining said first opening through the frame to define outer edge surfaces defining a larger opening than said first opening; and

said frame further including means for separably attaching the portion of the frame around said outer edge surfaces and the portion of the frame between said outer edge surfaces and said inner edge surfaces, thereby affording the forming of different size openings in the frame to afford adoption of the frame assembly to devices having different sized viewed surfaces.

7. A frame assembly adapted for use on a device including a front viewed surface of a predetermined shape and a housing having a front surface at least partially around the viewed surface, said frame assembly including:

a frame having generally planar front and rear surfaces,

a plurality of sheets having front and rear major surfaces;

layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive coated on the rear surfaces of said sheets;

said sheets being adhered together in a stack with the sheets aligned and with the layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on the rear surfaces of the sheets removably adhered to the from surfaces of the sheets in the stack;

the layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on the rear surface of the bottom most sheet in the stack being releasably adhered to the front surface of the frame;

said frame and sheets each including elongate border portions having inner edge surfaces defining an opening through the frame and stack of sheets adapted to generally correspond in shape to or to be slightly larger than at least a portion of the from viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used; and

means adapted for attaching the rear surface of the frame along the front surface of the housing of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used with the opening in the frame and sheets aligned with that front viewed surface;

said sheets being sequentially removable to present fresh front surfaces of underlying sheets in the stack and/or to change a decorative patterns on the top sheet on the stack.

8. A composite including:

a frame assembly adapted for use on a device including a front viewed surface of a predetermined shape and a housing having a front surface at least partially around the viewed surface, said frame assembly including;

a stiff frame having generally planar front and rear surfaces, said frame including elongate border portions having inner edge surfaces defining a first opening through the frame adapted to correspond in shape to at least a portion of the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used;

means adapted for attaching the rear surface of the frame along the from surface of the housing of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used with the opening in the frame aligned with the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used; and

a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to said frame and having an attachment surface accessible along the front surface of the frame adapted to have sheets of paper and other objects releasably adhered thereto; and

a second assembly, said second assembly including;

a stiff supplemental plate having generally planar front and rear surfaces, said supplemental plate having outer edge surfaces adapted to lay edge to edge with said inner edge surfaces of said border portions;

means adapted for attaching the rear surface of the supplemental plate along a surface of a substrate; and

a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to said supplemental plate and having an attachment surface accessible along the front surface of the supplemental plate adapted to have sheets of paper and other objects releasably adhered thereto; and

means for releasably attaching said supplemental plate to said frame with said front surfaces of said supplemental plate and said frame generally co-planar, and said outer edge surfaces of said supplemental plate laying edge to edge with said inner edge surfaces of the frame.

9. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said frame is adapted for use on the device when the viewed surface of the device is rectangular and has a predetermined width, and said frame has three elongate border portions disposed in a generally U-shaped pattern with the inner edge surfaces of the three border portions defining said first opening through the frame, said first opening being generally U-shaped and having a predetermined width adapted to generally correspond to or to be slightly wider than the width of the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used.

10. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said frame is adapted for use on the device when the viewed surface of the device is rectangular and has a predetermined width and height, said frame having four elongate border portions disposed in a generally rectangular pattern with the inner edge surfaces of the border portions defining a generally rectangular first opening through the frame of a predetermined width and height adapted to generally correspond to or to be slightly larger than the width and height of the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used.

11. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive are adhered along the front surfaces of the frame and supplemental plate and extend over the entire front surfaces of the frame and the supplemental plate.

12. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive are adhered along the front surfaces of the frame and supplemental plate and extend over only predetermined portions of the front surfaces of said frame and said supplemental plate.

13. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said frame and supplemental plate comprise outer layers providing said front surfaces of the frame and supplemental plate, said outer layers have back surfaces opposite said front surfaces and have through openings, said frame and supplemental plate comprise recessed layers attached along said back surfaces and extending across said through openings of said outer layers, and said layers of repositionable pressure-sensitive adhesive are on the portions of said recessed layers extending across the openings.

14. A composite according to claim 13 wherein said openings through said outer layers are disposed in a decorative pattern along said front surfaces, and said front surfaces of said frame and said supplemental plate and said recessed layers or layers of pressure sensitive adhesive extending across said openings are of different colors.

15. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said frame assembly and said second assembly each further comprise:

a plurality of sheets having front and rear major surfaces;

decorative patterns on the front surfaces of said sheets; and

layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive coated on the front surfaces of said sheets over said decorative patterns;

said sheets are adhered together in a stack with the sheets aligned and with rear surfaces of sheets in the stack removably adhered to the layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on the sheets; and

the rear surface of the bottom most sheet in the stack is releasably adhered to the repositionable pressures sensitive adhesive on the front surface of the frame or supplemental plate;

said sheets are sequentially removable to present fresh layers of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on the sheets in the stack and/or to change the decorative pattern on the top sheet on the stack,

16. A composite according to claim 15 wherein said decorative patterns on said sheets are different.

17. A composite according to claim 15 wherein successive decorative patterns on said sheets in said stacks relate to successive events and/or seasons of the year.

18. A composite according to claim 8 further including a layer of transparent material attached to said frame and extending across one of the surfaces of said supplemental plate, said layer of transparent material including at least one means selected from the group consisting of;

means for restricting glare along the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used;

means for improving contrast along the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used;

means for reducing static electricity along the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used;

means for blocking certain types or radiation along the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used; and

means for restricting viewing information displayed along the front viewed surface of the device on which the frame is adapted to be used at angles other than generally a right angle to that viewed surface.

19. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said supplemental plate includes at least three elongate border portions disposed in a generally U-shaped pattern and having inner edge surfaces, said inner edge surfaces being adapted to define an opening through the supplemental plate of a predetermined width;

and

said composite further includes an insert having generally planar front and rear surfaces, said insert having outer edge surfaces adapted to lay edge to edge with said inner edge surfaces of the border portions of said supplemental plate; and

means for releasably attaching said insert to said supplemental plate with said front surfaces of said supplemental plate and said insert generally co-planar, and said outer edge surfaces of said insert laying edge to edge with said inner edge surfaces of said supplemental plate.

20. A composite according to claim 19 wherein said supplemental plate includes a fourth border portion, said border portions of said supplemental plate are disposed in a rectangular pattern, and the inner edge surfaces of the border portions of said supplemental plate define a rectangular opening through the frame of a predetermined size.

21. A composite according to claim 19 further including means adapted for attaching the rear surface of the insert along a surface of a substrate;

and a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to said insert and having an attachment surface accessible along the front surface of the insert adapted to have sheets of paper and other objects releasably adhered thereto.

22. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said supplemental plate includes at least three elongate strip portions having generally planar front and rear surfaces, said strip portions having outer edge surfaces adapted to lay edge to edge with each other and with said inner edge surfaces of the border portions;

said means adapted for attaching is adapted to attach the rear surfaces of each of the strip portions along a surface of a substrate; and

said layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to said supplemental plate extends across each of said strip portions and has an attachment surface accessible along the front surface of each of the strip portions adapted to have sheets of paper and other objects releasably adhered thereto.

23. A composite according to claim 8 wherein said frame is slit at least once around said inner edge surfaces defining said first opening through the frame to define outer edge surfaces defining a larger opening than said first opening;

and said frame further includes means for separably attaching the portion of the frame around said outer edge surfaces and the portion of the frame between said outer edge surfaces and said inner edge surfaces, thereby affording the forming of different size openings in the frame to afford adapting the frame assembly to devices having different sized viewed surfaces.