Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G1/00—Mirrors; Picture frames or the like, e.g. provided with heating, lighting or ventilating means
  • A47G1/14—Photograph stands
  • A47G1/142—Supporting legs or feet

Definitions

• the present invention is concerned with stands, particularly stands for picture
• One such mass produced picture frame has a perimeter frame, e.g. of wood with mitred corner joints or alternatively of plastics, a transparent front panel of plastics or glass, and a rear opaque panel typically of fibre board or plastics.
• the picture - be it a painting, photograph, print etc. - is sandwiched between the front and rear panels, which are themselves received in a recess formed around the rear of the perimeter frame and held in position typically by flexible metal tabs driven into the perimeter frame, which are bent into position against the rear panel.
• the rear panel has cuts or perforations pre-formed in it to define a leg which can be bent backwardly out of the plane of the panel. The cuts do
• An alternative construction uses a leg formed separately from the frame's rear
• leg can sometimes fold
• An object of the present invention is to provide an improved stand for a
• a stand for a picture frame comprising a bracket for coupling to the rear of the frame and a leg, one of the leg and the bracket defining at least one slot and the other of the leg and the bracket comprising a projection receivable in the slot(s), the leg and the slot(s) being shaped such that in use the leg can be thereby mounted on the frame in either of a first orientation relative to the frame in which the leg lies generally parallel to the rear of the frame to minimise bulk and a second orientation relative to the frame in which
• the leg projects backward from the frame and can thus support the frame in a standing
• plastics and/or pressed metal sheet and/or shaped metal wire are plastics and/or pressed metal sheet and/or shaped metal wire.
• the projection is receivable along a direction
• the leg and the bracket can be separately formed. They are preferably not
• the leg may be formed as a single component
• the leg preferably has a support portion which meets the projection in an
• the support portion extending backwardly from the frame when the leg is in
• a "T' shaped cross section can also be used
• the slot has a square
• the leg projection may have a square cross section.
• embodiment may comprise a leg comprising shaped square section wire.
• the projection is insertable into the slot in a generally downward
• the bracket part is preferably formed of shaped sheet metal.
• the bracket can be formed by stamping. It may be coupled to the
• either the projection or the slot is formed with a guide path extending along at least part of its
• the invention can provide a frame which operates, from the point of view of the user, in a particularly straightforward and elegant manner.
• leg and/or the bracket part may be formed of
• bracket part having a metal plate defining a slot which is three
• bracket part preferably has a guide path itself formed as a slot formed through the
• the stub being receivable in the slot.
• the guide path is such that movement of the projection into the slot
• Such a guide path may be formed in or by the female part and have a first portion extending
• the follower can be stably located at either of the vertices and thus
• the guide path is preferably itself formed as a slot, the follower being formed
• bracket is adapted to receive a pin, hook or
• the slot may be flared at one or both of its
• bracket may have a cut-away, e.g.. a "V"
• the bracket having surfaces which lie against the panel's
• the present invention provides a
• the stand for maintaining in a standing orientation an item otherwise unstable in such orientation, the stand comprising a bracket for coupling to the item and a leg, one of
• bracket and the leg defining at least one slot and the other of the bracket and the
• leg comprising a projection receivable in the slot to thereby mount the leg on the
• the leg and the slot(s) being shaped such that the leg can be thereby mounted
• Fig. 1 is a perspective illustration of a bracket forming part of a first
• Fig. 2 is a perspective illustration of a leg also forming part of the first embodiment
• Fig. 3 is a perspective illustration of a bracket forming part of a second
• Fig.4 illustrates a leg also forming part of the second embodiment
• Fig. 5 illustrates a leg forming part of a third embodiment of the present
• Fig. 6 illustrates in perspective a bracket forming part of the third embodiment
• Fig. 7 illustrates in perspective a bracket forming part of a fourth embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 8 illustrates in perspective a bracket forming part of a fifth embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 9 is a plan view of a leg used in the fifth embodiment.
• Fig. 10 is a perspective illustration of the fifth embodiment in use on a picture
• Fig. 11 is a perspective illustration of the stand and picture frame of fig. 10
• Fig. 12 is a perspective illustration of a bracket forming part of a sixth
• Fig. 13 is a perspective illustration of a bracket forming part of a seventh
• Fig. 14 is a perspective illustration of a bracket forming part of an eighth embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 15 is a perspective illustration of a bracket forming part of a ninth
• Fig. 16 illustrates in plan a further leg for use in embodiments of the present
• the bracket illustrated in Fig.1 is stamped from sheet metal and provided with
• a suitable surface coating for preservation and / or decoration is rectangular in plan
• a shaped slot 4 is formed in the sheet metal of the bracket by the stamping
• the slot extends in the direction from the bottom of the frame
• rectangular frames can be used in two different orientations, either a long edge or
• brackets of the type illustrated in Fig. 1 may be provided, one adjacent a short
• the leg illustrated in Fig. 2 is formed, like the bracket, from sheet metal with
• the leg has a main portion 6 with a foot 8 formed thereon for
• the projection can be received either such that the leg lies generally
• the leg projects backward from the picture frame and enables it to stand generally upright on a horizontal surface - the frame inclines slightly backward and is prevented from toppling by resting of the foot 8 on the surface.
• the leg being against and parallel to the rear of the frame, is conveniently retained for storage without risk of being lost.
• Both the leg's projection and the slot are formed with a slight taper along their lengths, so that the former can be snugly received in the latter.
• Fig. 1 it may be formed from a combination of metal sheet and moulded
• This bracket has a planar rectangular portion 20 again provided with dog
• the inner surface of the cylindrical slot 24 has formed in it a longitudinally
• a small "V” or nick may be formed in a lower part of the bracket to
• leg can be moved from one orientation to the
• both the leg 40 and the bracket 42 are formed of sheet
• the leg has, close to the lower end of its projection 44, an integrally formed
• the bracket 42 defines a slot 48 whose cross section is a ninety degree
• the sheet material of the bracket being shaped to provide a
• the quarter circular part 52 is cut through such that it defines a guide path 54
• first portion 56 extending longitudinally of the slot 48 and leading to a second portion 58 extending laterally which itself leads into a third portion 60 extending longitudinally.
• the projection 44 of the leg is inserted in the slot with its stub 44 engaged in the cut through guide path 54, so that the leg can be located adequately securely in either of its orientations at the option of the user.
• the bracket has a "V" shaped cut-away 62 which, on inverting the frame, will engage on a wall mounted pin, nail, hook or similar to hang the frame.
• the leg can be stored in its non-use position.
• the sheet material forming the bracket 42 is divided along the greater part of
• the bracket is secured to a back plate 66 which rests against
• This bracket 70 is usable with a leg of the type illustrated in Fig. 2.
• the bracket 70 is considered to give more positive location for the leg. It defines a pair of parallel slots 72, 74 one
• One slot 72 receives the rectangular leg
• the other slot 74 has the same cross section as the one slot 72 but is oriented
• Both slots being too nanow (along most of their lengths) to receive a hook
• the slot 72 has been flared at one of its ends 76 - the lowermost end in
• FIG. 8 and 9 illustrate a particularly constructionally convenient embodiment
• bracket 80 defines a slot 84 of square cross
• the leg comprises a first straight portion 92
• the bracket being secured to the rear panel of the frame by its dog teeth with the open end of the slot 84 facing away from the adjacent portion of the
• Figs. 10 and 11 includes a pair of brackets 80 mutually
• the bracket illustrated in Fig. 12 is a one piece plastics moulding
• sectioned portion 112 defining a slot for receiving the leg.
• sectioned portion 112 defining a slot for receiving the leg.
• side walls 114
• bracket's back plate 110 is placed against the front face of the rear panel and
• defining portion 112 is, during assembly of the picture frame, pushed through a
• the bracket may be adequately secured in position by reason of its being sandwiched against the frame's rear panel, the tongues 116 being dispensed with. However in Fig. 12 additional security is provided by the tongues 116 which, once pushed through the rear panel (involving some temporary deformation of the panel) lie against the panel's rear face and so resist subsequent movement of the bracket.
• the bracket illustrated in Fig. 13 can be manufactured particularly straightforwardly from sheet metal and comprises a square sectional tubular member
• Adjacent wing portions 130 lie in a common plane and serve a similar
• Backwardly directed dogs 132 formed from the
• wing portions 130 project rearwardly and so can be driven into the frame's rear panel
• Tabs 134 are formed from cut outs in the wing portions
• It is formed by folding metal sheet and comprises a square sectioned tubular portion 136 for receiving the projection of the leg with an integrally formed
• clip portion 138 formed by a metal tab which projects from the lower edge of the
• tubular portion 136 is bent to form a "U" in which an edge of the picture frame's
• the leg illustrated in Fig. 16 may be formed of moulded plastics.

Landscapes

• Mirrors, Picture Frames, Photograph Stands, And Related Fastening Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (9)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=27451867

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2000
  • 2000-02-03 DE DE60011048T patent/DE60011048D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-02-03 WO PCT/GB2000/000311 patent/WO2000045682A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2000-02-03 AU AU23068/00A patent/AU2306800A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-02-03 AT AT00901768T patent/ATE267543T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-02-03 EP EP00901768A patent/EP1150596B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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