Frame with interchangeable panels
AssigneeBay Island, LLC
InventorsKenneth D. McMahon, Jeffrey Louwagie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A frame for the interchangeable and selective display of panels of artwork or text, where at least one interior surface of the frame defines a cavity in which one or more panels may be disposed, and channels are formed on the interior surface to receive a rod that slidably engages the channels to secure and accessibly store one or more panels within the frame. Also disclosed is a technique for disposing one or more panels within a frame for display and securing the one or more panels by advancing a rod along channels to exert force against the one or more panels.
Claims20
A frame comprising:
- a body including at least one interior surface that defines a cavity,
- wherein a first channel is disposed on a first portion of the interior surface and a second channel is disposed on a second portion of the interior surface, the first channel is configured to receive a first end of a rod and the second channel is configured to receive a second end of the rod such that the rod extends between and slidably engages the first and second channels, and
- wherein the cavity is configured to receive at least one panel, and the body further includes a front border that defines a window, wherein the front border comprises an interior lip that protrudes inwardly toward the center of the frame from the at least one interior surface of the body of the frame.
A frame system comprising:
- a body comprising at least one interior surface that defines a cavity and a front border that includes an interior lip, wherein a first channel is disposed on a first portion of the at least one interior surface and a second channel is disposed on a second portion of the at least one interior surface, the interior lip protrudes inwardly toward the center of the frame from the at least one interior surface, and the front border defines a window;
- and
- a rod that extends between the first channel and the second channel, such that a first end of the rod slidably engages the first channel and a second end of the rod slidably engages the second channel.
A method comprising:
- disposing a panel within a cavity defined by at least one interior surface of a body of a frame,
- wherein a first channel is disposed on a first portion of the at least one interior surface and a second channel is disposed on a second portion of the at least one interior surface of the body, a front end of each of the first and second channels is more proximate to a front side of the body than a back end of each of the first and second channels, and the body includes a front border that defines a window, and wherein the front border includes an interior lip that protrudes inwardly toward the center of the frame from the at least one interior surface, and wherein an image is disposed on the front side of the panel and viewable through the window;
- and
- securing the panel within the frame, wherein securing the panel comprises disposing a first end of a rod in the first channel and a second end of the rod in the second channel, wherein the rod extends between the first and second channels, and advancing the rod toward the front side of the body until the rod engages a back side of the panel and exerts a force against the back side of the panel, such that the interior lip of the front border of the body of the frame exerts an opposing force against the front side of the panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.