Poster-frame-poster Zaney Frames

Abstract

The poster-frame poster “Zaney Frames™” is a frame for posters that is actually a poster itself. Because most posters are standard size, Zaney Frames can be designed with the center section removed so that almost all of the posters on the market can be placed behind them and viewed completely. Zaney Frames can be installed over any poster at any time. Made from paper or vinyl they may have an adhesive backing (non-penetrating and non-permanent) to aid in installation. Because they are printed with brilliant 3D graphics, they can be designed to look like real frames, cutouts in the wall, castle windows, splattered blobs, or anything that the imagination can think of.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The Poster-Frame-Poster “Zaney Frames™” is a frame for posters that is actually a poster itself. The field of endeavor should be considered frames for pictures or posters. It's constructed from paper or vinyl, printed with brilliant 3D graphics, and cut to the proper shape. Prior art related to this invention is different methods for construction of frames usually made of wood or plastic for posters and pictures. These are more expensive to manufacture and sell and take up more space on the store shelves than the poster-frame poster. U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,174 by Joseph W. Mu discloses a poster display apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,986 by Ralph W. Dingle discloses a non-sliding spring mechanism for poster frames. U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,545 by Laurent Marco is a collapsible poster display device. Other Patents related to poster and picture framing include U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,629, U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,575, U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,458, U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,019, U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,063, U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,780, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,386. All of these are methods for framing a picture or poster using rigid expensive materials like plastic, wood, and glass. These methods can be expensive to frame children's posters however many parents do not like the look of posters simply stapled to the wall. One Patent in particular to note is U.S. Pat. 5,936,862 by Mark S. Wong. Disclosed is a computer program for generating a paper stencil that is to be folded like origami in order to produce a real three-dimensional picture frame. Zaney Frames however can simply be rolled out and mounted on the wall as is. Zaney Frames solve these issues and add a wide variety of styles and effects that are easy to manufacture, impossible to create with ordinary frames, and can be sold for a fraction of the cost. Also, because Zaney Frames are posters, they can be rolled up and sold/displayed in the poster section with no additional shelf-space setup required by the retailer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The poster-frame poster “Zaney Frames™” is a frame for posters that is actually a poster itself. Because most posters are standard size, Zaney Frames poster can be designed with the center section removed so that almost all of the posters on the market can be placed behind them and viewed completely. Zaney Frames can be installed over any poster at any time. Made from paper or vinyl they may have an adhesive backing (non-penetrating and non-permanent) to aid in installation. Because they are printed with brilliant 3D graphics, they can be designed to look like real frames, cutouts in the wall, castle windows, splattered blobs, or anything that the imagination can think of.

BREIF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0006] FIG. 1 shows an example of how a Zaney Frames [1] will fit over a regular poster [3]. Note the edge of the poster [2] represented as a dotted line under the Zaney Frames [1]. This overlap will ensure that the white border around most posters will be completely covered and will also allow for some variation in the size of the poster [3]. The poster [3] is visible through the cutout in the middle of the Zaney Frames [1]. FIG. 2 demonstrates a blob type Zaney Frames [4] over a standard poster [6]. Again note the overlap [5] designated by the dotted line. The Zaney Frames shown here do not depict the 3D graphics that will be printed on them. They are just meant to show the relationship between the poster and the zaney frame when mounted on the wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The poster-frame-poster “Zaney Frames™” is a frame for posters that is actually a poster itself. Zaney Frames can be manufactured from paper or vinyl and may include an adhesive backing. The adhesive would be non-penetrating and not permanent in that the Zaney Frames could be easily removed without damage to the paint. The coverage afforded by this patent should not be limited to specific materials or manufacturing process as these may vary without affecting the principle embodiment disclosed within. That being the idea to use flexible poster like materials for the poster frame itself, to create a stylish 3D effect on a flat surface that is easy to manufacture, package (it rolls up just like a poster), and install at very little cost.

[0008] Because most posters are a standard size, Zaney Frames can be designed with the center section removed so that almost all posters on the market can be placed behind them and viewed completely. The cutout section of the Zaney Frames poster will be designed to slightly overlap standard posters so the picture portion of any poster will go completely to (and slightly under) all edges of the Zaney Frames cutout. This will also cover the white border that is around most posters. Zaney Frames can be installed over any poster at any time. Some staples may also be required for installation, or if the adhesive were not a manufacturable process, than staples would be the main method for securing Zaney Frames to the wall.

[0009] Zaney Frames can be designed to look like anything that the imagination can think of. Because they are printed with brilliant 3D graphics, they can be designed to look like real frames, cutouts in the wall, castle windows, or even splattered blobs. Although they are flat, the detailed printed artwork on Zaney Frames would give them a three-dimensional appearance without the expense of buying real frames and with a lot more creativity and imagination than standard frames can offer.

Claims

1. A poster-frame poster, “Zaney Frames™” being made of paper or vinyl, printed with brilliant 3D graphics with the center section removed so that it may be used to frame standard posters.

2. Zaney Frames as claimed in claim 1, being made of paper or vinyl in that it may be cut in detailed ornate shapes, and rolled up to be sold right in the poster section

3. Zaney Frames as claimed in claim 1, containing a cutout portion therein which allows the picture portion of any standard size poster to be seen when the Zaney Frames is placed centrally on top of the poster to be framed.

4. Zaney Frames as claimed in claim 1, containing adhesive backing for easy installation and removal of Zaney Frames.

5. Adhesive backing as claimed in claim 4, being non-penetrating and not permanent so as to not damage the paint on the wall or the poster it is framing.

6. Zaney Frames as claimed in claim 1, being printed with brilliant 3D graphics to simulate real objects such as a frame or window opening.

7. Brilliant 3D graphics as claimed in claim 6, containing infinite design possibilities as they are printed and cut in the same manner as a standard poster.