Frame structure and method of framing a picture
A framing system suitable for framing artwork, drawings, pictures and the like. In one embodiment, a frame structure is formed of vertical and horizontal elements wherein a channel is formed in the top of the frame that will hold a variety of removable decorative panels, including, but not limited to mats, glass, wood, marble and fabric. The frame structure can be reused multiple times by changing the decorative panels to match new art or room decor. In one embodiment the decorative panel is made from the same mat board used in the inside mat of a double mat, that matches the color of the focal point of a picture, creating a visual progression from frame panel color to inside mat color to the picture focal point color. This frame structure & method of framing leads the viewers eye into the picture without taking attention away from the picture. It is environmentally friendly and saves the consumer money because the frame structure is reusable and only the decorative panel is replaced for new art or room decor.
The field of invention relates generally to a frame structure and method for framing and matting pictures, and in particular to an improved structure of picture frame that is reusable.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONA successful way to frame and mat a picture is to match the color in the focal point of a picture to an inside mat and use a top mat that matches a more overall (and usually softer color) and then choose a frame that matches the color of the inside mat. This creates a progression from frame to inside mat to focal point. The frame and mat lead your eye into the picture without overpowering it. One problem is that a perfect frame color to match the inside mat color is often not available. Frame molding manufacturing companies have a limited choice of colored frames. Most are wood frames in many different shades of brown, gold and silver. Frames in a variety of other colors are quite limited. Mat manufacturing companies on the other hand have been producing mat colors in a tremendous variety of colors, with many tints and shades of each color. Understandably it would be nearly impossible for a frame company to make all the different frame shapes in such a wide variety of colors.
What is needed is a convenient way to make a picture frame with as large a range and variety of colors and textures as matting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA frame structure and method of framing is disclosed which enables a frame to accept interchangeable strips of materials, in various colors and textures, including, but not limited to mats, glass, mirror and wood.
In this novel frame structure, one embodiment of the frame structure, but not limited to said embodiment, is a frame structure comprising a channel in the top of the frame made up of one longer horizontal opening with shorter perpendicular side walls and a small section protruding over, and parallel to, the bottom of the opening to form a channel to hold a mat and spacer and/or mat and glass combination and/or other material which exposes all but the outer edges of said material.
The resulting structure turns one frame into thousands of frames and solves the problem of trying to match the inside mat color with a frame because the color insert can be cut from the same mat board sheet that the inside mat is cut from.
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The specific embodiments herein described are only illustrative of the invention. Other embodiments using the above-described concepts are also intended to be encompassed by the invention. Various other changes in structure may additionally occur to those skilled in the art, and all of these changes are to be understood as forming a part of the invention insofar as they fall within the true spirit and scope of the following claims.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property and privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
Claims
1. I claim a changeable frame structure for framing pictures and the like, wherein said frame has a top surface to harbor an interchangeable insert made of multifarious elements, including, but not limited to: mats, glass, metal, wood, mirror, fabric and marble wherein said frame can be miter cut to create a pair of side frame rails and top and bottom rails wherein said channel at the top of said frame has a vertical wall component below said channel wherein a picture and/or glass and/or mat and/or backing and the like is subsumed and wherein said top insert channel is formed of a horizontal floor wall with vertical side walls with a rim facing toward each other on top of said side walls and parallel to said floor wall forming a mostly open cavity running the entire length of the top of said frame so said inserts can be harbored in said channel at the longitudinal edges to allow exposure of all but the outermost longitudinal edges of said multifarious inserts which comprise the changeable surface of the face of said frame, including, but not limited to a flat interchangeable frame surface top and wherein said multifarious interchangeable inserts create an almost endless variety of possible frame surfaces out of an individual reusable frame structure and said interchangeable insert may be slid in said channel before or after said frame is miter cut to form the desired size frame rails.
2. I claim the frame of claim 1 wherein said frame structure also incorporates a bottom channel comprising a top wall ceiling and side walls with a mostly open bottom rampart wherein the bottom of said side walls are comprised of rims facing inwardly and parallel to the ceiling walls and perpendicular to the side walls creating a mostly open bottom channel that can harbor standard-of-the-industry corner angle connecting hardware, wherein;
- said bottom channel is of less width than said top channel and wherein said frame with larger top channel can be turned upside-down if less insert surface exposure is desired and said interchangeable insert is made narrower to fit into said narrower channel now at the top of said frame and whereas;
- an adaptor plate comprising a width to accommodate the wider insert channel now at the bottom of said frame wherein said plate has holes that line up to expose and give access to the screw heads in the standard-of-the-industry corner connecting hardware contained in said wider channel now used to hold the mitered frame rails together.
3. I claim the frame structure in claim 1 and a method of framing wherein said insert color matches the color of an inside mat that matches the focal point color of a picture, said picture having at least a double mat, including, but not limited to a top mat that creates a visual rest area, therein creating a visual progression from frame color to inside mat color to focal point color leading the viewers eye into a picture and therefore not take attention away from said picture.
4. I claim the frame structure of claim 1 whereby said channel comprises a dimensional insert such as an insert whose surface protrudes beyond the top edge of the channel such as;
- a larger secondary channel inserted into the primary channel in the top of said frame to allow for larger interchangeable inserts or,
- an insert comprising a frame top that can be smooth and simple or carved and fancy or,
- an insert housing a light source or,
- an insert that has screws in it that allows for the attachment of decorative elements to the top of said frame including, but not limited to:
- baseball bats screwed to said frame with a photo of a baseball player or,
- hockey sticks screwed to said frame for a hockey player picture and the like.
5. I claim the frame structure of claim 1 wherein said channel contains an insert comprising more than one element, including, but not limited to, a foam spacer under said insert to bear upon the insert and push it to the top of the underside of said channel rim which may or may not have glass over said insert.
6. I claim the frame structure of claim 1 wherein said channel contains an insert including, but not limited to, an element of the art to be framed, for example:
- said frame used for a painting on copper could have a copper insert or,
- said frame on a collage using birch bark in the art, could have a birch bark insert or,
- theme oriented art could have a theme oriented insert in said frame for example:
- said frame for the photo of a musician could have an insert of sheet music or,
- a Bank poster could have a strip of photocopied money for the insert or,
- a stadium poster could have the team colors and/or logo for the insert or,
- the outside edges of a picture can also be used for an insert accordingly, where the contours of said picture leave off, they match up with the contours in the insert made of the perimeter of said picture, wherein said frame becomes part of said picture.
7. I claim the frame structure of claim 1 wherein said display channel comprises one very wide horizontal channel to hold a very wide insert and multiple bottom channels to hold more than one standard-of-the-industry corner angle connecting hardware to support said wide frame structure wherein;
- The back and front channel ceiling protrusion rim may be comprised of a curved top wherein said protrusion nearest the picture becomes a decorative element known in the picture frame industry as a fillet and the protrusion furthest from the picture becomes the frame wherein; the large insert is seen as the picture frame mat and the excrescence rims are seen as a frame and fillet even though they are a single frame structure.
8. I claim the frame structure of claim 1 wherein said insert channel at the top of said frame has a vertical wall element that connects to the bottom hardware channel wherein said vertical connecting wall is positioned near the front of said channel or a second vertical wall is positioned nearer the front so less perimeter of the item being framed is covered.
9. I claim the frame structure of claim 1 wherein a vertical display channel may be formed on the back of said vertical connecting wall to house inserts creating an interchangeable back surface of the frame.
10. I claim the frame structure of claim 1 wherein the name of said frame including, but not limited to TopnotchFrame and including, but not limited to a logo having the “T” in topnotch having the shape of said channel and color strips running through said channel or, a logo comprising a profile of the preferred embodiment of said frame with many colors in said channel and many colors around said frame profile.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 27, 2010
Publication Date: Feb 3, 2011
Inventor: Michael Jay Ellingson (Fargo, ND)
Application Number: 12/804,670
International Classification: A47G 1/06 (20060101); A47G 1/10 (20060101);