System for mounting a covering upon a frame

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548315-B2
Application number	US-202117211185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2021
Priority date	Jul 21, 2015
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A system for mounting a covering (e.g., a fabric material) upon a frame is constructed from a plurality of elongated frame parts. Each frame part has two mitered ends and a channel formed therein. The related mounting method includes the steps of: (a) using a jig to hold the fabric material against the frame; (b) inserting a plurality of retaining splines within respective channels so as to capture the fabric material within the channels between one retaining spline and a corresponding floor of the channel, whereby a plurality of corner pleats are formed; and (c) using a tool to invert each corner pleat into a corner joint formed between respective adjacent frame parts so as to form an internal fold at each corner of the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A frame for maintaining a region of a fabric piece in a substantially planar state, comprising:
a plurality of rails, each of said rails having a geometrical profile extended in a linear direction, said rails each having a first end face and a second end face, each rail having a channel for receiving the fabric piece, the channel of the rail being open along a rear face, and
a plurality of corner pieces, each of said corner pieces including a slot formed partially through an outer corner of said corner piece at a miter angle, said corner piece including a curved open channel that is open along a rear face of the corner piece for receiving the fabric piece, the curved open channel being aligned with and open to the channels of two rails of the plurality of rails that are coupled to the respective corner piece, the slot opening up into the curved channel.

2. The frame of claim 1 , wherein the number of rails is equal to the number of corner pieces.

3. The frame of claim 1 , wherein the rails are made of wood.

4. The frame of claim 1 , wherein the corner pieces are formed of a polymer composition.

5. The frame of claim 1 , wherein each of said first end faces and each of said second end faces is apertured by at least one recess.

6. The frame of claim 5 , wherein said recess is a blind recess.

7. The frame of claim 5 , wherein said recess is a groove formed along the length of said rails.

8. The frame of claim 5 , wherein said corner piece includes a plurality of extensions, said extensions protruding from two neighboring sides of said corner piece.

9. The frame of claim 8 , wherein said extensions are integrally formed with said corner pieces.

10. The frame of claim 8 , wherein said plurality of extensions includes a plurality of extensions upon each of two neighboring sides of each of said corner pieces.

11. The frame of claim 10 , wherein said frame includes four of said rails and four of said corner pieces, in which each of said corner pieces is fittingly engaged with two of said rails.

12. The frame of claim 10 , wherein said frame includes four of said rails and four of said corner pieces, in which each of said rails is fittingly engaged with two of said corner pieces.

13. The frame of claim 8 , wherein the curved open channel includes a floor that separates the curved open channel from the plurality of extensions.

14. The frame of claim 1 , in which said slot formed partially through said corner piece at a miter angle is sufficiently deep to receive a pleat of surplus fabric formed when two areas of said fabric piece are turned along a seams at right angles to one another into an upright condition departing from the primary plane establishing the planar state of said fabric piece.

15. The frame of claim 14 , in which said upright condition locates said two areas of said fabric in planes perpendicular to said primary plane establishing said planar state of said fabric piece.

16. The frame of claim 1 , further including a plurality of corner caps that are coupled to the plurality of corner pieces and cover the curved channels of the plurality of corner pieces.

17. The frame of claim 16 , wherein an underside of each corner cap includes a corner cap guide fin that snap-fittingly engages a snap feature that is formed along a corner piece inner partition formed along an inner corner of the corner piece opposite the outer corner of the corner piece.

18. The frame of claim 17 , wherein the curved open channel is formed at a 45 degree angle and is located between outer walls and the corner piece inner partition.

Assignees

• Tracer Imaging Llc

Inventors

• Spiro Steven M
• Daniell Stephen S
• Petroulas Theodore
• Dowd Paul
• Kelly Ryan
• Poepping Bennet Otto
• Skeuse Kevin
• Searfoss Erol
• Fernandez Jack

Classifications

• B44D3/185 Primary

  Stretching frames for canvases · CPC title

• D06C3/08

  by frames or like apparatus · CPC title

• B44D3/18

  Boards or sheets with surfaces prepared for painting or drawing pictures; Stretching frames for canvases · CPC title