Modular display frames and system for magnetically coupled arrangements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9713397-B2
Application number	US-201414541782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2014
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A modular display frame and system for hanging a plurality of modular display frames is provided. In embodiments, a modular display frame may be magnetically coupled to other modular display frames as well as a hanging bar component to create a plurality of display iterations. Each modular display frame includes two portions, each portion partially housing at least one magnet within a corner-located pocket, in embodiments. The modular display frame further includes a rounded side for creating a range of display angles when magnetically coupled to another frame along the rounded side, as well as a flat side for facilitating upright displays and vertically stacking magnetically coupled display frames, in further embodiments. A hidden hanging feature with auto-centering ability enables the modular frame to be hung on a wall, for example.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display frame comprising:
a first portion and a second portion being the same or similar in dimension, the first portion and the second portion configured to mate with one another to form the display frame, each of the first portion and the second portion including:
a body having a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, and a fourth arm, the first arm opposing the third arm, the second arm opposing the fourth arm, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth arms are terminally connected to each other to create a display area and form a perimeter of the body having four exterior corners and four interior corners, each of the four interior corners having a fillet shape, each of the four exterior corners having a pocket adjacent thereto configured to receive at least a portion of a magnet,
wherein when the first portion and the second portion are mated with one another, each pocket of the first portion aligns with a corresponding pocket of the second portion, and each pair of aligned pockets receives corresponding portions of the same magnet.

2. The display frame of claim 1 , wherein the pockets proximate the four exterior corners are located on the interior the display frame when the first portion and the second portion are mated with one another.

3. The display frame of claim 1 , wherein the first arm is quarter-elliptical in shape such that when the first portion and the second portion are mated with one another, the first arm of the first portion and the first arm of the second portion are adjacent to one another and form a half-elliptical shape for facilitating angled configurations of the display frame magnetically coupled to a second display frame.

4. The display frame of claim 1 , wherein the second arm has at least one flat surface such that when the first portion and the second portion are mated with one another the second arm of the first portion and the second arm of the second portion are adjacent to one another and form a combined flat surface for facilitating an upright configuration of the display frame.

5. The display frame of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are identical.

6. The display frame of claim 1 , wherein each body further comprises a portion of a hanging feature such that when the first portion and the second portion are mated with one another the portion of the hanging feature of each body forms a whole hanging feature.

7. The display frame of claim 6 , wherein each portion of the hanging feature further includes a groove with a centrally located a notch.

8. The display frame of claim 1 , wherein each of the four interior corners has a fillet shape configured to secure one or more of an edge or corner of a photo received by the display area.

9. The display frame of claim 8 , wherein each of the four interior corners has a fillet shape configured to secure one or more of an edge or corner of more than one photo received by the display area, such that the more than one photo may be simultaneously displayed in the display frame.

10. The display frame of claim 1 , wherein the first and third arms are quarter-elliptical in shape such that when the first portion and the second portion are mated with one another, the first arm of the first portion and the first arm of the second portion are adjacent to one another and form a half-elliptical shape and the third arm of the first portion and the third arm of the second portion are adjacent one another and form a half-elliptical shape for facilitating angled configurations of the display frame magnetically coupled to a second display frame, wherein the second and fourth arms have at least one flat surface such that when the first portion and the second portion are mated with one another the second arm of the first portion and the second arm of the second portion are adjacent to one another and form a combined flat surface and the fourth arm of the first portion and the fourth arm of the second portion are adjacent to one another and form a combined flat surface for facilitating an upright configuration of the display frame.

11. One or more display frames, each display frame comprising:
a first half and a second half, the first half and the second half having mating elements for joining the first half to the second half to form the display frame, each of the first half and the second half comprising:
a body having a first arm terminally connected to a second arm, the second arm terminally connected to a third arm, the third arm terminally connected to a fourth arm, and the fourth arm terminally connected to the first arm such that a perimeter is formed around a display area, the body having four exterior corners corresponding to each terminal connection and four interior corners having a concave shape, the body further having a pocket proximate to each terminal connection, each pocket configured to house a portion of a magnet,
wherein when the first half and the second half are joined with one another to form the display frame, each pocket of the first half aligns with a corresponding pocket of the second half to form pairs that secure a corresponding magnet, wherein each pair of aligned pockets houses respective portions of the same corresponding magnet, and wherein each magnet facilitates magnetic coupling of two or more display frames to one another.

12. The one or more display frames of claim 11 , wherein the first arm and third arm have a bull-nose shape, such that when the first half and the second half are mated with one another the first arm of the first half and the first arm of the second half are adjacent to one another and form a convex shape and the third arm of the first half and the third arm of the second half are adjacent to one another and form a convex shape for facilitating angled configurations of the one or more display frames as magnetically coupled to one another.

13. The one or more display frames of claim 11 , wherein the second arm and fourth arm have at least one flat surface such that when the first half and the second half are mated with one another the second arm of the first half and the second arm of the second half form a combined flat surface and the fourth arm of the first half and the fourth arm of the second half form a combined flat surface for facilitating an upright configuration of the display frame.

14. The one or more display frames of claim 11 , each body having a portion of a hanging feature, each portion having a groove and a notch that is centrally located within the groove, such that when the first half and the second half are mated with one another the hanging feature is complete.

15. The one or more display frames of claim 11 , wherein the at least one magnet proximate to each terminal connection magnetically couples the one or more display frames to one another along any of the first arm, the second arm, the third arm, and the fourth arm.

16. A modular display system comprising:
at least one display component configured to display one or more photos within a display area, the at least one display component comprising two identical portions configured to internally secure at least one magnet when the two identical portions are coupled to one another, the at least one magnet being internally secured using a pocket of each of the two identical portions, the at least one internally secured magnet located proximate to a corner of the display frame to facilitate magnetic coupling of the at least one display component to one or more of a second display component or a hanging component; and
at least one hanging bar component for magnetically

Assignees

• Hallmark Cards

Inventors

• Shields Christopher Jason
• Pedersen Nicholas
• Younger Max J

Classifications

• A47G1/065

  Interconnected frames; Frame assemblies; Frames for two or more pictures · CPC title

• G09F1/12

  Frames therefor · CPC title

• A47G1/06 Primary

  Picture frames (making from paper B31D) · CPC title

• A47G2001/0672

  employing magnets · CPC title