GB2299713A

GB2299713A - Magnetic holding devices.

Info

Publication number: GB2299713A
Application number: GB9606978A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harvey James East
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-04-04
Filing date: 1996-04-02
Publication date: 1996-10-09
Also published as: GB9606978D0

Abstract

A panel or tile for magnetically mounting keepers, tools or kitchen utensils comprises a backing layer 1 to which is bonded a ferrous metal sheet 2. The panel may be surrounded by a wooden frame 10 and is attached to a vertical surface by screws passing through holes 14. Sheets of paper may be supported from the panel by decorative keepers. An array of the tiles without any surrounding frames may be bonded to a wall.

Description

DISPLAY PANEL FOR MAGNETIC KEEPERS AND THE LIKE TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a display panel which can be used for the attachment of magnetic keepers of the kind which are commonly referred to as "fridge magnets".

BACKGROUND It is currently very popular to attach notes, bills and like papers to a refrigerator using a magnetic keeper, with the papers being held between the keeper and the refrigerator. There are now numerous keepers on sale having a wide variety of very decorative shapes and colours, so much so in fact that the keepers are often used purely for decorative purposes.

The present invention seeks to provide a display panel which is patentably different from any known panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a display panel for magnetic keepers comprising: - a substantially planar panel member incorporating a ferrous metal such that magnetic keepers can be magnetically attached thereto, and - a frame member for surrounding the panel member.

At present, fridge magnets can only be used with articles having a ferrous metal surface. The present display panel can be used to extend the range of uses of such keepers.

The ferrous material may be provided as a surface layer on a backing plate or carrier. The ferrous layer may be provided with a protective surface coat to protect it from corrosion, scratching and/or damage, in use. Alternatively, the ferrous material may comprise discreet particles which are distributed in a carrier layer.

The display panel can be freestanding or secured to another non-ferrous surface such as wood, plastic, composite material, plaster, block or brick, e.g.

a wall, door or the like. Preferably, the panel member is provided with means for securing it to a mounting surface. The panel member is preferably provided with releasable retaining means for securing the panel member to the frame.

The invention also provides an array of closely abutting tiles bonded to a substantially flat surface, in which said array incorporates a display panel for magnetic keepers which comprises a ferrous metal such that magnetic keepers can be magnetically attached thereto.

The abutting tiles may be of wood, ceramic, plastic or clay for example. The display panel can be bonded in the rebate formed between the tiles or secured by screws or pins for example.

The invention further provides a display panel for magnetic keepers comprising: - a substantially planar backing plate; and - a surface layer comprising a ferrous metal.

The display panel may be formed with a decorative outline, e.g. a house or a duck, to be secured to a vertical mounting surface.

The display panel can be formed with an integral frame, e.g. in the form of an out-turned or rolled edging bead on a ferrous layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a transverse section through a tile constituting a display panel of the invention, Figure 2 is a front elevation of a similar tile which is mounted in a frame, Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections through the tile and frame, taken on line A-A of Fig. 2, showing two methods of securing the tile to the frame, Figure 5 is a front elevation of another tile mounted in a frame, Figure 6 is transverse section VI-VI taken through the frame and tile of Fig. 5, Figure 7 is a transverse section through a modified form of the tile of Fig. 1, including an inset detail, and Figures 8 and 9 are transverse sections through two further forms of the tile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the tile is of square or rectangular plan, and comprises a carrier layer 1 of a non-metallic material such as plastic or ceramic. A steel or other ferrous metal sheet is bonded to the front surface of the carrier layer 1 using a suitable adhesive. The rear surface 8 of the carrier layer 1 is flat but the sheet 2 is pressed or otherwise shaped to form a roll-off at the edges 3, such that the thickness of the tile decreases slightly towards its edges. The carrier layer 1 is cast or moulded in the required shape to maintain contact with the sheet 2.

The front surface 9 of the steel sheet 2 may be protected against rusting by cold or electro plating, painting, lacquering, plastic coating or similar treatment. The surface layer 2 could also be of stainless steel or stainless iron of a quality that will allow a magnet to be magnetically attached thereto. The front surface of the tile could be matt or it could be polished to become sufficiently reflective for use as a mirror or decorative reflective surface in a bathroom, toilet, bedroom or the like.

The tile can be bonded to a surface 4 in an array of ceramic wall tiles 5 or the like, the size and shape of the tile being chosen to fit in with the surrounding tiles without intervening gaps. Thus, decorative magnetic keepers can be secured to the tile in order to hold sheets of paper to the tile.

The tile could be formed with a decorative external profile (e.g. in the shape of a bird, vehicle or building) for attachment to a wall or other surface, without any surrounding tiles.

The tile could also be mounted in a frame, which can be free-standing or mounted on a surface. Referring firstly to Fig.s 2 and 3, a decorative rectangular frame 10, usually of wood, has its rear inside edge rebated to receive the tile. (In Fig. 2 the sheet 2 is partially cut away for illustrative purposes.) In this example the tile need not be formed with a roll-off at its edges as in Fig. 1, so that the steel sheet 2 is substantially flat. In the present example, a base plate 12 is bonded to the rear surface of the carrier 1.

The carrier layer 1 can, if desired, be secured to a vertical surface by screws inserted through holes 14 provided in suitable positions in the carrier. In this case the steel sheet 2 is no longer bonded to the carrier 1 since the two are held together by the frame. The carrier 1 could also be bonded to the mounting surface by an adhesive, by adhesive tape, or the like. As a further alternative, the carrier plate can be secured to a surface by screws inserted through lugs 15 which project outwardly from the base plate 12, the lugs being covered in use by co-operating notches in the rear of the frame 10.

The frame is then engaged with the carrier 1 and/or the base plate 12 using suitable releasable retaining means, three examples of which are shown in Fig.s 3 and 4.

In Fig. 3 the base plate 12 is provided with upstanding spring clips 16 of metal or plastics, which may be fixed with the lugs 15. The clips could also be separate from the lugs but secured thereto by the mounting screws which are inserted through the lugs. In another possibility the clips 16 could be fixed with an extended peripheral edge of the base plate. When the frame is placed over the carrier 1, upstanding resilient limbs of the clips 16 spring into sub-recesses 1 7 in the side of the frame recess, as shown, to releasably hold the frame to the base plate.

In Fig. 4 there is no base plate (although there could be one if desired), and the frame is held to the carrier 1 by a resilient rubber or plastic Spring 18, rods or the like, which are carried in recesses 19 in the side face of the carrier 1 to resiliently engage in the frame recess 1 7.

In Fig.s 5 and 6 the base plate 12 is omitted and the carrier layer 1 is provided with a sheet 2 of ferrous metal for the attachment of magnetic keepers. The carrier 1 is mounted by means of screws inserted through mounting holes 14 adjacent to the edge of the carrier plate, in this case in each of its four corners. The spring clips 16 have flat limbs 34 which extend beneath the carrier layer and the holes 14 so that the mounting screws pass through the limbs and clamp the clips between the carrier and the wall. In order to provide more positive location of the spring clips 16 the limbs 34 may have upturned locating nibs 36 which bite into or locate in recesses in the carrier 1. Again, when the frame 10 is pushed over the tile the upstanding limbs of the clips 16 spring into the recesses provided in the frame.

Where the tile is provided with a frame the sheet 2 could be covered or replaced by a sheet of card or paper, or a sheet of mirrored glass for example, to provide a quick and convenient way of mounting a picture, certificate, mirror or any similar article on a wall.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of the tile, in which the carrier layer 1 is secured to a mounting surface 4 using screws 21, following which the steel cover sheet 2 is bonded to the carrier by an adhesive. In this embodiment the sheet 2 is formed with shallow side walls 22 to completely enclose the carrier. Instead of, or in addition to, the use of an adhesive, the cover sheet 1 can be snapped onto the carrier by means of an inturned lip 23 which engages in a recess 24, as shown in the inset detail.

In each of the embodiments described above, the metal sheet 2 could contain holes, pits or other surface profiling for additional retention of heavy items such as kitchen utensils or work tools, which are in turn provided with protrusions to locate in the holes or the like. It would also be possible to form the keeper with an integral hook, or an array of hooks, to enable kitchen utensils or other articles to be hung on the tile in the required positions.

Two further forms of the tile are shown in Fig.s 8 and 9. The tile of Fig. 8 includes a carrier layer 1, which may again be faced with a top layer of ferromagnetic material. The base and sides of the carrier layer 1 are covered with a protective base layer 30 of metal, plastics or the like, which is itself provided with a bottom layer 31 of felt or other soft non-scratch material. In Fig. 9 the carrier layer 1 has the soft layer 31 bonded directly to its undersurface. The tiles could, for example, be mounted on the lid of a vanity case or provided as separate items for the attachment of tools and articles such as makeup brushes, tweezers, powder compacts, lipstick holders etc.

The tiles described above may be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.

In each of the tiles described above, the sheet 2 could be inset into part of the front face of the carrier 1. Furthermore, instead of being faced with a solid ferrous metal sheet the tiles could be faced with a layer of ferrous wire mesh, expanded ferrous metal sheet or a layer of ferrous metal particles sprayed or bonded to at least part of the surface area of the carrier. It will also be appreciated that the ferrous material could actually be distributed in the carrier layer rather than being provided as a discreet surface layer. For example, the carrier could comprise a layer of plastics, rubber or other nonferrous material containing particles of ferrous metal.

Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A display panel for magnetic keepers comprising: - a substantially planar panel member incorporating a ferrous metal such that magnetic keepers can be magnetically attached thereto, and - a frame member for surrounding the panel member.

2. A display panel according to Claim 1, in which the panel member is provided with mounting means for securing the panel member to a surface.

3. A display panel according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the frame member is releasably engageable with the panel member.

4. A display panel according to Claim 3, in which the frame is releasably engaged with the panel member by a resilient element or elements.

5. A display panel according to Claim 4, in which the resilient element or elements are associated with the panel member.

6. A display panel according to Claim 4, in which the resilient element or elements are associated with the frame.

7. A display panel according to any preceding claim, in which the panel member comprises a backing plate and a separate front plate which comprises a ferrous metal.

8. A display panel substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

8. A display panel according to Claim 7, in which the backing plate is provided with mounting apertures.

9. A display panel according to any preceding claim, in which the panel member is received in a recess in the rear of the frame.

10. An array of closely abutting tiles bonded to a substantially flat surface, in which said array incorporates a display panel for magnetic keepers which comprises a ferrous metal such that magnetic keepers can be magnetically attached thereto.

11. An array of tiles according to Claim 10, in which the display panel is substantially of the same size and shape as the tiles in the array.

12. An array of tiles according to Claim 10 or 11, in which the front surface of the display panel is substantially flush with the front surface of the surrounding tiles.

1 3. An array of tiles according to any of Claims 10 to 12, in which the display panel comprises a non-ferrous backing plate and a surface layer comprising a ferrous metal.

14. An array of tiles according to any of Claims 10 to 13, in which the display panel is provided with a corrosion-resistant coating.

15. A display panel for magnetic keepers comprising: - a substantially planar backing plate; and - a surface layer comprising a ferrous metal.

16. A display panel according to Claim 15, in which the backing plate is provided with mounting means for securing the display panel to a surface.

17. A display panel according to Claim 15 or 16, in which the ferrous surface layer is separate from the backing plate for attachment thereto after the backing plate has been secured to the said surface.

18. A display panel according to any of Claims 15 to 17, in which the surface layer is releasably securable to the backing plate.

19. A display panel according to any of Claims 15 to 18, in which the undersurface of the backing plate is provided with a soft non-scratch layer.

20. A display panel substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

Amendments to the clalms have been filed as tollows 1. A display panel for magnetic keepers comprising: - a substantially planar panel member incorporating a ferrous metal such that magnetic keepers can be magnetically attached thereto, the panel member being provided with mounting means for securing the panel member to a surface; and - a frame member which can be releasably engaged with the panel member to surround the panel member after said panel member has been secured to a surface by said mounting means, the frame member being held to the panel member by means of a resilient element or resilient elements interposed between the frame and panel members.

2. A display panel according to Claim 1, in which the resilient element or elements are associated with the panel member.

3. A display panel according to Claim 1, in which the resilient element or elements are associated with the frame member.

4. A display panel according to any preceding claim, in which the panel member comprises a backing plate and a separate front plate which comprises a ferrous metal.

5. A display panel according to Claim 4, in which the front plate is provided with a corrosion-resistant coating.

6. A display panel according to any preceding claim, in which the backing plate is provided with mounting apertures.

7. A display panel according to any preceding claim, in which the panel member and said resilient elements are received in a recess in the rear of the frame.