WO2007094023A1 - Group of assemblable frames to hang on a wall - Google Patents

Abstract

A group of polygonal frames capable of being coupled reciprocally to constitute with a plurality of frames an assemblable element to be laced on a wall.

Description

"GROUP OF ASSEMBLABLE FRAMES TO HANG ON A WALL"

DESCRIPTION

There is often the requirement to frame and hang on a wall several subjects - photographs, prints, various reproductions - which one wishes to keep grouped together. Placing several subjects in the same frame may not look good and can also prove difficult due to the dimensions of frame required. Placing several frames separately on the same wall may not be suitable due to the extent of overall dimensions these require, to the difficulty in placing the various frames so that they look good, and to the dam- age caused to the wall.

The invention in question solves the aforesaid problems with simplicity and avoiding the drawbacks mentioned and yet others, as will be apparent from the text below.

In substance, the invention in question comprises a group of po- lygonal frames capable of being reciprocally coupled to form, with a plurality of frames, an assemblable element to be placed on a wall.

The frames can be disassemblable from one another, and can be differently reassembled.

More specifically, according to an advantageous embodiment, in the single frames there are provided perimeter grooves with undercuts, and there are provided connection elements with shape complementary to that of opposed perimeter grooves. Said connection elements can be capable of being inserted slidingly in said grooves. In practice, said connection elements can be shaped in the form of plates with pairs of opposed ribs and with solutions for gripping by a specific tool for removal of said elements.

According to a possible embodiment, the shape of the connection elements (and/or that of the grooves) can be partially asymmetrical, to facilitate operations with said tool. Said connection elements can have in- dentations or holes for engagement by said tool. The tool can have an elastic projection suitable to snap engage with said edges or in said indentations or said holes.

According to another possible embodiment - especially suitable in the case of frames of limited thickness - inside perimeter channels, suita- bly cut in the thickness of the frames, there are positioned sections forming the grooves with undercuts for the connection elements. Advantageously, said sections are made to terminate further back with respect to the comers of the frames, so that in said angles a space remains in which the connection elements can project partially; these connection elements with suitable criteria are positioned in the corners of the group of frames, and it is therefore easy to remove said elements according to suitable sequences, to obtain complete disassembly of the frames.

According to yet another embodiment, the frames have grooves with cross section which is substantially at least partially trapezoidal, with the minor base open and two sides both inclined to move towards the minor base; the major base can be rectilinear or have any other shape; the two sides can also be rectilinear, curved or have any other shape. In turn the connection elements can have a cross section that corresponds to two substantially opposed areas having the minor base in common and a shape corresponding at least partially with the shape of said two sides of said grooves.

The group can also comprise angular connection elements, en- gageable in orthogonal perimeter grooves of contiguous frames. The invention will be better understood by following the description and accompanying drawing, which shows a non-limiting practical embodiment of the invention. In the drawing:

Figures 1 and 2 show two possible groups of frames coupled to be placed on to the wall; Figure 3 shows a partial section of two frames with the grooves arranged for coupling;

Figure 4 shows the two sections in Figure 3 coupled by means of an asymmetrical connection element;

Figures 5, 6 and 7 separately show an example of connection ele- ment in an external view and in the views and partial section according to Vl-Vl and VII-VII in Figure 5;

Figure 8 schematically shows a possible example of tool provided for removal and if necessary also for insertion of a connection element placed in an asymmetrical position; Figures 9, 10, 11 , 12 and 13 show an embodiment with a symmetrical solution rather than asymmetrical solution as in the previous solution, said variant being more suitable for solutions with smaller sections than those in Figures 3 to 7; Figures 14 to 16 show an embodiment that facilitates assembly and disassembly, in a partial section of an angle of two coupled frames, in a section according to XV-XV in Figure 14 and in a perspective view; Figure 17 shows a further example of connection element; and Figures 18 to 23 show a further embodiment of embodiment. In the drawing, Figures 1 and 2 show two assemblable groups produced with several frames of the same or different dimensions, which are capable of being coupled in a varied number and in varied reciprocal positions, assemblable variedly as regards position and number, and capable of being placed on a wall either using a hook (with the sole limitation of achieving a substantial balance when placing on the wall), or by making holes 11 produced in precise positions on the frames (e.g. at the corners of the frames), to be used for placing using screws or the like to be accurately engaged in anchor plugs provided in the wall.

To perform coupling between the frames 1 , these have along the perimeter (and preferably on all sides) a groove 3, shaped in any case but with at least one undercut.

Along the lists of the frames there is provided a T-shaped groove 3, which can be symmetrical. When two frames 1 are placed side by side, the grooves 3 are opposed and form a double T-shaped seat inside which there can be received a connection element 5, shaped complementarily to the double T-shaped seat, and in any case with undercuts that guarantee connection between the two frames. The connection elements 5 can be shaped symmetrically (see Figures 9 to 12), just as the double T-shaped seats defined by the opposed grooves 3, or can be limitedly asymmetrical, as indicated in Figures 4 to 7, so as to leave a lateral space S to facilitate operations, especially those for removal. The connection elements 5 can be of the type with two transverse portions 5A which guarantee engagement in the grooves 3 and with a connector 5B that can be symmetrical (see Figures 9 to 12) like the pair of grooves 3, or with the connector 5B slightly reduced in thickness (see Figures 4 to 7) and moved laterally to leave the space S, as indicated in Figure 4.

In Figures 9, 10,11 and 12 both the grooves 3 and the elements 5 are symmetrical. In the embodiment in Figures 9 and 13, the grooves 3 are produced in sections 15, which are received fixed stably in channels 1A easily cut at the periphery of the frames. In Figures 3 and 4 the grooves 3 are instead produced directly in the thickness of the frame 1. The choice depends on processing requirements; in particular, the embodiment with sections 15 is more suitable for the case of frames 1 of small dimensions.

In any case, connection between contiguous frames, with an adequate number of element 5, is guaranteed by the parts 5A which engage in the enlarged parts of the opposed grooves 3 of the two frames; the connection elements 5 can be inserted slidingly in the grooves 3 with any pushing tool, to sufficiently and progressively connect the subsequent frames to be connected until obtaining the group desired.

To complete connection of a group of frames, there can be applied - at the internal corners of the composition obtained with the frames - some angular connection elements 7, also having grooves like those 3 along the two sides orthogonal with each other, and with the aid of connection elements 5, also to be inserted slidingly.

These elements 7 and any further elements 9 can also be shaped for aesthetic functions; an element 9 can be provided with the component for fastening a group to the wall to which said group must be hung. Alter- natively, for placing on the wall holes 11 can be provided on the frame - especially at the four comers - see Figure 1 - for screws or other fastening means, corresponding with which in the wall are suitable screw anchors to be provided in the position in which the group of frames is to be placed. A group produced as described, for example like those in Figures 1 and 2, can also be disassemblable when the possibility of using a tool for removal of the connection elements 5 is provided for. This possibility can be obtained exploiting the spaces S obtainable (Figure 4) with the use of shaped elements 5 according to Figures 5 to 7, and using a tool such as the one shown in Figure 8, constituted by a rod 11 having an end 13 that is bent or in any case completed by a projecting part; the rod can be inserted in the space S until it reaches or even moves beyond an element 5 to be removed, which can be hooked by the end 13 after it has moved be- yond the element 5 to be removed. The same tool 11 can be used to insert the connection elements 5, with a right-angled shaped end 16, or in certain cases also to eject them during disassembly of the group of frames.

The embodiment described above can be used in the case of frames of considerable thickness. When the thickness (and consequently also the weight and cost) of the frames is lower, the embodiment illustrated in Figures 9 and 13 can be provided.

According to the embodiment in Figures 14 to 16, around the perimeter on all sides the frames 31 have grooves 33 (mainly rectangular), inserted and fixed inside which (by gluing and/or by friction or the like) are sections 35 with T-shaped grooves 37. When two frames are placed beside each other, the sections 35 with the grooves 37 form double T- shaped seats suitable to receive connection elements 39 substantially analogous to those 5, but symmetrical. The sections 35 are produced ei- ther in one piece along each side of the frames 31 or in shorter segments present in proximity to the comers. In any case, these sections 35 are positioned so that they terminate at a limited distance from the corner towards which they converge, and in particular up to a distance corresponding to the depth of the channels 33; therefore, an empty space 40, corre- sponding to the dimensions of the sections 35, remains at each angle; in these spaces 40 connection elements, such as those 39, can be made to project partially, when present and inserted partially in a pair of grooves 37; therefore, an element 39 can be easily removed to disassemble the frames. Assembly of the frames can be performed with suitable criteria to guarantee connection between all the frames and, if necessary, with the aid of corner finishing elements, such as those 7 and/or 9.

In Figures 18 to 23 the frames 101 or 201 (equivalent to those 1) have grooves 103 or 203 (functionally equivalent to those 3), which have two walls 103A, 103B or 203A₁ 203B, converging towards the opening 103C or 203C with a shape that is rectilinear, curved or anyhow non- rectilinear in section. The section of the grooves can be defined as similar to an isosceles or non-isosceles trapezoid with rectilinear or curved sides, but preferably not rectangular. Correspondingly, there are provided connection elements 105 or 205 (equivalent to those 5), the cross section of which corresponds at least partially to that of two facing and opposed grooves 103; what is important is that the correspondence must be at least partially precise between the walls 103B of the elements 105 in the central and narrow area 105A and 205A of said connection elements and the corresponding walls of the grooves, and inferior (or at the most almost identical) at the distal areas from said central area with respect to the shape of the grooves.

Consequently, the connection elements 105 or 205 can be inserted in the space defined by two facing and opposed grooves 103 or 203 of the frames 101 of two contiguous frames, so as to connect said two frames in the same way as the embodiment of the previous example, guaranteed by contact between the walls of the grooves of the frames and the walls of the connection elements. When the section of the connection elements 105 or 205 has an extension inferior to that of the two facing grooves 103 or 203, this facilitates the possibility of removing the connection elements 105 or 205 from the two grooves 103 or 203 of two coupled frames. For this purpose, continuous slots such as those 107 can also be provided along each element 105 or 205 for insertion of the removal tool therein. Suitable appropriately limited tolerances can be established in order to guarantee stable coupling between coupled lists.

It is understood that the drawing only shows an example provided by way of a practical arrangement of the invention, which can vary in forms and arrangement without however departing from the scope of the concept underlying the invention.

Claims

1. A group of polygonal frames capable of being reciprocally coupled to form an assemblable element to be placed on a wall by means of a plurality of frames.

2. Group as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by comprising in the single frames perimeter grooves with undercuts, and by comprising connection elements with a shape complementary to that of opposed perimeter grooves, to be inserted therein.

3. Group as claimed in claim 1 and 2, characterized in that said connection elements are capable of being inserted slidingly in said grooves.

4. Group as claimed in at least one of the previous claims, characterized in that said connection elements are shaped in the form of plates with pairs of ribs and with solutions for gripping by an optional specific tool for removal of said elements.

5. Group as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said connection elements (105, 205) are shaped like a pair of trapezoids or with equivalent shapes coupled at the minor bases thereof, and with flat or optionally curved side walls (105B, 205B), and the perime- ter grooves (103, 203) of the frames (101 , 201 ) have substantially corresponding shapes.

6. Group as claimed in at least one of the previous claims, characterized in that the frames have perimeter channels cut in the thickness, and in that sections forming grooves with undercuts for the connection elements are placed in said channels.

7. Group as claimed in at least claim 5, characterized in that said sections terminate further back with respect to the corners of the frames, to form in said angles a space in which the connection elements can project partially; said connection elements - suitably positioned in the corners of the group of frames - are therefore easily removable for disassembly of the frames.

8. Group as claimed in at least claim 4, characterized in that the shape of the connection elements - or that of the grooves - is at least partially asymmetrical or in any case such to create space suitable to fa- cilitate operations with said tool.

9. Group as claimed in at least one of the previous claims, characterized in that said connection elements have edges or indentations or holes for engagement by said tool.

10. Group as claimed in at least claim 8, characterized in that said tool has a projecting part suitable to engage with said edges, or in said indentations or said holes.

11. Group as claimed in at least one of the previous claims, characterized by comprising corner connection elements, engageable in or- thogonal perimeter grooves of contiguous frames.

12. Group of assemblage frames to hang on a wall; all as described above and represented by way of example in the accompanying drawing.