Human lives are significantly influenced by various aesthetic factors within their environment, such as the way objects are either accented or made to blend into a given setting. The framing of setected visuat units is but one means by which such aesthetic effects might be achieved.

Traditional photo frames are made of wooden strips or profile, cut to size, assembled, and glued at the comers or joined with pegs or other fasteners. Key components of any framing arrangement include the protective layer of glass or plastic over the photo itself and the protective backing behind it.

More recent innovations in the trade include frames made of metal, plastic, or other materials, such as paper. The components of such frames must be joined and taken apart using parts of relatively compticated construction.

Though the vast majonty of traditional wooden frames have much to offer by way of aesthetics, they must'be custom made'to a specific size and thus, due to the price of the material from which they are made, tend to be rather costly. In order to avoid the difficulties mentioned above, frames have been developed that offer variable length and width and that can be assembled from joints made of several components. The sides of these frames are composed of metal profile track and are held together in the back by plastic snap-in corner pieces. However, many people resist the use of metallic substances in such objects, and so, primarily for aesthetic reasons, this particular solution only satisfies market demand to a limited extent.

More than one noteworthy patent has been issued in the fieid of photo framing. Of these, patent design catalogue listing HU 190332 describes a corner-bracing and joining component of four-profile cross-section, consisting of two perpendicularly arranged pieces in each of the four corners, joining rigid, linear side pieces. This solution comes with the disadvantage that it can be used to join only a single type of framing profile.

Catalogue listings DE 2,760.296, HU 209.058 and HU 201.237 also describe various solutions for joining frame components at their nodes.

A frame of folded paper patented in Hungary and bearing catatogue number 217.885 includes a backing, side pieces, and strips for securing the side pieces in folded position, all divided by fold lines. The side pieces include stiffening flaps, at least one per side piece, t'hat are equal in width to that of the side piece over at least one section and are greater in length than the width of the sidepiece. The pieces that secure the frame consist of f) exib) : e tabs cut from the materiat of the backing and arranged on the'backing along the folded frame, and securing strips joined to the outer rim of the externa) sidepiece and capable of being fotded under the flexible tabs.

The disadvantage of this solution is that although this frame consists of just one piece, the frame must be unfolded then folded again each time the photo inside is exchanged, a factor which cannot fail to reduce its usable lifetime.

The description provided with Hungarian working model no. 1064 pertains to a bubble plastic frame with sides fashioned of bar-profile section, cut to measure at an angle of 45 degrees at each end. The profile used for this frame is made of extruded recycled hard bubble plastic. It is partially hollow, embellished with press- form patterns over its visible surface, and is fashioned with brackets for accommodating comer joints.

This, like other solutions, is an idea thai can be applied only where the profle side pieces are joined using separate components for this purpose, and is therefore costly to manufacture.

Our goal in developing the working model that forms the subject of this paper is to offer a photo frame that satisfies demands associated with traditional photo framing, adjusts to meet both requirements of utility and concerns related to style, is environmentally friendly, eliminates the disadvantages that come with the solutions outlined above, is easy to mass manufacture, and fulfils every possible aesthetic and design requirement, in addition, our model is made of recycled and/or recyclable materials, so that it can be offered at a price affordable to all.

The solution we believe will meet all of the above criteria consists of a backing, a front piece or frame, hangers, and a stand. The key characteristic of this frame is that the back and front panels are both fashioned of sheeting, cut to size and separated by U-shaped spacing profile. A stand is partially cut into the backing so that it may be folded out diagonally and includes a fold-out support piece and horizontal and/or vertical fold-out securing struts. The struts are cut out along lines partially corresponding with those of the longer edge of the support piece and are tipped with tabs that may be inserted into a slot cut into the same.

One of variants produced in accordance with our model includes a support piece with a lengthwise fold line used the stand.

Another form includes a protective sheet that fits into the U-opening of the U-profile spacer between the frame and backing.

In a third variation, the backing is equipped with a glued covering on the side facing the frame. In yet another variation, hangers are formed of fold-out pieces located along the longer and shorter edges of the backing with openings in them designed to accommodate whatever projection the photo will be hung from.

In a final version, the stand, with ! ts verticat and horizonta ! struts, can be folded out along fold lines.

In what follows we endeavour to present our model'in greater detail by introducing its various production variations, and attaching the associated drawings : Figure 1 : the frame is presented in rear view and partial cut.

Figure 2: the frame backing with vertical stand is shown in rear view.

Figure 3 : the frame's U-shaped spacing profile is illustrated in rear and front views.

Figure 4: a view of the front piece ts given from front or rear perspectives.

As shown in the composition drawing given as Figure 1, the complete frame consists of a backing 1, front piece 2, and U-sectioned profile spacer 3 (Figure 3) located between the backing t and front piece 2. The U'sectioned profile spacer 3 may accommodate a protective sheet 12 that may be fitted between the backing 1 and the front piece 2 and may be used to protect the photo. This protective sheet 12 may be made of glass plate or transparent plastic sheeting, as desired.

The drawing also illustrates the structure of the backing 1 in detail. The photo may be hung on the wall by means of either of two variously placed fold-out hangers 10 equipped with circular openings 11. These are located one along the longer side of the frame and one along the shorter side, so that the photo may be hung either vertically or horizontatty, and may be fol'ded ou ; t along corlvenient hanger fold lines 5b.

At the centre of the backing 1 the drawing illustrates the means applied for setting up the photo, the stand support component 4, which may be folded out diagonally along its fold lines 5a, the vertical securing strut 7a, and the horizontal securing strut 7b, which are formed along the lengthwise cut of the stand support component 4 and may be folded out along their own fold iines 5a. Once these have been folded out, the securing tabs 8 located at their ends may be inserted into the slot 9 cut into the stand support component 4.

For larger (heavier) displays, the stand support component 4 may be reinforced by means of the folded edge 6 located along the longer edge of the stand support component 4.

A covering not pictured is glued to the surface of the backing T that faces the front piece 2.

The external measure of the front piece 2 and U-seciloned profile spacer 3 correspond to that of the backing t, white the internal measure of the U-sectioned profile spacer 3 is less than that of the front piece 2, whfch is of an arbitrary size but which corresponds to the external measure of the backing 1.

The U-sectioned profile spacer 3 may accommodate a protective sheet 112, which not only protects the photo but also reinforces the entire frame structure.

Figure 2 shows what the backing t tooks tike when a stand support component 4 without a reinforcing folded edge 6 is cut out of the frame's convenient paper backing 1. The vertical securing strut 7a is cut partially along the same lines as the stand support component 4 and may be folded out along the fold line 5a provided.

The vertical securing strut 7a ends in a tab 8. The stand support component 4 includes ah slot 9 nearly at its centre, into which the secunng tab 8 fashioned at the end of the vertical securing strut 7a may be inserted. The backing 1 also includes hangers 10 with openings 1 I that may be folded out aiong the hanger fotd tines 5b provided.

Figures 3 and 4 depict the U-sectioned profile spacer 3 and front piece 2.

(Information on both may be found on the composite drawing included here as Figure 1.) A frame build according to our mode ! would offer the advantage that while it is not fashioned of a single piece, its component parts (i. e. backing, spacer, and front piece) are simple and not costty to manufacture. When made of paper, the parts may simply be glued together. The backing is made aesthetically pleasing by application of a glued covering. The construction provides for easy display, either by hanging, or by assembling the stand (folding out the support and vertical or horizontal strut and inserting the tab and the end of the desired strut into the opening on the support}. The U sectFoned profEle spacer is glued to the backing, which is in turn glued'to the inside of the front piece. The protective layer is positioned between the backing and the front piece, accommodated by the U- profile. The front piece may be made of wood, paper, ceramics, or other materials. its outer surface may be of one colour or patterned, as desired. As shown in the figures, assembly does not require the use of corner joints, and the photo within the frame may be exchanged as many times as necessary.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS 1 backing 2 front piece 3 U-sectioned profile spacer 4 stand support component 5a fold iine 5b hanger fold line 6 folded edge 7a vertical securing strut 7b horizontal securing strut 8 tab 9 slot 10 hanger I opening 12 protective sheet