The present invention relates to a picture frame, a picture frame kit and a method for making a picture frame.

Framing is a popular way to display a picture, which once framed can be either hung on a wall or propped up on a stand. Typically, pre-made frames of wood or another similarly rigid and costly material are used. These can be difficult to transport and may require the purchaser to travel to a shop in order to have their picture professionally installed in the frame. This type of service is usually aimed at adults wishing to display expensive prints or paintings on the walls of their homes. There are a number of cheaper alternatives such as the well-known clip-type frames which comprise a sheet of hardboard and a sheet of glass between which a picture can be sandwiched and clipped to hold. These, however, do not have the appearance of a three dimensional frame which is generally more desirable.

The market in arts and crafts for children is extensive. Interactive activities such as painting and drawing are seen increasingly by parents and teachers as an aid to development and as such are encouraged both in schools and at home. More expensive frames such as those described above are generally not particularly suitable for children's drawings given the quantity that a child will produce. Even so, both parent and child will enjoy seeing the child's work displayed in an attractive way. There is a lack in the market of DIY 3D frames which have the look of more expensive alternatives but which are cheap and easy enough to assemble that they can be used as part of a child's everyday painting and drawing activities. A number of cardboard erectable stands such as those described in CN-A-2019/05590 and KR-A-2009/0028016 are available but these do not give the look of a more expensive 3D frame and are simply a way of standing a sheet of paper upright.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit for making a picture frame comprising: a plurality of edge sections for forming into tubes and fixing in place so that each end of each tube is adjacent the end of another tube; a plurality of coupling sections for forming into 3D couplers, wherein the 3D couplers can each be applied to two adjacent ends of two tubes to couple them together. Producing a frame from a kit of pieces that are not expensive and are easy to put together is a simple way to include the production of a frame into a child's arts and crafts activities. The frames are formed of a foldable material such as paper or card making them both cheap and lightweight. Paper and card are also easy to decorate using pens or crayons in cases where blank kit pieces are provided and can be further customised with glue and decorative items all of which form part of a typical art set. Because they are formed of several smaller parts, the frames can be easily stored in compact form prior to assembly with parts being placed on top of one another in a box or container. Having separate parts also allows the user to customise the frame, for example to choose a specific colour or pattern for each of the corner sections and the edge sections.

In an embodiment, the edge sections are fixed to a back plate prior to application of the couplers. The back plate can be formed of a stiffer material such as a thicker card to strengthen the frame.

In an embodiment, the edge sections and back plate are formed of one piece of material. The back plate and edge sections are supplied as one piece wherein the edge sections simply need to be folded over to form tubes. Providing the frame kit in this way saves material and is simpler to assemble.

In an embodiment, the edge sections are fixed to each other prior to application of the couplers. Edges may be attached both to each other and to a back plate, layering edge sections on top of each other to form the basic frame structure, or they can be attached to other edge sections so that a back plate is not required. If the latter method is used, the frame may be able to be stored in a more compact form but will lose some of the strength provided by the additional back plate. Flaps can also be provided to allow edge sections to be fixed together at their ends.

In an embodiment, the edge sections, coupling sections and back plate are made of paper. Paper is both lightweight and cheap as well as being easy to manipulate. In another embodiment, the edge sections, coupling sections and back plate are made of card which provides a stronger, more robust structure for the frame. A mixture of card and paper can also be used for the different pieces, either different pieces being formed of different materials or one or more of the pieces each being formed of a mixture of materials. Paper sections may be provided where the piece needs to be bent or folded which may make it easier to produce the frame. Two or more layers of paper can also be used to provide a thicker, stronger frame.

In an embodiment, tubes have a rectangular cross section and are formed by making four folds in an edge section to separate five regions and fixing the end region to a flap that is continuous from the innermost region. A rectangular or square cross section for the tubes results in a product which has the appearance of a more expensive frame such as the kind that might be used to frame a professional image. The shape is also easy to produce and requires only a rectangular kit piece with five straight fold marks making each tube easy to assemble. When fixing the end region to the flap to form the tube, folding it outwards from the frame edge or tube rather than folding underneath the frame edge means that once the frame is assembled and the picture installed, the picture is prevented from sliding underneath the frame edge and moving about.

In an embodiment, tubes have a rectangular cross section and are formed by making five folds in an edge section to separate five regions and fixing the end region to the innermost region. Although there is a risk of the picture sliding underneath the frame in this case, the assembled frame may look neater.

In an embodiment, the edge sections and/ or coupling sections are pre-formed with preferential folding regions defining the positions of folds. In an embodiment, the preferential folding regions are pre-formed folds or perforated lines. This makes it easier for the user to fold the edges or coupling sections to form neat 3D parts of the right size and shape.

In an embodiment, the kit further comprises frame members for filling the tubes. Filling the edges adds strength and prevents collapse of or damage to the frame once it has been assembled. In an embodiment, the frame members are made from

polystyrene. Polystyrene, being cheap, readily available and lightweight is among the most suitable choices of material for filling the tubes. The rigid edges allow a child to hold and manage the kit and the final frame structure more easily. The edges can be pre-folded and filled and provided in this manner as part of the kit which will make it easier for children to fix edges together or to the back plate in order to form the frame. The filled tubes are also of benefit when applying the 3D couplers or corners because they add some rigidity to the ends of the tubes to which the corners are applied. In an embodiment, the edge sections are cut from a roll of material. A long piece of paper or thin card can be produced, along which marks can be formed longitudinally to indicate the positions of folds for forming tubes. When the user wants to produce a frame they can cut pieces off the roll at the desired length to form a frame of any size in order to fit to whichever picture they choose. Marks can be provided along the roll to indicate the optimum places to cut in order to form sides for an A4 or A5 frame, for example, or the roll can simply be left blank or marked with distance measurements to allow the user to size their own frame. The same can be done for separate edge sections in order to help the user to cut sections down to size if they want to produce a smaller frame.

In an embodiment, edge sections and coupling sections are supplied with markings to indicate where they should be folded, cut or fixed. In an example, folds may be indicated by dashed lines, cuts by solid lines and portions to be fixed by shaded or patterned sections or with different colours. Colours, patterns and shades can be matched to show pieces that need to be fixed together. Matching can be used in this way both on a single section such as the corner or edge sections as well as to indicate where different sections or parts need to be fixed together. Numbers, symbols or letters can also be used in this way. In an embodiment, forming into tubes and/or couplers comprises peeling a protective layer from one part of a section to uncover an adhesive surface and placing another part of that section onto the adhesive surface. Sticky-backed plastic, for example, can be provided on parts of the kit so that the frame can be assembled without the need for extra glue or tape. The protective layer prevents parts from sticking together during storage or transport of the frame. Edge sections or tubes can also be affixed to the back plate or to each other, and couplers to the tubes using this method. Flaps with sticky-backed plastic can be provided on the couplers or edge sections to aid fixing them over the edge pieces or fixing them together respectively. In an embodiment, the back plate is provided with the means to form a stand and/or holes or flaps to hang the picture. The stand can take the form of a triangular portion which can be folded out from the back plate (either itself forming part of the back plate or attached to the back plate before or during assembly). A separate stand can also be provided as part of the kit for fixing to the back plate after the frame has been assembled. Flaps can take the form of hooks or can have holes therein in to allow the picture be hung from nails on a wall. Because the frame is so lightweight, paper flaps will be robust enough to hold the frame up in this way, however flaps or hooks made from another material can be used. Holes and string or metal hooks may provide an attractive display which is similar in appearance to a more expensive frame when hung.

In an embodiment, the kit further comprises a transparent, protective sheet of material for placing over a picture inside the frame to protect the picture. The sheet may be made from a thin plastic, for example which will provide a waterproof and cleanable cover for the picture once mounted.

In an embodiment, the kit is provided in a container. Because the frame is formed of separate parts, the box can be smaller than the finished frame, particularly if the sections are part-folded in storage. Edge sections, for example, can be folded substantially in half for placing in the container along a line which will need to be folded during assembly of the frame, thus avoiding unnecessary folds in the section. The container may be rectangular, e.g. in the form of a box, or may take the form of a tube into which parts of the kit can be held as a roll or part roll. Keeping parts flat whilst in the box might make assembly easier since pieces held in a cylindrical container may tend to remain slightly bent after removal. The container provides a useful way to store and transport kit parts and can be decorated to represent the colour and pattern of the frames held inside. Several frames with different styles can be provided within one container.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a picture frame comprising; a plurality of edge sections configured to form tubes and arranged so that the end of each tube is adjacent the end of another tube; a plurality of coupling sections configured to form 3D couplers, wherein each 3D coupler is applied to adjacent ends of two of the tubes to couple them together. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for making a picture frame, the method comprising: configuring a plurality of edge sections into tubes; forming a plurality of coupling sections into 3D couplers; fixing tubes in place so that the end of each tube is adjacent the end of another tube; applying each of the 3D couplers to adjacent ends of two tubes to couple them together.

In an embodiment, prior to configuring edge sections into tubes, edge sections are cut to a desired length. This allows the user to cut edge pieces down to a desired size to display a smaller picture.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the pieces of a frame in kit form prior to assembly;

Figure 2 shows the stages of assembly of a 3D corner;

Figure 3A shows a top side view of an assembled 3D corner;

Figure 3B shows an underside view of an assembled 3D corner; Figure 3C shows an alternative configuration for a corner section; Figure 4A shows an edge section, mid assembly;

Figure 4B shows an assembled tube being filled; Figure 5A shows two tubes attached to a back plate;

Figure 5B shows a tube having a flap for attaching to a second tube;

Figure 5C shows a 3D corner being applied; Figure 6A shows a 3D corner with a fold to allow it to be flattened; Figure 6B show the corner of Figure 6A in its flattened form; Figure 7A shows a back plate with a flap for forming a stand;

Figure 7B shows a back plate with flaps for hanging; Figure 7C shows a back plate with holes for attaching a string for hanging;

Figure 8 shows a kit piece for the edge of a circular frame;

Figure 9 shows an example of a frame wherein the back plate and edge sections are formed of one piece;

Figure 10A shows an example of a universal coupler;

Figure 10B shows another example of a universal coupler having marks to indicate where sections should be cut to form a corner having the desired angle.

Figure 1 illustrates the picture frame of the present invention laid out in kit form prior to assembly. In this non-limiting example, the kit comprises four edge sections 1 to 4, corner sections 5 to 8 and back plate 9. Two of the edge sections are long (1 and 2) and two are shorter (3 and 4) and are intended to form the top and bottom edges of a portrait frame or the left and right edges of a landscape frame. If a square frame is desired, two of the edge pieces will need to be longer than the other two by twice the width of the frame edges once assembled. These portions are generally made from a lightweight, cheap and easily foldable material such as paper or cardboard. A mixture of the two materials may be used for any of the parts, for example the back plate or back plate and corners may be made from card and the edge pieces made from paper or vice versa. Polystyrene sticks 10 to 13 are also optionally included and can be used to fill and strengthen the edges of the frame once the edge sections have been folded to form tubes or provided in pre-folded tubes as part of the kit. They can also be used to fold the edge pieces around during assembly which may make it easier to form the sides of the frame. Although polystyrene is one of the most suitable materials to form the sticks, any lightweight, cheap, and fairly rigid material can be used such as a lightweight wood. Fold marks on corners and edges are indicated by dashed lines and show where each section should be creased in order to form the 3D frame shape. These lines may be pre- pressed or perforated to define preferential folding regions or directions. Thicker solid lines show portions of each corner section into which slits are or should be cut. An instruction page or booklet may be provided with the kit which provides step by step instructions and/or illustrations as an aid to making the frame. Instructions may also be provided on the outside of the container in which the frame pieces are sold.

Kit parts will not generally need to be larger than A4 size for a frame designed to hold an A4 image. Pieces can thus be stored easily in a box of small size and can be stacked on top of each other easily. The polystyrene portions will take up more room which may be an advantage to leaving these out of the kit if it is intended to be sold in a shop and transported. Users can be advised to produce their own portions to fill edges during production of the frame. Because of the compact configuration of the frame pieces prior to folding, several frames can be stored in a single box and sold this way. This leaves open the option of including edge, corner and back pieces having different colours, material or designs in order to provide several custom frames or a choice of pieces for the user from which they can mix and match to produce a unique frame. Pieces can also be part folded during storage to further minimise the size of the container in which they are sold.

Blackened portions in corner sections 5 to 8 can be dispensed with in order to achieve a less bulky looking structure but this may make the corner portions more complicated to manufacture and the extra sections can provide further strength to the corner piece after assembly. Figure 2 illustrates the process of folding a corner piece (shown without the blackened sections for simplicity) to form the 3D corner. Four stages are shown. In stage one the corner is laid out as a 2D sheet. All fold marks can be clearly indicated using as shown here using dashed lines. The direction of the fold can also be indicated on the pieces themselves and/or a separate instruction sheet can be included which will outline the steps required in order to form a corner piece. In stage 2 a fold is made along the diagonal dashed line 14 and the top right hand section folded towards the user until it lies on top of the bottom left hand section of the piece. In stage 3, folds are made towards the middle of the piece along dashed lines 15 so that the two halves of piece 16 are orientated at right angles to each other. In the final stage folds are made along dashed lines 17 and the two halves of section 18 orientated at right angles to each other. In stage 4 pieces 16 and 18 are adhered together at the dotted portion 19 using tape, glue, an adhesive surface revealed by removing some type of plastic protective layer (e.g. sticky-backed plastic), or any other method of fixing.

In Figure 2 the pieces are shown held together by tape. If sticky backed plastic were used then section 19 (shown as a dotted square in the figure) which is located on the underside of section 16 as shown at stage 2 would need to be provided with an adhesive surface. This could be indicated to the user by any means including a patterned or coloured section or simply by the presence of the sticky-backed plastic itself. Equally, of course, the adhesive surface could be provided as a square on the underside of portion 18 and portion 16 folded so as to be located above portion 18 (i.e. a reversal of steps 3 and 4 in Figure 2).

A folded corner piece is shown in Figure 3A (top side view) and 3B (underside view). In Figure 3B the corner piece shown has been fixed in place using tape. The tape will not be visible from the front of the frame after mounting and so it is not imperative that the back of the corner has a neat appearance although this is, of course, desirable particularly if the picture is intended to be mounted on a stand rather than hung on a wall. There are many possible configurations of the corner piece other than that shown in Figures 1 or 2. Figure 3C shows another flat corner piece that can be folded to form a 3D corner. This has a neater appearance at the back of the frame. The almost square piece shown in Figure 2, however, is compact and so easier to store and may be less complex to manufacture. Joins will all be visible only at the back of the frame which will not be a problem if the frame is intended to be wall mounted.

The process of folding an edge piece is illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B. Figure 4A shows an edge piece that is in the process of being folded to form a 3D frame edge. The shaded section 25 can either be adhered to section 20 (which is indicated using dots in this case because there are no folds present) via the underside or to section 21 via the top side so that sections 21 , 22, 23 and 24 from the four sides of a rectangular tube. Either side of section 25 can be provided with adhesive and it can be folded either outwards, as shown in Figure 4B, or inwards. Again tape, glue or any other fixing method can be used to hold these in place but a sticky surface covered with a thin film that can be removed to reveal the adhesive is easier to use, less messy and makes the kit completely usable to make a frame without the need of extras which might not be easily to hand. Once corner and edge sections have been assembled into 3D corners and tubes the tubes can be filled as shown in Figure 4B using cuboid strips that can be provided as part of the kit and are made out of a cheap, lightweight material such as polystyrene. This addition provides rigidity to the frame but is not strictly necessary. Figures 5A to 5C illustrate assembly of the 3D pieces to form the final frame.

Once the tubes have been filled (or not as desired), flaps 26 on the edge pieces are fixed to a back plate 27 as shown in Figure 5A to form the basis of the frame. The back plate, although it provides strength and makes the process of attaching the edges slightly simpler, can be dispensed with and the flaps of each of the four edges fixed together to form the rectangular frame shape. If flaps are large enough they can cover the entire extent of the frame centre to give the appearance of a back plate. Figure 5A shows a back piece with one long and two short edges attached. The back plate in this case is A4 sized which makes the frame more compact when in kit form. It can, however, be larger so that the lower side of the tube structure (section 21 in Figure 4A) is glued onto a part of the back plate along with flap 26. Short sides must be long enough so that they extend the length of the short side of the A4 sheet as well as the width of the long edges to provide a corner shape over which the corner pieces can be applied. Because of this, short sides must be applied to the back plate first or a portion cut away from the flap to allow them to fit over the longer side. If the short edges only extended to the edges of the A4 sheet it would still be possible to apply a corner piece but the strength of the frame would be reduced. Using the short edges rather than the long edges to provide the corners means that the kit is more compact, however the long edges could be extended to provide the corners and the box size increased or the pieces folded in some way for storage. If this was done the long edges would need to be applied first or sections cut away from them as described for the shorter sections above. Edge pieces can optionally be provided with small flaps such as flaps 28 shown in Figure 5B so that two edge pieces can be fixed together to provide rigidity to the frame prior to the application of the corners. Edge pieces can be fixed to the underside of the back plate rather than the front to provide a more attractive empty frame. Following assembly of the frame edges, 3D couplers or corners are placed over the corners of the frames as shown in Figure 5C in order to strengthen the structure and hide unsightly slits at the corners. 3D couplers may be glued or taped to the edges if desired to hold them or simply slid over the edges and into place as shown. A picture can then be fitted into the frame to display and, if desired, a sheet of lightweight transparent material such as a plastic can be placed over the top in order to protect the picture underneath. In embodiments, the edge pieces can be provided on a roll so that pieces can be cut to the correct size by the user to produce a frame that is customised to fit the size of a particular picture or photograph. In this case it may be more convenient to provide the kit in a cylindrical tube. Markings can be provided to show where to cut to form a frame to fit different sized pictures (A5, A4, A3, or A2, for example). Alternatively, an A3 picture frame can be formed by using two of the edge sections designed to fit an A4 picture for each edge (and similarly for larger frames using more edge pieces) or an edge piece that is not provided on a roll can be cut to the desired length. Markings can be provided to aid the user in producing a frame of the correct size. Pieces can be adhered to a larger or smaller back plate and in some embodiments can be strengthened by providing longer polystyrene tubes which extend the length of two edge pieces or by providing small covering sections into which the ends of two edge pieces can fit. Flaps such as flaps 28 can also be used to join edge sections together along an edge of the larger frame. In general, covering sections will provide a neater and more attractive join but the user can cover the frame using a decorative strip attached along the length of each edge or over the whole front of the frame to hide the joins if desired.

Edge and corner sections can be provided pre-glued but flattened to allow them to fit into a box for storage. For example, a fold can be provided along line 28 in a corner piece as shown in Figure 6A which allows the corner to be folded flat to form a 2D shape as shown in Figure 6B by folding line 29 inwards. A similar fold will be needed on the underside of the corner piece. The user simply needs to fold the edge and corner pieces out to form the 3D structures before attaching the edges to the back plate and then applying the corners. This minimises the steps that the user is required to perform and reduces complexity for them, although the manufacturing stage may then be more involved and the fold may still be visible after the frame has been completed. In an embodiment, all edge pieces can be pre-adhered to the back plate and folded flat inside the box, preferably towards the centre of the back plate rather than outwards to minimise the size. A user will then simply take the back plate out of the box in which it is provided, fold the edges out into tubes, fill the edges with lightweight sticks if desired, and unfold corner pieces before applying them over the tube ends to finish the frame.

As mentioned above, a box or container can be provided to contain the kit pieces prior to assembly and for display in a shop. Because the separate pieces are each smaller than the assembled frame, the box used to hold them may also be smaller and the pieces required to make several frames can be provided in one box. If a cylindrical container is used then pieces can be rolled and fitted inside. A number of frames having different designs can be provided in the same or a different packaging. Kit pieces can be formed of material already decorated in a particular design or style. A child can also be encouraged to decorate the frames themselves by including items such as sequins or stickers with the frame kit or ideas for designs that they can draw onto a plain frame. If edges are folded inwards towards the centre of the back plate during storage then the pieces can fit into a box that is no larger than would be needed for a kit having separate edges and back plate. It is easier in this case not to dispense with the back plate, and there is little advantage in doing so since the container size will not be reduced, however it is still possible to provide edges that are pre-attached to each other with no back plate. Of course if flaps 28 are provided on the edge pieces then these will need to be attached by the user during assembly of the frame. Again, sticky backed plastic may be the easiest way for the user to fix edge pieces together but any other means of fixing is possible.

The finished frame may then be hung on a wall or placed on a stand in order to display the picture inside. A separate stand can be provided as part of the kit to be optionally attached to the back plate or the back plate can be designed to include a small flap that can act as a stand as shown in Figure 7A. If the flap forms part of the back plate the user will have to be careful not to fix the flap to the edge pieces during assembly and it may be easier to provide the stand as a separate piece or pre-attached to the back plate. For hanging, flaps such as those shown in figure 7B can be provided on the back plate or on edge pieces. Alternatively, small holes such as those shown in Figure 7C can be provided in the back plate or edges to allow the user to apply string in order to hang the picture from a nail or hook. Holes can be provided in both the relevant edge section and in the back plate. If only the back plate has holes in it the string may need to be applied prior to fixing the edge sections or be pre-attached to the back plate. Four holes are shown in the figure which may make attaching the string easier but two can equally be provided and a knot made in the string to prevent it from slipping back through the holes after threading. String can be included as part of the kit or can be attached to the back plate already for ease of assembly and back plates can be provided with both flaps for stands and with string or holes for string providing a greater level of flexibility.

The edges of the frames need not have square cross sections like those shown in the figures. They may, for example, be rectangular but wider than they are deep (or vice versa). Edges can also be formed as tubes of shapes other than a rectangular cross section, for example they may have a semi-circular or circular cross section. This still allows corner portions to be applied and will provide a different aesthetic. In this case differently shaped filling members or sticks can be provided.

It may also be possible to make frames having different shapes such as oval, triangular or circular rather than the rectangular frames shown in figures 1 to 7. A triangular frame would require slightly differently shaped corner pieces to fit but the same edge sections as for a rectangular tube could be used. An example of an edge section for a circular frame is shown in Figure 8. The user simply folds along the dashed lines and fixes the shaded portions to a circular back plate. It may be easier in this case to glue sections 30 to the underside of the back plate rather than the top side and to fold sections 31 in towards the centre of the frame for fixing. The frame will not look as neat on the inner and outer surfaces due to the overlapping edges of the various flaps but this can be improved by application of a decorative strip (possibly with a sticky-backed side) along the inner and outer edges to cover the joins. Stands, flaps or holes can be provided as for the rectangular frame to allow the user to display the picture as they choose.

In some embodiments, the edges and back plate can be formed of one piece of material as shown in Figure 9. The edge sections do not then need to be pre- adhered or affixed to the back plate or to each other during assembly which is simpler for the user. Tubes can be pre-formed and folded flat in this embodiment, as above, and unfolded or unflattened to form tubes during assembly of the frame without additional fixing or gluing. The ends of the tubes can be made to overlap as shown in the figure to give a more solid corner shape for application of the couplers; however couplers can still be applied if the ends do not overlap.

In the case of a triangular frame, corner pieces will need to include a shallower angle to fit over the two ends of the tubes forming the edges. Figure 10A shows one example of a universal coupler which can be folded and fixed to form a corner at a range of angles in order to accommodate corners that are not at 90 degrees, for example in a triangular frame. In some cases, particularly where corner angles are obtuse, regions may need to be cut from the coupling sections rather than providing these pre-cut. Markings can be supplied to indicate the positions of folds or cuts for corner pieces of different angles in order to aid the user in forming them as shown in figure 10B which shows dashed lines where folding is required and dotted lines for cutting. Sections may also need to be marked to indicate where glue should be applied in each case and which parts should be adhered together.

Embodiments of the present invention have been described with particular reference to the examples illustrated. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the examples described within the scope of the present invention.