PICTURE MOUNT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING A PICTURE MOUNT

The present invention relates to the field of picture mounts and in particular to an improved mount for mounting digital pictures. A method of producing the picture mounts is also described.

Picture mounts typically comprise a rectangular frame made from wood or plastic. In order to provide rigidity to the frame a wooden backing is often fixed to the frame so as to provide a working surface within the internal area defined by the rectangular frame. A picture for the mount is typically formed by printing or painting onto paper or canvass materials. The picture is then suspended within the rectangular frame so as to cover a substantial area of the working surface of the wooden backing.

Optionally, a sheet formed from a transparent material, such as a glass, is then also located within the internal area defined by the rectangular frame, such that the picture lies between the transparent sheet and the wooden

backing. The function of the transparent sheet is to provide a physical barrier to protect the picture while still allowing the picture to remain visible for viewing purposes.

Often a picture mount is required to be hung on a wall. Wall hanging is achieved by employing one or more picture hooks which engage directly with the wooden frame, or alternatively with the wooden backing of the frame. If the picture mount is not to be hung on a wall then a support frame is typically attached to the wooden backing such that the picture mount can be placed, in a free standing manner, on a table, shelf or other substantially horizontally orientated surface.

The above described picture mounts exhibit a number of known disadvantages. In the first instance the picture mounts can be relatively heavy and so are often difficult to transport and/or to hang on a wall. These problems are further aggravated when the picture mounts incorporates a transparent sheet, since such a feature adds to the overall weight of the mount. Transport and/or hanging of a picture mount that incorporates a transparent glass sheet also requires additional care to be taken so as to avoid breakage of the glass. Such an event can easily result in damage to the canvas material, and hence the picture itself.

In the absence of a transparent sheet the canvass material upon which the picture is printed or painted remains exposed, and so accidental damage can occur. Furthermore, in the absence of a wooden backboard such

damage often results ^~ in a tear or a hole being created within the canvass material.

The employment of a canvass material upon which a picture is to be printed also affects the clarity of the pictures which can be produced. In particular, the surface texture of the canvass material acts to detract from the resolution of the picture when printed on this surface.

It is therefore an object of an aspect of the present invention to provide a picture mount that obviates, or at least mitigates, one or more of the above described problems experienced by the picture mounts known in the art.

Summary of Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of producing a picture mount, the method comprising the steps of: 1) Constructing a frame of desired dimensions; 2) Attaching a board to the frame; 3) Printing a first picture on a first picture sheet; 4) Attaching the first picture sheet to the board and the frame.

Following the above method produces a picture mount which reduces the risk of damage to the first picture while avoiding the need to employ a transparent glass or plastic barrier as is known from the prior art. As a result, the described picture mount is both structurally robust and lightweight.

Preferably the step of constructing the frame comprises the construction of a frame of a rectangular shape.

Preferably the board is attached to the frame by an adhesive. Employing an adhesive reduces the risk of damage to the first picture sheet by nails, staples or other similar attachment means.

Preferably the first picture is printed on the first picture sheet within an area which coincides with a first picture surface of the board when the first picture is attached to the board and the frame.

Most preferably the area of the first picture is greater than the area of the first picture surface. In this way a degree of tolerance can be introduces to the alignment between the first picture and the first picture surface.

Most preferably the printing of the first picture comprises the laser printing of a digital photograph. This has obvious advantages to the resolution of the first picture.

Optionally the method further comprises the step of laminating the first picture sheet with a transparent plastic layer. Introducing a laminate layer of plastic further increases the structurally robust nature of the picture mount.

Most preferably the first picture is attached to the board by an adhesive. Employing an adhesive reduces the risk of damage to the first picture sheet by nails, staples or other similar attachment means.

Preferably the step of attaching the first picture to the board further comprises attaching a border area of the first picture sheet to the frame.

Optionally the method of producing a picture mount further comprises the steps of: 1) Printing a second picture on a second picture sheet; 2) Attaching the second picture to the board.

Optionally the method further comprises the step of laminating the second picture sheet with a transparent plastic layer.

Preferably the second picture is printed on the second picture sheet within an area which is no greater than an area of a second surface of the board that defines a second picture surface.

Most preferably the second picture is attached to the board such that the second picture locates with the second picture surface.

Most preferably the second picture is attached to the board by an adhesive. Employing an adhesive reduces the risk of damage to the second picture sheet by nails, staples or other similar attachment means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a picture mount, the picture mount comprising a frame, a board having a first picture surface and being attached to the frame, and a first picture sheet upon which is printed a first picture

wherein the first picture sheet is attached to the board and the frame such that the first picture locates on the first picture surface.

Most preferably the first picture sheet further comprises a border area that is attached to the frame.

Optionally the first picture sheet further comprises a laminated layer of transparent plastic.

Optionally the picture mount further comprises a second picture sheet upon which is printed a second picture.

Optionally the second picture sheet further comprises a laminated layer of transparent plastic.

Preferably the second picture sheet is attached to a second picture surface of the board.

Optionally the frame comprises a locating groove suitable for receiving a wall mounting hook or screw.

Preferably the frame comprises medium density fibreboard.

Preferably the board comprises medium density fibreboard.

Brief Description of Drawings Aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 presents a flow chart that outlines the method of production of a picture mount in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

Figure 2 presents a schematic representation of a frame of the picture mount produced during the method outlined in Figure 1;

Figure 3 presents a schematic representation of a frame and board combination of the picture mount produced during the method outlined in Figure 1;

Figure 4 presents a schematic representation of a PVC sheet of the picture mount produced during the method outlined in Figure 1;

Figure 5 presents a schematic representation of the a front face of the picture mount produced by the method outlined in Figure 1;

Figure 6 presents a schematic representation of a rear face of the picture mount produced by the method outlined in Figure 1; and

Figure 7 presents a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of the PVC sheet of the picture mount produced during the method outlined in Figure 1.

Detailed Description Aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In particular, Figure 1 presents a flow chart of the method

of production of a picture mount 1 as shown in various views within Figures 5 and 6.

The fist stage (Step 1) of the method of production involves the construction of a frame 2 of desired dimensions for the picture mount 1, see Figure 2. In the present embodiment the frame 2 is rectangular in shape and is constructed by sticking four wooden frame sections 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, made from medium density fibreboard (MDF) together with a wood adhesive. It should be noted that wooden frame section 3d exhibits a thickness of 24mm, that is greater than that of the thicknesses of the three other frame sections 3a, 3b and 3c, each being 10mm thick. The depth of the frame in the presently described embodiment is 40mm.

Step 2 involves the attachment of an MDF board 4 to the front of rectangular frame 2, as shown in Figure 3. It is preferable for the MDF board 4 to be attached to the frame by wood adhesive and once attached the MDF board 4 acts to define a first 5 and a second picture surface 6 of the picture mount 1

The third stage of the process (Step 3) involves the printing of a first picture 7 by a laser printer onto a 0.13mm thick sheet of PVC 8, as shown in Figure 4. In the presently described embodiment the PVC sheet 8 comprises a 13Og (BK-130MNL) super white paper.

The area of the first picture 7 is chosen such that it substantially matches the surface area of the first picture surface 5. In practice it is found that it is beneficial to have the first picture 7 slightly larger,

typically 1 or 2mm, than the area of the first picture surface 5 since this provides for a degree of tolerance when aligning the first picture 7 with the first picture surface 5, as described below. In any case, it the PVC sheet 8 is sized such that a border 9 extends around the perimeter of the first picture 7 resulting in the overall area of the PVC sheet 8 being greater than that of the first picture surface 5.

Once the ink is dry the first picture 7 is laminated with a transparent plastic layer so as to provide physical protection for the first picture 7. An adhesive is then applied to the rear surface of the PVC sheet 8 so as to enable this sheet to be attached to the board/frame combination of Figure 3 (Step 4) . In particular, the first picture 7 is aligned with the first picture surface 5 such that the border 9 can be folded over the rectangular frame 2 so as to secure this picture in place, as shown schematically in Figure 5. Great care is taken at this time to ensure that no air bubbles are left between the PVC sheet 8 and the board/frame combination. To aid in this step of the procedure it has been found beneficial to initially remove the square areas 10 of the PVC sheet 8, shown as dashed lines within Figure 5.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that, in an alternative to the above described embodiment, the area of the first picture 7 may be smaller, or larger, than the first picture surface 5. The overall area of the PVC sheet 8 however remains the same such that the first picture 7 can be secured to the board/frame combination, in a similar manner to that described above.

It is however preferable that the size of the PVC sheet 8 is small enough that the border 9 does not extend onto the second picture surface 6, as shown in Figure 6, which presents a schematic representation of a rear view of the picture mount 1. In this way the option of electing to print further pictures e.g. a second 11 and third 12 picture is available (see Step 5) . These pictures are again printed on PVC sheets 8b which allow for plastic laminate coatings and adhesives to be applied to their front and rear surfaces, respectively. These additional pictures can then be attached to the second picture surface 6 (see Step 6) .

In practice it has been found that the choice of the adhesive employed to stick the PVC sheets 8 onto the board/frame combination is important to the durability of the picture mount 1. In the described embodiments the adhesive used is required to provide a good bond between PVC and MDF while being resistant to heat so as not to deteriorate when the picture mount 1 is exposed to increased temperatures.

As highlighted above, frame section 3d is thicker than the other three frame sections 3a, 3b, and 3c. As a result, frame section 3d provide sufficient mechanical support for the formation of a locating groove 13, as shown in Figure 6. The locating groove 13 is shaped so as to comprise a circular recess 14 connect to a channel 15 which extends along a length of frame section 3d. This formation allows for a head of a wall mounting screw to pass through the circular recess 14 so as to locate

within the channel 15. In this way the picture mount 1 can be easily hung on a wall.

Alternatively, the depth of the frame 2 (40mm) is such that the picture mount 1 can be stably positioned on a substantially horizontal surface, without the need for a dedicated mechanical support.

The picture mount 1 is multi-functional as will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In the first instance the picture mount can be deployed in a similar manner to the standard wall hung, or table top picture mounts. Alternatively, by the incorporation of subsequent pictures on the second picture surface 6 the picture mount 1 can be employed as an alternative to a greeting card. In the example shown, the picture mount 1 is employed as a greeting card sent to a recipient to wish them good luck in their new home. Thus it will be readily apparent that by simply choosing appropriate messages and pictures the picture mount 1 can be employed as any kind of greeting card e.g. birthday anniversary, Christmas etc. User defined pictures or greeting cards can therefore be readily produced by the user simply printing their desired digital images onto one or more PVC sheets 8 and 8b.

Figure 7 presents a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of the PVC sheet 80 of the picture mount 1 produced during the method outlined in Figure 1. It will be readily apparent that although the scale of PVC sheet 80 differs from that of PVC sheet 8 similar principles of printing and attachment apply. A second difference between PVC sheet 80 and PVC sheet 8 is that

PVC sheet 80 comprises an adhesive layer on its rear which is cover by a layer of removable plastic.

Employing the PVC sheet 80 the picture mount 1 is produced as follows. Step 1 again involves the construction of a frame 2 of the required dimensions by sticking four wooden frame sections 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, together. The second step again 2 involves the attachment of an MDF board 4 to the front of the frame 2, so as to define the first 5 and the second picture surfaces 6.

The third stage of the process (Step 3) involves the printing of a first picture 70 onto a central area of the PVC sheet 80. The area of the first picture 70 is again chosen such that it substantially matches the surface area of the first picture surface 5, although a 2mm border is again provide for increase tolerance when aligning the first picture 70 with the first picture surface 5. In the presently described embodiment a border 90 again extends around the perimeter of the first picture 70 so that the area of the PVC sheet 80 is again greater than that of the first picture surface 5. It will be noted that each edge of the border is split into three section, one to locate with the external surface of the frame 2 (denoted "ex") ; one to locate with the back of the frame 2 (denoted "back") ; and one to locate with the internal surface of the frame 2 (denoted "int") . It is these predefined sections which assist attachment of the PVC sheet 80 to the frame 2 /board 4 combination, as described in further detail below.

Once the ink is dry the first picture 70 is again optionally laminated with a transparent plastic layer so as to provide physical protection for the first picture 7.

Next, the PVC sheet 80 is cut around the perimeter represented by the dashed line 16.

The final step involves attaching the PVC sheet 80 to the frame 2/board 4 combination. This is achieved by turning the PVC sheet 80 so that the first picture 70 is face down. The removable plastic is then removed so exposing the adhesive backing and thus allowing the board 4 to be pressed down against the rear of the first picture 70. Sections 3a ex, 3a back and 3a int are then wrapped around the corresponding frame section 3a. It should be that the flaps of section 3a ex are also folded so as to locate on to the external surfaces of frame sections 3c and 3d, respectively. In a similar manner, the flaps of section 3a back are also folded so as to locate with the back surfaces of frame sections 3c and 3d, respectively.

The above process is then repeated so as to allow sections 3b ex, 3b back and 3b int to be wrapped around the corresponding frame section 3b. Sections 3c ex, 3c back and 3c int are then wrapped around the corresponding frame section 3c before the process is completed by wrapping sections 3d ex, 3d back and 3d int around the corresponding frame section 3d. It should be noted that when attached to the frame 3 the flaps of sections 3a ex, 3a back, 3b ex, 3b back are located under corresponding sections 3c ext, 3c back, 3d ext, and 3d.

The result of employing PVC sheet 80 is that a very neat, highly reproducible method of producing picture mounts 1 is achieved. In comparison it is found that employing a picture sheet made from canvas simply does not produce a picture mount 1 of such a high quality finish or one that can exhibit such high resolution.

It should also be noted that the picture mount 1 can be made to almost any dimensions. The only real limit to the dimensions of the first picture 7 is the ability to print an image onto the PVC sheets 8. Thus, although a rectangular picture mount has been described other shaped frames may alternatively be produced by the described method.

In alternative embodiments of the above described picture mount 1 the locating groove 13 may be replaced by an alternative picture hook mechanisms, as known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, the picture mount 1 may also incorporate a dedicated mechanical support if further stability is required for deployment of the picture mount 1 on a substantially horizontal surface.

The above described picture mounts 1 exhibit a number of advantages over the prior art mounts. As a direct result of the materials employed to make the picture mount 1 it is both light and inexpensive to produce. This makes the picture mount 1 easier to transport and to hang on a wall.

In addition, by employing the combination of the PVC sheet and the solid MDF board the picture mounts 1 of the present invention are found to be significantly more

robust than those known in the art. As result the opportunity of tears, holes or general damage occurring with the picture mount 1 are reduced.

Employing the PVC sheet has the further advantage that the resolution of a printed digital picture is not compromised since the surface texture of PVC is significantly smoother than for a canvass material. Thus picture mounts 1 comprising pictures of increased clarity can be produced by the above described method of production.

The incorporation of the transparent plastic laminate layer provides adds further durability to the picture mounts 1 and allows the to be simply wiped clean with a damp cloth should they become dirty.

The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. The described embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilise the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Therefore, further modifications or improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.