Magnetic display device

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a display device. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a magnetic display device having a frame with an open interior, at least one elongated support member, and at least one attachment means.

The prior art references disclose many different types of magnetic displays. Most commonly, individual, variously-sized magnets are placed over papers or photographs to be displayed. Magnetic attractive force holds the magnets and the display articles against a metallic support surface of a home appliance or structure, such as a refrigerator, file cabinet, or locker. Often, one magnet is used to hold more than one article. However, the magnetic strength provided by a single magnet is often insufficient to support a thick sheet of paper, such as a greeting card. When a magnet's holding power is exceeded, the held articles may fall to the floor. This may be annoying and may also result in losing the articles for display.

In addition, the use of multiple magnets to hold many articles, and their frequently random placement on the support surface, creates a cluttered and unappealing appearance, and fails to provide a means for organizing the articles. The common practice of stacking articles under one or more magnets also presents the consumer with a difficulty in locating the desired articles.

Known attempts to overcome the disadvantages inherent in the use of individual magnets for holding articles include magnetic frames and display sleeves. An example of such a picture frame may be disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,864, issued to Price (the '864 patent). The '864 patent is directed to a rectangular magnetized picture frame made of four tubes with magnetic strips adhesively secured to the rear faces of the tubes. Alternately, corner connectors joining the tubes are made of magnetic materials.

Another such frame may be disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,029, issued to Dunn (the '029 patent). The '029 patent discloses a metal frame with magnets inserted into holes cut into each side of the frame. A common shortcoming found in both of these frames is the necessity for consumers to spend considerable time inserting the article to be displayed into the frame, or carefully holding the article against the support surface while attempting to center the frame about the article. In addition, both of these frames have specific dimensions, thus can only display a limited array of articles with similar dimensions. Further, extracting an article and replacing it with another requires additional time adjusting the frame.

Another known magnetic fastener includes magnetic sheet material cut into picture frame shapes. The exposed side of the magnetic surface may be coated with colors or designs to increase aesthetic appeal. However, the magnetic sheet material from which the frame shapes are cut is relatively fragile, leading to easy tearing.

Yet another known display device may be disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,126, issued to Enriquez (the '126 patent). The '126 patent is directed to a magnetic refrigerator organizer featuring overlapping display sleeves. Notes, photographs, business cards and the like may be inserted into the sleeves for organization and display. Similar to the frames disclosed in the '864 and '029 patents, inserting and extracting display articles requires the consumer to spend a considerable amount of time adjusting the device. Not all articles are visible at all times, which is disadvantageous.

Another known display device may be disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,465, issued to Dwyer et al. (the '465 patent). The '465 patent is directed to a method of displaying at least one article on a refrigerator, including a magnetically mounted display board, a display panel attached to the board, and a transparent layer for protecting displayed articles. Although display articles are easily attached to the display board, the display board relies on adhesive attachment of the display articles. Over time, the adhesives tend lose their stickiness, requiring frequent reapplication of potentially damaging adhesive to the display articles.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a lightweight display device having easily positionable means for holding articles of various size for display. Because the device of the present invention does not limit the size and shape of articles to be displayed, as prior art display devices do, a wide variety of irregular and oversized articles may be displayed. Such a device is easily removable from a support surface, yet remains firmly in place until intentionally moved.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A display device includes a frame having an open interior portion, at least one elongated support member, and a fastener or fastening means fixed to a back surface of the frame for mounting the frame on a support surface. The support member has first and second ends, which are fastened to opposite sides of the frame, and span the open interior of the frame. Each of the support member's ends is fastened to the frame, preferably to the back surface of the frame.

Preferably, the frame has three or more sides, but may be in any suitable shape, such as a square, rectangle, polygon, circle, oval and the like. The support members may be either horizontally or vertically oriented, and may be formed from wire (stretched or stiff), string, cord, monofilament, or suitable plastic, wood or metal rod.

In a preferred embodiment, the fastener is magnetic to permit attachment of the frame to a magnetically attractive support surface. For mounting on non-magnetically attractive support surfaces, the fastener may include, for example, non-magnetic means, such as releasable adhesives, hooks, screws, or any other suitable means. Preferably, the device includes at least one removable clip for holding display articles on the support members, positionable over a portion of the support member.

In an alternate embodiment, the display device may include a solid backing, such paper, plastic, cardboard and the like, that covers the open interior and a portion of the back surface of the frame. The backing may itself be magnetic, or may have at least one magnetic attachment means for mounting the frame to the magnetically attractive support surface.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention, together with the organization and manner of use thereof, will become apparent from the following description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the several views.

While the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, and will be described in detail. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but rather the invention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the display device according to one specific embodiment of the present invention, shown mounted on a refrigerator;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the display device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the display device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a back view of the display device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the display device of FIG. 1, showing a clip holding an article for display;

FIG. 6 is a back view of the display device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the clip shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, shown holding an article for display;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the clip shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, shown holding an article for display;

FIG. 9 is a back view of the clip shown in FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 10A-10C illustrate specific alternate embodiments of the display device;

FIG. 10D shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention, illustrating vertical orientation of support members;

FIG. 11 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the display device of the present invention, shown with a backing covering the open interior and back surface of the frame; and

FIG. 12 is a back view of the alternate embodiment of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, the present invention is directed to a display device 10. The device 10 includes a frame 12 having an open interior portion 14, at least one elongated support member 16 having two ends 18, and at least one fastener strip or attachment means 20. The frame 12 is illustrated as being rectangular, but may be formed in any suitable or aesthetically pleasing shape, such as a square, triangle, circle, oval, any polygon or even an irregular shape. Some of these alternate shapes are shown in FIGS. 10A-10C. Preferably, the frame 12 is made of a lightweight material, such as wood, plastic, or aluminum, but any suitable material may be used.

The support members 16 span the open interior portion 14 of the frame 12, preferably at approximately even intervals for aesthetic appeal. Each support member 16 has first and second ends 18, which are fastened to opposite sides of the frame. Preferably, the ends 18 are fastened to a back surface 26 of the frame 12 so as not to be visible from the front of the frame. The support members 16 may be fastened by any suitable fastener, for example by screws, nails, staples, pegs, chemical adhesive, or may be “looped” through appropriate apertures (not shown) in the frame. For frame shapes that incorporate opposing sides, such as rectangles, the ends 18 of the support members 16 may be fastened to opposing sides 28 of the frame 12. If the frame 12 is circular or oval in shape the support members 16 may form a chord perpendicular to and axis or diameter of the frame.

Although the illustrated embodiments show four support members 16, a greater or fewer number of support members may be used, depending on the shape and size of the frame 12. In addition, although the support members 16 are shown in FIGS. 1-6 as having a horizontal orientation, the support members 16 may also be vertically oriented, as illustrated in FIG. 10D. The support members 16 may be formed of wire stretched and fastened to the frame, or may be formed of stiff wire, metal rod, plastic rod, wooden rod, monofilament, and the like. Any suitable material and corresponding method of fastening may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The fastener strip or attachment means 20 is preferably formed of a magnetic strip of material affixed to the back surface 26 of the frame 12. As is known, such magnetic material is typically formed of a flexible material impregnated with magnetic material. The fastener strip 20 may be fixed to the back surface 26 of the frame 12 with adhesives, staples, nails, screws, or any other suitable means. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the fastener strip 20 is preferably magnetic, for securing the display device 10 to a magnetically attractive support surface 30 (FIG. 1), such as a refrigerator, file cabinet, or locker, or any other metal surface. Because the interior 14 of the frame 12 is open, the support surface 30 may be seen through the frame. Although FIGS. 3, 4, and 6 depict the attachment strip 20 as two magnetic strips extending along the entire length of opposing sides 28 of the frame 12, other types of magnetic fasteners may be employed, such as shorter magnetic strips, or individual magnets. The attachment strips 20 depicted in FIG. 3 are shown with an exaggerated thickness for purposes of clarity, and are not drawn to scale. Further, for non-magnetic support surfaces 30, the attachment means 20 may include releasable adhesives, hooks, screws, or any other suitable means of securing the display device 10 to a support surface.

In the specific embodiment of FIGS. 5-6, a clip 32 is shown removably positioned over a portion of the support member 16. As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the clip 32 includes front and back pieces 34, 36, each with curved top, bottom, right, and left edges 38, 40, 42, 44. The front and back portions 34, 36 are operatively coupled to one another with a post 46 inserted along the right and left sides 42, 44 of both pieces 34, 36. A circular spring 48 surrounds a portion of the post 46 located between the right and left sides 42, 44 of the front and back pieces 34, 36 of the clip 32.

In normal operation, the spring 48 maintains the bottom edges 40 of the front and back pieces 34, 36 of the clip 32 are in a closed state, abutting each other. When the top edges of the clip 32 are squeezed together, the bottom edges 40 separate permitting placement of an article 50 between the bottom edges. Accordingly, when the top edges 38 are released, the bottom edges 40 return to their closed state, now firmly grasping the article 50. The clip may releasably retain any article selected by the user, such as paper, photographs, notes, letters, documents, cloth, fabric, or any other suitable item typically having indicia thereon. Optional teeth 52 may be formed on inner surfaces 54 of the front and back pieces 34, 36 of the clip 32, for increased grasping security.

An upper portion 56 of the front piece 34 may include a ridged gripping portion 58 overhanging the top edge 38. The gripping portion 58 facilitates squeezing the top edges 38 of the front and back pieces 34, 36 together.

Substantially U-shaped hooks 60 also may be attached to the back piece 36 of the clip 32, as shown in FIGS. 8-9. The hooks 60 may removably secure the clip 32 to a portion of the support member 16. Although the hooks 60 are depicted as substantially U-shaped, they may be formed in any shape capable of securing the clip 32 to the support member 16. In addition to allowing the clip 32 to be removed entirely from the support member 16, the hooks permit the clip 32 slide along the support member to a desired position so that the article 50 may be displayed along the support member at any convenient or aesthetically pleasing position. The ease of removing and opening/closing the clip 32 provides consumers with a quick, simple means of switching between articles to be displayed. Any suitable clip may be used. For example, a spring-biased clothespin may be used to secure articles.

Use of the display device to display articles is straightforward (see FIGS. 5-6). An article 50 intended for display is inserted between the front and back pieces 34, 36 of the clip 32. The clip 32 then is positioned, via its hooks 60, on the support member 16. The clip 32 may be slid to a desired position along the support member 16 without removing the clip from the member. Alternately, the article 50 intended for display may be inserted between the front and back pieces 34, 36 of the one clip 32 while the clip remains positioned, via its hooks 60, on the support member 16. The user may easily change the articles for display by unclipping one article and re-clipping another it its place. Once clipped, articles 50 are free to overhang any of the sides 28 of the frame 12. Because the size of the article 50 displayed is not limited by the frame 12, a wide variety of articles may be displayed using the device of the present invention.

In a specific alternate embodiment shown in FIGS. 11-12, the display device 10 includes a solid backing 62, which covers the open interior 14 and part or all of the back surface 26 of the frame 12. The backing 62 may itself be magnetic, or may be made of stock paper, cardboard, plastic and the like. The backing 62 may be attached to the frame 12 using any suitable fastening method, such as for example, screws, nails, staples, hook and loop, and the like. In contrast to the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1-6, the backing in this specific embodiment hides the underlying support surface.

While the invention has been described in connection with certain embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.