Picture frame mat made by injection-molding process

Abstract

A picture frame mat made by the process of injection molding a molten material into a prepared mold, allowing the material to cool and ejecting the resultant mat. The molten material may be selected from the group consisting of plastic, glass, ceramic, liquid metal, powdered metal and combinations thereof. A secondary step in manufacturing the mat involves modifying a surface portion of the mat. This step is selected from the group consisting of a) plating said surface portion, b) adding a surface modifier to a mold cavity prior to injecting said material, and c) coating said surface portion with said surface modifier. The surface modifier added to the mold cavity consists of graphics carried by a Mylar® sheet. The plating step is preferably electroplating using copper, brass, pewter, antique versions of those three, gold, or statuary finishes. The coating step would comprise the addition of paint to areas of the treated surface portion.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A picture frame mat made by the process of injection molding.  
     
     
         2 . The picture frame mat made by the process of  claim 1  wherein said picture frame mat is made by injecting a molten material selected from a group consisting of plastic, glass, ceramic, liquid metal, powdered metal, and combinations thereof into a mold, allowing the mat to cool setting up, and ejecting said picture frame mat from the mold.  
     
     
         3 . The picture frame mat made by the process of  claim 2  including an additional step of modifying a surface portion of said picture frame mat selected from the group consisting of a) plating said surface portion, b) adding a surface modifier to a mold cavity prior to injecting said material, and c) coating said surface portion with said surface modifier.  
     
     
         4 . The picture frame mat made by the process of  claim 3  wherein said modifying step comprises electroplating said surface portion with a metal to give said picture frame mat surface portion the appearance of being made of a material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, bronze, pewter, antique copper, antiqued bronze, and antiqued pewter and statuary finishes.  
     
     
         5 . The picture frame mat made by the process of  claim 3  wherein said modifying step comprises placing a graphics laden carrier sheet in a mold cavity prior injecting said material whereby said material picks up said graphics from said carrier sheet as it sets.  
     
     
         6 . The picture frame mat made by the process of  claim 1  additionally comprising an element which may be secured to an outermost surface of a completed framed article.  
     
     
         7 . The picture frame mat made by the process of  claim 1  wherein said picture frame mat has an upper surface with variable height.