Corner piece for a frame

Abstract

The present invention relates to corner pieces which are incorporated in a frame for securing and displaying a work of art. The corner piece is adapted to be disposed between adjacent frame members thereby allowing a frame builder to adjust the dimensional allowance of the frame opening once the frame members are cut. The corner piece includes a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, and a lip portion. The upper surface of the corner piece substantially corresponds to the configuration of the adjacently disposed frame members. The lip portion of the corner piece is adapted to overlay a portion of the work of art disposed within the confines of the frame. The corner piece may be provided with one or more slots disposed in the lower surface of the body member adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between the adjacently disposed frame members of the frame.

1 . A corner piece for a frame, the corner piece comprising: 
 a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, and a lip portion, wherein 
 the upper surface of the body member extending between the first end and the second end and substantially corresponding to the configuration of a decorative moulding surface of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, and  
 the lip portion is formed in the first end of the body member so as to extend inwardly a distance sufficient to permit the lip portion of the body member to overlay a portion of the corner of a frameable object.  
   
     
     
         2 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the body member is provided with at least one slot disposed therein, the at least one slot adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members of the frame.  
     
     
         3 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 1 , wherein the body member of the corner piece is further characterized as having a first side and a second side and wherein the frame is provided with a plurality of adjacently disposed frame members, a first frame member having a first end portion adapted to abut the first side of the body member of the corner piece, and a second frame member having a second end portion adapted to abut the second side of the body member of the corner piece such that the body member of the corner piece is disposed between the first frame member and the second frame member.  
     
     
         4 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 1 , wherein the length between the first end and the second end of the body member is greater than the cross-sectional width of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame by a factor of about the square root of two.  
     
     
         5 . A corner piece for a frame, wherein the frame includes a plurality of frame members, each frame member having a first end portion and a second end portion, and wherein the corner piece comprises: 
 a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, and a lip portion, wherein the lip portion is formed in the first end of the body member so as to extend inwardly a distance sufficient to permit the lip portion of the body member to overlay a portion of the corner of a frameable object, and wherein the first side and the second side of the body member are adapted to abut the first end portion and the second end portion of adjacently disposed frame members such that the body member of the corner piece is adjacently disposed between the frame members.    
     
     
         6 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 5 , wherein the lower surface of the body member is provided with at least one slot disposed therein, the at least one slot adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members of the frame.  
     
     
         7 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 5 , wherein the length between the first end and the second end of the body member is greater than the cross-sectional width of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame by a factor of about the square root of two.  
     
     
         8 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 5 , wherein the first side and the second side of the body member are substantially parallel to one another.  
     
     
         9 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 5 , wherein the first side and the second side of the body member are substantially planar.  
     
     
         10 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 5 , wherein the corner piece is provided with a decorative finish different from a decorative finish of the adjacently disposed frame members.  
     
     
         11 . A corner piece for a frame, the corner piece comprising: 
 a first member and a second member, wherein 
 the first member includes a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, and a lip portion, and wherein the upper surface of the body member of the first member substantially corresponds to the configuration of a decorative moulding surface of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, the lower surface of the body member of the first member is provided with at least one angularly disposed slot disposed therein, the at least one angularly disposed slot being adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, and  
 the lip portion is formed in the first end of the body member of the first member so as to extend inwardly a distance sufficient to permit the lip portion of the body member of the first member to overlay a portion of the corner of a frameable object,  
 the second member includes a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, and a lip portion, and wherein the upper surface of the body member of the second member substantially corresponds to the configuration of the decorative moulding surface of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, the lower surface of the body member of the second member is provided with at least one angularly disposed slot disposed therein, the at least one angularly disposed slot being adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, and  
 the lip portion is formed in the first end of the body member of the second member so as to extend inwardly a distance sufficient to permit the lip portion of the body member of the second member to overlay a portion of the corner of the frameable object.  
   
     
     
         12 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 11 , wherein the length between the first end and the second end of the body member of the first member and the length between the first end and the second end of the body member of the second member is greater than the cross-sectional width of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame by a factor of about the square root of two.  
     
     
         13 . A corner piece for a frame, wherein the frame includes a plurality of frame members, each frame member having a first end portion and a second end portion, and wherein the corner piece comprises: 
 a first member and a second member, wherein 
 the first member includes a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, and a lip portion, wherein the lip portion is formed in the first end of the body member of the first member so as to extend inwardly a distance sufficient to permit the lip portion of the body member of the first member to overlay a portion of the corner of a frameable object,  
 the second member includes a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, and a lip portion, wherein the lip portion is formed in the first end of the body member of the second member so as to extend inwardly a distance sufficient to permit the lip portion of the body member of the second member to overlay a portion of the corner of the frameable object, and  
 the first side of the body member of the first member being adapted to abut the first end portion of adjacently disposed frame member and the second side of the body member of the first member being adapted to abut the first side of the body member of the second member, and  
 the second side of the body member of the second member being adapted to abut the second end portion of adjacently disposed frame member and the first side of the body member of the second member being adapted to abut the second side of the body member of the first member.  
   
     
     
         14 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 13 , wherein the lower surface of the body member of the first member is provided with at least one angularly disposed slot disposed therein, the at least one angularly disposed slot being adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, and wherein the lower surface of the body member of the second member is provided with at least one angularly disposed slot disposed therein, the at least one angularly disposed slot being adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members of the frame.  
     
     
         15 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 13 , wherein the length between the first end and the second end of the body member of the first member and the length between the first end and the second end of the body member of the second member is greater than the cross-sectional width of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame by a factor of about the square root of two.  
     
     
         16 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 13 , wherein the first side and the second side of the body member of the first member are substantially parallel to one another, and wherein the first side and the second side of the body member of the second member are substantially parallel to one another.  
     
     
         17 . The corner piece for the frame of  claim 13 , wherein the corner piece is provided with a decorative finish different from a decorative finish of the adjacently disposed frame members.  
     
     
         18 . A frame for securing a frameable object, the frame comprising: 
 a plurality of adjacently disposed frame members, each frame member having a decorative moulding surface, a bottom surface, a first end portion, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion,    a corner piece disposed between adjacently disposed frame members, each corner piece comprising: 
 a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, a lip portion, a first side, and a second side, wherein the upper surface of the body member corresponding to the configuration of the decorative moulding surface of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, the lower surface of the body member having at least one slot disposed therein, the at least one slot being adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members of the frame,  
 the lip portion is formed in the first end of the body member so as to extend inwardly a distance sufficient to permit the lip portion of the body member to overlay a portion of the corner of the frameable object, and wherein  
 the body member of the corner piece being disposed adjacent the first end portion of an adjacently disposed first frame member and the second end portion of an adjacently disposed second frame member,  
   the connector disposed within the at least one slot of the body member of the corner piece so as to extend inwardly into the adjacently disposed first frame member and the adjacently disposed second frame member.    
     
     
         19 . The frame of  claim 7  wherein the corner piece is further characterized as having a length between the first end and the second end of the body member greater than the cross-sectional width of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame by a factor of about the square root of two.  
     
     
         20 . A method for assembling a frame utilizing a corner piece, the frame securing a frameable object within the confines thereof, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of frame members, each frame member having a decorative moulding surface, a bottom surface, a first end portion, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion,    providing a plurality of corner pieces, wherein one of the corner pieces is disposable between adjacently disposed frame members, each corner piece comprising: 
 a body member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, and a lip portion, and wherein the upper surface of the body member corresponding to the configuration of the decorative moulding surface of adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, the lower surface of the body member having at least one slot disposed therein, the at least one slot being adapted to receive a connector for stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members of the frame, the lip portion is formed in the first end of the body member so as to extend inwardly a distance sufficient to permit the lip portion of the body member to overlay a portion of the corner of the frameable object,  
   disposing the first end portion of one of the frame members adjacent the first side of the body member of the corner piece,    disposing the second end portion of one of the frame members adjacent the second side of the body member of the corner piece,    stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members by inserting a connector in at least one slot of the body member of the corner piece,    positioning the frameable object within the frame such that the lip portion of the body member of the corner piece overlays a portion of the corner of the frameable object,    securing the frameable object within the confines of the frame.    
     
     
         21 . The method for assembling the frame of  claim 20 , wherein the step of stabilizing the corner piece between adjacently disposed frame members further includes providing an adhesive on at least one of the first side and the second side of the body member of the corner piece.