Picture frame stand

Abstract

A picture frame stand has a bracket ( 10 ) for mounting to the rear of a picture frame or to a panel at the rear of a frame. A support ( 12 ) is mounted pivotally to the bracket ( 10 ) by a cylindrical bar ( 16 ) received in a channel ( 33 ). The surface of the cylindrical bar is smooth and the channel ( 33 ) is a part-cylindrical section of the bracket ( 10 ) whose surface also is smooth, but with an inherent radial springiness to grip the smooth bar sufficiently to hold a selected angular position between the bracket and support. However, the frictional grip can be overcome by manually so that the angular disposition of the bracket and support can be adjusted. The channel ( 33 ) is defined so that the mouth of the part-cylindrical channel will face towards the rear panel or picture frame.

1 . A picture frame stand comprising:
 a bracket made of springy material and having a first portion defining a generally u-sectioned clip part adapted to be clipped onto a panel at the rear of a picture frame, or to the rear of the picture frame itself, and a second portion which is curved to define a channel part of part-circular section, and   an elongate support member pivotally coupled to the bracket by means of a cylindrical bar section adjacent one end of the support member which is received within the channel part of the bracket such that the bar is frictionally gripped within the channel sufficiently to normally hold a selected angular position between the bracket and support member but whose frictional grip on the bar can be overcome by manually applied force to the support member to enable the relative angular disposition of the bracket and support member to be adjusted over a continuous range, the channel part being defined by the bracket with its mouth facing towards the clip part such that when the bracket is operationally mounted to a rear panel of a picture frame, or to the picture frame itself, the mouth of the part-circular channel faces towards said rear panel or picture frame.   
   
   
       2 . The picture frame stand of  claim 1 , wherein there are two channels of part-cylindrical section on the bracket which receive respective opposite end sections of the bar. 
   
   
       3 . The picture frame stand of  claim 1 , wherein there is a single channel of part-cylindrical section on the bracket which receives said cylindrical section of the bar. 
   
   
       4 . The picture frame stand of  claim 1 , wherein the support member comprises an elongate leg having said bar at its one end. 
   
   
       5 . A picture frame stand comprising:
 a bracket made of springy material and having a first portion defining a generally u-sectioned clip part adapted to be clipped onto a panel at the rear of a picture frame, or to the rear of the picture frame itself, and a second portion which is curved to define a channel part of part-circular section, and   an elongate support member pivotally coupled to the bracket by means of a cylindrical bar section adjacent one end of the support member which is received within the channel part of the bracket such that the bar is frictionally gripped within the channel sufficiently to normally hold a selected angular position between the bracket and support member but whose frictional grip on the bar can be overcome by manually applied force to the support member to enable the relative angular disposition of the bracket and support member to be adjusted over a continuous range, wherein the curved portion of the bracket defining the channel part of part-circular section is oriented relative to the clip section of the bracket such that when the support member is pivoted relative to the bracket in the rotary direction which causes the vertical angle between a picture frame or picture frame panel mounted to the bracket to be increased, frictional drag between the bar and the channel part causes the curvature of the part-circular channel to decrease and reduce the grip on the bar but when the support member is pivoted relative to the bracket in the opposite rotary direction to cause the vertical angle between a picture frame or picture frame panel mounted to the bracket to be reduced, frictional drag between the bar and the channel causes an increase in the curvature of the part-circular channel to result in an increase in its grip on the bar, thereby providing increased resistance to relative pivoting of the bracket and the support in said opposite direction.   
   
   
       6 . The picture frame stand of  claim 5 , wherein there are two channels of part-cylindrical section on the bracket which receive respective opposite end sections of the bar. 
   
   
       7 . The picture frame stand of  claim 5 , wherein there is a single channel of part-cylindrical section on the bracket which receives said cylindrical section of the bar. 
   
   
       8 . The picture frame stand of  claim 7 , wherein the support member comprises an elongate leg having said bar at its one end. 
   
   
       9 . The picture frame stand of  claim 8 , wherein the bar is formed integrally with the leg. 
   
   
       10 . The picture frame stand of  claim 8 , wherein the leg is curved adjacent its end opposite the bar to provide a smoothly curved portion for engaging a support surface. 
   
   
       11 . The picture frame stand of  claim 10 , wherein a generally u-shaped body of the bracket comprises a front panel connected by a coupling portion to one or more rearwardly inclined rear flaps to form a recess for receiving a back panel of a picture frame, or the picture frame itself. 
   
   
       12 . The picture frame stand of  claim 11 , wherein the front panel contains one or more flaps which are inclined rearwardly towards the rear flap or flaps, the springy material of the bracket causing a back panel of a picture frame, or the picture frame itself, inserted into the recess to be positively gripped between the opposed front and rear flaps. 
   
   
       13 . The picture frame stand of  claim 11 , wherein the front panel includes a lower straight portion extending substantially perpendicularly to said coupling portion and an upper, outwardly curved portion coupled to the part-cylindrical channel section. 
   
   
       14 . The picture frame stand of  claim 13 , wherein the outwardly curved portion of the bracket contains an aperture or recess for acting as a hanger receiving location to enable the picture frame to be suspended from a hanger, such as a hook, when the picture frame stand is mounted to the top of the picture frame. 
   
   
       15 . The picture frame stand of  claim 11 , wherein the free ends of the rear flaps are inclined outwardly to form a lead-in mouth which facilitates slipping the bracket recess over the back panel of the frame or over the frame itself. 
   
   
       16 . The picture frame stand of  claim 11 , wherein the part-cylindrical channel section of the bracket is connected to said front panel by way of a portion extending substantially perpendicularly to said front panel. 
   
   
       17 . The picture frame stand of  claim 16 , which contains an aperture in the bracket, a first portion of which lies in said front panel and second portion of which lies in said portion extending substantially perpendicularly to said front panel. 
   
   
       18 . The picture frame stand  claim 17 , wherein said first portion of the aperture is substantially half-moon shaped. 
   
   
       19 . The picture frame stand of  claim 17 , wherein said second portion of the aperture is of substantially rectangular shape. 
   
   
       20 . The picture frame stand of  claim 5 , wherein the channel is disposed on the bracket such that when the stand is in use to support a picture frame, a portion of the circumferential periphery of the bar lies in frictional contact with said picture frame panel or picture frame itself.