Tile Holder and Methods of Use

Abstract

A tile holder and methods of its use are described. Embodiments of the tile holder are adapted to mounting to suitable objects and removably and replaceably receiving tiles and the like. Embodiments of the tile holder comprise a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shaped tile frame having a frame having a face plate having an aperture for exposing a face of the tile and the like, a back plate removably and releasably fastened to the frame and having a stud for mounting to a post having a receiving hole for receiving the stud of the back plate and locking the back plate to the post with a fastener, another fastener for fastening the post to a suitable object, and an optional escutcheon for optionally fastening the post to the escutcheon and the escutcheon to a wall or other suitable object.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A tile holder combination comprising:
 a tile frame including a face plate, a receptacle, and an aperture;   a back plate, the back plate residing at a back of the receptacle and the face plate residing at a front of the receptacle;   a decorative tile residing in the receptacle, a face of the decorative tile being viewable through the aperture;   a post fastened to the back plate and projecting horizontally therefrom; and   a wall, the tile holder being fastened to the wall.   
     
     
         2 . The tile holder combination of  claim 1 , wherein the back plate and the face plate are substantially parallel to each other. 
     
     
         3 . The tile holder combination of  claim 2 , wherein the decorative tile is readily removable from within the receptacle. 
     
     
         4 . The tile holder combination of  claim 3 , further comprising an escutcheon plate, the escutcheon plate being mounted on the wall and the post being fastened to the escutcheon plate. 
     
     
         5 . The tile holder combination of  claim 3 , wherein the back plate is removably fastened to the tile frame. 
     
     
         6 . The tile holder combination of  claim 5 , wherein the back plate is fastened to the tile frame by threaded fasteners extending through the back plate and into threaded holes disposed on the tile frame. 
     
     
         7 . The tile holder combination of  claim 6 , further comprising a threaded fastener coupling the back plate to the post. 
     
     
         8 . The tile holder combination of  claim 7 , wherein the post includes a cylindrical hole within which resides the threaded fastener. 
     
     
         9 . The tile holder combination of  claim 8 , further comprising a wall mounting plate fastened to the wall, wherein the escutcheon plate is fastened to the wall mounting plate. 
     
     
         10 . A tile holder combination comprising:
 a tile frame including a face plate, a receptacle, and an aperture;   a back plate, the back plate and the face plate being substantially parallel to each other and the back plate being removably fastened to the tile frame by threaded fasteners extending through the back plate and into threaded holes disposed on the tile frame;   a decorative tile residing in the receptacle, a face of the decorative tile being viewable through the aperture; and   a post fastened to the back plate and extending substantially perpendicular therefrom;   an escutcheon plate, the post being fastened to the escutcheon plate;   a wall, the tile holder being installed on the wall with the escutcheon plate being fastened to the wall and the post being substantially horizontal.