U.S. patent application number 10/368971 was filed with the patent office on 2004-08-19 for artificial tree and method.
Invention is credited to Butts, Kenneth E. JR..
Application Number | 20040161552 10/368971 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32850252 |
Filed Date | 2004-08-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040161552 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Butts, Kenneth E. JR. |
August 19, 2004 |
Artificial tree and method
Abstract
An artificial tree has a lightweight plastic base that may be
filled with water or sand to make it heavy enough to support the
tree in an outdoor environment without the use of guywires. A
sectional vertical support member permits the assembler to vary the
height of the assembled tree with ease. A light string is
alternately routed up and down between the base and the top of the
tree and around the base to give the assembled tree a conical shape
that simulates a decorated Christmas tree when lit.
Inventors: |
Butts, Kenneth E. JR.;
(Stevensville, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAW OFFICE OF LAWRENCE E LAUBSCHER, JR
1160 SPA RD
SUITE 2B
ANNAPOLIS
MD
21403
US
|
Family ID: |
32850252 |
Appl. No.: |
10/368971 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/12 ;
428/18 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 33/06 20130101;
A41G 1/007 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/012 ;
428/018 |
International
Class: |
A45F 003/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An artificial tree, comprising (a) a base of generally
cylindrical shape having a top, a bottom, and a substantially
hollow interior, the top having a port for permitting access to the
interior, and a center; (b) a vertical support member extending
upwardly from the center of said base; (c) a circular cap connected
with an upper end of said support member; and (d) at least one
light string segment extending between the circumference of said
base and said cap.
2. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the top of said base
includes a lip extending outwardly from the circumference of said
base, said lip having a plurality of vertical slots for receiving
the light string segments.
3. The artificial tree of claim 2, wherein said vertical slots have
an elongated inner section defining a generally T-shape.
4. The artificial tree of claim 3, wherein said at least one light
string extends upwardly from an origination point at a first slot
to said cap and downwardly to a second slot, then under said lip to
a third, adjacent slot, then upwardly to said cap and downwardly to
a fourth slot, then repeating sequentially and in order to each
adjacent slot until said string extends downwardly to a termination
point at the last slot adjacent said first slot.
5. The artificial tree of claim 4, wherein said light string is
secured to said base at the origination and termination points.
6. The artificial tree of claim 5, wherein said light string is
secured to said base at the origination and termination points by
an elastic band stretched between two adjacent slots.
7. The artificial tree of claim 6, and further comprising a
tensioning apparatus on said light string adjacent the termination
point.
8. The artificial tree of claim 2, wherein said vertical support
member includes a plurality of sections of substantially equal
length.
9. The artificial tree of claim 8, wherein the number of support
member sections determines the height of the tree.
10. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein said base further
comprises a socket at the center of the top for receiving said
vertical support member.
11. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein said base further
contains a plurality of generally cylindrical openings extending
downwardly through the base from top to bottom, whereby a stake may
be driven through said base openings and into the ground.
12. A structural frame for an artificial tree, comprising (a) a
base of generally cylindrical shape having a top, a bottom, and a
substantially hollow interior, the top having a port for permitting
access to the interior, and a center; (b) a vertical support member
extending upwardly from the center of said base; and (c) a circular
cap connected with an upper end of said support member.
13. A method of constructing an artificial tree, comprising the
steps of (a) securing a vertical support member to a base; (b)
connecting a cap with an upper end of the vertical support member;
(c) connecting a first end of at least one light string to a first
slot and extending the light string upwardly to the cap and
downwardly to a second slot; (d) routing the string under the lip
to an adjacent third slot; (e) extending the string upwardly to the
cap and downwardly back to a fourth slot in said base; and (f)
repeating steps (d) and (e) until the string extends downwardly to
the last slot adjacent to the first slot.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of artificial
trees and especially artificial Christmas trees.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] Artificial Christmas trees have great popularity for a
number of significant reasons, including low cost, reusability, and
ease of assembly, disassembly and storage. Many types of artificial
Christmas trees are well known in the prior art. One class of
artificial Christmas tree design is constructed to simulate the
appearance of a natural tree. An example of such a tree is
illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,032 to Kaczor et al., in which
branches simulating the branches of a real tree are inserted into a
vertical support. Other prior art artificial Christmas trees use
lights to outline the generally conical shape of a natural tree
without attempting to simulate the appearance of the tree itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,893 to Snider illustrates an example of this
type of tree, which is most effectively viewed at night and from a
distance.
[0003] Trees of the latter type are commonly used in outdoor
settings where wind and other forces make stability a particular
concern. Such artificial trees routinely employ elaborate guywire
systems with large numbers of wires of precise length and multiple
stakes to steady the tree and hold it upright. In addition to
complicating the assembly and disassembly process, the elaborate
guying system usually employs a large number of parts that may be
lost, and thus diminish the reusability of the tree.
[0004] It is desirable to have an artificial Christmas tree that
presents an attractive appearance in an outdoor setting when
lighted and which is easily assembled from lightweight materials,
yet which is strong and stable enough to withstand wind and other
forces without complicated guying systems. It is even more
desirable for such a tree to be variable in height to provide
greater flexibility in decorating a scene.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides an improved artificial tree
that overcomes the above-identified disadvantages of the prior. In
particular, an artificial tree is provided that may be
incrementally adjusted in height and is stable under outdoor
conditions without the use of guywires. A base and cap provide
protrusions between which a light string may be secured alternately
from base to cap. A vertical support member extends from the base
and supports the cap above the ground, the vertical support member
having a number of sections that may be increased or decreased
according to the desired height of the tree. Each light string has
a female electrical plug at one end and a male plug at the other to
permit multiple strings of light to be connected together in a
conventional manner. An artificial tree as described is easy to
assemble and disassemble, lightweight and compact for easy storage,
and is strong enough when assembled to be usable outdoors as well
as indoors. A method for assembling a tree as described above is
also provided.
[0006] An artificial tree according to the invention includes a
base of generally cylindrical shape having a top, a bottom, and a
substantially hollow interior, the top having a port for permitting
access to the interior, and a center. A vertical support member
extends upwardly from the center of the base, and a circular cap is
positioned atop the support member. A plurality of light string
segments extend between the circumference of the base and the
cap.
[0007] A structural frame for an artificial tree includes a base of
generally cylindrical shape having a top, a bottom, and a
substantially hollow interior. The top has a port for permitting
access to the interior and a center. A vertical support member
extends upwardly from the center of the base. A circular cap is
positioned atop the support member.
[0008] A method of constructing an artificial tree includes the
steps of securing a vertical support member to a base, affixing a
cap to the top of the vertical support member, affixing a first end
of a light string to a first slot and extending the light string
upwardly to the cap and downwardly to the first slot, routing the
string under the lip to the adjacent slot, and repeatedly extending
the string upwardly to the cap and downwardly back to the same slot
until the string extends downwardly to the last slot adjacent to
the first slot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Other objects and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in
light of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a partially assembled
artificial tree according to the invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an exploded elevation view of the base, support
and cap of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a top view of the base according to the
invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 if a top view of the cap according to the
invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a detail view of a string of lights ready to be
secured to the base of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a portion of the base of
FIGS. 1 and 3; and
[0016] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a stake for securing the
base of FIGS. 1 and 3 to the ground.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, an artificial tree such as a Christmas
tree 12 includes a base 14 having a generally cylindrical shape, a
sectional support member 16, and a cap 18. The sectional support
member 16 is secured to the center of the base 14 and extends
vertically above the base 14. The cap 18 is positioned atop and
secured to the support member 16. The length of support member 16
determines the height of the fully assembled tree. A decorative
light string 20 runs alternately between and the base and the cap
as will be described in greater detail below. Three holes 22 are
positioned approximately equidistantly and extend through the base
14, in order to provide a way to secure the base to the ground with
stakes, as described in more detail below. The base 14 is
preferably hollow, to permit insertion of sand, water, or a similar
heavy material, thereby weighting the base to provide further
support and resistance to tipping of the tree from wind or other
forces. A port 58 permits access to the hollow interior for the
insertion of the weighting material. Addition of such material will
reduce the likelihood of the tree being blown over by wind or
knocked over by other forces.
[0018] FIG. 2 provides a more detailed view of the base 14, support
member 16, and cap 18 prior to assembly. In the illustrated
embodiment, a threaded socket 24 is provided on the top and at the
center of the base 14. A first section 16a of support member 16 has
a threaded lower end 26 that may be screwed into the threaded
socket 24 in the base 14. The upper end of section 16a has a
threaded socket 28. A second section 16b of the support member is
constructed identically to section 16a and has a threaded lower end
30 and a threaded socket 32 at its upper end. Additional sections
may be added to further increase the length of the section 16 and
thereby increase the overall height of the assembled tree. By
varying the number of sections, the height of the tree may be
easily adjusted to create a pleasing effect for the location at
which it is erected. A cap 18 includes a threaded protrusion 34
that is screwed into the threaded socket 32 of section 16b or the
topmost section if additional sections are present. In a preferred
embodiment, each section 16a, 16b, etc. is approximately 2 feet
long. The addition of additional sections permits assembly of a
tree that varies in height, e.g., 4', 6', 8', or taller at the
discretion of the assembler.
[0019] It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the use of
threads to make the described connections is but one of many
well-known methods that may be used. For example, the lower support
member 16a may be inserted directly into a hole in the base and the
cap protrusion 34 may be inserted directly into an unthreaded
socket 32 of support member 16b. By manufacturing the pieces to
close tolerances, they can be made to fit tightly to make a wedge
connection more secure. Similarly, adjacent sections of the support
member 16 may be connected by constructing them of two diameters, a
portion of the member having a smaller diameter being designed to
fit securely into a portion of the adjacent member having a larger
diameter.
[0020] Bases 14 of different diameters may be provided depending on
the desired height of the tree. A base of around 3 feet in diameter
for example is suitable for an 8 foot tree.
[0021] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, the base 14 is preferably
constructed of a strong but lightweight material such as synthetic
ABS plastic, and has a top 35 and a bottom 37. A plurality of slots
36 are equally spaced around the circumference of the base. Each
slot extends vertically downwardly from the top 35 of the base 14
through a lip 38 that extends outwardly from the circumference of
the base. Within each slot 36 is an elongated section 40 that makes
the interior of slot 36 wider than its exterior and has a generally
T-shape. As is explained more fully below, the slots 36 receive
light string segments 22 that extend between the circumference of
the base and the cap.
[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a cap 18
having a plurality of indented segments 44 around its periphery.
Between each indented segment 44 is a protruding segment 46 having
an upwardly extending lip 48.
[0023] Light string segments 20 may each be a separate light
string, but in a preferred embodiment, each segment will be a part
of a single light string. The single string may be a plurality of
conventional Christmas tree light strings connected in series. In a
preferred embodiment, a single light string is connected to the
base at an arbitrary first slot 36b (FIG. 3) that, for purposes of
description, will be called the origination point. The string then
extends upwardly to the cap and loops downwardly back to the next
slot 36c. The string continues under the lip 38 to the next slot
36d and then upwardly to the cap. The light string again loops over
the cap and downwardly to slot 36e. The light string continues in
this manner around the circumference of base 14 until it reaches a
termination point when it reaches slot 36a after extending downward
from cap 18.
[0024] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate how the light string is secured to
the base at slots 36a and 36b. An elastic band 50 has two loops 52a
and 52b. The band 50 is constructed to fit securely between the two
adjacent slots 36a and 36b of base 14. Only one band 50 is required
for tree assembly. A first hook 54a, or similar attachment device,
connects one end of the light string 20 to the loop 52a. A rubber
sleeve 56 is preferably installed on light string 20 and has a hook
54b which is attached to loop 52b. Pulling the light string 20
through the sleeve when it is hooked to the loop 52b tensions the
string.
[0025] The method of assembling the artificial tree begins by
screwing a first sectional support member 16a into socket 24 of
base 14. A second (and third, fourth, etc.) sectional support
member is screwed together with the first member depending upon the
desired height of the finished tree. For example, three two-foot
sectional support members would be screwed together for a six foot
tree and four sectional support members would be screwed together
for an eight foot tree. The cap 18 is screwed onto the topmost
sectional support member to complete the basic support structure of
the tree. The lights string is then attached to the base and
support as set forth above to define the shape of the tree.
[0026] Christmas light strings are well known in the art and a wide
variety of colors, sizes and models may be used advantageously with
the support structure described above. Such strings come in varying
lengths and may be connected end-to-end to make longer strings.
Assembly of the tree does not require a specific length of light
string, and the length selected need not be predetermined according
to the height of the tree.
[0027] While the preferred forms and embodiments of the invention
have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those
of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications
may be made without deviating from the inventive concepts set forth
above.
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