U.S. patent application number 12/493874 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-30 for decorative article support.
Invention is credited to Paul McNamara.
Application Number | 20100326996 12/493874 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43379600 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-30 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20100326996 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McNamara; Paul |
December 30, 2010 |
Decorative Article Support
Abstract
A decorative article support device which can be attached to a
container or container lid. The device includes a chassis, a mount
with a receptacle for displaying a decorative or other article and
flexible legs attached to the chassis. The flexible legs enable the
support device to be detachably attached to the container or
container lid. In one embodiment, the flexible legs have an
extensible part which enables the support device to be attached to
containers of varying sizes. Decorative or other articles, such as
small balloons, may be engaged with the receptacle on the
chassis.
Inventors: |
McNamara; Paul;
(Northamppton, MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CLIFFORD H. KRAFT
320 ROBIN HILL DR.
NAPERVILLE
IL
60540
US
|
Family ID: |
43379600 |
Appl. No.: |
12/493874 |
Filed: |
June 29, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/694 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 51/245 20130101;
B65D 25/20 20130101; B65D 2203/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/694 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/00 20060101
B65D025/00 |
Claims
1. A device which can be attached to a container or container lid,
said device comprising: a) a chassis which can support a decorative
or other article; and b) flexible legs attached to the chassis
which enable the device to be detachably attached to the container
or container lid.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the chassis has at least one mount
to which a decorative or other article can be attached.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the at least one mount has a
receptacle in which a decorative or other article can be placed or
attached.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the flexible legs are designed
with an inward bend to facilitate a secure grip on an indented
narrower portion of the container or container lid.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the distal ends of the flexible
legs are shaped such that they securely grip an indented narrower
portion of the container or container lid, wherein the shape of
said distal ends may include a spherical, semi-spherical, oval or
other shape.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the flexible legs have an
extensible part which enables the device to be attached to
containers or container lids of varying diameters.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the extensible part of the
flexible leg uses a sliding, swing-out, or attachment-based
mechanism.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the flexible legs are made of
metal, wood, plastic or any other flexible material.
9. A device which can be attached to a container or container lid,
said device comprising: a) a chassis having at least one mount for
supporting a decorative or other article; and b) flexible legs
attached to the chassis which enable the device to be detachably
attached to the container or container lid, said flexible legs
being designed with an inward bend.
10. A device which can be attached to a container or container lid,
said device comprising: a) a chassis; b) on the chassis, at least
one mount having a receptacle in which a decorative or other
article can be placed or attached; and c) flexible legs attached to
the chassis which enable the device to be detachably attached to
the container or container lid, said flexible legs being designed
with an inward bend and distal ends of said flexible legs being
shaped such that they securely grip an indented narrower portion of
the container or container lid, wherein the shape of said distal
ends may include a spherical, semi-spherical, oval or other
shape.
11. A device which can be attached to a container or container lid,
said device comprising: a) a chassis; b) on the chassis, at least
one mount having a receptacle in which a decorative or other
article can be placed or attached; and c) flexible legs attached to
the chassis which enable the device to be detachably attached to
the container or container lid, wherein: i) the flexible legs are
designed with an inward bend, ii) distal ends of the flexible legs
are shaped such that they securely grip an indented narrower
portion of the container or container lid, wherein the shape of
said distal ends may include a spherical, semi-spherical, oval or
other shape, and iii) the flexible legs have an extensible part.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a detachable device for
enabling display of decorative items on jars, bottles and other
containers. Specifically, the device has flexible legs which snap
on to the containers or their lids and a receptacle to which
decorative items can be attached.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Candles in glass containers are common and come in a variety
of sizes. A variety of decorative lids have been developed,
especially for containerized or apothecary jars. Decorative lids
have been developed that replace the standard lid that accompanies
the apothecary jar style container. Decorative lids come in a
variety of styles to fit seasons or holidays. Apart from apothecary
jars, decorative lids can be used with other jars, bottles and
containers. Personalizing the decorative lids is difficult since
the process may involve casting resin, permanently attaching a
decoration or other inconvenient procedures. Consequently, a device
that can be attached to a container or container lid with a
snap-fit and support an inexpensive decorative item would be
advantageous.
[0005] There has been substantial research and experimentation in
various mechanical designs for the integration of decorative
articles with the lid of a container.
[0006] U.S. Publication No. 2005/0277076 relates to a venting
chassis and includes a radial turbine and a ceramic base and
elevated ornamentation platform. The ornamentation platform has a
flat top, upon which the ornamentation is mounted and a plurality
of legs, which support the platform above the base. However, it has
multiple components with intricate design.
[0007] Japanese Application No. JP2002158976 relates to a display
rack for bottle caps that fit on tops of pet bottles, which can be
conformed to every series of bottle caps, and a base seat piece and
connector therefor, which are economically mass-producible.
However, this is designed for tops of pet bottles.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,902 relates to a container assembly for
three dimensional premium item mounted removably to a beverage cup
for handling as a single unit which has a clear, plastic cover
member, and first and second base members. However, it has multiple
components designed for beverage cup lids and does not have legs
for attaching to any container or lid.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,384 discloses a venting plate for an
apothecary jar candle which includes a ceramic venting chassis and
a decorative three dimensional ornamentation bonded to the chassis.
However, the decorative ornamentation is not detachable.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,336 relates to a shade structure for a
candle, and in particular, the shade structure comprising a
container body for containing a candle, a shade body with a center
air hole and detachably mounted onto the circumferential edge of
the container body, and a covering plate having a center hole
aligned with the center air hole of the shade body. However, it is
not designed to flexibly attach different decorative articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to
provide a simple, flexible and inexpensive device which enables
display of decorative or other articles on jars, bottles and other
containers.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
device for displaying decorative or other items which can be
conveniently attached to and detached from any container or
container lid.
[0013] One more object of the present invention is to provide a
device for displaying decorative or other items which has flexible
legs which securely grip a container or container lid.
[0014] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
device for displaying decorative or other items which can be
attached to containers or container lids of varying sizes.
[0015] The decorative article support device, as per this
invention, can be attached to a container or container lid and
includes:
[0016] a) a chassis which can support a decorative or other
article,
[0017] b) flexible legs attached to the chassis which enable the
device to be detachably attached to the container or container
lid,
[0018] c) at least one mount, on the chassis, to which a decorative
or other article can be attached,
[0019] d) a receptacle in the at least one mount in which a
decorative or other article can be placed or attached,
[0020] e) the flexible legs (as in (b) above) designed with an
inward bend to facilitate a secure grip on an indented narrower
portion of the container or container lid,
[0021] f) the flexible legs (as in (b) above) having distal ends
shaped such that they securely grip an indented narrower portion of
the container or container lid, wherein the shape of said distal
ends may include a spherical, semi-spherical, oval or other
shape,
[0022] g) the flexible legs (as in (b) above) having an extensible
part which enables the device to be attached to containers or
container lids of varying diameters, wherein the extensible part
uses a sliding, swing-out, or attachment-based mechanism, and
[0023] h) the flexible legs (as in (b) above) are made of metal,
wood, plastic or any other flexible material.
[0024] One of the advantages of the present invention is that the
flexible legs allow the user to add a decorative element directly
to the lid. The original container and lid are intact and the
decorative element is secured to the complete intact unit and does
not require removing the lid. This is in contrast to some of the
known related art which involve adding the decorative element to
the top of a jar. However, in order to effect such decoration the
cover that comes with the jar has to be removed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] Understanding of the present invention and the various
aspects thereof will be facilitated by reference to the
accompanying drawing figures, provided for purposes of illustration
only and not intended to define the scope of the invention, of
which:
[0026] FIG. 1 is a three quarter perspective, view of the present
invention as engaged with a standard apothecary jar candle lid and
engaged with a decorative element;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a three-quarter perspective, exploded view of a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 3 is a three-quarter perspective, view of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a three-quarter perspective, bottom view of a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] FIGS. 5A & 5B illustrate how the same support device of
the present invention can be attached to a wide jar or a narrow jar
by extending/retracting an extensible part of the flexible
legs;
[0031] FIGS. 6A to 6C illustrate a sliding/telescopic mechanism for
extending/retracting the extensible part of the flexible legs;
[0032] FIGS. 7A & 7B illustrate a swing-out mechanism for
extending/retracting the extensible part of the flexible legs;
and
[0033] FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate an attachment mechanism for
extending/retracting the flexible legs.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0034] In this specification, a chassis means a supporting frame of
a structure to which other components are attached. A mount means a
support or stand on which something can be fixed or attached. The
term container covers bottles, jars and other containers.
[0035] Embodiments of the support device (i.e., decorative article
support device) of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS. 1
to 8C.
[0036] One embodiment of the present invention 102 (FIGS. 3 &
4) comprises a chassis 103 that is engaged with flexible legs 108
with formed (i.e., with spherical, semi-spherical, oval & other
shapes) distal ends 106. The chassis 103 has a mount 104 which has
a receptacle 110. The embodiment 102 is removably engaged with a
decorative element/article 122 (FIGS. 1 & 2) and fits over the
apothecary jar lid 120. Many lids 120 have a narrower portion 109
and a wider portion 111. The chassis 103 is designed to engage with
an apothecary jar lid 120, due to use of flexible legs which bend
and open up to slip over the wider portion of the lid and snap into
place in the narrow portion of the lid. The flexible legs 108 are
designed with an inward bend (see FIG. 1) so that the legs are not
obstructed by (and wrap around) the wider portion 111 of the
container or container lid. This facilitates a secure grip on the
indented narrower portion 109 of the container or container lid. In
this embodiment three legs are attached to the chassis. However,
any number of multiple legs can be attached to the chassis. Also,
the chassis 103 can be circular, oval, rectangular or any other
shape.
[0037] Even though the mount 104 and receptacle 110 are cylindrical
in shape in this embodiment, they can very well be square, curved
or any other shape. Also, the chassis can have more than one mount
and/or receptacle.
[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the support device 102 of the
invention, the distal ends 106 of the legs 108 are shaped so as to
conform to the indentation created by the narrower portion 109 of
the jar lid 120. A plurality of legs 108 extend from a chassis 103.
The legs 108 are of a flexible material such as wood, metal or
plastics which provide a combination of advantages such as a
balance of flexibility & rigidity, low cost and durability. The
flexible legs 108 are configured to flex in such a manner as to
bend over the wider portion 111 and snap into the narrower portion
109, of the jar lid 120, providing a means of securely engaging the
chassis 103 with the apothecary jar lid 120. The flexible legs also
make it easy to disengage from the lid. When the distal ends 106
are engaged with the lid 120, the chassis is fixed in place at the
top of the lid 120. The chassis 103 provides a horizontal surface
and receptacle 110 that can support a decorative article 122. In
one embodiment, the decorative article 122 comprises a volume with
a distal portion 124 that engages with the receptacle 110. In
combination, the decorative article 122 and the embodiment 102
provide a means of decorating an apothecary jar lid 120 such as
those used with containerized candles.
[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
flexible legs 108 are extensible. The extensible legs enable the
support device 102 to be fitted on to containers having varying
sizes by extending (for narrow containers 202) and retracting (for
wide containers 201) the extensible part of the legs as per the
size of the container/lid. The legs of the device can be made
extensible by using a sliding, swing-out, attachment-based or any
other mechanism.
[0040] FIGS. 5A & 5B illustrate how the extensible leg 211
attached to the flexible legs 108 enable the support device 102 to
be attached to a wide container 201 or a narrow container 202 by
retracting or extending the extensible part 211 which is attached
to the distal end 106 of the flexible legs 108. The inward bend
design of the flexible legs 108 causes the extensible legs 211 to
move inwards when extended, thereby enabling a secure grip on
narrow containers 202 with smaller diameters also.
[0041] FIGS. 6A to 6C illustrate a flexible leg 108 having a
sliding extensible leg 211 mechanism. The extensible legs 211 can
be extended as per the diameter of the container or lid (and locked
in position) to ensure a secure attachment. FIGS. 7A & 7B
illustrate a flexible leg 108 having a swing-out extensible leg 212
mechanism. The extensible legs 212 can be swung out to fit a narrow
container or swung in to fit a wide container. FIGS. 8A to 8C
illustrate a flexible leg 108 having a detachable attachment-based
extensible leg 213 mechanism. Extensible legs 213, 214 of the
appropriate length can be attached to the flexible leg 108
depending on the diameter of the container or lid. Other extension
mechanisms can also be used for the extensible legs.
[0042] It can be seen, from the features described herein, that the
present invention has been designed to serve multiple objectives.
On the one hand, the flexible, inward bent and extensible legs
enable the present invention to be detachably attached in a secure
manner to containers or lids of varying sizes. At the same time the
design of the invention and use of versatile and low cost materials
such as wood, metal, plastics or any other material with these
qualities ensures that the support device also has the required
rigidity and capability to support decorative or other articles. In
other words the present invention achieves a balance between
flexibility, rigidity, adaptability and low cost.
[0043] Even though in the embodiments of the present invention
described hereinbefore, reference is made to an apothecary jar and
lid, the same concepts, methods and features are applicable to any
container or container lid having a narrower indented portion below
a wider portion. Thus, this description fully describes use of this
invention device with any container or container lid.
[0044] It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among
those elucidated in, or made apparent from, the preceding
description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes
may be made in the above construction without departing from the
scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in
the above description or shown on the accompanying drawing figures
shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting
sense.
[0045] It is also to be understood that the following claims are
intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the
invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the
invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall
there between.
* * * * *