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  Ornament holderUSPTO Application #: 20080050541Title: Ornament holder Abstract: A support is disclosed for suspending an item, such as a Christmas tree ornament suspended from a supporting hook, on and outwardly away from a vertical post, such as a Christmas tree trunk. An elongated generally rigid rod includes a distal end with a U-shaped bend therein from which the item is suspended. A proximal end of the rod includes a vertical post attachment means fixed at one end thereof near the proximal end of the rod. The other end of the pliable member wraps around the vertical post to secure the support to the post. The orthogonal brace portion is preferably an L-shaped bend in the proximal end of the rod or a downwardly-angled leg fixed to the proximal end of the rod. In either case, a spike may be included for at least partial insertion into the vertical post for further fixing the support to the post to prevent the support from rotating along its axis. The support may be camouflaged to resemble a Christmas tree branch, or the like. (end of abstract)
Agent: Quickpatents, Inc. - San Juan Capistrano, CA, US Inventor: Thomston Trowbridge USPTO Applicaton #: 20080050541 - Class: 428 18 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080050541. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]Not Applicable. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT [0002]Not Applicable. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0003]This invention relates to supports, and more particularly to a support for Christmas tree ornaments, or the like. DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART [0004]Christmas tree ornaments that are relatively heavy have caused problems due to their tendency to bend Christmas tree branches downward with their weight. The resulting look is unappealing, particularly on higher branches that are weaker. Ironically, the heavier ornaments, some of which have batteries and other electronic components, are the ornaments that users typically wish to prominently display towards the top of the tree. [0005]Artificial Christmas trees, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,196 to Hermanson on Feb. 1, 1972, and such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,683,210 to Baenziger on Jul. 6, 1954, can be designed with strong, reinforced artificial branches, thereby avoiding the difficulties presented by relatively heavy ornaments or other heavy decorative objects. However, not everyone wishes to use an artificial Christmas tree. [0006]One way to get around the drawback of weak tree branches is to reinforce such branches. U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,095 to Denning et al. discloses such a device, which is directed at providing support for Christmas tree lights and reinforcing existing tree branches. Such a device, however, is not well hidden from view when in use, particularly towards the top of the tree where the branches tend to be thinner and weaker, and where there is little trunk left from which to reinforce the lower branches. Further, such a device does not provide for supporting an ornament in an area of the tree that may be thinner, that is, where no natural branches may exist. [0007]Another prior art device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,366 to Cummings, teaches a four-rod system for supporting a circular toy train track above the floor of the tree, among the branches thereof. While such a device does allow the track to be supported in an area of the tree that is devoid of natural branches, again, this type of device is highly visible when in use and is not suitable for supporting ornaments thereby. Since this device is a four-rod device, each rod being connected to another, there is no need to include rod anti-rotation means since each rod helps support the others in an upright orientation. However, a single such rod would have no such support, and could be subject to failure if the lower brace of such a rod were to slip off of the tree trunk. Further, such a device is necessarily complicated and difficult to set-up, since all rods must be accurately positioned with respect to the others and a tie wrap that wraps each rod to the tree trunk must be threaded through each rod. For supporting ornaments instead of a toy train track, such a device is unnecessarily complex and expensive. [0008]A Christmas tree ornament shelf assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,098 to Aldridge on Dec. 10, 1991. Such a device includes arms mounted to a tree trunk that end in a shelf for resting an ornamental object thereon. The angle of each arm may be adjusted, and each shelf may be adjusted to a horizontal orientation thereafter. Such a device is not well-suited for displaying suspended ornaments, however, as there is no provision for holding such suspended ornaments from the end of the arms. Further, such a device is unnecessarily complex for the display of suspended ornaments, and such a device is not easily concealed when in use, as each arm and shelf assembly is relatively large and visually apparent when in use. Still further, the adjustment means on such a device may become loosened over time, resulting in sagging of the arms and possible collapse thereof, particularly if jostled. [0009]Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive ornament support that can be fixed to a tree trunk relatively easily and that can be positioned wherever desired on the tree. Such a device would blend-in with the appearance of the tree and would appear a natural part thereof. Such a device would maintain a horizontal orientation with respect to the vertical tree trunk, even if jostled, and would be capable of supporting relatively heavy ornaments or other decorative objects. The present invention accomplishes these objectives. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010]The present device is a support for suspending an item, such as a Christmas tree ornament suspended from a supporting hook, on and outwardly away from a vertical post, such as a Christmas tree trunk. An elongated generally rigid rod has a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end includes a support means, such as a U-shaped bend, from which the item is suspended. The proximal end of the rod includes a vertical post attachment means, such as at least one pliable member, fixed at one end thereof near the proximal end of the rod. The other end of the pliable member wraps around the vertical post to secure the support to the post. Each pliable member is preferably a solid wire embedded in a flexible plastic or rubber material, although other suitable pliable attachment means known in the art may be readily adapted for use with the present invention. For example, a rigid spring-biased clamp (not shown) may be used. [0011]The orthogonal brace portion is preferably an L-shaped bend in the proximal end of the rod, wherein the proximal end of the rod is bent downwardly to form the L-shaped bend. Alternately, the brace portion is a downwardly-angled leg fixed to the proximal end of the rod. In either embodiment of the brace portion, a spike may be included for at least partial insertion into the vertical post for further fixing the support to the post. Such a spike, working in cooperation with the attachment means, prevents the support from rotating along its axis, which is undesirable as such rotation may cause the support means to fail. [0012]The present invention is an inexpensive ornament support that can be fixed to a tree trunk relatively easily and that can be positioned wherever desired on the tree. Such a device blends-in with the appearance of the tree and appears to be a natural part thereof, and can be made with relatively thin metal rod stock so as to be unobtrusive. Such a device maintains a horizontal orientation with respect to the vertical tree trunk, and is capable of supporting relatively heavy ornaments and other decorative objects. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention, illustrating a rigid rod with a camouflaged wrap simulating a Christmas tree branch; [0014]FIG. 2A is a partial perspective view of a proximal end of the rigid rod and a vertical post attachment means thereof; [0015]FIG. 2B is a partial perspective view of the proximal end of the rigid rod and an alternate vertical post attachment means thereof; [0016]FIG. 2C is a partial perspective view of a distal end of the rigid rod and two alternate support means thereof; [0017]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the proximal end of the rigid rod, taken generally along lines 3-3 of FIG. 5, and illustrated as attached to a vertical post; [0018]FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the invention, illustrating one embodiment of the vertical post attachment means as attached to the vertical post; Continue reading... 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