HOLIDAY DECORATION

• US 20080283717A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark Susko, Michael Y. Kim, Ryan Maule
• Original Assignee: Mark Susko, Michael Y. Kim, Ryan Maule
• Inventors: Kim, Michael Y., Susko, Mark, Maule, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US12/058,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20080283717A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/524
• CPC Class Codes: A41G 1/005 luminous or luminescent
• CPC Class Codes: A41G 1/007 Artificial trees
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/06 Artificial Christmas trees

Abstract

Disclosed herein are decorative artificial trees including a base with base supports and a base hub, a central support, a top portion, and outer supports. The outer supports can extend from one or more base supports to the top portion. The base may be collapsible in a variety of different ways depending on the configuration of the base. The outer supports may, or may not, comprise a rigid material such as plastic or aluminum. Lighting components may be attached to the outer supports. Some of the decorative artificial trees disclosed herein may include a central support that is configured to be collapsible, or may include one or more outer supports that are configured to be collapsible. Also disclosed herein are decorative artificial trees including segmented outer supports and segmented base supports.

Claims

1. A decorative artificial tree comprising:

a base, comprising a plurality of base supports radiating from a base hub, wherein the base is configured to be collapsible;

a central support;

a top portion; and

a plurality of outer supports, wherein at lease one outer support extends from at least one base support to the top portion.

2. The tree of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of outer supports comprises a rigid material.

3. The tree of claim 2, wherein the rigid material is a plastic or a metal.

4. The tree of claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer supports emits light by conducting light from a light source external to the outer supports.

5. The tree of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lighting components attached to at least one of the outer supports.

6. The tree of claim 5, wherein at least one of the outer supports comprises electrical wire and supplies electrical power to at least one of the lighting components.

7. The tree of claim 5, wherein the central support comprises an inner wall of the central support, and wherein the inner wall of the central support comprises a conductive material and supplies electrical power to at least one of the lighting components.

8. The tree of claim 1, wherein the central support is configured to be collapsible.

9. The tree of claim 1, wherein the central support comprises a plurality of segments.

10. The tree of claim 8, wherein the central support is configured to be collapsed by actuating a spring-loaded button or lever.

11. The tree of claim 9, wherein the central support is configured to be collapsed by partially or fully nesting at least one segment within another segment.

12. The tree of claim 1, wherein the base is configured to be collapsed by detaching at least one base support from the base hub.

13. The tree of claim 1, wherein at least one base support is configured to be collapsible.

14. The tree of claim 1, wherein at least one base support is a segmented base support comprising a plurality of segments.

15. The tree of claim 14, wherein the segmented base support is configured to be collapsed by folding at least one segment relative to another segment.

16. The tree of claim 1, wherein at least one base support can be partially or fully folded up against the central support.

17. The tree of claim 1, wherein at least one outer support is configured to be collapsible.

18. The tree of claim 1, wherein at least one outer support is a segmented outer support comprising a plurality of segments.

19. The tree of claim 18, wherein the segmented outer support is configured to be collapsed by folding at least one segment relative to another segment.

20. The tree of claim 1, wherein the tree is configured to be collapsed by detaching at least one outer support from at least one base support.

21. The tree of claim 1, further comprising a top decoration attached to the top portion, wherein the tree is configured to be collapsed by fully or partially retracting the top decoration into the top portion.