Artificial Christmas tree and cover system

• US 7,160,588 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Earl R. Sanford, Judith L. Sanford
• Original Assignee: Earl R. Sanford, Judith L. Sanford
• Inventors: Sanford, Judith L., Sanford, Earl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeil; Jennifer C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Austin; Aaron
• Application Number:
  US10/988,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20060105119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 428/18, 428/19, 428/20, D11/118, 47/232, 108/90, 150/158, 206/423, 294/137, 294/170
• US Class Current: 428/18
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/045 Underlays, i.e. mats for catching needles or to aid in disposing of Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/06 Artificial Christmas trees

Abstract

An artificial Christmas tree and storage cover a trunk and progressively larger branches from the top to near the base of the tree. The tree trunk rests in a central bore of a frustoconical base and has at least three swivel castor wheels mounted on the lower wall, providing movable support for the tree assembly. At least one castor wheel has a foot-operated brake. A conical cover covers the standing, decorated tree and attaches to the base. The cover has flaps spaced along one vertical edge of the cover and receiving mating patches spaced along an opposite edge the flaps and mating patches having VELCRO, hook and loop material on the mating surfaces thereof. The cover has three triangular portions each having mating flaps and patches in turn. The base and the lower end of the cover have mating strips of hook and loop material.

Claims

1. An artificial Christmas tree and cover system comprising:

an artificial Christmas tree having an artificial central trunk a plurality of radial artificial branches extending from said central trunk, said central trunk having a lower end;

a support base having an upper wall, a lower wall, and a peripheral sidewall and having a centrally located, vertical bore extending downward through said upper wall of such size and depth as to receive said central trunk lower end;

a generally upright, conical cover of such size and shape as to cover said artificial Christmas tree; and

said cover being removably attachable to said peripheral sidewall, wherein said cover has an inner peripheral strip of one of hook and loop material around its inner, lower periphery, and said base has a peripheral strip of the other of said hook and loop material removably mating with the inner peripheral strip of hook and loop material of said cover;

whereby said cover may be removed to display said artificial Christmas tree; and

whereby said cover may be placed over said Christmas tree while said tree is fully decorated and secured to said peripheral sidewall for storage between Holiday seasons.

2. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 1, wherein said base is generally cylindrical in shape and said strips of mating hook and loop material extend around the inner periphery of said cover and the outer periphery of said base.

3. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 1, wherein said cover comprises a plurality of generally triangular sections removably connected so as to form said conical cover.

4. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 3, wherein said triangular sections have first and second side edges extending to an apex and each said triangular section has one of hook and loop material along each said first edge on an outer side thereof and the other of mating hook and loop material along each said second edge on an inner side thereof so as to form said conical cover for storage of said Christmas tree and to allow its dismantlement for display of said Christmas tree.

5. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 4, wherein said first edge of said triangular section has spaced patches of said one of hook and loop material spaced therealong, and said second edge has spaced flaps extending therefrom corresponding to said spaced patches, said flaps having the other of said hook and loop material on the inner sides thereof so as to mate with said patches on an adjacent triangular section to form a conical cover, said base being generally cylindrical in shape and said strips of mating hook and loop material extending around the inner periphery of said cover and an outer periphery of said base.

6. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 5, wherein said base is frustoconical in shape, said sidewall tapering inward from said lower wall to said upper wall.

7. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of swivel castor wheels mounted on said lower wall of said base, at least one of said castor wheels having a brake thereon, whereby said brake may be released for rolling movement of said tree and wherein said brake may be set to maintain said Christmas tree in a fixed position for display and for storage.

8. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 7, wherein said castor wheels are spaced about a periphery of said lower wall of said base and all said castor wheels have brakes.

9. The artificial Christmas tree of claim 7, further comprising a handle located at a convenient height on an outer side of at least one of said triangular cover sections.

10. The artificial Christmas tree of claim 9, wherein there are three of said triangular sections forming said conical cover.

11. The artificial Christmas tree of claim 10, wherein said trunk comprises an upper trunk tube having a lower end portion, a central trunk tube having a receiver sleeve at its upper end for receiving said lower end portion of said upper trunk tube, said central trunk tube having a lower end portion, and a lower trunk tube having a receiver sleeve at its upper end for receiving said lower end portion of said central trunk tube, said lower trunk tube having a lower end portion for insertion into said vertical bore of said base.

12. The artificial Christmas tree of claim 11, wherein said upper trunk tube defines an upper tree section, said central trunk tube defines a central tree section, and said lower trunk tube defines a lower tree section.

13. An artificial Christmas tree and cover system comprising:

an artificial Christmas tree having an artificial central trunk, a plurality of radial artificial branches extending from said central trunk, said central trunk having a lower end;

a support base having an upper wall, a lower wall, and a peripheral sidewall and having a centrally located, vertical bore extending downward through said upper wall of such size and depth as to receive said central trunk lower end;

a generally upright, conical cover of such size and shape as to cover said artificial Christmas tree;

said cover being removably attachable to said peripheral sidewall;

said cover having an inner peripheral strip of one of hook and loop around its inner, lower periphery, and said base has a peripheral strip of the other of said hook and loop material removably mated with the inner peripheral strip of hook and loop material of said cover; and

said base being generally cylindrical in shape and said strips of mating hook and loop material extend around the inner periphery of said cover and an outer periphery of said base;

whereby said cover may be removed to display said artificial Christmas tree; and

whereby said cover may be placed over said Christmas tree while said tree is fully decorated and secured to said peripheral sidewall for storage between Holiday seasons.

14. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 13, wherein said cover comprises a plurality of generally triangular sections removably connected so as to form said conical cover, and wherein each of said triangular sections has first and second side edges extending to an apex, said first edge of each said triangular section has spaced patches of one of hook and loop material spaced therealong, and said second edge has spaced flaps extending therefrom corresponding to said spaced patches, said flaps having the other of said hook and loop material on an inner side thereof so as to mate with said patches on an adjacent triangular section to form a conical cover.

15. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of swivel castor wheels mounted on said lower wall of said base, at least one of said castor wheels having a brake thereon, whereby said brake may be released for rolling movement of said tree and wherein said brake may be set to maintain said Christmas tree in a fixed position for display and for storage.

16. The artificial Christmas tree and cover system of claim 15, wherein said castor wheels are spaced about a periphery of said lower wall of said base and all said castor wheels have brakes.

17. The artificial Christmas tree of claim 16, further comprising a handle located at a convenient height on an outer side of at least one of said triangular cover sections.

18. The artificial Christmas tree of claim 17, wherein said trunk comprises an upper trunk tube having a lower end portion, a central trunk tube having a receiver sleeve at its upper end for receiving said lower end portion of said upper trunk tube, said central trunk tube having a lower end portion, and a lower trunk tube having a receiver sleeve at its upper end for receiving said lower end portion of said central trunk tube, said lower trunk tube having a lower end portion for insertion into said vertical bore of said base.

19. An artificial Christmas tree and cover system comprising:

an artificial Christmas tree having an artificial central trunk, a plurality of radial artificial branches extending from said central trunk, said central trunk having a lower end;

a support base having an upper wall, a lower wall, and a peripheral sidewall and having a centrally located, vertical bore extending downward through said upper wall of such size and depth as to receive said central trunk lower end;

a generally upright, conical cover of such size and shape as to cover said artificial Christmas tree;

said cover being removably attachable to said peripheral sidewall;

said cover having an inner peripheral strip of one of hook and loop around its inner, lower periphery, and said base has a peripheral strip of the other of said hook and loop material removably mated with said first strip of hook and loop material;

said base being generally cylindrical in shape and said strips of mating hook and loop material extend around the inner periphery of said cover and an outer periphery of said base;

said cover comprising a plurality of generally triangular sections removably connected so as to form said conical cover;

each of said triangular sections having first and second side edges extending to an apex, said first edge of each said triangular section has spaced patches of one of hook and loop material spaced therealong, and said second edge has spaced flaps extending therefrom corresponding to said spaced patches, said flaps having the other of said hook and loop material on an inner side thereof so as to mate with said patches on an adjacent triangular section to form a conical cover; and

a plurality of swivel castor wheels mounted on said lower wall of said base, at least one of said castor wheels having a brake thereon, whereby said brake may be released for rolling movement of said tree and wherein said brake may be set to maintain said Christmas tree in a fixed position for display and for storage;

whereby said cover may be removed to display said artificial Christmas tree; and

whereby said cover may be placed over said Christmas tree while said tree is fully decorated and secured to said peripheral sidewall for storage between Holiday seasons.