Convertible/inverted tree

• US 7,445,824 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polygroup Macau Limited (MDF Commerce, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cindex Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Ng, Yau-Chuen, Leung, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Austin; Aaron
• Application Number:
  US11/592,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20080107840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 428/18, 428/20, 156/61, 211/196, 211/205
• US Class Current: 428/20
• CPC Class Codes: A41G 1/007 Artificial trees
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/06 Artificial Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 493/956 having appearance of living plant, e.g. christmas tree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An invertible decorative tree having sections that are each provided with complementary receiving and associating mechanisms. The sections include a stand, a trunk segment, at least one tree body and a tree top. Through the complementary relationships of the receiving and associating mechanisms, the tree can be arranged to provide a triangular appearance with its apex at the top or its apex near the bottom. In order to provide for this inversion, the tree top must be equipped to connect with the trunk segment or with a tree body segment.

Claims

1. A decorative artificial tree system comprising:

a stand assembly comprising a base and a plurality of feet, the base comprising a receiving portion;

a tree trunk segment comprising a first end and a second end, both the first end and the second end comprise extending members; and

a first tree body assembly comprising a first end and a second end, the first end comprising an extending member and the second end comprising a receiving portion;

a tree top portion comprising first and second ends, both the first and second ends comprise receiving portions;

the receiving portion of the base of the stand assembly sized to receive the extending member of first end of the tree trunk segment,

the receiving portion of the second end of the first tree body assembly sized to receive the extending member of the second end of the tree trunk segment,

the receiving portion of the second end of the tree top portion sized to receive the extending member of the first end of the first tree body assembly, and

the receiving portion of the first end of the tree top portion sized to receive the extending member of the first end of the tree trunk segment enabling inversion of the tree top portion and the first tree body assembly.

2. The tree system of claim 1, further comprising a second tree body assembly, the second tree body assembly comprising a first end comprising an extending member and a second end comprising a receiving portion, the receiving portion of the second end of the second tree body assembly sized to receive the extending member of the second end of the tree trunk segment, and the extending member of the second end of the second tree body assembly receivable by the receiving portion of the second end of the first tree body assembly.

3. The tree system of claim 1, wherein

the first tree body assembly further comprises a plurality of branches of varied lengths arranged from shortest to longest, and

the tree top portion further comprises a plurality of branches of varied lengths less than or equal to the shortest of the plurality of braches of the first tree body assembly and arranged from shortest to longest.

4. A decorative artificial tree system having a generally triangular shape, the tree system comprising:

a tree top section comprising first and second receiving portions on opposing ends of the tree top section;

a tree body assembly comprising a extending member and a receiving portion on opposing ends of the tree body assembly; and

a trunk segment comprising first and second extending members on opposing ends of the trunk segment;

wherein any of the first receiving portion on the tree top section, the second receiving portion on the tree top section, or the receiving portion on the tree body assembly are adapted to receive one of the extending members of the trunk segment or the extending member of the tree body assembly, and

the tree system having a generally upright orientation, wherein the lower most point is adjacent the trunk segment and the upper most point is adjacent the tree top section, and

the tree system having a generally inverted orientation, wherein the lower most point is adjacent the tree top section and the upper most point is adjacent the tree body portion.

5. The tree system of claim 4,

the upright orientation further comprises an apex near the upper most point, and

the inverted orientation further comprises an apex near the lower most point.

6. The tree system of claim 4, the inverted orientation comprises an inversion from the upright orientation of the tree top section and the tree body section.

7. The tree system of claim 4, further comprising a stand assembly comprising a plurality of feet and a base comprising an receiving portion, the receiving portion sized to receive one of the extending members of the trunk segment, the stand assembly adapted to stabilize the tree system in both the upright and inverted orientations.

8. The tree system of claim 4, the tree body assembly and the tree top section both comprising a plurality of branches of varied length.

9. A method of converting a decorative tree from an upright orientation to an inverted orientation, the method comprising:

assembling the decorative tree in an upright orientation, comprising;

connecting a first extending member of a trunk segment to a stand assembly;

connecting a second extending member of the trunk segment to a receiving portion of a first tree body assembly; and

receiving an extending member of the first tree body assembly with a first receiving portion of a tree top section; and

reversing the decorative tree from the upright orientation to the inverted orientation, comprising;

connecting the first extending member of the trunk segment to the stand assembly;

connecting the first receiving portion of the tree top section to the second extending member of the trunk segment; and

receiving the extending member of the tree body assembly with the second receiving portion of the tree top section.

10. The method of claim 9, reversing the decorative tree from the upright orientation to the inverted orientation further comprising removing the assembled tree in the upright orientation.