Collapsible artificial tree

• US 9,040,130 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Balsam International Unlimited Company (Balsam Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Balsam Hill LLC (Balsam Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schooley, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): KRUPICKA, ADAM C
• Application Number:
  US13/545,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20120276307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/18
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2033/1273 comprising transport wheels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/06 Artificial Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/12 Christmas tree stands sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/2238
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

The artificial tree is collapsible by inverting a main trunk thereof to swap positions of a first end and second end. The limbs are pivotably attached to the main trunk so that they sag under force of gravity from a deployed more horizontally extending orientation to a collapsed more vertically extending orientation when the main trunk is inverted. A base is preferably provided which has wheels and static portions in contact with the ground for supporting the tree thereon. A riser extending up from the base is configured to have an end of the main trunk rest therein. A lock is also preferably provided to hold an end of the trunk within the riser of the base. A separate treetop portion is removably attachable to ends of the trunk to complete the tree when in a deployed configuration and for storage of the treetop when the tree is not collapsed.

Claims

1. A collapsible artificial tree comprising in combination:

a trunk of elongate form between a first end and a second end;

a plurality of limbs pivotably attached to said trunk;

said limbs adapted to pivot from a first position to a second position;

said first position closer to horizontal than said second position when said trunk is oriented substantially vertically; and

a base having a ground support portion adapted to rest upon an underlying surface, said base including a riser extending upwardly from the ground support portion, said riser adapted to support each of said first end or said second end of said trunk, such that when the first end is supported by the riser with the second end substantially vertically above the first end the limbs are in the second position closer to the trunk than the first position.

2. The collapsible tree of claim 1 wherein said riser includes a hollow core, said hollow core sized larger than said first end and said second end of said trunk such that said first end or said second end of said trunk can extend along a central axis of said hollow core of said riser and into said hollow core of said riser for support of said first end or said second end of said trunk.

3. The collapsible tree of claim 2 wherein said riser includes a lock thereon, said lock adjustable to secure at least one of said first end or said second end of said trunk within said riser when said lock is actuated.

4. The collapsible tree of claim 3 wherein said lock includes a shaft extending non-parallel with said central axis of said hollow core of said riser, said shaft biased toward a position passing into said hollow core of said riser lateral to said central axis of said hollow core, and at least one of said first end and said second end of said trunk including a hole therein positioned to be aligned with said shaft of said lock for said shaft of said lock to pass through said hole in said trunk, for securing of said trunk to said base.

5. The collapsible tree of claim 1 wherein said ground support portion of said base includes at least two wheels thereon, with said ground support portion of said base including at least a portion thereof which does not include any wheels thereon, such that said base can roll when tilted up onto said wheels and resists rolling when resting on both said wheels and other portions of said ground support portion of said base that are without wheels.

6. The collapsible tree of claim 5 wherein said base includes a central arm extending substantially horizontally with said riser extending substantially vertically up from a central portion of said central arm, said riser including a hollow core, said hollow core sized larger than said first end and said second end of said trunk, such that said first end or said second end of said trunk can extend along a central axis of said hollow core of said riser and into said hollow core of said riser for support of said first end or said second end of said trunk, said central arm extending out to a pair of outer arms substantially parallel to each other and at opposite ends of said central arm, said outer arms each having a wheel pivoting from one end thereof and a foot opposite said wheels, said foot of each said outer arm adapted to resist rolling, and said wheels adapted to roll relative to said outer arms.

7. The collapsible tree of claim 1 wherein a treetop is provided separate from said trunk, said treetop including a top trunk and a plurality of limbs extending laterally from said top trunk, said top trunk having a lower end adapted to removably fit upon said second end of said trunk.

8. The collapsible tree of claim 7 wherein said limbs of said treetop pivot relative to said top trunk, and wherein said upper end of said top trunk removably fits to said first end of said trunk.

9. The collapsible tree of claim 1 wherein said riser is further adapted to support the second end of the trunk at a height above the underlying surface to accommodate the limbs in the second position.

10. A method for collapsing an artificial tree, comprising in combination:

providing a collapsible artificial tree having a trunk of elongate form between a first end and a second end, a plurality of limbs pivotably attached to the trunk, the limbs adapted to pivot between a first position and a second position, and the first position closer to horizontal than the second position when the trunk is oriented substantially vertically with the second end arranged above the first end;

providing a base that includes a ground support portion adapted to rest upon an underlying surface, the base also including a riser extending upwardly from the ground support portion, the riser adapted to support each of the first end and the second end of the trunk;

initially orienting the trunk with the second end above the first end, which is supported by the riser, and the limbs in the first position;

removing the first end of the trunk from the riser of the base; and

attaching the second end of the trunk to be supported by the riser of the base such that the trunk extends axially from the base and the limbs in the second position.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said attaching further comprises placing the second end of the trunk into a hollow core of the riser of the base.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said removing step is preceded by the step of unlocking the first end of the trunk from the riser of the base, the riser having a lock thereon, the lock adjustable to secure at least one of the first end or the second end of the trunk within the riser when the lock is actuated.

13. The method of claim 10 including the further step of providing a treetop separate from the trunk, the treetop including a top trunk and a plurality of limbs extending laterally from the top trunk, the top trunk having a lower end adapted to removably fit upon the second end of said trunk.

14. The method of claim 13 including the further step of removing the lower end of the treetop from the second end of the trunk before attaching the second end of the trunk to be supported by the riser of the base.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising orienting the trunk substantially vertically with the second end supported by the riser of the base and the limbs in the second position, the riser adapted to accommodate a length of the limbs substantially between the underlying surface and riser.

16. A collapsible artificial tree, comprising in combination:

a base having a ground support portion and a hollow core extending along a central axis up from said ground support portion;

a trunk of elongate form between a first end and a second end, both said first end and said second end adapted to be supported by said hollow core of said base with the trunk extending substantially along the central axis;

a plurality of limbs pivotably attached to said trunk;

said limbs adapted to pivot from a first position to a second position;

said first position closer to horizontal than said second position when said trunk is oriented substantially vertically with the first end supported by the hollow core of the base; and

said second position closer to vertical than said first position when said trunk is oriented substantially vertically with the second end supported by the hollow core of the base.

17. The tree of claim 16 wherein said hollow core is formed within a riser extending up from said ground support portion of said base, said hollow core sized larger than said first end and said second end of said trunk such that said first end or said second end of said trunk can extend along a central axis of said hollow core of the riser and into said hollow core of said riser for support of said first end or said second end of said trunk.

18. The tree of claim 17 wherein said riser includes a lock thereon, said lock adjustable to secure at least one of said first end or said second end of said trunk within said riser when said lock is actuated.

19. The tree of claim 16 wherein said ground support portion of said base includes at least two wheels thereon, with said ground support portion of said base including at least a portion thereof which does not include any wheels thereon, such that said base can roll when tilted up onto said wheels and resists rolling when resting on both said wheels and other portions of said ground support portion of said base that are without wheels.

20. The tree of claim 16 wherein a treetop is provided separate from said trunk, said treetop including a top trunk and a plurality of limbs extending laterally from said top trunk, said top trunk having a lower end adapted to removably fit upon said second end of said trunk.

21. The tree of claim 16, wherein said riser is further adapted to support the second end of the trunk at a height above the underlying surface to accommodate the limbs in the second position.