GB2227591A

GB2227591A - Device

Info

Publication number: GB2227591A
Application number: GB8927924A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christine Grace Baldwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-01-26
Filing date: 1989-12-11
Publication date: 1990-08-01
Also published as: GB8901713D0; GB8927924D0

Abstract

The present invention provides a generally two dimensional display device having: a. means 4, 5 whereby it can be attached to the neck or body of a bottle; b. a generally planar panel member 20 provided with means 23 whereby a three dimensional decorative object 40 can be removably mounted upon the panel for display upon the panel when the device is attached to the bottle. The invention also provides a bottle having attached thereto a device of the invention having mounted on the panel member a three dimensional decorative object. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: DEVICE The present invention relates to a device, notably to a display panel for suspending around the neck of a bottle or the like.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION: There are many occasions when a bottle is given to a person in association with some event or a bottle is associated with some other gift which is to be given to a person.

Thus, a bottle is often given by a dinner guest to the host or is given to celebrate an event such as an engagement; or a gift such as a piece of jewellery is often accompanied by the offer of a celebratory bottle of champagne or wine.

The giving of the gift or bottle is also often accompanied by a card or other greetings token. As a result, the donor often has to buy a number of items from different shops to complete and present the gift and bottle in a suitably decorated and packaged form.

I have devised a form of presentation for displaying a decorative item which is to be attached to a bottle to provide a decorative unitary presentation to give to the recipient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a generally two dimensional display device having: a. means whereby it can be attached to the neck or body of a bottle; b. a generally planar panel member provided with means whereby a three dimensional decorative object can be removably mounted upon the panel for display upon the panel when the device is attached to the bottle.

The invention also provides a bottle having attached thereto a device of the invention having mounted on the panel member a three dimensional decorative object.

Preferably, the attachment means comprises a generally planar section having one or more apertures therethrough through which the neck of a bottle can be passed so as to attach the device to the neck of the bottle with the panel member dependant from the neck of the bottle. Preferably, the planar section is axially elongated and has two spaced apart apertures, one of which is to be a loose fit upon the neck of the bottle, the other of which has radially inwardly directed members adapted to bear against the neck of the bottle to locate the neck of the bottle substantially concentrically within the aperture and to grip the neck of the bottle.

The planar panel member is preferably formed integrally with the mounting means, notably as an axial extension of the planar section described above. The panel member has or is provided with a decorative surface or surface member onto which the three dimensional object is mounted and which serves as a decorative background against which the object is displayed. Thus, the panel member conveniently takes the form of a backing member extending from the mounting means and having attached to the outward face thereof a fabric or plastic faced display panel. The panel can be one onto which the object is surface mounted, as when a floral display is attached by a pin or clip to a fabric panel; or may have a contoured face into which the object to be displayed is set, as when the shank of a ring is a push fit into a recess formed in the surface of a moulded plastic panel.

The panel member is generally planar. However, it is within the scope of the present invention for the panel to have a significant thickness in the direction transverse to the plane of the panel and of the associated mounting means. Thus, the panel can have a display face which is formed from a fabric outer face overlying a fabric or foamed plastic interior infill to provide a domed surface to which pins or the like can be secured to attach the object to the panel member. Alternatively, the panel can be formed as a contoured plastics moulding having a flock coated or other finish.

The panel member is provided with one or more means by which the decorative three dimensional object can be demountably attached to the panel. This means can be formed integrally with the panel, as when the face of the panel is formed with a groove or recess to receive part of the object; or can be a separate component, as when a pin or adhesive pad is used to attach the object to the panel.

Alternatively, the panel can carry one or more apertures through which clip or filament type mountings can be inserted.

The panel can carry other features to enhance its appearance or utility. Thus, the panel can carry on its rearward face deployable legs or other supports whereby the panel can be stood upon a shelf or the like when it has been removed from the bottle; alternatively, the rearward face can be provided with hooks or loops whereby the panel can be hung from a wall hook or the like as a wall plaque.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: The invention will be described by way of illustration only with respect to a preferred form thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the device; Figure 2 is a transverse section through the panel member of the device of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the device mounted on a bottle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT: The device comprises a base member 1 formed from a card, plastic or other suitable sheet material. The member 1 is axially elongated to provide at one end thereof the mounting means 2 and the panel member 3 at the other end thereof. The mounting means 2 is preferably formed as a generally rectangular plan shaped lobe 2 with at least one generally circular or diamond shaped aperture 4 through the lobe. The apertures are suitably positioned and sized so that they can accept the neck 10 of a bottle 11.

Preferably, there are two such apertures in tandem axially along the lobe 2, the spacing between the apertures being such that the lobe can be folded over between the apertures so that the apertures register with each other. The neck of the bottle thus passes through two apertures to provide improved security in the mounting. It is preferred that at least one of the apertures, 5, have radial flexible members 6 to bear against the wall of the neck of the bottle to locate the neck of the bottle substantially centrally in the aperture and to grip the neck. The radial members 6 are conveniently formed by making a number of radial cuts in the perimeter of the aperture, as shown in Figure 1.

The panel member 3 can be merely an extension of the lobe 2, as shown dotted in Figure 1, with a display panel for the decorative object attached to that extension. However, it is preferred that the panel 3 acts as the backing support for a display panel 20 and that panel 3 is therefore of substantially the same size and shape as the desired display panel 20.

The panel 3 is linked to the lobe 2 by being formed as an integral part thereof, as when the two are cut from the same sheet of material. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to form the panel and lobe as separate components, optionally from different materials, and to link them together by any suitable linkage. The lobe 2 will usually adopt a substantially horizontal position when mounted on the neck of the bottle, and the panel 3 will usually hang generally vertically from the front edge of the lobe. It is therefore preferred than any linkage be a flexible or a pivoting linkage. However, a particularly preferred form of linkage is provided as a score line 7 in the material from which a unitary lobe and panel are formed, as shown in Figure 1.

The exposed face of the panel carries a surface suitable to act as a display background to the object mounted on the panel. This surface can be a decorative finish to the front of panel 3, for example a printed or embossed finish to the face or a flock or other raised pattern finish.

However, it is preferred that the surface be provided by a display member 20 secured to the front face of the panel so that the panel carries a surface into which pins or other securing means can be attached. Typically, this display member is provided as a fabric or plastics faced pad 21 with a fibre or foamed plastics filling 22, which is glued, stitched or otherwise secured to the panel 3 as shown in Figure 3.

However, it is also within the scope of the present invention for the panel 3 to be formed by moulding the material of the panel into the desired contoured shape as shown dotted in Figure 2.

The panel 3 or the display member 20 carried by it is provided with means for demountably securing a three dimensional decorative object onto the exposed face of the panel 3 or the member 20 carried by the panel. The mounting means can be in the form of one or more spring clips which project through the panel and member 20 when present and into which part of the object engages, as when a stem of a floral corsage is held by the jaws of a spring clip. Alternatively, the panel 3 and member 20 can have apertures 23 therethrough, through which a wire tie or other filamentary securing means 24 can be threaded and attached around part of the object at the time of mounting the object on the device. Alternatively, as shown dotted in Figure 2, the front face of the moulded panel can be formed with a groove or recess 25 into which part of the object is sprung.

Where the panel carries a member 20 having a fibrous or porous infill, the object can be secured to it by means of pins or the like which pass through or over part of the object. In this case, the fastening means are not integral with the member 20, but are provided by the user when the device is made up with the object in place.

The panel 3 or the member 20 mounted to it may carry other decorative features, such as lace or other frills, to enhance the appearance of the device; or the panel 3 can carry printing on its reverse to provide a message from the donor.

The device of the invention can be used to mount and display a wide range of three dimensional objects whose giving is usually associated with a bottle. Thus, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the device can have a corsage or floral display 40 pinned to its front face to act as a decoration for the bottle on which the device is mounted.

Alternatively, a ring or other piece of jewellery 50 can be carried by the groove 25 in panel 3 as shown in Figure 2. As stated above, the object 40 or 50 is demountably secured to the panel 3 or member 20 so that the object can be removed. The demountable fastening can be achieved with a wide range of fasteners as described above and the optimal fastener to be used will depend upon the construction of panel 3 or member 20 and the object to be secured to it.

The device of the invention provides a simple and effective means for displaying a small gift where the bottle is ancillary to the gift; or of decorating a bottle where the bottle is to be the gift. The device can be provided as a pre-assembled item for immediate sale, or can be made up to suit the donor's requirements at the point of sale.

Claims

WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A generally two dimensional display device having: a. means whereby it can be attached to the neck or body of a bottle; b. a generally planar panel member provided with means whereby a three dimensional decorative object can be removably mounted upon the panel for display upon the panel when the device is attached to the bottle.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connection means and the panel member are formed as integral axially extending components of a single member.

3. A device as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2 wherein the connection means comprises an axially extending member having two apertures axially in tandem therethrough and adapted to engage the neck of a bottle.

4. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the panel member carries a generally co-planar display member adapted removably to support and display a three dimensional decorative object.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the connection means comprises an axially extending lobe-like member connected by a flexible or pivoting connection to an axially extending panel member, the lobe-like member being pierced by two apertures adapted to engage the neck of a bottle and spaced axially apart from one another whereby the lobe-like member can be folded over to bring the apertures into substantial register with one another so that when the neck of the bottle engages the apertures, the lobe-like member adopts a generally transverse orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bottle and the panel member adopts an axial orientation with respect to the bottle.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein one of the said apertures is provided with radially inwardly directed members adapted to engage and centralise the neck of a bottle within the aperture.

7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims having attached to the panel member thereof a three dimensional decorative object.

8. A device according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described.

9. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with respect to and as shown in any one of the accompanying drawings.

10. A bottle having attached to the neck thereof a device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and having mounted on the panel member of the device a three dimensional decorative object.