GB2498939A

GB2498939A - A personalisable bauble having an opening to allow an item to be placed inside

Info

Publication number: GB2498939A
Application number: GB1201583.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sharon Mayhew; Paul Mayhew
Original assignee: BUBBLY BAUBLE Co Ltd
Current assignee: BUBBLY BAUBLE Co Ltd
Priority date: 2012-01-31
Filing date: 2012-01-31
Publication date: 2013-08-07
Also published as: GB201201583D0

Abstract

A bauble for a Christmas tree includes a spherical body 11 with an opening 12 to permit access to its interior so an item C such as a cork can be deposited within the body. The bauble also has a lid 13 to close the opening in use. The lid may include or may be attachable to a hanging means (15, Fig.4). Preferably, the closure means is a plurality of sections, or two hemispheres that are assembled around the item and can be joined together. In one aspect, the item placed in the bauble is visible through a wall thereof. The invention provides a means for displaying a memento of a special occasion such as Christmas or a wedding.

Description

A Bauble

The present invention relates to a bauble, particularly of the type that could hang from a Christmas tree. More 5 particularly, the bauble of the invention seeks to provide a means of containing and displaying an item associated with a special event or memento.

In one broad aspect the present invention provides a bauble 10 including a body with an opening to permit access to the interior thereof such that an item can be deposited within the body, further including a closure means to close the opening in use.

15 In a preferred form the closure means is a lid with a suitable coupling mechanism such as a screw thread, bayonet fitting, interference fit, spring biased clip or the like. In this way an item can be placed within the bauble body and it is able to be sealed by the closure. An example of an 20 "item" to be placed within the bauble is a cork from a Champagne bottle saved as a souvenir of a wedding or other special event.

Preferably at least part of the bauble wall, which in its 25 most basic form is a spherical shape, is transparent in order for the item to be visible.

Preferably the lid includes or is attachable to a hanging means which may be a chain, loop of string, hook or any 30 suitable way of hanging the bauble from a Christmas tree or the like.

1

In a further embodiment of the invention the bauble may be provided in sections that are assembled around the item, e.g. two hemispheres that are able to be joined together.

5 In a second broad aspect of the invention there is disclosed a method of providing a bauble for a Christmas tree wherein an item is able to be placed within said bauble to be visible through a wall thereof.

10 The bauble product and method as described is intended for general use and does not require any complex tools in order to provide a bauble with a displayed item therein.

A bauble according to the present invention will be

15 hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate side and plan views of a closure means;

20 Figure 3 illustrates the general principles of construction and operation of a bauble according to the invention; and

Figure 4 illustrates a decorated bauble according to the invention.

25

Figure 3 best illustrates the general concept of the invention, namely a bauble body 11 formed in a spherical shape that includes an opening 12 sized to be able to receive an item, e.g. cork C, thereinto. The bauble is sealed by a

30 closure means 13 which, as in the illustrated embodiment, may be in the form of a screw threaded cap. The cap further includes an eyelet 14 to receive a loop of chain 15 or string for hanging the bauble as shown in Figure 4.

2

Preferably the bauble body 11 is formed from a transparent material (e.g. plastic or glass) such that the item C is clearly visible inside. However, variations on this theme 5 are possible such as tinting the bauble body with different colours or specifically forming a window through which the item can be seen.

It is intended that the bauble body 11 will be finished with

10 suitable decorations or customisable text etc; such as the ribbon design 16 and "parents of the bride" text 17 illustrated by Figure 4. The bauble may be supplied with a kit of suitable adhesive labels for customisation.

15 As previously mentioned the bauble construction and/or components could be modified in ways that otherwise achieve an equivalent desired effect; that effect being a means of displaying a memento of a special occasion, particularly at family gatherings such as Christmas where the memento can be

20 hung from a Christmas tree. Such a modification may be providing the bauble in two halves that seal together and display a relatively large or irregular shaped object that would not otherwise fit through the opening 12 as illustrated.

25

The general shape of the bauble itself can take any form (e.g. elongate, teardrop, star-shaped), however, the most conventional appearance is a sphere as illustrated.

30 The bauble and its lid according to the invention can be manufactured from any suitable materials that otherwise provide the requisite properties, e.g. transparency or at least partial transparency and some measure of durability.

3

It is intended that a set of baubles according to the invention could be sold as a set in a display case or the like, where the display case bears a decoration relevant to 5 the special occasion.

4

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A bauble including a body with an opening to permit access to the interior thereof such that an item can be

5 deposited within the body, further including a closure means to close the opening in use.

2. The bauble of claim 1 wherein the opening is wide enough to permit a Champagne cork to be deposited

10 within the body.

3. The bauble of claim 1 or 2 wherein the closure means is a lid or cap with a suitable coupling mechanism for attachment to the opening such as a screw thread,

15 bayonet fitting, interference fit, spring biased clip or the like.

4. The bauble of claim 3 wherein the lid includes or is attachable to a hanging means which may be a chain,

20 loop of string, hook or the like.

5. The bauble of any preceding claim in which the body is transparent or at least partially transparent in order for the item to be visible.

25

6. The bauble of any preceding claim wherein the body is spherical.

7. The bauble of claim 1 or 2 wherein the closure means is

30 a plurality of sections, or two hemispheres, that are assembled around the item, and able to be joined together.

5

A method of providing a bauble for a Christmas tree wherein an item is able to be placed within said bauble to be visible through a wall thereof.

5 9. A bauble for a Christmas tree wherein an item is able to be placed within said bauble to be visible through a wall thereof .

10. A bauble for a Christmas tree substantially as herein 10 described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of providing a transparent bauble for a Christmas tree substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6