US20170007061A1

US20170007061A1 - Hanger

Info

Publication number: US20170007061A1
Application number: US15/170,559
Authority: US
Inventors: Stacey Hafner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-07-09
Filing date: 2016-06-01
Publication date: 2017-01-12
Also published as: WO2017007992A1

Abstract

An ornament hanger may include a three-dimensional ornament body including a hollow portion and a hole, and a grommet disposed in the hole, the grommet being configured to accommodate an external object into the hollow portion through the hole, and to exert a securing force on the external object to hold the ornament hanger in place on the external object.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Provisional Application No. 62/190,682, filed on Jul. 9, 2015, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a device to hang or attach ornaments easily and safely.
2. Description of the Related Art
Holiday ornaments are typically placed by being hung from trees and similar locations. Usually, an ornament includes two parts: the ornament itself, including a loop or other attachment point, and a hook or string which is attached to the ornament at the attachment point and used to hang the ornament from an object, e.g. a tree.
While this conventional arrangement has been in use for years, it is not without drawbacks. Conventional hooks tend to get tangled, break, or fall off the ornament or the object the ornament is hung on. The hook falling off in this manner can lead to the ornament breaking, or the object the ornament is hung from being damaged.
Furthermore, the conventional hook and ornament combination can be difficult or even dangerous to use, especially for the elderly, children, people with disabilities, and similar groups. The conventional hook and ornament combination can also be dangerous at times, such as an ornament or hook being stepped on or even swallowed, e.g. by a pet or a child.
Additionally, the combination of hooks and ornaments makes the process of storing and hanging ornaments complicated. Hanging ornaments requires an extra step of affixing a hook to each ornament. Still further, since hooks catch and tangle on things, it can be difficult to store ornaments, especially if the hooks are not removed from the ornaments before storage.
Using string to hang ornaments is not without drawbacks either. String can still slide off of objects (e.g., tree branches), leading to ornaments falling off of objects and breaking, similarly to using hooks. Furthermore, hanging ornaments with string still requires an extra step of affixing the string to each ornament, and the strings can still tangle on things.
Accordingly, there is a need for a way to hang ornaments while minimizing the danger of damaging the ornaments, other objects, or people and animals.
Further, there is a need to be able to hang and store ornaments simply, minimizing the number of operations involved in hanging and storing ornaments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT

The present general inventive concept provides an ornament hanger configured to be affixed to an external object by inserting the external object into the ornament hanger.
Additional features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.
The foregoing and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing an ornament hanger, including a three-dimensional ornament body including a hollow portion and a hole, and a grommet disposed in the hole, the grommet being configured to accommodate an external object into the hollow portion through the hole, and to exert a securing force on the external object to hold the ornament hanger in place on the external object.
In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of a width and a depth of the hole may be determined based on a size of the ornament body.
In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of a width and thickness of the grommet may be determined based on at least one of the width and the depth of the hole.
In an exemplary embodiment, the grommet may include an aperture to accommodate the external object.
In an exemplary embodiment, the aperture may be substantially circular in shape.
In an exemplary embodiment, the aperture may be star-shaped.
In an exemplary embodiment, the aperture may include teeth to grip the external object.
In an exemplary embodiment, the hollow portion may include part of an interior volume of the ornament body.
In an exemplary embodiment, the hollow portion may include substantially all of an interior volume of the ornament body.
In an exemplary embodiment, the securing force may include at least one of an elastic force and friction between the grommet and the external object.
The foregoing and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an ornament hanger, including a hollow body having a hole disposed therein, and a grommet fitted into the hole and including an aperture configured to frictionally receive an object therethrough and into the hollow body.
In an exemplary embodiment, the grommet may include first and second ends having a width larger than a width of the hole, and a middle portion disposed between the first and second ends, the middle portion having a width less than or equal to the width of the hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a view of an ornament hanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an ornament hanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a grommet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 4 is a view of alternate versions of grommets according to exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an ornament hanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and

FIGS. 6-7 are side views of an ornament hanger engaged with an external object according to exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept while referring to the figures. Also, while describing the present general inventive concept, detailed descriptions about related well-known functions or configurations that may diminish the clarity of the points of the present general inventive concept are omitted.
Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list.
All terms including descriptive or technical terms which are used herein should be construed as having meanings that are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. However, the terms may have different meanings according to an intention of one of ordinary skill in the art, case precedents, or the appearance of new technologies. Also, some terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning of the selected terms will be described in detail in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. Thus, the terms used herein are defined based on the intended meaning of the terms together with the description throughout the specification.
Also, when a part “includes” or “comprises” an element, unless there is a particular description contrary thereto, the part can further include other elements, not excluding the other elements.
Hereinafter, one or more exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates an ornament hanger 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. The ornament hanger 100 according to exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept may include a grommet 10 and an ornament body 20.
The ornament body 20 may be a three-dimensional form including a hollow portion 22 at the interior thereof (indicated with dashed lines in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6). As illustrated for example in FIG. 6, the hollow portion 22 may have a size and shape sufficient to accommodate a portion of an external object 30 inside the ornament body 20. The ornament body 20 may further include a hole 21 (illustrated in FIG. 2) in which the grommet 10 is fitted therein, as described in greater detail infra. The ornament body 20 may be formed from, e.g., shatterproof plastic, glass, ceramic, or resin, but is not limited to these materials.
Although the ornament body 20 is illustrated in the drawings as approximately spherical in shape, it will be understood that the ornament body 20 may be any shape or size that may include the hole 21 and the hollow portion 22 to accommodate a portion of an external object 30. Furthermore, depending on the shape and size of the ornament body 20, the hollow portion 22 may comprise some or all of the interior volume of the ornament body 20. In other words, the ornament body 20 may be a hollow shell, or may include solid portions in addition to the hollow portion 22. An exemplary embodiment of this is illustrated in FIG. 6, showing an ornament body 20 comprising a hollow portion 22 as part of the interior volume thereof, while the remainder of the ornament body 20 may be solid. Alternatively, the ornament body 20 may include a hollow shell with a separate hollow portion 22 formed therein, separated for example from the rest of the hollow shell of the ornament body 20, so that the weight of the ornament hanger 100 is kept to a minimum. A separate hollow portion 22 formed in the ornament body 20 may also stabilize and strengthen the ornament body 20 if, for example, the ornament body 20 is a shape that is not structurally strong, such as a hollow form with decorative holes in addition to the hole 21.
The grommet 10 may be tightly fitted into the hole 21 of the ornament body 20. The grommet 10 may be made of rubber, plastic, or flexible metal, for example, but is not limited to these materials. The grommet 10 may include an aperture 11 (see FIG. 2) to accommodate an external object 30. When an external object 30 is inserted into the aperture 11 of grommet 10, the grommet 10 may deform elastically to accommodate the external object 30. The grommet 10 may exert a securing force on the external object 30 sufficient to hold the ornament hanger 100 in place on the external object 30. The securing force may be generated by elastic deformation of the grommet 10 caused by inserting the external object 30 into the aperture 11. Alternatively, or in addition to the elastic deformation, the securing force may be exerted by the shape of the inner portion of any of the exemplary apertures 11 engaging with a surface external object 30, as described in detail below with reference to FIG. 4.
The securing force is sufficient to hold the ornament hanger 100 in place on the external object 30 regardless of its orientation. In other words, the securing force exerted by the grommet 10 may hold the ornament hanger 100 in place on an external object 30 if the ornament hanger 100 is, e.g., sideways (as illustrated in FIG. 6), upside-down (as illustrated in FIG. 7), or placed at any other orientation with respect to gravity.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the ornament hanger 100, with the grommet 10 separated from the hole 21. In operation, the grommet 10 is inserted into the hole 21 and fastened, fitted, or otherwise securely held in place. FIG. 3 is a side view of a grommet 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the grommet 10 may have a wider portion 10 a at either end having a width larger than that of the hole 21, and a narrow portion 10 b in the middle having a width equal to or less than that of the hole 21. If the grommet 10 is made of a flexible material, it may be inserted into and removed from the hole 21 by deforming the grommet enough to fit one of the wider end portions 10 a through the hole 21. When positioned in the hole 21, the relatively narrower middle portion 10 b of the grommet 10 may line up with the hole 21 in the ornament body 20, while the relatively wider portions 10 a at either end of the grommet 10 may extend respectively out of and into the ornament body 20, holding the grommet 10 in place in the hole 21, as illustrated for example in FIG. 5.
The size of grommet 10 (i.e., a width and/or thickness) may depend on the size (i.e., a width and/or depth) of hole 21, such that the grommet 10 is made to securely fit into the hole 21. The size of hole 21 may be determined according to the overall size and/or shape of ornament body 20. For example, a larger ornament body 20 may have a larger hole 21 than a relatively smaller ornament body 20.
FIG. 4 illustrates various exemplary embodiments of the aperture 11 in grommet 10. As illustrated therein, the grommet 10 may include any one of a round aperture 11 a, a star-cut aperture 11 b, a toothed aperture 11 c, and a narrow aperture 11 d. These types of apertures 11 are illustrated only as examples. It will be understood that the aperture 11 may be any shape suitable to accommodate an external object 30 and hold the ornament hanger 100 securely to the external object 30. Different aperture shapes and sizes may be used depending on the intended external object 30. For example, a star-cut aperture illustrated at 11 b may accommodate a rigid or smooth external object 30 that requires the aperture 11 b to deform around it and exert a securing force comprising a primarily elastic force caused by the grommet 10's deformation. In comparison, a toothed aperture illustrated at 11 c may be used for a more flexible or textured external object 30, such that the teeth of the aperture 11 c can grip onto or engage with the object and thereby exert the securing force. A narrow aperture illustrated at 11 d may be smaller than a size of the external object 30, such that inserting the external object 30 into the grommet 10 causes an interference fit, i.e., friction from being forced through a hole that is too small generates the securing force which holds the external object 30 in place. In any case, the shape and elasticity of the aperture 11 may be such that the grommet 10 exerts the securing force to grip an external object 30 with sufficient force to hold the ornament hanger 100 on the external object 30 regardless of orientation with respect to gravity.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the grommet 10 may be removable and interchangeable, such that an ornament body 20 may be used with any grommet 10 that fits into the hole 21 in the ornament body 20. If the grommet 10 is made of a flexible material, it may be pulled out of the hole 21 and replaced with another grommet 10 without damaging the ornament body 20 or the grommet 10.
Furthermore, although the hole 21 and grommet 10 are illustrated as being substantially circular in shape, the shape of hole 21 and grommet 10 fitted therein can be any number of shapes, e.g., square, triangular, hexagonal, etc. The shape of the hole 21 and grommet 10 may depend on the shape or size of the ornament body 20. For example, in an ornament body 20 including a plurality of decorative triangular holes, the hole 21 may be triangular as well.
In operation, the ornament hanger 100 including the ornament body 20 and the grommet 10 is positioned on an external object 30. As illustrated for example in FIG. 6, this external object 30 may be, for example, a branch of a Christmas tree, but is not limited thereto. A portion of the external object 30 is inserted through the aperture 11 of grommet 10 and into the hollow portion 22 of the ornament body 20 up to a desired length. The grommet 10 exerts the securing force on the external object 30, through elastic deformation of the grommet 10 and/or engagement of the aperture 11 with a surface of the external object 30. The securing force may hold the ornament hanger 100 in place on the external object 30.
If the external object 30 is flexible, for example if it is a tree branch, the external object 30 may be manipulated, e.g. bent, after the ornament hanger 100 is in place on the external object 30, as illustrated for example in FIG. 7. Since the grommet 10 holds the ornament hanger 100 in place on the external object 30, the ornament hanger 100 remains in place even if the external object 30 is manipulated. This allows increased freedom of positioning the ornament hanger 100 in a desired location and orientation.
To remove the ornament hanger 100 from an external object 30, a user pulls the ornament hanger 100 off of the external object 30 with enough force to overcome the securing force of the grommet 10. No parts of the ornament hanger 100 need to be removed or stored separately.
The present general inventive concept eliminates the need for conventional hooks or strings currently used to hang ornaments. It will make it easier for individuals of all ages, young and old, to be able to decorate quicker, safer, and easier for holidays, special occasions, events, parties, or just for home decor. An ornament hanger 100 according to exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept needs no additional items, such as, for example, separate fastening-type hardware, to be able to function properly. That is, no additional components are required to fasten the ornament hanger 100 to an intended external object 30, for example to a tree branch. This construction may provide cost savings, as a user does not need to buy separate parts (e.g., an ornament and hooks). Furthermore, since the ornament hanger 100 is attached to the external object 30 through the securing force of the grommet 10, the ornament hanger 100 is held securely in place, with substantially less chance of getting knocked off or slipping off of the external object 30 than prior art ornaments that rely on hooks or string. This can lead to increased safety, since there is less chance of an ornament falling to the ground where it may be stepped on, and there are no hooks which may be lost, stepped on, swallowed by children or pets, etc.
Exemplary embodiments of the ornament hanger 100 described herein therefore eliminate the recognized problems of prior art hooks. The ornament hanger 100 further eliminates an extra step of fastening the conventional hooks onto an ornament or other items, which makes it easier both to hang and to store an ornament or other item year after year.
An ornament hanger 100 according to exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept may make decorating a tree or attaching an ornament or other item to a desired object much quicker than any conventional methods, which is necessary as the pace of life is continuously becoming much faster. As described above with reference to the exemplary embodiments, the present general inventive concept is both more modern and easier to use than the conventional ornament and hook arrangement.
Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An ornament hanger, comprising:

a three-dimensional ornament body including a hollow portion and a hole; and

a grommet disposed in the hole, the grommet being configured to accommodate an external object into the hollow portion through the hole, and to exert a securing force on the external object to hold the ornament hanger in place on the external object.

2. The ornament hanger of claim 1, wherein at least one of a width and a depth of the hole are determined based on a size of the ornament body.

3. The ornament hanger of claim 2, wherein at least one of a width and a thickness of the grommet are determined based on at least one of the width and the depth of the hole.

4. The ornament hanger of claim 1, wherein the grommet comprises an aperture to accommodate the external object.

5. The ornament hanger of claim 4, wherein the aperture is substantially circular in shape.

6. The ornament hanger of claim 4, wherein the aperture is star-shaped.

7. The ornament hanger of claim 4, wherein the aperture comprises teeth to grip the external object.

8. The ornament hanger of claim 1, wherein the hollow portion comprises part of an interior volume of the ornament body.

9. The ornament hanger of claim 8, wherein the hollow portion comprises substantially all of an interior volume of the ornament body.

10. The ornament hanger of claim 1, wherein the securing force comprises at least one of an elastic force and friction between the grommet and the external object.

11. An ornament hanger, comprising:

a hollow body having a hole disposed therein; and

a grommet fitted into the hole and including an aperture configured to frictionally receive an object therethrough and into the hollow body.

12. The ornament hanger of claim 11, where the grommet comprises:

first and second ends having a width larger than a width of the hole; and

a middle portion disposed between the first and second ends, the middle portion having a width less than or equal to the width of the hole.