US 4,542,676 AGranted

Ornament assembly

AssigneeHallmark Cards, Incorporated

InventorsRonald L. Carlson, Edward G. Seale

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Abstract

A multi-purpose ornament assembly is disclosed which includes a plurality of separate interchangeable elements, including a lightweight plastic main body surrounded by a shrink-wrapped decorative film and a pair of upper and lower end caps which frame the main body. In its preferred form the invention includes a spring powered music generator which is enclosed by the main body and the upper end cap. The winding element for the music generator is coupled to the hook or eyelet at the top of the ornament from which the ornament is suspended. Rotary motion of the hook or eyelet relative to the top of the ornament winds the music generator and causes the suspended ornament to thereafter rotate on its vertical axis as the spring motor of the generator unwinds. Alternative embodiments include a musical ornament which serves the additional function of being a gift box for small objects such as jewelry or the like.

Claims2

Dependent claims

In combination:

a suspendable ornament having an engageable hook receptacle at the top thereof for suspension of said ornament form above and a spring-driven music generator within said ornament, said hook receptacle being mounted for rotary motion relative to the top of said ornament and being coupled to said music generator to provide for winding and unwinding thereof, the unwinding of said music generator causing rotation of said ornament around its vertical axis, said ornament comprising a substantially hollow main body element with an upwardly extending opening and a separate top element adapted to cover said opening by snap engagement therewith, said music generator being enclosed and secured by the engagement of said main body element by said top element and being mounted on a horizontally disposed surface secured at its periphery between the main body and top elements of said ornament, and a shaft extending vertically from said music generator through the center of said top element to provide for manual winding of said music generator from the outside of said ornament, said main body element having a flange area formed around the lower end thereof, and said combination further comprising a decorative bottom element with means for engaging said flange area to secure the bottom element to the main body, said engaging means being releaseable to allow separation of the bottom element from the main body and the lower end of said main body being substantially flat to allow said ornament to stand on its own.

A suspendable ornament comprising:

a substantially hollow body of a thin flexible molded plastic material, said body having a flange around an upper rim portion formed to provide a downwardly facing annular surface and having a flange around a lower rim portion formed to provide an upwardly facing annular surface;
a top end cap having an extended annular apron portion in surrounding overlapping relation to said upper rim portion of said body, said top end cap having a discontinuous inwardly directed flange within said extended apron portion defining upwardly facing surfaces for locking engagement with angularly spaced portions of said downwardly facing surface of said upper rim portion flange, said discontinuous flange including three short sectors to facilitate flexing of portions of said top end cap which are located between said sectors to facilitate assembly and secure holding of said top end cap to said body while accommodating manufacturing tolerances, said top end cap having a central opening therethrough;
a bottom end cap having an extended annular apron portion in surrounding overlapping relation to said lower rim portion, said bottom end cap having a discontinuous flange within said extended apron portion defining downwardly facing surfaces for locking engagement with angularly spaced portions of said upwardly facing surface of said lower rim portion flange, said discontinuous flange of said bottom end cap including three short sectors to facilitate flexing of portions of said bottom end cap which are located between said sectors of said flange of said bottom end cap to facilitate assembly and secure holding of said bottom end cap while accommodating manufacturing tolerances;
a decorative outer film in shrunken tight engagement with the other surface of said body with upper and lower edge portions of said film being disposed within said apron portions of said top and bottom end caps;
a support board having a peripheral edge portion sandwiched between said upper rim portion of said body and a downward facing portion of said top end cap within said extended apron portion;
a spring driven music generator mounted on said support board, said music generator having a winding element;
a shaft coupled at its lower end to said winding element, said shaft extending through said top end cap central opening and having an engageable hook receptacle at the top thereof;
and
the height of said hollow body being such in relation to any downward extend of said music generator below said board as to provide a space of substantial size within said ornament for receiving a gift object or the like, said top end cap being disengageable from and reengageable with said hollow body for insertion or removal of said gift object and for use of said ornament as a musical ornament after removal of said gift object.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.