Abstract:
A mobile constructed from a single sheet of material having alternating cut lines and fold lines so that wind striking the mobile causes the intervening panels to undulate.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to outdoor displays, particularly ornaments configured to undulate in the wind. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Devices that model the appearance and simulate the movement of land or sea animals include ornaments, decoys, lures, and wind direction indicators. Such devices (such as figurines) generally fall into one of four categories: (1) those that rotate about a rod, (2) those that appear as stationary silhouettes, (3) those having bodies that sway or bounce in the wind, or (4) those that undulate in the wind. 
   Referring to the first three categories identified above, there have been numerous designs employed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,953 to McKinney discloses a fowl decoy whose body is pivotally connected to a stand and whose neck and body are connected together with a mechanism including tension strings. The mechanism is complex and must be installed in the body of the fowl by an assembler. A string tied to the mechanism is tugged and relaxed by a remotely positioned person. However, if pulling the string is discontinued, the decoy just stands there looking like an unanimated decoy. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,063 to Heiges discloses a decoy simulating a fowl having a neck fastened at a first end to a ball that is set in the decoy body for universal movement, and fastened to a rotatably mounted head of the fowl at a second end. The neck is comprised of a long multiple-turn tightly wound helical spring with a plastic sheet around it. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,942 to Lanius has the head and neck of a fowl decoy pivotally connected to a body. A cord is attached to the head of the decoy and the cord has a weight fastened to it which tends to restore the neck of the decoy to its high position. A person situated remotely may tug on a string to cause the neck and head to bow. When the string tension is relieved the weight restores the neck and head to an upright attitude. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,654 to Denny discloses a wild fowl decoy such as a turkey, the body of which contains electric motors that are operatively coupled to the head and neck. The motors are actuated by electric signals from a remote transmitter. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,747 to Skwarek discloses a wind indicator having multiple sections including a tail section for catching wind, a front section for indicating the direction of the wind, a tail mounting section, a joiner for joining the tail mounting section with the front section, vanes for catching the wind, projections that fit into disk type structures, and a pole upon which the assembly rotates. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,288 to Payne et al. discloses a decoy resembling an animal. Parts of the decoy&#39;s anatomy, such as the neck, head, ears, and tail are connected in a pivotable articulated manner to the main body. String is connected to the body parts which move if the string is tugged. The body parts are restored to a resting position as a result of being connected to the ends of rubber bands having ends anchored to the body. Unless the string is tugged and relaxed, the decoy has little advantage over a figurine. The construction is complex and expensive to manufacture. Moreover, its complexity and several moving parts increase the likelihood of a breakdown. 
   Turning now to the fourth category discussed above, devices configured to undulate in the wind simulate to a greater extent the movement of fish, birds, and the like, and are displayed in places such as lawns, patio areas, in front of windows, or even inside houses near open windows. Although there are numerous prior art embodiments within the first three categories, the field of undulating ornaments/decoys is quite limited and presently incorporates compound design structures. 
   An undulating mobile is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,888 to Gomez. The &#39;888 patent discloses a fish-shaped mobile or “wind sculpture” wherein a fish is segmented into sections and the sections are joined by a string. The mobile further incorporates weights secured to the segmented portions to maintain a vertical arrangement and draw the strings taunt. Due to the discontinuity between sections, the fish sways in the wind. Because of the numerous string attachments in the mobile, as well as balancing of the weights, assembly is tedious. Also, the assembly of numerous parts increases cost. 
   Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an undulating mobile that comprises few parts and is easily constructed. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is an undulating mobile, the primary characteristic of which is construction from a single/continuous sheet of material. Optional components include a display rod and a mounting base. The mobile is animated by wind blowing across panels interconnected by fold lines along the length of the material. The mobile may be displayed outdoors or indoors, provided there is sufficient wind. For example, the display apparatus  100  may be placed in an indoor plant box located near an open window. 
   The mobile of the present invention comprises a first panel having a first panel front side and a first panel back side; a second panel having a second panel front side and a second panel back side; a third panel having a third panel front side and a third panel back side; wherein said first panel front side and said second panel front side share a fold line and said first panel back side and said second panel back side abut a cut line; and wherein said second panel front side and said third panel front side abut a cut line and said second panel back side and said third panel back side share a fold line. 
   The mobile of the present invention also comprises a sheet of corrugated plastic having a front side and a back side; and a series of panels defined by cut lines along the length of the sheet, alternating on said front side and said back side. 
   The invention is also directed to an undulating mobile comprising: a plurality of panels; and linking means for consecutively linking the panels. 
   The invention is also directed to a mobile comprising a sheet of corrugated plastic having a front side and a back side; and a series of panels defined by cut lines along the length of the sheet, alternating on said front side and said back side. 
   The mobile/ornament of the present invention is generally two-dimensional and may take the form of a variety of animals or objects. For convenience, throughout the specification, a fish will be intermittently discussed or referenced as the mobile. It is to be understood however that the mobile can take on the form of any animal, object or ornamental design. 
   Objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mobile made in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a dorsal plan view of the mobile of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing segments of the mobile of  FIG. 1  rotated about adjoining fold lines. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown an ornamental display  100  comprising a decorative mobile  110 , shown here as a fish, mounted on a support rod  102 . 
   In the preferred embodiment, the mobile  110  is a cut-out from a four millimeter corrugated plastic sheet, such as Coroplast® (Great Pacific Enterprises, Dallas, Tex.), although a sheet of any “airy” lightweight material, such as cardboard, synthetic resinous plastic, or foam having skin on each side could be used. Preferably, the cuts are made in corrugation voids of a plastic sheet. 
   The sheet of material is cut into form using a die-cut machine or other device. In the present example, the cut-out/blank is basically a two-dimensional fish having a head  111 , a body  113 , and a tail  115 . 
   After the sheet is cut, the fold lines  118  and cut lines  120  are added. In one preferred embodiment, the fold lines  118  and cut lines  120  are added to the mobile  110  by hand, using a hand-held utility knife or razor blade such as a guide-mounted Stanley Fat Max® Utility Knife (Stanley Tools, Model Number 10-799, Farmington, Conn.), providing accurate placement and depth of the cut lines  120 . As best seen in  FIG. 3 , the pattern of fold lines  118  and cut lines  120  in the single-piece corrugated plastic sheet provides a series of panels or segments connected at fold lines  118  (also referred to as hinge points). In an alternate embodiment, for additional support one or more hinge(s) are attached to two adjacent panels along the fold line. 
   The fold lines  118  and cut lines  120  are preferably spaced in an approximately equidistant manner from one another. For example, for fish having a length of 30 inches, it is preferred that the fold line  118  and cut lines  120  are approximately one inch apart. However, the spacing of the fold lines  118  and cut lines  120  can be varied depending in the shape and/or length of the object, or wind conditions. For example, if the intended display area of the display apparatus  100  has very low wind currents, the fold lines  118  and cut lines  120  may be spaced closer together along the body  113  of the mobile  110  for increasing undulations. Alternatively, if the intended display area has extremely high wind currents, the fold lines  118  and cut lines  120  can be spaced farther apart along the body section  113  of the mobile  110  to reduce undulation frequency. Panel width can be varied for other purposes as well. For example, referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , cut lines  120  are absent in the head section  111  and tail section  115  for aesthetic purposes. 
   In an alternate embodiment, fold lines  118  and cut lines  120  are made before the mobile  110  is cut into shape. For example, a section of plastic sheet is positioned under a die-cut machine. The operator moves the die-cut machine down to produce cut lines  120  on one side of the body  113 . After the cut lines  120  on one side are made, the operator flips the plastic sheet over to the opposing side and maneuvers the sheet so that cut lines  120  on the first side alternate with the cut lines  120  on the second side. The sheet is then cut into the desired mobile shape. 
   After the cutting is complete, the “blanks” are decorated with a weather resistant finish applied by airbrush to give the mobile the desired appearance. 
   In an alternate embodiment, an assembly of panels of a solid material, such as wood, sheet metal, or acrylic, are connected by hinges to form the body of the mobile and provide articulation. In another embodiment, fabric is stretched over metal frame segments, the fabric between segments acting as the hinge. 
   Preferably a support rod  102  and stopper  106  are assembled to support the mobile  110  for display. The mobile is mounted on a rod and, in conjunction with a stopper, allows the mobile to pivot. The first end  104  of the support rod  102  is inserted through the interior  112  of the mobile  110 . When the mobile  110  is positioned on the support rod  102 , it is secured with at least one stopper  108 . The second end  106  of the support rod  102  may then be inserted into the ground or other penetrable floor medium. 
   The support rod  102  is preferably formed from wire or fiberglass but can be formed from another suitable material such as wood, metal or plastic. If the support rod is partially flexible, the mobile may sway in the wind, further stimulating natural movements of an animal. 
   The position of the mobile  110  on the support rod  102  may vary. The optimal position may be determined by the surrounding wind or water. For example, when displayed in high winds, it may be preferable to place the mobile  110  near the bottom end of the support rod  102 , as excess winds or water currents may cause the mobile  110  to flap excessively. 
   There are a number of ways to fix the mobile  110  to the support rod. The mobile  110  may be adhesively secured directly to the support rod  102  or may be attached by other securing means such as a clamp or stopper. For example, a ball-and-socket or plug-and-socket type clamp may be used. In the preferred embodiment, the mobile  110  is attached to the support rod  102  by an upper  108 ( a ) stopper and a lower  108 ( b ) stopper. If moveable stoppers are used, the distance of the mobile from the ground may be easily changed. In the preferred embodiment, the lower stopper  108 ( b ) is a friction fitting compressed onto the rod as a permanent fixture. The stoppers may be made of rubber, plastic, or other material suitable to support the mobile on the rod. 
   In an alternate embodiment of the invention, a base structure  114  is provided so that the mobile may be displayed in areas where insertion of the support rod  102  into a medium is not possible, such as a concrete parking lot or wood patio. The base structure  114  may be made of wood, metal, or other material heavy enough to withstand mobile undulations. In addition, the base structure  114  may be configured to accept multiple support rods. For example, one or more holes provided in the base to support multiple support rods. 
   Although the mobile has been discussed with reference to movement caused by wind, the mobile  110  may also be displayed underwater, such as in a fish tank, and undulate with water movement. 
   It is understood that the invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.