Artificial plant assembly

An artificial plant assembly (10) consisting of a stationary central stem (12) and a plurality of rotatable fronds (70). The central stem (12) includes a rigid inner core (14) and a molded outer stem (22). Near the lower terminus (26) of the outer stem (22) is a frond stop (30), a bulbous section (48) located above the stop (30), and extending from the upper end (18) and sides is located a plurality of leaves (58). The rotatable frond (70) also has a rigid inner core (72) and a molded outer stem (80). The outer stem (80) has an upper terminus (82), a lower bulbous section (84), and a plurality of leaves (58) that extend from its upper terminus (82) and sides. The lower bulbous section (84) has an open side (86) and an enclosed lower portion (80) having an opening (90). To produce the artificial plant assembly (10) the lower bulbous section (84) is inserted upward through the lower end (16) of the inner core (14) and forced over the frond stop (30). The open side (86) of the frond (70) is then pushed upward against the bulbous section (48). Once inserted, the frond (70) remains rotatably captive within the confines of the stationary central stem (12)

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The invention pertains to the general field of artificial plants and 
flowers and more particularly to an artificial plant assembly that 
includes a stationary central stem into which is inserted a rotatable 
frond that is maintained within the central stem by a frond stop and a 
pair of interfacing bulbous sections. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Ever since people have been inhabiting enclosed spaces there has been a 
desire to include plant life, such as flowers, trees and other flora, into 
the interior decoration. By including plant life, an occupant of an 
enclosed space is able to instill a feeling of natural beauty and life 
consistent with the outdoor environment. For individuals who must remain 
within an enclosed space for extended periods of time, the addition of 
plant life provides not only an attractive diversion from normal interior 
furnishings but also an environment more conducive to better mental health 
and conditioning. 
The greatest deterrent to including plant life in interior decor is that 
many types of live plants are unable to survive without either direct or 
partial sunlight or a sufficient amount of water. A plant may be placed in 
a location to receive as much sunlight possible through a window, but 
often this is not sufficient and the plant will wither and eventually die. 
In response to this problem, many types of artificial plants have been 
created. These artificial plants have evolved to the point where it is 
very difficult to determine whether the plant is in fact alive or merely a 
good reproduction. When artificial plants first became available many 
people were discouraged because of the obvious un-realistic appearance of 
the plants. Now most artificial plants are extremely realistic except for 
certain types or species of plants which are inherently difficult to 
artificially reproduce. 
One of these types of plants includes a stationery central stem having 
attached thereto a plurality of fronds with outward extending leaves. Due 
to the methods by which many current artificial plants are designed and 
assembled, it is obviously apparent that the plant is not living. The most 
striking appearance is usually the section of the plant where the branches 
are joined to the central stem. It is difficult to attach the fronds in a 
manner that is both structurally adequate for support and also 
realistic-looking. Either the branches are attached in a realistic manner, 
which often causes them to fall or lean in unnatural positions, or they 
are insecurely attached clearly exposing the attachment method. Neither 
option is particularly appealing. 
It is therefore readily apparent that some structure and method of creating 
artificial plants which does not sacrifice the structural integrity of the 
plant or its realistic appearance is needed. 
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly 
on the claims of the instant invention however, the following U.S. patents 
were considered related: 
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U.S. Pat. No. INVENTOR ISSUED 
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4,215,163 Lee 24 July 1980 
3,829,349 Hermanson 13 August 1974 
2,826,845 Warren 18 March 1958 
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The U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,163 Lee patent discloses an artificial flowers 
assembly that is made from a plastic stem unitarily molded around a 
reinforcing wire with integral side petioles, an internal calyx and an 
internal coupling member. A subassembly of fabric petals, preferably silk 
printed for viewing where appropriate, is made by loosely mounting the 
petals on a plastic tubular member. The tubular member is then mounted on 
the coupling member. 
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,344 Hermanson patent discloses a collapsible 
artificial tree arrangement, the arrangement is particularly adapted for 
Christmas decoration in which simulated branches are freely foldable 
substantially parallel to the truck, or they may pivot to an erected 
condition for display. The arrangement includes an elongated trunk core 
and a plurality of sectional trunk portions disposed there around. Some of 
the trunk portions have branch holding sockets while others serve as 
spacing members. 
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,845 Warren patent discloses an artificial Christmas 
tree that can be assembled from readily separate members. The invention is 
designed to closely simulate a natural Christmas tree while providing an 
artificial tree which may be assembled or disassembled by unskilled 
persons with a minimum of direction and time. When not in use the tree may 
be disassembled and subsequently packed and stored in a relatively small 
container. 
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention 
relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in 
the search: 
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U.S. PAT. NO. 
INVENTOR ISSUED 
______________________________________ 
5,320,884 Tai, et al 14 June 1994 
4,585,677 Hwang, et al 
29 April 1986 
4,386,480 Horowitz 7 June 1983 
4,106,233 Horowitz 15 August 1978 
3,298,712 Sears 23 December 1975 
3,808,082 Steiber 30 April 1974 
3,639,196 Hermanson 1 February 1972 
3,603,780 Lu 26 January 1970 
3,161,559 Tong 15 December 1964 
3,131,112 Abramson 28 April 1964 
3,115,435 Abramson 24 December 1963 
3,007,282 Galesky 7 November 1961 
2,984,036 Adler, Jr. 16 May 1961 
2,759,285 Bussert 21 August 1956 
2,749,638 Fiedler 12 June 1956 
2,054,605 Rogers 15 September 1936 
1,748,636 Crocket 25 February 1930 
1,738,613 Rice 10 December 1929 
1,495,695 Karr 17 May 1924 
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DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
The artificial plant assembly disclosed herein is designed to be quickly 
and easily assembled into a realistically appearing plant. In its most 
basic design configuration, the artificial plant assembly consists of a 
stationary central stem, at least one rotatable frond, and a means for 
rotatably attaching and maintaining the rotatable frond within the 
confines of the stationary central stem. 
The stationary central stem is comprised of a substantially rigid inner 
core and an outer stem molded of plastic around the inner core. 
The inner core can be constructed of a metal rod, a plastic rod or a metal 
tube into which is inserted a metal or plastic rod. The outer stem 
includes a multiplicity of flora, such as leaves and/or flowers that are 
integrally and outwardly attached. The outward attachment direction 
includes at least one leaf or flower extending from the stem's upper 
terminus and a multiplicity of leaves or flowers extending from opposite 
sides of the outer stem. The oppositively extending flora are attached on 
the same plane and are staggered to increase the realism of the central 
stem. 
The rotatable frond is comprised of a substantially rigid inner core and an 
outer stem that is molded around the inner core. The inner core is 
preferably made of a metal rod and the outer stem is comprised of a 
plastic material. To the outer stem is also integrally molded a 
multiplicity of leaves and/or flowers that extend from the outer stem's 
upper end and sides. The leaves extending from the sides are on the same 
plane and are staggered. 
The means for rotatably attaching and maintaining the rotatable fronds 
within the central stem is the primary novel feature of the inventive 
artificial plant assembly. The attachment means utilizes a frond stop and 
a bulbous section that are located on the outer stem of the stationary 
central stem and a complimentary bulbous section that is located on the 
lower end of the outer stem of the rotatable frond. The bulbous section on 
the rotatable frond includes an opening that allows it to be inserted over 
the lower end of the central stem and to be forced over the frond stop. 
Once the rotatable frond is inserted, the frond stop holds the rotatable 
frond captive within the confines of the central stem. 
As additional rotatable fronds are inserted into the the central stem, the 
bulbous section of the first or upper frond nests against the bulbous 
section on the central stem. The subsequent frond bulbous sections 
inserted into the central stem, nest into the bulbous section located on 
the previously inserted rotatable frond. When all the fronds are inserted, 
typically three such fronds, the lower end of the stationary central stem 
is inserted into a hollow base stem to complete the artificial plant 
assembly. 
To add further realism to the artificial plant assemblies a series of 
longitudinally spaced circular indentations are included on both the outer 
stem of the central stem and the rotatable frond. Also, the flora which 
are preferably made of a resilient material such as silk can be coated 
with a fire retardant to prevent or reduce incidents of fire. 
In view of the above disclosure it is the primary object of the invention 
to disclose an artificial plant assembly which utilizes a structure and 
method that allows a plurality of rotatable fronds to be realistically and 
quickly attached to a stationary central stem. 
In addition to the primary object of the invention it is also an object of 
the invention to produce an artificial plant assembly that: 
can be made of various lengths and diameters, 
can be designed to include any number of rotatable fronds, 
can be intermeshed with a combination of leaf and flower fronds, 
is relatively maintenance free, and 
is cost effective from both manufacturing and consumers points of view. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred 
embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of a 
preferred embodiment that allows artificial plant assemblies 10 to be 
realistically simulated, and quickly and easily assembled. The preferred 
embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-7 is comprised of the following three 
major elements: a stationary central stem 12, a rotatable frond 70 and a 
hollow base stem 94. 
The stationary central stem 12, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is comprised of 
a substantially rigid inner core 14 and an outer stem 22. The inner core 
14 includes a lower end 16, an upper end 18 and can be constructed of a 
metal rod 19 as shown in FIG. 3, of a plastic rod 21 as shown in FIG. 4, 
or a metal tube 23 as shown in FIG. 5. Optionally, the inner core 14 may 
be constructed of an inner core assembly 25 consisting of a lower metal 
tube 23 into which is inserted a metal rod 19 or a plastic rod 21 with a 
metal rod 19 preferred as shown in FIG. 6. 
The outer stem 22, which is comprised of a plastic material, is molded 
around the rigid inner core 14. The outer stem 22 includes an upper 
terminus 24, a lower terminus 26, a frond stop 30, a lower stem section 
40, a bulbous section 48 and a multiplicity of leaves 58. 
The frond stop 30 extends upward from the lower terminus 26 of the outer 
stem 22 and terminates with an upper central area 32 as shown best in FIG. 
2. From the upper central area 32 extends outward a ledge 34 which 
functions to stop the lower longitudinal travel of the rotatable frond 
located at the bottom of the artificial plant assembly 10. Integrally 
attached to the upper central area 32 of the frond stop 30 is the lower 
end 44 of a lower stem section 40 which also includes an upper end 42. 
The bulbous section 48, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has a lower terminus 50 
that is integrally attached to the upper end 42 of the lower stem section 
40. From the lower terminus 50 the outwardly extending bulbous section 48 
has an upward section 52 that terminates with an inward taper 54 that 
integrally interfaces with the outer stem 22. 
Each of the leaves 58, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, have an upper end 60, 
a lower end 62, a midrib 64 and a leaf stalk 66. The stalk 66 extends 
beyond the lower end 62 of the leaf and is integrally molded to the outer 
stem 22. The leaves 58 are made of a thin flexible material, such as silk, 
that simulates the appearance and feel of an actual live leaf. At least 
one, and preferably three, leaves extend integrally from the upper 
terminus 24 of the outer stem 22, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Likewise, a 
multiplicity of the leaves 58 extend from opposite sides of the outer stem 
22. The leaves are located in the same plane and preferably staggered, as 
also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
The rotatable frond 70, as shown attached in FIGS. 1-3 and as a separate 
element in FIG. 7, is also comprised of a substantially rigid inner core 
72 and an outer stem 80. The inner core 72 includes a lower end 74, an 
upper end 76 and can be constructed of a metal rod 19 as shown in FIG. 3 
or a plastic rod as shown in FIG. 4. 
The outer stem 80, which is also comprised of a plastic material is molded 
around the rigid inner core 72 and includes an upper terminus 82 and a 
lower bulbous section 84. The bulbous section 84 as best shown in FIG. 7, 
has an open side 86 and an enclosed lower portion 88 having an opening 90 
with a diameter that is slightly smaller than the outward extending ledge 
34 located on the front stop 30. 
To add realism to the artificial plant assembly 10, the outer stem 22 of 
the central stem 12 and the outer stem 80 of the rotatable frond 70 
include a series of longitudinally spaced circular indentations 92. The 
indentations 92, as shown best in FIG. 2 add to the stem's perceived 
realism. 
To form the artificial plant assembly 10, the lower bulbous section 84 of 
at least one of the rotatable fronds 70 is inserted upwards through the 
lower end 16 of the rigid stationary inner core 14. During the insertion, 
the opening 90 on the hollow bulbous section 84 is forced over the ledge 
34 located on the front stop 30. To conclude the insertion process the 
open side 86 of the hollow bulbous section 84 is pushed further upward to 
allow the inner surfaces of the hollow bulbous section 84 to interface 
with the exterior surfaces of the bulbous section 52 located on the 
stationary central stem 12. After insertion, the opening 90 returns to its 
original dimension which prevents the hollow bulbous section 84 from being 
retracted downward over the frond stop 30. Thus, the rotatable frond 70 
remains captive within the confines of the stationary central stem 12. 
In the above description only one rotatable frond 70 is discussed for 
simplicity of disclosure. However, in the preferred artificial plant 
assembly 10, at least two and preferably three rotatable fronds 70 are 
inserted into the stationary central stem 12. When a second and subsequent 
rotatable fronds are used, the lower bulbous section 84 of the first 
inserted rotatable frond 70 is pushed upward against the bulbous section 
48 on the stationary central stem 12. The second inserted rotatable frond 
70 is then inserted over the frond stop 30, as previously described, with 
the opening of the hollow bulbous section 84 interfacing with the lower 
exterior surfaces of the first inserted bulbous section 84. Likewise a 
third bulbous section 84 may thereafter be inserted in a similar manner. 
To complete the artificial plant assembly 10, a hollow base stem 94 is 
utilized. The stem 94 has an upper end 96 and a lower end 98. Into the 
upper end 96 is inserted the lower end 16 of the rigid, stationary inner 
core 14. The lower end 98 of the base stem is then placed into a holder or 
vase for displaying the assembly. To add realism to the base stem, it may 
also include a series of longitudinally spaced circular indentations 92. 
While the invention has been described in complete detail and pictorially 
shown in the accompanying drawings it is not to be limited to such 
details, since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention 
without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For example, the 
outer stem 22 and the rotatable frond 70, including the leaves 58, can be 
made of plastic, cloth, wood fibers or a light metal. Additionally, in 
lieu of leaves 58 flowers may be used to make the artificial plant 
assembly 10. Hence, it is described to cover any and all modifications and 
forms which may come within the language and scope of the appended claims.