Apparatus for tossing confetti and expressing a celebratory greeting

A confetti tossing apparatus. Lengths of folded paper are fixedly attached between end panels and a body of confetti is disposed within the lengths of folded paper. The apparatus opens to a first position to display a first part of a celebratory greeting, for example the word "HAPPY". The apparatus is jerked while holding the end panels causing the apparatus to open to a second position. A second part of the celebratory greeting for example the word "BIRTHDAY" is displayed in conjunction with the first part of greeting, and the opening of the apparatus to its second position causes confetti to be tossed outwardly from the apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention generally relates to party favors. More specifically, 
this invention relates to novel means for tossing confetti and expressing 
a celebratory gesture. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,160 to Balsamo discloses a greeting card having means 
to release confetti when the card is opened. To the Applicant's knowledge 
no other confetti tossing devices are shown in the prior art. 
Confetti is widely used in celebrations. It is generally tossed by hand. A 
particular problem in the hand tossing of confetti is the storage of small 
quantities prior to use. Packets of confetti are generally used which are 
opened when ready to toss or opened and put into a pocket until ready to 
toss. A further problem with the confetti of the prior art is 
post-celebration clean up. The confetti in the prior art generally 
comprises two-dimensional shapes of paper which is difficult to remove 
from a floor or the like when dispersed. The novel confetti tossing device 
of the present invention overcomes these limitations of the prior art. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a confetti tossing apparatus comprising a pair of 
end panels having respective handles extending therefrom and first, second 
and third lengths of laterally-curved paper folded in accordion fashion 
along their respective lengths and fixedly attached at ends thereof to the 
respective end panels. The lengths of laterally-curved paper are attached 
to the end panels in a manner such that when the respective end panels are 
rotated 180.degree. within the plane of the length of the curved paper a 
first ornamental configuration of the curved paper is formed and when the 
apparatus is jerked longitudinally while holding the handles with the end 
panels so rotated a second ornamental configuration of the curved paper is 
formed having at least a portion of the curved paper disposed as in the 
first ornamental configuration. A quantity of confetti is disposed within 
the first ornamental configuration and released therefrom when the 
apparatus is jerked to form the second ornamental configuration. The 
consistent outward disposition of at least a portion of the curved paper 
in both the first configuration and the second configuration permits a 
first part of a celebratory gesture to be shown when the apparatus is 
disposed in the first ornamental configuration and a second part of a 
celebratory gesture to be shown in conjunction with the first part of the 
celebratory gesture when the apparatus is disposed in a second ornamental 
configuration. 
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel party favor. 
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for tossing 
confetti. 
A further object of this invention is to provide novel means to express a 
celebratory gesture. 
It is also an object of this invention to provide a confetti tossing 
apparatus having an improved confetti construction. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be 
apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of 
preferred embodiments, drawing figures and appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 illustrates a partially fragmented perspective view of a first 
preferred embodiment of the confetti tossing apparatus 1 of the present 
invention. Confetti tossing apparatus 1 generally comprises a first end 
panel 10, a second end panel 20, and first, second and third lengths of 
laterally-curved paper material 30, 40 and 50 fixedly attached at 
respective ends thereof to the respective first and second end panels 10 
and 20. The respective end panels 10, 20 are formed having a billboard 
portion 10a, 20a and a handle portion 10b, 20b extending downwardly from 
the billboard portion 10a, 201. The first, second and third lengths of 
laterally-curved paper material 30, 40 and 50 are attached to the rearward 
faces 10a", 20a" of billboard portions 10a, 20a of the end panels 10, 20. 
The forward faces 10a', 20a' of the respective billboard portions 10a, 20a 
are initially outwardly disposed at respective ends of the apparatus 1. 
The first, second and third lengths of laterally-curved paper material 30, 
40 and 50 are folded accordion-style along their respective lengths. As 
can be best seen in FIG. 2, the first, second and third lengths of 
material 30, 40 and 50 in the first preferred embodiment of the confetti 
tossing apparatus 1 respectively comprise members having a U-shaped cross 
section. The first and second lengths of material 30, 40 are attached to 
the billboard portions 10a and 20a of the end panels 10 and 20 in 
side-by-side relationship having an inner leg of the respective first and 
second lengths of material 30, 40 adjacently disposed, the U-shaped 
members being disposed having the legs thereof oriented downwardly. The 
third length of material 50 is attached to the respective end panels 10, 
20 having the respective legs thereof upwardly disposed between the legs 
of the respective first length of material 30 and the second length of 
material 40. 
The confetti tossing apparatus 1 is initially disposed having the 
respective first and second end panels 10, 20 in displaced relationship. 
In the present disclosure this disposition of the apparatus 1 is referred 
to as the closed position. A first open position of the confetti tossing 
apparatus 1 is obtained by rotating the second end panel 20 
counterclockwise from the position illustrated in FIG. 1 to bring first 
end panel 10 and second end panel 20 in adjacent disposition as 
illustrated in FIG. 3. Thereby the first, second and third lengths of 
material 30, 40 and 50 are expanded about the respective end panels 10, 
20. As can be seen in the side elevational view of the confetti tossing 
apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 4, when the apparatus 1 is disposed in the 
first open position the inner leg 30a, 40a of the respective first and 
second lengths of material 30, 40 is disposed beneath the third length of 
material 50 and the outer leg 30b, 40b of the respective first and second 
lengths of material 30, 40 is outwardly disposed. In the first preferred 
embodiment of the apparatus 1 a first part 60a of a celebratory greeting 
60 (FIG. 3), for example the word "HAPPY", is displayed on the outside 
face 40b' of the outer leg 40b of the second length of material 40. The 
second part 60b of the celebratory greeting 60 is displayed when the 
apparatus 1 is unfolded to a second open position (FIG. 7) as hereinafter 
described. It should be understood that the first part 60a of the 
celebratory greeting 60 may be displayed on the first length of material 
30 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
A further component of the confetti tossing apparatus 1 of the present 
invention is illustrated in FIG. 5--the confetti 70. Confetti 70 is 
disposed within and retained by the third length of material 50. When the 
apparatus 1 is unfolded to the second open position the confetti 70 is 
tossed outwardly from the apparatus 1. 
FIG. 6 illustrates the unfolding of the apparatus 1 from the first open 
position to the second open position. Apparatus 1 is held by the handle 
portion 10b, 20b of the end panels 10, 20 while disposed in the first open 
position, moved forward toward the second length of material 40 and jerked 
backwards. The third length of material 50 is thereby caused to move over 
the top of the second length of material 40 and lay disposed about the 
lower portion of the second length of material 40 and thereby toss the 
confetti 70 outwardly from the apparatus 1. As can be seen in FIG. 7 the 
second part 60b of the celebratory greeting 60, for example the word 
"BIRTHDAY", is displayed on the inside face 50a' of the rearward leg 50a 
(as measured from the direction of the forward motion of the apparatus 1 
prior to jerking) of the third length of material 50. Thus, when the 
apparatus 1 is disposed in the second open position, the entire 
celebratory greeting 60 can be seen. 
The confetti tossing apparatus 1 of the present invention provides a novel 
and unique means for expressing a celebratory greeting 60. As should be 
readily understood by those skilled in the art various celebratory 
greetings may be displayed on the apparatus 1 as heretofore described. 
Furthermore, a plurality of lengths of material in excess of three as 
shown in the first preferred embodiment of the apparatus 1 illustrated in 
FIGS. 1-7 may be attached to the respective first and second end panels 10 
and 20 to form a variety of first open positions and second open 
positions, even ornamental shapes (similarly to balloon sculpture). FIGS. 
8-14 pictorially depict the variety of celebratory greetings that may be 
expressed by use of the present invention and further illustrates 
additional novel features of the confetti tossing apparatus 1. In FIGS. 
8-14 "FIG. A" illustrates an elevational view of an end panel, "FIG. B" 
illustrates a first open position, and "FIG. C" illustrates a second open 
position of the confetti tossing apparatus 1. In these further exemplary 
embodiments of the present invention an ornamental design 80 is displayed 
on the billboard portion 10a of a first end panel 10, preferably 
suggestive of the celebratory greeting 60, and shaped confetti 70' is 
formed in ornamental shapes corresponding to the ornamental design 80 on 
the end panel 10. As should be understood the variety of ornamental 
designs 80 and corresponding shaped confetti 70' that may be employed in 
confetti tossing device 1 of the present invention is virtually endless. 
The configurations achievable by the lengths of material 30, 40 and 50 in 
the respective first open position and second open position can be 
expanded by use of adjustable end panels. FIG. 15 illustrates a preferred 
embodiment of an adjustable first end panel 10' for a second confetti 
tossing apparatus 2 which is typical of the second end panel 20'. 
Adjustable first end panel 10' comprises a billboard portion 10a having a 
handle clip 11' fixedly disposed on the forward face 10a' of the billboard 
portion 10a and a sliding handle portion 10b' which engages the clip 11'. 
Clip 11' is formed having engagement slots 10c at each end thereof which 
cooperably engage the engagement pins 11a' of clip 11'. Thus, sliding 
handle portion 10b' can be disposed for a closed position as previously 
described for the first preferred embodiment of the apparatus 1 and as 
shown by the solid lines in FIG. 15 or alternatively slid and engaged at 
the opposite end thereof for an alternative closed position to provide a 
first open position as illustrated in FIG. 16. The second apparatus 2 is 
operable in the same manner as previously described from either of the 
alternative closed positions. 
Confetti is generally formed as a two-dimensional member and this 
construction contributes greatly to the generally known cleanup problems. 
FIG. 17 illustrates an improved three-dimensional confetti 90 suitable for 
use in the confetti tossing apparatus 1 or 2 of the present invention. 
Three-dimensional confetti 90 may be formed in a variety of ways, 
including molded and crumpled shapes. The preferred three-dimensional 
confetti 90 illustrated in FIG. 17 comprises two curved members 90a of 
identical construction disposed and fixedly attached back-to-back by glue, 
for example. Of course, three-dimensional confetti 90 formed by an 
extrusion or similar process is equally suitable for use in the 
apparatuses 1 or 2 of the present invention. 
Various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention 
without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Such 
changes and modifications within a fair reading of the following claims 
are intended as part of the present invention.