Abstract:
The present disclosure is related to pompons. The disclosure describes pompon structures enabling attachment of the pompon practically onto any object including various garments and clothing articles, but also objects such as earrings. The user can easily move the attached pompon. The disclosure describes a useful pompon structure that leaves the hands of the user free but enables attachment of the pompons securely.

Description:
PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/541,876 filed on Feb. 4 th  2004. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Technical Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to sport and fashion accessories and entertainment devices, more particularly to pompons.  
         [0004]     2. Background of the Invention  
         [0005]     Pompons are customarily used as accessories in cheerleading. A common practice is that the cheerleaders and fans hold the pompon accessories in hand. This practice however, has the disadvantage that holding the pompon limits the freedom of movements of the hands. Another disadvantage of the common hand held pompons is that they cannot be attached to any other body part but need to be held in hand. A still another disadvantage is that when fans put the pompons down, they tend to forget them and leave them behind after the event is over.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,725 discloses a wrist pompon structure. The basic idea of this invention is an elastomeric tubular sleeve having a forward annular end wherein an annular array of elongate, flexible tassel webs are secured. The advantage of this invention is that the cheerleader does not need to hold the pompon in her hand. This invention however, is rather elaborate in use as the whole sleeve has to be taken off when the pompons are not used anymore. Neither does this invention give a chance to use the pompons in any other body part than hands. Nor does this invention allow use of pompons of different structures.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,507 discloses a self-securing pompon. This pompon structure consists of a loop such that a body part may be placed through the loop and so secured to the person. This invention makes it possible to secure the pompon to for example finger, hand or ankle—i.e. to such body parts that allow one to put the body part through the loop, but not anywhere else. Another disadvantage of the invention according to this disclosure is that the loop of the pompon may become loose and eventually the holder has anyway to hold the pompon loop with her hand. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1 . Is a representation of a preferred embodiment where the pompon structure  1  is attached on a mitten (garment  7 ) with hook and loop fastener such as VELCRO.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic drawing showing a fastener strip  2  attached to a muff (garment  7 ) and a pompom  1  secured to the muff by attaching the hook (rough) side  5  of one end of the strip to the loop(soft) side  4  of the other end of the strip thereby forming a loop  6  to secure the pompon.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2B  is a representation of an embodiment where pompon  1  is attached to a mitten (garment  7 ) by wrapping the hook and loop fastener strip  2  around the pompon thereby forming a loop  6  around the pompon.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  represents the structure of a single hook and loop fastener strip  2 . The strip is formed from a hook strip and a loop strip. In this embodiment the loop (soft)  4  and hook (rough)  5  sides of the fastener strip are facing different directions. The strip is attached to the garment  7  from its midpoint  8  where the two strips are overlapping each other so that the non adhesive sides  3  are facing each other.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4A  shows an embodiment where two fastener strips are attached to both sides of the tip of a hat (garment  7 ). The loop (soft) side  4  and the hook (rough) side  5  of the strips face the same direction. In this particular example the hook side strip is longer than the loop side strip; therefore a pompon shall be attached to the garment by wrapping the shorter loop side strip around the pompon and attaching the hook side strip to the shorter loop side strip.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4B  shows the ends of two fastener strips attached together thereby forming a loop  6 . The strips, when separated, can be wrapped around the center of the pompon to hold the pompon securely in the loop.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4C  is a representation of an embodiment where the pompon structure  1  is attached on a hat (garment  7 ) with the fastener strip wrapping around the center of the pompon.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5A  is a representation of an embodiment where pompons  1  are attached to both ends of a scarf (garment  7 ).  
         [0016]      FIG. 5B  shows the fastener loop  6  on one end of a scarf (garment  7 ) and a pompon  1  attached to another fastener loop on the second end of the scarf.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  represents an alternative embodiment where the pieces of clothing (garment  7 ) include slits  9  through which the fastener strip  2  can be slid. In this embodiment the strip is formed by attaching a strip having loop (soft) side  4  to another strip having hook (rough) side  5  so that the non adhesive sides  3  face the same direction and the strips are sewn together from the overlapping midpoint  8 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 7A  represents an alternative embodiment where the pompon  1  is secured to a claw clip  10  with which the pompon can be attached to a desired object.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7B . Shows attachment of a pompon  1  to a claw clip  10  with an elastic band  11 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  represents and alternative embodiment where the pompon  1  is secured to a clip  10  and is used as an earring.  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  shows an alternative embodiment where the pompon  1  is secured to a clip  10  and the clip is further attached to an earring.  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  shows an alternative embodiment where the pompon  1  is attached to shoes (garment  7 ) with a clip  10 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 11  shows an alternative embodiment where the pompon  1  is attached with a clip  10  to a garment  7  here being a coat or a purse.  
         [0024]      FIG. 12  shows an alternative embodiment where the pompon  1  is attached to a garment  7  (hat) or hair with a clip  10 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 13  shows an alternative embodiment where the pompon  1  is attached to a garment  7  (visor) with a clip  10 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 14  shows an embodiment where the pompon  1  is attached to a keychain with a clip  10 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     Preferred Embodiment of the Invention  
       [0027]     The present invention is an attachable and/or removable pompon structure. The pompon structure comprises a pompon  1  and a fastener  2  for securing the pompon for example on a clothing article, any other article or even on the body parts of the user. According to one preferred embodiment the fastener consists of two strips of adhesive fabric, such as hook and loop fastener commonly sold under the name VELCRO, but not limited to that. The strips are sewn together from the ends of the strips so that non-adhesive sides  3  of the fastener strips are overlapping, thereby forming one strip that has the loop side  4  (soft side) on the top of one end and the hook side  5  (rough side) on the bottom of the other end. ( FIG. 3 ). The strip is attached to a garment  7 , such as mitten or muff, by sewing it from its midpoint  8  on to the cloth or other object. The strip is wrapped around the pompon and the rough end of the strip is fastened on the soft end of the strip ( FIGS. 2A and 2B ).  
         [0028]     Alternatively the two fastener strips can be sewn separately on a garment such as a hat or a scarf. ( FIGS. 4A , B, C and  5 A and B). In this alternative embodiment the rough side  5  of one strip faces same direction as the soft side  4  of the other strip (shown in  FIG. 4A ). In this embodiment one of the strips may be longer than the other one and it is attached to the shorter strip while wrapping the pompon securely in to the loop  6  formed by the strips ( FIGS. 4B and 5B ).  
         [0029]     According to still another embodiment a fastener strip is formed of two strips so that the final fastener strip  2  has rough and soft sides facing same direction (shown in  FIG. 6 ). The strip  2  is attached on a garment  7  by sliding it through a slit  9  in the garment or another object where the pompon is to be attached ( FIG. 6 ). A pompon is secured into the loop formed when the rough and the soft ends of the strip are attached together.  
         [0030]     The pompon can be attached with the fastener for example on the backside of a glove or a mitten or a visor; smaller pompons can be attached on the fingers of the gloves or mittens. Alternatively, the pompon can be attached on socks, hats, sleeves or anywhere else in a costume. The pompons can even be attached on bags, muffs and scarves.  
         [0031]     According to another preferred embodiment the fastener is a clip  10 . According to this embodiment the pompon may be secured to the clip with an elastic band  11  or other comparable method. This embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B . The pompon may even be glued to the clip. According to this embodiment the clip wherein the pompon is attached to is further attached to any desired object such as a piece of clothing ( FIG. 11 ) for example to shoes ( FIG. 10 ), or any other object such as an earring ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ), a key chain ( FIG. 14 ), a refrigerator magnet, figurines or to hair ( FIG. 12 ). The clip may be any regular plastic clip. The clip can be a claw or clamp clip or it can as well be a two part clip consisting of male and female parts. The pompons can be alternatively attached to other attachment means such as hooks.  
         [0032]     The various alternatives give a chance also for the public to wear or use the pompons of their favorite team and still have their hands free. The pompon structures can easily and quickly be removed and attached to another garment or objective.  
         [0033]     The advantage of the present invention is that the pompon structure leaves the hands of the user free, thereby giving the user more freedom to move. A further advantage of the invention is that the pompons can be attached anywhere in the garment, not only to hands or feet. A still further advantage of the invention is that the pompon structures can be made to be of any size and be attached practically anywhere in the garment or other objects. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the removable pompons allow user to mix and match pompon colors as desired. Further advantage is that removable pompons allow for laundering of clothing articles. A still further advantage of the present invention is that the attachment of the pompon either by wrapping the fastener strip completely around the center of the pompon or by attaching the pompon on a clip which is further attached to an object is secure and does not allow the pompon to fall off when being shaken. Further advantage of the present invention is that fans will not put pompons down and forget them when the event is over. A still another advantage of the invention is that the items according to the present disclosure are multifunctional. For example, one can use the garments as such and the pompons as such, or attach the pompons onto the garments.