Patent Publication Number: US-6217956-B1

Title: Transparent ornament with transparent picture therein and method of manufacture thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to ornaments and, more particularly, to transparent ornaments. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Ornaments are used as decorations to create an aesthetically pleasing effect, particularly during a holiday season. Ornaments, such as Christmas tree ornaments, may have many shapes, sizes, and colors. However, the most common ornament is a globe having a decorative finish and a hanger for attachment to a support, such as a tree branch. 
     A personalized ornament can be created from raw materials, such as papier-mâché, paint, and the like. Moreover, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,648 to Yates, a photograph or photographic transparency  12  can be received in a holder  15  disposed in a transparent or translucent housing. A lamp and a lens  31  can be positioned on opposite sides of holder  15  for projecting light through the photograph or photographic transparency and for limiting viewing within the housing to the area of the photograph or photographic transparency. U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,667 to Rusch discloses an ornament formed from a plurality of housing-forming members  6  which can be snapped together to form a hollow sphere. A greeting card blank  10  can be positioned inside the hollow sphere and indicia or photographs can be mounted on the greeting card blank. U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,364 to Hunt discloses an ornament display container formed from a pair of housing sections connected together by a connecting ring. Pictures can be positioned back-to-back on opposite sides of the housing ring for viewing through the housing sections. 
     A disadvantage of prior art ornaments is the need for mounting hardware to support pictures within the ornaments. This mounting hardware increases the cost and complexity of these prior art ornaments, and, in some instances, may interfere with the aesthetics of the ornament. Another disadvantage is the inability to view an image received in the ornament from both sides thereof. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages and others by providing an ornament that is easy to assemble and which enables images received on a film substrate positioned in the ornament to be viewed from both sides of the substrate. Still other objects will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, I have invented an ornament that includes an optically transparent and hollow globe and an optically transparent film formed from a material having a shape-memory which urges the film planar. The film is received in the globe with the shape-memory urging a periphery of the film into contact with an interior surface of the globe. A translucent image received on the film is viewable as a forward image from one side of the film and viewable as a reverse image from the other side of the film. 
     The film is formed so that the shape-memory causes one or more points of the periphery thereof to contact the interior surface of the globe. 
     The globe can include an opening for receiving the film into the globe. The globe can also include a hollow neck having a proximal end connected to the globe and a distal end extending away from the globe. The hollow neck can define the opening in the globe. A cap can be received over the distal end of the hollow neck and a fastener can be attached to the cap on a side thereof opposite the opening in the globe. 
     Preferably, the material forming the substrate is a plastic film and the image is received on the film by photocopying. 
     Alternatively, the opening can be a slot formed in the body of the globe. The globe can also be formed from a plurality of globe parts configured to be coupled together to form the globe. 
     I have also invented a method of making an ornament. The method includes providing a hollow and optically transparent globe and providing an optically transparent film having a shape-memory which urges the film planar. A translucent image is formed within a periphery of the film. The translucent image is viewable as a forward image from one side of the film and viewable as a reverse image from the other side of the film. The film is configured to be received in the globe so that the shape-memory urges one or more points of a periphery of the film into contact with an interior surface of the globe. The film with the image received thereon is positioned inside the globe with the shape-memory urging one or more points of the periphery of the film into contact with the interior surface of the globe. 
     To position the film inside the globe, the film can be rolled into a spiral having an outside diameter less than a diameter of an opening in the globe. The rolled film can be inserted through the opening in the globe. When the rolled film is received in the globe, the shape-memory of the film causes the film to unroll so that one or more points of the periphery of the film contact the interior surface of the globe thereby securing the film inside the globe. Alternatively, the film can be positioned inside the globe by inserting the film into a slot in the globe. 
     A cap can be secured over the opening in the globe and a hanger can be secured to the cap. 
     Lastly, I have invented an ornament having a hollow and optically transparent body and an optically transparent film received in the body. The film has a shape-memory which urges the film planar whereby one or more points of a periphery of the film contact the interior surface of the body to secure the position of the film inside the body. A translucent image received on the film is viewable as a forward image from one side of the film and viewable as a reverse image from the other side of the film. 
     The body can include an opening for receiving the film therethrough between an exterior of the body and an interior of the body. A hollow cylinder can be positioned coaxially with the opening. The hollow cylinder can have a proximal end connected to the body and a distal end extending away from the body. A cap can be secured over the distal end of the hollow cylinder. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of an ornament in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 a  is a side perspective view taken along lines IIa—IIa in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2 b  is a top perspective view taken along lines IIb—IIb in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of a transparent sheet having a translucent image received on a portion thereof; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the portion of the sheet in FIG. 3 rolled into an elongated tube and being received through an opening in a transparent globe; 
     FIG. 5 a  is a perspective view of an ornament in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention including a slot configured to receive the portion of the sheet shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 b  is a perspective view taken along lines Vb—Vb in FIG. 5 a ; and 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an ornament in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention including mating globe portions positioned on opposite sides of the portion of the sheet shown in FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to FIG. 1, an ornament  2  includes a hollow and optically transparent body  4  which can be attached to a support (not shown), such as a tree branch, via a fastener  6  which is connected to the body  4  by a cap  8 . Preferably, body  4  has a spherical or globe shape, however, this is not to be construed as limiting the invention. 
     Body  4  has an interior surface  10  defining the interior of body  4  and an exterior surface  12  defining an exterior of body  4 . Body  4  includes an opening  14  therein. Preferably, opening  14  is circular, however, the shape of opening  14  is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Body  4  includes a hollow neck  16  having a proximal end  18  connected to, or formed integral with, body  4  and a distal end  20  extending away from body  4 . Preferably, hollow neck  16  is formed integral with body  4  and defines opening  14  which extends between proximal end  18  and distal end  20  of hollow neck  16 . 
     Ornament  2  includes an optically transparent film  22  received in body  4 . Film  22  is formed from a material having a shape-memory which urges film  22  planar. Film  22  is formed into a shape having a periphery which substantially conforms to a shape of the interior surface  10  of body  4 . 
     With reference to FIGS. 2 a - 2   b  and with ongoing reference to FIG. 1, preferably, film  22  is formed so that the shape-memory thereof urges periphery  24  into contact with interior surface  10  of body  4  to secure the position of film  22  inside body  4 . Preferably, film  22  is formed and shaped so that periphery  24  contacting interior surface  10  compresses film  22  against the shape-memory urging film  22  planar. This compression causes film  22  to have a slightly convex or concave shape, as shown in FIGS. 2 a - 2   b.    
     A translucent image  26  is received on film  22  and is viewable as a forward image from one side of film  22  and viewable as a reverse image from the other side of film  22 . Since translucent image  26  is received on transparent film  22 , which is received in transparent body  4 , image  26  appears to be “floating” inside body  4  regardless of which side of film  22  is viewed. 
     With reference to FIG. 3, and with ongoing reference to all previous figures, film  22  is preferably formed from a sheet  28  of plastic film having translucent image  26  formed thereon. Preferably, translucent image  26  is formed on sheet  28  by photocopying an original image (not shown) onto sheet  28 . Thereafter, a portion of sheet  28  including image  26  is excised from film  28  to form film  22  having a shape that conforms substantially to the shape of interior surface  10  of body  4 . 
     With reference to FIG. 4, and with ongoing reference to all previous figures, the film  22  is rolled into a tube having an outside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of opening  14 . Film  22 , thus formed into a tube shape, is inserted through opening  14  into body  4 . Once received in body  4 , the shape-memory causes film  22  to unroll from its tube shape and urge film  22  planar with one or more points of periphery  24  contacting interior wall  10  of body  4 . Contact between one or more points of periphery  24  and interior surface  10  secures film  22  in position inside body  4 . 
     When film  22  is received in body  4 , cap  8  with fastener  6  connected thereto can be connected to distal end  20  of hollow neck  16 . When cap  8  and fastener  6  are secured to neck  16 , ornament  2  can be suspended from a support, such as a branch of a tree, a protrusion, and the like, in a manner known in the art. 
     With reference to FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b , in another embodiment, an ornament  34  includes a body  35  having an interior surface  36 , an exterior surface  38 , and a slot  40  formed therein. Preferably, slot  40  is configured to receive therethrough film  22  having image  26  formed thereon. As described above in connection with FIGS. 1-4, film  22  is configured so that one or more points of periphery  24  contact interior surface  36  of ornament  34  thereby securing film  22  in position inside body  35 . This contact between one or more points of periphery  24  and interior surface  36  of ornament  34  causes film  22  to have a slightly convex or concave shape, as shown in phantom in FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b.    
     Lastly, with reference to FIG. 6, in another embodiment, an ornament  44  is formed from a plurality of transparent body parts  48  configured to be mated to form ornament  44  having hollow interior  50  defined by an interior surface  52  of each transparent body part  48 . To receive film  22  with image  26  formed thereon inside ornament  44 , film  22  is inserted into one of the transparent body parts  48  with one or more points of periphery  24  contacting interior surface  52  thereof. Thereafter, the plurality of transparent body parts  48  are mated together to form ornament  44 . Alternatively, transparent body parts  48  can be assembled around film  22  so that one or more points of periphery  24  contact interior surface  52  of more than one transparent body part  48 . 
     As can be seen, the present invention is an ornament formed from a transparent body, such as a globe or sphere, having a translucent image formed on a transparent substrate received in the body. Since the body and the film are transparent, the translucent image appears to be “floating” in the body when viewed from either side of the film. Moreover, as can be seen, the present invention is a method for forming the ornament of the present invention. 
     The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obvious modifications and alterations will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the proceeding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.