Abstract:
Expandable piñata is a decorative container constructed from sheet materials connected at the edges, which can be shipped and stored flat. An internal expandable brace is activated by pulling external cords that draw brace into the expanded position, causing piñata body to flex into a three-dimensional body with fillable chamber. Score lines optionally direct flexing into a faceted shape. Lock mechanism holds brace in the erect configuration, with adjustable degree of expansion. Piñata body is resilient and compresses brace, to engage lock automatically and maintain expanded configuration.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates in general to an expandable decorative article and more particularly to an expandable piñata with internal bracing mechanism. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Piñatas are hollow decorative vessels that can be filled with candy or other small gifts. A filled piñata is typically suspended by a rope and children strike at it with a stick until the piñata is broken open to release the gifts inside. 
         [0003]    Originally, piñatas had a body made of low-fired clay. More recently, piñata bodies came to be made of papier-mâché over a cardboard armature. A conventional current piñata body is a hollow, frangible, three-dimensional vessel that is typically covered with fringed tissue paper and streamers. A filler hole in the upper portion of the body is left accessible for inserting the gifts or candy just before use. A hanger is also usually provided for attaching the piñata to some sort of pulley arrangement so that the piñata may be moved as a blindfolded person attempts to strike it. 
         [0004]    Piñatas used in the United States are mostly imported. Transportation costs are a very substantial portion of the retail price of a piñata in the US. Piñatas are made to be easily broken, so careful handling en route is required to prevent premature breakage or damage to the tissue paper covering. Piñatas may be stacked somewhat during transportation, but they often have odd shapes that do not stack efficiently, such as four-legged animals or stars with seven large points radiating in all directions. Care must be taken that the piñatas are not stacked too high or move about during transport, because the hollow central bodies are easily crushed or pierced, making them unusable. 
         [0005]    The cost of piñatas could be considerably less if they were easier to transport in bulk from a factory to the point of sale. Once sold to an end user, it is further desirable that a piñata be easier to transport to the place of use without damage to its usefulness or decorative appeal. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention is an expandable piñata that may be shipped in a flat state and expanded to a three-dimensional hollow configuration by a user. The piñata body is constructed of flat, flexible panels joined along their edges. 
         [0007]    Between the flat panels is attached an expandable brace mechanism that includes strings extending through small holes in the centers of the flat panels. The strings are pulled apart to expand the brace mechanism, which in turn forces apart the centers of the panels. The flat panels may simply bend into an expanded configuration, or scored sections of the panels may move relative to each other to create a faceted shape. 
         [0008]    The piñata body thus becomes three-dimensional and hollow, ready to accept filling. A lock means, such as notches and tabs on the brace mechanism, maintains the piñata in a tautly expanded position so that it is easily breakable. 
         [0009]    The expandable piñata is easily shipped in a flat configuration so that a hundred piñatas can fit in a carton that would hold only a handful of conventional piñatas. Transportation and handling costs are thus greatly reduced. 
         [0010]    The novel piñata body is created by semi-automated manufacturing. The flat panels may be die cut from decorative stock such that the entire piñata body does not need to be covered with tissue paper. Simplified manufacturing decreases the cost of the piñata and makes it easier to ship, because there is little fragile covering to be damaged. 
         [0011]    Similar design and construction methods can be used to create light-weight, three-dimensional decorative articles for other purposes, such as advertising displays. 
         [0012]    The features and advantages of the invention will be readily understood when the detailed description thereof is read in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the piñata of the present invention in expanded position, with a portion of brace frame indicated in phantom. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view, partly cut away, taken along line  2 - 2 , of the piñata of  FIG. 1 , locked in expanded configuration. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view similar to  FIG. 2  but with the piñata in flat configuration. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective side view of the brace mechanism of  FIG. 1 , in expanded position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a top view of two components of the frame of brace mechanism, disassembled and flattened. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of piñata  10  of the present invention in an expanded position, ready for use. Piñata  10  also has a flat position in which piñata  10  is easily stored or shipped. 
         [0019]    Piñata  10  includes a body  12  defining an internal hollow cavity  13 . Cavity  13  may be filled with candy by pouring the candy into filler opening  14 . Hanger  15  is attached to the top of piñata body  12  for attaching piñata  10  to a rope or other means for hanging piñata  10 . The exemplary piñata  10  is in the shape of a six-pointed star with decorative streamers  17  attached to the points of the star. 
         [0020]    Optional garland or other decoration, not shown, may outline the edges and angles of the star to obscure and close filler opening  14 . To fill cavity  13 , optional garland may be pulled aside to expose filler opening  14 . Garland is replaced over filler opening  14  after cavity  13  is filled. 
         [0021]    Piñata body  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , has a front face  20 . To enhance the three-dimensional appearance of piñata  10  in the expanded position, front face  20  includes score lines  19 . The function of score lines  19  will be explained below. 
         [0022]    Front face  20  includes a border  21 , that is, a perimeter or edge, and a center portion  22 . Center portion  22  has an outer surface  23 , an inner surface  24  ( FIG. 2 ), and a small hole  25  that goes through center portion  22 , creating an opening communicating between inner surface  24  and outer surface  23 , which is about 0.2 to 0.4 inch in diameter. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view, taken along line  2 - 2 , of piñata  10  and brace mechanism  40  of  FIG. 1 , locked in expanded configuration.  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view similar to  FIG. 2 , but with the piñata in flat configuration. 
         [0024]    Back face  30 , seen partly cut away in  FIG. 2 , is generally identical to front face  20 . Back face  30  similarly includes border  31 , center portion  32 , outer surface  33 , inner surface  34 , and a small hole  35  that goes through center portion  32 , creating an opening communicating between inner surface  34  and outer surface  33 , which is about 0.2 to 0.4 inch in diameter. 
         [0025]    Front and back faces  20 , 30  are typically of identical outline (in mirror image, in the case of a non-symmetrical design). Front and back faces  20 , 30  are aligned such that their borders  21 , 31  are adjacent at all points. Borders  21 , 31  are attached together, such as by applying a strip of tape  16  such that half of the width of tape  16  is adhered to each border  21 , 31 . Tape  16  may be transparent or may have a decorative appearance that matches or complements the appearance of front and back faces  20 , 30 . 
         [0026]    Front and back inner surfaces  24 , 34  face each other and cooperatively define hollow cavity  13 . Cavity  13  is for filling with candy or small gifts and is accessible through filler opening  14 . 
         [0027]    Expandable piñata  10  further includes brace mechanism  40 , partially shown in phantom in  FIG. 1  and in side view in  FIGS. 2  (expanded) and  3  (flat). Brace mechanism  40  generally includes an expandable brace frame  44  movable between a first flat position and a second expanded position. Brace frame  44  includes an attached wall  42  attached to inner surface  24  of front face  20 , cooperative lock means  45  for locking brace frame  44  in the expanded position, and handle means  47  for moving brace mechanism from flat to expanded position. 
         [0028]    Brace mechanism  40  is attached between front and back inner surfaces  24 , 34  and is movable between a first flat position and a second expanded position. When brace mechanism  40  is in the flat position as shown in  FIG. 3 , front inner surface  24  and back inner surface  34  of piñata  10  are close together, typically 1.0-1.5 inches apart if piñata  10  is suspended from hanger  15 , or 0.5-0.75 inch apart if multiple piñatas  10  are stacked. Slight resilience in the components of brace mechanism  40  and front and back faces  20 , 30  result in piñata  10  being less than entirely flat if there is no compressive force applied to the flat piñata  10 . 
         [0029]    To move brace mechanism  40  from the flat to the expanded position, handle means  47  is provided so that a user can expand brace mechanism  40  from outside piñata  10 . In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, handle means  47  includes a front cord  48  attached to brace frame  44  and extending through a hole  25  in front face  20 , and also a back cord  49  attached to a different portion of brace frame  44  and extending through a hole  35  in back face  30 . 
         [0030]    Pulling front cord  48  and back cord  49  apart results in brace mechanism  40  expanding and forcing front and back central portions  22 , 32  to move apart from each other. Borders  21 ,  31  remain attached to each other. Thus, front and back faces  20 , 30  must flex in some manner such that faces  20 , 30  are not planar. In the case of some feasible designs for piñata  10 , front and back faces  20 , 30  simply curve as brace mechanism  40  forces center portions  22 , 32  apart. 
         [0031]    In the design illustrated in the figures, front and back faces  20 , 30  include scored lines  19  to direct the bending of faces  20 , 30  to occur mainly along scored lines  19 . Properly laid-out scored lines  19  enhance the three-dimensional appearance of piñata  10  when expanded, allow easier movement between flat and expanded positions, and decrease the stress on tape  16 , making the attachment between faces  20 , 30  unlikely to fail under tension. Inclusion of scored lines  19  results in front and back central portions  22 , 32  remaining relatively flat when piñata  10  is in expanded position. 
         [0032]    The exemplary preferred embodiment of brace mechanism  40  as shown in  FIGS. 1-3  may be more easily understood with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective side view of brace mechanism  40  in expanded position.  FIG. 5  is a top view of two components  50  of exemplary preferred brace frame  44 . 
         [0033]    Referring especially now to  FIG. 5 , brace frame  44  preferably comprises two main components  50 , such as hinge member  51  and prop member  61 . Members  51 ,  61  are typically die-cut from corrugated cardboard or other suitably stiff but resilient material. 
         [0034]    Hinge member  51  is typically 12 to 14 inches long and 3 to 5 inches wide. Hinge member  51  includes a free end  57 , a lock end  55 , and a hinge  52  between free end  57  and lock end  55 . Hinge  52  is typically a scored line in the approximate center of hinge member  51 , as shown in the illustrations, or could alternatively be a flexible tape joining two separate halves of hinge member  51 , or any suitable hinge means. 
         [0035]    Hinge member  51  further includes slot  53  near free end  57 , hole  54 , and cooperative lock means  45  such as detent strips  56  attached to lock end  55 . Detent strips  56  are attached to lock end  55  parallel to hinge  52  and with small gaps between them 
         [0036]    Prop member  61  is typically 7 to 9 inches long and 3 to 5 inches wide. Prop member  61  includes a support end  66  and a lock end  65 . Prop member  61  further includes slot  63 , hole  64 L near lock end  65 , and hole  64 S near support end  66 . 
         [0037]    Slots  53  and  63  are located on their respective components  50  such that the distance d between hinge  52  and slot  53  of hinge member  51  is substantially equal to the distance d between lock end  65  and slot  63  of prop member  61 . 
         [0038]    Brace frame components  50  are easily die cut, hole punched, and scored by automated or semi-automatic machinery. Detent strips  56  may also be cut and attached to hinge member  51  by machinery, or the cutting of detent strips  56  may be automated and the attachment, such as by gluing, may be done by hand. 
         [0039]    To begin the manufacture of expandable piñata  10 , components are cut and assembled to form brace mechanism  40 . Components  50  are cut and scored and handle means  47  such as two lengths of cord are provided. Detent strips  56  are attached to lock end  55  by any suitable means, such as adhesive. 
         [0040]    Brace frame  44  is assembled by crimping hinge  52 , then engaging slots  53  and  63  by sliding hinge member  51  and prop member  61  together, as is well known. To complete brace mechanism  40 , handle means  47  are connected to brace frame  44 . 
         [0041]    In the case of the exemplary preferred embodiment of brace mechanism  40  illustrated herein, handle means  47  comprises a front cord  48  and back cord  49 . Front cord  48  is typically at least 12 inches long and back cord  49  may be shorter, such as about 8 inches long. 
         [0042]    Referring back to  FIG. 2 , front cord  48  is knotted at one end and the other end is inserted through hole  64 L in prop member  61  and then through hole  54  in hinge member  51 . Back cord  49  is knotted at one end and the other end is inserted through hole  64 S. Threading of front and back cords  48 , 49  through holes  54 ,  64 S, and  64 L is best done with brace frame  44  in an expanded position, that is, with hinge  52  open by at least 30 degrees internal angle. 
         [0043]    Piñata body  12  is typically assembled by putting tape  16  along borders  21 , 31 . Brace mechanism  40  is then inserted through filler opening  14  and attached inside piñata body  12 , such as by attaching attached wall  42  to inner surface  24  with suitable adhesive means. 
         [0044]    The free end (the end not attached to brace mechanism  40 ) of front cord  48  is inserted through hole  25  in front face  20 , from inside  24  to outside  23 , then the free end is knotted so that it cannot slip back through hole  25 . 
         [0045]    Similarly, the free end (not attached to brace mechanism  40 ) of back cord  49  is inserted through hole  35  of back face  30 , from inner surface  34  to outer surface  33 , then the free end is knotted so that back cord  49  cannot slip back through hole  35 . 
         [0046]    Front and back faces  20 , 30  are attached together by aligning their respective borders  21 , 31  with inner surfaces  24 , 34  together, then borders  21 , 31  are attached with suitable means such as adhesive, adhesive tape, or staples. Adhesive tape with a decorative outer surface, such as tape  16 , is preferred because tape  16  both attaches front and back faces  20 , 30  together and covers the cut edges  21 , 31  and any gaps between front and back faces  20 , 30 . Cooperating slots may be cut into front and back faces  20 , 30  to create filler opening  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0047]    Front and back faces  20 , 30  are preferably cut from light cardboard faced with aluminized Mylar. This type of decorative cardboard is widely used for gift boxes, Christmas decorations, and other goods. The aluminized Mylar is shiny, colorful, and may include “optical effects,” that is, diffraction lines that produce sparkly multicolored patterns. Tape  16  is preferably an adhesive-backed paper or plastic tape with an outer surface of aluminized Mylar that matches or harmonizes with the decorative surface of faces  20 , 30 . The aluminized Mylar has the additional benefit of making the cellulosic base material of faces  20 , 30  more resilient and resistant to being scratched or scuffed in shipment. 
         [0048]    Piñata  10  remains in flat position for attachment of hanger  15  and optional decoration, such as streamers  17  and garland (not shown), as are well known in the art. Piñata  10  may then be packed in flat position for shipping and retail sales. 
         [0049]    To expand piñata  10  for use or display, front cord  48  and back cord  49  are pulled in opposite directions, that is, each cord  48 , 49  is pulled straight out from the hole  25 , 35  from which it protrudes. Cords  48 , 49 , which are threaded through brace frame  44 , push and pull brace frame  44  into the expanded position. 
         [0050]    As support end  66  is pulled away from attached wall  42 , hinge  52  opens and lock end  65  of prop member  61  is urged toward lock end  55  of hinge member  51 . With further pulling of cords  48 , 49 , lock end  65  is dragged across detent strips  56 . The resilience of all the materials used in piñata  10  tends to press lock end  65  toward attached wall  42  and cause lock end  65  to snap into each gap between detent strips  56  as lock end  65  is dragged over strips  56 . Each “snap” into a gap provides a slightly different degree of expansion of brace mechanism  40  and, thus, of piñata body  12 . Although the piñata is described herein as having a flat and an expanded position, the expanded position is actually a set of positions providing a selectively adjustable degree of expansion. 
         [0051]    Detent strips  56  are typically attached to lock end  55  of hinge member  51  such that the distance between hinge  52  and the middle detent position is d. Thus, if lock end  65  is urged to the second “snap,” or middle detent position, the central portion of brace frame  44  is an equilateral triangle, as viewed from the edges. The base of the triangle is attached wall  42 , which is attached to inner surface  24  of front face  20 . Extending above the triangle is support end  66  of prop member  61 . Support end  66  contacts inner surface  34  of back face  30  and braces back face  30  in the expanded position, relative to attached wall  42 . 
         [0052]    If lock end  65  is urged to the first or third detent position, the edge view of the central portion of brace frame  44  will be an isosceles triangle, having a base that is slightly larger or smaller than the sides. 
         [0053]    After brace mechanism  40  is locked in the expanded position, it resists accidental collapse well because compressive force is exerted on brace mechanism  40  by front and back faces  20 , 30  pressing lock end  65  against detent strip  56 . Piñata  10  has a distinct bias toward the flat position because front and back faces  20 ,  30  are attached together in the flat position. Deviation from the flat position, wherein inner surfaces  24 , 34  are about an inch apart, strains piñata body  12  and creates a mild compressive force on whatever is within cavity  13 . 
         [0054]    In fact, if it is desired to collapse expanded piñata  10  to the flat position, it may be necessary to reach inside cavity  13  to manipulate brace mechanism  40  by hand in order to unlock it. 
         [0055]    When piñata body  12  is in the expanded position, body  12  is typically at least 7 inches thick. Cavity  13  has sufficient volume for filling with candy or gifts and piñata  10  has a generously three-dimensional appearance, enhanced by the facets created by score lines  19 . Piñata  10  is then filled and used in the normal manner. 
         [0056]    It can be seen that other decorative objects may be manufactured using very similar components. For example, light weight hanging advertisement displays may be shipped flat and expanded quickly by using an internal brace mechanism identical or similar to the mechanism shown and described herein. Such hanging displays would be simpler and quicker to assemble than many conventional displays. 
         [0057]    Expandable ornaments for a house, other than piñatas, can be produced in a similar manner. Examples of such ornaments can be as exotic as collapsible lanterns or vases, provided suitable materials are used. Body  12  and brace mechanism  40  may be modified and arranged in many ways but still retain the uses and benefits described. 
         [0058]    Brace mechanism  40  may alternatively be located within cavity  13  other than between center portions  22 , 32 . If brace mechanism  40  is suitably attached inside body  12 , it is not necessary that handle means  47  communicate directly with brace mechanism  40  via holes  25 , 35 . Handle means  47  may in this case be grippable portions of the exterior of body  12 . 
         [0059]    The brace mechanism described herein can also be used between faces that are not connected along their edges. Thus a three-dimensional shape with “square” instead of faceted sides could be created. 
         [0060]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various changes may be made in the form, composition, construction, and arrangement of the parts herein without sacrificing any of its advantages. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.