Abstract:
A decoration system that includes a base object to be decorated and a rim capable of receiving a decorative insert. A user selects or creates a decorative insert, inserts the decorative insert into the rim, and then couples the rim to the base object. The decorative insert may be easily removed and replaced when the user desires a new style. A single rim may be coupled to multiple types of base objects.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to decoration systems for home furnishings, tableware, and other solid objects. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Many people enjoy decorating and customizing their rooms, furniture, and personal items. As a result, there are a large number of different arts and crafts kits that are designed to help people more easily accomplish this goal. 
         [0005]    Such kits may include paint, markers, colored paper, fabric, felt, pictures, glitter, stickers, glue, ribbon, magnets, beads, sequins, or jewelry, as well as two- and three-dimensional representations of people, animals, and other objects. 
         [0006]    Many kits only allow a user to decorate an object a single time. A user might paint, apply stickers or glitter to, or otherwise modify an object. However, once the user has finished, there are no means by which the user may remove or undo what the user has done. 
         [0007]    Additionally, these kits generally do not allow a user to transfer a design between objects. If a user decorates the rim of a picture frame, the user cannot transfer that same rim to the user&#39;s mirror. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, there is a need for a decoration system that allows for repeated decoration as well as the transferability of decorations between objects. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    This invention is directed to a decoration system having a base object to be decorated and a rim capable of receiving a decorative insert. A user selects or creates a decorative insert, inserts the decorative insert into the rim, and then couples the rim to the base object. The decorative insert may be easily removed and replaced when the user desires a new style. Also, a single rim may be coupled to multiple types of base objects. Further, the rim may be several different shapes. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the decoration system of the present invention as applied to a magnetic whiteboard; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a base object of the present invention as applied to a magnetic whiteboard prior to the application of the decorative rim; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2B  is a rear perspective view of the base object shown in  FIG. 2A , when a mirror is situated on the reverse of the whiteboard prior to application of the decorative rim; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2C  is a perspective view of the decoration system of the present invention as applied to a bowl prior to application of the decorative rim; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2D  is a front view of the assembled decoration system of the present invention as applied to a magnetic whiteboard; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2E  is a perspective view of the assembled decoration system of the present invention as applied to a mirror; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2F  is a perspective view of the assembled decoration system of the present invention as applied to a bowl; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the decoration system of the present invention including peripheral decorative members. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    A first embodiment of the decoration system is shown in  FIG. 1 . The decoration system has a rim  100 , a backing plate  104 , and a first base object  108 . 
         [0020]    In use, the rim  100  receives a decorative insert  102 . The rim  100  is at least partially transparent so that the decorative insert  102  is visible behind the rim  100 . Additionally, the rim  100  may be shaped so that it functions as a lens, thereby to cause the design on the decorative insert  102  to become more pronounced. Also, as a person walks by, the lens shape may create a changing visual effect for the decorative insert  102  while looking through rim  100 . 
         [0021]    The decorative insert  102  may be provided to a user or the user may create their own. In order to create a decorative insert  102 , the user may select a sheet of decorative material, sketch the shape of the rim  100  onto the decorative material, and then cut out the shape. To aid in sketching the shape of the rim  100 , the backing plate  104  may be placed on top of the decorative material. The user would then trace around the backing plate  104  in order to accurately sketch a shape that will fit within the rim  100 . The decorative material may comprise scrapbooking paper, gift wrap, construction paper, fabric, photographs, or any other suitable material. To further customize the design, the user may embellish the decorative material by drawing or coloring on it. Similarly, the user could add stickers or glitter to the decorative material. Essentially, a user may create a multitude of designs so long as the design will fit within the rim  100 . 
         [0022]    Once the decorative insert  102  is inserted into the rim  100 , the backing plate  104  may be coupled to the rim  100  to encapsulate the decorative insert  102 . On the rear surface of the backing plate  104 , there are posts  106  that serve to removably couple the backing plate  104  to the first base object  108 . The coupling is accomplished by inserting the posts  106  of the backing plate  104  into the receiving holes  112  on the receiving border  110  of the first base object  108 . The fit between the posts  106  and the receiving holes  112  is sized to create a holding force between them when assembled. Additionally, the posts  106  may include integrally molded fingers or protrusions (not shown) to act as snaps for secure coupling. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , there are four cylindrical posts  106 , but other quantities, shapes, and sizes may be used, as appropriate, in order to create a secure, removable connection. Finally, the posts  106  may include magnets or be sized and shaped to receive magnetic elements (not shown) in order to aid in hanging the assembled decoration system on metal surfaces such as refrigerator or locker doors. 
         [0023]    Though the coupling mechanism shown in this embodiment involves posts  106  and receiving holes  112 , other methods are also possible. For example, coupling could be accomplished by means of hook and loop fasteners, various adhesives, sliding pins, clamps, magnets, or any other suitable means known by those skilled in the art. Similarly, the coupling of the backing plate  104  to the rim  100  is shown here as a press fit, but it could be accomplished in any number of ways. 
         [0024]    The first base object  108  shown in  FIG. 1  is a magnetic whiteboard, but many different objects may be used. For example, the first base object  108  could also be a mirror, a clock, a picture frame, a bowl, a plate, a lazy Susan, or any other object. Additionally, the first base object  108  may be reversible as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B .  FIG. 2A  shows the front face of first base object  108 , with a magnetic whiteboard, while  FIG. 2B  shows the rear face  109  of the first base object  108 , with a mirror. 
         [0025]    A further embodiment is shown in  FIG. 2C  where the second base object  200  takes the form of a bowl. As in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A, and  2 B, the second base object  200  includes a receiving border  110  with receiving holes  112  in order to facilitate coupling with the backing plate  104 . 
         [0026]    Though the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 - 2  involve circular rims  100 , decorative inserts  102 , backing plates  104 , and base objects  108 , any shape may be used. For example, the first base object  108  could be a rectangular picture frame, a square mirror, or an oval plate. In such an embodiment, the rims  100 , decorative inserts  102 , and backing plates  104  would be shaped accordingly. 
         [0027]    While the ability to have decoration systems with different shapes provides greater variety for a user, there is also a distinct advantage to having multiple base objects  108  with the same size and shape. In this case, a user may attach the same rim  100 , with decorative insert  102 , to a multitude of different base objects with minimal additional effort. The user would simply detach the backing plate  104  from one base object and attach it to a different base object. For example, a user could create a decorative insert  102  for the magnetic whiteboard first base object  108  shown in  FIG. 2D , and then later flip the first base object  108  to display the rear face  109  which is a mirror surface and re-affix the circular rim  100  and decorative insert  102  as shown in  FIG. 2E . Still further, the circular rim  100  and decorative insert  102  may be transferred to the bowl second base object  200  as shown in  FIG. 2F . 
         [0028]    In addition to being easily transferrable, the decorative inserts  102  are easily replaceable, thereby allowing a user to change the design to coincide with a particular holiday, season, sports season, or simply due to a change in home decor. To replace the decorative insert  102 , a user would detach the backing plate  104  from the base object  108 , grasp the backing plate  104  by a post  106 , and pull the rim  100  away from the backing plate  104 . The user could then remove the decorative insert  102  and insert another decorative insert. 
         [0029]    A more widely useable embodiment of the decoration system could involve a backing plate  104  without posts  106 , or with removable posts  106 . This would allow a user to couple the rim  100 , with decorative insert  102  and backing plate  104 , to a user&#39;s existing message boards, mirrors, clocks, and picture frames. Such coupling could be accomplished via hook and loop fasteners, for example, though any suitable means known in the art is acceptable. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows an additional feature that may be incorporated into the decoration system, whereby the user may add peripheral decorative member  300 . These peripheral decorative members  300  allow a user to add extra design elements that extend beyond the rim  100 . The inner portions  302  of a peripheral decorative member  300  contain additional receiving holes  304  for the posts  106  of the backing plate  104  so that the peripheral decorative member  300  and backing plate  104  may be coupled together, along with the first base object  108 . When assembled, the inner portions  302  will not be visible to a user; they will be hidden beneath the rim  100 , decorative insert  102 , backing plate  104 , and first base object  108 . The outer portion  306  of the peripheral decorative member  300  can be provided to the user already decorated or can provide more space for decorating. A user could drawn on, color, apply stickers or glitter to, or otherwise embellish the outer portions  306  before coupling the peripheral decorative member  300  to the first base object  108 . 
         [0031]    Rather than having posts  106  long enough to couple to the decorative member receiving holes  304  of the peripheral decorative members  300 , it would also be possible to include receiving elements (not shown) in the end of each post  106 . In this case, each peripheral decorative member  300  would have a corresponding snap elements (not shown) that would mate with the receiving elements of the posts  106 . Also, in such an embodiment, the optional magnets, which would allow the decoration system to be hung on a metal surface, could be attached to the posts  106  in a similar manner. 
         [0032]    Though the peripheral decorative member  300  shown in  FIG. 3  are each shaped as a quarter of a circle, they could also encompass larger or smaller portions of the periphery of the first base object  108 . For example, a single peripheral decorative member  300  could be a full circle and take up the entire periphery. Or, eight peripheral decorative members  300  could each occupy a portion of the periphery. Also, when each peripheral decorative member  300  occupies less than the full periphery, a user could choose to use only some of the peripheral decorative members  300 . 
         [0033]    As with the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the peripheral decorative member  300  need not be shaped as a circle or portions of a circle. If the first base object  108  is a rectangular picture frame, the peripheral base member  300  could be shaped as portions of a rectangle or any other desired shape. However, just as with  FIGS. 1-2 , there is an advantage to having multiple base objects  108  of the same size and shape. In such a case, the peripheral decorative member  300  may be easily transferred from one first base object  108  to another. 
         [0034]    Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that those skilled in the art will recognize a variety of additional applications and appropriate modifications within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.