Patent Document

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates generally to a decorating system and a method of enhancing a surface area using the decorating system, and more particularly, to a decorating system where decorative templates are used to help select foam elements from a plurality of nonplanar, scaled or unscaled foam elements, which are sold in a display or over the Internet, along with wall surface layering or other room design elements. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    To enhance living conditions in a residence, people use paint, carpet, wallpaper, designer furniture, and other smaller items such as frames and posters. Permanent or semipermanent decorative items, such as paint, lighting, and heavy furniture, are often expensive and cannot be changed frequently. Because children have rapidly evolving tastes, what was once a beloved room decor may be outgrown after a single season. 
         [0003]    For example, parents often resort to the use of posters, lamps, or even drapes to revamp a child&#39;s room design when in fact a greater level of change is desired. By creating a new room decor, outdated furniture can be kept. Other people, in other areas such as businesses, hospitals, social service offices, day cares, etc. are also in need of enhances areas where permanent or semipermanent decorative items cannot be used freely. What is needed is a new decorating system that is inexpensive and can be implemented rapidly to prolong the useful life of furniture and enhance any area of interest. 
         [0004]    Aesthetics is not the only reason why decoration is needed in areas of interest. Parents, educators, therapists, etc. need to stimulate a the imagination and creativity as part of good, ongoing work. Further, the importance of school and home craft projects designed to encourage and stimulate a child&#39;s mind is well known. Parents and teachers work with a child to create less-than-perfect works of art that may nonetheless accrue a priceless value. The design of a room is currently left to professionals. Television shows, at often great expense, invite designers to create surreal rooms for needy children. What is needed is an interactive craft-like room decorating system that allows parents or decorators to create and implement a new room design cheaply with the help of a child. What is also needed is a room decorating system that allows for a child&#39;s imagination and creativity to be stimulated. 
         [0005]    Other areas of interest such as any commercial decor also can be optimized, changed, and decorated for a wide range of legitimate reasons. For example, sports courts, gymnasiums, garages, classes, churches, can be changed by individuals for a plurality of reasons. Even surface such as the inside of a vehicle, a gas tank on a scooter, an improvised social event, and the like can require touch-ups and aesthetic changes. 
         [0006]    Current existing room enhancement systems and decor enhancement systems vary from posters to wall surface finishes depending on the surface area on which they are placed. A first system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  places a plurality of magnetized planar decals (e.g., sea creatures) over a magnetic strip affixed to a wall (e.g., a sea color strip). This system, while capable of stimulating a child&#39;s imagination, is limited to a single theme and does not require much creativity to implement. A second system shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  is also formed by stacking several planar decals (e.g., a woodland scene). In this system, characters can be moved around within a frame. Once again, while this system is capable of some manipulation by a child, the product is purchased with a single theme and does not need creativity to implement. What is needed is a decorating system that is integrated within the entire surface area, that can operate in coordination with furniture, lighting, wall surface finishes, bed sheets, etc., and any other element found in the surface area and even act as a craft project or other pedagogical tool and exercise. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The present disclosure relates generally to a decorating system and a method of enhancing a surface using the decorating system, and more particularly, to a decorating system where decorative templates are used to help select foam elements from a plurality of nonplanar, scaled or unscaled foam elements, which are sold in a display or over the Internet, to be implemented on a wall surface or other room design elements. The decorating system includes a plurality of nonplanar foam elements having a flat side on which is affixed double-sided adhesive. The adhesive is covered with peel-off paper and the other side of the foam element is an outward shape used to create three-dimensional relief of design elements such as flowers, animals, letters, and the like. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The following disclosure as a whole may be best understood by reference to the provided detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, drawing description, summary, abstract, background of the disclosure, field of the disclosure, and associated headings. Identical reference numerals when found on different figures identify the same elements or functionally equivalent elements. The elements listed in the summary and abstract are not referenced but nevertheless refer by association to the elements of the detailed description and associated disclosure. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is flat, wall decorating system from the prior art. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is cut-out view of the flat, wall decorating system from the prior art along line  2 - 2  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a flat, removable scene-scape bordered by an interchangeable window frame for decorating the wall of a surface according to another embodiment from the prior art. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cut-out view of the flat, removable scene-scape bordered by an interchangeable window frame for decorating the wall of a surface from the prior art long line  4 - 4  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an illustration of the corner of a surface decorated with the decorating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side view taken along cut line  6 - 6  as shown in  FIG. 5  to better illustrate the three-dimensional features of the different design elements within the decorating system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a close-up view of one of the design elements shown in  FIG. 6  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of a room before it is decorated with the decorating system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is an illustration of the surface area shown in  FIG. 8  after it has been decorated with the decorating system according to a method of enhancing a surface area using the decorating system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a partial cut perspective illustration of a display stand to market the decorating system as used within a method of marketing the decorating system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a foam element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    For the purposes of promoting and understanding the invention and principles disclosed herein, reference is now made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language is used to describe the same. It is nevertheless understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices and such further applications of the principles disclosed as illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates. 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is an illustration of a room  100  decorated with the decorating system  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The room  100  as shown includes a back wall  60  and a floor  62  as a possible embodiment of a room. Furniture  61  is placed in the room, such as a desk and a chair. Other decorative elements, such as frames  57  and a white board  2 , can be attached to the walls.  FIG. 5  shows a room  100  where horizontal strips of paint or wallpaper  53 ,  55  of two different colors are placed on the wall  60 . Small frames  57  are shown above the decorative wall covering. While a room is shown at  FIG. 5 , what is contemplated is the use of the decorating system  1  on any surface area, any area, any object having an external surface that may be enhanced using the decorative system, such as for example business areas, cafeterias, schools, hospitals, social services, day cares, etc. In addition, the decorating system  1  can also be used on any surface of any element, such as furniture, vehicles, clothing, and the like. For example, children may purchase known design elements to held decorate a school locker, a lunch box, a bedroom, etc. 
         [0022]    The room decorating system  1  includes a plurality of foam elements shown as  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  54 ,  58 , and  59  in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 11 , each element  52  is generally nonplanar, having a first flat side  400  shown in  FIG. 7  resting against the wall  60 , and in opposition to the first flat side  400  a second nonplanar side  401  having an outward shape such as the rounded shape of a flower for displaying a design element such as a flower. Returning to  FIG. 5 , a first foam element  50  can represent a sun, and smaller colored dots  51  can be used to simulate rays of sunshine directed at other foam elements  52 ,  54  representing sunflowers and their leaves. In  FIG. 5 , a template was used and smaller-scale, flower-shaped foam elements  59  can be placed on the furniture  61 . A foam element  58  representing a small butterfly is also placed on the frame  57  to further enhance the overall decor of the room. Finally, other foam elements in the shape of letters can be placed on the wall  60  or as shown, the letters can be painted directly onto the wall  60 . In the example shown in  FIG. 5 , the study room in enhanced to improve the atmosphere that can result from a computer screen and the absence of natural light. The use of an exterior scene can enhance the decor of a surface area. While opaque foam elements  58  are shown, what is contemplated is the use of any element  58  of foam or many of any other material, with a semi-opaque, transparent, semi-transparent, luminescent, or any other surface property for the aesthetic enhancement created by the element  58 . The term foam element is to be construed as any element made with any material, having any surface finish, designed to create a 3D effect on the design element to which the element  58  is placed. 
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a side view taken along cut line  6 - 6  as shown in  FIG. 5  to better illustrate the three-dimension features of the different design elements within the decorating system  1 . In  FIG. 6 , the side view illustrates the depth of the letters  56 , the small butterfly  58  attached to the frame  57 , and the top sunflower  52  placed over a portion of the wall covering  53 . In the close-up of  FIG. 7 , a layer of adhesive  70  is placed on the wall  60  or as shown on the wall covering  53 . In  FIG. 11 , a layer of peel-off paper  207  is placed over the double-sided adhesive layer  70  to protect the foam element  52 . What is contemplated is the use of an adhesive  70  of sufficient grip for the foam element  52  to be glued on a surface, such as the wall  60 , the wall covering layer  53 , or a piece of furniture  61 . 
         [0024]    The double-sided adhesive layer  70  has a first side  500  in contact with the first flat side  400  of the foam element  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  54 ,  58 , and  59 , and a second side  501  in contact with a manual peel-off layer  207  for manual removal from the double-sided adhesive layer as shown in  FIG. 11  by the arrow. The second side of the adhesive layer  501  is adapted to be mounted on a first surface to be decorated in a room once the peel-off layer  207  is removed. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that different adhesive technologies can be used to adhere different foam elements to different surfaces to prevent them from peeling off or from damaging the wall surface if and when they are ultimately removed. The use of permanent and impermanent adhesives is also contemplated. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show a room before and after it is decorated using the decorating system  1 . In  FIG. 8 , the surface area includes walls  100 , furniture such as a bed  103 , and wall protectors  102 , a desk and a dresser. In  FIG. 9 , the decorated wall  101  is decorated using a design template to place strips of wall surfacing layers  53  such as paint or motif wallpaper above the bed area between other portions  55  of the wall  101 . In this example, a series of nonplanar butterflies of different sizes  58 ,  59  are placed on the furniture and wall, and other foam elements such as a heart and letters  50  are placed on the board  102 . 
         [0026]    To transform a room or any other surface area as shown in  FIG. 8  into a room or surface area decorated using the decorating system  1 , a first of the plurality of foam elements is adapted to be mounted on a first surface to be decorated in the area, and a second foam element of the plurality of foam elements is adapted to be mounted on a second surface to be decorated in the area, and wherein said foam elements are arranged in a spatial arrangement within the room based on a decorative template. For example, in  FIG. 9 , the large butterfly  58  may be mounted on the wall next to the window and the heart  50  can then be mounted on the wall  101  as a second surface. Other foam elements, such as the small butterflies  59  and the letters illustrating the name KENDALL, are also decorative elements made of foam elements. 
         [0027]    The foam elements include an outward shape in the form of a three-dimensional rendering of the design element. For example,  FIG. 7  shows how a flower can have a rounded internal portion and rounded petals.  FIG. 6  shows how letters  56  may be made using a square design element of uniform thickness. A wall surfacing layer having a first color placed in the room can be color coordinated with the design element of one of the foam elements. Many different shapes and design elements can be used with the decorating system  1 , for example small vehicles, fairy tale elements, sporting elements, floral elements, sports elements, glitzy elements, neonatal elements, sea related elements, safari related elements, fantasy characters, pirate scene elements, seasonal elements, holiday specific elements. What is also contemplated is the use of licensed elements from known characters, movies, or entertainment sources. 
         [0028]      FIG. 10  shows a display  200  utilizing a plurality of sealed pouches  205 , each for holding at least one of the plurality of foam elements  52 ,  54 , and  50 . Other holder devices  204 , such as racks, can be made to hold other pouches or boxes  206  (as shown) with the foam elements. Other holder devices shown on the lower level of the display  200  hold foam elements in the shape of letters for writing names or other words on the walls of surface elements. 
         [0029]    What is also contemplated is a method of enhancing a surface area using a decorating system  1  where a user first selects and acquires a plurality of sealed pouches  205  as shown in  FIG. 10  for a surface to be enhanced. Once returned in the vicinity of the surface area to be decorated, the sealed pouches are opened, the foam elements are removed from the pouches, and the protective peel-off sheet is removed from the opposite side of the foam elements before the elements are ultimately placed upon a first surface in the surface area to be enhanced. 
         [0030]    What is also contemplated is the use of either a physical store, such as a craft store or a craft section within a larger sales space, or an online store operating through a website or a web reseller. As part of this method, a user can further select and acquire a wall surfacing layer and place the wall surfacing layer on at least a surface in the area to be enhanced and where the different foam elements can be placed on walls, ceilings, floors, furniture or any other surface where decorative elements can be attached. 
         [0031]    In yet another embodiment, the method of marketing a room decorating system  1  includes a plurality of foam elements on display at a location and then to provide guidance and decorative ideas, such as through the use of an attached catalog  202  with a plurality of templates  203  as shown in  FIG. 10 , for using different foam elements within a surface area to be enhanced. In yet another embodiment, if an online store is used to market and sell the pouches containing decorative foam elements, the decoration templates can be provided to the user in the form of an electronic file shown to the user using an Internet website before the user is conducted through an online purchasing process. In another contemplated embodiment, the display  200  is a physical store, the templates are provided via a television broadcast, such as a description of the product in a design television show, and the purchase by the user is conducted at the physical location of the store. Finally, a small TV monitor equipped with a device to play in loop a television show or other advertising clip for the display of sample design templates can be placed at the physical store in proximity to the display  200 . While a handful of methods of providing templates along with the room enhancement system are disclosed, what is contemplated is any known advertising and marketing method used in tandem with the sale of a packaged system made of a plurality of different elements to be coordinated along with a room or surface area enhancement using templates. 
         [0032]    Persons of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that although the teachings of the disclosure have been illustrated in connection with certain embodiments, there is no intent to limit the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, the intention of this application is to cover all modifications and embodiments falling fairly within the scope of the teachings of the disclosure.

Technology Category: 3