Convertible Pompon System

Abstract

Convertible pompons having ornamental arrays such as fluffy projections at opposite ends of baton handles are constructed from pompon halves with half handles incorporating coupling mechanisms for connecting and disconnecting the handle halves. The half handle of one pompon half can be connected with the half handles of a plurality of other pompon halves to assemble the convertible pompons, and the pompon halves of the assembled convertible pompons can be separated and recombined with other pompon halves to provide a yet wider choice of convertible pompons.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disassembled convertible pompon in the form of two pompon halves with half handles arranged for coupling the pompon halves together.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the disassembled convertible pompon partly in cross section with partly cutaway ornamental arrays.

FIG. 3 is a similar side view of the assembled convertible pompon with partly cutaway ornamental arrays.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one of the pompon halves having a male fitting along with a cross-sectional view through an end cap having a female fitting for completing the handle of the one pompon half.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the other of the pompon halves having a female fitting shown partly in cross section along with an end cap having a male fitting for completing the handle of the other pompon half.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the one pompon half assembled with the female end cap, which includes a carrying strap.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a disassembled alternative convertible pompon partly in cross section showing a detent coupling mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a side view of another disassembled alternative convertible pompon partly in cross section showing a latching coupling mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a side view of another disassembled alternative convertible pompon partly in cross section showing a friction coupling mechanism.

Claims

1. A convertible pompon assembly comprising a first ornamental array projecting from a first handle half,a second ornamental array projecting from a second handle half,the first and second handle halves incorporating a coupling mechanism having a coupling facility for interconnecting the first and second handle halves, thereby forming a unitary baton handle between the first and second ornamental arrays, andthe coupling mechanism also having an uncoupling facility for disconnecting the first and second handle halves, thereby allowing one of the first and second handle halves to be interconnected with a handle half of another ornamental array.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which the coupling mechanism is formed integrally with the handle halves without requiring additional moving parts and is engaged and disengaged by relative motion between the handle halves.

3. The assembly of claim 1 in which the coupling mechanism includes a male fitting associated with the first handle half and a female fitting associated with the second handle half.

4. The assembly of claim 3 in which the male fitting projects from the first handle half and the female coupling is formed within the second handle half.

5. The assembly of claim 4 in which the male and female fittings include mating threads.

6. The assembly of claim 1 in which the coupling mechanism includes a detent mechanism that provides snap-fit engagements and disengagements.

7. The assembly of claim 1 in which the coupling mechanism includes a latch mechanism that can be engaged and disengaged by relative motions.

8. The assembly of claim 7 in which the latch mechanism includes a catch that is movable relative to the first and second handle halves.

9. The assembly of claim 1 in which the handle halves include end surfaces that abut one another for forming the unitary baton handle.

10. The assembly of claim 9 in which the handle halves include peripheral surfaces that are arranged side-by-side to form a substantially uninterrupted peripheral surface of the baton handle.

11. The assembly of claim 9 in which the coupling mechanism draws the end surfaces of the handle halves into engagement with each other.

12. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a detachable strap loosely connecting the two handle halves.

13. An convertible pompon system comprising a plurality of pompon halves each having fluffy projections supported from a handle half,the handle half of a first of the pompon halves being separately engageable with the handle halves of more than one of the plurality of pompon halves for forming convertible pompons from different pairings with the first pompon half, andthe handle half of the first pompon half being disengageable from the handle half of a second of the pompon halves and engageable with the handle half of a third of the pompon halves for switching between different pairings of the convertible pompon system.

14. The system of claim 13 in which the engageable handle halves form a unitary baton handle between the pompon halves.

15. The system of claim 13 in which the engageable handle halves include a first end supporting a multitude of strands and a second end that incorporates portions of a coupling mechanism for engaging and disengaging the handle halves of other pompon halves.

16. The system of claim 15 in which the coupling mechanism is formed integrally with the engageable handle halves without requiring additional moving parts and is engaged and disengaged by relative motion between the engageable handle halves.

17. The system of claim 13 in which coupling mechanism that includes a male fitting associated with the handle half of the first pompon half and a female fitting associated with the handle halves of the second and third pompon halves.

18. The system of claim 17 in which the male fitting projects from the first handle half and the female coupling is formed within the second handle half.

19. The system of claim 18 in which the male and female fittings include mating threads.

20. The system of claim 13 in which the engageable handle halves incorporate a coupling mechanism that includes a detent mechanism that provides snap-fit engagements and disengagements.

21. The system of claim 13 in which the engageable handle halves incorporate a coupling mechanism that includes a latch mechanism that can be engaged and disengaged by relative motions.

22. The system of claim 13 in which the engageable handle halves include end surfaces that abut one another for forming a unitary baton handle of a convertible pompon.

23. The system of claim 22 in which the engageable handle halves include peripheral surfaces that are arranged side-by-side to form a substantially uninterrupted peripheral surface of the baton handle.

24. The system of claim 13 in which the fluffy projections of at least the second and third pompon halves differ from one another.

25. The system of claim 13 further comprising end caps that engage the handle halves of the pompon halves for extending the handle halves for use with the pompon halves.

26. The system of claim 25 in which coupling mechanism that includes a fitting associated with the handle half of the first pompon half and a mating fitting associated with the handle half of the second pompon half and the end caps incorporate mating features for coupling to the handle halves.