Patent Application
20160037951
The present application relates to Christmas tree stands, and more particularly to Christmas tree stands with one-way-pushable support screws that do not penetrate the tree.
Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gained from the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to be prior art.
Each year, millions of live cut Christmas trees (traditionally, pine trees) are sold for display in homes and business in the U.S. alone. In most cases, these trees require a support structure to keep them upright, such as a Christmas tree stand, which typically comprises a supported base and some means of keeping the tree in place, such as adjustable screws or pads.
Often, a hole is drilled upwards from the base of the tree prior to display. Some Christmas tree stands include a spike, cone, or other structure designed to penetrate this hole in the base of the stand. This can help increase the vertical stability of the tree when supported by the stand.
Some Christmas tree stands include a watertight pot; it is generally possible to keep a tree fresh longer by watering it. Some Christmas tree stands include automatic watering equipment.
Many Christmas tree stands use penetrative screws or wide pads to hold the tree in place. Penetrative screws can cause a tree to leak sap (potentially resinous, and difficult to remove from floors and other surfaces), and to lose their freshness more quickly. Pads generally do not conform to the shape of the tree (curved pads are unlikely to have the same radius as the tree); and may increase product cost and decrease ruggedness (e.g., by providing additional potential points of failure).
The present application discloses new systems, devices and methods for holding a cut live tree in an upright position.
One-way-pushable screws make erecting a Christmas tree in an inventive Christmas tree stand quick and easy. Screws are one-way-pushable because it takes significantly more force to pull a screw away from the tree than it takes to push the screw towards the tree. Nuts are used to hold the screws, the nuts being threaded only on respective levers that can be moved outwards from the respective circumferences of the nuts. By pushing on an end of a one-way-pushable screw distal from a tree placed in the tree stand's base through a nut towards the tree, the threads on the lever are briefly (and, generally, repeatedly) disengaged from the threads on the screw sufficiently to allow the screw to be easily pushed towards the tree.
Screws can also be turned to tighten them against the tree.
Preferably, screws are at least one inch (1″) in diameter in the barrel, and are at least one inch (1″) in diameter and flat on an end proximal to a tree. This allows the screws to provide a tree with sturdy, non-penetrative support.
The disclosed inventions will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments and which are incorporated in the specification hereof by reference, wherein:
The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will be described with particular reference to presently preferred embodiments (by way of example, and not of limitation). The present application describes several inventions, and none of the statements below should be taken as limiting the claims generally.
The present application discloses new systems, devices and methods for holding a cut live tree in an upright position.
One-way-pushable screws make erecting a Christmas tree in an inventive Christmas tree stand quick and easy. Screws are one-way-pushable because it takes significantly more force to pull a screw away from the tree than it takes to push the screw towards the tree. Nuts are used to hold the screws, the nuts being threaded only on respective levers that can be moved outwards from the respective circumferences of the nuts; the threads on a lever are configured to engage the threads on a screw when the screw is disposed through the nut and the lever is in an initial position. By pushing a one-way-pushable screw towards a tree (placed in the tree stand's base) the threads on the lever are (generally, briefly and repeatedly) disengaged from the threads on the screw sufficiently to allow the screw to be relatively easily pushed towards the tree.
Screws can also be turned to tighten them against the tree.
Preferably, screws are at least one inch (1″) in diameter in the barrel, and are at least one inch (1″) in diameter and flat on an end proximal to a tree. This allows the screws to provide a tree with sturdy, non-penetrative support.
The disclosed innovations, in various embodiments, provide one or more of at least the following advantages. However, not all of these advantages result from every one of the innovations disclosed, and this list of advantages does not limit the various claimed inventions.
quick and easy installation for supported objects;
quick and easy take-down for supported objects;
secure support;
easy to assemble;
improved safety;
minimizes potential points of failure; and
moves potential points of failure away from the supported object.
Some exemplary parameters will be given to illustrate the relations between these and other parameters. However it will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that these values are merely illustrative, and will be modified by scaling of further device generations, and will be further modified to adapt to different materials or architectures if used.
As shown, nuts 8 are attached to legs 6, and are thus indirectly and rigidly attached to the plant pot 4 when the legs 6 are attached to the plant pot 4.
As shown in
Generally, non-penetrative one inch screws are capable of securely supporting (vertically oriented) Christmas trees up to at least ten feet in height.
Screws 10 have screw-threads 34 configured to engage lever-threads 24 when screws 10 are disposed through nuts 8, and turning screw-wise (to be tightened towards the plant pot 4 or loosened away from the plant pot 4) or at rest.
Finger tabs 22 can also be ribbed 32, e.g., to improve their rigidity.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: A tree stand for holding a tree upright, comprising: a plant pot; a base configured to support said plant pot; multiple threaded screws; and multiple nuts configured to directly or indirectly rigidly attach to said plant pot, ones of said nuts comprising: a barrel configured to tightly hold said threaded screw when said threaded screw is disposed therethrough, and having an end that faces said plant pot when said nut is attached to said plant pot; and a lever attached at a fulcrum end to said nut, an arm of said lever configured to point towards said plant pot-facing end of said barrel, at least a portion of said lever disposed proximal to an inside surface of said barrel having lever-threads thereon, said lever-threads configured to engage said threaded screw when said threaded screw is disposed through said nut; whereby said lever-threads disengage from said threaded screw when said threaded screw is pushed through said barrel towards said plant pot-facing end.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: A tree stand, comprising: a plant pot; a base configured to support said plant pot; multiple screws; multiple nuts configured to tightly hold said screws, ones of said nuts configured to be directly or indirectly rigidly attached to said base and having a tree-facing end; and multiple thread disengagement units, ones of said units fixedly connected to a corresponding one of said nuts and having a disengageable-threaded surface aligned with an interior surface of said corresponding nut, threads on said disengageable-threaded surface configured to engage screw-threads of ones of said screws when said screw is disposed through said corresponding nut, said disengageable-threaded surface being configured to be pushed away from the axis of said corresponding nut to disengage said disengageable-threads from said screw-threads when said screw is pushed through said corresponding nut towards said tree-facing end, but not when pulled away from said tree-facing end.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: A method of securing a tree in a plant pot, comprising: pushing multiple screws towards the tree through unthreaded nuts holding respective ones of said screws with sufficient force to disengage lever-threads on levers attached to respective ones of said nuts from screw-threads of said screws; and turning multiple ones of said screws to tighten them against the tree; wherein an arm of said lever is oriented from a fulcrum end of said lever towards the tree, and wherein said lever-threads engage said screw-threads when said respective screw is disposed through said nut and at rest.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: A tree stand, comprising: a plant pot; a base configured to support said plant pot; multiple threaded screws with object-facing ends that are at least one inch in diameter and bluntly shaped; and multiple nuts, configured to directly or indirectly rigidly attach to said plant pot and to securely hold said screws; whereby said screws will not penetrate and will securely hold a tree placed in said plant pot in a fixed position with respect to said plant pot when the screws are disposed through said nuts and tightened against the tree.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: A method of attaching a tree to a tree stand, comprising: putting a tree in a pot; and tightening screws toward the tree through respective nuts until the tree is secured in a fixed position with respect to said pot; wherein said nuts are directly or indirectly attached to said pot; wherein barrels of said screws are at least one inch in diameter; and wherein ends of said screws configured to contact the tree are blunt, and are substantially the same diameter as said barrels; whereby said screws do not penetrate the tree when said screws are tightened sufficiently to secure the tree in a fixed position with respect to said pot when said tree is vertically oriented.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: A one-way-pushable support, comprising: a threaded screw; and a nut, comprising: a barrel configured to tightly hold said threaded screw when disposed therethrough, and having an object-facing end that faces the object to be supported; and a lever attached at a fulcrum end to said nut, an arm of said lever configured to point towards said object-facing end, at least a portion of said lever disposed proximal to an inside surface of said barrel having lever-threads thereon, said lever-threads configured to engage said threaded screw when said threaded screw is disposed through said nut; whereby said lever-threads disengage from said threaded screw when said threaded screw is pushed through said barrel towards said object-facing end.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: A one-way-pushable support, comprising: a screw; a nut configured to tightly hold said screws when disposed therethrough, ones of said nuts having an object-facing end and configured to be directly or indirectly rigidly attached to a surface supporting an object; and a thread disengagement unit fixedly connected to said nut and having a disengageable-threaded surface aligned with an interior surface of said nut, threads on said disengageable-threaded surface configured to engage screw-threads of said screw when said screw is disposed through said nut, said disengageable-threaded surface being configured to be pushed away from the axis of said corresponding nut to disengage said disengageable-threads from said screw-threads when said screw is pushed through said corresponding nut towards said object-facing end, but not when pulled away from said object-facing end.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: A method of securing an object in an upright position, comprising: pushing multiple screws towards an object through unthreaded nuts holding respective ones of said screws with sufficient force to disengage lever-threads on levers attached to respective ones of said nuts from screw-threads of said screws; and turning multiple ones of said screws to tighten them against the object; wherein an arm of said lever is oriented from a fulcrum end of said lever towards the object, and wherein said lever-threads engage said screw-threads when said respective screw is disposed through said nut and at rest.
According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there is provided: Systems, devices and methods for holding a cut live tree in an upright position. A Christmas tree stand comprises a supporting base and non-penetrative one-way-pushable screws. Threads in the nuts through which the screws are disposed are pushed out of the way (disengaged from the threads on the screws) when the screws are pushed towards a tree placed in the base, but not when the screws are pulled away from the tree. This makes the screws much easier to push towards the tree than to pull them away, making secure fastening of the tree quick and easy. Screws can also be tightened to provide finer screw adjustment. Non-penetrative screws allow the cut tree to remain fresh longer.
Modifications and Variations
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovative concepts described in the present application can be modified and varied over a tremendous range of applications, and accordingly the scope of patented subject matter is not limited by any of the specific exemplary teachings given. It is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
In some embodiments, screws and nuts as described herein can be used to support an object other than a tree.
In some embodiments, screws and nuts as described herein can be used to support an object against a non-horizontal surface.
In some embodiments, the object-facing ends of screws comprise or are overlaid with an increased-friction material and/or texture.
In some embodiments, the object-facing ends of screws comprise or are overlaid with a yielding (relatively soft/pliable, generally, significantly less hard/rigid than steel) material—e.g., rubber, or certain plastics—to further reduce the likelihood of damage to the object and/or the surface of the object.
Particular positioning of legs, nuts and screws with respect to a plant pot is shown and described hereinabove; in some embodiments, different positioning can be used.
In some embodiments, screws and nuts as described herein can be used to support (or to hold down) an object other than a tree. In such embodiments, the plant pot and legs (e.g., of
In some embodiments, the object-facing ends of screws comprise a pad; in some embodiments, the pad is flat; in some embodiments, the pad is curved; in some embodiments, the pad conforms to the tree's shape.
In some embodiments, not all legs are connected to nuts.
In some embodiments, one or more legs are connected to more than one nut.
In some embodiments, support for the plant pot other than legs is used, e.g., a ring, platter, a fitted recess in a wide base, or supporting arms in a larger pot.
In some embodiments, nuts attach directly to the plant pot, or to another structure directly or indirectly attached to or otherwise immobile with respect to the plant pot.
In some embodiments, nuts are connected to the plant pot or another portion of the stand instead of or in addition to the legs.
In some embodiments, nuts have more than one screw-receiving portion (multi-part nuts to receive multiple screws). In some embodiments, nuts have more than one lever.
In some embodiments, nuts have no opening on the side opposite the lever.
In some embodiments, levers are not ribbed.
In some embodiments, some parts are not detachable from others. In some embodiments, various parts are mutually detachable. In some embodiments, various parts (e.g., nuts and legs or legs and the plant pot) connect to each other differently (with different types of connectors or connections) than disclosed above.
In some embodiments, three screws are used to keep a tree upright.
In some embodiments, handles can be removed from screws.
In some embodiments using one inch diameter screws with non-penetrative tree-facing ends, nuts are threaded.
Screws disclosed herein use a single start for screw-threads; in some embodiments, more than one start is used.
In some embodiments, plant pot-facing ends of screws are a blunt shape other than flat, e.g., a partial sphere (such as a hemisphere) or conical frustum.
In some embodiments using one-way-pushable screws, one or more screws can be configured to penetrate a tree, e.g., by having a significantly smaller diameter than one inch and/or by having a sharpened and/or small-diameter tree-facing end.
In some embodiments, a thread disengagement mechanism other than a lever is used, e.g., a scissoring mechanism bearing disengageable threads, or a spring-loaded threaded surface.
Some embodiments comprise support structure other than or in addition to legs, e.g., a disk, platform, wide foot, or other structure integrated into or connected to the plant pot and configured to stably support the plant pot.
Some embodiments use more or less than three nuts and/or three legs.
In some embodiments, not all nuts have screws disposed through them.
In some embodiments, the spike is configured to support a tree (e.g., if the spike is wider than a typical hole in the base of a trunk).
In some embodiments, finger tabs, push pads, a handle, or other means for directly pulling and/or pushing on the lever to disengage the lever-threads from the screw-threads, are attached to the lever; in some embodiments, they are also attached to the nut or to another portion of the tree stand proximal to and rigidly connected (directly or indirectly) to the nut.
In some embodiments, a leg and nut combination as shown in
In some embodiments, matching openings comprise lips. In some embodiments, one or more lips are subdivided, and one or more subdivisions match the width of a corresponding tongue.
In some embodiments, the length of legs is matched to the approximate radius of a Christmas tree when lying down, said radius being defined herein as the distance from the ground to the center of the trunk with the foliage compressed only by gravity.
In some embodiments, the plant pot is configured to support trees less than twelve feet tall; in some embodiments, the plant pot is configured to support trees with a greater maximum height; in some such embodiments, screws wider than one inch in diameter are used.
None of the description in the present application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element which must be included in the claim scope: THE SCOPE OF PATENTED SUBJECT MATTER IS DEFINED ONLY BY THE ALLOWED CLAIMS. Moreover, none of these claims are intended to invoke paragraph six of 35 USC section 112 unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle.
The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, and NO subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, or abandoned.
