Christmas tree decoration hanging system
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to Christmas tree decorating systems and, more particularly, is concerned with a tree decoration hanging system employing a tree top-mounted hanger device with hanger elements supporting elongated decorations from the hanger device. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The decoration of Christmas trees is an integral part of the holiday season and is widely practiced. For some people this is an enjoyable event, while for others this can be a time-consuming and tedious task. 
     Placing objects on or hanging objects from Christmas tree branches has been the standard method of decoration. A problem often exists in that tree branches can be oddly shaped and asymmetrical. Thus, orderly decorating of such trees can be difficult. In addition, the odd shapes and instability of branches limit the types of ornaments and decorations that can be used on them. 
     Structural additions to both natural and artificial Christmas trees have addressed this problem to a limited extent. A tinsel package disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,776 to Lee attempts to hang tinsel strips in a way so as to make the entire tree appear uniformly shaped. This package provides an annular spacer element with strips of tinsel wrapped and folded upon themselves over the spacer element and then about a supporting core. However, a drawback is the fragility of the package and the tendency thereof towards a state of disarray unwrapping and rewrapping of many pieces resulting in a time-consuming and tedious task. 
     The tree covering disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,275 to Sloane is limited to artificial trees and is complex by nature. The covering involves a tent-like draping of a tree or similar structure with a complex web network that supports a tinsel garland. A central ring is used for placement over the top or main stem of the tree. Hooks affixed to longitudinal backing strips engage the ring to support the draping system. This method, however, uses a pre-designed pattern, which lacks decorative variety and flexibility. 
     An electric light decoration set disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,723 to Lerner involves a permanent arrangement of miniature lamps strung in parallel circuit down from an insulated casing at the top of a Christmas tree, but is limited to the specific use of electric lights and does not have a fastening system at the top of the tree that would permit a variety of decorations to be hung. 
     The artificial Christmas tree disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,893 to Snider involves a stable but rather complex arrangement simulating a real Christmas tree. A circular platform at the top of the simulated tree has a central sleeve and a plurality of posts mounted upright upon the periphery of the platform&#39;s top surface that receive the looped ends of cords or cables which extend downward to a spoked hoop creating the basic framework for the tree. This device, however, is limited to the artificial tree situation. The top platform with its central sleeve and posts would also be difficult to adapt for use on a natural tree and would fail to provide ample room for the attachment or setting of decorations on the platform surface. 
     While these prior devices may have advantages in their specific applications, they do not seem to provide a comprehensive solution for Christmas tree decoration. Consequently, a need still exists for a tree decorating system that is simple, efficient and permits a variety of uses with general application. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a tree decoration hanging system designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs. This system which has a hanger device adapted to support a plurality of hanger elements for attaching and suspending elongated decorations therefrom is neither limited to artificial nor natural trees nor to any particular kind of decoration. Instead, hanger device can be placed at the top of either type of tree and has a plurality of hook elements to support the hanger elements for attachment to any number of possible elongated decorations, including lengths of ribbon or tinsel. The hanger device, with a central opening for receiving a tree stem and radial slots for tree branches, may also serve as a platform upon which ornaments may be rested at the top of the tree. In summary, the decoration hanging system of the present invention is simple and efficient, may support a variety of elongated decorations, and provides for general application to all kinds of trees. 
     Accordingly, the present invention relates to a tree decoration hanging system, which comprises: (a) a hanger device including (i) an annular body having exterior and interior sides, (ii) a plurality of support elements mounted to and spaced about the exterior side of the annular body, each of the support elements extending radially outward therefrom, and (iii) means mounted about the interior side of the annular body and extending radially inward therefrom so as to define a central opening for receiving a top portion of a main stem of a tree therethrough; and (b) a plurality of hanger elements each attachable to one decoration of a plurality of elongated decorations and receivable on one of the support elements of the hanger device. 
     The present invention also relates to the hanger device as defined above and to each of the plurality of hanger elements. Each hanger element comprises: (a) a pair of flaps; (b) means for hinging the flaps to one another to undergo movement between open and closed positions; (c) means for fastening the flaps to one another at the closed position and for clamping one end portion of a respective one of the elongated decorations between the flaps at the closed position; and (d) means for hanging the flaps in the closed position to support the hanger element and the elongated decoration therefrom. 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the decoration hanging system of the present invention shown deployed on a Christmas tree. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a hanger device of the decoration hanging system of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the hanger device taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the hanger device of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 5 is plan view of one of a plurality of hanger elements of the decoration hanging system of FIG. 1, the hanger element being shown in an unfolded condition. 
     FIGS. 6 and 6A are cross-sectional views of the hanger element taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5, showing hanger element in respective open and closed conditions. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the hanger element in a folded but open condition. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the hanger element in a folded and closed condition, clamping one end of an elongated decoration between opposing halves of the hanger element. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the hanger device with one of a plurality of hook elements thereon supporting a hanger element attached to an end portion of an elongated decoration. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 9, there is illustrated a decoration hanging system of the present invention, generally designated 10, deployed on a Christmas tree T. Basically, the system 10 includes a hanger device 12 and a plurality of hanger elements 14. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4 and 9, the hanger device 12 of the system 10 includes a rigid annular body 16 having a ring-shaped structure and opposite exterior and interior sides 18, 20, and a plurality of supports 22 in the form of hook elements 22 mounted to the annular body 16 and spaced about the exterior side 18 of the annular body 16. The hook elements 22 are spaced circumferentially from one another and extend radially outward from the exterior side 18 of the annular body 16. Each hook element 22 has a radial spoke portion 24 fixed at an inner end 24A to the exterior side 18 of the annular body 16 and extends radially outward therefrom, and an upright support portion 26 fixed at a lower end 26A to an outer end 24B of the radial spoke portion 24 and extends transversely to and upward from the radial spoke portion 24. The radial spoke portions 24 of the hook elements 22 are attached on the exterior side 18 of the annular body 16 closer to the bottom edge 16A than the top edge 16B thereof. The upright support portions 26 of the hook elements 22 terminate at upper ends 26B located above the top edge 16B of the annular body 16. 
     The hanger device 12 of the system 10 also includes means 28 mounted about the interior side 20 of the annular body 16 and extending radially inward therefrom for receiving a top portion of a main stem S of the tree T therethrough. The receiving means 28 takes the form of a plurality of pie-shaped blade-like gripping elements 30 mounted to and spaced about the interior side 20 of the annular body 16. The gripping elements 30 are fixed at their outer edges 30A to the interior side 20 of the annular body 16 approximately midway between the bottom and top edges 16A, 16B thereof. The gripping elements 30 extend radially inward toward one another and terminate at inner edges 30B being disposed in spaced relation from one another so as to define a central opening 32. The gripping elements 30 are spaced apart so as to define radial slots 34 that extend therebetween from the central opening 32 outward to the interior side 20 of the annular body 16. The radial slots 34 provide spaces between the gripping elements 30 for passage upward of branches B extending from the top portion of the main stem S of the tree T extending through the central opening 32 of the annular body 16. As seen in FIG. 1, the platform 36 of the hanger device 12 rests on those of the branches B of the T located immediately below the hanger device 12. 
     The gripping elements 30 are relatively flat so as to extend coplanarly with respect to one another and thereby provide a platform 36 surrounded by the upper portion of the annular body 16. With the hanger device 12 placed at the top of the tree T, the platform 36 defined by the gripping elements 30 serves to support an ornamental decoration 0 on the top of the tree T. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5-9, each of the hanger elements 14 of the system 10 has a pair of flat flaps 38 and means in the form of a living hinge 40 interconnecting inner edges 38A of the flaps 38, enabling the flaps 38 to undergo movement away from and toward one another between an open position, as shown in FIG. 5, and a closed position, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Each hanger element 14 also includes means 42 for fastening the flaps 38 to one another at the closed position and for clamping an end portion P of a respective one of a plurality of elongated decorations D, such as strips of ribbon, between the flaps 38 at the closed position. The fastening and clamping means 42 takes the form of a set of complementary ribs 44, 46 defined on and projecting outward from facing surfaces of the flaps 38. The ribs 44, 46 are spaced opposite from one another and adjacent to outer edges 38B of the flaps 38 so that they will engage when the flaps 38 are folded to the closed position. As shown in FIG. 6A, the pair of ribs 44 are adapted to snap fit over the single rib 46 and clamp therebetween the end portion P of the elongated decoration D upon moving the flaps 38 to the closed position. 
     Also, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 7-9, each hanger element 14 includes means 48 for hanging the fastened flaps 38 of the hanger element 14 over a respective one of the hanger elements 14 in order to hang the elongated decoration D from the hanger device 12. The hanging means 48 has a pair of apertures 50 each defined in one of the flaps 38 and aligned with one another, as seen in FIGS. 7-9, when the flaps 38 are moved to the closed position. 
     The color of the hanger device 12 and hanger elements 14 of the decoration hanging system 10 can be selected to match the color of the tree branches B so as to camouflage the system 10 and thereby give the appearance that the elongated decorations are hanging from the tree branches B. The opening and closing feature of the hanger elements 14 permit the particular decorations to be replaced when desired. 
     It is thought that the present invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from its spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely preferred or exemplary embodiment thereof.