Outdoor and garden structure for displaying ornamental items
An outdoor and garden structure for displaying ornamental items permits people to express themselves in an outdoor environment. The outdoor and garden structure includes a pair of laterally spaced uprights secured to the ground in a vertical orientation, and a plurality of cross members disposed laterally between the uprights. At least one of the cross members may be provided with an anchor for suspending an ornamental item within an opening defined by the uprights, the cross member and an adjacent cross member. A shelf may be attached to and positioned on an upper surface of a cross member for supporting an ornamental item within an opening on the cross member. The outdoor and garden structure may further include a cap member positioned adjacent and extending laterally between the uprights. The cap member may include a pair of transversely spaced headers and a plurality of lattices extending transversely between the headers.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/745,366 filed Apr. 21, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to structures for displaying ornamental items, and more particularly, to an outdoor and garden structure for displaying ornamental items, such as lanterns, birdhouses, bird feeders, chimes, bells, sun-catchers, potted flowers, plants, planters, statutes and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPeople have long desired to express themselves by placing structures and ornamental items in outdoor living spaces and gardens. Familiar examples of outdoor and garden structures include pergolas, gazebos, trellises and arbors. These structures are typically decorative alone, but are often also used to display flowers and climbing vines for additional aesthetics. However, they are not well suited for displaying ornamental items such as lanterns, birdhouses, bird feeders, chimes, bells, sun-catchers, potted flowers, plants, planters, statutes and the like. A common outdoor and garden structure for displaying ornamental items is the well known Shepard's Hook. A Shepard's Hook is an elongate pole made of a substantially rigid material, such as forged iron coated with a weather-resistant finish. One end of the pole is provided with a stake for securing the Shepard's Hook into the ground in a yard or garden. The pole includes one or more hooks along its length, and particularly at the free end opposite the stake, for hanging an ornamental item. A Shepard's Hook is relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and requires little or no maintenance. However, Shepard's Hooks are not particularly sturdy, and thus, cannot support relatively heavy ornamental items. In addition, the structural design of a Shepard's Hook is quite simple. Therefore, there is very little variety of designs of Shepard's Hooks from which consumers may choose. As a result, consumers tend to express themselves through the selection, and to a lesser extent, the arrangement of the ornamental items displayed on the Shepard's Hook.
Besides the well known Shepard's Hook, there are almost no other outdoor and garden structures readily available for displaying ornamental items. In view of the notable disadvantages associated with a Shepard's Hook, and the lack of available alternatives, there is clearly a need for an outdoor and garden structure that permits a person to express themselves with a decorative structure for displaying ornamental items. There is a further need for such an outdoor and garden structure that is sturdy enough to support relatively heavy ornamental items. There is a yet a further need for such an outdoor and garden structure that provides consumers with a variety of designs from which to choose.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTo achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention as broadly described herein, the present invention provides an outdoor and garden structure for displaying ornamental items. The outdoor and garden structure permits people to express themselves with a decorative structure for displaying ornamental items, such as lanterns, birdhouses, bird feeders, chimes, bells, sun-catchers, potted flowers, plants, planters, statutes and the like. An outdoor and garden structure according to the present invention is sturdy enough to support relatively heavy ornamental items. Furthermore, the various embodiments shown and described herein provide a variety of designs of outdoor and garden structures for displaying ornamental items from which consumers may choose.
In one aspect, the present invention is embodied by an outdoor and garden structure for displaying ornamental items including a pair of laterally spaced uprights secured to the ground in a vertical orientation, and a plurality of cross members disposed laterally between the uprights. At least one of the cross members is provided with means for displaying an ornamental item between the cross member and an adjacent cross member. In one embodiment, the means for displaying an ornamental item is an anchor attached to and depending downwardly from the cross member. Preferably, the anchor is selected from the group consisting of a hook and an eyelet, and the ornamental item is displayed thereon by suspending the ornamental item from the cross member. In another embodiment, the means for displaying an ornamental item is a shelf attached to and positioned on an upper surface of the cross member, and the ornamental item is displayed thereon by supporting the ornamental item on the cross member.
In another aspect, the present invention is embodied by an outdoor and garden structure for displaying an ornamental item including a pair of vertically disposed and laterally spaced uprights. The outdoor and garden structure further includes a plurality of cross members extending laterally between the uprights and secured thereto. In one embodiment, each of the uprights is an elongate, substantially rectangular post having a generally square cross-section, and each of the cross members is an elongate, substantially rectangular post having a generally square cross-section equal in area to the cross-section of the uprights. In another embodiment, each of the uprights is an elongate, substantially cylindrical pole having a generally circular cross-section, and each of the cross members is an elongate, substantially cylindrical pole having a generally circular cross-section equal in area to the cross-section of the uprights. Preferably, an upper end of each of the uprights and the opposed ends of each of the cross members are chamfered to form a truncated cone.
In another aspect, the present invention is embodied by an outdoor and garden structure for displaying an ornamental item including a pair of vertically disposed and laterally spaced uprights. The outdoor and garden structure further includes a plurality of cross members extending laterally between the uprights and secured thereto. Together, the uprights and the cross members define at least one opening, and the ornamental item is displayed within the opening. In one embodiment, the ornamental item is suspended from an anchor attached to one of the cross members. In another embodiment, the ornamental item is supported on a shelf attached to one of the cross members.
In another aspect, the present invention is embodied by an outdoor and garden structure for displaying an ornamental item including a pair of vertically disposed and laterally spaced uprights. The outdoor and garden structure further includes a plurality of cross members extending laterally between the uprights and secured thereto. The outdoor and garden structure further includes a cap member adjacent an upper end of the uprights and extending laterally between the uprights. In one embodiment, the cap member includes a pair of transversely spaced headers and a plurality of lattices extending transversely between the headers. In another embodiment, each of the headers and each of the lattices is relatively planar and has an arch formed at each end. In another embodiment, each of the headers is arcuate and each of the lattices is substantially cylindrical.
The above and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention are better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will both fully and completely convey the scope of the invention, and thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make, use and practice the invention without undue experimentation. Like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout the various drawings.
A first embodiment of an outdoor and garden structure 20 according to the present invention is shown in
The outdoor and garden structure 20 comprises a pair of laterally spaced uprights and a plurality of cross members disposed between the uprights and secured thereto. As shown, the outdoor and garden structure 20 comprises a first, or left-hand, upright 21 and a second, or right-hand, upright 22, spaced apart by laterally extending cross-members 23, 24, 25. Uprights 21, 22 may be the same or different. For purposes of illustration, the uprights are identical to one another in each of the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Likewise, the cross members in the various embodiments are identical to one another. In the exemplary embodiment of
The uprights 21, 22 and the cross members 23, 24, 25 are arranged and secured together so as to define a first, or lower, opening 26 and a second, or upper, opening 27. The openings may be used for displaying one or more ornamental items within the outdoor and garden structure 20. As illustrated in
A second embodiment of an outdoor and garden structure 30 according to the present invention is shown in
A third embodiment of an outdoor and garden structure 40 according to the present invention is shown in
A fourth embodiment of an outdoor and garden structure 50 according to the present invention is shown in
An outdoor and garden structure according to the present invention is utilized by securing the uprights into the ground in an outdoor location, for example in a yard or garden. Typically, up to about 2 feet (approximately 0.6 meters) of the length of the uprights is disposed beneath the ground. For additional security, the uprights may be disposed in oversized holes and the remainder of the holes filled with concrete. Alternatively, the outdoor and garden structure may be placed on a man-made foundation, such as a driveway, walkway, patio, porch, deck or the like made of concrete, brick, stone or wood and secured using mechanical fasteners, anchors, guide wires or the like. Once the outdoor and garden structure is positioned and secured in the desired location, one or more anchors (e.g. hooks or eyelets) are attached to the cross members to suspend (i.e. hang) ornamental items within the openings defined by the uprights and the cross members. Alternatively or in addition, anchors may also be attached to the uprights themselves, or to a cap member, if provided. A shelf may also be attached to the upper surface of one of the cross members to support ornamental items within the openings. Importantly, a person may express themselves by selecting any outdoor and garden structure in combination with any ornamental item to produce a unique design. Furthermore, a person may arrange any number of ornamental items in any manner or combination to produce the desired aesthetically pleasing appearance. Accordingly, an outdoor and garden structure according to the present invention provides the consumer with a variety of design choices.
The foregoing description of various embodiments of the invention is given here by way of example only. Although outdoor and garden structures for displaying ornamental items according to the present invention have been described with reference to preferred embodiments and examples thereof, other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve similar results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended to be covered by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An outdoor and garden structure for displaying ornamental items comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced uprights secured to the ground in a vertical orientation;
- a plurality of cross members disposed laterally between the uprights, at least one of the cross members provided with means for displaying an ornamental item between the cross member and an adjacent cross member.
2. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying an ornamental item comprises an anchor attached to and depending downwardly from the cross member.
3. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 2, wherein the anchor is selected from the group consisting of a hook and an eyelet.
4. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying an ornamental item comprises a shelf attached to and positioned on an upper surface of the cross member.
5. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one ornamental item is displayed thereon by suspending the ornamental item from a cross member.
6. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one ornamental item is displayed thereon by supporting the ornamental item on a cross member.
7. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the uprights comprises an elongate, substantially rectangular post having a generally square cross-section and wherein each of the cross members comprises an elongate, substantially rectangular post having a generally square cross-section equal in area to the cross-section of the uprights.
8. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the uprights comprises an elongate, substantially cylindrical pole having a generally circular cross-section and wherein each of the cross members comprises an elongate, substantially cylindrical pole having a generally circular cross-section equal in area to the cross-section of the uprights.
9. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 1, further comprising a cap member adjacent an upper end of the uprights and extending laterally between the uprights.
10. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 9, wherein the cap member comprises a pair of transversely spaced headers and a plurality of lattices extending transversely between the headers.
11. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 10, wherein each of the headers and each of the lattices is relatively planar and has an arch formed at each end.
12. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 10, wherein each of the headers is arcuate and each of the lattices is substantially cylindrical.
13. An outdoor and garden structure for displaying an ornamental item comprising:
- a pair of vertically disposed and laterally spaced uprights;
- a plurality of cross members extending laterally between the uprights and secured thereto;
- wherein the uprights and the cross members together define at least one opening and the ornamental item is displayed within the opening.
14. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 13, wherein the ornamental item is suspended from an anchor attached to one of the cross members.
15. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 13, wherein the ornamental item is supported on a shelf attached to one of the cross members.
16. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 13, wherein an upper end of each of the uprights and the opposed ends of each of the cross members is chamfered to form a truncated cone.
17. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 13, further comprising a cap member adjacent an upper end of the uprights and extending laterally between the uprights.
18. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 17, wherein the cap member comprises a pair of transversely spaced headers and a plurality of lattices extending transversely between the headers.
19. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 18, wherein each of the headers and each of the lattices is relatively planar and has an arch formed at each end.
20. An outdoor and garden structure according to claim 18, wherein each of the headers is arcuate and each of the lattices is substantially cylindrical.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 20, 2007
Publication Date: Oct 25, 2007
Inventor: James Padden (Mooresville, NC)
Application Number: 11/788,653
International Classification: A47G 7/02 (20060101);