HK1079160B - Ornamental fixtures having decorative ornaments - Google Patents

Description

Decorative fixture with decorative ornaments

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a co-pending application No. 10/757,628 filed on 14.1.2004 [ attorney docket No.: 2350.423, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and claims priority thereto.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to an arrangement and method for mounting decorative ornaments such as crystals and beads, and more particularly, to an arrangement and method for mounting decorative ornaments to a lamp fixture such as a chandelier.

Background

Chandeliers, lights and other miscellaneous ornaments typically require the attachment of decorative ornaments or crystal elements (e.g., octagonal or round beads, hangers and other ornaments) to a metal support frame. In accordance with prior art practices, the attachment of these ornaments to the frame typically requires the use of intricate wires, hooks or other fastening devices, and may also require special tools. In addition, prior art mounting arrangements and methods typically require multiple manufacturing and assembly steps, multiple components and/or materials, and are labor and cost intensive to perform. Moreover, many prior art wire installation methods generally do not substantially account for the desired location or orientation of some components, such as gems, pendants (pendants) or pear-shaped hangers, although conventional hooks may also provide a means of orienting such ornamentation, such as by gravity. Systems that account for the orientation of these components by means other than gravity typically require relatively complex and expensive brackets, hooks, or other attachment devices. Aspects of the present invention overcome these and other shortcomings of the prior art when mounting ornaments in decorative fixtures.

Disclosure of Invention

According to aspects of the present invention, there are provided an ornament mounting arrangement and a mounting method which are easy to manufacture and assemble. Aspects of the invention include mounting arrangements and fixtures having a frame that includes an aperture that provides a receptacle (e.g., a receiving slot or pocket) with a mounting post or wire for receiving and holding an ornament, particularly in a predetermined orientation, by a geometric structure. Aspects of the present invention also provide an ornament-mounting frame or fixture that can be manufactured in a single operation, such as stamping, to create a pocket and a mounting pin. In contrast to prior art arrangements and methods, little or no additional parts are required to attach the ornament to the mounting frame for one aspect of the invention. In addition, aspects of the present invention provide for the installation of ornaments whereby the orientation of the ornaments can be controlled, for example, with little or no influence from gravity and without the need for brackets, hooks, or other attachment devices. Aspects of the present invention also provide methods and apparatus for equipping a decorative trim onto a lamp fixture, such as a directable lamp fixture, where the orientation of the directable lamp fixture may be varied without affecting the orientation and appearance of the trim associated with the lamp fixture. Aspects of the present invention are applicable to a wide range of frame and upholstery configurations and can accommodate a wide variety of different upholstery. In contrast to prior art methods, for aspects of the present invention, the assembly of the ornament to the frame is very simple and labor efficient, e.g., minimizing the number of parts and eliminating the need for special tools.

In contrast to the prior art, aspects of the present invention enable a fixture designer to position and orient an ornament, such as an octagonal crystal, in a desired orientation, for example, to enhance the visual appearance of the ornament, which was previously unavailable. For example, according to the prior art, crystal octagon decorations are usually mounted by means of hooks or hanging decorative chains. The orientation and orientation in these prior art techniques is inherently influenced by gravity. That is, gravity has some effect on the desired orientation of the ornament, such as affecting the desired visual effect and limiting the designer to having only certain acceptable orientations and orientations of the ornament. However, in accordance with aspects of the present invention, the limiting effects of gravity may be overcome by providing methods and apparatus for positioning and orienting ornaments in predetermined orientations without being constrained by gravity. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, decorations, such as, for example, piercing decorations, may be installed to enhance the visual appeal of individual decorations or decoration configurations. According to one aspect of the invention, this may be achieved by the interaction of mounting parts, which may be pins, posts or wires or the inner surface of a hole in which a decoration is mounted. For one aspect, the inner surface of the bore interacts with a post, pin, or wire to orient the ornament in a predetermined orientation. As will become more apparent from the following aspects of the invention and the accompanying drawings, such interaction, support or contact between the garnish and mounting apparatus can allow the garnish fixture designer to position and orient the crystal garnish in a manner previously unavailable.

One aspect of the present invention is an arrangement for mounting a decorative ornament, comprising a frame having a hole, and the hole having an inner surface; and at least one mounting post extending from the frame, the mounting post for insertion through a perforation in the ornament; wherein the ornament is retained by the mounting post and the inner surface of the aperture when the ornament is mounted to the mounting post. For one aspect of the invention, the mounting post is flexible and adapted to deflect from a first position to a second position for mounting an ornament.

Another aspect of the present invention is an arrangement for mounting a decorative ornament, the arrangement comprising a frame having a bore, the bore having an inner surface; and means for mounting the ornament to the frame, the means for attaching the perforations in the ornament; wherein when the ornament is mounted to the frame, the ornament is retained by the means for mounting and the inner surface of the aperture. The means for mounting the ornament may comprise at least one mounting post extending from the frame, such as a pin or wire mounted integrally with the frame.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for mounting a decorative ornament to a frame having an aperture with an inner surface and a flexible mounting post, the method comprising the steps of deflecting the mounting post from a first position to a second position; the ornament is arranged on the mounting column at the second position; deflecting the mounting post with the ornament to a first position; and the ornament is held in the hole by the mounting post and the inner surface of the hole. For one aspect of the invention, the aperture defines a plane or surface, wherein in the first position the mounting post is substantially parallel to the plane or surface and in the second position the mounting post is substantially non-parallel to the plane or surface.

Another aspect of the invention is a trim clip comprising a frame having at least one aperture, the at least one aperture having an inner surface; further comprising at least one mounting post extending from the frame, the mounting post adapted to be inserted through a perforation in the garnish; wherein the ornament is retained by the at least one mounting post and the inner surface of the at least one aperture when the ornament is mounted to the at least one mounting post. For one aspect of the invention, the decorative fixture is a decorative light fixture such as a light or chandelier.

Another aspect of the invention is a trim clip comprising a frame having at least one aperture, the at least one aperture having an inner surface; and means for mounting the ornament to the frame, the means for attaching the perforations in the ornament; wherein when the ornament is mounted to the frame, the ornament is retained by the means for mounting the ornament to the frame and the inner surface of the at least one aperture. For one aspect, the means for mounting the ornament may be at least one mounting post, such as at least one pin or wire, extending from the frame.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is an arrangement for mounting a decorative ornament having an axis that does not pass through the center of gravity of the ornament and a mounting hole, the arrangement comprising a frame having a surface, wherein the frame includes a hole having an inner surface; the arrangement further includes at least one mounting post extending from the frame, the mounting post being adapted to be inserted through a mounting hole in the ornament; wherein the axis of the ornament forms an angle greater than 0 degrees with the vertical when the ornament is mounted to the mounting post.

Another aspect of the present invention is an arrangement for mounting decorative ornaments, each ornament having at least one perforation, the arrangement comprising: a frame comprising a plurality of apertures having an inner surface; and at least one thread adapted to be inserted through the perforations of the plurality of decorative objects; wherein the ornament is retained by the at least one wire and the at least one inner surface of the bore when the ornament is mounted to the wire.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for mounting a plurality of perforated decorative ornaments to a hole comprising a plurality of holes having an inner surface, the method comprising: positioning the plurality of trim pieces in the apertures on a first side of the frame, wherein the perforations of the trim pieces are accessible from a second side of the frame opposite the first side; passing the at least one thread through the perforations of the trim on the second side of the frame; and the plurality of ornamentation is retained in the bore by at least one wire and the inner surface of the bore.

Another aspect of the present invention is a clip for mounting a piercing ornament, the clip comprising a frame having a plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures having an inner surface; and at least one thread adapted to be inserted through the perforation of the perforation ornamentation; wherein when the ornament is placed in the hole and the at least one wire is inserted through the perforation, the ornament is retained by the at least one wire and the inner surface of the hole.

Another aspect of the invention is a light fixture with a decorative trim, the light fixture including a frame having a plurality of apertures; a plurality of ornaments mounted in the plurality of holes; means for mounting the plurality of ornaments to the frame; and a light for illuminating at least some of the plurality of ornaments. For one aspect, the frame may be a cylindrical frame. For another aspect, the frame may be a planar frame suspended from the light fixture, for example, by one or more chains.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for mounting a plurality of perforated decorative ornaments to a frame, the frame having a plurality of holes and the holes having an inner surface, the method comprising: mounting a plurality of wires to the frame, wherein each wire extends over at least one of the plurality of holes; mounting the at least one perforated decorative trim to at least one of the plurality of wires through the perforations; and the at least one perforated decorative trim is retained in the hole by the at least one thread and the at least one interior surface of the hole.

Accordingly, aspects of the present invention provide improved configurations and methods for mounting ornaments to decorative fixtures, such as decorative light fixtures.

Drawings

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood by reading the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a trim clamping frame having a trim clamping arrangement according to one aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a plurality of ornaments mounted in the framed panel shown in fig. 1, according to one aspect of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the trim clamping arrangement shown in fig. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the trim clamping arrangement shown in FIG. 3 as viewed along viewing line 4-4 with the mounting posts deflected.

Fig. 5 is a detailed view similar to fig. 3, showing the installation of a typical ornament (shown in phantom).

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the mounting arrangement shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 7A and 7B are bottom and side views, respectively, of a decorative clip in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another trim clip according to an aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a mounting arrangement according to another aspect of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a mounting arrangement according to yet another aspect of the invention.

Fig. 11 illustrates another aspect of the invention that provides for the directional mounting of ornaments.

Fig. 12 illustrates another aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a front plan view of another aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a rear plan view of the aspect of the invention shown in fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the aspect of the invention shown in fig. 14 and 15 as viewed along the line of sight 15-15 in fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is a rear plan view of another aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of yet another aspect of the present invention, which is similar to the aspect shown in fig. 8.

Fig. 18 is a front view of the aspect of the invention shown in fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a top plan view of the aspect of the invention shown in fig. 17.

Fig. 20 is an elevational view of another aspect of the invention.

Fig. 21 is a front view of another aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 22 to 27 are perspective views of other aspects of the present invention.

Fig. 28, 29 and 30 are front, side and rear views, respectively, of another aspect of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The details and scope of various aspects of the invention will be best understood from a reading of the drawings and the following description. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a trim clamping clip 10 including a frame 11 and a trim clamping arrangement 12 according to one aspect of the present invention. In the aspect of the invention shown, the frame 11 comprises a plurality of individual triangular perforated frame plates 14. According to this aspect of the invention, the frame 11 is shown in a pre-assembled state, i.e., prior to assembly of the frame plate 14 into a polygonal shape such as the triangular trim clip shown in fig. 7A and 7B. According to the present invention, the frame 11 includes a plurality of trim clamping arrangements 12 having holes 16, and each hole 16 has one or more mounting pins or posts 18 for mounting trim. The frame 11 may also include means 19 for suspending the clamp 10, such as eyelets, hooks, or other conventional structures for suspending the clamp 10.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of one frame plate 14 with multiple ornaments 20, 22 mounted thereon, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. For clarity, only one exemplary set of ornaments 20, 22 is shown in FIG. 2. In accordance with this aspect of the present invention, ornaments 20, 22 may comprise perforated ornaments, i.e., ornaments having through-holes. Ornaments 20, 22 may be perforated beads or crystals, for example, faceted octagonal beads or faceted spherical beads. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, ornaments 20, 22, and all ornaments discussed herein, may comprise any type of perforated beads, stone, crystal, etc., that may be used in an ornamental fixture. For example, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, ornaments 20, 22 may comprise any type of faceted or non-faceted (i.e., smooth) shape, such as spheres, cubes, cones, rods, tubes, rods, prisms, and the like. Ornaments 20, 22 may be made from glass, plastic, metal, stone, or any other conventional material commonly used to make decorative beads. Ornaments 20, 22 may also comprise perforated gemstones, such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, opals, and the like. Ornaments 20, 22 may be made from a transparent, translucent, or opaque material, such as colored glass. In one aspect of the present invention, ornaments 20, 22 may also comprise light-emitting ornaments, such as lamps or light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

According to one aspect of the invention, the frame 11 may be made of any conventional material, such as any conventional metallic or non-metallic plate or sheet material. In one aspect of the invention, the frame 11 may be made of sheet metal or sheet, such as iron, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, nickel, magnesium, copper, silver, gold, or any other metal conventionally used in decorative fixtures. In one aspect of the invention, the frame 10 may be made of plastic, such as Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), Polyester (PE), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), or other plastics. In one aspect of the invention, the frame 11 may be made of a transparent, translucent, or opaque material. In one aspect of the invention, the frame 11 comprises a flexible material, such as a flexible material capable of undergoing elastic or plastic deformation or deflection. In one aspect of the invention, the frame 11 is fabricated from a plate or sheet having a thickness of about 0.010 inches to about 0.5 inches, such as between about 0.020 inches and about 0.25 inches, and typically between about 0.020 inches and about 0.050 inches. According to aspects of the present invention, the frame 11 (and other frames disclosed herein) may comprise a substantially flat plate or frame that may be formed into a large number of faceted three-dimensional shapes such as pyramids and polyhedrons as shown in FIG. 2. However, in other aspects of the invention, the frame 11 (and other frames disclosed herein) may also be other than flat or may be non-planar, e.g., the frame 11 may be curvilinear in shape, e.g., to provide a cylindrical frame or a variety of three-dimensional shapes, such as a sphere (e.g., a faceted sphere), a pyramid, a variety of polyhedrons, and any other conventional three-dimensional shape.

Fig. 3 shows a detailed plan view of the mounting arrangement 12 shown in fig. 1 and 2. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the arrangement 12 includes a triangular aperture 16 in the frame 11 and at least one mounting post or pin 18 attached to the frame 11 and extending into the aperture 16. In the aspect of the invention shown in fig. 3, the shape of the aperture 16 is triangular; however, according to one aspect of the invention, the aperture 16 may comprise any shape of aperture, slot or cutout in the frame 11, such as a circular, ellipsoidal, triangular, square, rectangular or any other polygonal aperture. In one aspect of the invention, the aperture 16 comprises a closed shape, i.e. a shape having a continuous uninterrupted inner surface 17. In another aspect of the invention, the aperture 16 may be open-shaped, i.e., it may be shaped with a discontinuous or interrupted inner surface 17.

The cross-section of the mounting post 18 may have any suitable shape. The mounting post 18 may be circular, ellipsoidal, rectangular, square, or polygonal in shape. In one aspect of the invention, the mounting post 18 may be polygonal in shape, such as rectangular, but the rectangle may have rounded corners due to the manufacturing process, such as those typically encountered when stamping or molding. Although in one aspect of the present invention the thickness of the mounting post 18 is approximately equal to the thickness of the frame 11, e.g., the mounting post 18 is made of the same plate or sheet material as the frame 11, the thickness (e.g., diameter) of the mounting post 18 may be greater or less than the thickness of the frame 11.

As shown in fig. 3, in one aspect of the invention the mounting post 18 may be mounted to the frame 11, whereby the mounting post 18 extends into the aperture 16. In one aspect of the invention, the mounting post 18 may be mounted to the frame 11, whereby the mounting post 18 is substantially perpendicular to the inner surface 17 of the bore 16. In one aspect of the invention, the mounting post 18 may be mounted to the frame 11, whereby the mounting post 18 is not substantially perpendicular to the inner surface 17 of the bore 16. The mounting post 18 may be mounted integrally with the inner surface 17 of the bore 16, for example when the mounting post 18 and the frame 11 are made of the same material, for example cut, die cut or stamped from the same material, i.e. from the same sheet or plate, with the upper surface of the mounting post 18 being substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the frame 11. In one aspect of the present invention, at least one of the bore 16 and the mounting post 18 may be manufactured by laser cutting, water jet cutting, Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) such as EDM wire cutting, and other conventional manufacturing methods. In one aspect of the invention, the cutting of one of the holes 16 and posts 18 may be performed with the aid of computer control. In one aspect of the invention, at least one of the holes 16 and mounting posts 18 may be fabricated by lithography, such as photolithography.

In another aspect of the invention, the mounting post 18 may be mounted on the upper or lower surface of the frame 11, such as when the hole 16 is made by drilling, stamping, or any other cutting method referenced above, whereby the mounting post 18 protrudes upwardly or downwardly from the hole 16. In one aspect of the invention, the mounting posts 18 may be mounted above the upper surface of the frame 11 or below the lower surface of the frame 11 and extend into the holes 16 at an oblique angle, such as an angle that is not parallel to either the upper or lower surface of the frame 11. In one aspect of the present invention, the mounting post 18 may be mounted to the frame 11 by any conventional method, such as by welding (e.g., resistance welding), brazing, using an adhesive, or using mechanical fasteners.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the trim clamping arrangement shown in FIG. 3 as viewed along viewing line 4-4. Fig. 4 illustrates an aspect of the present invention in which mounting post 18 may be deflected to a second position, such as shown by double-headed arrow 24, for mounting one or more piercing ornaments 26 (shown in phantom) to mounting post 18. For example, in one aspect of the present invention, the mounting post 18 may be manually or automatically deflected as indicated by double-headed arrow 24 from a first position generally parallel to the plane of the frame 11 to a second position generally non-parallel to the plane of the frame 11. For example, in one aspect of the present invention, mounting post 18 may be inclined by an angle α of at least 5 degrees from horizontal, such as at least 15 degrees or at least 30 degrees from horizontal, whereby ornament 26 may be mounted to mounting post 18. In one aspect of the invention, the aperture 16 defines a plane and the angle α is measured relative to the plane defined by the aperture 16, such as relative to a plane defined by an upper edge, a lower edge, or a mid-plane of the aperture 16. The mounting post 18 may in turn be skewed by an angle α of at least 5 degrees, such as at least 15 degrees or at least 30 degrees, from the plane defined by the aperture 16.

Mounting ornament 26 to mounting post 18 may be accomplished by simply sliding a through-hole (or through-hole) of the ornament over mounting post 18. According to the present invention, deflection of mounting post 18 and the mounting of one or more ornaments 26 on mounting post 18 may be performed manually or by automated methods such as robotic actuators. In one aspect of the present invention, ornament 26 may be mounted to post 18 with the aid of an adhesive. In another aspect of the present invention, post 18 may be deformed, e.g., mechanically bent or kinked, to provide a blockage that helps retain ornament 26 on post 18, either before or after ornament 26 is mounted on post 18. In one aspect of the present invention, deflection angle α depends on the size of ornament 26 and angle α must be large enough to allow ornament 26 to be mounted on mounting post 18 without frame 11 interfering with the mounting, for example.

In accordance with the present invention, the deflection of the mounting post 18 may include a resilient deflection wherein the mounting post 18 may return substantially from the second deflected position to the first non-deflected position in the absence of an external force. The mounting post 18 may also include a plastic deflection wherein the mounting post 18 retains the second deflected position and must return to the first non-deflected position under force.

Fig. 5 is another detailed view similar to fig. 3, showing the installation of an exemplary ornament 26 (shown in phantom) in aperture 16 after mounting post 18 has returned to the first, non-deflected position after installation of ornament 26. As shown in FIG. 5, an ornament 26, which may be one or more ornaments, is retained in bore 16 by mounting post 18 and inner surface 17 of bore 16. Specifically, the mounting of perforated ornament 26 on mounting post 18 prevents ornament 26 from moving in a direction perpendicular to the plane of fig. 5, the bottom surface of hole 16 prevents ornament 26 from moving downward in the plane of fig. 5, and the two sloped inner surfaces 17 of hole 16 prevent ornament 26 from sliding off the end of mounting post 18. Accordingly, this aspect of the invention provides an efficient arrangement and method for mounting and holding one or more ornaments in the frame of an ornamental fixture, such as a chandelier, which is characterized by easy manufacturing and assembly, e.g. without the need for additional mounting appliances or special tools.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the assembly of the frame 11 shown in fig. 1 and the mounting arrangement 12 shown in fig. 2 as described in relation to fig. 3 to 5. In the aspect of the invention as shown in fig. 6, an exemplary portion of frame panel 14 of frame 11 is shown in which four (4) mounting arrangements 12 with ornaments 20, 22 are shown. Each mounting arrangement 12 includes a triangular aperture 16, a mounting post 18, and two ornaments 20, 22 mounted on each mounting post 18. In this aspect of the invention, ornament 20 comprises a faceted spherical crystal ball and ornament 22 comprises a faceted octagonal crystal gemstone. The spherical beads 20 include a through hole oriented generally along the axis of the bead 20. The octagonal crystal gemstone 22 includes through holes that are not oriented along the axis of the gemstone 22 but are offset from the axis of the gemstone, and the through holes are substantially parallel to the axis of the gemstone 22. The mounting arrangement 12 may be used alone or with a plurality of similar or different arrangements in a decorative fixture such as a decorative light fixture, which may be a chandelier, a lamp, or a wall sconce, for example.

Fig. 7A and 7B show bottom and side views, respectively, of an assembled ornamental fixture 30 comprising a frame 11, a plate 14 and a mounting arrangement 12 with beads 20 and gems 22 as described in fig. 1 to 6. According to this aspect of the invention, four (4) frame plates 14, shown in fig. 1, mount beads 20 and jewels 22 in the mounting arrangement 12 as described in fig. 3-5. The unassembled flat frame 11 as shown in fig. 1 is then folded or bent along the dividing lines of the plates 14 to provide the pyramid structure shown in fig. 7A and 7B. As a characterizing aspect of the present invention, in fig. 7A and 7B, the bead 20 and gemstone 22 may be mounted on and clamped in the mounting arrangement 12 without the need for additional mounting hardware or adhesives. The bead 20 and jewel 22 are simply held by the mounting pin 18 and the inner surface of the bore 16. The trim clip 30 may be used alone or with a plurality of similar or different clips in a trim clip such as a decorative light clip, which may be a chandelier, a light, or a wall sconce, for example.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another trim clip 40 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In this aspect of the invention, the trim fixture 40 includes a cylindrical frame 41, the frame 41 having a mounting arrangement 12 for holding the beads 20 and jewels 22 as described in relation to figures 1 to 6. In this aspect of the invention, the cylindrical frame 41 is produced by rolling the flat frame 11 shown in fig. 1. For clarity, only a typical portion of the columnar frame 41 with a typical bead 20 and gemstone 22 is shown in FIG. 8. The trim clip 40 may be used alone or with a plurality of similar or different clips in a trim clip such as a decorative light clip, which may be a chandelier, a light, or a wall sconce, for example.

Fig. 7A, 7B and 8 illustrate another aspect of the present invention not available in the prior art. Some of the ornaments shown in these figures, such as the octagonal crystal jewel 22 in fig. 7A, 7B and 8, are ornaments that are perforated without passing through the center of the ornament, i.e., the center of gravity of such ornaments is offset from the location of the through-hole through which the ornament is mounted on the mounting post 18. According to the prior art, the orientation of such ornaments, such as pendants (pendants) or pear-shaped suspensions, when mounted to a frame, is usually controlled by gravity. These ornaments are typically oriented so that their axes are directed downward due to the force of gravity acting on their center of gravity. According to the prior art, any other type of non-vertical orientation generally requires the use of complex and expensive brackets, hooks or other accessories to orient the ornament in a non-vertical direction. Mounting arrangements are provided according to one aspect of the invention whereby these ornaments can be mounted in any desired orientation without the need for additional mounting hardware of any type. The different orientations of the octagonal crystal stones 22 shown in fig. 7A, 7B and 8 are just examples of the unconventional, non-vertical orientations of the crystals provided by the present invention. The general features of this aspect of the invention are shown in fig. 11.

Fig. 11 illustrates another mounting arrangement or clip 80 in accordance with another aspect of the invention, wherein the mounting orientation of the one or more ornaments is little or no influenced by gravity. Fig. 11 shows a typical cross section of a mounting frame 81, for example a frame similar to the frame 11 discussed above. In this aspect of the invention, the surface of frame 81 represented by dotted line 92 is oriented at an angle to the vertical represented by dotted line 83. The frame 81 includes at least one aperture 82 (e.g., a triangular aperture as shown in fig. 1-6), the aperture 82 having at least one mounting post 84 similar to the mounting post 18 discussed above. As shown in FIG. 11, an ornament 85 having a through-hole 86 (shown in phantom) is mounted to the mounting pin or post 84 by a typical mounting arrangement configured as described above, i.e., the mounting post 84 may be deflected to mount the ornament 85. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, ornament 85 has a center of gravity represented by point 87 and an axis 88, wherein axis 88 is oriented at an angle θ to the vertical represented by dotted line 89. According to this aspect of the invention, the through-hole 86 of the ornament 85 may not pass through the center of gravity 87, however, according to the invention, the axis 88 is not oriented vertically in accordance with the action of gravity as in the conventional art. For example, according to the prior art, because the through-hole 86 does not pass through the center of gravity 87, an attempt is made in the ornament 85 to orient the ornament 85 to hang downA bending moment in a straight direction, whereby for example the angle theta is substantially zero. However, in accordance with this aspect of the invention, bending moments due to the offset center of gravity 87 of the through-hole 86 are resisted by contact between the ornament 85 and the at least one mounting post 84 and, in accordance with one aspect, the inner surface of the hole 82.

According to this aspect of the invention, the axis of the ornament 85 may be oriented in any desired direction. For example, in one aspect of the present invention, the ornament 85 may be mounted to the mounting post 84 such that the angle θ is approximately equal to the angleFor example, if the angle isIs about 45 degrees, the angle theta may also be about 45 degrees. For another aspect of the invention, the angle θ may also be relative to the angleDifferent. For example, for this aspect of the invention, the orientation for the mounting post 84 may be varied to be parallel to the surface of the frame 81, wherein the orientation of the mounting post 84 appears to be generally oriented parallel to the surface of the frame 81 in the present aspect of the invention. For example, the mounting post 84 may have a different orientation, i.e., a different angle, than the surface 92The angle of (c). The change in orientation of the ornament 85 may also be defined or assisted by the geometry of the inner surface of the bore 82. For one aspect of the invention, the mounting post 84 may be oriented relative to vertical at approximately the angle θ, such as when the through-hole 86 is substantially perpendicular to the axis 88. For another aspect of the invention, the through-hole 86 may be generally non-perpendicular to the axis 88 and the angle θ may be different than the orientation angle of the mounting post 84. Other geometric configurations of the angle of mounting post 84 and angles θ andto those skilled in the artAs will be apparent. According to one aspect of the invention, the surface 82 may be a planar surface as shown in fig. 7A and 7B or a curvilinear surface as shown in fig. 8.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of an ornament mounting arrangement or fixture 50 according to another aspect of the present invention. For this aspect of the invention, mounting arrangement 50 comprises a frame 51 (e.g., a planar frame having the characteristics of frame 11 as described above) and has leaf-shaped mounting arrangements 52 and 53. According to this aspect of the invention, mounting arrangement 52 includes flower-like aperture 56 and one mounting post 58 and mounting arrangement 53 includes flower-like aperture 57 and a plurality of mounting posts 59. For clarity, only the exemplary decorative bead 20 and gemstone 22 mounted in the mounting arrangement 52 and the exemplary bead 20 mounted in the mounting arrangement 53 are shown. Moreover, exemplary beads 20 and 70 are also shown mounted in the mounting arrangement 52; in this example, the beads 70 are smaller than the beads 20. In addition, a plurality of exemplary beads 20 and 72 are also shown mounted in the mounting arrangement 53; in this example, the beads 72 are smaller than the beads 70. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the beads 20, 70, 72 and jewel 22 may be mounted to the mounting posts 58 and 59 in the same manner that the ornaments are mounted to the mounting posts 18 as shown in FIGS. 3-5. That is, ornaments 20, 22, 70 and 72 may be installed in configurations 52 and 53 by deflecting posts 58 and 59 from the first position shown to a second position, and then returning posts 58 and 59 to the first position as shown in FIG. 9. As a feature of aspects of the present invention, ornaments 20, 22, 70 and 72 are then retained in mounting arrangements 52 and 53 by respective inner surfaces of respective posts 58 and 59 and apertures 56 and 57. For one aspect of the present invention, the ornament may also be retained in the mounting arrangement 50 by contact with other ornaments. In mounting arrangement 53 shown in fig. 9, for example, ornaments 20 and 72 mounted on mounting pin 59 are retained on pin 59 by contact with adjacent ornament 20. As also shown in fig. 9, ornaments 20 in mounting arrangement 53 are retained on pins 59 due to contact with one or more adjacent ornaments 20. For one aspect of the present invention, ornaments 20, 22, 70, and 72 may be retained by mounting posts 58 and/or 59, the inner surfaces of holes 56 and/or 57, and one or more adjacent ornaments. For another aspect of the present invention, ornaments 20, 22, 70 and 72 may be retained by mounting posts 58 and/or 59 and one or more adjacent ornaments, i.e., only by one or more adjacent ornaments without the use of the inner surface of aperture 56 or 57. The ornament mounting arrangement 50 may be used in an ornament fixture, such as an ornament lamp fixture, which may be a chandelier, a lamp, or a wall sconce, for example, either alone or in combination with a plurality of similar or different arrangements.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of another upholstery mounting arrangement or clip 60 according to another aspect of the invention. For this aspect of the invention, the mounting arrangement 60 comprises a frame 61 (e.g. a planar or circular frame having the characteristics of the frame 11 as described above) and has a plurality of mounting arrangements 62. According to this aspect of the invention, each mounting arrangement 62 includes a diamond shaped aperture 66 and a mounting post 68. The exemplary decorative bead 20 and jewel 74 are shown mounted in two mounting arrangements 62. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, beads and jewels 74 may be mounted to mounting pins or posts 68 in the same manner as the mounting of the ornament to mounting post 18 shown in fig. 3-5. For one aspect of the invention, gemstone 74 is an ornament having a through-hole that does not pass through the center, e.g., gemstone 74 may be an octagonal crystal gemstone similar to gemstone 22 described above, although other types of ornaments having a through-hole that is off-center may be used. As a feature of aspects of the present invention, ornaments 20 and 74 are retained in mounting arrangement 62 by posts 68 and the inner surface of aperture 66. The trim mounting arrangement 60 may be used in a trim fixture, such as a decorative light fixture, which may be a chandelier, a lamp, or a wall sconce, for example, either alone or in combination with a plurality of similar or different arrangements.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the mounting arrangement or fixture 62 shown in FIG. 10 may be incorporated into a mounting arrangement or fixture 90 as shown in FIG. 12. For this aspect of the invention, a plurality of mounting arrangements 62 (e.g., planar or circular frames having the characteristics of frame 11 as described above) are provided in one or more rows of frame 91. Each mounting arrangement 62 includes an aperture 66 (e.g., a diamond shaped aperture) and a mounting post 68 as shown in fig. 12. While the frame 91 may be rectangular as shown, any shape, circular, oval or polygonal, may be used and may include a central aperture 92, such as a circular, square or rectangular aperture. As described with reference to fig. 10, the mounting arrangement 62 may have any type of ornament mounted to the mounting post 68. For one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of ornaments, such as octagonal crystal gems 74 (similar to gems 74 shown in FIG. 10), may be mounted on mounting arrangement 62. Although the typical mounting arrangement 62 includes gemstones 74 in most cases, only four typical gemstones 74 are shown in FIG. 12. For one aspect of the invention, gemstone 74 is an ornament having a through-hole that does not pass through the center, e.g., gemstone 74 may be an octagonal crystal gemstone similar to gemstone 22 described above, although other types of ornaments having a through-hole that is off-center may be used. As a feature of aspects of the invention, the gemstone 74 is held in the mounting arrangement 62 by the post 68 and the inner surface of the hole 66, as shown, for example, in FIG. 11. The trim mounting arrangement 90 may be used in a trim fixture, such as a decorative light fixture, which may be a chandelier, a lamp, or a wall sconce, for example, either alone or in combination with a plurality of similar or different arrangements.

Fig. 13 to 16 show another aspect of the invention. These figures illustrate aspects of the invention in which one or more ornaments may be clamped to a frame or fixture by connecting one or more ornaments together by one or more wires. Although the term "wire" is used throughout to simplify description, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term wire may refer to any filamentary member, such as a metal, non-metal (e.g., plastic) rod, wire, rope, cable, or related element that may serve the functions shown and described, in accordance with this aspect of the invention.

Fig. 13 is a front plan view of a mounting arrangement or clip 100 according to one aspect of the present invention. Fig. 14 is a rear plan view of the arrangement 100 as shown in fig. 13. For this aspect of the invention, the arrangement 100 includes one or more ornaments 102 mounted to a frame 104 by one or more wires 106. For one aspect of the present invention, one or more wires 106 may be used to connect a plurality of ornaments 102. Ornament 102 may be one or more of the ornaments described above with respect to ornaments 20 and 22. Although shown as a circular plate in fig. 13 and 14, frame 104 may be any pattern of planar or non-planar frames, circular or non-circular frames, for example, having the characteristics described above with respect to frame 11. For one aspect of the invention, the frame 104 may include: a frame similar to the frame 11 shown in fig. 11; and a frame plate 14 shown in fig. 1 to 6, 7A, and 7B; a frame 41 as shown in fig. 8; a frame 51 as shown in fig. 9; a frame 61 as shown in fig. 10; a frame 81 as shown in fig. 11; or a frame 91 as shown in fig. 12; and other types of frames that may be used to mount ornaments. Frame 104 may include perforations or holes 107 that can be used to mount configuration 100 to other structures, such as a light fixture.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the frame 104 includes a plurality of openings or holes 108 in which a plurality of ornaments 102 can be placed. Although apertures 108 shown in fig. 13 and 14 are diamond-shaped, for one aspect of the present invention, apertures 108 may have any shape suitable for receiving ornament 102, such as any conventional shape including polygonal, circular, oval, and other shapes. According to one aspect, at least one dimension of the aperture 108 is smaller than at least one dimension of the ornament 102, whereby the ornament 102 may press against at least one edge of the aperture 108 when the ornament 102 is positioned in the aperture 108. The relationship between the dimensions of the ornament 102 and the aperture 108 is more clearly shown in fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration 100 shown in fig. 14 and 15 as viewed along the line of view 15-15 in fig. 13. While the aperture 108 is smaller than the ornament 102 for one aspect of the invention, the aperture 108 may be larger than the ornament 102 for another aspect of the invention. For example, when the aperture 108 is larger than the ornament 102, the ornament may be held substantially solely by the one or more wires 106, such as when the top of the clip 100 is oriented downward (i.e., when the configuration shown in fig. 15 is flipped over).

As shown in fig. 15, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the ornament 102 includes at least one perforation or through hole 110 through which the wire 106 is inserted to retain the ornament 102 to the frame 104. According to one aspect of the present invention, the ornament 102 may include at least two through holes 110 and the wire 106 may penetrate through the at least two through holes 110. The wire 106 may be metallic, such as fabricated from iron, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, nickel, copper, silver, or gold, among other metals. In one aspect of the invention, the wire 106 may be a non-metal such as a plastic, for example, the wire 106 may be made of Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), Polyester (PE), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), or other plastic. For one aspect of the present invention, the wire 106 can be made of any deformable material, such as a material that is deformable so as to be able to pass through the plurality of perforations 110 in the ornament 102. Although the line 106 is shown as a circular line, the line 106 may have a variety of cross-sectional shapes, for example, the line 106 may have a cross-sectional shape that is circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, square, or any other polygonal shape. According to one aspect of the invention, the wire 106 may be made of a coated or uncoated wire. In one aspect, the wire 106 can be manufactured from about 0.010 inch to about 0.125 inch wire, for example, having a diameter of about 0.020 inch to about 0.030 inch. For one aspect of the invention, wire 106 may be fabricated using nickel-chromium wire having a diameter of about 0.026 inches. For one aspect of the present invention, such as shown in FIG. 30, the wire 106 may have a certain structural stiffness, i.e., the wire 106 has a sufficiently large stiffness, whereby the wire 106 is at least able to resist certain axial loads, i.e., "column loads," with little or no lateral deflection. This feature is particularly useful when the line 106 passes through a series of ornaments in a row such as shown in fig. 28 to 30. For one aspect of the present invention, the wire 106 includes a rod or elongated pin that may be used to penetrate or "pierce" a plurality of decorative objects. In one aspect of the invention, the rod 106 may be made from a plate by conventional methods such as drawing, stamping, or laser, water jet or EDM cutting or other methods.

According to one aspect of the invention, the wire 106 may be integrally mounted to the frame 104, such as brazed, welded, or attached to the frame 104 by mechanical fasteners. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the wire 106 may not be integrally mounted to the frame 104, but rather may be clamped or snapped to the frame 104 by mechanical interference between the wire 106, the frame 104, and the ornament 102. For example, for one aspect of the invention, the ornament 102 may be clamped or snapped to the frame 104 by the threads 106. Specifically, in one aspect, wherein the ornament 102 is sized larger than the aperture 108, when the ornament 102 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 15) is placed in the aperture 108 and the wire 106 is inserted through the perforation 110, contact between the wire 106 and the frame 104 may prevent the ornament 102 from being removed from the aperture 108, thereby trapping the ornament 102.

For one aspect of the present invention, the wire 106 may be manipulated to facilitate the snapping of the ornament 102 to the frame 104. In one aspect, the wire 106 includes first and second ends that can be attached or tethered to one another, such as by simple twisting or by melting (e.g., welding) or mechanical fastening to provide the tethered end 109. In one aspect of the invention, the tethered or twisted end 109 of the wire 106 can be attached to the frame 104, for example, by welding or mechanical fastening. For another aspect of the invention, the wire 106 may be deformed to prevent or minimize the wire 106 from detaching from the one or more perforations 110 in the ornament 102, such as by crimping the wire 106 around the ornament 102 or around the frame 104 or bending the ends of the wire 106. In one aspect of the invention, the free end of the wire 106 may be tethered to the frame 104, for example, by welding or conventional methods of mechanical fasteners.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, each wire 106 may be associated with at least some of the apertures 108, e.g., each length of wire may be mounted to the frame 104, and thereby each wire protrudes above the aperture 108, e.g., in a manner similar to the protrusion of the post or pin 18 into the aperture 16 as shown in fig. 1-6. In one aspect of the invention, the lengths of wire 106 may be fused to the frame 104, for example, by brazing, welding, or by adhesive. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the ornament 102 may be mounted to each of the strands 106 in a manner similar to that shown in fig. 3-5, for example, by deflecting each strand 106 from a first position substantially coplanar with the frame 104 to a second position at an angle to the frame 104, such as the angle α shown in fig. 4. Ornament 102 may be mounted to respective wires 106 and then wires 106 deflected back to the first position, such as post or pin 18 shown in fig. 5. By mounting the ornament 102 to the wire 106 in this manner, the ornament 102 may be retained in the bore 108 by the wire 106 and at least one interior surface of the bore 108, according to one aspect of the present invention.

As described above, the aspect of the present invention as shown in fig. 13 to 15 may be applied to any one of the frames disclosed in fig. 1 to 12. For example, with respect to fig. 1-8, one or more pins or posts 18 may be removed from the illustrated frames, and the illustrated ornaments may be mounted to their respective frames by wires, such as the wires 106 shown in fig. 13-15. Similarly, with the configuration shown in fig. 9-12, one or more of the pins 58 in fig. 9, 68 in fig. 10, 84 in fig. 11, or 68 in fig. 12 may be removed and their clamping function provided by one or more of the wires 106 of fig. 13-15. For one aspect, the pins 18, 58, 68 or 84 may be replaced by respective wires mounted to the respective frames, for example by welding; or one or more of pins 18, 58, 68, or 84 may be replaced with one or more wires 106 connecting two or more ornaments as described in fig. 13-15. For example, FIG. 16 shows an aspect of the invention in which a wire is used to clamp an ornament to a frame similar to frame 61 shown in FIG. 10.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the wire-mount configuration shown in fig. 13-15 provides the desired control over the positioning and orientation of ornament 102 in a manner similar to the manner in which control is provided using post or pin 18 of fig. 1-6, in accordance with aspects of the present invention. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, by providing an aperture 108 in the plate 104 for mating with the shape of the ornament 102, the interaction of the wire 106 (or pin 18) with the ornament 102 and with the inner surface of the aperture 108 causes the ornament 102 to be positioned at a predetermined location and oriented in a predetermined orientation, i.e., little or no influence from gravity. For one aspect, the aperture 108 is designed to precisely mate with the ornament 102, whereby the ornament 102 may intersect, abut, and contact the interior surface of the aperture 108 to position and orient the ornament 102 along a desired path.

Fig. 16 is a rear plan view of another configuration or fixture 120 according to another aspect of the present invention. For example, fig. 16 shows a view of the clip 120 that is not generally visible to an observer of the clip 120. The arrangement 120 includes a plurality of ornaments 122 mounted in a frame 124 by one or more wires 126. The frame 124 is similar to the frame 61 of fig. 10, but the pins 68 of the frame 61 and their function have been replaced by wires 126. The cord 126 generally has all of the features and mounting methods of the cord 106 described in fig. 13-15. Ornament 122 may have all of the features of ornament 20 described above, and frame 124 may have all of the features of frame 11 described above.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another trim clip 130 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The trim fixture 130 shown in FIG. 17 is similar to the trim fixture 40 shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 18 is a front view of the aspect of the invention shown in FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the aspect of the invention shown in FIG. 17.

As shown in fig. 17, the fixture 130 includes a perforated cylindrical frame 132, the frame 132 having a plurality of ornaments 134 and 136, such as a plurality of ornaments 134 and/or a plurality of ornaments 136 mounted in holes 138. As best shown in fig. 18, the clip 130 includes two rows 135 of decorations in a horizontal configuration. As will be shown in fig. 20 and 21, one or more rows 135 may be provided for one aspect. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the rows 135 may also be oriented at a perpendicular or oblique angle, such as approximately 45 degrees from the edge of the frame 132. It should be understood that any aspect of the invention shown herein may include, for example, rows similar to row 135, where the orientation of row 135 may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or a combination thereof.

Although the frame 132 is shown as cylindrical, the frame 132 may be triangular cylindrical, rectangular cylindrical, cubic, hexagonal cylindrical, octagonal cylindrical, spherical, and pyramidal, among other shapes. Similarly, while in FIG. 17 the ornament 134 is shown as a multi-faceted spheroid and the ornament 136 is shown as a multi-faceted octagon, in accordance with aspects of the present invention, the ornaments 134 and 136 may be any one or more of the ornaments described above with respect to, for example, the ornaments 20 and 22 shown in FIG. 2. Likewise, the frame 132 may also have one or more features, such as being made of one or more materials as described above with respect to the frame 11 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in fig. 17, the aperture 138 in the frame 132 may be generally triangular in shape and have at least one post or pin (not shown) to which the ornaments 134 and 136 may be mounted, as is typical in various aspects of the present invention. As described above with respect to other embodiments, the apertures 138 in the frame 132 may have other shapes, such as the apertures shown in fig. 9, 10, and 12, among other shapes.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, ornaments 134 and 136 may be mounted in or on frame 132, as described above in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. For example, at least one ornament 134 and/or 136 or three or more ornaments may be mounted to pins or posts on the frame 132 in a manner similar or substantially the same as that shown and described with respect to fig. 1-6. For example, one or more ornaments may be mounted to the frame 130 by deflecting a post or pin mounted to the frame 132 from a first position to a second position, followed by mounting the one or more ornaments, and then deflecting the post with the one or more ornaments back to the first position. As the post with the one or more ornaments is deflected back to the first position, the one or more ornaments are retained by the pin and at least one side of the aperture 138 in the frame 132, as is typical in the present invention.

For another aspect of the present invention, the at least one ornament 134, 136 may be mounted to the frame 136 of the clip 130 by one or more wires (not shown) in a manner similar to that shown and described with respect to fig. 13-16.

FIG. 20 is an elevation view of another trim clip 140 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 20, fixture 140 includes a perforated cylindrical frame 142 having a plurality of ornaments 144 and 146, wherein the plurality of ornaments 144 and 146 are similar to ornaments 134 and 136 shown and described in FIGS. 17-19, and are mounted in a bore 148. The trim clip 140 shown in fig. 20 is similar to the trim clip 130 shown in fig. 17-20, but has only a single row 145. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the ornaments 144 and 146 may be mounted to the frame 142 by pins or posts (not shown) or, as described above, by one or more wires (not shown).

FIG. 21 is an elevation view of another trim clip 150 according to an aspect of the present invention. As shown in fig. 21, fixture 150 includes a perforated cylindrical frame 152 having a plurality of ornaments 154 and 156, wherein the plurality of ornaments 154 and 156 are similar to ornaments 134 and 136 shown and described with respect to fig. 17-19, and are mounted in a bore 158. The trim fixture 150 shown in fig. 20 is similar to the trim fixture 130 shown in fig. 17-19 and the fixture 140 shown in fig. 20, but has a plurality of rows 155 of trim, e.g., 6 rows, although more or fewer rows 155 may be provided. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the rows 155 may also be oriented vertically or at an oblique angle, such as approximately 45 degrees from the edge of the frame 152. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, ornaments 154 and 156 may be mounted to frame 152 by pins or posts (not shown) or, as noted above, by one or more wires (not shown).

Fig. 22 to 26 are perspective views of other aspects of the present invention. Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a lamp fixture 160 having an ornament fixture 161. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the ornament clamp 161 may be similar to the configuration and clamps shown in fig. 1-21. For example, as shown in fig. 22, for one aspect, the ornament clamp 161 may be similar to the clamp shown in fig. 17-21. As shown in fig. 22, the lamp fixture 160 includes a lamp holder 162 supported by a power/support cable 163. The light fixture 162 is used to hold a light bulb or similar light source 165 and to support an ornament clamp 161. For one aspect of the present invention, the ornament clamp 161 may be mounted to the light fixture 162 by a plurality of support posts 166. The support posts 166 may be integral with the lamp holder 162, such as cast or forged or welded as a single piece, or the support posts 166 may be mounted to the lamp holder 162 by mechanical fasteners. Similarly, ornament clamp 161 may also be integral with support post 166, e.g., the frame of ornament clamp 161 may be cast or forged or welded as a single part to support post 166, or ornament clamp 161 may be mounted to support post 166 by mechanical fasteners. For one aspect of the invention, the upholstery in the upholstery clamp 161 may include one or more colors, for example one type of upholstery may be green and another type of upholstery may be pink. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the dimensions, such as length or diameter, of the light fixture 160 or, in particular, the trim fixture 161 may vary depending on location, design and use.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view of another lamp fixture 170 having an ornament fixture 171 according to another aspect of the present invention. The ornament clamp 171 may be similar to the arrangement and clamps shown in fig. 1 to 21. For example, as shown in fig. 23, for one aspect, the ornament clamp 171 may be similar to the clamp shown in fig. 17-21. As shown in fig. 23, lamp fixture 170 includes a lamp holder 172 supported by a power/support post 174 that is mounted to a surface 173. For one aspect of the invention, lamp fixture 170 may be used for "pathway lighting," i.e., post 174 may be used to adjustably mount to a horizontal rail (not shown) mounted above lamp fixture 170. As shown in fig. 23, the light bracket 172 can be adjustably mounted to the support post 174 whereby the orientation of the light bracket can be varied, for example the light bracket 172 can be mounted to the support post 174 by a ball and socket or similar connection. For one aspect of the invention, lamp fixture 170 comprises a directional or alignable lamp fixture, such as an alignable spotlight. According to one aspect, the lights of light fixture 170 may change direction to be able to face, e.g., light fixture 170 may be rotated, e.g., via a ball and socket connection with post 174 to direct the light beam to any desired location, e.g., toward the ceiling, floor, wall, nearby structure or piece of art, or otherwise.

The light fixture 172 is used to hold a light bulb or similar light source 175 and to support an ornament clamp 171. For one aspect of the present invention, the ornament clamp 171 may be mounted to the lamp holder 172 by a plurality of support posts 176 in a manner similar to the lamp clamp 160 shown in fig. 22. The support posts 176 may be integral with the lamp holder 172, such as being cast or forged or welded as a single piece, or the support posts 176 may be mounted to the lamp holder 172 by mechanical fasteners. Similarly, the ornament clamp 171 may also be integral with the support post 176, e.g., the frame of the ornament clamp 171 may be cast or forged or welded as a single part to the support post 176, or the ornament clamp 171 may be mounted to the support post 176 via mechanical fasteners. The lamp fixture 170 may also include one or more decorative ornaments, such as a multi-faceted sphere 179 mounted to the lamp holder 172. For one aspect of the present invention, the upholstery in the upholstery clamp 171 may include one or more colors. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the dimensions, such as length or diameter, of the light fixture 170, or specifically the trim fixture 171, may vary depending on location, design and use.

The lamp fixture 170 shown in fig. 23 illustrates one of the advantages of the various aspects of the present invention over the prior art. As described above, the light fixture 170 may be aligned at any desired location within the room. However, unlike prior art ornament mounting arrangements, changes in the orientation of the light fixture 170 have little or no effect on the relative position or orientation of the ornament mounted in the fixture 171. Unlike prior art installations where the ornament is suspended from a hook, chain or other device where the position or orientation of the ornament is greatly influenced by gravity, for aspects of the invention, when the orientation of the light fixture is changed, for example, the light fixture 170 exerts little or no influence on the position or orientation of the ornament. Thus, significant changes in the position or orientation of the trim caused by changes in the orientation of the clip or directable or alignable light clip, such as a spotlight, can generally be avoided. Aspects of the present invention provide new design opportunities for a directable lamp.

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of another light fixture 180 having an ornament fixture 181 according to another aspect of the present invention. The ornament clamp 181 may be similar to the configuration and clamp shown in fig. 1 to 21. For example, as shown in fig. 24, for one aspect, the ornament clamp 171 may be similar to the clamps shown in fig. 1-6, 7A, and 7B. For example, as shown in fig. 24, the ornament clamp 181 may include a plurality of ornament plates 188 similar to the frame plate 14 shown in fig. 1 and 2. As shown in fig. 7A and 7B, the ornament plate may be formed in a pyramid structure. As shown in fig. 24, the ornament frame panel 188 may also be formed as a faceted sphere or other shape in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In the aspect shown in fig. 24, a triangular frame plate 188 similar to the plate 14 of fig. 1 and 2 may be made as 20 triangular plates to provide a faceted sphere. In the aspect shown in fig. 24, the 20 triangular plates are complementary at the top and bottom to the pyramid structures, with the top pyramid structure truncated to allow access to the interior of the structure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that more or fewer plates may be used to vary the size, such as length or diameter, of the light fixture 180 or, in particular, the trim fixture 181, depending on location, design and use.

As shown in fig. 24, lamp fixture 180 includes a lamp holder 182 mounted within fixture 181 and supported by a power/support cable 184. For one aspect of the invention, the lamp fixture 180 may be used for "pathway lighting," i.e., the cable 184 may be used to adjustably mount to a horizontal rail (not shown) mounted above the lamp fixture 180. The light fixture 182 is used to hold a light bulb or similar light source (not shown) inside the fixture 181 and to support the ornament fixture 181. In a similar manner to the lamp fixture 160 shown in fig. 22, for one aspect of the present invention, the ornament fixture 181 may be mounted to the lamp holder 182 by a plurality of support straps (not shown). The support bands may be integral with the lamp fixture 182, such as cast or forged or welded as a single piece, or the support bands may be mounted to the lamp fixture 182 by mechanical fasteners. Similarly, the ornament clamps 181 may also be integral with the support band, e.g., the frame of the ornament clamps 181 may be cast or forged or welded onto the support band as a single component, or the ornament clamps 181 may be mounted to the support band by mechanical fasteners. For one aspect of the invention, the upholstery in the upholstery clips 181 may include one or more colors, for example one type of upholstery in the clips 181 may be green and another type of upholstery may be pink.

Fig. 25 is a perspective view of another light fixture 190 having an ornament fixture 191 according to another aspect of the present invention. The ornament clamp 191 may also be similar to the ornament arrangement and clamp shown in fig. 1 to 21. For example, as shown in fig. 25, for one aspect, the ornament clamp 191 may be similar to the clamps shown in fig. 8 and 17-21. For example, as shown in fig. 25, for one aspect, the ornament clamp 191 may comprise the clamp 140 shown in fig. 20.

As shown in fig. 25, the lamp fixture 190 includes a lamp holder 192 mounted above the trim fixture 191. The lamp holder 192 may be mounted inside the surface 193, i.e., the lamp fixture 190 may comprise a "hidden" lamp fixture. For one aspect of the invention, lamp fixture 190 comprises a recessed lamp fixture powered by a cable (not shown) located behind surface 193. The light holder 192 is used to hold a light bulb, or similar light source 195. The lamp holder 192 may include an escutcheon 196. For one aspect of the present invention, the ornament clamp 191 may be mounted to the light fixture 192, such as to the escutcheon 196, by conventional methods. For example, clamp 191 may be cast or forged with lamp holder 192 as a single component, and clamp 191 may also be welded to lamp holder 192 or mounted to lamp holder 192 by mechanical fasteners. For one aspect of the present invention, the upholstery in the upholstery clamp 191 may comprise one or more colors.

Fig. 26 is a perspective view of another light fixture 200 having an ornament fixture 201 suspended by a chain or cable 207 in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. The ornament clamp 201 may be similar to the ornament clamps shown in fig. 1 to 21. For example, as shown in fig. 26, for one aspect, the ornament clamp 201 may be similar to the clamps shown in fig. 2, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, and 16. For example, as shown in fig. 26, for one aspect, the ornament clamp 121 may comprise the clamp 90 shown in fig. 12.

As shown in fig. 26, the lamp fixture 200 includes a lamp holder 202 mounted above a trim fixture 201. Lamp holder 202 may be mounted inside surface 203, i.e., lamp fixture 200 may also include a "recessed" lamp fixture. For one aspect of the invention, lamp fixture 200 comprises a recessed lamp fixture powered by a cable (not shown) located behind surface 203. The light fixture 202 is used to hold a light bulb, or similar light source 205. The lamp holder 202 includes an escutcheon 206. For one aspect of the invention, the ornament clamp 201 may be suspended from the escutcheon 206 by a chain or cable 207, for example, by at least one chain or cable 207. The chain 207 may comprise any elongated, stretchable element such as a chain, cable, cord, rope, wire, or the like. The chain 207 may also include rigid elements such as mounting posts or rods. However, as shown in fig. 26, for one aspect, chain 207 may include a plurality of ball chains. The ball chain may be mounted to the escutcheon 206 and the clamp 201 by conventional means, for example the chain 207 may be threaded through perforations or holes in the frame of the escutcheon 206 and the clamp 201 and suspended from these structures by larger diameter balls or connectors mounted to the ball chain. For one aspect of the invention, the length of the chain or cable 207 or other stretchable element, such as a post or rod, may vary from about 0.125 inches to about 6 feet depending on the size of the clip and other factors. However, the length of the chain, cable, post or rod 207 may typically vary from about 0.125 inches to about 6 inches. For one aspect of the invention, the clamp 201 may be mounted directly to the escutcheon 206, for example, by mechanical fasteners, without the use of, for example, a chain or rod 207. For one aspect of the present invention, the upholstery in the upholstery clamp 201 may include one or more colors.

Fig. 27 is a perspective view of another light fixture 210 having an ornament fixture 211 according to another aspect of the present invention. The ornament fixture 211 comprises a frame 211A and a plurality of hanging ornament chains 217 having a plurality of octagonal ornaments 219, although any type of ornament, such as ornaments 20 and 22 described above, may be used with aspects of the present invention. The ornament chain 217 may be mounted to the frame 211A by one or more posts, pins, or wires as described above with respect to other aspects of the invention. The ornament clamp 211 may be similar to the clamps shown and described above in fig. 1 through 26. For example, as shown in fig. 27, for one aspect, the ornament clamp 211 may be similar to the clamps shown in fig. 2, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 26. For example, as shown in fig. 27, the ornament clamp 211 may include the clamp 90 shown in fig. 12 or the clamp 201 shown in fig. 26.

As shown in fig. 27, the lamp fixture 210 includes a lamp holder 212 mounted above a decorative fixture 211. The lamp holder 212 may be mounted inside the surface 213, i.e., the lamp fixture 210 may also include a "recessed" lamp fixture. For one aspect of the invention, lamp fixture 210 comprises a recessed lamp fixture powered by a cable (not shown) located behind surface 213. The light holder 212 is used to hold a light bulb, or similar light source 215. The lamp holder 212 includes an escutcheon 216. For one aspect of the present invention, the ornament clamp 211 may be mounted to the escutcheon 216 by mechanical fasteners, such as spacers 214A and screws 214B. For one aspect of the invention, the length of the shim 214A may vary from about 0.125 inches to about 6 inches depending on the size of the clamp and other factors. However, the length of the shims 214A may generally vary from about 0.125 inches to about 1 inch. For one aspect of the present invention, the decorations in the decoration fixture 211 may comprise one or more colors.

Fig. 28, 29 and 30 are front, side and rear views, respectively, of another ornament clamp 220 according to another aspect of the present invention. Configuration 220 includes a plurality of ornaments 222, such as a plurality of perforated ornaments mounted in a frame 224 having apertures 223. The ornament 222 may be mounted in the frame 224 by pins or posts as described above, but as shown in fig. 30, for one aspect, the ornament 222 may be mounted to the frame 224 by one or more wires or rods 226 (see fig. 30). For one aspect, the ornament 222 may be mounted to the frame 224 by a wire 226 in substantially the same manner as the aspect of the invention shown in fig. 13-16. For example, in one aspect, the ornament 222 may be mounted to the frame 224 by attaching the perforations of the ornament 222 with the wire 226, then clamping the ornament 222 in the hole 223 by interaction of the inner surface of the hole 223 and the wire 226, and causing the ornament 222 to be clamped and oriented in a predetermined orientation.

In accordance with aspects of the present invention, ornament 222 may include one or more of ornaments 20 and 22 described above; frame 224 may include a frame having the features of frame 11 described above; apertures 223 may include any shaped aperture for receiving ornament 222; and the thread 226 may comprise a thread, rod, or filament having the characteristics of thread 106 described above. For one aspect of the present invention, the frame 224 may comprise a substantially flat frame, a cylindrical frame, or a variety of three-dimensional shapes, such as a sphere (e.g., a faceted sphere), a pyramid, a variety of polyhedrons, and any other conventional three-dimensional shape. However, as best shown in fig. 29, for one aspect, the frame 224 may in this case comprise a curved perforated plate having the illustrated wave shape. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the radius of curvature of the frame 224 may vary from about 1 inch to about 10 feet depending on the size of the clamp 220 and other factors.

FIG. 30 illustrates one of many advantages of aspects of the present invention. As shown, the ornaments 222 of the clip 220 are arranged in a linear fashion, i.e., the ornaments 222 are arranged in rows 225. Arranging the decorations 222 in rows 225 may facilitate assembly of the clip 220 according to aspects of the present invention. Specifically, by arranging the decorations 222 in rows 225 such that the perforations of the decorations 222 are substantially aligned, it is easier for an assembler to pass a wire or rod 226 through the holes to attach the decorations in the holes 223. For one aspect of the invention, the threading or threading of the wire or rod 226 may be performed manually; for another aspect, the wire or rod 226 may be threaded or threaded automatically, such as by a robotic manipulator. For the aspect of the invention shown in fig. 28-30, the decorations 222 may be arranged in interlaced or alternating rows 225 of diamond shaped apertures 223, such as to accommodate octagonal shaped decorations 222. However, according to aspects of the present invention, the apertures 223 may be arranged and shaped in any convenient manner that accommodates the shape of the ornament 222 and aligns the perforations of the ornament 222 to facilitate assembly. For one aspect of the present invention, the decorations 222 may not be linearly arranged in alignment, but at least one of the decorations 222 may not be linearly aligned, as dictated by the desired design. For example, as shown above in fig. 13 and 14, the ornament 222 may be arranged in the form of a curve, for example, on a curve or a circular or elliptical pattern. For another aspect, the configuration of the ornament 222 may be chaotic or misaligned, e.g., exhibit little or no linearity at all. For one aspect of the present invention, these non-linear configurations may be accommodated by manually threading the thread 226 or by threading two or more threads 226 through the ornament 222. Other configurations of the ornament 222 and the aperture 223 will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the features, characteristics, and/or advantages of the ornament mounting arrangements, ornament mounting methods, and ornament clamps described herein may be applied to and/or extended to any embodiment (e.g., to and/or extended to any component of an embodiment).

Although several aspects of the present invention have been described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (68)

1. An arrangement for mounting a decorative ornament, comprising:

a frame having a bore, wherein the bore has an inner surface; and

one or more mounting posts extending from the frame, the one or more mounting posts having only a first end mounted to the frame and a second free end, the second free end adapted to be inserted through a perforation in the ornament;

wherein when the ornament is mounted to the mounting post, the ornament is retained by the mounting post and the inner surface of the aperture.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the one or more mounting posts comprise one of a pin and a wire.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more mounting posts are integrally mounted to the frame.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the bore and the mounting post interact to orient the ornament in a predetermined orientation.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner surface of the bore comprises a continuous inner surface.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one mounting post is deflectable from a first position to a second position.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein the aperture defines a surface and the first position is substantially parallel to the surface and the second position is substantially non-parallel to the surface.

8. The arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the holes comprise one of circular holes, elliptical holes and polygonal holes.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of apertures, each aperture comprising at least one mounting post.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the decorative trim comprises one of beads and stone.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the decorative ornament comprises a crystal.

12. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an ornament is also held by an adjacent ornament.

13. The arrangement of claim 1 or 2, wherein the arrangement comprises a plurality of decorative ornaments, and wherein the frame comprises a plurality of holes, wherein the plurality of ornaments are clamped in the plurality of holes in the frame.

14. A method for mounting a decorative ornament to a frame having a hole and a mounting post, the mounting post having only a first end mounted to the frame and a second free end, the hole having an inner surface, the method comprising:

deflecting the mounting post from the first position to a second position;

mounting the ornament to the mounting post in the second position;

deflecting the mounting post with the ornament to a first position; and

the ornament is held in the hole by the mounting post and the inner surface of the hole.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the mounting post comprises one of a pin and a wire.

16. The method of claim 14 or 15, wherein the aperture defines a surface and the first position of the mounting post is substantially parallel to the surface and the second position of the mounting post is substantially non-parallel to the surface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein deflecting the mounting post from the first position to the second position comprises deflecting the mounting post, whereby the mounting post forms an angle of at least 5 degrees with the surface.

18. The method of claim 14 or 15, further comprising retaining the ornament in the hole by contact with an adjacent ornament.

19. The method of claim 14 or 15, further comprising orienting the ornament in a predetermined orientation by interaction between the mounting post and an inner surface of the hole.

20. A decorative clip, comprising:

a frame comprising at least one aperture, the at least one aperture having an inner surface; and

one or more mounting posts extending from the frame, the one or more mounting posts having only a first end mounted to the frame and a second free end, the second free end adapted to be inserted through a perforation in the ornament;

wherein when the ornament is mounted to the mounting post, the ornament is retained by the mounting post and the inner surface of the at least one aperture.

21. A decorative clip as defined in claim 20, wherein the one or more mounting posts comprise one of a pin and a wire.

22. A decorative clip according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the at least one aperture comprises a plurality of apertures.

23. A decorative clip according to claim 20 or 21, wherein said one or more mounting posts comprise a mounting post adapted to deflect from a first position to a second position for mounting an ornament.

24. A decorative clip according to claim 20 or 21, wherein said bore inner surface and said mounting post interact to orient the decorative object in a predetermined orientation.

25. A decorative clip according to claim 23, wherein said at least one aperture defines a surface and said first position of the mounting post is substantially parallel to the surface and the second position is substantially non-parallel to the surface.

26. A decorative clip according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the decorative clip comprises a light clip.

27. The trim clip of claim 26, wherein the light clip comprises one of a chandelier, a projector, a wall sconce, a recessed light, and a track light.

28. An arrangement for mounting a decorative ornament having an axis and a mounting hole that does not pass through the center of gravity of the ornament, the arrangement comprising:

a frame having a surface and an aperture, the aperture having an inner surface; and

one or more mounting posts extending from the frame, the one or more mounting posts having only a first end mounted to the frame and a second free end, the second free end adapted to be inserted through mounting holes in the garnish;

wherein when the ornament is mounted to the mounting post, the ornament is retained by the mounting post and the inner surface of the bore, wherein the axis of the ornament forms an angle with the vertical that is greater than 0 degrees.

29. The arrangement of claim 28, wherein the mounting post comprises one of a pin and a wire.

30. The arrangement of claim 28 or 29, wherein said axis of the ornament forms an angle with the vertical of more than 5 degrees.

31. An arrangement according to claim 28 or 29, wherein the frame surface defines an angle with the verticalAnd said axis of the ornament forms an angle theta with the vertical, and the angle theta is approximately equal to the angle

32. An arrangement according to claim 28 or 29, wherein the frame surface defines an angle with the verticalAnd said axis of the ornament forms an angle theta with the vertical, and the angle theta is not equal to the angle

33. The arrangement of claim 28 or 29, wherein the arrangement comprises a plurality of decorative ornaments, and wherein the frame comprises a plurality of holes, wherein the plurality of ornaments are clamped in the plurality of holes in the frame.

34. A method for mounting a plurality of perforated decorative ornaments to a frame having a plurality of apertures, the apertures having an inner surface, the method comprising:

positioning a plurality of ornaments in a plurality of apertures located on a first side of a frame, wherein the perforations of the ornaments are accessible from a second side of the frame opposite the first side;

passing at least one thread through a plurality of decorative perforations on a second side of the frame; and is

Each of the plurality of ornamentation is held in one of the plurality of apertures by at least one wire and the inner surface of the aperture.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the at least one strand includes a first end and a second end, and wherein the method further comprises joining the first end to the second end after the at least one strand is threaded through the perforations of the plurality of decorative objects.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the joining comprises one of twisting together or melting together.

37. The method of claim 35 or 36, further comprising joining the splice end to the frame.

38. The method of any one of claims 34 to 36, further comprising retaining the ornament in the aperture by contact with an adjacent ornament.

39. The method of any one of claims 34 to 36, wherein passing at least one thread comprises passing one thread.

40. A clip for mounting a piercing ornament, said ornament having a center of gravity, an axis, and a piercing hole that does not pass through the center of gravity of the ornament, and comprising:

a frame having a plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures having an inner surface; and

at least one mounting post mounted to the frame and adapted to be inserted through at least one perforation of the perforated garnish;

wherein when the ornament is mounted to the mounting post, the ornament is retained by the at least one mounting post and the inner surface of the bore, wherein the axis forms an angle θ with the vertical that is greater than 0 degrees.

41. The clamp of claim 40, wherein the at least one mounting post comprises a plurality of mounting posts.

42. The clip defined in claim 40 or claim 41 wherein the at least one mounting post comprises one of a metal and a non-metal filament.

43. The fixture of claim 40 or 41, wherein the fixture comprises a light fixture.

44. The fixture of claim 43, wherein the light fixture comprises one of a chandelier, a projector, a wall sconce, a recessed light, and a track light.

45. The clip defined in claim 40 or claim 41 wherein the ornament is further retained by an adjacent ornament.

46. The clip defined in claim 40 or claim 41 wherein the frame comprises one of a generally flat, curved, and polyhedral frame.

47. The fixture of claim 40 or 41, wherein the frame comprises one of a generally cylindrical, spherical and pyramidal frame.

48. The clip defined in claim 40 or claim 41 wherein the at least one mounting post is mounted to the frame.

49. The clip defined in claim 40 or claim 41 wherein the mounting post comprises one of a wire and a pin.

50. The clamp of claim 40, wherein the angle θ is about 45 degrees.

51. A lamp fixture with decorative trim, the lamp fixture comprising:

a frame having a plurality of apertures, each of the apertures having an inner surface;

a plurality of ornaments mounted in the plurality of holes;

at least one mounting post mounted to the frame and adapted to be inserted through the aperture of each of the plurality of ornaments;

wherein each of the plurality of trim is retained in the plurality of apertures by the at least one mounting post and the inner surface, wherein an axis of each of the plurality of trim forms an angle θ with a vertical direction that is greater than 0 degrees; and

a light for illuminating at least some of the plurality of ornaments.

52. The lamp fixture of claim 51, wherein the at least one mounting post comprises one of a wire and a pin.

53. The lamp fixture of claim 52, wherein one of the wire and pin is integrally mounted to an inner surface of each of the plurality of holes of the frame.

54. The light fixture of any of claims 51-53, wherein the at least one mounting post includes at least one wire for connecting a plurality of decorative objects.

55. The lamp fixture of any of claims 51-53, wherein the frame comprises one of a generally flat, curved, and polyhedral frame.

56. The lamp fixture of any of claims 51-53, wherein the frame comprises one of a generally cylindrical, spherical, and pyramidal frame.

57. The light fixture of any of claims 51-53, wherein the frame comprises a frame suspended by at least one chain.

58. The lamp fixture of any of claims 51-53, wherein the lamp fixture comprises one of a chandelier, a projector, a wall sconce, a recessed lamp, and a track lamp.

59. The lamp fixture of any of claims 51-53, wherein the lamp fixture comprises an alignable lamp fixture.

60. The lamp fixture of claim 50, wherein said angle θ is approximately 45 degrees.

61. A method for mounting a plurality of perforated decorative ornaments to a frame having a plurality of apertures, said apertures having an inner surface, the method comprising:

mounting a plurality of mounting posts to the frame, wherein each mounting post extends out over at least one of the plurality of apertures;

mounting at least one of the perforated decorative trim to at least one of the plurality of mounting posts through a perforation; and

at least one of the perforated decorative trim is retained in the hole of the plurality of holes by at least one mounting post and at least one interior surface of the hole.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the installing of at least one of the perforated decorative trim comprises:

deflecting at least one of the plurality of mounting posts from a first position to a second position;

mounting at least one of said perforated decorative ornaments to at least one mounting post located at a second location;

deflecting the at least one mounting post with the ornament to a first position.

63. The method of claim 61 or 62, wherein the plurality of holes define a surface, and wherein a first position of the plurality of mounting posts is substantially parallel to the surface and a second position of the plurality of mounting posts is substantially non-parallel to the surface.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the deflection of the at least one of the plurality of mounting posts from the first position to the second position comprises deflection of the at least one of the plurality of mounting posts, whereby the at least one of the plurality of mounting posts forms an angle of at least 5 degrees with the surface.

65. The method of claim 61 or 62, wherein the mounting of the plurality of mounting posts comprises one of welding and gluing the plurality of mounting posts.

66. The method of claim 61 or 62, wherein the mounting post comprises one of a metallic and non-metallic filament.

67. The method of claim 61 or 62, wherein the mounting of the plurality of mounting posts includes mounting a first end of at least one of the plurality of mounting posts, and the method further comprises: after the at least one perforated decorative trim is mounted to at least one of the plurality of mounting posts, at least one second end of the plurality of mounting posts is mounted to the frame.

68. The method of claim 61 or 62, wherein the mounting post comprises one of a wire and a pin.