Confetti devices and methods of their use

Abstract

A confetti device comprising: an elongated tube having a proximal end, distal end and hollow internal portion, a length of the tube is 14 inches; the tube comprises a design wrapper disposed longitudinally over an exterior portion of the tube; one or more bundles of a pre-defined size strategically located such that the bundles extends diametrically across an internal portion of the tube, each of the bundles includes pieces of confetti stacked in a pre-defined arrangement; at least one wrapper covering the pieces of confetti to form the bundles, at least one of the bundles remains in frictional contact with an inner surface of the tube; a divider located at one or more pre-defined location in the hollow internal portion of the tube; a cover on one of the ends of the tube; and pompom streamer(s) placed at at least one of the ends.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An aerial display confetti device comprising:
 an elongated tube having a first end, a second end and a hollow interior, the elongated tube having a substantially constant diameter along its elongated length and having substantially smooth interior walls, wherein the length of the elongated tube is 14 inches;   a plurality of tetragonal shaped pieces of confetti positioned within the elongated tube, each of the tetragonal pieces of confetti having a central axis, the plurality of pieces of confetti being stacked with said axes parallel to each other and to the elongated length of said tube to form at least one bundle of confetti of predetermined size positioned within said tube, and the at least one bundle of confetti extends diametrically across the hollow interior of the elongated tube in a predetermined amount of frictional contact with said interior walls such that, upon rapid arcuate movement of said tube, said at least one bundle of confetti is forcefully ejected by centrifugal force from said tube as a bundle upwardly into the air; and   a wrapper extending partially about said stack.   
     
     
         2 . The confetti device of  claim 1  wherein the length of the elongated tube is in the order of 6 to 18 inches. 
     
     
         3 . The confetti device of  claim 1  wherein the length of the elongated tube is in the order of 18 inches to 3 feet. 
     
     
         4 . The confetti device of  claim 1  wherein the elongated tube is in the shape of a dancer's cane. 
     
     
         5 . The confetti device of  claim 1  wherein the elongated tube is in the shape of a magician's wand. 
     
     
         6 . The confetti device of  claim 1  wherein the length to width ratio of the tetragonal pieces of confetti is in the order of 1.75 to 10.0. 
     
     
         7 . The aerial display confetti device as described in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of pieces of confetti are stacked in a plurality of bundles within the elongated tube, and the bundles are positioned adjacent each other along the length of the elongated tube. 
     
     
         8 . The aerial display confetti device as described in  claim 1 , wherein one of the ends is open and said predetermined amount of frictional contact between the at least one bundle and the interior walls of the tube is sufficient to prevent the bundle from falling out of the tube under the force of gravity when said open end is pointed downwardly. 
     
     
         9 . The confetti device of  claim 1  wherein the internal diameter of said tube is in the order of ½ to 1 inch and the width of said tetragonal pieces of confetti is in the order of 5/16 to % of an inch. 
     
     
         10 . The confetti device of  claim 7  wherein stacked bundles comprise layers of elongated tetragonal confetti, and the layers of adjacent bundles are oriented at an angle with respect to each other. 
     
     
         11 . A method for launching confetti upwardly into the air to form an aerial display of confetti comprising:
 forming a large plurality of pieces of confetti in at least one stacked bundle, each of said pieces of confetti having a central axis and said axes being aligned parallel to each other in said stacked bundle;   inserting said at least one bundle of confetti into an elongated, hollow tube having a closed end and an open end, said axes being aligned parallel to the length of said elongated tube, and said bundle extending across the diameter of said tube, such that said bundle remains in an aligned stack within said tube, wherein the length of the elongated tube is 14 inches;   holding said elongated tube adjacent said closed end with said open end pointed substantially upwardly; and   moving said elongated tube in an arcuate path sufficiently rapidly to generate sufficient centrifugal force to eject said bundle of confetti from said open tube end upwardly into the air as a bundle to form an aerial display of individual pieces of confetti.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of forming the large plurality of pieces of confetti in at least one stacked bundle includes the step of forming said pieces of confetti in tetragonal shapes. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the step of forming the large plurality of pieces of confetti in at least one stacked bundle includes the step of forming said pieces of confetti in elongated, tetragonal shapes. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the number of pieces of confetti comprising said at least one bundle is sufficient to cause said at least one bundle to extend across the interior diameter of the elongated tube and frictionally engage the interior walls of the elongated tube with a predetermined amount of friction sufficient to prevent the least one bundle from falling out of the tube under the force of gravity when the open tube end is pointed downwardly. 
     
     
         15 . An aerial display confetti device comprising:
 an elongated hollow tube having a first and a second open ends, said tube having a length in the order of Ito 3 feet;   a divider within said hollow tube for dividing said hollow tube into first and second compartments;   a large plurality of pieces of confetti, said confetti pieces being of tetragonal shape, wherein the plurality of tetragonal shaped confetti pieces being stacked to form at least first and second bundles of tetragonal shaped confetti, further wherein the first bundle of tetragonal shaped confetti being positioned within said first compartment and said second bundle of tetragonal shaped confetti being positioned within said second compartment; and   a first and a second removable closure means for removably closing the first and the second open ends such that, when the first closure means is removed from the first open end and said tube is waved in an arcuate path, the first bundle of confetti is injected into the air under centrifugal force, and subsequently upon removal of said second closure means from said second open end and said tube is waived in an arcuate path, said second bundle of confetti is injected into the air under centrifugal force.