WO2003091622A1

WO2003091622A1 - Decorative rope light

Info

Publication number: WO2003091622A1
Application number: PCT/US2003/012707
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gary C. Bernhardt
Original assignee: Multi Media Electronics, Inc.
Priority date: 2002-04-26
Filing date: 2003-04-25
Publication date: 2003-11-06
Also published as: AU2003234209A1

Abstract

A decorative rope assembly (10) includes a light string (20) with a plurality of bulbs (22) and an outer sheath (12,60) surrounding the light string (20) and configured to facilitate the storage and mounting of the light string (20).

Description

DECORATIVE ROPE LIGHT

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/375,728 filed on April 26, 2002 and fully incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVNETION

1. Field Of The Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a rope light, and more particularly to a decorative rope light which is easy to handle and bend to any desired shape.

2. Description Of The Related Art [0003] Decorative light strings are used in a wide variety of applications, such as non- seasonal store displays. One of their widest uses is as Christmas lights, when they are used to decorate yards, fences, and houses and other structures. However, this seasonal use of such light strings requires that the light strings be stored for much of the year. In storage, the light strings tend to become tangled, resulting in wasted time involved in untangling the light strings before they can be re-hung as Christmas approaches. The tangling can become so severe that the light string must be thrown away as unusable. These tangling problems are more severe with newer, and very popular, light strings such as icicle lights. [0004] To provide a solution to the tangling and storage problem, various devices for storing light strings have been suggested. These devices often involve a flat card or base around which the light string must be meticulously wound. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,491 to Lee discloses a flat, stiff mounting plate with integrated, uniformly-spaced slotted tabs, allowing for the light string wire to be wound around the plate and the lights to be inserted into the slots. [0005] Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,931 to White discloses a slotted base card with swivel-pivots, so that the card may be axially rotated to wind and unwind the light string on the card. In White, slots in the card do not hold individual sockets. Rather, they provide saddles for the wire to fit into to prevent its slipping off of the card. White additionally discloses integrated holes in the card to allow the card to be hung on hooks for storage. However, the light string must be wound onto the card manually, and must be unwound for re-use. [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,067 to McAllister, et al., discloses a generally rectangular frame around which a light string can be would, with tooth-like projections at the edges of the frame to prevent the wire from slipping. Unlike White, the teeth of the device disclosed in McAllister, et al. are narrowly spaced, and require that the light string be wound with only one loop between each pair of teeth. Thus the light string must be carefully wound about the frame to utilize each available gap and avoid wasting space. The device of McAllister, et al., additionally discloses the use of an integral hook to hang the frame for storage. As with the device of White, the light string must be manually wound and unwound from the frame. [0007] Each of these devices requires effort on the user's part to properly wind the light string about the device, and in some cases, to insert individual light sockets into slots. Further, these devices do not provide protection for multiple, dangling, sub-strings, such as those found on icicle lights. Also, the light strings may have a substantial length and often suspended from or supported by surfaces belonging to a structure to be illuminated. However, the supporting surfaces are not always available or accessible providing additional difficulty in adjusting the light strings.

[0008] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a device to allow consumers to quickly and easily prepare light strings for deployment and/or for storage in a way which prevents tangling and protects the lights against breakage and allows the light strings to be easily installed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] To meet this need, the present invention provides for a light string extending within a sheath configured to avoid tangling during the storage and to facilitate installation of the light string. [00010] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a sheath has a reduced outer cross-section facilitating winding and unwinding of a light string assembly. To facilitate the installation of the entire assembly, the sheath is provided with at least one sleeve traversed by a support string made from a flexible material and an electrical wire coupling a plurality of light emitting bulbs.

[00011] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, either of or both the sheath and the support wire can be made from shape-memory material to allow for the entire light string assembly to assume the predetermined shape in response to heat radiated from the bulbs.

[00012] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a sheath hosing a light string is configured to exhibit a variety of color and image patterns. [00013] It is a goal of the invention to provide a device to quickly prepare light strings for storage.

[00014] It is a further goal of the invention to allow light strings to be quickly removed from storage and to be prepared for re-hanging.

[00015] It is another goal of the invention to protect light strings against breakage and tangling while in storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00016] The above ad other features, advantages and objects will become more readily apparent from the following description accompanied by a set of drawings, in which:

[00017] The above and other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description accompanied by the drawings, wherein: [00018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a section of the decorative rope light of the present invention; and [00019] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating an alternate embodiment of the decorative rope light of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[00020] Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present decorative rope light is. described herein. Decorative rope light 10 includes flexible sheath 12, which is formed of transparent or translucent material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other plastics. [00021] Flexible sheath 12 is generally of cylindrical cross-section and includes a pair of elongate channels 14 and 16 disposed along the length thereof. Electric wire string 20 has a plurality of spaced bulbs 22 positioned within elongate channel 16. Lamps 22 can be of conventional type or of specialized type designed for the product. Flexible sheath 12 may further include holding portions 24, for example, spaced membranes, clips, hooks and the like (not shown), suspended from a web 26 to hold the electric wire strings 20 at fixed positions. Internal support wire 30 is positioned within elongate channel 14. Internal support wire 30 is formed from a pliable material which allows the user to bend or twist rope light 10 without using special tools or excessive force. Once bent to a shape, internal support wire 30 has the property to keep its configuration. Metal is preferable, however, other suitable materials having such property are also usable for the internal support wire. Actual dimensions (i.e., length, width or diameter, etc.) of such flexible sheath 12, elongate channels 14 and 16, strings 20, bulbs 22, support wire 30 may be varied depending upon particular applications of the products.

[00022] Referring now to FIG. 2, another embodiment of the decorative rope light is described. Rope light 50 is similar to rope light 10 disclosed above. The major difference between the two embodiments is the shape of the flexible sheath and the elongate channels defined within the flexible sheath. As shown in FIG. 2, rope light 50 includes flexible sheath 60 having a figure 8-like cross-sectional shape. Flexible sheath 60 is formed of transparent or translucent material and defines an elongate channel 70 extending through the entire length thereof. Elongate channel 70 has a figure 8-like cross-sectional configuration. Neck portion 72 of the elongate channel 70 is preferably dimensioned to separate electric wire strings 20 from support wire 30. One conceivable advantage of this rope light, comparing to rope light 10 discussed above, is that sheath 60 is more flexible because of the reduced thickness, and thus is easier to be bent to a desired shape without having a spring-back rebound caused by the structural configuration thereof. Alternatively, channel 70 may be of oval or circular cross-section. Additionally, sheath 12 or 60 may be molded directly onto the support wire and wire strings. [00023] It is noted that such flexible sheath and elongate channels may have different shapes than those described hereinabove. Furthermore, the sheaths 12 and 60 each may be formed from a shape-memory material reacting to heat which can radiate from the turned on bulbs 22. Alternatively or in addition to the shape-memory materials for the sheaths, the electrical and support wires can be made from the suitable shape- memory materials as well.

[00024] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the sheaths 12,

60 maybe provided with a plurality of openings 30 (FIG. 2) each shaped and sized to receive a respective image-forming insert, as disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. filed concurrently with the present application. Furthermore, the sheaths 12, 60 may be made from opaque material. Accordingly, a decorative pattern is formed by the contours of the openings shaping the light beams emitted by the lamps 22. In this embodiment, there is no need to have inserts, unless the user would like to have a multi-color pattern, which can be provided by the variably colored inserts. [00025] Although the illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A rope light assembly comprising an elongated sheath and at least one light string traversing the elongated sheath.

2. The rope light assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongated sheath has at least one inner channel configured to receive the at least one light string.

3. The rope light assembly of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of supporting elements spaced from one another within the elongated sleeve and supporting the light string at predetermined locations.

4. The rope light assembly of claim 2, further comprising a support string extending within and terminating beyond opposite ends of the elongated sheath to detachably couple the elongated sheath to a supporting structure.

5. The rope light assembly of claim 4, wherein the elongated sheath has an additional channel extending parallel to the at least one channel, wherein the additional and at least one channels each receiving a respective one of the light and support strings.

6. The rope light assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongated sheath has an annular cross-section including a circular shape or a shape having a relatively narrow inner and relatively wide outer portion to facilitate winding of the rope light assembly.

7. The rope light assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongated sheath is made from flexible material having shape-memory characteristics and responding to heat to assume a predetermined shape.

8. The rope light assembly of claim 4, wherein the support string is made from pliable or memory-shape materials.

9. The rope light assembly of claim 5, wherein the support and electrical strings are molded with the elongated sheath, the at least one and additional sleeves being isolated from one another or in flow communication with one another.

10. The rope light assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one light string includes an electro-conductive wire provided with a plurality ofbulbs coupled to the electro-conductive wire, the elongated sheath being configured to transmit light emitted by the plurality ofbulbs.

11. The rope light assembly of claim 10, wherein the elongated sheath is made from transparent or translucent material.

12. The rope light assembly of claim 10, wherein the elongated sheath is made from opaque material and is formed with a peripheral wall provided with a plurality of openings configured to shape light emitted by the plurality ofbulbs to form an image pattern.

13. The rope light assembly of claim 12, further comprising inserts configured to be received and detachably retained within the openings.

14. The rope light assembly of claim 13, wherein the insets have a uniform or variable shape.

15. The light assembly of claim 1, further comprising another light string in addition to the at least one light string.