MINIATURE LIGHT BULB FOR RANDOM HIGH-LOW TWINKLE IN SERIES-WIRED LIGHT STRING
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A series-wired light string, comprising:
- a plurality of light bulbs including a plurality of flasher light bulbs; and
a plurality of light sockets, each light socket of the plurality of light sockets adapted to receive at least one of the plurality of light bulbs;
wherein the flasher bulbs each include a filament and a thermal element that moves alternately between an open position and a closed position as the thermal element heats and cools,wherein, when the thermal element is in the closed position, a portion of the filament is shorted out, such that only a portion of the filament carries current and is illuminated, whereby the filament produces light of a first brightness, andwherein, when the thermal element moves to the open position, the entire filament carries current and is illuminated, whereby the filament produces light of a second brightness higher than the first brightness,thereby causing the flasher light bulbs of the series-wired light string to produce illumination of a high and low brightness at different times to cause the light string to exhibit a twinkling effect.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flasher bulb including a thermal shorting element that alternately shorts and opens only a portion of the bulb filament, thus causing the flasher bulb to produce an alternating high-low illumination. When a plurality of such flasher bulbs are placed in the sockets of a series-wired light string, they cause the light string to exhibit a random high-low twinkle.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A series-wired light string, comprising:
-
a plurality of light bulbs including a plurality of flasher light bulbs; and a plurality of light sockets, each light socket of the plurality of light sockets adapted to receive at least one of the plurality of light bulbs; wherein the flasher bulbs each include a filament and a thermal element that moves alternately between an open position and a closed position as the thermal element heats and cools, wherein, when the thermal element is in the closed position, a portion of the filament is shorted out, such that only a portion of the filament carries current and is illuminated, whereby the filament produces light of a first brightness, and wherein, when the thermal element moves to the open position, the entire filament carries current and is illuminated, whereby the filament produces light of a second brightness higher than the first brightness, thereby causing the flasher light bulbs of the series-wired light string to produce illumination of a high and low brightness at different times to cause the light string to exhibit a twinkling effect. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method of operating a series-wired light string comprising a plurality of light bulbs including a plurality of flasher light bulbs, and a plurality of light sockets, each light socket of the plurality of light sockets adapted to receive at least one of the plurality of light bulbs;
- wherein the flasher bulbs each include a filament and a thermal element that moves alternately between an open position and a closed position as the thermal element heats and cools, wherein, when the thermal element is in the closed position, a portion of the filament is shorted out, such that only a portion of the filament carries current and is illuminated, whereby the filament produces light of a first brightness, and wherein, when the thermal element moves to the open position, the entire filament carries current and is illuminated, whereby the filament produces light of a second brightness higher than the first brightness, thereby causing the flasher light bulbs of the series-wired light string to produce illumination of a high and low brightness at different times to cause the light string to exhibit a twinkling effect.
- View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
-
8. A flasher bulb for producing alternately high and low illumination, comprising:
-
a filament; and a thermal element that moves alternately between an open position and a closed position as the thermal element heats and cools, wherein, when the thermal element is in the open position, the entire filament carries current and is illuminated, whereby the filament produces light of a first brightness, and wherein, when the thermal element moves to the closed position, a portion of the filament is shorted out, such that only a portion of the filament carries current and is illuminated, whereby the filament produces light of a second brightness, which is lower than the first brightness, and thereby causing the flasher light bulb to alternately produce illumination of a high and low brightness. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
-
Specification