Construction of illuminating ribbon of light bulbs

• US 4,204,273 A
• Filed: 09/05/1978
• Issued: 05/20/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gerald M. Goldberg
• Original Assignee: Gerald M. Goldberg
• Inventors: Goldberg, Gerald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US05/939,657
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 362/219, 362/226, 362/240, 362/238
• US Class Current: 362/219
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/002 making direct electrical contact, e.g. by piercing F21V21/35 takes precedence

Abstract

A flexible conductor of strip configuration including a pair of copper conductors laminated between a pair of insulating material layers, one of said layers comprising vinyl having an elastic deformation characteristic capable of taking a temporary set on deformation within its elastic limit and the other layer being of mylar, as assembled thereto a plurality of incandescent light bulbs, each having bare wire leads coated by an electrically conductive grease and means for mounting and retaining the bulbs to the conductor with the leads in electrical contact with the conductor, such means for mounting including portions of the vinyl layer overlying the leads. During assembly of the bulb leads to the conductor, the vinyl layer is pierced and portions are deformed within the elastic limit of the material to form tunnels in which the bulb wire leads are inserted. As the vinyl material reacts under its memory toward its undeformed state, it clamps the wire leads in electrical contact with the conductors and the bulbs in assembled relation to the cable.

Claims

1. A flexible cable and light bulb assembly comprising:

a flexible conductor of strip configuration including a pair of copper conductors laminated between a pair of insulating material layers with first portions of said layers in contact with each other and other portions of said layers in contact only with said conductors, one of said layers comprising vinyl having an elastic deformation characteristic capable of taking a temporary set on deformation within its elastic limit;

a plurality of incandescent light bulbs, each having a pair of wire leads with free ends said free end penetrating said one of said layers and engaging said conductors; and

means for retaining said bulbs to said conductor with said leads free ends held in electrical contact laterally against said conductors, said means for retaining including portions of said vinyl layer overlying said leads, engaging and pressing said free ends laterally against said conductors.

2. An illuminating ribbon of light bulbs comprising:

a cable including a pair of spaced longitudinally extending electrically conductive strips enveloped by separate strip like upper and lower layers of electrically non-conductive material laminated into intimate relation to each other about said conductive strips, one of said strip like layers including an elastic material and, wherein said cable comprises a flexible flat cable, said conductors comprise flat copper strips, and said one of said layers including elastic material comprises a layer of vinyl laminated over said strips to a plastic insulating material comprising the other of said layers;

a plurality of light bulbs spaced along said cable in electrically conductive relation to said conductive strips, one or more of said bulbs having conductor wire leads passed through holes in said one of said layers and in contact laterally against said conductive strips; and

means for holding said leads to said conductive strips, said means for holding including portions of said elastic material engaging and elastically pressing said leads due to the memory of said material against said conductive strips.

3. An illuminating ribbon of light bulbs comprising:

a cable including a pair of spaced longitudinally extending electrically conductive strips enveloped by upper and lower layers of electrically non-conductive material in intimate relation to each other about said conductive strips, one of said layers including an elastic material and wherein said cable comprises a flexible flat cable, said conductors comprise flat copper strips, and said layer including elastic material comprises a layer of vinyl laminated over said strips to a plastic insulating material comprising the other of said layers.

a plurality of light bulbs spaced along said cable in electrically conductive relation to said conductive strips, one or more of said bulbs having conductor wire leads penetrating said layer of vinyl and in contact laterally against said conductive strips;

means for holding said leads to said conductive strips, said means for holding including portions of said elastic material engaging and pressing said leads against said conductive strips;

a collar of electrically nonconductive elastic material about said bulb and having portions engaging adjacent portions of said layers; and

bonding means for sealing said collar portions to said portions.