Lamp shade assembly kit

• US 4,383,291 A
• Filed: 02/23/1981
• Issued: 05/10/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sears Roebuck & Company (Sears Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sears Roebuck & Company (Sears Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Gall, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lechert, Jr., Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US06/237,024
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 362/352, 362/356, 362/361, 362/434, 362/450
• US Class Current: 362/352
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 1/06 foldable or collapsible

Abstract

A lamp shade assembly kit includes an assembly ring formed of flexible material into a closed loop, a hoop formed of rigid material and a cover member formed of flexible material into a continuous, open-ended configuration. The assembly ring has an enlarged hoop-receiving channel opening inwardly about the periphery thereof. The cover member is adapted to be secured to the assembly ring. The hoop can then be inserted into the enlarged channel in the assembly ring to give a selected shape to the assembly ring and cover member. With these features, the lamp shade assembly kit may be shipped and stored in knockdown condition and quickly assembled without tools in any of a wide variety of shapes and sizes with optional decorative trim selections.

Claims

1. A kit for forming a lamp shade, comprising:

an upper assembly ring and a lower assembly ring, said assembly rings each being substantially identically formed of flexible material into a closed loop having a channel opening generally inwardly about the periphery thereof, said channels each being defined by a lip portion spaced from and generally parallel to a ramp portion thereof;

a pair of hoops formed of rigid material for insertion into said channels in said upper and lower assembly rings, said hoops cooperating with said channels after insertion to give a selected shape to said assembly rings, said channels having oversized diametral recesses to facilitate insertion of said hoops into said channels, said lip and ramp portions of said channels being spaced apart from one another by a distance equal to or greater than the thickness of said hoops;

a cover member formed of flexible material into a continuous, open-ended configuration having upper and lower edges, said cover member having a dimension about the periphery of said upper edge substantially the same as the dimension about the periphery of said upper assembly ring, said cover member having a dimension about the periphery of said lower edge substantially the same as the dimension about the periphery of said assembly ring; and

means for securing said upper edge of said cover member to said upper assembly ring and said lower edge of said cover member to said lower assembly ring.

2. The kit as defined by claim 1 wherein said lip portions of said channels are adapted to retain said hoops in said channels.

3. The kit as defined in claim 1 wherein said channel in said upper assembly ring opens inwardly and downwardly and said channel in said lower assembly ring opens inwardly and upwardly, said lip portions of said channels securing said hoops out of the line of sight.

4. The kit as defined by claim 1 wherein said upper assembly ring includes a narrow downwardly opening slot adapted to receive and retain said upper edge of said cover member and said lower assembly ring includes a narrow upwardly opening slot adapted to receive and retain said lower edge of said cover member to form a lamp shade.

5. The kit as defined by claim 4 wherein said slots are each defined by a pair of generally parallel wall portions, at least one of said wall portions of each of said slots having a plurality of ribs thereabout projecting inwardly of said slot for dispersing an adhesive, said ribs and said adhesive comprising said means for securing said edges of said cover member to said assembly rings.

6. The kit as defined by claim 1 wherein said hoops are continuous, generally circular members adapted for insertion into said channels, said selected shape of said assembly rings being generally circular after insertion of said hoops.

7. The kit as defined by claim 6 wherein said hoops are dimensioned to fit within said channels of said assembly rings to support said assembly rings and said cover member in shape retaining fashion.

8. The kit as defined by claim 7 wherein at least one of said hoops includes a hub connected to a series of spokes in radiating fashion, said hoop having said hub being adapted for insertion into said channel of said upper assembly ring, said hub being adapted to support said lamp shade after assembly thereof upon a lamp.

9. The kit as defined by claim 1 wherein said assembly rings each include a plurality of vertically extending grooves therein, said grooves of both said upper and lower assembly rings being alignable in vertical registration, said cover member being pleated for securing the inner folds of the pleats in said grooves with an adhesive, said adhesive, grooves, and inner folds comprising said means for securing said cover member to said assembly rings.

10. The kit as defined by claim 1 wherein said assembly rings include outwardly facing surfaces having an ornamental design thereon.

11. A kit for forming a lamp shade, comprising:

an assembly ring formed of flexible material into a closed loop having a channel opening generally inwardly about the periphery thereof, said channel being defined by a lip portion spaced from and generally parallel to a ramp portion thereof;

a hoop formed of rigid material for insertion into said channel in said assembly ring, said hoop cooperating with said channel after insertion to give a selected shape to said assembly ring, said channel having an oversized diametral recess to facilitate insertion of said hoop into said channel, said lip and ramp portions of said channel being spaced apart from one another by a distance equal to or greater than the thickness of said hoop;

a cover member formed of flexible material into a continuous, open-ended configuration having upper and lower edges, said cover member having a dimension about the periphery of said upper edge substantially the same as the dimension about the periphery of said assembly ring; and

means for securing said upper edge of said cover member to said assembly ring.

12. The kit as defined by claim 11 wherein said assembly ring includes a body portion generally L-shaped in cross-section and having integral vertical and lateral legs.

13. The kit as defined by claim 12 wherein said lateral leg is directed generally inwardly about the periphery of said assembly ring and said channel is formed in said lateral leg so as to open inwardly and downwardly of said assembly ring.

14. The kit as defined by claim 13 wherein said lip portion extends inwardly of said vertical leg, said lip portion being disposed at an acute angle to said vertical leg, said lip portion serving to center and retain said hoop within said channel during and after insertion thereof.