Non-neon light

• US 4,607,317 A
• Filed: 08/14/1984
• Issued: 08/19/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lei Yueh Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ta-Yeh Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Ta-Yeh
• Primary Examiner(s): Lechert, Jr., Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US06/640,586
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 362/285, 362/287, 362/249, 362/250, 362/252, 362/319, 362/320, 362/311, 362/351, 362/355, 362/362, 362/806, 362/216, 362/219, 362/223, 362/224, 362/225, 362/122, 362/124
• US Class Current: 362/249.08
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

This invention is related to a "non-neon light" which may be directly, manually and freely bent and folded for linear and arched installation for any suitably prepared advertising decoration or similar lamp ornament in a plane figure or dimensional formative article in optional line with the fondness and purpose of installer or user, and consists of a bendable and foldable bulb-holding bar and a set of connecting device wherein the bendable and foldable bulb-holding bar comprises a main bulb-holding bar body made of soft or semi-soft PVC or similar plastic through drawing by a molding/extruding machine, each one electric wire with a suitable number of ply on the left and right sides of this bar, and each one corresponding fillister with a suitable depth and width on the upper and lower sides thereof, a plurality of conductive plugs connected with several or a plurality of small bulbs spaced with suitable pitch in series, and the foremost and terminal bulbs of each set of small bulbs connected with the two electric wires in parallel, and a superficial lamina with a suitable thickness made of a soft or semi-soft PVC or similar plastic by a molding/extruding machine to cover the circumferential outer wall of the foregoing main bulb-holding bar body; the connecting device comprises a connecting plug and a connecting socket respectively inserted in and screwed on each connecting end of said two bendable and foldable bulb holding bar bodies to be mutually connected in favor of optional removal, disassembly and segmentation for installation, packing and shipping quickly and safely; and the said bar body is characterized by resistance to pressure and no breach and damage during installation packing and shipping and capable of saving energy.

Claims

1. A flexible light strip comprising an elongate body member of flexible plastic, spaced electric wires extending longitudinally along opposite sides of the body member, at least one elongate surface groove extending the length of the body member between the wires, a series of spaced transverse holes formed in the body member from the base of the groove, light bulbs in alternate ones of said holes, the light bulbs each having a base portion with a pair of wires extending therefrom, conductive plugs in the remaining ones of said holes between the successive bulbs for electrically connecting the wires from adjacent bulbs, the wires from selected bulbs further being connectible to the longitudinally extending wires for connecting the bulbs to the longitudinally extending wires selectively in series or in parallel bulb groups, connector means for at least one end of the body member for connecting the body member mechanically and electrically endwise to another like strip or to a source of electric power, and an elongate tubular sheath of flexible plastic for encasing the body member light bulbs and plugs.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the connector means comprises pin and socket-type connector means for electrically connecting ends of the respective longitudinally extending wires of the body member to like longitudinally extending wires of a like strip or source of electricity, and threaded male and female connectors receiving the pin and socket-type connector means for mechanically connecting the body member to the like strip or source of electricity.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein the alternating ones of said holes are of larger cross section than the remaining ones of said holes, and the light bulbs are of correspondingly larger cross section than the conductive plugs.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the light strip is connected end to end with another like strip for bending of the strips longitudinally to form an elongate light of selected shape.

5. The invention of claim 1, including a blind end cap for the other end of the body member.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein the body member is of substantially circular cross section solid plastic with another elongate surface groove formed opposite the aforesaid surface groove, and wherein said holes extend between the grooves.