Article decorated with light emitting diodes using stranded conductive wire

• US 5,366,780 A
• Filed: 11/08/1990
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rapisarda, Carmen
• Original Assignee: Rapisarda, Carmen
• Inventors: Rapisarda, Carmen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lesmes, George F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORRIS, TERREL H
• Application Number:
  US07/610,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/108, 362/800, 362/806, 362/252, 362/249, 362/184, 428/102, 428/137, 428/917
• US Class Current: 428/102
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 27/085 Luminous ornaments
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/00 Processes for producing special ornamental bodies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24033 including stitching and discrete fastener[s], coating or bond
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet

Abstract

An article decorated with light emitting diodes which uses stranded conductive wire. Two lengths of thin, flexible stranded conductive wire are sewn to a piece of material, and a light emitting diode has one of its conductors connected to one of the conductive wires and the other lead connected to the second wire. The wire is sewn by placing the thin, stranded conductive wire onto the bobbin of a sewing machine which then sews the conductor much in the same way it would sew a conventional thread. The result is an attractively and spectacularly decorated piece of material when the conductors are energized to light the light emitting diodes.

Claims

1. An article decorated with light emitting diodes comprising:

an area of material of the type used to make clothing having an outer surface and an inner surface;

a first length of thin, flexible, stranded conductive wire sewn against the inner surface of said area of material;

a second length of thin, flexible, stranded conductive wire sewn against the inner surface of said area of material, said second length being sewn spaced from said first length;

a plurality of holes formed in said area of material between said first and second lengths;

a plurality of light emitting diodes, each diode having a lens portion, and a first and a second lead extending therefrom and positioned on the back of said area of material, each first lead being electrically connected to said first length of thin, flexible, stranded conductive wire, and each second lead being electrically connected to said second length of thin, flexible, stranded conductive wire, and said lens portion of each light emitting diode extending through one of said plurality of holes in said area of material; and

battery means connected through switch means to said first and second lengths whereby when said switch means is closed, the light emitting diodes are energized.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the first and second lengths of thin, flexible, stranded conductive wire each form a closed loop.

3. The article of claim 1 further including a flexible, insulative layer affixed over said two lengths of thin, flexible, stranded conductive wires.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein said battery means and said switch means are connected to said first and second lengths of thin, flexible, stranded conductive wires through a length of flexible conductor so that the resulting circuit may be energized from a remote location.