Precision chandelier frame and method for constructing the same
First Claim
1. A chandelier frame comprising:
- a first frame member;
a second frame member remote from the first frame member; and
a plurality of arms connecting the first and second frame members, wherein the first frame member is connected to each arm at a respective first joint that is plastically and asymmetrically deformed and that is free of breaks, and wherein the second frame member is connected to each arm at a respective second joint that is free of breaks.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A chandelier frame provides, in one embodiment, a first frame member and a second frame member that are connected by a plurality of arms at joints. The joints are plastically and asymmetrically deformed to locate each of the frame members in axially remote planes. In another embodiment, this invention provides a first and second frame member having arms therebetween that are rotated from a first plane defined by the frame members into a second plane that is substantially transverse to the first plane. The arms are joined to a locking structure that enables the first and second frame members to be maintained in an elastically deformed shape defining, in one preferred embodiment, a bowl-like shape. In another embodiment, a frame member is held in an elastically deformed, stressed state by an arm interconnected with interengaging locking structures on the arm. The spacing between arm locking structures is different from the spacing of interengaging a frame member locking structures to enable formation of the plastically deformed shape.
24 Citations
79 Claims
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1. A chandelier frame comprising:
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a first frame member; a second frame member remote from the first frame member; and a plurality of arms connecting the first and second frame members, wherein the first frame member is connected to each arm at a respective first joint that is plastically and asymmetrically deformed and that is free of breaks, and wherein the second frame member is connected to each arm at a respective second joint that is free of breaks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A chandelier frame constructed by a process comprising:
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cutting a first frame member, a second frame member and a plurality of arms, the arms having first and second joints that are aligned non-radially, from a substantially flat sheet lying in a first plane; applying a separation force between the first frame member and the second frame member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first plane; and causing substantially simultaneously a rotation between the first frame member and the second frame member to place the arms into a predetermined alignment and to locate the second frame member in a second plane remote from the first plane.
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10. A chandelier frame constructed by a process comprising:
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cutting a first frame member, a second frame member and a plurality of arms from a sheet that lies substantially in a first plane, the arms connecting the first frame member to the second frame member; and twisting the arms to rotate each of the arms into a respective plane aligned substantially transverse to the first plane. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A chandelier frame comprising:
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a first frame member; and an arm member connected to the first frame member, the arm member carrying a locking structure, wherein the arm member is twisted into a plane substantially transverse to a plane defined by the first frame member in an unstressed state, thereby positioning the locking structure at a point remote from the plane defined by the first frame member. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A chandelier frame comprising:
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a first ring that is in an unstressed state substantially flat and defines a plane; and a locking frame member including a locking structure for interengaging the first ring, wherein the locking structure is locked to the first ring in a predetermined relationship to hold the ring in a non-flat, stressed, elastically deformed state. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A work piece for a chandelier frame comprising:
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a first ring; a second ring concentric with and lying within the first ring, said second ring and first ring being flat and lying substantially within a plane; and a plurality of arms connecting the rings at non-pivoting joints, the joints between each arm and the first ring being non-radially aligned with respect to the joints between each arm and the second ring. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A workpiece for a chandelier frame comprising:
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a first ring; a second ring concentric and lying within the first ring, the first ring and the second ring being substantially flat and coplanar; and a plurality of arms connecting the first ring and the second ring at joints, the joints being constructed and arranged to permit plastic and asymmetric deformation of the joints without substantial deformation of the first ring, the second ring and the arms. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 57, 58)
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53. A workpiece for a chandelier frame comprising:
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a plurality of frame loops interconnected to form a ring; and a plurality of arms, each arm being within one of the frame loops and interconnecting opposite ends of its respective frame loop. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56)
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59. A method for constructing a chandelier frame comprising:
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providing a first frame member lying substantially in a plane; providing a second frame member lying substantially in the plane; providing a plurality of arms connecting the first frame member and the second frame member, wherein the first frame member is connected to each arm at each of a plurality of first joints and the second frame member is connected to each arm at each of a plurality of second joints, the arms lying substantially in the plane; and plastically and asymmetrically deforming each of the first and each of the second joints so that the first frame member and the second frame member are located in each of a plurality of axially remote planes. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
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63. A method for constructing a chandelier frame comprising:
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providing a first frame member lying substantially in a plane; providing a second frame member lying substantially in the plane, the second frame member being remote from the first frame member; providing a plurality of arms, the arms interconnecting the first frame member and the second frame member; and applying a force to separate the first frame member and the second frame member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane and to cause a rotation between the first frame member and the second frame member, thereby locating the first frame member and the second frame member in planes that are axially remote from each other.
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64. A method of constructing a chandelier frame comprising:
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providing a frame member lying substantially in a plane in an unstressed state; applying stress at three or more points concentric to the perimeter of the frame member, the stress causing elastic deformation in the frame member to from a predetermined bowl-shape; and securing the frame member in an elastically stressed state to maintain the predetermined bowl-shape. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66)
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67. A method for constructing a chandelier frame comprising:
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providing a first frame member having a first pair of locking structures that are spaced at predetermined spacing when the frame member lies in a plane in an unstressed state; providing a second frame member having a second pair of locking structures that interengage the first pair of locking structures, the second pair of locking structures having a second predetermined spacing that is different than the first predetermined spacing; and elastically deforming the first frame member and attaching the first pair of locking structures to the second pair of locking structures to maintain the first frame member in an elastically deformed state. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69)
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70. A method for constructing a chandelier frame comprising:
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providing a first frame member having a first locking structure; providing a second frame member having a second locking structure; providing a third frame member having a third locking structure and a fourth locking structure constructed and arranged to interengage with the first locking structure and the second locking structure, respectively; and attaching the first locking structure to the third locking structure and the second locking structure to the fourth locking structure, the step of attaching including elastically deforming the first frame member so that the second locking structure is aligned with the fourth locking structure, whereby the first frame member retains an elastically deformed state when the first locking structure is engaged with the third locking structure and the second locking structure is engaged with the fourth locking structure. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73)
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74. A chandelier frame comprising:
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a first ring; a second ring interconnected at predetermined first points to the first ring; a plurality of arms interconnecting the first ring and the second ring at predetermined second joints, the joints being plastically deformed and each defining a twisted shape thereover, wherein the arms including locking structures that are positioned remote from the first ring; and a locking frame member, interengaging each of the locking structures, the locking frame member being constructed and arranged so that when the locking frame member is interengaged with the locking structures, the first ring and the second ring are in a stressed, elastically deformed state defining a bowl-shape. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76)
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77. A method for forming a two-tier chandelier frame comprising:
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providing a substantially flat frame member having a base, a first arm extending from the base, a first support structure extending from the first arm and a second support structure interconnected by a runner to the arm, the second support structure including a second arm extending therefrom, the second arm having a free end; plastically and asymmetrically deforming the runner so that the second support structure is aligned in a plane axially remote from a plane defined by the first support structure; plastically deforming the second arm so that the free end is located adjacent the base; and attaching the second arm to the base. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79)
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Specification