Home decoration system

• US 5,911,501 A
• Filed: 12/23/1996
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Empire Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Katz, Harvey
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/780,045
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 362/121, 362/124, 362/235, 362/353, 362/152, 362/267, 362/806, 362/431, 362/352, 362/249, 362/808, 362/363, 362/391, 362/252
• US Class Current: 362/267
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/10 with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/164 the parts being subjected to bending, e.g. snap joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0824 Ground spikes
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/109 of gardens
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/808 Figure

Abstract

A decorative lighting system uses a plurality of figurines, usually a family of characters appropriate for a specific holiday, such as: jack-o-lantern, ghosts, witches, black cats, skeletons, etc. for halloween or Santa Clause, candles, candy canes, reindeer, etc. for Christmas. The figurines are all plastic, preferably blow molded with a sloping top that provides a weather resistant roof. The figurines may be made to hang from above or to be supported on the ground, or both hanging and supported. Light bulbs of an indoor/outdoor string of Christmas tree lights may be attached to the figurines by an elastomeric coupler. An adapter mounting plate enables the figurines to be substituted for fixtures on posts in a permanent ground lighting system.

Claims

1. A decorative lighting system comprising a plurality of figurines, at least one hole formed in each figurine for receiving a light bulb for lighting an interior of said figurine, means for interconnecting said light bulbs to enable said plurality of figurines to be arranged in a selected spatial combination, and means for both suspending said figurines from above and mounting them from below, wherein at least one of said figurines has a sloping top surface to provide a roof for shedding precipitation, said hole is formed on said sloping surface, and an elastomeric connector secures said light bulb in said hole, said elastomeric connector comprises a split collar having an upper flange and lugs on a lower surface thereof, a cam surface on the bottom of said lugs to guide them to pass through said hole and capture a wall surrounding said hole, said capture being between said flange and said lugs.

2. A home decoration system comprising a plurality of hollow figurines, each figurine having a top, a hole formed in the top of each figurine for receiving a light bulb mounted in a base, a wall of said figurine surrounding said hole, means for interconnecting a plurality of said light bulb bases in the form of an indoor/outdoor Christmas tree string of lights, an elastomeric coupler surrounding said base and anchoring said bulb in said hole formed in said figurine, said coupler comprising a split elastomeric ring having a flange on its upper surface and lugs on its lower surface, said flange being spaced from said lugs by a distance substantially equal to a thickness of the wall of said figurine which surrounds said hole.

3. The system of claim 2 and means associated with each of said bases in order to suspend said figurines from overhead structures.

4. The system of claim 2 and a stake for mounting each of said figurines on the ground, a top of said stake having a mounting plate with a hole therein for receiving a light bulb, said mounting plate being attached to a bottom surface of said figurine.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein each of said figurines has a pointed upper surface forming a weather resistant roof, and said split ring of said elastomeric coupler is fitted into said hole.

6. A decorating system for use with a permanently installed ground lighting system, there being a plurality of different types of such ground lighting systems, said ground lighting system comprising one or more permanently installed posts for supporting individually associated lighting fixtures, a coupler on said post for removably mounting said fixture on said post, each of said types of said ground lighting systems having its own type of couplers whereby said plurality of ground lighting systems have a number of different kinds of ground lighting system couplers, said decorating system comprising:

an adapter mounting plate having a plurality of different couplers formed thereon, there being a coupler for each of said types of ground lighting system couplers whereby said adapter mounting plate can be used with any one of said different types of ground lighting systems, an upstanding fence on said adapter mounting plate, a plastic figurine having a hole formed in the bottom thereof, said hole being shaped and sized to receive said upstanding fence, means for attaching said adapter mounting plate to said figurine, means for supporting a light bulb inside figurine, said light bulb being coupled to receive power from a source used by said ground lighting system for powering a light bulb inside said fixture, and an elastomeric coupler surrounding said light bulb inside said figurine and making a physical connection between said adapter mounting plate and said light bulb.

7. The decorating system of claim 6 wherein said ground lighting system couplers comprise latches located in circular array, each of said kinds of ground lighting systems having its latches located in a circle having a diameter which is different from diameters of other of said kinds of ground lighting system, and said adaptor mounting plates has mating couplers arranged in concentric circles with diameters of said concentric circles corresponding to and enabling said adapter mounting plate to receive the latches of each of said different kinds of ground lighting systems.

8. The decorating system of claim 7 wherein some of said mating couplers comprise a large opening communicating with a small opening, said large opening having a shape and size for receiving said latch, and said small opening capturing said latch in response to a rotational movement of said adapter mounting plate.

9. The decorating lighting system 7 wherein at least some of latches are located on and dependant from said adapter mounting plate, and said post has mating couplers for receiving said dependent latches.