Decorative lighting assembly having reinforced, tied node

• US 5,944,408 A
• Filed: 01/30/1998
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George Tong, Wai-Lung Wong
• Original Assignee: George Tong, Wai-Lung Wong
• Inventors: Wong, Wai-Lung, Tong, George
• Primary Examiner(s): HUSAR, STEPHEN F
• Application Number:
  US09/016,496
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 362/123, 362/249, 362/252, 362/806, 362/391
• US Class Current: 362/249.15
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/10 with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

A decorative lighting assembly has the form of a grid or lattice in which a plurality of wires form a baseline and first and second branches of the assembly. The second wire branches intersect with both the baseline and first wire branches at nodes of the assembly. Light sockets are connected to selected wires of the nodes. The wires and light sockets are maintained in place at their respective nodes by enclosing at least some of the intersecting wires with a tying wire and forming a knot in the wire proximate to the light socket so that the knot and light socket are inhibited from significant movement relative to each other.

Claims

1. A decorative lighting assembly for displaying a plurality of electrical lights in a geometric array, comprising:

a plurality of wires extending from said plug and arranged in the geometric array, said array having a plurality of individual nodes, a plug electrically connected to at least one of said wires for connecting the assembly to a source of electrical power, the array having a wire baseline extending from the plug, a plurality of first wire branches extending generally parallel to the wire baseline and a plurality of second wire branches extending from said wire baseline such that said second wire branches intersect said wire baseline and said first wire branches to form said nodes of said array, said nodes of said array including exterior and interior nodes, said exterior nodes being disposed along edges of said array and said interior nodes being disposed within the edges of said array, each of said exterior and interior nodes including a light socket associated therewith for receiving a light bulb therein, each of said light sockets being feed by a feed wire and having a return wire exiting therefrom, said interior nodes being formed by the intersection of said first and second wire branches, one of said first and second wire branches associated with each of said interior nodes being knotted around said light socket feed and return wires to form an interior node retention knot proximate to said light socket to thereby prevent any significant movement from said light socket away from said interior node.

2. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said geometric array has a rectangular configuration.

3. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said geometric array has a triangular configuration.

4. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said geometric array has a spider web configuration.

5. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said wires that make up said wire baseline and first and second wire branches are 22 gauge wires.

6. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said light socket feed and return wires extend from said interior nodes in different directions.

7. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 6, wherein said light socket feed and return wire different directions are angularly offset with respect to each other.

8. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said retention knot is formed from said first wire branches.

9. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein some of said exterior nodes are formed by the intersection of said wire baseline and said second wire branches and the remainder of said exterior nodes are formed by the intersection of said first and second wires branches.

10. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said interior node retention knots are overhand knots.

11. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said exterior nodes each include an exterior node retention knot formed proximate to said light sockets and extending around said feed and return wires of said exterior node light sockets.

12. The decorative lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein said exterior node retention knot is an overhand knot.

13. A decorative illumination assembly, comprising:

a wire lattice arranged in a predetermined pattern, the lattice having a plurality of outer edges, one of said outer edges defining a baseline of said lattice, said lattice further including a series of first branches that extend generally parallel to the baseline and a series of second branches that extend at an angle to said baseline and said first branches, the second branches intersecting said baseline and said first branches, said intersections forming interior and exterior nodes of said lattice, said exterior nodes being disposed along said lattice outer edges and said interior nodes being disposed within said lattice outer edges, each of said interior and exterior nodes having a decorative light associated therewith, said baseline and first and second branches of said lattice each being formed by two wires twisted together lengthwise of their extents, each of said interior nodes of said lattice including an interior node retention knot associated therewith formed by a tying wire, the interior node retention knot retaining said decorative light at said interior node and preventing any substantial movement of said decorative light away from said interior node, said interior node retention knot being formed by said knotting said tying wire around said first and second branch wires that form said interior node.

14. The decorative illumination assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said interior node retention knot is an overhand knot.

15. The decorative illumination assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said lattice has a rectangular configuration.

16. The decorative illumination assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said lattice has a triangular configuration.

17. The decorative illumination assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said tying wire includes one of said wires of said first and second branches.

18. The decorative illumination assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of said decorative lights includes a light socket and a light bulb received within said light socket, and wherein said interior node retention knots are disposed proximate to said light sockets of said interior nodes.

19. The decorative illumination assembly as set forth in claim 18, wherein each of said light sockets include a feed wire and a return wire associated therewith and said interior node retention knots are knotted around said feed and return knots of said interior nodes.

20. The decorative illumination assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of said decorative lights includes a light socket and a light bulb received within said light socket, and wherein said light sockets each include a feed wire and a return wire associated therewith that respectively enters and exits said light socket and said interior node associated therewith, said feed and return wires entering and exiting from said light socket in offset directions.

21. The decorative illumination assembly as set forth in claim 20, wherein said interior node retention knot is knotted around said feed and return wires of said interior nodes as well as said first and second branch wires intersecting at said interior node.

22. A decorative lighting assembly for draping over a support structure, comprising:

a grid having a predetermined geometric shape, the grid including a plurality of electrical wires, an electrical plug for connecting the grid wires to a source of electrical power, said grid having a series of outer edges, one of said outer edges defining a baseline of said grid that extends from said plug, said grid including a series of first and second branches along which said electrical wires extend, the first branches being spaced apart from said baseline, said second branches extending in a manner so as to intersect with said baseline and said first branches to form individual interior and exterior nodes of said grid at said intersections, said exterior nodes being disposed along said grid outer edges and said interior nodes being spaced apart from and within said grid outer edges, each of said interior and exterior nodes having a light socket associated therewith, each of the light sockets having a light bulb received within said light socket, and wherein said light sockets each include a feed wire and a return wire associated therewith that respectively enters and exits said light socket and said interior node associated therewith, said feed and return wires entering and exiting said light socket in different directions, each said interior nodes of said grid including an interior node retention knot associated therewith that retains said light socket at said interior node and prevents any substantial movement of said light socket away from said interior node, said interior node retention knot being formed by a tying wire that extends around said feed and return wires of said light socket as well as said first and second branch wires intersecting at said interior node.

23. The lighting assembly of claim 22, wherein said first branches generally parallel to said baseline.

24. The lighting assembly of claim 22, wherein said second branches extend generally perpendicular to said baseline.

25. The lighting assembly of claim 24, wherein said second branches extend generally perpendicular to said first branches.