Decorative lighting apparatus

• US 6,478,455 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph M Ahroni
• Original Assignee: Joseph M Ahroni
• Inventors: Ahroni, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsidulko, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/747,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 362/252, 362/249, 362/123, 362/391, 362/396, 362/806
• US Class Current: 362/352
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/002 making direct electrical contact, e.g. by piercing F21V21/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

A unitary frame having a design simulating a magnified snowflake holds a string of lights mounted on a cord gripped in upstand channels presented by the frame between the lights on the string.

Claims

1. A light assembly comprising:

a substantially planar frame having a plurality of spokes oriented radially about a central hub, and having a plurality of branches on each of the plurality of spokes, the branches being oriented at an acute angle with respect to the respective spokes, each of the spokes and branches having a front face with a pair of laterally spaced guide channels thereon projecting forwardly; and

a string of light units having a cord held in said guide channels so that each branch has a light unit adjacent its outer end which is fixed relative to the frame by said cord.

2. A light display unit according to claim 1 in which said cord has two side-by-side wires positioned one above the other in said guide channels and passing through a wireway in each of said light units.

3. A light display unit according to claim 2 in which each of said branches has a distal portion engaged by a part of the respective light unit.

4. A light display unit according to claim 1 in which said cord loops outwardly from each of said pairs of guide channels to a wireway in a respective one of said light units.

5. A light assembly according to claim 1 in which said branches extend from spokes radiating from a central part of said frame, said spokes also having guide channels receiving the cord to guide the cord between branches.

6. A light assembly according to claim 5 in which each of said spokes has at least four side branches and a tip branch.

7. A light assembly according to claim 5 in which said string of lights includes lights adjacent said central part which are located between guide channels near the inner ends of said spokes.

8. A light assembly according to claim 1 in which said cord passes through respective wireways in said light units, said cord comprising two wires that terminate from opposing ends in the wireway of one of said light units.

9. A light assembly according to claim 8 in which the ends of said wires opposite said one of said light units are connected to terminals of opposite polarity to form at least a portion of a circuit.

10. A one-piece frame for a light display unit comprising:

a hub,

spokes radiating integrally from said hub,

lateral branches and a tip branch extending respectively from opposite longitudinal edges of each spoke and from the outer end of each spoke,

each of said branches having a pair of channels adjacent opposite side edges thereof, and each of said spokes having inner channels therealong between the root ends of said branches,

said hub, spokes, and branches having a back side and a front side,

channels adjacent the root ends of said spokes,

said channels projecting from said front side in a forward direction, and

being shaped to hold and guide insulated wires extending between lights located at each branch and also located between said branches adjacent said hub.

11. A frame according to claim 10 in which each of said spokes has two of said lateral branches extending from each of its longitudinal edges.

12. A frame according to claim 10 in which at least one of said inner channels is generally Y-shaped.

13. A frame according to claim 10 in which said back side of the hub, spokes, and branches is flat and occupies a common plane.

14. A frame according to claim 10 in which there are six equally spaced spokes.

15. A frame according to claim 14 in which said hub is hexagonal in shape and said spokes radiate from the apexes of the hexagon.

16. A frame according to claim 10 in which the outer ends of said branches have a flat tip portion.

17. A frame according to claim 10 in which one of said tip branches has a wire entry guide adjacent its outer end.

18. In combination with the frame of claim 10, a light string supported on said frame and having a cord guided by said channels and lights positioned in front of tip portions of said branches.

19. The combination of claim 18 in which said string also has lights positioned between said spokes adjacent to said hub.

20. A light display assembly comprising:

a plurality of light display units each having a plurality of light units, all of said light units being in a circuit comprising wires,

each of said display units having a substantially planar frame with spokes oriented radially about a central hub, and branches extending at acute angles from each of the spokes, each of the spokes and branches supporting one of said light units and each having guides for the wires connecting such light units,

at least one of said display units being adapted to be suspended from one of the wires in said circuit.

21. A light display assembly according to claim 20 in which said branches in each display unit extend in coplanar relation from spokes radiating from a central hub in such display unit.

22. A light display assembly according to claim 21 in which each spoke has a tip branch at its outer end, and said circuit includes wires for each light display unit which feed to such units along guides on one of said tip branches of each such unit.

23. A light assembly comprising:

a frame having a hub, a plurality of spokes radiating from said hub at root ends, and guide channels adjacent said root ends; and

a light string having light units radiating relative to said hub between said spokes and having light units mounted adjacent the outer end of said spokes, and said light string having a cord held in said guide channels and connecting said light units in a series.

24. A light assembly according to claim 23 in which said spokes also each have a pair of laterally spaced guide channels each holding a single width of said cord.

25. A light assembly according to claim 23 in which said hub is hexagonal in shape and has one of said spokes at each of its six vertices.

26. A light assembly according to claim 23 in which said guide channels are generally Y-shaped.

27. A light assembly according to claim 23 in which each of said guide channels has an outwardly radiating portion holding a double width of said cord, and has two oppositely extending wing portions each holding a single width of said cord.