Powered tree construction

• US 9,119,495 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polygroup Macau Limited (MDF Commerce, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polygroup Macau Limited (MDF Commerce, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Chi Yin Alan, Tong, Ricky, Kwok, Chi Kin Samuel, He, Chang-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, SHIN H
• Application Number:
  US14/621,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20150157159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 200 Days
• Field of Search: 279/157, 279/9.1, 404/42, 439/133, 439/134, 439/135, 439/141, 439/620.21, 439/675
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/06 Artificial Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/10 Sockets for co-operation with pins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/38 having concentrically or coaxially arranged contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/00 Coupling parts supported only by co-operation with counterpart
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/06 with two current-carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts, having their axes parallel to each other

Abstract

A power transfer system to facilitate the transfer of electrical power between tree trunk sections of an artificial tree is disclosed. The power transfer system can advantageously enable neighboring tree trunk sections to be electrically connected without the need to rotationally align the tree trunk sections. Power distribution subsystems can be disposed within the trunk sections. The power distribution subsystems can comprise a male end, a female end, or both. The male ends can have prongs and the female ends can have voids. The prongs can be inserted into the voids to electrically connect the power distribution subsystems of neighboring tree trunk sections. In some embodiments, the prongs and voids are designed so that the prongs of one power distribution subsystem can engage the voids of another power distribution subsystem without the need to rotationally align the tree trunk sections.

Claims

1. An artificial tree comprising:

a plurality of tree trunk sections;

a male end of a first trunk section of the plurality of tree trunk sections, the male end having a central prong and a channel prong, the central prong and the channel prong configured to conduct electricity; and

a female end of a second trunk section of the plurality of tree trunk sections, the female end having a central void and a channel void, the central void having a central contact device disposed at least partially therein, and the channel void having a channel contact device disposed at least partially therein, the channel contact device disposed around the central void, and the central contact device and the channel contact device configured to conduct electricity;

wherein the central prong of the male end is configured to engage the central contact device of the female end and the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end to conduct electricity between the male end of the first trunk section and the female end of the second trunk section; and

wherein the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end in a plurality of configurations, each configuration providing a different rotational alignment of the first trunk section with respect to the second trunk section.

2. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end in at least three configurations.

3. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the channel void of the female end is disposed 360 degrees around the central void of the female end.

4. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is disposed 360 degrees around the central void of the female end.

5. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the channel void of the female end is substantially circular, and the central void of the female end is disposed proximate the center of the substantially circular channel void.

6. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is at least partially cylindrical.

7. The artificial tree of claim 6, wherein the central void of the female end is disposed within a vertically extending section of the female end, and wherein the channel contact device of the female end is disposed around the vertically extending section.

8. The artificial tree of claim 7, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is disposed on the surface of the vertically extending section of the female end.

9. The artificial tree of claim 1 further comprising a light string in electrical communication with the central prong of the male end, the channel prong of the male end, the central contact device of the female end, and the channel contact device of the female end.

10. The artificial tree of claim 9, one or more of the plurality of tree trunk sections comprising an inner sleeve and one or more of the plurality of tree trunk sections comprising an outer sleeve, the inner sleeve configured to slide inside the outer sleeve to provide lateral support to the artificial tree.

11. An artificial tree comprising:

a plurality of tree trunk sections;

a male end of a first trunk section of the plurality of tree trunk sections, the male end having a central prong and a channel prong, the central prong and the channel prong configured to conduct electricity; and

a female end of a second trunk section of the plurality of tree trunk sections, the female end having a central void and a channel void, the central void having a central contact device disposed at least partially therein, and the channel void having a channel contact device disposed at least partially therein, the channel contact device disposed around the central void, and the central contact device and the channel contact device configured to conduct electricity;

wherein the central prong of the male end is configured to engage the central contact device of the female end and the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end to conduct electricity between the male end of the first trunk section and the female end of the second trunk section; and

wherein the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end at a plurality of locations on the channel contact device, each location providing a different rotational alignment of the first trunk section with respect to the second trunk section.

12. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end at at least three locations around the central void.

13. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the channel void of the female end is disposed 360 degrees around the central void of the female end.

14. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is disposed 360 degrees around the central void of the female end.

15. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the channel void of the female end is substantially circular, and the central void of the female end is disposed proximate the center of the substantially circular channel void.

16. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is at least partially cylindrical.

17. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein the central void of the female end is disposed within a vertically extending section of the female end, and wherein the channel contact device of the female end is disposed around the vertically extending section.

18. The artificial tree of claim 17, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is disposed on the surface of the vertically extending section of the female end.

19. The artificial tree of claim 11, the male end having a vertically extending section, the vertically extending section having a central void, and wherein the central prong and the channel prong are disposed at least partially within the central void of the vertically extending section of the male end.

20. The artificial tree of claim 11 further comprising one or more alignment mechanisms to prevent the first tree trunk section from rotating with respect to the second tree trunk section when the first tree trunk section and the second tree trunk section engage.

21. An artificial tree comprising:

a plurality of tree trunk sections;

a male end of a first trunk section of the plurality of tree trunk sections, the male end having a central prong and a channel prong, the central prong and the channel prong configured to conduct electricity; and

a female end of a second trunk section of the plurality of tree trunk sections, the female end having a central void disposed within a vertically extending section, the central void having a central contact device disposed at least partially therein, the female end also having a channel void disposed around the vertically extending section, the channel void having a channel contact device disposed at least partially therein, the channel contact device disposed around the vertically extending section, and the central contact device and the channel contact device configured to conduct electricity;

wherein the central prong of the male end is configured to engage the central contact device of the female end and the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end to conduct electricity between the male end of the first trunk section and the female end of the second trunk section; and

wherein the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end in a plurality of configurations, each configuration providing a different rotational alignment of the first trunk section with respect to the second trunk section.

22. The artificial tree of claim 21, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is disposed on the surface of the vertically extending section of the female end.

23. The artificial tree of claim 21, wherein the vertically extending section of the female end is substantially cylindrical.

24. The artificial tree of claim 21, the male end having a vertically extending section, the vertically extending section having a central void, and wherein the central prong and the channel prong are disposed at least partially within the central void of the vertically extending section of the male end.

25. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein the vertically extending section of the male end is substantially cylindrical.

26. The artificial tree of claim 21, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is at least partially cylindrical.

27. The artificial tree of claim 21, wherein the channel contact device of the female end is disposed 360 degrees around the central void of the female end.

28. An artificial tree comprising:

a plurality of tree trunk sections;

a male end of a first trunk section of the plurality of tree trunk sections, the male end having a vertically extending section, a central prong, and a channel prong, the central prong and the channel prong disposed at least partially interior to the vertically extending section, and the central prong and the channel prong configured to conduct electricity; and

a female end of a second trunk section of the plurality of tree trunk sections, the female end having a central void and a channel void, the central void having a central contact device disposed at least partially therein, and the channel void having a channel contact device disposed at least partially therein, the channel contact device disposed around the central void, and the central contact device and the channel contact device configured to conduct electricity;

wherein the central prong of the male end is configured to engage the central contact device of the female end and the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end to conduct electricity between the male end of the first trunk section and the female end of the second trunk section; and

wherein the channel prong of the male end is configured to engage the channel contact device of the female end in a plurality of configurations, each configuration providing a different rotational alignment of the first trunk section with respect to the second trunk section.

29. The artificial tree of claim 28, the female end comprising a vertically extending section, the central void disposed within the vertically extending section of the female end, and the channel contact device disposed around the vertically extending section of the female end.

30. The artificial tree of claim 29, wherein the vertically extending section of the male end is substantially cylindrical and the vertically extending section of the female end is substantially cylindrical.