Dual-voltage lighted artificial tree

• US 9,220,361 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willis Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Willis Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Johnny
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US14/524,885
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 362/123, 362/806, 362/807, 362/252, 362/659, 298/25, 428/20, 403/359.1, 403/359.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/06 Artificial Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/10 with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7026 Longitudinally splined or fluted rod

Abstract

An artificial tree having a first tree section including a trunk and a trunk electrical connector, the trunk electrical connector including a first pair of electric terminals and a second pair of electrical terminals; and a second tree section including a trunk, a trunk electrical connector, and a light string, the trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the light string and including a first pair of electric terminals and a second pair of electrical terminals. The first tree section is configured to electrically connect to the second tree section, such that the first pairs of electrical terminals of the first and second tree sections conduct power of a first type and the second pairs of electrical connectors of the first and second tree sections conduct power of a second type.

Claims

1. An artificial tree, comprising:

a first tree section including a trunk and a trunk electrical connector, the trunk electrical connector including one or more first electric terminals in electrical connection with one or more first conductors configured to conduct electricity having a first voltage, and one or more second electric terminals in electrical connection with one or more second conductors configured to conduct electricity having a second voltage, the second voltage being different from the first voltage;

a second tree section including a trunk, a trunk electrical connector, and a light string wrapped about an exterior portion of the branches and having a plurality of lighting elements, the trunk electrical connector including one or more third electric terminals in electrical connection with one or more third conductors configured to conduct electricity having the first voltage, and one or more fourth electric terminals in electrical connection with one or more fourth conductors configured to conduct electricity having the second voltage, the plurality of lighting elements being in electrical connection with the one or more third electric terminals and the one or more third conductors so as to receive electricity having the first voltage; and

power conditioning circuitry in electrical connection with the one or more first conductors and the one or more first electric terminals, the power conditioning circuitry configured to reduce a voltage of an incoming electricity received by the artificial tree to the first voltage and output electricity having the first voltage to the one or more first conductors and the one or more first electric terminals;

wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section causing an electrical connection to be made between the first tree section and the second tree section, between the one or more first electrical terminals and the one or more third electric terminals, and between the one or more second electrical terminals and the one or more fourth electric terminals, such that the plurality of lighting elements receives electricity having the first voltage when the first tree section is coupled to the second tree section and the artificial tree receives the incoming electricity.

2. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more first electric terminals or one of the one or more second electric terminals comprises a ground or neutral terminal.

3. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the second voltage is substantially the same as the voltage of the incoming electricity.

4. The artificial tree of claim 3, wherein the incoming electricity is an alternating-current electricity.

5. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are direct-current voltages, and the plurality of lighting elements includes light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the first voltage and other light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the second voltage.

6. The artificial tree of claim 5, wherein the power conditioning circuitry provides electricity to both the light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the first voltage and the light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the second voltage.

7. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the first voltage is a direct-current voltage and the second voltage is an alternating-current voltage, and a power connector accessible at an exterior portion of the second tree section is configured to receive electricity having the second, alternating-current voltage.

8. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the power-conditioning circuitry is located outside the trunk of the first tree section.

9. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the one or more first electric terminals comprises two electric terminals.

10. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the one or more first electric terminals and the one or more second electric terminals together consist of three electric terminals.

11. An artificial tree, comprising:

a first tree section including a trunk and a trunk electrical connector, the trunk electrical connector including a first pair of electric terminals configured to conduct electricity having a first voltage, and a second pair of electric terminals configured to conduct electricity having a second voltage, the second voltage being different from the first voltage;

a second tree section including a trunk, branches coupled to the trunk, a trunk electrical connector, and a light string wrapped about an exterior portion of the branches and having a plurality of lighting elements, a third pair of electric terminals configured to conduct electricity having the first voltage, and a fourth pair of electric terminals configured to conduct electricity having the second voltage, the plurality of lighting elements being in electrical connection with the third pair of electric terminals and so as to receive electricity having the first voltage; and

power conditioning circuitry in electrical connection with the first pair of electric terminals, the power conditioning circuitry configured to reduce a voltage of an incoming electricity received by the artificial tree to the first voltage and output electricity having the first voltage to the first pair of electric terminals;

wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section causing an electrical connection to be made between the first tree section and the second tree section, between the first pair of electrical terminals and the third pair of electric terminals, and between the second pair of electrical terminals and the fourth pair of electric terminals, such that the plurality of lighting elements receives electricity having the first voltage when the first tree section is coupled to the second tree section and the artificial tree receives the incoming electricity.

12. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the first voltage is a direct-current voltage and the second voltage is an alternating-current voltage, and a power receptacle accessible at an exterior portion of the second tree section is configured to receive electricity having the second, alternating-current voltage.

13. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the second voltage is substantially the same as the voltage of the incoming electricity.

14. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are direct-current voltages, and the plurality of lighting elements includes light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the first voltage and other light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the second voltage.

15. The artificial tree of claim 14, wherein the power conditioning circuitry provides electricity to both the light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the first voltage and the light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the second voltage.

16. An artificial tree, comprising:

a first tree section including a first trunk, a first set of branches coupled to the first trunk, a first light string having a first plurality of light-emitting diodes, the first light string distributed about the first tree section and on external portions of the first set of branches, and a first trunk electrical connector, the first trunk electrical connector including a first plurality of electric terminals, the first plurality of light-emitting diodes in electrical connection with the first plurality of electric terminals, the first plurality of light-emitting diodes including light-emitting diodes configured to operate at a first voltage and light-emitting diodes configured to operate at a second voltage, the second voltage being different from the first voltage;

a second tree section including a second trunk, a second light string having a second plurality of light-emitting diodes and being distributed about the second tree section and on external portions of the second set of branches, and a second trunk electrical connector, the second trunk electrical connector including a second plurality of electric terminals, the second plurality of light-emitting diodes in electrical connection with the second plurality of electric terminals, the second plurality of light-emitting diodes including light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the first voltage and light-emitting diodes configured to operate at the second voltage;

power conditioning circuitry configured to provide electricity for the first plurality of light-emitting diodes and the second plurality of light-emitting diodes;

wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section causing an electrical connection to be made between the first tree section and the second tree section, between the first plurality of electrical terminals and the second plurality of electric terminals, and between the one or more second electrical terminals and the one or more fourth electric terminals.

17. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of light-emitting diodes are in electrical connection with the first plurality of electric terminals through the power-conditioning circuitry and the second plurality of light-emitting diodes are in electrical connection with the second plurality of electric terminals through the power-conditioning circuitry.

18. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of electric terminals comprises four electric terminals and the second plurality of electric terminals comprises four electric terminals.

19. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of electric terminals comprises three electric terminals and the second plurality of electric terminals comprises three electric terminals.

20. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein the first light string comprises light elements that include the first light emitting diodes, each light element having only one light-emitting diode.

21. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein the first voltage is a positive direct-current voltage and the second voltage is a negative direct-current voltage.

22. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein the power conditioning circuitry includes a first portion outputting electricity having the first voltage and a second portion outputting electricity having the second voltage.

23. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein the power conditioning circuitry includes a first portion in electrical connection with the first plurality of light-emitting diodes and a second portion in electrical connection with the second plurality of light-emitting diodes.

24. The artificial tree of claim 23, wherein the first portion is coupled to the first tree section and the second portion is coupled to the second tree section.