Dual-voltage lighted artificial tree

• US 9,677,748 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• 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:
  US14/970,145
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 362123, 362806, 362807
• 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 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, and between the first plurality of electrical terminals and the second plurality of electric terminals.

2. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of electric terminals comprises four electric terminals and the second plurality of electric terminals comprises four electric terminals.

3. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of electric terminals comprises three electric terminals and the second plurality of electric terminals comprises three electric terminals.

4. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the first light string comprises light elements that include the first light emitting diodes, each light element having only one light-emitting diode.

5. The artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the first voltage is a positive direct-current voltage and the second voltage is a negative or zero direct-current voltage.

6. A lighted artificial tree, comprising:

a first tree section including a first trunk portion defining a first end having a first opening, a first plurality of branches coupled to the first trunk portion, a first light string distributed about the exterior of the first plurality of branches, and a first trunk electrical connector, the first trunk electrical connector including a first housing portion and a first set of electrical terminals, the first set of electrical terminals including a first electrical terminal, a second electrical terminal, a third electrical terminal and a fourth electrical terminal, the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal configured to conduct electricity having a first voltage, and the third electrical terminal and the fourth electrical terminal configured to conduct electricity having a second voltage, the second voltage being different from the first voltage;

a second tree section including a second trunk portion, a second plurality of branches coupled to the second trunk portion, a second light string distributed about the exterior of the second plurality of branches, a first set of wires inside the second trunk portion, a second set of wires inside the second trunk portion, and a second trunk electrical connector, the second trunk electrical connector including a second housing portion and a second set of electrical terminals, the second set of electrical terminals including a first electrical terminal, a second electrical terminal, a third electrical terminal and a fourth electrical terminal, the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal electrically connected to the first set of wires and configured to conduct electricity having the first voltage, and the third electrical terminal and the fourth electrical terminal electrically connected to the second set of wires and configured to conduct electricity having the second voltage, the first set of wires and the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal forming a first power transfer circuit, and the second set of wires and the third electrical terminal and the fourth electrical terminal forming a second power transfer circuit, the first power transfer circuit being independent from the second power transfer circuit, such that the first power transfer circuit is not in electrical connection with the second power transfer circuit within the second trunk portion;

wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section causing an electrical and a mechanical connection to be made between the first tree section and the second tree section, including between the first electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector and the first electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector, between the second electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector and the second electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector, between the third electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector and the third electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector, and between the fourth electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector and between the fourth electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector.

7. The artificial tree of claim 6, further comprising power conditioning circuitry configured to receive power from an external source and to provide the electricity having the first voltage.

8. The artificial tree of claim 7, wherein the power conditioning circuitry is also configured to provide the electricity having the second voltage, the first voltage and the second voltage being direct-current (DC) voltage.

9. The artificial tree of claim 6, wherein the first housing portion includes equidistantly-spaced axially-projecting projections and the second housing portion includes equidistantly-spaced gaps configured to receive the projections of the first housing portion, such that when the first tree section is coupled to the second tree section, the second housing portion gaps receive the first housing portion projections, thereby preventing rotation of the first tree section relative to the second tree rotation.

10. The artificial tree of claim 6, wherein the first housing portion includes a locating bore, the first trunk portion includes an indentation projecting from an exterior portion radially inward, and the indentation is received by the locating bore, thereby securing the first housing portion to the first trunk portion.

11. The artificial tree of claim 6, wherein the first trunk electrical connector includes a first axially-projecting isolating wall separating the first electrical terminal from the second electrical terminal.

12. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the first trunk electrical connector includes a second axially-projecting isolating wall separating the second electrical terminal from the third electrical terminal.

13. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the first axially-projecting isolating wall projects axially further toward the first opening of the first end of the first trunk portion.

14. The artificial tree of claim 11, wherein the first electrical terminal abuts an inside surface of the first axially-projecting isolating wall, and the second electrical terminal abuts an outside surface of the first axially-projecting isolating wall.

15. The artificial tree of claim 6, wherein the first electrical terminal set comprises at least two cylindrical electrical terminals.

16. The artificial tree of claim 6, wherein the first electrical terminal of the second electrical terminal set comprises a central pin, and the second, third and fourth electrical terminals of the second electrical terminal set are radially displaced from the first electrical terminal.

17. The artificial tree of claim 16, wherein at least one of the second, third or fourth electrical terminals of the second electrical terminal set includes a spring portion.

18. The artificial tree of claim 6, wherein the second housing portion defines a cavity, the cavity receiving a portion of the first electrical wire set and a portion of the second electrical wire set, and the first electrical wire set makes a connection with the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal within the cavity, and the second electrical wire set makes a connection with the third electrical terminal and the fourth electrical terminal within the cavity.

19. The artificial tree of claim 18, further comprising an end cap inserted into an end of the first housing portion, the end cap defining a wire-receiving hole receiving the portions of the first and second electrical wire sets.

20. The artificial tree of claim 6, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth terminals of the first electrical terminal set define a top portion, the top portion of each terminal being the portion that is closest to the first opening of the first end of the first trunk portion, and the top portions of the first, third and fourth terminals are coplanar with each other, and the top portion of the second terminal is not coplanar with the top portions of the first, third and fourth terminals.

21. The artificial tree of claim 6, further comprising a primary fuse protecting the entire tree, and a tree section fuse protecting only one tree section, the one tree section being either the first tree section or the second tree section.

22. The artificial tree of claim 21, wherein the tree section fuse protects only one circuit of the one tree section.

23. The artificial tree of claim 21, wherein the first light string is powered by electricity having the first voltage, and the second light string is powered by electricity having the first voltage.

25. The artificial tree of claim 6, further comprising power conditioning circuitry configured to receive power from an external source and to provide the electricity having the first voltage and the second voltage.

24. A lighted artificial tree, comprising:

a first tree section including a first trunk portion defining a first end having a first opening, a first plurality of branches coupled to the first trunk portion, a first set of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) distributed about the exterior of the first plurality of branches, a second set of LEDs distributed about the exterior of the first plurality of branches, and a first trunk electrical connector, the first trunk electrical connector including a first housing portion and a first set of electrical terminals, the first set of electrical terminals including a first electrical terminal, a second electrical terminal, and a third electrical terminal, the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal configured to conduct electricity having a first voltage, and the second electrical terminal and the third electrical terminal configured to conduct electricity having a second voltage, the second voltage being different from the first voltage, both the first voltage and the second voltage being a direct-current voltage;

a second tree section including a second trunk portion, a second plurality of branches coupled to the second trunk portion, a second set of light-emitting diodes distributed about the exterior of the second plurality of branches, a first set of wires inside the second trunk portion, a second set of wires inside the second trunk portion, and a second trunk electrical connector, the second trunk electrical connector including a second housing portion and a second set of electrical terminals, the second set of electrical terminals including a first electrical terminal, a second electrical terminal, and a third electrical terminal, the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal electrically connected to the first set of wires and configured to conduct electricity having the first voltage, and the second electrical terminal and the third electrical terminal electrically connected to the second set of wires and configured to conduct electricity having the second voltage, the first set of wires and the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal forming a first power transfer circuit, and the second set of wires and the second electrical terminal and the third electrical terminal forming a second power transfer circuit, the first power transfer circuit providing power to the first set of LEDs of the second tree portion and the second power transfer circuit providing power to the second set of LEDs of the second tree portion;

wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section causing an electrical and a mechanical connection to be made between the first tree section and the second tree section, including between the first electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector and the first electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector, between the second electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector and the second electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector, and between the third electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector and the third electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector.

26. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein the first housing portion includes equidistantly-spaced axially-projecting projections and the second housing portion includes equidistantly-spaced gaps configured to receive the projections of the first housing portion, such that when the first tree section is coupled to the second tree section, the second housing portion gaps receive the first housing portion projections, thereby preventing rotation of the first tree section relative to the second tree rotation.

27. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein the first housing portion includes a locating bore, the first trunk portion includes an indentation projecting from an exterior portion radially inward, and the indentation is received by the locating bore, thereby securing the first housing portion to the first trunk portion.

28. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein the first trunk electrical connector includes a first axially-projecting isolating wall separating the first electrical terminal from the second electrical terminal.

29. The artificial tree of claim 28, wherein the first trunk electrical connector includes a second axially-projecting isolating wall separating the second electrical terminal from the third electrical terminal and the first axially-projecting isolating wall projects axially further toward the first opening of the first end of the first trunk portion.

30. The artificial tree of claim 28, wherein the first electrical terminal abuts an inside surface of the first axially-projecting isolating wall, and the second electrical terminal abuts an outside surface of the first axially-projecting isolating wall.

31. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein the first electrical terminal set comprises at least two cylindrical electrical terminals.

32. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein the first electrical terminal of the second electrical terminal set comprises a central pin, and the second, third and fourth electrical terminals of the second electrical terminal set are radially displaced from the first electrical terminal.

33. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein at least one of the second, third or fourth electrical terminals of the second electrical terminal set includes a spring portion.

34. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein the second housing portion defines a cavity, the cavity receiving a portion of the first electrical wire set and a portion of the second electrical wire set, and the first electrical wire set makes a connection with the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal within the cavity, and the second electrical wire set makes a connection with the third electrical terminal and the fourth electrical terminal within the cavity.

35. The artificial tree of claim 24, further comprising an end cap inserted into an end of the first housing portion, the end cap defining a wire-receiving hole receiving the portions of the first and second electrical wire sets.

36. The artificial tree of claim 24, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth terminals of the first electrical terminal set define a top portion, the top portion of each terminal being the portion that is closest to the first opening of the first end of the first trunk portion, and the top portions of the first, third and fourth terminals are coplanar with each other, and the top portion of the second terminal is not coplanar with the top portions of the first, third and fourth terminals.