Lighted artificial tree with improved electrical connections
First Claim
1. A modular lighted artificial tree, comprising:
- a first tree section including;
a first trunk portion defining a first trunk cavity,a first wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the first wiring assembly located at least partially within the first trunk cavity,a first light string,a first trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the first trunk cavity of the first trunk portion, the first trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly, the first trunk electrical connector including a first tree-section fuse connected electrically in series between the first wiring assembly and the first light string;
a second tree section including;
a second trunk portion defining a second trunk cavity,a second wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the second wiring assembly located at least partially within the second trunk cavity, anda second trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the second trunk cavity of the second trunk portion, the second trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the second wiring assembly; and
a primary electrical fuse in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly such that electrical current flowing through the first tree section and the second tree section flows through the primary electrical fuse,wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section such that the first trunk electrical connector makes an electrical connection to the second trunk electrical connector, thereby causing the first wiring assembly to be electrically connected to the second wiring assembly; and
wherein the primary electrical fuse is configured to break an electrical connection at a maximum primary current, and the first tree-section fuse is configured to break an electrical connection at a maximum tree-section current, the maximum primary current being greater than the maximum tree-section current.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A modular lighted artificial tree that includes first and second coupleable tree sections. The first tree section includes: a first trunk portion; a first wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the first wiring assembly; a first trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly, the first trunk electrical connector including a first tree-section fuse connected electrically in series between the first wiring assembly and the first light string and a first light string in electrical connection with the first tree-section fuse. The second tree section includes: a second trunk portion; a second wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the second wiring assembly; and a second trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the second wiring assembly. The first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section such that the trunk electrical connectors are electrically connected.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A modular lighted artificial tree, comprising:
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a first tree section including; a first trunk portion defining a first trunk cavity, a first wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the first wiring assembly located at least partially within the first trunk cavity, a first light string, a first trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the first trunk cavity of the first trunk portion, the first trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly, the first trunk electrical connector including a first tree-section fuse connected electrically in series between the first wiring assembly and the first light string; a second tree section including; a second trunk portion defining a second trunk cavity, a second wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the second wiring assembly located at least partially within the second trunk cavity, and a second trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the second trunk cavity of the second trunk portion, the second trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the second wiring assembly; and a primary electrical fuse in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly such that electrical current flowing through the first tree section and the second tree section flows through the primary electrical fuse, wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section such that the first trunk electrical connector makes an electrical connection to the second trunk electrical connector, thereby causing the first wiring assembly to be electrically connected to the second wiring assembly; and wherein the primary electrical fuse is configured to break an electrical connection at a maximum primary current, and the first tree-section fuse is configured to break an electrical connection at a maximum tree-section current, the maximum primary current being greater than the maximum tree-section current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree, comprising:
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a first tree section including; a first trunk portion defining a first trunk cavity, a first end, and a second end, and an axis extending between the first end and the second end; a first wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the first wiring assembly located at least partially within the first trunk cavity, a first trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly, the first trunk electrical connector including a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal, the first electrical terminal in electrical connection with the first wire of the first wire assembly, the second electrical terminal in electrical connection with the second wire of the first wire assembly, the first electrical terminal displaced axially from the second terminal along the axis extending between the first end and the second end; a first light string in electrical connection with the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal; and a second tree section including; a second trunk portion, a second trunk electrical connector including a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal, and wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section such that the first trunk electrical connector makes an electrical connection to the second trunk electrical connector, the first electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector contacts the first electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector at a first contact area, and the second electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector contacts the second electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector at a second contact area, the first contact area being displaced axially from the second contact area, and the first electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector contacting the first electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector at the first contact area, and the second electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector contacting the second electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector at the second contact area, occurs substantially simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A tree coupling system for a set of lighted artificial trees, comprising:
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a first lighted artificial tree defining a first tree axis and including a first tree section with a first trunk electrical connector and a second tree section with a second trunk electrical connector, the first trunk electrical connector housed at least in part within a trunk of the first tree section, the second trunk electrical connector housed at least in part within a trunk of the second tree section, the first trunk electrical connector including a first tree section engagement structure configured to mechanically engage a second tree section engagement structure of the first lighted artificial tree, the first trunk electrical connector and the second trunk electrical connector configured to be electrically connected upon mechanical engagement of the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure; a second lighted artificial tree defining a second tree axis and including a first tree section with a first trunk electrical connector and a second tree section with a second trunk electrical connector, the first trunk electrical connector housed at least in part within a trunk of the first tree section, the second trunk electrical connector housed at least in part within a trunk of the second tree section, the first trunk electrical connector including a first tree section engagement structure configured to mechanically engage a second tree section engagement structure of the second lighted artificial tree and capable of at least partially mechanically engaging the second tree section engagement structure of the first lighted artificial tree, the first trunk electrical connector of the second lighted artificial tree and the second trunk electrical connector of the second lighted artificial tree configured to be electrically connected upon mechanical engagement of the first engagement structure of the first lighted artificial tree and the second engagement structure of the second lighted artificial tree; wherein a mechanical engagement of the first engagement structure of the first tree section of the first lighted artificial tree with the second engagement structure of the second tree section of the second lighted artificial tree results in the first trunk electrical connector of the first tree section of the first lighted artificial tree not being in electrical connection with the second trunk electrical connector of the second tree section of the second lighted artificial tree. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A modular lighted artificial tree, comprising:
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a first tree section including; a first trunk portion defining a first trunk cavity, a first wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the first wiring assembly located at least partially within the first trunk cavity, a first light string, a first trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the first trunk cavity of the first trunk portion, the first trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly, the first trunk electrical connector including a first tree-section fuse connected electrically in series between the first wiring assembly and the first light string; a second tree section including; a second trunk portion defining a second trunk cavity, a second wiring assembly having a first wire and a second wire, the second wiring assembly located at least partially within the second trunk cavity, and a second trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the second trunk cavity of the second trunk portion, the second trunk electrical connector in electrical connection with the second wiring assembly; and a primary electrical fuse in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly such that electrical current flowing through the first tree section and the second tree section flows through the primary electrical fuse, wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section such that the first trunk electrical connector makes an electrical connection to the second trunk electrical connector, thereby causing the first wiring assembly to be electrically connected to the second wiring assembly; wherein the primary electrical fuse is configured to break an electrical connection at a maximum primary current, and the first tree-section fuse is configured to break an electrical connection at a maximum tree-section current, the maximum primary current being greater than the maximum tree-section current; and wherein the first tree-section fuse is configured to break an electrical connection between the first wiring assembly and the second wiring assembly when an electrical current flowing through the tree-section fuse exceeds a predetermined current value, the predetermined current value corresponding to the maximum tree-section current.
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Specification