Lighted artificial tree with improved electrical connections

• US 9,894,949 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willis Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Willis Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Johnny
• Primary Examiner(s): CARTER, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US14/555,242
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 362123, 36224918, 36224919, 362568
• 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: F21W 2121/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

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.

Claims

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, 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.

2. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, 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.

3. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, further comprising a power cord with a power plug, the power cord in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly, the primary electrical fuse housed within the power plug.

4. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the second trunk electrical connector includes a second tree-section fuse, the second tree-section fuse electrically connected in series with the second wiring assembly and the second light string.

5. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, further comprising a second light string in electrical connection with the first tree-section fuse, such that current flowing through the first light string and current flowing through the second light string flow through the first tree-section fuse.

6. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the first tree-section fuse is housed within the first trunk electrical connector.

7. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the trunk electrical connector includes 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, and the first electrical terminal directly coupled to a first end of the first tree-section fuse without an intermediate wire between the first electrical terminal and the first end of the first tree-section fuse.

8. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the first trunk electrical connector includes a third electrical terminal and a fourth electrical terminal, and the second trunk electrical connector includes a third electrical terminal and a fourth electrical terminal.

9. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 8, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth electrical terminals of the first trunk electrical connector are coaxial about the axis.

10. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the tree-section fuse is outside of the first trunk cavity.

11. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the tree-section fuse is housed in a light string connector that is attached to a trunk wall of the first trunk portion.

12. The modular lighted artificial tree of claim 1, wherein the tree-section fuse comprises part of a light string connector, the light string connector being outside of the first trunk cavity.

13. An electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree, comprising:

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.

14. The electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree of claim 13, wherein the first trunk electrical connector of the first tree section includes a tree-section fuse in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly and the first light string.

15. The electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree of claim 14, further comprising 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.

16. The electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree of claim 13, wherein the first trunk electrical connector and second trunk electrical connector are configured such that the first electrical terminals make electrical connection when the second electrical terminals make electrical connection upon a coupling of the first tree section and the second tree connection.

17. The electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree of claim 13, wherein the first electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector is coaxial with the second electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector.

18. The electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree of claim 17, wherein the first electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector comprises a pin terminal extending along the axis, and the second electrical terminal of the first trunk electrical connector comprises a cylindrical terminal.

19. The electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree of claim 13, wherein the first electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector comprises a cylindrical terminal defining a first diameter, and the second electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector comprises a cylindrical terminal defining a second diameter, the second diameter being larger than the first diameter, and the first electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector and the second electrical terminal of the second trunk electrical connector are concentric about one another.

20. The electrical-art-resistant modular lighted artificial tree of claim 13, wherein the first trunk electrical connector includes a third electrical terminal and a fourth electrical terminal, and the second trunk electrical connector includes a third electrical terminal and a fourth electrical terminal.

21. The electrical-arc-resistant modular lighted artificial tree of claim 20, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth electrical terminals of the first trunk electrical connector are coaxial about the axis.

22. A tree coupling system for a set of lighted artificial trees, comprising:

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.

23. The tree coupling system of claim 22, wherein the first engagement structure of the first tree section of the first lighted artificial tree comprises a plurality of axially extending projections, and the second engagement structure of the second tree section of the first lighted artificial tree defines a plurality of gaps configured to receive the plurality of projections.

24. The tree coupling system of claim 23, wherein the first engagement structure of the first tree section of the second lighted artificial tree comprises a plurality of axially extending projections, and the second engagement structure of the second tree section of the second lighted artificial tree defines a plurality of gaps configured to receive the plurality of projections and each of the gaps of the second engagement structure of the second tree section of the second lighted tree define a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of each of the plurality of axially extending projections of the first engagement structure of the first tree section of the first lighted artificial tree.

25. 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, 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.