Interchangeable adornments for lighting fixtures, household apparatuses and fixtures and the like

• US 7,806,568 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magtrim Designs LLC
• Original Assignee: Magnificent Trimmings Inc.
• Inventors: Nielson, Colleen
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L
• Assistant Examiner(s): ULANDAY, MEGHAN K
• Application Number:
  US11/800,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 362/351, 362/398, 362/405, 362/406, 362/806, 401/240.5, 404/49, 40451-452, 406/00, 406/18, 406/21, 406/610.1
• US Class Current: 362/398
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 13/06 multi-branched, e.g. chandelier
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/065 multi-branched, e.g. a chandelier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/105 using magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/06 Hanging lustres for chandeliers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

Reconfigurable lighting fixtures, household apparatuses and household fixtures include fixed components and a plurality of removable and interchangeable decorative adornments. The adornments each include at least one magnet that magnetically couples the adornment to a portion of the fixture or apparatus. Some or all of the set of interchangeable adornments may be interchanged to provide the fixtures or apparatus with a different appearance. The adornments may be of different shapes, sizes, and colors and they may be coupled to various non-fixed locations. The adornments may include multiple pieces coupled together and to the magnet using wire, string, chain or metal links. The fixtures or apparatus may be easily disassembled and reassembled by removing and replacing the adornments for cleaning or to change the appearance thereof. The fixture/apparatus may be a chandelier, candle holder, sconce, lamp, bobeche, tract lighting, ceiling fan, curtain rod, lampshade and the like.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable apparatus comprising

at least one fixed component, and

a plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments magnetically coupled to a fixed metal surface of said apparatus simultaneously, wherein each of said interchangeable decorative adornments is attachable anywhere on a continuum of non-fixed locations of said fixed metal surface of said apparatus to provide multiple configurations to said apparatus and said apparatus comprises one of a discrete candle holder and a discrete sconce.

2. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments comprise a first set of interchangeable decorative adornments that provide a first appearance to said apparatus when simultaneously coupled to said apparatus and further comprising a second set of interchangeable decorative adornments magnetically engageable with said apparatus to provide a second appearance when simultaneously coupled to said apparatus.

3. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments includes interchangeable decorative adornments of at least one of different colors and different shapes.

4. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each said interchangeable decorative adornment is directly coupled to an exposed portion of said metal surface and includes at least one magnet that forms a conterminous boundary with said metal surface.

5. A reconfigurable apparatus comprising

at least one fixed component, and

a plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments magnetically coupled to an underside of a fixed exposed metal surface of said apparatus simultaneously, wherein each of said interchangeable decorative adornments is attachable anywhere on a continuum of non-fixed locations of said underside of said fixed exposed metal surface of said apparatus to provide multiple configurations to said apparatus and said apparatus comprises one of a candle holder, a candelabra, a lamp, a sconce, a bobeche, and track lighting,

wherein each said interchangeable decorative adornment includes at least one decorative portion that hangs from a magnet by one of string, wire, metal links and a metal chain.

6. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said apparatus comprises a sconce.

7. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said apparatus comprises a discrete candle holder.

8. A reconfigurable apparatus comprising

at least one fixed component, and

a plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments magnetically coupled directly to an exposed fixed metal surface of said fixed component simultaneously, each of said interchangeable decorative adornments attachable anywhere on a continuum of non-fixed locations of said exposed fixed metal surface of said apparatus to provide multiple configurations to said apparatus, wherein said fixed component comprises a lampshade and each said interchangeable decorative adornment includes at least one decorative portion and a magnet that forms a conterminous boundary with an associated connection location on said exposed fixed metal surface, wherein each said at least one decorative portion is non-magnetically coupled to said corresponding magnet.

9. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 8, wherein each said decorative portion is formed of a non-metallic material selected from the group consisting of crystal, plastic, mirror, glass and polymeric materials.

10. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 8, wherein each said at least one decorative portion hangs beneath said associated connection location and from said magnet by one of string, wire, metal links and a metal chain.

11. A reconfigurable chandelier comprising a fixed portion and a plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments, said plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments being magnetically coupled to said fixed portion simultaneously, wherein said fixed portion comprises an exposed metal surface capable of receiving any of said interchangeable decorative adornments anywhere thereon and each said interchangeable decorative adornment includes a magnet magnetically coupled to a corresponding connection point on said fixed portion, wherein each of said plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments hangs below said corresponding connection point.

12. The reconfigurable chandelier as in claim 11, wherein said chandelier comprises a hanging branched lighting fixture including a frame and a plurality of light sources and each of said interchangeable decorative adornments of said plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments is attachable to multiple locations to provide multiple configurations to said chandelier.

13. A set of interchangeable decorative adornments for simultaneous attachment to reconfigurable decorative lighting units, each said interchangeable decorative adornment comprising at least one decorative portion and a magnet and being magnetically attachable to any corresponding exposed branched metal portion of said reconfigurable decorative lighting units at the same time, each magnet of said corresponding interchangeable decorative adornment forming a conterminous boundary at a connection point of said corresponding exposed branched metal portion, wherein said magnet is non-magnetically coupled to said corresponding at least one decorative portion by one of string, wire, metal links and a metal chain.

14. The set of interchangeable decorative adornments as in claim 13, wherein said reconfigurable decorative lighting units comprise at least one of a candle holder, a lamp, a sconce, a bobeche, and a candelabra.

15. The set of interchangeable decorative adornments as in claim 13, wherein said metal portion includes a continuum of metal surfaces capable of receiving any of said interchangeable decorative adornments anywhere thereon.

16. The set of interchangeable decorative adornments as in claim 13, wherein at least one said interchangeable decorative adornment includes a plurality of decorative portions having at least one of a different shape and a different color.

17. A reconfigurable apparatus comprising

at least one fixed component, and

a plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments magnetically coupled to a fixed metal surface of said apparatus simultaneously, wherein each of said interchangeable decorative adornments is attachable anywhere on a continuum of non-fixed locations of said fixed metal surface of said apparatus to provide multiple configurations to said apparatus and said apparatus comprises one of a ceiling fan and a curtain rod.

18. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said apparatus comprises a curtain rod.

19. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 17, wherein each said interchangeable decorative adornment includes at least one decorative portion that hangs from a magnet by one of string, wire, metal links and a metal chain and said magnet is directly coupled to an exposed portion of said metal surface and forms a conterminous boundary therewith.

20. A reconfigurable apparatus comprising

at least one fixed component, and

a plurality of interchangeable decorative adornments magnetically coupled to a fixed metal surface of said fixed component simultaneously, each of said interchangeable decorative adornments attachable to said fixed metal surface of said apparatus to provide multiple configurations to said apparatus, wherein said fixed component comprises a lampshade and each said interchangeable decorative adornment includes at least one decorative portion and a magnet magnetically coupled to an associated connection location on said fixed metal surface,

wherein each said at least one decorative portion is permanently and non-magnetically coupled to said corresponding magnet and hangs freely directly beneath said associated connection location and from said magnet.

21. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 20, wherein each said decorative portion is formed of a non-metallic material selected from the group consisting of crystal, plastic, mirror, glass and polymeric materials.

22. The reconfigurable apparatus as in claim 20, wherein said decorative adornments are attachable anywhere on a continuum of non-fixed locations of said fixed metal surface of said apparatus and each said decorative portion hangs freely directly beneath said associated connection location and from said magnet by one of string, wire, metal links and a metal chain.