Decorative lighting with reinforced wiring

• US 9,671,097 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willis Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Willis Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Johnny
• Primary Examiner(s): Breval, Elmito
• Application Number:
  US14/886,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20160040864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/10 with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/15 the cables forming a grid, net or web structure
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/001 the elements being electrical wires or cables
• 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: F21W 2121/04 for Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/12 characterised by the geometrical disposition of the light-generating elements, e.g. arranging light-generating elements in differing patterns or densities
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/04 Flexible cables, conductors, or cords, e.g. trailing cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/18 Protection against damage caused by wear, mechanical force or pressure; Sheaths; Armouring

Abstract

A reinforced wire for decorative lighting, the wire defining a central longitudinal wire axis and including: a longitudinally-extending reinforcing strand, the reinforcing strand comprising one or more fibers comprising a polymer material and defining a reinforcing-strand axis; a plurality of conductor strands wound about the reinforcing strand, each of the plurality of conductor strands defining a conductor strand axis; and an outer insulating layer adjacent to, and covering, one or more of the conductor strands. The reinforcing strand in cross section normal to the wire axis defines an asymmetrical shape.

Claims

1. A decorative-lighting reinforced wire, the wire defining a central longitudinal wire axis and comprising:

a plurality of conductor strands extending longitudinally, each of the plurality of conductor strands comprising copper;

a plurality of reinforcing strands extending longitudinally, each of the plurality of reinforcing strands comprising a fibrous material having multiple fibers the plurality of reinforcing strands being separate and distinct from the plurality of conductor strands;

an insulating layer forming an outer layer over the plurality of conductor strands and the plurality of reinforcing strands, the insulating layer comprising a polymer material;

wherein one or more of the plurality of conductor strands is disposed at a central portion of the wire and one of more of the plurality of conductor strands is in contact with a portion of the insulating layer.

2. The reinforced wire of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductor strands comprises sixteen conductor strands and the plurality of reinforcing strands comprises four or fewer reinforcing strands.

3. The reinforced wire of claim 1, wherein an average diameter of each of the plurality of conductor strands ranges from 0.15 mm to 0.16 mm.

4. The reinforced wire of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing strands comprises a polymer material.

5. The reinforced wire of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing strands comprises a fibrous material.

6. The reinforced wire of claim 4, wherein the insulating layer comprises a polymer material that is not the same kind of polymer material as compared to the polymer material of the reinforcing strand.

7. The reinforced wire of claim 1, wherein the reinforced wire has a tensile strength in the range of 1,500 pounds/square inch to 4,000 pounds/square inch.

8. The reinforced wire of claim 7, wherein the reinforced wire has an elongation in the range of 150% to 300%.

9. A decorative-lighting reinforced wire, comprising:

a plurality of conductor strands, each conductor strand of the plurality of conductor strands comprising copper, one or more of the conductor strands being disposed at a central portion of the wire, and the plurality of conductor strands ranging from eight to sixteen conductor strands;

a plurality of reinforcing strands, the plurality of reinforcing strands ranging from one to four reinforcing strands, the plurality of reinforcing strands being separate and distinct from the plurality of conductor strands;

an insulating layer forming an outer layer over the plurality of conductor strands and the plurality of reinforcing strands, the insulating layer comprising a polymer material;

wherein one of more of the conductor strands is in contact with a portion of the insulating layer.

10. The reinforced wire of claim 9, wherein the plurality of conductor strands consists of sixteen strands.

11. The reinforced wire of claim 9, wherein the plurality of reinforcing strands consists of three reinforcing strands comprising multiple fibers.

12. The reinforced wire of claim 9, wherein the reinforced wire has a tensile strength in the range of 1,500 pounds/square inch to 4,000 pounds/square inch.

13. The reinforced wire of claim 12, wherein the reinforced wire has an elongation in the range of 150% to 300%.

14. The reinforced wire of claim 9, wherein the reinforced wire has an elongation in the range of 150% to 300%.

15. The reinforced wire of claim 9, wherein an average diameter of each of the plurality of conductor strands ranges from 0.15 mm to 0.16 mm.

16. A decorative-lighting reinforced wire, comprising:

a plurality of conductor strands, each conductor strand of the plurality of conductor strands comprising copper, the plurality of conductor strands ranging from eight to sixteen conductor strands;

one or more reinforcing strands, the one or more reinforcing strands ranging from one to four reinforcing strands, wherein the one or more reinforcing strands are separate and distinct from the plurality of conductor strands;

an insulating layer forming an outer layer over the plurality of conductor strands and the one or more reinforcing strands, the insulating layer comprising polymer material;

wherein the plurality of conductor strands is in contact with a portion of the insulating layer and the one or more of the reinforcing strands is in contact with a portion of the insulating layer.

17. The reinforced wire of claim 16, wherein the plurality of conductor strands consists of sixteen conductor strands and the one or more reinforcing strands consists of three reinforcing strands.

18. The reinforced wire of claim 17, wherein each of the one or more reinforcing strands comprises multiple fibers.

19. The reinforced wire of claim 18, wherein each of the one or more reinforcing strands comprises a polymer material.

20. The reinforced wire of claim 16, wherein an average diameter of each of the plurality of conductor strands ranges from 0.15 mm to 0.16 mm.

21. The reinforced wire of claim 16, wherein the reinforced wire has a tensile strength in the range of 1,500 pounds/square inch to 4,000 pounds/square inch.

22. The reinforced wire of claim 21, wherein the reinforced wire has an elongation in the range of 150% to 300%.

23. A decorative-lighting reinforced wire, comprising:

a plurality of conductor strands, each conductor strand of the plurality of conductor strands comprising copper;

one or more reinforcing strands, wherein the one or more reinforcing strands are separate and distinct from the plurality of conductor strands;

an insulating layer forming an outer layer over the plurality of conductor strands and the one or more reinforcing strands, the insulating layer comprising polymer material;

wherein;

one or more of the conductor strands is in contact with a portion of the insulating layer,

the reinforced wire has a tensile strength that is in the range of 1,500 pounds/square inch to 4,000 pounds/square inch, and

the reinforced wire has an elongation that is in the range of 150% to 300%.

24. The reinforced wire of claim 23, wherein one or more of the conductor strands is disposed at a central portion of the wire.

25. The reinforced wire of claim 23, wherein the plurality of conductor strands ranges from eight strands to sixteen strands.

26. The reinforced wire of claim 23, wherein the plurality of conductor strands consists of sixteen conductor strands and the one or more reinforcing strands consists of three reinforcing strands.

27. The reinforced wire of claim 23, wherein the plurality of conductor strands consists of eight conductor strands.

28. The reinforced wire of claim 23, wherein each of the one or more reinforcing strands comprises multiple fibers.

29. The reinforced wire of claim 28, wherein each of the one or more reinforcing strands comprises a polymer material.

30. The reinforced wire of claim 23, wherein an average diameter of each of the plurality of conductor strands ranges from 0.15 mm to 0.16 mm.