Patent ID: 9664344
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: F21L,F21S,F21V,F21W,F21Y,H02J,H05B,Y10S

Claim:
1. An electronic candle system comprising: (a) a plurality of artificial candles, each comprising a housing containing an LED light source, a rechargeable DC battery for energizing the LED light source, a transformer secondary winding and an AC to DC converter circuit coupled between the transformer winding and the DC battery; and (b) a plurality of box-like trays, each having a top surface, a bottom surface and four mutually perpendicular side surfaces defining a hollow interior, a first side surface having a laterally projecting plug member and an opposed side surface having a socket for receiving the plug member of an adjacently positioned tray therein, each said tray supporting a plurality of said artificial candles at defined locations thereon, said plurality of trays including a transformer primary winding proximate each of said defined locations; (c) means for applying a DC voltage to a string of such trays by having the plug member of one tray inserted into the socket of an adjacent tray and connecting the plug member of a first tray in the string to a DC voltage source; (d) a DC to AC converter in each said tray connected to receive said DC voltage and producing an AC output to the primary windings whereby an AC voltage is induced across the secondary winding of candles disposed at said defined locations, said AC to DC converter in each said candles thereby producing a DC current for recharging the DC battery in each such candles; wherein each of the candles further includes a first semiconductor switch operatively disposed between the AC to DC converter and the battery, and a second semiconductor switch connected in series with the LED light source and the battery; (e) a programmed microprocessor for controlling the conductivity of the first semiconductor switch and the second semiconductor switch; (f) a piezoelectric transducer responsive to a change in air pressure for sending a signal to the microprocessor, the microprocessor being responsive to said signal for turning off the second semiconductor switch and extinguishing the LED light source.