Abstract:
A powered edging assembly for providing a voltage source at an edge of a garden or lawn having an edging extrusion configured for in-ground placement at the edge and including an above-ground upper portion having contained wires extending along a length of the extrusion; the wires being insulated by penetrable sheaths. An electrically powered device is selectively positionable and fastenable on the extrusion, whereby contacts for the device penetrate the sheaths for communicating electrical power from the wires to the device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to landscape maintenance and more particularly to a lawn and garden edging device for use adjacent borders of walks and plant beds with provisions for attachment of watering and/or lighting components.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Lawn edging devices are well known for their ability to restrict the growth of grass, weeds, or other vegetation by providing a barrier that extends above or below the ground level. Edging devices are particularly adapted for use along walkways, gardens and flower beds providing a distinct divider where desired. When properly installed, an edging device further provides an aesthetically pleasing border that enhances a lawn or garden, as well as providing lighting for illuminating the garden or adjacent pathway. Examples of edging systems which also provide lighting or other electrical systems are shown in Published Application US 2005/0150158, U.S. Pat. No. 6,925,753 and GB Patent No. 2,389,024, each of which is incorporated by reference herein.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The edging of the present invention provides a passageway for electrical wiring allowing for the placement of discretely positioned illuminating lights or sensors along the length of the edging apparatus.  
         [0004]     The present invention provides low-voltage power at the edge of a garden or lawn. This allows the consumer the ability to add lighting on either side of the garden edging at any place desired (walkways, by trees, highlighting plants, flowers, etc.). It essentially provides low-voltage track lighting power to be tapped from either side of the edging as well as allowing it to bend and flex. A series of end caps, splices and initial power hookups allow the consumer to put together the system easily. There is also the ability to add other powered accessory items, such as electronic pest controls, holiday lighting, windmills, motorized owls, etc. Two other versions would include a “snap-on” version for use on existing edging, and an “all-in-one” version that includes a separate water and electric channel in the same extruded edging.  
         [0005]     Thus, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a powered edging assembly for providing a voltage source at an edge of a garden or lawn has an edging extrusion configured for in-ground placement at the edge and including an above-ground upper portion having contained wires extending along a length of the extrusion; the wires being insulated by penetrable sheaths; and an electrically powered device selectively positionable and fastenable on the extrusion, whereby contacts for the device penetrate the sheaths for communicating electrical power from the wires to the device.  
         [0006]     Still other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding the following detailed description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The invention may take form in certain components and structures, several preferred embodiments of which will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a lawn edging assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 1B  is a top plan view of the assembly of  FIG. 1A ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 1C  is a front elevational view of the assembly of  FIG. 1A ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 1D  is a perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 1A  from an opposite side;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded elevational view of the assembly of  FIG. 1A   
         [0013]      FIG. 3A  is an exploded perspective view of the walkway light assembly used with the edging assembly used with the edging assembly of  FIG. 1A ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3B  shows front, left and right side and top and bottom plan views of the light assembly of  FIG. 3A ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3C  shows front and back elevational views of the light assembly of  FIG. 3A ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4A  is an exploded perspective view of a spot light assembly used with the assembly of  FIG. 1A ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4B  shows front, left, right, top and bottom plan views of the spot light assembly of  FIG. 4A ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4C  shows front and back elevational views of the spot light of  FIG. 4A ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the spot light and walkway lights used with an edging system;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  illustrates a power box and end cap with power load to be used with the edging assembly;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  illustrates alternate embodiments of the path light and spot light assemblies;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  illustrates an embodiment using a sonic horn with the edging assembly;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  illustrates another embodiment for mounting a spotlight onto the edging assembly; and,  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  illustrates another embodiment for mounting a spot light ont o the edging assembly. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]     Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments of this invention only and not for purposes of limiting same, referring to  FIGS. 1A-1D  and  2 , the lawn and garden edging assembly of the present invention is shown. The edging  10  includes a series of extruded strips  12  which are clipped or secured together by edging connectors  13  each of which has a front member  14  and a rear member  16  which are joined together by pegs or posts  18  which protrude from member  14 , through holes  20  in the edging, and into apertures  22  formed in rear member  16 .  
         [0026]     A power strip or sheath  24  extends along the length of the edging strips  12  and is received in a c-shaped groove  26  formed on an upper edge of the strips.  
         [0027]     Mounting blocks  30  and inserts  32  are provided for installing light fixtures to the edging strips. The blocks and inserts allow lighting assemblies to be secured to the edging strips and connect to lighting fixtures to the power cord. The blocks are inserted onto the strips via slot  31  on the block.  
         [0028]     One of the light fixtures can be a walkway light assembly  40 . Another type of light fixture is a spotlight assembly  50 . End caps  60  are provided on ends of the steps as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1D . A drill template  80  can be provided for the end cap assembly.  
         [0029]      FIG. 1  shows an edging system  10  which includes a length of flexible edging in the form of strips  12  formed of plastic. A lower portion of the edging  12  is underground in the typical application. The edging is flexible and can bend at a curve to go around an obstacle such as a tree. Stakes can be provided for securing the edging to the ground.  
         [0030]     The edging  12  includes one or more electrical wires or conductors which are embedded in a power strip  24  on the edging and are usable to supply electric current from a power source to low voltage outdoor lighting or for other applications or circuits. The power strip can run the full length of the edging. The power strip can have electrical conductors formed of metal wire, such as copper wire. Alternatively, both conductors or wires may be embedded in the edging in closely spaced and parallel relation near a top edge of the edging, near the bottom edge, or anywhere in between.  
         [0031]     The edging strips can be made of rigid plastic and is generally very tough but can be subject to crushing from a blow applied to an edge such as the top edge during installation. If positioned near the top edge and the bottom edge of the edging, the wires in the power strip  24  can also act as structural supports to strengthen the edges and lessen damage which might be caused when the edging is driven into the ground. It has been found that a copper wire is capable of strengthening the top edge of the edging to lessen damage to the edging caused when a user drives the lawn edging into the ground.  
         [0032]     The edging can vary in thickness in a range of 1/16 th  inches to ⅜ inches or more. The wire can range in thickness up to just under the overall thickness of the edging give ideal strength, flexibility and manufacturability of the wire and of the resulting edging.  
         [0033]     An edging connector or clip  13  can hold together two edging strips  12  and and cover the joint between them. The clip  13  can slide onto either piece. End caps  60  can include contacts that can be used to conduct low voltage electricity to or from the wires in the power strip. Contacts can conduct low voltage electricity in the form of one polarity of low voltage DC electricity to wire and an opposite polarity to power lights clipped to the edging pieces. This arrangement could be used for solar lawn lights, Christmas lights or for low voltage Malibu lights for example. The arrangement can be use to conduct low voltage electricity for any purpose. The end cap  60  can serve to connect the two pieces  12  to protect the wire and to connect wire in the power strips to conduct electricity for lighting or other purposes. The arrangement provides for lawn edging and for an electrically conductive strip where the power strip insulates the wires inside the edging strips  12 .  
         [0034]     Referring now to  FIGS. 3A-3C , the walkway light assembly  40  is shown. The walkway light has a plastic or metal housing  41  formed of two halves  42 ,  43 , which enclose a reflector  44  in a cavity therein and a plug  45  which connects the light to the power cord  24 . A socket assembly  46  for a light bulb  47  is positioned within the reflector. Several screws  48  are used to mount the two housing halves to each other. Finally, a lens  49  is positioned on the outer edge of the reflector and above or over the light bulb in an opening in the housing. The housing has a slot or groove  39  which allows the light to be installed onto the edging strip  12 .  
         [0035]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4A-4C , the spotlight assembly  50  is shown. The spotlight assembly has a plastic or metal first or lower housing  51  formed of two halves  52 ,  53  which are secured together via self tapping screws  54 . A second, or upper reflector housing  55  is formed also of two halves  56 ,  56  of plastic or metal which houses reflector  58  in a cavity of the housing. Reflector housing halves are also secured to each other via screws  54 .  
         [0036]     A plug assembly  59  is mounted within the housing  51  to connect the spotlight to the power strip  24 . The housing  51  is connected to the reflector housing  55  via a yoke  60  which enables pivotable adjustment of the reflector housing with respect to the housing.  
         [0037]     A light bulb  61  is connected to a socket  62  within the reflector housing. A spotlight lens  63  covers the light bulb and mounts within an opening of reflector housing. The lens  63  may be curved in shape. The housing  51  has a slot or groove  64  which allows the light to be installed onto the edging strip  12 .  
         [0038]      FIGS. 5-10  illustrate alternate embodiments of the spotlight, as well as a walkway light, a path light, and a sonic horn. Other variations of lighting systems for the garden or lawn edging are also contemplated by the inventor.  
         [0039]      FIG. 5  shows a symmetrical edging extrusion  100  with molded in wire  110  and a power tap adapter  120  which fits on either side of the extrusion. An adjustable spot light  130 , or a walkway light  140  may be installed on the extrusion.  
         [0040]      FIG. 6  shows an AC power box  150  with a timer control used with an end cap  160  with a power load. The end cap adapter also can close the current. A splice adapter  170  is used to connect extrusions  180  together.  
         [0041]      FIG. 7  shows various embodiments of path lights  190 ,  200 ,  210  and spot lights  220 ,  230 ,  240 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 8  shows a sonic horn  250  attached to an extrusion strip  260  which emits high frequency sound to create a hostile climate for bugs and other pests. A low voltage power supply limits coverage area, so as not to disturb household pets. A two part cavity houses the sonic horn.  
         [0043]      FIGS. 9 and 10  show various attachment members  270  and  280  for attaching a spotlight  290  onto an extrusion strip  300 .  
         [0044]     The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. Obviously, alterations and modifications will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. The invention is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.