Abstract:
An assembly of a flash-lamp string system comprising a plurality of flash-lamp strings connected in series so as to form into an elongate lamp string; the elongate lamp string includes at least two different flash-lamp strings in terms of flashing type; the outer shape of the two different flash-lamp strings is the same; the bulb socket and the bulb assembly of every aforesaid flash-lamp string can be mounted together within the same flash-lamp string; in other words, the bulb socket and bulb assembly can not be exchanged with that of the different type of flash-lamp string in order to avoid overload of power supply.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to a flash-lamp system, and particularly to a flash-lamp string comprising two different types of flash-lamp strings.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     In a conventional flash-lamp string usually comprises a separate power-supply wire connected with a plurality of lamp sockets which are connected in series; the last lamp socket on the end of the string is connected with a separate power-supply wire; then, the two separate power-supply wires are twisted together to form into a lamp string; each socket is mounted with a bulb; the lamp string is used as a decoration; every lamp string is mounted with a thermal cut-out bulb so as to have all the rest bulbs turned on and off continuously, i.e., to provide a flash effect. A plurality of lamp strings can be connected in parallel, and twisted into an elongate lamp string; such an elongate lamp string is referred as a regular flash-lamp string.  
         [0005]     A conventional flash-lamp string comprises a plurality of lamp sockets connected in series, and some of the lamp sockets are mounted with thermal cut-out bulbs so as to reduce the current flow in the lamp string, and have the rest bulbs had more brightness; in other words, when the thermal cut-out bulbs are turned off, the rest bulbs would provide more brightness because of gaining more current. Since the thermal cut-out bulbs are turned off at different time, the whole lamp string would provide an irregular variation of brightness; in that case, the bulb in the lamp string must have a tungsten filament able to withstand a higher current so as to provide brightness as desired. Such a lamp string is referred to as a Twinkle lamp string; however, such a lamp string should not be connected with too many thermal cut-out bulbs so as to prevent from causing a danger of overheating.  
         [0006]     Another conventional flash-lamp string, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,841, includes a plurality of different lamp strings in terms of shape and size; in that case, the regular flash bulb and the winkle flash bulb can not be mounted in a non-compatible lamp socket. According to the embodiment of the aforesaid patent, the difference of shape and size can simply indicate the difference of the bulbs, i.e., a different bulb can not be mounted in a non-compatible lamp socket.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The prime object of the present invention is to provide a flash-lamp system comprising a plurality of flash-lamp strings connected in parallel; the aforesaid flash-lamp strings include at least two types of flash-lamp strings. The bulb sockets of the different flash-lamp strings are the same in outer shape; however, the bulbs of the two different flash-lamp strings can not be plugged in the bulb sockets of different flash-lamp strings so as to prevent from causing over load of power supply.  
         [0008]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a flash-lamp system, in which the lamp assembly of one type of flash-lamp string uses a regular bulb to be mounted in a regular bulb socket, and the bulb socket is to be plugged in a lamp socket of the regular flash-lamp string; the lamp socket of the regular bulb has an elongate body portion, of which the upper portion is furnished with a cylindrical cavity and a rectangular groove. Both sides of the rectangular groove are furnished with two copper connector grooves respectively for mounting copper connectors. After a regular bulb and a lamp socket are assembled together into a bulb assembly, the bulb assembly is plugged in the cylindrical cavity of a lamp socket.  
         [0009]     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a flash-lamp assembly, in which the lamp assembly includes a regular bulb socket; the bulb socket of the lamp assembly is mounted with a regular steady flash bulb, which will turn off the lamp assembly upon the flash bulb reaching a thermal cut-out condition; as soon as the temperature of the flash bulb is reduced to a given point, the lamp assembly will be turned on to provide a normal brightness.  
         [0010]     A further object of the present invention is to provide a flash-lamp system, in which the lamp assembly of the flash-lamp string is furnished with a winkle bulb socket to be mounted with a winkle steady flash bulb; after a regular bulb is assembled therein, the bulb socket is plugged in the cylindrical cavity of a winkle lamp socket. The bulb and the bulb socket removed from the winkle lamp socket can not be plugged in a regular lamp socket.  
         [0011]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a flash-lamp system, in which the lamp assembly of the flash-lamp string is furnished with winkle bulb socket; then, the lamp socket of every lamp assembly can only be plugged with a winkle bulb and bulb socket.  
         [0012]     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a flash-lamp system, in which the lamp assemblies can be furnished with several winkle sockets to be mounted with several winkle bulbs respectively. By means of the thermal cut-out effect, the bulb will be turned off; in that case, the rest bulbs in the lamp assemblies with gain more current; the alternate turning-off effect of several bulbs will provide an alternate variation of brightness among the bulbs.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of the present invention, showing a plurality of lamp strings connected in parallel.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a disassembled view-I of the lamp assembly in a regular flash-lamp string.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a disassembled view- 2  of the lamp assembly in a regular flash-lamp string.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a lamp assembly in a regular flash-lamp string.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a lamp assembly in a regular flash-lamp string, showing the parts thereof assembled together.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a disassembled view-I of the lamp assembly in a twinkle flash-lamp string.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a disassemble view- 2  of the lamp assembly in a twinkle flash-lamp string.  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of a lamp assembly in a twinkle flash-lamp string.  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a side view of a lamp assembly in a twinkle flash-lamp string.  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the present invention, showing a lamp assembly of a regular flash-lamp string being plugged into a socket of a twinkle flash-lamp string.  
         [0023]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the present invention, showing a lamp assembly of a twinkle flash-lamp string being plugged into a socket of a regular flash-lamp string. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]     This invention relates to a flash-lamp string; as shown in  FIG. 1 , the flash-lamp system  11  comprises a plurality of flash-lamp strings  12  (or  13 ) connected, in parallel, with a main power-supply cable  14 . The lamp assemblies  20  (or  21 ) of every flash-lamp strings  12  (or  13 ) are designed in the same shape. A short power-supply wire  16  is used for connecting, in series, between two lamp assemblies  20  (or  21 ); then, a long power-supply wire  15  is used for connecting the last lamp assembly with the main power-supply cable  14 . A plurality of flash-lamp string  12  (or  13 ) are twisted or knitted into a long lamp string or a suitable lamp string.  
         [0025]     A plurality of flash-lamp strings  12  and  13  can be knitted into a complex flash lamp system  11 . The bulbs  45  (or  24 ) in every lamp assembly  20  (or  21 ) of one flash-lamp string  12  (or  13 ) are classified into different kinds by means of the quantity, the resistance value, and the shape of the bulbs. If the first flash-lamp string  12  is designed to use a regular bulb, all bulbs  45  will include a plurality of regular bulbs and one thermal cut-out bulb.  
         [0026]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the regular bulb  45  has two copper wires  61  passing two through holes  60  of the bulb socket  44 , and being bent towards both sides respectively until contacting a flat surface  58 . After the bulb  45  and the bulb socket  44  are assembled together, a bulb assembly  50  is completed; the bulb socket  44  includes a rectangular lower body and a round upper body  54  so as to facilitate the bulb assembly  50  to plug into the lamp socket  43 . The upper portion of the lamp socket  43  has a cylindrical cavity  49 , of which the bottom center is furnished with a rectangular groove  48 ; both sides of the rectangular groove  48  are furnished with two copper connector grooves  47  respectively for mounting two copper connectors  46  therein respectively, and the two copper connectors  46  are riveted to the ends of two short power-supply wires  16  respectively, The bulb assembly  50  is plugged into the cylindrical cavity  49  first and then the lower body  55  is plugged into the rectangular groove  48  of the lamp socket  43 ; then, the upper body  54  is plugged into the cylindrical cavity  49  of the socket  43  so as to have the bulb assembly  50  and the lamp socket  43  assembled together.  
         [0027]     In the first flash-lamp string  12  assembled with a plurality of regular lamp assemblies  20 , the bulb assembly  50  of the lamp assembly  20  should be replaced with a regular flash bulb  45 , which is substantially a bulb  45 A mounted with a thermal cut-out copper piece; after the bulb  45 A is lit up for a short time, the temperature thereof will raise to a given point to cause the thermal cut-out copper piece to turn off the circuit, i.e., to have the flash-lamp string  12  turned off. As soon as the temperature of the bulb  45 A is reduced to a given point, the thermal cut-out copper piece will turn on the copper wire again to have the whole flash-lamp string  12  lit up again. By means of the aforesaid repeated turning on and off, the flash-lamp string  12  is referred to as a regular flash-lamp string.  
         [0028]     Referring to FIGS.  1  to  4 , the bulb assembly  50  in the regular flash-lamp string  12  should be plugged in the lamp socket  22  by means of the lower body  55  plugging in the rectangular groove  48  on the bottom of the cylindrical cavity  49  in the lamp socket  43 ; as soon as the upper body  54  is mounted in the cylindrical cavity  49  of the lamp socket  43 , the copper wires  61  on the flat surfaces  58  on both sides of the lower body  55  will be in contact closely with the copper connectors  46  respectively. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the bulb assembly  50  can easily and simply be plugged in the cylindrical cavity  49  and the rectangular groove  48  of the lamp socket  43 .  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 1  again, the second flash-lamp string  13  of the flash-lamp system  11  is made of a plurality of twinkle bulbs  24 ; lamp assemblies  21  in the flash-lamp string  13  include a plurality of regular bulbs and a plurality of thermal-cut-out bulbs. During the repeated thermal cut-out condition, some bulbs of the second flash-lamp string  13  will have more brightness as a result of gaining more current. Since the thermal cut-out time in the string is different, the second flash-lamp string  13  will provide an irregular brightness variation, and then the string can provide more decoration effect; therefore, the tungsten filament in the bulbs of the second flash-lamp string  13  should withstand a higher load of current so as to provide a higher brightness as expected.  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 6  to  9 , the thermal cut-out bulb and the regular bulbs can withstand a higher load of current, and such winkle lamp string  13  should not be connected with one main power-supply cable in parallel with the regular flash-lamp string  12  because of two different type of bulbs being unable to replace each other; otherwise, a danger may be resulted, or the bulb might be burned out quickly.  
         [0031]     For commercial identification, the outer shape of the lamp assembly  20  of the regular flash-lamp string  12  and the lamp assembly  21  of the winkle flash-lamp string  13  is the same; in order to prevent the two types of lamp assemblies from exchanging each other, please reference  FIG. 2  the bulb socket  44  and bulb  45  of the regular flash-lamp string  12  are designed in a standard type, except for the lamp socket  43  and the body  64  being longer; however, the plug structure between the lamp socket  43  and the bulb socket  44  is not changed.  
         [0032]     The lamp assembly  21  of the winkle flash-lamp string  13  and the lamp assembly  20  of the regular flash-lamp string  12  have the same outer shape, but the assembling structure between the lamp socket  22  and the bulb socket  23  in the lamp assembly  21  of the winkle flash-lamp string  13  must be changed so as to prevent the bulb sockets  44  and  23  of the two lamp assemblies  20  and  21  from exchanging. The upper portion of the lamp socket  22  in the lamp assembly  21  of the winkle flash-lamp string  13  has a cylindrical cavity  28 , of which both sides are furnished with two symmetrical vertical surfaces  29  respectively; each of the vertical surfaces  29  is furnished with a mounting groove  30 . The height of the cylindrical cavity  28  is higher than the total height of the lower body  55  and the bevel surface  56  of the bulb socket  44  in the regular flash-lamp string  12 ; furthermore, the distance between the two vertical surfaces  29  in the cylindrical cavity  29  is smaller than the diameter of the upper body  54  of the bulb socket  44 ; as shown in  FIG. 11 , the lamp socket  22  of the winkle flash-lamp string  12  is designed to prevent the bulb assembly  50  of the regular flash-lamp string  12  from plugging therein.  
         [0033]     The bulb socket  23  to be plugged in the cylindrical cavity  28  of the lamp socket  22  in the winkle flash-lamp string  13  is furnished with two flanges  35  on both sides thereof; the two flanges  35  are designed to mate with the mounting grooves  30  respectively on the vertical surfaces  29  of the cylindrical cavity  28  of the lamp socket  22  so as to facilitate a bulb socket  23  to plug in, The lower body  34  of the bulb socket  23  is a rectangular member, in which two through holes  39  are furnished to facilitate two copper wires  40  to penetrate outwards; after a bulb  24  is plugged in the cylindrical cavity  28 , the two copper wires  40  will be bent to contact closely with two flat surfaces  37  on both sides respectively.  
         [0034]     The bulb assembled  51  with a bulb  24  and a bulb socket  23  is to be plugged in the cylindrical cavity  28 , and then the lower body  34  of the bulb socket  23  will be guided into the rectangular groove  27  in the lower portion of the cylindrical cavity  28 ; simultaneously, the two copper wires  40  on the two flat surfaces  37  will be in close contact with the copper connectors respectively in the copper connector grooves  26 , while the upper body  33  of the bulb socket  23  is plugged in the cylindrical cavity  28 .  
         [0035]     The upper body  33  of the bulb socket  23  in the bulb assembly  51  of the winkle flash-lamp string  13  is furnished with two flanges  35  on both sides thereof, and such bulb assembly  51  can only be plugged in a mated bulb socket  23 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 10 , when the bulb assembly  51  is tried to plug in the lamp socket  43  of the regular flash-lamp string  12 , the lower body  34  of the bulb socket  23  of the bulb assembly  51  is guided in the cylindrical cavity  49  of the lamp socket  43 , but it can not be plugged in as a result of the flanges  35  on both sides of the upper body  33 , i.e., the flanges  35  will be hindered with the top surface  53  of the lamp socket  43 ; simultaneously, the copper wires  40  on both sides of the lower body  34  of the bulb socket  23  will be unable to contact with the copper connectors  46  of the lamp socket  43 ; in other words, no danger is involved upon plugging.  
         [0036]     One main power-supply cable  14  is connected with two different flash-lamp strings  12  and  13 , of which the lamp assemblies  20  and  21  have the same outer shape. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the bulb assembly  50  of the lamp assembly  20  in the regular flash-lamp string  12  can only be plugged in the mated lamp socket  43 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , when the bulb assembly  50  of the regular flash-lamp string  12  is tried to plug in the cylindrical cavity  28  of the lamp socket  22  in the winkle flash-lamp string  13 , the bevel surface  56  of the upper body  54  of the bulb socket  44  will be hindered on the cylindrical cavity  28  of the lamp socket  22  because of the diameter of the bevel surface  56  being larger than that of the two vertical surfaces  29 . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 9 , the bulb assembly  51  of the winkle flash-lamp string  13  can only be plugged in the mated lamp socket  22 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , the bulb assembly  51  of the winkle flash-lamp string  13  is unable to plug in the lamp socket  43  of the regular flash-lamp string  12  because of the two flanges  35  of the bulb socket  23  being hindered with the top surface  53  of the cylindrical cavity  49  of the lamp socket  43  of the regular flash-lamp string  12 ; therefore, the assembling and connection operation can not be done.  
         [0037]     The flash-lamp system  11  according to the present invention comprises a regular flash-lamp string  12  mounted with lamp assemblies  20  and a winkle flash-lamp string  13  mounted with lamp assemblies  21 , which are two different flash-lamp strings to be connected, in parallel, with a main power-supply cable  14 ; however, the two kinds of lamp assemblies  20  and  21  are the same in outer shape, but are different in the plugging and connecting structure; in other words, the bulb assemblies  50  and  51  between the two lamp assemblies  20  and  21  can not be plugged and connected together in a exchangeable manner so as to prevent from danger possibly occurred.  
         [0038]     According to the aforesaid description of the embodiment of the present invention, the features and structure of the present invention have been disclosed completely; it is apparent that the present invention has provided obvious improvement, which is never anticipated and achieved by any person in the field; therefore, the structure thereof is deemed unique.