Abstract:
The present invention is a system for: storing holiday light strings. The light string storage system changes the production of typical light strings by attaching a cylinder to every light socket and running a lead through each cylinder. Pulling on the lead while grasping a socket causes the cylinders to couple and the bulbs to be in an upright, compact, and orderly manner for convenient and easy storage.

Description:
This is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/078,100 filed on Feb. 19, 2002 now abandoned. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Light strings are a traditional western method of celebrating the winter holiday season and have recently begun to be used in celebrations of all kind. There has been however, a problem regarding easy seasonal storage of these lights. Tangles often lead to breakage of bulbs and inconvenience. Storage methods have been developed, but often these are as inconvenient as the untangling they are trying to prevent. There is a need for a light string storage system which is convenient and allows for years of hassle free enjoyment. The present invention is designed to address the forgoing concerns. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for the storage of light strings. It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage mechanism for light strings that allows one to organize the light strings in such a way that they may be stored easily and compactly for years to come. It is a further object of the invention to provide a storage mechanism that is not painstakingly laborious, but instead quick and convenient. It is yet another object of the present invention to yield a change in the convenience of storing holiday lights through change in their physical production. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a system for the storage of holiday light strings. Attached to each ordinary light socket is a cylinder with an opening and two complementary shaped ends. A lead is attached to the socket furthest on the string from the electrical plug and runs through the opening on every cylinder. Pulling the lead&#39;s end near the electrical plug while grasping the first socket in the string causes the cylinders to quickly and conveniently couple along the span of the light string. The light string is then compact and orderly with all bulbs in an upright position ready to be easily stored until their next use. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the light string storage system&#39;s attachment to each individual socket. 
       FIG. 2  is a rear view of the preferred embodiment of the light string storage system&#39;s attachment to each socket showing the opening in the guide. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the light string storage system illustrating the coupling of the cylinders as the lead is pulled. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the lights string storage system illustrating the thread pattern of the ends of the cylinder. 
       FIG. 5  is a rear view of an alternate embodiment of the light string storage system&#39;s attachment to each socket showing the opening in the guide. 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the light string storage system illustrating the coupling of the cylinders as the lead is pulled. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The preferred embodiment of the holiday light string storage system can be seen in  FIG. 1 . The storage system requires a small change in the physical production of light strings. The typical light string consists of one or more wires  27  wound through a series of light sockets  6  with an electrical plug  30  at the beginning of the wires  27 . The sockets  6  each receive a bulb  3  and are typically one-half inch to one and one-half inch in height measured from the wires  27  to the base of the bulb  3 . 
   The present invention changes this typical structure in two ways. First, it adds a cylinder  21  to each socket  6 . The cylinders  21  are perpendicularly attached to each socket  6 . One skilled in the art would understand that the cylinder  21  could be manufactured from a number of materials including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, and glass. Although the cylinder  21  can be perpendicularly attached at any height on the socket  6  between the wires  27  and the bulb  3 , in the preferred embodiment the cylinder  21  is attached at half the height of the socket  6 . The cylinder  21  has front and rear ends designed in complementary shapes enabling each cylinder  21  to couple with the adjacent cylinders  21  on both sides on the light string. In the preferred embodiment, the cylinder  21  has ends consisting of a dome shaped end  18  and a hollow end  24 . One skilled in the art would understand that the cylinder  21  could have ends of any shape so long as the shapes are capable of coupling and the shapes alternate on each end of the successive cylinders on the light string. In the preferred embodiment, the length of the cylinder  21  is equal to 1 or 1.5 times the width of the socket  6  at the point where the cylinder  21  is attached. 
   The second change in the physical structure of the typical light string is that a lead  9  runs through the opening  15  which extends lengthwise through the cylinder  21  as can be seen in  FIG. 2 . One skilled in the art would understand that the lead  9  could be any number of materials including, but not limited to, wire, ribbon, string, twine, plastic, and nylon. In the preferred embodiment, the diameter of the opening  15  is five percent the diameter of the cylinder  21 . The lead is attached to the last socket  6  on the string relative to the electrical plug  30  and extends the length of the string through the openings  15  in each cylinder  21 . Although the lead  9  could be of any dimensions equal to or less than the dimensions of the opening  15 , in the preferred embodiment the dimensions of the lead  9 , and the opening  15  will differ only enough so that the lead  9  is slighter in size to permit the lead  9  to be threaded through the opening  15  such that the two are taut. Also in this embodiment, the opening  15  is rectangular and the lead  15  is of corresponding cross-sectional shape to assist in guiding the cylinder  21  into proper alignment for storage. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , when the light string is plugged in to the electrical outlet the lead  9  and cylinder  21  serve no function. However, when the light string is to be packaged or stored, the lead  9  may be pulled while pushing the socket  6  adjacent to the electrical outlet in the opposite direction. In the preferred embodiment, the domed end  18  of the cylinder  21  will couple with the hollowed end  24  of the adjacent cylinder  21  throughout the light string “compacting” the sockets  6  together in a uniform manner. Since the lead  9  is taut, all of the bulbs  3  will be rotated so that they are in an upright position when the light string is compacted. To keep the light string compact and the lead  9  pulled tight, a member  10 , can be placed on the lead  9  directly beside the socket adjacent to the electrical plug  30  or by looping the excess of lead  9  between the first and last socket  6  on the light string. Examples of members to be used may include, but are not limited to, a clip, paperclip, or tie. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 4–6 , there is shown an alternate embodiment in which the same reference numeral is used to identify a part corresponding to a similar part of the first embodiment with the same numerals followed by (a). In this second embodiment, the cylinder  21  has front  18 ( a ) and rear  24 ( a ) ends with opposite thread patterns such that both ends of the cylinder  21  are able to screw into the adjacent end of the cylinders  21  attached to the bordering sockets  6  on the light string. As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , the light string is compacted by pulling on the lead  9  and grasping the first socket  6  on the light string by electrical plug  30 . In this embodiment, sockets are kept in the compact formation because the front end  18 ( a ) of the cylinders  21  will be screwed into the rear end  24 ( a ) of the adjacent cylinders throughout the light string. 
   In all embodiments, the sockets  6  will then be aligned in a parallel row with the bulbs  3  positioned upright. The light string storage system  1  prevents the light string from tangling and breaking allowing for its easy use during the next holiday season. The addition to the light string of the cylinders  21  does not change the electrical engineering of the socket  6 . Manufacture of the lights strings would differ only in shaping the socket  6  and threading the lead  9  through the opening  15  of the cylinders  21 . Changing the plastic mold would incorporate the new shape of the cylinder  21  into the socket  6 . The lead  9  could be run through the opening  15  with robotics or labor. 
   Having thus described the invention in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various revisions can be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is our intention however that all such revisions and modifications that are evident to those skilled in the art will be included within the scope of the following claims.