Abstract:
The invention is a collapsible lampshade comprising: a rigid upper structure, said rigid upper structure forming a plurality of upper notches, a rigid lower structure, said rigid lower structure forming a plurality of lower notches, a flexible fabric joining said rigid upper structure with said rigid lower structure, supporting rods having a first end and a second end, said first end capable of inserting into said plurality of upper notches, said second end capable of inserting into said plurality of lower notches, whereby a user assembles said collapsible lampshade.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Traditional lampshades are constructed from a rigid frame surrounded in fabric. The standard lamp shade is made from an upper ring and a lower ring connected by rigid fabric or by flexible fabric held with supporting rods. The supporting rods usually accept a compression force. The flexible fabric usually accepts a tensile force. The construction of a lampshade having supporting rods requires the rods to be connected to the fabric. The fabric is sometimes sewn around the rod. Because the structure comprising the fabric, surrounding rods and frame are constructed as a unit, the lampshade requires substantial volume. The lampshade is also usually packaged in a transparent plastic bag, further adding volume.  
           [0002]    One method of transporting lampshades requires stacking the lampshades. Unfortunately stacking is not possible when shipping individual lampshades. Lampshades stacked in bulk cannot be packaged with their respective lamps.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0003]    The invention is a lampshade that collapses to conserve storage space. An upper structure such as a ring having fabric, ring, rod holders, sockets, or hinges, and a lower structure connected by fabric, ring, rod holders, sockets, or hinges, are held apart by disconnectable rods. When the rods are disassembled, the lampshade can collapse to become flat. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 is a diagram of the lampshade showing the basic elements  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 2 is a close up drawing of a notch  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 3 is a close up drawing of a swivel brace  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 4 is a cut away drawing showing the inside surface of a lampshade. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     Field of the Invention  
       [0008]    The present invention relates to a collapsible lampshade for conserving storage and shipping volume.  
       Detailed Description  
       [0009]    A collapsible lampshade can conserve shipping volume. The preferred embodiment FIG. 1 is comprised of an upper rigid structure  11  connected to a lower rigid structure  12  by fabric  15  and supported by a plurality of rod members  14 . When a lampshade is cylindrical in shape, the upper rigid structure  11  and lower rigid structure  12  are flat metal rings attached to the fabric  15  by wrapping the fabric circumferentially about the rigid rings  11 ,  12 . The fabric can be sewn or glued around the ring allowing retention of the fabric in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the ring.  
         [0010]    Sometimes, a lampshade is constructed with a rigid fabric connecting the upper and lower rings. In this case, rods would not be necessary. The preferred embodiment encompasses the situation where the lampshade is constructed with a flexible and soft fabric connecting the upper and lower rings. The fabric can be made of plastic, paper, or any thin material.  
         [0011]    With a sheet of soft cloth joining two rings, the lampshade lacks rigidity. While some lampshades hang loosely from the lower ring, it is sometimes preferred to create a rigid structure. Supporting rod members inserted between the upper rigid structure  11  and lower rigid structure  12  provides rigidity to the shade. The rods act as ribs accepting a compressive force against the tensile force of the lamp fabric. Sometimes the tensile force can flexibly bend the rods to allow various artistic designs.  
         [0012]    More design possibilities can be created when the fabric  15  of the lampshade can be attached to the rods  14 . Many lampshade structures can be further improved by attaching the fabric  15  to the supporting rods  14 . The preferred means to attach the fabric  15  to supporting rods  14  is by retaining the fabric in a guiding sleeve FIG. 4, 44. FIG. 4 shows a lampshade cutaway drawing of the rods  14  through the sleeves  44 . When assembling the lampshade structure, the user first inserts a supporting rod through the guiding sleeve  44 . The sleeve  44  is attached to the lampshade fabric  15 .  
         [0013]    Other means of attaching a rod to a lampshade fabric include glue, Staples, ultrasonic welding and the like. A lampshade fabric can also be perforated with a plurality of holes linearly aligned to the path of a supporting rod. The rod can then be inserted and threaded through the holes thereby retaining the lampshade fabric. Small rings sewn into the lampshade fabric can also replace the guiding sleeve.  
         [0014]    The rods and sleeves or other attachment means can be mounted on the inside surface of the lampshade or on the outside. If the rods are mounted on the outside, the rods and the sleeves are visible in ordinary use. Because such a design is non-standard in the industry for aesthetic purposes, applicant suggests that the best mode is the traditional method of mounting the sleeves and rods on the inside surface of the fabric of the lampshade.  
         [0015]    The rods are traditionally welded such that they are permanently connected to the upper ring and the lower ring. In a collapsible lampshade, the rods are held in FIG. 2 sockets  22  also called notches  22 . The compressive force sometimes sufficient to bend the rods FIG. 1, 14 also maintains them in the sockets. The sockets  22  are usually rigidly connected to the upper ring  11  and the lower ring  12 .  
         [0016]    The supporting member rods are preferably rods  14  that can also be flat pieces of rigid plastic, or bamboo. Because they need not be welded, they can be made of various materials that are perhaps better suited than metal for the construction of a lampshade.  
         [0017]    Assembly of the lampshade begins by opening the lampshade and separating the upper and lower rigid structures. Unfurling the fabric reveals sleeves that can receive rods. A user inserts the rods into the sleeves  44 . The upper and lower rigid structures have notches FIG. 2, 22 shaped to receive the ends of a rod. The first end of a supporting rod member fits into the upper rigid structure  11  and the second end of the supporting rod is designed to fit into a corresponding notch in the lower rigid structure  12 . The notches  22  are preferably equal distantly spaced such that they are located at the same places where the rods would otherwise be permanently connected.  
         [0018]    The tension in the fabric  15  can sometimes make it difficult to insert a rod into a notch  22 . A swivel guiding brace FIG. 3, 33 can make it easier for a user to insert the rod into a notch  22  and make it easier for a user to manually assemble the lampshade structure. A swivel guiding brace  33  is a short tube capable of receiving the end of a rod and attached to a rigid structure  11 ,  12 . When a circular rigid structure  11 ,  12  should be made of a thick wire having a circular cross section, the structure defines a ring. A swivel guiding brace  33  in this case swivels to define a circular path and plane perpendicular to the wire. A swivel brace has an upper portion  35  and a lower portion  38 . The lower portion  38  is a tube capable of receiving a rod. The upper portion  35  is a half tube that is cut longitudinally and has a semicircular cross section. The upper portion  35  with semicircular cross section can receive the rod laterally where the rod enters the upper portion of the brace from the side of the brace. To operate a lower swivel brace  33 , a user first inserts a first end of a supporting rod into a notch  22  in the upper structure. The user aligns the second end of the rod with the upper portion of the lower swivel brace. The user then rotates the swivel brace  33  towards the second end of the rod, which acts as a lever to guide the second end of the rod into the lower portion of the swivel brace  38  and into the notch  22 .  
         [0019]    Another method of holding the supporting rods  14  is using hinges FIG. 5, 46. The supporting rods  14  are attached to the upper  11  or the lower  12  structure through the hinges  46  by having hinge pins  48  connecting the supporting rods  14  to either or both of the upper  11  or the lower structures  12 .