Abstract:
A festive decorative lighting system for trees which features a collar that encompasses a circular power bus that is connected to a plurality of light strings that protrude through the sides of the collar and radially descend down the sides of the tree to positions remote from the collar. The user places the collar onto the crown of the tree by using a telescopic pole with a hook that reversibly engages a hoop attached to the top of the collar.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of decorative illumination for trees and the like and more particularly to a new and improved integrated lighting system to permit the rapid, convenient and economical placement of lights and other accessories onto trees and other suitably sized objects. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     The practice of illuminating small conifers inside the home during the Christmas season is one that extends from before the time of electrification. Beginning as a regional expression of religious faith, the practice has grown in popularity to the extent that it is now perceived as a secular holiday emulated widely across the globe. As such, the festive illumination of conifers in the home has been extended to other holidays and to public settings such as stores, government buildings, schools, parks, malls, hotels, and stores, as well as in commercial settings such as corporate centers, factories and the alike. The trees can either be indoors or out, artificial or real, and can reach several stories in height. 
     Trees that are the subject of such public and commercial festive illumination are generally of large girth and height, thus complicating the normal procedure of providing illumination by horizontally wrapping lights strings round the tree. Usually the light string placement procedure in such instances requires a significant amount of time, labor and materials. 
     Generally, a crew of workers is dispatched to lift and horizontally wrap light strings around the large trees. The size of such trees usually mandates that the workers use lifting and support devices such as ladders, cherry picker trucks, scaffolding and alike to allow the workers to obtain the necessary height for the proper placement of the light strings. Since the horizontally wrapping of light strings requires the workers to frequently dismount, reposition, then remount the lifting and support devices. The time, labor and materials spent by using the present method of light string placement for a large tree results in significant expense for the commercial sponsor of the festive tree illuminations. 
     Since the beginning of this decorative practice, inventors have striven to make apparati that would relieve participants from the tedious and time consuming festive illumination of trees. 
     In response, numerous inventions have attempted to simplify and improve the process of lighting Christmas trees, such examples include lighting systems that have been known which provide a plurality of dependent strings of lamps connected in series, or in parallel, which are coordinated through a central ring or collar that is placed on the crown or trunk of the tree. Known systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,547, Crucefix and U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,282, Ahroni, U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,773, Ahroni, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,824, Schoppelrey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,951, Correlli, deceased et al. 
     These devices however are generally designed for home use for indoor Christmas trees of for limited use for outdoor trees of modest to small stature; and construction materials which will not endure outdoor or repeated use. In particular, none of the prior art discloses placement system that allows simple placement upon and removal from trees of a large or multistory stature, or incorporates structure which allows the invention to stand on its own in emulation of a tree shape. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of the foregoing disadvantages revealed under the prior art, the present invention provides a decorative lighting system that in its preferred embodiment comprises of a decorative lighting assembly and a lifting pole. The decorative lighting assembly comprises of a mounting collar with a lifting bracket and a lighting assembly. The mounting bracket comprises of two large light weight plastic hoops held in a parallel planar position relative to one another by evenly spaced plastic spacers. The mounting bracket supports the light assembly which comprises of a circular power bus and a set light strings connected in parallel to the bus. The light strings pass between the plastic spacers and radiate to a position remote from the mounting bracket. The power bus is connected to a power source remote from the mounting bracket. 
     In one embodiment of the invention which is used on larger trees, the non-mounting collar ends of each light string of the set are connected to two additional light strings, thereby allowing each light string to form an inverted “Y” shape. This attachment of additional light strings provides greater illumination coverage needed to compensate for the additional height and girth of larger trees. 
     The lifting pole which is expandable, and in the preferred form telescopic, has a hook assembly at one end which reversibly engages the lifting bracket. The user grasps the lifting pole at the non-hook end and then positions the hook to reversibly engage the lifting bracket and to lift the mounting bracket and light assembly upward. The user positions the pole so as to place the mounting collar at or near the crown of the tree so that the mounting bracket surrounds so the trunk of the tree crown. Once the mounting collar is in place, the user then detaches the poles from the lifting bracket and then proceeds to position the light strands down the side of the tree in positions to provide for uniform illumination of the tree. 
     In another embodiment, the mounting collar is placed over the hook end of lifting pole to allow the hook to engage the lifting bracket. The user then lifts the pole into a full upright position and securely locates the non-hook end of the pole into the ground or a base. The light strings and pole are of sufficient respective length and height so as to allow the light strings to be radially disposed remotely from the mounting collar by suitably securing the non-mounting collar ends of the light strings to the ground. The light strings are secured to the ground at their non-mounting collar ends by being tied stakes plated in the ground. The light strings are positioned and secured so that their overall combined outline is a conical shape generally emulating that of a Christmas tree. 
     It is an object of this invention is to provide a decorative lighting system that may be used on large trees and other suitable large plant life, the placement and removal of which is simple, economical, and facile thereby permitting the rapid and inexpensive illumination of the subject matter. 
     It is a further object of the invention to reduce the need for lifting and support platforms traditionally needed for commercial festive illumination of large trees, thereby reducing associated expense and possible worker exposure to injuries from falling off such platforms. 
     It is a further object of the invention to reduce amount of manpower and associated expense traditionally needed for commercial festive illumination of large trees. 
     It is another object of this invention is to provide a decorative lighting system that is composed of a lightweight synthetic hoop that supports a system of interconnected light strings which can be placed on top of taller trees or similar structures through the use of an expandable pole that features a hook attachment system. 
     Another object of this device is to provide a decorative lighting system that can incorporate a decorative accessory which may be located at or near the top of the lifting bracket examples of such accessory would include, but not be limited to, bells or angels or corporate logos or any other accessory of suitable size, shape and composition. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved festive lighting system that is suitable for use with large trees. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved decorative lighting system that may be used to illuminate many objects in addition to Christmas trees. 
     It is another object of this invention is to provide a decorative lighting system that can be erected as a stand alone device that when light, has an overall conical illumination shape that resembles the that of a Christmas tree. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mounting collar. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lighting assembly. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the decorative lighting assembly. 
     FIG. 4 is a pictorial overview of the lifting pole. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the operator using the lifting pole to position and place the decorative lighting assembly on to a tree. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the operator placing the strands once the decorative lighting assembly is mounted on the tree. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the operator in a cherry picker device mounting the decorative light assembly on a very large tree. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the another embodiment of the invention showing its stand-alone display emulating the cone shape of a Christmas tree. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular, to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3  which shows the invention, generally indicated as  1 , comprising of a decorative illumination assembly  10  and a lifting pole  40 . The decorative illumination assembly  10  is comprised of a mounting collar  20  which supports a lighting assembly  30 . The mounting bracket is formed by two rings, a top ring  21  and a bottom ring  22  that are connected to one another by spacers  23  that hold the two rings in a parallel planar position relative to one another. The spacers  23  are evenly placed between the two rings and are connected to the bottom of the top ring  21  and to the top of the bottom ring  22 . The inner circumference of the mounting collar  20  of the which is designed to accommodate the trunk  51  of the tree  50  at its crown  52 . Attached to the top ring  21  is a inverted “U” shaped lifting bracket  24  that has each end of the “U” fastened the top surface of the top ring  21  at positions 180 degrees apart. A decorative accessory  26 , such as a star, an advertisement, or a novelty item may be attached to the top of the lifting bracket  24 . The decorative accessory  26  may be electrified and motorized. The mounting collar can be is made of a suitable lightweight polymer such as plastic through injection molding, but in the preferred embodiment it is made of plastic covered wire. 
     The lighting assembly  30  is comprised of a common power bus ring  31  that is connected in parallel to a plurality of discrete strings  32  of lighting elements  33 . Radially centered within the power bus ring  31  are two conductor rings  34  and  35 , which are electrically attached to a connector element such as a common two-prong plug  36 . The power bus ring  31  in connection to the plug  36  may encompass a suitable fuse or circuit breaker system to prevent damage in case of an electrical short or other electrical overload as are well known to the practitioners in the field. 
     Each string  32  is electrically connected at one terminal ends to the two conductor rings  34  and  35  with a free terminal end that is remotely locatable. Each string  32  is uniformly spaced from one another where they are attached to the power bus ring  31  and have uniformly spaced standardized lighting elements  33 . The lighting elements  33  are electrically connected in parallel of each string  32  to help prevent one burnt out lighting element  33  from breaking the electrical connection for the other lighting elements  33  on that string  32 . The strings  32  are to be in several feet in length with each string  32  possessing a remotely locatable free end to facilitate the progressive remote placement of each successive located lighting element  33  from the mounting collar  20 . The lighting elements should be used are those standard UL listed outdoors decorative light bulbs such as the General Electric GE C7-CC or C7-TW bulbs. Standard size strings could contain up to 75 bulbs with longer strings being constructed using conductors and strings made of heavier gauge wire to handle the electrical load as in accordance with electrical principles that are well known to the practitioner of the arts. 
     An alternative embodiment of the light string, would have one string connected to the power bus at one terminal end, then be electrically connected at its other terminal end to two other distinct strings, not otherwise connected to the power bus. In this fashion so that the joined strings forming inverted “Y” shape light string  37  with the foot of the “Y” being the terminal end of the string connected to the power bus ring  31 . 
     In construction with the mounting collar  20 , the power bus ring  31  is of sufficient diameter so that its circumference closely matches the inner diameter of the mounting collar  20  so the power ring snugly fits against the inner circumference of the mounting collar. The strings  32  protrude from the power bus ring and pass through the apertures  25  in the mounting collar  20  formed by the spacers  23 . In the preferred embodiment, the number of apertures  25  are matches the number of strings, with each string passes through a single aperture with the aperture size and string diameter being mutually compatible. In an alternate embodiment of the invention  1 , it is foreseen that large spacers may be used to enhance the structural integrity of the mounting collar  20  for larger trees so that the size of the resulting aperture  25  could accommodate several strings passing through it. 
     FIG. 4 shows an overview of the lifting pole  40  of the present invention comprising a Pole body  41  and a hook assembly generally referred to as  42 . The pole body  41  is expandable, in the preferred embodiment a telescopic aluminum pole like those used by professional window washers. The pole body  41  could also be expandable by the attachable segment. Alternatively, the pole body  41  could be of solid unitary construction made out of some lightweight material such as wood or plastic. At one end of the pole is attached by fastener or appropriate means is the hook assembly  42 . 
     The hook assembly  42  is comprises of a rigid arm  43  that has a cap  44  at one end that fastened over the top end of the pole body  41  and a hook  45  at the unattached end of the rigid arm  43 . The rigid arm  43  projects form the cap  44  at a 90-degree angle from the pole body  41 . The hook  45  is perpendicularly attached to the rigid arm  43  and extends upward, parallel to the pole body  41 . The rigid arm  43  and hook  45  are, respectively, of suitable length and height to reversibly engage and hold the lifting bracket  24  during the positioning of the decorative illumination assembly  10 . The hook assembly  42  may be constructed of plastic or some other suitable material as insulated coated metal. 
     FIGS. 5 &amp; 6 demonstrates the operation of the invention, wherein the operator either expands or selects the lifting pole  40  of suitable length to be able to place the decorative light assembly  10  on the crown  52  of the tree  50 . The operator then guides the pole  40  so that the hook assembly  42  is placed under the lifting bracket  24  and then lifts the pole so that the lifting bracket is caught in the crook between the hook  45  and the rigid arm  43 . The operator continues to lift the pole  40  and the decorative lighting assembly  10  to place the mounting collar  20  so that it surround the trunk  51  of the tree  50  at its crown. At that point, the operator drops the pole  40  down to disengage the hook assembly  42  from the lifting bracket  24 . The operator then places the remote terminal of the strings  32  in positions on the tree remote form the mounting collar  20  to effect a uniform pattern of illumination for the tree  50 . The operator then electrifies the invention by connecting the plug  36  into a remote power source. 
     FIG. 7, shows in cases, of very large trees, a cherry picker lifting device can be used to give the operator sufficient height needed to place the decorative illumination assembly  10 . 
     FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention which features the invention  1  in a stand-alone display. In this embodiment, the operator places the mounting collar  20  over the hook assembly  42  of lifting pole  40  to allow the hook  45  to engage the lifting bracket  24 . The user then lifts the pole  40  into a full upright position and securely locates the non-hook end of the pole  40  into the ground or a base. The strings  32  and pole  40  are of sufficient respective length and height so as to allow the strings  32  to be radially disposed remotely from the mounting collar by suitably securing the remotely free terminal ends of the light strings to stakes planted in the ground. The light strings are positioned and secured so that their overall combined outline is a conical shape generally emulating that of a Christmas tree. The strings are of sufficient tensile strength to hold the pole in place. The plug  36  is electrically connected to a remote power source to provide electricity to the invention. 
     The foregoing is considered illustrative of the principles and general intent of the invention. As numerous alterations, modifications and changes will easily occur with those skilled in the art, the foregoing is not to act as a limitation upon the invention as to its exact construction and operation shown and described, accordingly, all suitable and appropriate modifications and equivalents may be resort to that arise within the scope of the invention.