Modules for decorative lighting

Modules for decorative lighting are designed to replace conventional strings of Christmas lights. The modules include rigid strips of plastic, wood, or the like, with through-extending apertures in which conventional strings of lights can be positioned. Exterior surface portions of the strips are provided with attachment means, such as double faced tape, hook and loop fasteners, etc., with artificial plastic holly then being attached to the strip in a decorative manner. Through the use of hook and loop fasteners or similar attachment structure, the holly can be selectively rearranged when desired to form different decorative patterns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to lighting systems, and more particularly 
pertains to a new and decorative lighting system utilizable in conjunction 
with strings of Christmas lights. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of various module systems for providing decorative lighting is well 
known in the prior art. For example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 
3,692,993, which issued to S. Robinson on Sept. 19, 1972. The Robinson 
invention affectively comprises a lighting fixture unit which utilizes a 
housing adapted to be mounted on a building or some similar structure. 
Electric lights are carried in a holder which is swingably mounted within 
the housing to thus permit a moving of the lights between a hidden 
position in the housing and an exposed position extending through the 
housing. The system thus allows for the permanent mounting of Christmas 
lights to the eaves of a house whereby they are exposed and used only 
during the holiday season. 
Another module system of interest is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,128,863, which issued to M. Prematz on Dec. 5, 1978. As illustrated in 
this patent, a string of outdoor decorative lights may be connected to a 
facer board on a building cove. A stowable embodiment of the invention 
provides for a hinged attachment of the lights to the facer board and 
means for securing the lights in a displayed position or in a hidden 
position. This system is also designed for the permanent installation the 
lights around the eaves of the house. 
A further lighting module system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,653, which 
issued to M. Kovacs on Nov. 2, 1982. The Kovacs construction is defined by 
an adjustable four sided frame assembled from four channel members. Each 
member is provided with slotted apertures for holding light bulbs on a 
longitudinal inner side flange thereof, and the frame structure is 
particularly designed for mounting around a rectangular window opening. 
The frame structure may be permanently mounted to the window edges, while 
the lights are selectively removable and attachable thereto, depending 
upon the season. 
The above-described patents are illustrative of the fact that there is a 
continuing interest in new and improved lighting module systems utilizable 
in conjunction with the decorating of a home or some similar structure. 
While each of these systems are functional for their intended purpose, 
none of them address the need for additional and selectively changeable 
decorations which could be associated with the lights forming a part 
thereof. As can be appreciated, there is a continuing need for new and 
improved lighting module systems which facilitate creative decorative 
changes by users, and the present invention is substantially directed 
towards accommodating this need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
decorative lighting modules now present in the prior art, the present 
invention provides an improved decorative lighting module wherein an 
exterior surface of an individual module is provided with a hook and loop 
fastening means, or the like, thus to facilitate the attachment of other 
decorative items around the light string forming a part of the module. As 
such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be 
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved 
decorative lighting module system which has all the advantages of the 
prior art decorative lighting module systems and none of the 
disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises the use of a 
plurality of rigid members having a plurality of through-extending 
apertures formed on axial lengths thereof. A conventional light string is 
attachable to each rigid member by a positioning of the light bulbs 
through the apertures, and the ends of the light string can be 
interconnected with similar light strings and module units to create a 
desired length of module lighting. An exterior surface of each rigid 
member is provided with a hook and loop fastening system, such as through 
the use of Velcro fasteners, or some similar adhesive means, whereby 
decorative plastic holly can be selectively attached to an exterior face 
of each rigid member when desired. Further, the holly can be arranged to 
accommodate the decorating desires of the user, while other decorative 
items of any design and shape could also be attached around the lights. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which 
this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved decorative lighting module which has all the advantages of the 
prior art decorative lighting modules and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
decorative lighting module which may be easily and efficiently 
manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved decorative lighting module which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved decorative lighting module which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such decorative lighting modules economically available to the 
buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved decorative lighting module which provides in the apparatuses and 
methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved decorative lighting module which provides for the rigid support 
of decorative lighting strings while also providing for the attachment of 
other decorative items around such lighting strings. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved decorative lighting module which is selectively attachable to a 
rigid structure and which accommodates the interconnection of a plurality 
of modules to create a lighting system of desired length. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-7 thereof, 
a new and improved decorative lighting module embodying the principles and 
concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 will be described. 
More specifically, it will be noted that the decorative lighting module 10 
essentially comprises a rigid support member 12, such as a plywood board, 
a section of rigid plastic, or the like, having a plurality of 
through-extending apertures 14 formed along an axial length thereof. A 
conventional string 16 of Christmas lights may be selectively mounted 
along a back surface 18 of the rigid member 12, with such string of lights 
having its bulbs 20 fixedly secured within each of the apertures 14. The 
Christmas light string 16 incudes a conventinoal male electrical connector 
22 at one end thereof and a female electrical connector 24 attached to an 
opposed end thereof. 
As best illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, a front face 26 of the rigid 
member 12 can be covered with some conventional permanent adhesive means, 
such as strips of hook and loop fasteners. The hook and loop fasteners 
could comprise strips of Velcro, or some different attachment means could 
also be employed, e.g., double faced tape or the like. The hook and loop 
fastener construction would preferably comprise strips of conventional 
Velcro. A plurality of pieces 28 of plastic artificial holly, or the like, 
may also have strips of Velcro attached thereto so as to facilitate their 
selective positioning on and attachment to the front face 26 of the member 
12. As such, a decorative pattern of holly 28 is positionable around the 
light bulbs 20. Of course, if a user so desires, the holly 28 could be 
permanently be affixed to the face 26 of the member 12, such as through 
the use of staples, glue, etc., with the entire module 10 then being 
removable and compactly storable when not being utilized. 
With respect to the manner of usage and operation of the invention, the 
same should be apparent from the above description. In this regard, a 
plurality of lighting modules 10 can be mounted along the eaves of a 
house, or in some similar location, and the light strings 16 can then be 
electrically interconnected in a conventional manner so as to provide a 
decorative lighting structure during the holiday season. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.