Home decoration system

A decorative lighting system uses a plurality of figurines, usually a family of characters appropriate for a specific holiday, such as: jack-o-lantern, ghosts, witches, black cats, skeletons, etc. for halloween or Santa Clause, candles, candy canes, reindeer, etc. for Christmas. The figurines are all plastic, preferably blow molded with a sloping top that provides a weather resistant roof. The figurines may be made to hang from above or to be supported on the ground, or both hanging and supported. Light bulbs of an indoor/outdoor string of Christmas tree lights may be attached to the figurines by an elastomeric coupler. An adapter mounting plate enables the figurines to be substituted for fixtures on posts in a permanent ground lighting system.

FIELD 
This invention relates to home decorative systems and more 
particularly--but not exclusively--to exterior lighting systems, and still 
more particularly, for seasonal decorative lighting of the front of a 
house or home. 
BACKGROUND 
For a background knowledge of decorative lighting devices, reference may be 
made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,410,336; 2,714,652; 2,794,284; 
4,234,915; 4,591,959; 5,222,802; 5,274,537; 5,309,333; 5,359,506; and U.S. 
Pat. No. Des. 215,304. 
There are many seasons when one would like to decorate a home in an 
appropriate and individualistic way, as by stringing lights in the front 
yard, for example. If there are trees in front of the house, one might 
want to have lighted figurines in the form of seasonal characters which 
appear to be floating in among the branches. In another example, the house 
may have a permanent ground lighting system as a safety feature around 
stairs, a walk way, or the like, which can be used in connection with 
providing a decorative system according to the present invention. 
One might wish to coordinate these and other decorations. For example, one 
can imagine the figurines of Santa Clause, reindeer, and sleigh high in a 
tree with figurines of toy soldiers, candy canes, and the like on the 
ground. From the manufacturer's view point, it is desirable to have a 
stream of sales continuing from year to year, perhaps Santa Clause this 
year, reindeer next year, for Christmas, or jack-o-lanterns this year, 
ghosts next year, and skeletons the following year, for Halloween. Hence, 
the manufacturer wants a flexible system which may be expanded with new 
features as time goes by. Still another consideration is the safety 
features provided by outdoor lighting which may be exposed to almost any 
kind of weather ranging from ice and snow through drenching rain to summer 
heat. The various electrical fittings, couplers for mounting the light, 
and the like should be resistant to these and other weather related 
problems. These features should be available with a great variety of light 
bulbs, and both low voltage and commercial voltages. 
SUMMARY 
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide new and improved home 
decorative lighting systems. In particular, an object is to provide 
flexibility of lighting which enables the user to exercise creativity in 
displaying the decorative lighting. 
In keeping with an aspect of the invention, these and other objects are 
provided by a number of seasonal figurine characters such as 
jack-o-lanterns, Santa Clause, etc. While these figurine characters may be 
made by any suitable means, blow molded plastic is one way that produces 
good results. The plastic, or other materials, should be able to transmit 
light from a light bulb inside the figurine to be seen from outside the 
figurine. The light bulbs may be connected to these seasonal figurine 
characters on either their top or their bottom, or both. The seasonal 
characters which have top mounted bulbs contain a hole through which a 
light bulb may be inserted in the figurine. An elastomeric ring coupler 
fits snugly around the base of a light bulb and then snaps into the 
circular hole. For this type of mount, the preferred electrical circuit is 
a string of in-door/out-door lights, such as the familiar Christmas tree 
lights. For the bottom mounted bulbs, the figurines have an adapter 
mounting plate, some plates with a plurality of couplers which fit on a 
great variety of existing outdoor ground lighting fixtures, other mounting 
plates being specifically designed to fit on separately provided support 
stakes. 
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the attached drawings, 
in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show essentially the same family of figurines which are 
suitable for halloween. Of course, this particular family may be expanded 
to cover other appropriate halloween figurines, such as witches, black 
cats, skeletons, and the like. The manufacturer may introduce these and 
other figurines on successive years in order to promote a continuing 
stream of sales. 
In greater detail FIG. 1 shows a front door 50 of a house with a sidewalk 
52 leading thereto. Along the walk way are a family of ground mounted 
figurines, here shown as jack-o-lanterns 54 and ghosts 56, in a line on 
opposite sides of the sidewalk. The figurine 58 indicates that they may be 
positioned on both sides of the sidewalk, if desired. 
Each figurine is mounted on top of a post or stake 60 that is mounted or 
driven into the ground. These posts or stakes may be parts of the 
permanently installed low-voltage ground lighting system which already 
exists in front of many houses. If so, the existing lighting fixtures are 
removed and the inventive figurines substituted therefor. In the 
alternative, the posts or stakes 60 may be special stakes which are 
specifically made for and seasonally installed to support the figurines. 
FIG. 2 shows the same family of figurines 54, 56, but these are adapted to 
be hung from limbs 62 of trees 63, for example. The figurine 64 indicates 
that the tree mounted figurines 54, 56 may be mixed with ground mounted 
figurines 64. 
FIG. 3 is a showing of a family of figurines appropriate for Christmas, 
which illustrates that any appropriate season may be accommodated. For 
example, the family of figurines may include bunnies and eggs for Easter, 
or uncle Sam and an eagle for the 4th of July. Also, FIG. 3 shows a Santa 
Claus 66 and a candy cane 68 as exemplary of a Christmas time family of 
figurines used in a different way, since conventional Christmas tree 
lights 70 may be mixed in with the figurines and since the figurines are 
used in a more or less conventional way to decorate a Christmas tree 72. 
FIG. 4 shows the invention in a form of an exemplary kit which might be 
purchased as a unit. Any suitable figurine may be sold in a kit, here 
shown as an exemplary jack-o-lantern 54. An indoor/outdoor string 78 of 
Christmas tree lights has a number of light bulbs 80 distributed along the 
length thereof. On one end, a plug 81 may be connected into any wall 
outlet (not shown) or the like. A socket 82 terminates the other end of 
the string of lights 78 so that a plurality of strings of lights may be 
joined together. Each light bulb 80 is mounted in a base socket 83 which 
may have a clip 85 associated therewith in order to anchor it to any 
suitable support such as a tree limb, for example. 
Each figurine also has an associated stake 86 which may be pressed into the 
earth. A pair of suitable connectors on top of the stake and on the bottom 
of the figurine may be used to join the figurine and stake as a rigid 
unit. In this example, the stakes are pressed into the earth at intervals 
corresponding to the spacing between the lights 87 along the length of 
wires 78. 
FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred construction of a figurine, here a 
jack-o-lantern 54, which may be hung from above. At the top 74, the 
figurine preferably terminates in a sloping roof which tends to shed 
precipitation in the form of rain, water, snow and the like and which 
resists a build-up of ice. 
On the slope of the roof, a hole 88 is formed in the figurine. An 
elastomeric connector substantially fills the space between the light bulb 
and the hole to help resist entry of water into the interior of the 
figurine. Light bulbs on the string 78 of indoor/outdoor Christmas tree 
lights is used to light the interiors of the figurines. 
FIG. 5 has been drawn to show one light bulb 80 and base socket 83 being 
inserted into the elastomeric connector in hole 88. If desired a mating 
connector may surround the base 83 in order to cooperate with the 
elastomeric connector and to help make the weather resistant seal. 
FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment which still has a sloping roof 89 to 
shed precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Here, however, the hole 
and elastomeric coupler 90 is on a point at the top of the roof. The 
elastomeric coupler substantially seals the opening. Again an 
indoor/outdoor string 78 of Christmas tree lights is used to light the 
interior of the figurine. 
The preferred elastomeric connector is seen in FIGS. 7-10. For economy of 
production a mold may be constructed to make any suitable number of 
connectors at a single molding. As here shown, two connectors 100, 102, 
joined by a common gate 104, are made as a unit. As shown in FIGS. 13A and 
13B, these connectors 100, 102 are broken or cut apart so that they may be 
used as individual units. To facilitate such separation, the gate 104 is 
molded with a weakened section 106. 
Each connector 100, 102 is molded in the form of a split ring which easily 
receives and embraces the base socket 83 (FIG. 10). In the example of FIG. 
5 where the connector is on the slope of the roof 74, the gap 108 is 
preferably placed in the lower most position along the slope formed by the 
hat on the jack-o-lantern. 
Each elastomeric connector 100, 102 has a flange 111 on its upper surface. 
Two diametrically opposed lugs 112, 114 are displaced (FIG. 12) from 
flange 111 to define a connection region formed on the outer 
circumferential periphery of the connectors. The openings 115 (FIG. 7) in 
flange 111 are where a mold part fits in order to form a ledge 117 on top 
of the lugs 112, 114. As best seen in FIG. 12, each of these lugs includes 
a cam surface 119 on its lower surface. 
By simply pushing the cam surfaces 119 into the hole 116, the lugs 112, 114 
are guided and directed to move inwardly until the lugs pass through the 
hole and into engagement with the underside of the figurine plastic wall. 
More particularly, as it passes through hole 116, the inward motion of the 
elastomeric connector 102 is shown in FIG. 12 by dashed lines 118. Then, 
the resilience and memory of the elastomeric material causes the split 
ring connector 102 to return toward its original size causing the lugs 
112, 114 to pop out under the edge of the hole in the plastic wall 116 of 
the figurine. Thus, the ledge 117 engages the under side and flange 111 
engages the outer side of the figurine in order for the plastic wall 
surrounding hole 116 to capture and lock the elastomeric connector 102 in 
place within the hole 116. 
If it should be necessary to remove the connector 102, as to replace a 
burned out bulb, for example, the split ring is squeezed to close gap 108, 
again as shown by dashed lines 110 in FIG. 11. After the diameter of the 
connector 102 is reduced, it may be removed from hole 116. 
FIGS. 14A, 14B illustrate how the invention may be used in connection with 
existing ground lighting systems. In FIG. 14A, an exemplary ground 
lighting system is shown as commonly used year around. A number of posts 
130 are permanently implanted in the earth adjacent sidewalk 52. Each post 
130 has a suitable weather proof fixture 132 mounted thereon. To wash a 
globe in the fixture or to a replace burned out light bulb, for example, 
the fixture 132 may be removed from and replaced upon the post 130. 
At a season when the inventive decorative system is used (FIG. 14B), the 
fixtures 132 are removed and the figurines are placed on the posts 130 
(FIG. 14B). In this example, a Santa Clause 134 and Christmas candles 136 
have replaced the conventional fixtures 132 normally supported on the 
posts 130. 
There are a number of different connectors which may be used to mount 
either the conventional fixtures 132 or the decorative figurines 134, 136 
on the posts 130 in ground lighting systems. For example, well known 
ground lighting systems are sold under the individual trademarks "Malibu", 
"Toro", and perhaps other marks. Each of these ground lighting systems has 
its own particular way of connecting the fixture to the posts or stake. 
FIGS. 15-18 show an adapter mounting plate 140 which may be used with the 
figurines in order to match them to any of the particular posts that may 
be part of the popular ground lighting systems installed around the user's 
house. This mounting plate has three separate types of connectors arranged 
in concentric circles. In the center of the mounting plate 140, a hole 142 
is formed to receive a light bulb. 
If a Christmas tree string of lights are used, they may be used with the 
elastomeric connector 102, as shown in FIGS. 10-12. If a conventional 110 
V. commercial power light bulb is used, the hole 142 may be large enough 
for the bulb to pass through. In some cases, a special adapter 141 (FIG. 
19) having a 110 V. lamp base 145 with a unitarily attached Christmas tree 
bulb socket 143 may be screwed into a lamp socket in the permanent stake 
130 so that the interior of the figurines is lit by a Christmas tree size 
bulb. Normally, the smaller wattage bulbs are preferred for decorative 
lighting. 
On the mounting plate 140 (FIGS. 15-17), a first and smallest of the 
concentric circles of connectors has three openings 144 which receive 
upstanding latches on a post of a commercial ground lighting system. More 
particularly, each opening 144 has a relatively large area 146 (FIG. 18) 
and a relatively small area 148. An upstanding latch 150 may pass through 
the large open area 146. Then, the mounting plate 140 is turned so that 
the small open area passes under the latch 150, thereby clamping the 
mounting plate to the post. A stiffening rib 152 is integrally molded on 
plate 140 and positioned adjacent the small area 148 in order to receive 
and support the latch 150, thereby proving a greater strength at the 
anchor point. 
Another commercial ground lighting system has a similar latch, except that 
there are four latches arranged to couple into a middle one of the 
concentric circles of connectors formed on mounting plate 140. The adapter 
mounting plate 140 has four openings 154 which are constructed 
substantially the same as the openings 144 shown in FIG. 18. However, this 
system has larger latches which engage a larger surface area on the plate 
140. Also a fence 166 is molded on plate 140 near the openings 154, all of 
which give a greater mechanical strength to the coupler system. Therefore, 
the stiffening ribs 152 are not normally required at openings 154. 
A third type of commercial ground lighting system has posts 130 (FIG. 14A) 
with openings somewhat similar to openings 144 and 154. Therefore, the 
inventive mounting plate 140 has two diametrically disposed latches 160 
dependant from its bottom surface and located in the largest diameter 
mounting circle on plate 140. These latches snap into and latch over 
openings in the post 130. 
Centrally located on plate 140 is a relatively high circular fence 164 
concentric with the relatively low circular fence 166. The bottom of the 
figurine has a relatively large hole which fits over the high fence 164 in 
order to locate and fix the position of the figurine on the mounting 
plate. For a relative low cost construction, molded plastic tends to have 
high spots and low spots. Any attempt to secure two flat plastic plates in 
face-to-face contact often results in contact at only a few points with 
gaps at other points. Therefore, a figurine with a flat bottom might 
wobble if it is connected directly to a two flat plastic plate in a face 
to face contact. To avoid such a wobble, the invention uses the relatively 
low circular fence 166 for the figurine to abut against and support itself 
on its solid bottom surface, which prevents a wobble. 
Two diametrically opposed mounting holes 167 are formed in the mounting 
plate 140 to receive screws 168 which fasten the mounting plate to the 
bottom of the figurine. Preferably, the screws 168 are self tapping screws 
which are turned into holes in the plastic wall. The mounting holes 167 
are in the circle formed by the low fence 166 so that the screws are 
pulling the plastic of the figurine into direct contact with the low 
circular fence 166. 
FIGS. 20-22 show an alternative and simplified adapter mounting plate for 
the kit shown in FIG. 4. In this particular example, the prior connectors 
used with conventional ground lighting system is not important. However, 
the principles shown herein may be combined with the principles shown in 
FIGS. 15-18. For example, the manner of mounting a Christmas tree light 
bulb that is used in FIG. 12 may also be used in FIG. 20. Likewise, any 
one or more of the types of connectors shown in FIG. 15 may be added to 
the mounting plate of FIG. 20. 
In greater detail, FIG. 20 shows a plastic stake 170 having a mounting 
plate 172 integrally formed thereon. For added strength, the cross section 
of the stake 170 has an "X " shape. The mounting plate 172 has an 
upstanding circular fence 176 which is similar to circular fence 164 (FIG. 
15) and is used to center the figurine standing thereon. The mounting 
plate 172 has a hole 178 which is large enough for a light bulb 180 and 
base 182 to pass through. The base 182 has an associated anchoring bracket 
184. A screw 186 passes through a hole in bracket 184 and turns into a 
hole 188 in the mounting plate 172. Preferably the screw 186 is 
self-tapping. 
Once the light bulb base 182 is anchored on mounting plate 172, a figurine 
190 is attached to the mounting plate 172 (FIG. 21) by screws 168. Once 
the figurine 190 and the stake 174 are joined, they are pressed into the 
earth (FIG. 22). 
Those who are skilled in the art will readily perceive how to modify the 
invention. Therefore, the appended claims are to be construed to cover all 
equivalent structures which fall within the true scope and spirit of the 
invention.