Abstract:
An illuminated assembly that can be configured as a pinwheel, pinwheel bow or decorative bow. The illuminated assembly includes segments of material that are folded over to form looped structures. At least some of the looped structures retain chemical light assemblies that are used to illuminate the folded loop structures when activated.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/912,659, filed Jul. 25, 2001 and entitled Decorative Structure Having Dispersed Sources Of Illumination. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to decorative structures that are illuminated with multiple light sources. More particularly, the present invention relates to decorative structures, such as pinwheels, bows and folded ribbons that are illuminated using multiple light sources.  
           [0004]    2. Prior Art Statement  
           [0005]    Traditional decorative bows are typically made from looped strips of paper or fabric that are folded in a symmetrical pattern. Decorative bows are commonly used as decorations on packages. Such bows are also used as Christmas tree decorations, door decorations, wall hangings and the like. A variation of the folded bow is the pinwheel. In a pinwheel, material is folded and looped to form vanes instead of decorative loops. The center of each folded vane is then attached to an axle pin. This enables the folded vanes of the pinwheel to turn as the vanes of the pinwheel catch the wind. Pinwheels, like traditional bows, are also used to adorn packages and form decorative objects.  
           [0006]    Typically, the aesthetic value of a bow or pinwheel relies greatly on the material used to form that object and the complexity of the folds used in its creation. For this reason, bows and pinwheels are often made from brightly colored and/or decorated materials. In an attempt to make bows and pinwheels even more noticeable, illumination sources have been added to bows and pinwheels. The illumination sources illuminate the folds of the bow or pinwheel, thereby making the structure more noticeable, especially in low light conditions.  
           [0007]    Traditional decorative bows are stationary objects. As such, illuminating a traditional bow is not a complex endeavor. Illumination sources are placed into the bow. If multiple illumination sources are used, the various illumination sources are connected in series with wire. The wire is then hidden within the folds of the bow. The problems associated with illuminating a bow is that room must be made in or around the bow to hold the batteries for the lights. Furthermore, the cost of the batteries and illumination sources typically cost much more than does the bow itself. An example of an illuminated bow is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,072 to Root, Jr., entitled Illuminated Ornamental Apparatus.  
           [0008]    In a pinwheel, the vanes of the pinwheel turn in the wind. As such, it is much more difficult to illuminate the vanes of a pinwheel. To electrically illuminate any object, there must be a light and a power source for that light. As such, to electrically illuminate a pinwheel, lights and a power source must be added to the pinwheel. Traditional lights require the use of batteries that are fairly heavy. Such batteries cannot be placed on the vanes of a pinwheel because the added mass would make the pinwheel too heavy to be turned by a light wind. As a consequence, batteries are not placed on the vanes. Individual lights on the vanes can be joined to a stationary common power source using wiping contacts. However, such an assembly is very expensive to manufacture. A cheaper way to illuminate a pinwheel is to provide a stationary source of illumination that emits light towards the moving vanes. A pinwheel with a stationary internal source of illumination is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,507 to Stec, entitled Electric Lawn Ornament.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,809 to Kessler, entitled Pinwheel Toy, exemplifies a pinwheel that relies upon external light for illumination. However, stationary light source tend not to be as visually interesting as are moving light sources.  
           [0010]    The problems associated with illuminating a pinwheel at multiple points are the same as those illuminating a bow at multiple points. The cost and complexity of running multiple lights to a single power source is cost prohibitive. Additionally, the room required for the single power source and the wires that must run to the single power source complicates the structure of the pinwheel. Issues of cost, balance and the weight of the vanes prevent illumination sources from being applied directly to the vanes of the pinwheel.  
           [0011]    A need therefore exists for a low cost way to illuminate a pinwheel or bow at multiple points on the folds of these structures without detracting from their appearance or performance. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    The present invention is an illuminated assembly that can be configured as a pinwheel, pinwheel bow or decorative bow. The illuminated assembly includes segments of material that are folded over to form looped structures. Depending on the shape of the segment of material and the manner in which those segments are folded, the folded looped structures can form a pinwheel or a bow. At least one chemical light assembly is attached to the folded looped structures. The chemical light assemblies produce light when activated. The chemical light assemblies illuminate the folded loop structure, thereby adding to the appearance of the overall assembly. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a front view of a pinwheel assembly made in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a selectively cross-sectioned view of a section of the device shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pinwheel bow made in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a side view of a decorative bow made in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]    Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention device is shown. The shown embodiment is that of a pinwheel  10 . The pinwheel  10  contains a plurality of folded vanes  12  that radially diverge from a central point of rotation P. An axle pin  14  extends through the material of the folded vanes  12  at the central point of rotation P. The folded vanes  12  are symmetrically disposed around the axle pin  14 . As such, the vanes  12  are balanced about the axle pin  14  and are free to rotate around the axle pin  14 . The vanes  12  are all folded over and angled in a common direction. As such, when the folded vanes  12  catch the wind, a propeller action is created and the folded vanes  12  rotate about the axle pin  14 .  
         [0019]    The axle pin  14  engages a stick  16  behind the folded vanes  12 . The stick  16  is used to support the folded vanes  12  and to help move the folded vanes  12  through the wind.  
         [0020]    On at least some of the vanes  12  of the pinwheel  10  are located chemical illumination assemblies  20 . Each of the chemical illumination assemblies  20  used on the pinwheel  10  are of the same size and weight. The chemical illumination assemblies  20  are applied symmetrically to the pinwheel  10 , relative the central point of rotation P. As such, the application of the chemical illumination assemblies  20  to the vanes  12  does not effect the balance of the vanes  12  around the axle pin  14 .  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that each chemical illumination assembly  20  is comprised of a translucent housing  22  in which two separate chemical compounds  24 ,  26  are stored. The two chemical compounds  24 ,  26  are separated from each other in the housing  22  by a breakable barrier  28 . By bending the housing  22  of the chemical illumination assembly  20 , the barrier  28  between the chemical compounds  24 ,  26  can be broken. Once broken, the two chemical compounds  24 ,  26  mix and a chemical reaction occurs that produces light. By varying the chemical compounds  24 ,  26  in the chemical illumination assembly  20 , light of different colors can be produced. Typically, the light produced is green, yellow, red, blue or white. Furthermore, the chemical illumination assemblies  20  have a weight of less than one ounce each. As such, the presence of the chemical illumination assemblies  20  on the folded vanes  12  do not add significantly to the mass of the vanes  12  and therefore do not adversely effect the inertia of the pinwheel  10  and its ability to spin in the lightest of breezes. Such small chemical illumination assemblies  20  are commercially available under the trade name Cyalume(™) and are produced by American Cyanamid Company of Wayne, N.J.  
         [0022]    The chemical illumination assemblies  20  can be attached to the vanes  12  of the pinwheel  10 , either adhesively or mechanically. As is shown in FIG. 1, the chemical illumination assemblies are placed through slots cut into the material of the vanes  12 . In this manner, the chemical illumination assemblies  20  can be selectively added or removed from the vanes  12  without having to reapply adhesive.  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 3, a pinwheel bow  40  is shown. The pinwheel bow  40  has vanes  42  and a central axle  43 . The central axle  43  is attached to a base  45 . The base  45  has an adhesive surface that enables the base of the pinwheel bow  40  to be selectively attached to a present. Since the vanes  42  are attached to the central axle  43 , the vanes  42  can rotate as a pinwheel.  
         [0024]    The pinwheel bow  40  can have multiple chemical illumination assemblies, as were previously shown in FIG. 1. However, rather than have multiple small chemical illumination assemblies attached to the various vanes, a single elongated chemical illumination assembly  44  is strung between the various vanes  42 . The single elongated chemical illumination assembly  44  is sized to complete one full circle around the vanes  42 . In this manner, the presence of the chemical illumination assembly  44  does not adversely effect the balance of the vanes  42  around their central point of rotation.  
         [0025]    To utilize the pinwheel bow  40 , the vanes  42  of the pinwheel bow  40  are manually deformed before the pinwheel bow  40  is applied to a present. In this manner, the chemical illumination assembly  44  will become activated just prior to the application of the pinwheel bow  40  to a present. Once applied to the present, the rotation of the pinwheel bow  40  helps mix the chemical compounds within the chemical illumination assembly  44  and keeps the chemical illumination assembly  44  fully luminescent along its entire length.  
         [0026]    Referring to FIG. 4, an embodiment of the present invention is shown configured as a stationary decorative bow  50 . In this embodiment, a traditional bow configuration is shown, wherein several bow loops  52  radially extend from a common point to create a bow. On at least some of the bow loops  52  are provided chemical illumination assemblies  54  of the type previously described. The chemical illumination assemblies  54  are strategically placed under some of the bow loops  52 . In this manner, the chemical illumination assemblies  54  themselves are not visible, but the light emitted from the chemical illumination assemblies  54  shines inwardly on the bow loops  52  and causes the decorative bow  50  to be brightly illuminated.  
         [0027]    It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention device and method described and illustrated are merely exemplary and a person skilled in the art can make many variations to the shown embodiment. For example, there are many different types and styles of pinwheels, pinwheel bows and decorative bows. Any such type of style can be adapted for use with the present invention. Furthermore, the number of vanes, the number of chemical illumination assemblies and the location of the chemical illumination assemblies can be selectively altered. Chemical illumination assemblies can be located on every vane or bow loop. Alternatively, chemical illumination assemblies can be attached only to some vanes or bow loops present in a decoration. All such alternate embodiments and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined below in the claims.