Abstract:
An artificial Christmas tree incorporating a large number of fiber optic strands with one end of each strand terminating between, adjacent to or closely associated with the tip ends of the simulated needles at the outer end portions of the branches or stems on the Christmas tree. The other end of each of the fiber optic strands terminates above and in alignment with colored segments of a rotatable color wheel which overlies a light source. The color wheel is motor driven and when it rotates and the light source is energized, the fiber optic strands will transmit changing colors to the terminal ends of the fiber optic strands adjacent the tip ends of the needles thereby providing a Christmas tree that includes a large number of illuminated terminal ends of the fiber optic strands which continuously change color.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to artificial Christmas trees and, more specifically, to Christmas trees or other decorative trees which incorporate a large number of fiber optic strands with one end of each strand terminating between, adjacent to or closely associated with the tip ends of simulated needles on the tree. The other end of each fiber optic strand terminates adjacent to and in alignment with colored segments of a rotatable color wheel with a light source oriented adjacent to an opposite surface of the color wheel to illuminate the ends of the fiber optic strands adjacent the color wheel with changing colors. The color wheel is motor driven and when it rotates and the light source is energized, the fiber optic strands will transmit changing colors to the terminal ends of the fiber optic strands adjacent the tip ends of the needles thereby providing a decorative tree that includes a large number of illuminated terminal ends of the fiber optic strands which continuously change color in accordance with the arrangement of transparent color segments in the color wheel. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Small fiber optic Christmas trees having a height generally ranging from 2 feet to 4 feet are well known and commercially available. Such trees include a hollow main stem or trunk and a plurality of branches having simulated tree needles, usually shredded green polyvinyl chloride (PVC), mounted thereon. A plurality of fiber optic strands extend into and along the branches and have terminal ends near the tips of the branches and the needles. The fiber optic strands extend from the branches down through the center of the hollow main stem or trunk. The main stem or trunk is supported on a housing generally in the form of a container or pot having a socket in its upper end telescopically receiving the lower end of the main stem or trunk. A motor driven rotatable color wheel is mounted in the housing or pot and a halogen light is mounted under the color wheel so that the rotating color wheel will illuminate the ends of the fiber optic strands at the lower end of the main stem with different colors. The main stem or trunk must have a diameter sufficient to receive a large number of fiber optic strands which terminate at the lower end of the main stem or trunk. 
     In view of the size limitations of the main stem, presently available fiber optic Christmas trees are relatively small and usually have a maximum total length, including the supporting housing or pot of approximately 48 inches or less. Efforts to construct a taller tree, such as one 6, 7 or 8 feet tall, by using the techniques now available would necessarily result in an extremely large diameter main stem or trunk in view of the large number of fiber optic strands necessary to construct such a taller artificial Christmas tree with fiber optic changing color illumination. Accordingly, to date, artificial Christmas trees with changeable color fiber optic illumination having a height of 6, 7 or 8 feet are not available since the large number of fiber optic strands necessary in the construction of fiber optic artificial Christmas trees of greater heights results in an unsightly and undesirably large main stem or trunk. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the panel construction of artificial Christmas trees without fiber optics having heights greater than about 4 feet, it is customary to provide a vertical main stem or trunk, usually hollow, supported by a stand at the lower end and having a socket at the upper end for telescopically and frictionally receiving a top section of the tree which is of integrated construction. Also, a plurality of downwardly and outwardly inclined panels are supported from the upper end of the main stem or trunk. Usually, each of the panels includes a substantially rigid member of wire terminating at its upper end in a downwardly opening hook which hooks into supporting holes in a plate or over a supporting ring at the upper end of the main stem or trunk. A ring is usually supported from the stem or trunk at a lower portion thereof with the ring supportingly engaging an intermediate portion of each of the panels to retain the panels in a conical configuration as a continuation of the top tree section. The top tree section and all of the panels have branches or stems with simulated needles attached thereto usually of shredded green PVC. The stems, branches or panels are somewhat bendable to enable them to be oriented in desired locations in order to provide a continuity to the external appearance characteristics of the artificial Christmas tree. 
     The present invention utilizes a structural arrangement similar to the conventional artificial tree described above. However, the structure is configured to provide changeable color fiber optic illumination of the tip end area of the needles at the outer ends of the branches or stems throughout the vertical and circumferential extent of the full tree from top to bottom. The integrated top tree section of the Christmas tree of this invention is similar to an existing small fiber optic Christmas tree. This top tree section includes a trunk having bendable branches or stems and PVC simulated needles permanently secured thereto. The branches are normally oriented in an upwardly and outwardly inclined relation to the top section trunk. Each of the branches or stems includes a large number of fiber optic strands with the strands extending to points adjacent the tip ends of the needles at the outer ends of the branches or stems and usually arranged in clusters. The fiber optic strands then extend downwardly in the top section trunk and terminate in exposed ends at the lower end of the top section trunk. The lower ends of the strands are then exposed to a motor driven rotatable color wheel and a light source on the opposite side of the color wheel from the fiber optic strands. The rotatable color wheel, drive motor and light source are positioned inside a supporting housing or pot. An electrical conductor and switch are connected with the motor and light source to selectively energize the same. Preferably, the motor is of reduced voltage such as 12 volts or more and the light source is a halogen light bulb or bulbs and the color wheel is a circular wheel with a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced transparent color inserts which are sufficiently transparent and align with the bulb or bulbs as the wheel rotates to illuminate the exposed ends of the fiber optic strands with different colors to illuminate the fiber optic strands and change the colors of the tip ends of the fiber optic strands as the color wheel is rotated. 
     In the present invention, the necessity of extending a large number of fiber optic strands through a large main trunk when constructing a tall Christmas tree, such as 6 to 8 feet, is avoided. Instead, the supporting housing or pot into which extend the lower end of the fiber optic strands of the top section, is elevated and supported on the upper end of a pole or pipe. The pole or pipe serves as an elongated main trunk for the bottom section of the tree. The elongated main trunk has a stand at its bottom end with the housing or pot for the top tree section secured to the upper end. The elongated trunk is preferably hollow to provide passage of an insulated conductor for a source of electrical energy to the motor and light bulb in the elevated housing or pot. 
     In one embodiment of this invention, the housing or pot includes a pair of spaced, generally parallel plates each of which has a plurality of circumferentially spaced and aligned openings. The lower section of the Christmas tree below the integrated top section includes a plurality of branches or panels each of which includes a substantially rigid wire member having a down turned hook at its upper end. The down turned hook includes a terminal end portion which can be inserted through a pair of aligned openings in the plates thereby supporting each of the branches or panels in a downwardly, outwardly inclined relation. Each of the branches or panels includes a plurality of wire stems each including a large number of simulated needles of green shredded PVC attached thereto or mounted thereon. The terminal end of the down turned hook terminates below the lower plate in the pot and slightly above a color wheel. Each of the branches or panels of the bottom tree section includes a large number of fiber optic strands extending along the wire stems and along or through the rigid wire member in the branches or panels. The shredded PVC strips forming simulated needles wrap around the wire stems and wire member and fiber optic strands. The terminal ends of the fiber optic strands are divided and positioned preferably in clusters, adjacent the tips of the simulated tree needles. The other or base end of the large number of fiber optic strands for each branch or panel is wrapped around and secured to or extend through the down turned hook end of the rigid wire member. As such, the base ends of the fiber optic strands are exposed to the area immediately above the color wheel and in alignment with the colored segments to illuminate the exposed base ends of the fiber optic strands with different colors. These colors are then transmitted to the terminal ends of the strands. 
     Thus, when the color wheel rotates and the light bulb is energized, the color wheel will sequentially illuminate the fiber optic strands in both the top tree section and the bottom tree section of the Christmas or other decorative tree. Both the exposed ends of the fiber optic strands in the lower end of the top tree section and the base ends of the fiber optic strands on the downwardly and outwardly inclined long branches or panels may be eccentric in relation to the rotational axis of the color wheel. As such, the colored segments of the color wheel will sequentially illuminate the fiber optic strands in both the top section and lower section of the tree in accordance with the color sequence of the transparent colored segments of the color wheel. 
     As a variation of this embodiment of the present invention, the trunk of the bottom section of the tree has an apertured support plate below the color wheel housing to receive a support hook on a rigid wire support for each panel. The fiber optic strands extend upwardly and extend downwardly into the color wheel housing for illumination of the ends of the fiber optic strands. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, the top tree section is the same as in the first embodiment. However, the lower tree section of the plurality of circumferentially spaced artificial branches or panels which include the stems of wire and shredded PVC to form needles, are without the fiber optic strands. The stems are attached to a rigid wire member having a downwardly opening hook at its upper end to engage with a apertured plate or ring at the upper end of the main trunk. Each panel has a smaller wire member attached to the rigid wire member with a plurality of twist wire loop or similar attachment structure. The smaller wire member has a plurality of wire stems attached thereto and a plurality of fiber optic strands which extend through the needles on the stems on the artificial branches to an observable position. The upper end of each smaller wire member and the fiber optic strands attached thereto extend downwardly into a separate housing adjacent the pot or housing supporting the top tree section. Each individual housing includes a motor driven color wheel and light source similar to that in the pot of the top tree section thereby illuminating the terminal end of each fiber optic strand with different colors as the color wheel is rotated. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an artificial Christmas tree or other decorative tree having a height ranging approximately from 6 to 8 feet and above, in which changeable color terminal ends of a large number of fiber optic strands are located adjacent tip ends of simulated needles throughout the vertical and circumferential extent of the tree. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a fiber optic Christmas tree including a top section and a bottom section with a large number of fiber optic strands terminating above a rotatably driven color wheel and light source located in elevated position in order to eliminate the necessity for all of the fiber optic strands to extend to the lower end of the tree trunk thereby enabling the tree trunk to be of relatively smaller diameter and thus less observable and also reducing the cost by using shorter fiber optic strands. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a fiber optic Christmas tree in accordance with the preceding objects in which the top section of the tree is an integrated unit having a trunk constructed of a large number of fiber optic strands with their terminal ends adjacent the tips of simulated needles in the top section of the tree. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a fiber optic Christmas tree in accordance with the preceding objects in which the lower section of the tree includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced, downwardly and outwardly inclined branches or panels. In a first embodiment, the upper ends of the branches and the fiber optic strands attached thereto have downwardly opening supporting hooks at its upper end supported from a housing having a motor driven color wheel and light source oriented in elevated relation to the lower end of the tree. The fiber optic strands from both the top section and the lower section of the tree terminate in exposed ends oriented above and in alignment with color segments of the color wheel with the light source illuminating the terminal ends of the fiber optic strands with different colors which are transmitted to the ends of the strands adjacent the tips of the needles. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide a fiber optic Christmas tree in which the lower section of the tree includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced, downwardly and outwardly inclined branches or panels such as used in a conventional artificial Christmas tree. In a second embodiment, the upper ends of the branches have a downwardly opening hook at an upper end supported from an apertured plate or ring oriented at an elevated position and either incorporated into the pot or housing for the top section of the tree or supported on the trunk of the Christmas tree at an elevated position. Each of the branches includes a smaller wire attached to the rigid wire of the branches by a plurality of wire ties or other attachment structure. The smaller wire member includes a plurality of stems having fiber optic strands secured thereto which extend along the smaller wire member into a separate housing attached to the smaller wire member. The separate housing includes a motor driven color wheel and light source similar to that in the first embodiment so that each individual panel will have a plurality of fiber optic tips associated with the artificial needles in the panel and provided with its own housing, color wheel and light source. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a fiber optic Christmas tree in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation. 
     These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the top section of a fiber optic Christmas tree in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention together with a portion of the bottom section of the tree and the main trunk supporting all of the tree from a supporting stand. 
     FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the Christmas tree shown in FIG. 1 with the supporting housing for the branches or panels forming the bottom section of the tree and illustrating the relation of the color wheel, light source and hook ends of the panels and exposed ends of the fiber optic strands. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the Christmas tree shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the construction of the housing and the association of the lower end of the top section and of the upper ends of the branches or panels with respect to the housing, the color wheel and light source. 
     FIG. 4 is a detailed plan view of the housing of the Christmas tree shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the openings in spaced plates for receiving the downwardly extending hooks at the upper end of the branches or panels. 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed plan view of one of the stems used in both the top and bottom sections of the Christmas tree shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the association of the shredded PVC needles, the fiber optic strands and the core wire. 
     FIG. 6 is a detailed plan view illustrating the supporting ring for the downwardly inclined panels in the bottom section of the Christmas tree shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating a second embodiment of the fiber optic Christmas tree in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 7 but illustrating another embodiment of the present invention in which the supporting wire or rod for each panel is supported from a plate on the pole and only the fiber optic strands extend into the color wheel housing. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Although only three preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, in describing the preferred embodiment, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
     Referring now to the drawings, the first embodiment of the fiber optic artificial Christmas tree of the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral  10 . The artificial tree includes a fiber optic top section generally designated by the reference numeral  12  and a fiber optic lower section generally designated by the reference numeral  14  formed by a plurality of branches of panels  15 . Only a single branch or panel  15  of the bottom section  14  is illustrated with it being pointed out that a plurality of the branches or panels  15  will be supported to form a complete Christmas tree with the periphery of the bottom section  14  forming a continuation of the generally conical configuration of the top section  12 . The Christmas tree of the present invention can have a full height of generally 6 to 8 feet, and even higher. 
     The top section  12  is an integrated structure in the form of an existing short fiber optic Christmas tree presently on the market and includes a main trunk  16  having a plurality of branch stems  18  thereon each with a plurality of simulated needles  20 . The main trunk  16  is preferably a plurality of fiber optic strands  22  which may be glued together or positioned in a protective pipe or tube. The strands  22  extend up the trunk  16  and are generally arranged in clusters or bundles which are diverted to extend along the stems  18 . Each fiber optic strand cluster terminates in the needles  20  around the tips of the stems  18 . The other or base end of the strands  22  terminate at the bottom of the trunk  16  with the ends of the fiber optic strands  22  being exposed as indicated at  23 . The trunk  16  is telescoped into a socket  24  in the upper end of a housing or pot  26 . 
     The housing  26  includes a generally cylindrical wall  28 , a flat bottom  30  and a pair of vertically spaced, generally parallel plates  32  and  34  forming a closure for the upper end of the housing  26 . The plates  32  and  34  include a cylindrical connector  35  which defines the socket  24 . This socket  24  is preferably offset from the center of the housing  26  and offset from the center of rotation of a circular color wheel  36  supported and driven by an electric motor  37 . A plurality of light bulbs  38  are supported on the bottom of the housing  26  in alignment with the portion of the color wheel  36  that has transparent colored segments incorporated therein. Hence, as the light source shines through the color wheel, the corresponding color of the transparent segment will illuminate the eccentrically positioned exposed ends  23  of the strands  22  and the colored illumination is transmitted through the fiber optic strands  22  to the terminal ends  39  thereof adjacent the tips of the simulated needles  20 . Since the strands  22  are preferably in a cluster arrangement, a continuously changing color of the terminal ends  39  of the fiber optic strands  22  will be provided. A source of electrical energy is supplied to the motor  37  and light bulb  38  through a suitable electrical circuit including a switch  35  and a transformer (not shown) to reduce the voltage and otherwise constructed in a conventional manner. The above described structure for the top section  12  of the present invention is basically the same as a commercially available short fiber optic Christmas tree. 
     However, in the present invention, the plates  32  and  34  include a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures  40  with the apertures in the lower plate  34  preferably being slightly radially inwardly from the apertures in the top plate  32  but generally in alignment therewith. The apertures in plates  32  and  34  are generally aligned to receive the downwardly opening hook end  41  of elongated rigid members  42 . Rigid members  42  are typically in the form of heavy wire or the like forming each of the branches or panels  15  of the bottom section  14  of the Christmas tree. The rigid member  42  includes a plurality of stems  44  extending upwardly therefrom with each stem including a plurality of simulated needles  46  mounted thereon. The stems  44  are somewhat flexible and bendable to enable them to be oriented in optimum relation to each other to provide a full appearance to the bottom section of the Christmas tree. The downwardly facing hook  41  is inserted through the holes  40  to support the branches  15  from housing or pot  26 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the details of a stem  44  in a branch or panel  15  of the bottom section  14  as well as a stem  18  in the top section  12  of the tree. The stem  44  includes a core wire  48  of substantially rigid but bendable metal. Wound spirally on the wire  48  is a green PVC strip  50  shredded to form a plurality of green simulated needles  46  which, when assembled on the wire  48  extend radially in a random pattern to simulate a Christmas tree branch. The structure of the stems  44  is conventional and well known in the construction of artificial Christmas trees. However, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a plurality of fiber optic strands  54  have been incorporated into each stem  44  by positioning a plurality of strands  54  alongside the wire core  48 . The bundle of strands  54  may vary in number and are preferably positioned around the circumference of the wire  48  and inwardly of the spirally wound strip  50  so that the ends of the strip  50  when secured in position will retain the fiber optic strands  54  along the wire. The terminal ends of the strands  54 , designated by reference numeral  56 , are preferably oriented at the outer end of the stem  44  and adjacent the tip ends of the simulated needles  46  defined by the shredded area of the green strip  50 . The plurality of fiber optic strands  54  are thus arranged in clusters adjacent the outer end of the stem  44 . 
     The fiber optic strands  54  and the core wires  48  of the stems  18  and  44  are secured to the rigid wire member  42  in a manner similar to the manner in which the strands  54  are secured to the core wire  48  by using a spirally wound shredded strip  50  or a spirally wound narrow green strip. In either case, the spirally wound strip secures the fiber optic strands  54  to the rigid wire  42  on the exterior thereof with the spirally wound retaining strip extending throughout the length of the rigid wire  42  including the down turned hook  41  so that all of the fiber optic strands  54  terminate above the color wheel  36  as illustrated in FIG.  3 . By this arrangement, rotation of the color wheel  36  and energization of the light bulb or bulbs  38  will change the colors transmitted to the strands  54  in the bottom section  14  of the tree as well as the fiber optic strands  22  in the top section  12  of the tree. The color wheel includes differently colored transparent sections. A single halogen light bulb  38  may be employed or a plurality may be employed to provide sequential color variations at the tip ends of the fiber optic strands. 
     Usually, no more than ten branches or panels  15  are used to form the bottom section  14  and, in most instances, six to eight branches  15  are adequate. As indicated above, a single light bulb  38  can be used or a bulb  38  can be placed under the color wheel  36  in alignment with each of the terminal ends of the downwardly opening hooks  41  to provide multiple color changes to the tip ends  56  of the fiber optic strands  54  and the tip ends  39  of the fiber optic strands  22 . 
     In accordance with the present invention, all of the fiber optic strands terminate at an elevated position in relation to the bottom of the Christmas tree. This arrangement enables the housing  26  and all of the operating structure to be supported from the top of a tree trunk  58  such as by having an upper end of trunk  58  inserted into a downwardly extending sleeve or collar  60  on the housing  26  and secured thereto by a transverse bolt  62 . Other conventional attaching structure could be utilized. The lower end of the trunk  50  is supported in a conventional manner from a conventional Christmas tree stand  64 . Intermediate the vertical length of the trunk  58  is a pair of semicircular wire members  65  having base portions  66  receiving the tree trunk  58  and secured thereto by slide rings  67 . The periphery of rings  65  engage an inner surface of the rigid member  42  intermediate its length to support the branches or panels  15  of the bottom section  14  in an outwardly inclined orientation to complete the conical configuration of the tree  10  in a manner well known in conventional artificial Christmas tree construction. This enables disassembly of the rings  65  as well as disassembly of the bottom section branches or panels  15  and the top section  12  so that the entire tree may be stored in a compact condition. 
     The orientation of the housing or pot  26  at the top of the bottom section  14  of the Christmas tree enables the top section  12  to function by the color wheel  36  and light bulbs  38  illuminating all the fiber optic strands  22  in the top section  12 . At the same time, the color wheel  36  and light bulbs  38  illuminate all of the fiber optic strands  54  in the bottom section  14  without any of the fiber optic strands passing downwardly through the trunk  58 . By eliminating the fiber optic strands from the trunk  58 , the trunk  58  can remain relatively small in diameter as compared to the size of a trunk that would be required to receive all of the fiber optic strands therethrough for both the top and bottom sections of the tree. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the invention generally designated by reference numeral  70  which includes a top section and a bottom section generally designated by the reference numerals  72  and  74 , respectively. The top section  72  is the same as the top section  12  as previously described in FIG.  1 . Top section  72  includes the same supporting housing  76  as the housing  26  in FIG.  1  and includes a color wheel and light source for illuminating the tip ends of fiber optic strands in the top section  72  in the same manner as in FIGS. 1-6. In this embodiment of the invention, the bottom tree section  74  includes a plurality of branches or panels  78  which are conventional artificial Christmas tree panels without fiber optic strands. However, each of the panels  78  includes an elongated fiber optic assembly, generally designated by the reference numeral  80  attached to the rigid wire  82  of the conventional panel  78  by a plurality of wire ties  84  or other attachment means so that the fiber optic assembly  80  extends in generally parallel, closely spaced relation to the rigid wire  82  throughout the length of the panel  78 . The upper or base end of the fiber optic assembly  80  terminates below the housing  76  and includes a downwardly opening hook  86  at its upper end which extends into a housing  88  which includes a color wheel and light source in the same manner as the housing  26 . In this construction, each panel or branch  78  can include a separate housing, motor driven color wheel and light source. 
     The fiber optic assembly  80  includes a small supporting wire  81  and plurality of fiber optic strands  90  incorporated therein. The strands have stems  91 , which extend into the branches and needles of panels  74  and terminate in tip ends  92 . the other ends of strands  90  extend along the small wire  80  into the housing  88  for changing color illumination of the fiber optic strands. Thus, each of the branches or panels  78  which in and of themselves are conventional includes an attachment in the form of the fiber optic assembly  80 . The assembly  80  is secured adjacent to the rigid wire  82  by the flexible wire ties or other securing means so that the stems  90  can be positioned with the terminal ends of the fiber optic strands in clusters in relation to the flexible stems on the branches  78 . This arrangement enables each of the branches to be individually illuminated with a single light source and color wheel functioning to change the colors in the lower section  74  of the tree  70 . This individual illumination for each branch or panel  78  may be synchronized or not with respect to the colors on the other panels  78  as well as the colors on the upper section  72  of the tree thereby enabling specific control of the colors of the tip ends of the fiber optic strands to enhance the unique changing color characteristics of the sections of the Christmas tree. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention and is similar to FIG.  1 . The tree generally designated by reference numeral  100  includes a top section and a bottom section generally designated by the reference numerals  102  and  104 , respectively. The top section  102  is the same as top section  12  as previously described in connection with FIG.  1 . Top section  102  includes a supporting housing  106  which is the same as the housing  26  in FIG.  1  and includes a color wheel and light source for illuminating the tip ends of fiber optic strands in the top section  102  in the same manner as the structure in FIG.  1 . In this embodiment of the invention, the bottom tree section  104  includes a plurality of panels  108  which are conventional artificial Christmas tree panels without fiber optic strands. However, each of the panels  108  includes an elongated fiber optic assembly, generally designated by the reference numeral  110 , which is attached to a rigid wire or rod  112  of the panel  108  by a plurality of wire ties or other attachment means so that the fiber optic assembly  110  extends in generally parallel, closely spaced relation to the rigid wire  112  throughout the length of the panel  108 . The upper end of the fiber optic assembly  110  terminates in a downwardly opening hook  116  at its upper end which extends into housing  106  which includes the color wheel and light source in the same manner as the housing  26 . 
     The fiber optic assembly  110  includes a plurality of fiber optic strands which extend into the branches and needles of panels  104  and terminate in tip ends  118 . The other ends of the strands extend along the wire  112  and upwardly into hook  116  and into the housing  106  for changing color illumination of the fiber optic strands. Thus, each of the branches or panels  108  includes attachment of the fiber optic assembly  110  to wire rod  112 . The wire rod  112  has a downwardly opening hook  113  located below housing  106  and supportingly engaged with an aperture of plate  114  secured to trunk  68  as in FIGS. 1 and 2. This arrangement enables each of the branches to be individually illuminated with a single light source and color wheel functioning to change the colors in the lower section  104  of the tree  100 . This individual illumination for each branch or panel  108  may be synchronized or not with respect to the colors on the other panels  108  as well as the colors on the upper section  102  of the tree thereby enabling specific control of the colors of the tip ends of the fiber optic strands to enhance the unique changing color characteristics of the sections of the Christmas tree. 
     Electrical power may be supplied to the motor  37  and bulbs  38  by an electrical conductor extending through the trunk  58  with the power supply being reduced to 12 volts, more or less, in order to reduce the shock hazard. Suitable switching can also be provided in a conventional manner. The assembly of the tree and disassembly thereof is substantially the same as a conventional artificial Christmas tree having height of approximately 6 to 8 feet. The top section  12 ,  72  or  102  is first lifted out of the bottom section, and then each of the branches or panels  15 ,  78  or  108  which form the bottom section  14 ,  74  or  104  is lifted out of their supporting structure. The stand  64  is then removed and the trunk  58  separated from the housing  26 ,  76  or  106  thus enabling all of these components to be easily stored in a suitable container in a compact condition. 
     As an alternative to individual housings  88  as shown in FIG. 7, each of the fiber optic assemblies  80  may be associated with an annular housing and color wheel supported on the upper end of the trunk  58  in a manner similar to FIG.  1 . The annular color wheel can be driven by a motor and each small wire  81  would have a hook  86  at its upper end which extends into the annular housing. This structure enables all of the fiber optic assemblies  80  to be illuminated from a single housing color wheel and motor located below housing  76  which supports panels  78 . 
     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.