Patent Publication Number: US-7213957-B1

Title: Lighted Christmas star ornament apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/580,121, filed Jun. 17, 2004. 

   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates a freestanding lighted star ornament that can be used with a nativity set. The, multi-faceted star is affixed to the top of a telescoping support post that allows the height to be adjusted. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Christmas has become a popular cultural holiday that is observed by people around the world. One of the most common traditional symbols of Christmas is the nativity scene, which represents the circumstances of the birth of Jesus. The nativity scene is typically represented as being in a stable at Bethlehem, where the baby is lying in a cradle surrounded by his parents, shepherds, wise men, and animals. 
   A symbol that is central to the nativity scene is the Christmas Star, which is said to have appeared in the sky over Bethlehem at the place where Jesus was born. 
   The Star represents the age-old procession of people journeying to places of pilgrimage, on the spiritual quest. Many Christmas stars have either five or eight points, with the bottommost point being a directional indicator of a point on the earth, below. 
   Unfortunately, the majority of nativity sets found throughout the world do not include an actual lighted star. Outdoor crèches are typically housed within some sort of enclosure, and that enclosure is often lighted at the dome or with lighting placed on the ground before the enclosure, directed to illuminate the crèche scene. In the case of indoor nativity scenes, however, an illuminated star is not typically found as an element included with the crèche figures. 
   A wide variety of star ornaments exists, which are designed for use on a Christmas tree. Some may be attached to the tree with ornament hooks, or by balancing them between the tree&#39;s boughs. Others are intended to be placed at the top of the tree. In order to create a distinctive presence, such ornaments are generally lighted, and are sized proportionate to a Christmas tree. Treetop stars are typically made to fit onto the topmost branch of a tree, or have a clip or other fixture by which they are attached and are not typically freestanding ornaments. 
   Other star designs use a fabric skin that is stretched over a dowel assembly in the shape of a five-pointed star. Decorative light bulbs may be placed in the assembly to illuminate the ornament. The ornament may be propped against or affixed to a variety of objects, but is not freestanding. 
   Another ornament is a five-pointed star, designed for outdoor use. It is comprised of a tubular skeleton with support legs in a tripod configuration that allow the device to be stood upright. A strand of decorative outdoor lights are attached to the entire structure so that its tubular skeleton is lighted. Such an ornament is not designed to be elevated above a typical indoor crèche. 
   Still other ornaments are found in star-shaped designs that are different from the typical star design of five or eight points. For example, ornaments are found in the design of the Star of David, which is a six-sided shape within which is a six-pointed star. Such ornaments are very different from the traditional Christmas Star design. Five-pointed ornamental stars are also decorated in a patriotic motif representative of the U.S. flag, with a stars and stripes pattern across the face of the star. Clearly, such a design would not be likely to find use in a nativity scene. 
   Therefore, what is desired is a lighted star ornament designed to be freestanding for use with a nativity crèche or for simple ornamentation in itself. 
   BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The instant invention is a star ornament made of a multi-faceted transparent material such as glass, plastic, acrylic, crystal, and a lightweight metal or finely meshed material. It has an opening in the back center of the star into which one or more lamp bulbs may be placed. The star is supported by a telescoping post. A socket fixture, into which a lamp bulb may be secured, is placed at the top of the post. The lamp socket is wired with electrical wire, which is strung through the center of the support post. The post sits on a support base made of plastic, wood, metal or other material. The base contains a battery or electrical power pack to energize the lamp. The device is controlled by a switch and a safety fuse can be provided, which protects the electric circuit from excessive current. In the preferred embodiment, the star is an eight-pointed star. However, the star can have other shapes, such as a five-pointed star. 
   It is thus an object of the invention to produce a star ornament that is freestanding, so that it is easy to incorporate it as an element of a crèche. 
   It is another object of the invention to produce a star ornament that is freestanding for a simple display of a star in any desired location. 
   It is yet another object of the invention to produce a star ornament that is illuminated to increase its aesthetic effect. 
   It is a further object of the invention to produce a star ornament to fit a traditional star motif for the Christmas holiday season. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus, showing a partial cutaway view of the base. 
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing a single bulb installation. 
       FIG. 4  is a rear view of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing a multiple bulb installation. 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of a five-pointed star, which can be used as an alternative to the eight-pointed star. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , a freestanding, lighted star ornament is shown. In the preferred embodiment, the star  10  is an eight-pointed star with a multi-faceted surface  11  that is made of a transparent material (e.g., glass, plastic, crystal, finely meshed metal material), which is affixed to the topmost part of a support post  12 . The support post  12  is designed to telescope and is made of two or more sections  12   a  and  12   b , section  12   b  fits snugly inside section  12   a  to be ‘telescoped’ up or down. The bottommost part  12   a  of the support pole is attached at its bottom to a support base  15  that is made of plastic, wood, metal or other material. The base  15  supports the device and also contains a battery or electrical power pack  16  that is attached by electrical wires  17  running through the center of the support post  12  to the electrical socket  18  placed in the star ornament (see  FIG. 3 ). Although the preferred embodiment uses an eight-point star, any other style of star, e.g., a five-pointed star (see  FIG. 4 ) can be used. 
     FIG. 2  shows the inside of the base.  FIG. 2  shows the battery or power pack  16  in the base  15 . A switch  24  is attached in the circuit to control the operation of the bulb  23 . Finally, a safety fuse  25  may be used to protect the electric circuit from excessive current. 
     FIG. 3  shows the backside of an eight-pointed star  10 , which has a hollowed opening  20  into which one lamp socket  18  may be fitted. The socket then has a bulb  23  to illuminate the star. 
     FIG. 4  shows the backside of an eight-pointed star  10 , which has a hollowed opening  20  into which several sockets  26  have been fitted. Here, several bulbs  27  can be used to add to the lighted display. 
     FIG. 5  shows a five-pointed star  30  that can be used in place of the eight-pointed star of the preferred embodiment. Although the eight and five point stars would be the most common, any other shaped star may be used 
   The present disclosure should not be construed in any limited sense other than that limited by the scope of the claims having regard to the teachings herein and the prior art being apparent with the preferred form of the invention disclosed herein and which reveals details of structure of a preferred form necessary for a better understanding of the invention and may be subject to change by skilled persons within the scope of the invention without departing from the concept thereof.