Patent Publication Number: US-10323830-B2

Title: Bulb gripper for holding decorative lights

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Applicants claim the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/440,122 filed Dec. 29, 2016. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to clips and stakes for displaying decorative lights. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Decorative lights typically consist of a large number of light sockets being wired together with light bulbs positioned in the light sockets. The string of lights is then attached to the face of a building, mounted on stakes, wrapped around a tree or hung on a seasonal display. Strings of lights have been mounted by retaining either the light socket or the wire. The object of these holders is to display the lights so that they can easily be seen. The holders must not be adversely affected by cold temperatures and should be able to hold the lights during high winds which commonly accompany winter storms. 
     For many years Christmas lights were sold in three sizes: mini, standard (C7) and outdoor (C9). However, in recent years LED lights have become available that differ somewhat in size from their incandescent counterpart and created new sizes called C4, C5, C6, C12 and G28. Furthermore, the socket can also vary in size depending upon the manufacturer. A decorative light holder should be capable of holding all these sizes of light bulbs. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,174 discloses a stake having a light holder for holding decorative lights. The light holder has an S-shaped bulb gripper portion. One end of the bulb gripper has a small opening for holding a mini-light and the other end has a larger opening for holding a C7 or a C9 light. The bulb gripper is made of a resilient material so that the distal end and the proximate end can be sufficiently spread apart to receive a decorative light socket and then close to grasp the socket. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,709 discloses a decorative light holder having an S-shaped bulb gripper that can be attached to a gutter or shingles. In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  of the patent one half of the S-shape is sized to hold a mini-light socket and the other half is larger and sized to hold the standard C7 and outdoor C9 sockets. 
     U.S. Pat. No. Des. 331,360 discloses a hook for supporting Christmas lights adjacent roofing shingles. This hook is comprised of a small stake which fits between the shingles having a single spiral at one end. The spiral end is sized to hold the wire of the Christmas light string, not a bulb or socket. Similar devices comprised of a stake or straight pin with a curved holder attached at one end have been used to retain other structures or products. 
     Another prior art device provides an L-shaped light support bracket with one of the legs being fitted under a shingle. The other leg includes a hole sized to receive a light bulb. This type of light support bracket can also be positioned within a retaining strip which is permanently attached to a flat building surface. Examples of these light mountings are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,905,131; 4,901,212; and 4,851,977; and have been sold under the trademark “LITES UP” by Gary Products Group, Inc. 
     Yet another type of decorative light holder has a U-shaped clip which receives the socket of a decorative light. This type of bulb gripper typically cannot securely hold a mini-light, or a C7 light or a C9 light. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,344 discloses a support for holding a string of decorative lights on a building. The support consists of a series of elongate members that are connected together. Each elongate member has one or more circular openings. Flanges are provided on the interior of each of the openings to frictionally engage the light bulb. Because the openings are a fixed diameter they can hold only one size light bulb. 
     There is a need for a holder for decorative lights that can hold all sizes of decorative lights securely. This holder should not allow the decorative light being held to move relative to the holder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     We provide a decorative light holder which can securely hold a decorative light ranging in size from mini-light bulbs to the largest currently available decorative light that is in a string of decorative lights. Those sizes which are larger than a mini-light include C7 and C9 as well as C4, C5, C6, C12 and G28. 
     Our decorative light holder has a bulb gripper containing a U-shaped body with projections on the interior surface that enable the bulb gripper to securely hold these many different sizes of decorative light bulbs. 
     One embodiment has two arms attached to a base that form a U-shaped body. The interior surface of each arm of the body has an inward tooth near the opening followed by three spaced apart projections. A smaller U-shaped projection is at the base of the body. This smaller U-shaped projection is sized to hold a mini-light. The arms can flex outward so that the body can receive and securely hold the decorative light. 
     A second embodiment also has a U-shaped body consisting of two arms attached to a base. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment but has projections at the base of the U-shaped body which are sized and configured to hold a mini-light. 
     The projections and the teeth on the arms form a ledge which supports the decorative light. When holding a C7, C9, C4, C5, C6, C12 or G28 decorative light this ledge should be in the gap that is formed by the top of the light socket and the portion of the light bulb adjacent the top of the light socket. The ledge prevents the light from moving up or down as well as prevents the light bulb from tilting. Consequently, a string of lights can be displayed such that all of the light bulbs are within a common plane and all oriented in the same way. 
     Traditional decorative light holders have held the middle or base of the light socket. In those holders the bulb can slide up and down as nothing locks them in vertically. The bulb gripper disclosed here takes a different approach and engages the decorative light at the top of the socket and the neck of the bulb, except for mini-lights which do not has a narrower neck. 
     Other features and advantages of our bulb gripper for holding a decorative light will become apparent from certain preferred embodiments which are shown in the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is top view of a present preferred embodiment of our bulb gripper for a decorative light holder. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of a second present preferred embodiment of our bulb gripper for a decorative light holder. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a portion of the one arm of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is front view of the embodiment of our bulb gripper shown in  FIG. 1  attached to a stake when the bulb gripper is positioned co-linear with a centerline through the stake portion. 
         FIG. 5  is front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  when the bulb gripper is positioned substantially perpendicular to a centerline through the stake portion. 
         FIG. 6  is perspective view of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is perspective view of two of the stakes shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  holding a portion of a string of decorative lights with the bulb portion of the light bulbs being held above the bulb gripper. 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of a decorative light being held by a portion of the bulb gripper as in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1  attached to a mounting structure that can hold the head of a suction cup. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1  attached to a mounting structure which can be attached to a gutter or shingles. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1  attached to a mounting structure which can be attached to siding. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     We provide a bulb gripper for a decorative light holder which has a U-shaped body with projections on the interior surface that enable the bulb gripper to securely hold a mini-light, or a C7 light or a C9 light as well as the newer C4, C5, C6, C12 and G28 sizes. This bulb gripper can be on a stake or attached to a housing that enables the bulb gripper to be attached to a gutter, siding, shingles or other structures. 
     A first present preferred embodiment of our bulb gripper is shown in  FIG. 1 . The bulb gripper  10  has two arms  31 ,  32  attached to a base  33  that together form a U-shaped body  30 . The U-shaped body is attached to a stake or housing which is used to place the decorative light at a desired location. The interior surface of each arm of the body has an inward tooth  34  near the opening followed by three spaced apart projections  35 ,  36 ,  37 . A smaller U-shaped projection  38  is at the base of the body. This smaller U-shaped projection  38  is sized to hold a mini-light. Because a mini-light has a bulb which is straight, the U-shaped projection is intended to grip mini lights by the socket and C3, C4, C5, and some smaller diameter C6 lights at the neck. The flats  39  at the ends of the U-shaped projection, along with tooth  34  and three projections  35 ,  36 ,  37  on each arm  31 ,  32  define a circular opening that is sized to receive and securely hold the socket of a C7 light. The arms can flex outward so that the body can receive and securely hold the socket containing a C9, C12 or new G-sized decorative light. 
     In recent years LED lights have become available that differ somewhat in size from their incandescent counterparts and are sold in new sizes called C4, C5 and C6. Furthermore, the socket can also vary in size depending upon the manufacturer. The bulb gripper disclosed here can be used to securely hold traditional decorative lights as well as the newer sizes of LED decorative lights. As can be seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the bulb gripper  10  engages the decorative light  40  just above the top of the socket  41  and the neck of the bulb  42 , except for mini-lights which do not have a narrower neck. The projections  35 ,  36 ,  37  on each arm  31 ,  32  that project inward from the U-shaped body of the bulb gripper are thin and form a ledge which supports the decorative light and prevents the light from moving up or down. The ledge helps the arms securely hold the light bulb in an upright vertical position shown in  FIG. 7  and assures that all of the lights bulbs in a set are held the same position. The projections  35 ,  36 ,  37  that form the ledge may be mid-way between the top surfaces and the bottom surfaces of the arms or close to either the top surfaces or the bottom surfaces of the arms. Alternatively, the ledge may be formed by a single projection on each arm rather than multiple projections on each arm as shown in the drawings. 
     A second present preferred embodiment  4  of the bulb gripper is shown in  FIG. 2 . This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment but has projections  33   a  and  33   b  at the base of the U-shaped body  30 . These projections are sized and configured to hold a mini-light. 
     As can be seen most clearly in  FIG. 3 , the projections  35 ,  36 , and  37  as well as projections  33   a  seen in  FIG. 2  each preferably consists of a tab portion T connected to the arm  31 ,  32  by a narrower connector portion C. When a decorative light bulb is inserted into the bulb gripper the narrower connector enables the tab to flex up or down without causing the arm to twist. This is a significant improvement over a bulb gripper in which the projections are replaced by a continuous ledge or a continuous ledge having spaced apart slots like the flanges disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,344. The continuous ledge becomes essentially a support rib which makes it too hard for users to push a bulb into the gripper. Furthermore, the arms may twist as the light bulb is inserted. Putting slots in the ledge is only partially effective in reducing rigidity and will not eliminate the twisting or distortion problem that may be encountered when the bulb is inserted between the arms. Also, adding slots would create stress concentrations at the ends of the slots between the flanges. 
     The bulb gripper can be attached to one of several mounting structures to enable the bulb gripper to be held at a desired location.  FIGS. 4, 5 and 6  show the first embodiment of the bulb gripper attached to a stake  1 . The stake shown in  FIGS. 4, 5 and 6  has a top portion  15  attached to an elongated shaft  2  having a pointed end. The bulb gripper  10  is pivotably attached to the inner surface of the top  15  by a hinge  25  such that the bulb gripper can be moved from a position which is co-linear with a centerline through the stake shown in  FIG. 4  to a position which is substantially perpendicular to the centerline through the stake shown in  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 . The outer surface of the top portion  15  is curved and may have a series of parallel ribs that run across this surface. This configuration makes it easy to push the device into the ground. 
       FIG. 10  shows the first embodiment  10  attached to a mounting structure  50  having a slot  52  that is sized to receive the head of a suction cup. The suction cup can be attached to a window or mirror. 
       FIG. 11  shows the first embodiment  10  attached to a mounting structure  60  which can be attached to a gutter or shingles. The bulb gripper is attached to the mounting structure by a hinge  63 . A tab on the top of the bulb gripper can engage a first arm  61  on the housing  60  to hold the bulb gripper in a first locked position. A second tab on the bottom of the bulb gripper can engage a second arm  62  on the housing  60  to hold the bulb gripper in a second locked position. 
       FIG. 12  shows another embodiment of the bulb gripper  10   a , which is similar to the first embodiment of the bulb gripper shown in  FIG. 1 , attached to another mounting structure  70  that can be attached to siding. In this embodiment the U-shaped mini-light holder  38   a  is connected to the base  33  of the U-shaped body  30  by a connector. The housing  70  has a hook  72  that can hold a rope light. 
     Preferably the decorative light holder is made entirely of plastic. We prefer to use polypropylene. But the product could be made of a comparable plastic which permits the arms in the bulb gripper to flex. 
     Although we have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of our decorative light holder it should be distinctly understood that our invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.