Patent Abstract:
A lighted vase which utilizes a base on which is mounted a container with the container having an internal chamber which is open at its outer end. The base includes a cavity and mounted in the cavity is a light generator. The structure of the container and the base is of a rigid material which is capable of conducting light. Light from the light generator, when activated, is to be transmitted through both the base and the container.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The subject matter of this invention is directed to vases which have an internal chamber which is adapted to receive an exterior structure such as flowers. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A vase is generally defined as a vessel which is usually constructed of glass, porcelain, earthenware or metal and which has a configuration which is usually higher than it is wide. The vase is used chiefly to hold cut flowers or for supporting other types of decoration, such as silk flowers. 
   In the past, there have been constructed vases of many different configurations. Almost all vases are tall, that means that it is greater in height than in width. Glass vases are capable of conducting light but most such vases do not include a light generator which is internally mounted. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a lighted vase which has a base with this base being constructed of a rigid, translucent material capable of conducting light. The base has a top surface and a bottom surface with there being a container attached to the top surface. The container is formed of a rigid, translucent material capable of conducting light and the container has an internal chamber which is capable of receiving an exterior structure. A cavity is formed in the bottom surface of the base with the cavity having an inner wall which is oriented transverse or across the base. The inner wall can have either an arcuate or planar configuration. The container is attached to the top surface directly adjacent this inner wall. The container has a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion is slightly smaller in dimension than the top surface of the base. A light generator is located within the cavity formed in the bottom of the surface of the base. Activation of the light generator is to produce light that causes light to be conducted through the base and the container. The light generator is activated by moving a manual switch in a pre-determined direction. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the basic embodiment is modified by having both the base and container being constructed of glass. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the basic embodiment is modified by having the container being integrally mounted to the base. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the basic embodiment is modified by defining that the internal chamber has an open upper end. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the basic embodiment is modified by defining that the light generator is adhesively secured to the inner wall. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the basic embodiment is modified by the light generator being defined as being battery operated and the light is to be activated by means of operation of a manual switch. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is an exterior view of the lighted vase of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the base of the lighted vase of the present invention taken along line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view through the base and a portion of the container of the lighted vase of the present invention taken along line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring particularly to the drawing, there is shown the lighted vase  10  of this invention that is capable of holding exterior objects such as flowers. The lighted vase  10  includes a base  12  and a container  14 . Both the vase  12  and the container  14  are designed to be composed of a translucent material that is capable of conducting light. A typical material would be glass although it is within the scope of this invention that the material could be a plastic. The container  14  is integrally connected to the base  12 . Both the base  12  and the container  14  are capable of conducting light. 
   The container  14  is formed of a sidewall  16  which surrounds an internal chamber  18 . Container  14  has an upper end  20 . At the upper end  20  the internal chamber  18  is open to the ambient. Generally, the container  14  will be constructed to be longitudinally tapered in configuration, which is clearly shown in  FIG. 1 . However, such a tapering configuration is not mandatory. The internal chamber  18  terminates at a lower end  22  which connects with a solid block  24 . The solid block  24  is integrally connected to the top surface  26  of the base  12 . The lower end  22  of the container  14  is slightly smaller in dimension than the top surface  26  of the base  12 . 
   The base  12  also has a bottom surface  28 . Formed in the bottom surface  28  is a shallow rectangularly shaped recess  33  which surrounds the entry to the cavity  32 . Mounted on the bottom surface  28  are a plurality of resilient footpads  30  with there generally being four in number of the footpads  30 . Formed within the base  12  through the bottom surface  28  is a cavity  32 . The cavity  32  has an inner wall  34  which is located transverse across the base  12  directly adjacent the solid block  24 . The inner wall  34  is shown to be of an arcuate configuration. However, although this arcuate configuration is preferred it is considered to be within the scope of this invention that the inner wall could be planar. 
   A light generator  36  is formed in the shape of a basically cylindrical configuration which has mounted therein on its upper surface a lens  38 . Incorporated in conjunction with the light generator  36  is a battery and a light source, which generally would be a light bulb, which are not shown. Such a battery and light source are deemed to be conventional. Activation of the battery to emit light is accomplished by manually moving of switch  40  in the direction of arrow  42 . It is to be understood that in order to deactivate the light being emitted from the light source, it is only necessary to move the switch  40  in a direction opposite of arrow  42 . The light that is emitted from the light generator  36  is depicted in the direction of arrows  44 . The result is the light that is emitted is to be conducted through the base  12  and through the container  14  producing a most desirable ornamental effect. This can be accentuated by the including of an exterior structure, which is not shown, within the internal chamber  18  of the container  14 . A typical exterior structure would be cut flowers or silk flowers. 
   It is desirable that the light generator  36  be fixedly mounted within the cavity  32 . This is accomplished by the including of a light conducting (transparent) adhesive  46  on the inner wall  34 . The adhesive  46  forms a bond between the inner wall  34  and the light generator  36  securing same within the cavity  32 . 
   The light generator  36  includes a removable access panel  48  formed on its bottom surface. The access panel  48  provides entry into the batteries contained within the light generator  36 . The access panel  48  permits the changing of those batteries and also the changing of the light bulb contained therein. 
   The discussion included in this patent is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible and alternatives are implicit. Also, this discussion may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. These changes still fall within the scope of this invention. 
   Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of any apparatus embodiment, a method embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. It should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5