Patent Abstract:
A ribbon light string ( 10 ) is formed from a reinforced ribbon ( 18 ) carrying a light string ( 34 ). By running the electrical conductors ( 36,38 ) that connect each lamp ( 16 ) through a flat sleeve ( 24 ) formed of two panels ( 20,22 )joined together to form a ribbon ( 18 ) and then extending the individual lamp bulbs ( 44 ) of the light string ( 34 ) through holes ( 46 ) formed in the panels ( 20,22 ) the lamp bulbs ( 44 ) become visible from the exterior of the ribbon ( 18 ) but the electrical conductors ( 36,38 ) are hidden. The ribbon ( 18 ) may be reinforced with peripheral reinforcing wires ( 30,32 ) so that it may be shaped in decorative ways and is made of a material, preferably reflective, that compliments the light from the lamp bulbs ( 44 ) that the ribbon light string ( 10 ) carries.

Full Description:
1. PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of provisional application, Serial No.: 60/203,700, filed on May 11, 2000. 
     
    
     
       2. FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to decorative light strings, such as those used to decorate Christmas trees.  
         3. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Light strings are used at holiday times to decorate homes and trees. In some commercial establishments light strings are used year round for decoration. As light strings have been developed that use smaller light bulbs, are cheaper to manufacture, and use less energy, the number of light strings being sold and used has increased dramatically.  
           [0004]    Typically, a light string includes a plurality of small lights connected electrically together in series or in parallel (or in a combination of series and parallel connections) with a plug on one end that is insertable into an electrical outlet. A light string may have as many as 200 individual lights on it.  
           [0005]    A drawback to the use of light strings, particularly in decorating Christmas trees or other parts of a home where the viewer will be relatively close to the decorations, is the appearance of the pair of wires that runs from light to light. These wires are usually a dark color, and will tend to blend in if used with a Christmas tree. However, they nonetheless detract from the appearance of the tree. Moreover, when a light string is used to decorate a mantle the wires can be hidden to a limited extent behind other decorations. In most cases, however, the wires are generally detractive and not attractive.  
           [0006]    Therefore, a need remains for a light string wherein the conducting wires are not visible or at least not obtrusive.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    According to its major aspects and briefly recited, the present invention is the combination of a decorative ribbon and a light string. Except for the lamp bulbs themselves, the light string runs through the interior of a two-panel ribbon. The bulbs extend through holes in the ribbon so that they alone are visible from the exterior of the ribbon. Preferably the ribbon has reinforcing wire to stiffen it so that the ribbon light string may be shaped for good aesthetic effect.  
           [0008]    The use of reinforced ribbon is an important feature of the present invention, the reinforcing allows a greater range of materials to be used for the ribbon itself, including those with limited structural stiffness, and facilitates the shaping of the ribbon into aesthetic forms that display both the ribbon and the lights carried by it.  
           [0009]    The use of two-panel ribbon is another important feature of the present invention because, regardless of the ribbon&#39;s orientation, the panels allow the conducting wires of the light string to be completely hidden by the ribbon, while allowing the illuminating portion of the lamps to be visible.  
           [0010]    Still another important feature of the invention is the use of shiny or reflective ribbon materials, which can enhance the light from the lamps by reflecting it from the ribbon&#39;s surface.  
           [0011]    These and other features and their advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art of decorative lighting from a careful reading of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments accompanied by the following drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    In the figures,  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a Christmas tree with a ribbon light string, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a detail of the ribbon light string, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a ribbon light string of FIG. 2, taken along lines  3 - 3 ;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a preferred method for securing a lamp to the ribbon material by cutting C-shaped holes out of the upper and lower panels of the ribbon light string, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a preferred method for using ribbon wire, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 6A is a detailed view of a preferred method of cutting circular holes out of the upper and lower panels of the ribbon light string, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIGS. 6B is a detailed view of a preferred method of cutting X-shaped holes out of the upper and lower panels of the ribbon light string, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 6C is a detailed view of a preferred method of cutting H-shaped holes out of the upper and lower panels of the ribbon light string, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 is a detailed view of a preferred method of forming a flange on the lamp base and the lamp bulb for securing a lamp to the ribbon material, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 is a detailed view of a preferred method of forming a clip mechanism on the lamp base and lamp bulb together for securing a lamp to the ribbon material, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a ribbon light string showing the use of two hems on each side of the longitudinal centerline of the ribbon light string, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    The present invention is, in combination, a light string and a ribbon. The term “light string” refers to a plurality of lamps connected electrically by wires either in series, in parallel, or in a series/parallel combination, powered either by alternating or direct current, and having a male electrical plug at one end and a female electrical plug at the other end to facilitate the cascading of multiple strings. When the male electrical plug is plugged into an energized wall outlet, or into the female plug of either an energized extension cord or another energized light string, the lamps in the string light up.  
         [0025]    The term “ribbon” is used in a geometric sense and generally refers to a thin, flat material having a major dimension that is considerably longer than its minor dimension and a minor dimension much greater than its thickness. The term “ribbon” is also generally characterized by a relatively high degree of flexibility, i.e., it can be formed into various shapes including bows, for example.  
         [0026]    Referring now to the figures, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 an example of the utility of the present invention of a ribbon light string  10 , namely, to decorate Christmas tree  12  having ornaments  14 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Ribbon light string  10  includes a plurality of individual lamps  16  carried by a length of ribbon  18 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIGS. 2,3, and  4  illustrate detailed views of a ribbon light string  10  from the side and in cross sectional view, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, ribbon  18  includes two panels an upper panel  20  and a lower panel  22  that are joined together to form a pocket or sleeve  24 . Panels  20 ,  22 , need not be the same width, i.e., one of them can be narrower than the other, as long as the panels when joined together form sleeve  24  that is wide enough to accommodate the light string  34  inside sleeve  24 . Sleeve  24  has two channels  26 ,  28 , formed in its lateral extremities. It is preferred that these channels are dimensioned to receive reinforcing wires  30 , 32 , and are preferably formed by sewing, gluing, heat sealing, or by some other convenient method, a hem  29  near both longitudinal edges  62 ,  63  of ribbon  18 . Reinforcing wires  30 ,  32 , are preferably made of steel, plastic or other material that is malleable so that it can be formed into a shape that will remain until it is bent again. Thus, reinforcing wires  30 ,  32 , should provide sufficient structure to hold ribbon  18  in a given shape.  
         [0028]    Reinforcing wires  30 ,  32 , allow the user to crinkle or shape ribbon  18  into a decorative form, such as a spiral, a curl, a loop or a bow where it will remain in such shape until re-formed into a different shape. Channels  26 ,  28 , do not necessarily need to be located in the lateral extremities, i.e., these channels can be located anywhere, as long as a channel  26  or  28  is on each side of the longitudinal centerline between the longitudinal centerline and a longitudinal edge  62 ,  63 , with an example of such an orientation shown in FIG. 9. Furthermore, the two reinforcing wires  30 ,  32 , are not needed in order to be able to shape ribbon  18 . However, this arrangement and number of reinforcing wires is preferred. Alternatively, a single reinforcing wire may provide the structure for shaping ribbon  18 , which reinforcing wire may be located anywhere between the longitudinal edges  62 ,  63  as long as it runs longitudinally between the opposite longitudinal ends  60 ,  61  of ribbon  18 , or, alternatively, a material may be selected for ribbon  18  that has sufficient structural strength and flexibility so it can be bent, without the need of reinforcing wires  30 ,  32 , into a shape that will remain until it is bent again.  
         [0029]    In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the present ribbon light string  10  can be made using ribbon  18  in combination with “ribbon wire”  39  instead of conductors  36 ,  38 , and potentially with more aggressive lighting effects, and perhaps based on the use of “rice” lights, not shown in FIG. 5, which are smaller than the miniature lights commonly used on Christmas light strings.  
         [0030]    A light string  34  runs on the inside of sleeve  24  between panels  20  and  22 , and extends beyond the sleeve&#39;s longitudinal ends  60 ,  61 . Light string  34  includes two electrical conductors  36 ,  38 , which are insulated electrical wires, and a plurality of lamps  40 , which are connected to electrical conductors  36 ,  38 .  
         [0031]    Each lamp  40  includes a lamp base  42  and a lamp bulb  44  inserted into a lamp base  42 . Each lamp bulb  44  is energized by electrical current carried by conductors  36  and  38  through a lamp base  42  in the well-known manner. Each lamp bulb  44  extends through a hole  46  as shown in FIGS.  4  and  5 , or through a hole  58 ,  50 , or  52 , as shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and  6 C respectively, formed in panel  20  or panel  22 , or both panels  20 ,  22 , of sleeve  24 , so that each lamp bulb  44  is visible from the exterior of sleeve  24  but electrical conductors  36 ,  38 , or “ribbon wire”  39  as shown in FIG. 5, are hidden inside sleeve  24 . Each lamp bulb  44  can protrude from either panel  20  or from panel  22 , or can alternate between the two panels  20 ,  22 .  
         [0032]    Ribbon  18  is preferably made of a decorative material and most preferably made of a material that is shiny so that it reflects, either spectrally or diffusely, the light from lamp bulbs  44 . Panels  20 ,  22  need not be made of the same material or, if made of the same material, can be of different colors, such as red and green for Christmas. The material for panels  20 ,  22 , can be nearly any natural or synthetic fabric, preferably a woven fabric that is plasticized or covered with a foil.  
         [0033]    To facilitate the holding of a lamp  40  to either panel  20  or panel  22 , holes  46 ,  50 ,  52 , or  58  may be formed in panels  20 ,  22 , that are just large enough for lamp bulb  44 . However, instead of circular holes  58 , it is preferable to form C-shaped holes  46  in order to better hold lamp bulb  44  in place, as shown in FIG. 4. The uncut portion of the C-shaped hole defines a flap  48  that can be inserted into lamp base  42 . When lamp bulb  44  is inserted into lamp base  42 , it holds flap  48  and thus panel  22 , or panel  20  as shown in FIG. 4, to lamp  40 . Alternatively, a hole and flap arrangement in the shape of an “X”  50  as shown in FIG. 6B, or an “H”  52  as shown in FIG. 6C, or other similar shape may be formed, or a flange  54  formed on lamp base  42  and a flange  55  formed on lamp bulb  44  as shown in FIG. 7, or a clip  56  as shown in FIG. 8, can be used to pinch the perimeter of a circular hole  58  to lamp  40 .  
         [0034]    Preferably the longitudinal ends  60 ,  61  of ribbon  18  are finished so that conductors  36 ,  38 , in the immediate vicinity of a male plug  64  and a female plug  66  are held within sleeve  24  between panels  20  and  22  allowing the plugs  64 ,  66  to extend a short distance from the longitudinal ends  60 ,  61  of ribbon  18 .  
         [0035]    Other modifications and substitutions can be made to these preferred embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, defined by the appended claims.  
       LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMBERS  
       [0036]    ribbon light string— 10   
         [0037]    Christmas tree— 12   
         [0038]    ornaments— 14   
         [0039]    lamps— 16   
         [0040]    ribbon— 18   
         [0041]    upper panel— 20   
         [0042]    lower panel— 22   
         [0043]    sleeve— 24   
         [0044]    channel— 26   
         [0045]    channel— 28   
         [0046]    hem — 29   
         [0047]    reinforcing wire— 30   
         [0048]    reinforcing wire— 32   
         [0049]    light string— 34   
         [0050]    electrical conductor— 36   
         [0051]    electrical conductor— 38   
         [0052]    ribbon wire— 39   
         [0053]    lamp— 40   
         [0054]    lamp base— 42   
         [0055]    lamp bulb— 44   
         [0056]    C-shaped hole— 46   
         [0057]    flap— 48   
         [0058]    X-shaped hole— 50   
         [0059]    H-shaped hole— 52   
         [0060]    lamp base flange— 54   
         [0061]    lamp bulb flange— 55   
         [0062]    clip— 56   
         [0063]    circular holes— 58   
         [0064]    longitudinal end— 60   
         [0065]    longitudinal end— 61   
         [0066]    longitudinal edge— 62   
         [0067]    longitudinal edge— 63   
         [0068]    male electrical plug— 64   
         [0069]    female electrical plug— 66

Technology Classification (CPC): 5