Abstract:
A decorative lighting display composed of ornaments, each having a form resembling a snowflake and illuminated by a light or lights. The illumination of the ornaments is sequenced by an electronic controller to create the illusion of falling snow when the display is mounted on a house, tree or other surface. The ornaments may be connected electrically by multi-conductor connectors which are wired in a configuration that maintains the proper sequence of ornament illumination as additional ornaments are added to the display. The controller has features that allow for adjustment of the sequencing rate and direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a snowflake display that comprises a series of frames having lights wherein the lights in these frames are turned on and off sequentially to give the appearance of falling snow. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A snowflake display has been provided wherein this display comprises at least one frame, at least one light disposed in this frame and at least one controller for alternately turning these lights on and off. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the frame contains a plurality of branches and sub branches wherein these branches and sub branches are designed to make the frame have a snowflake appearance. These branches intersect in a center region on the frame and each branch contains at least one light. 
     In a first embodiment of the invention, the light is disposed outside of the frame. In a second embodiment of the invention, the frame is comprised of a clear or translucent plastic that lights up when a light positioned in a center region is turned on. In this case, the light is disposed within this frame so that when the light is turned on, the entire frame reflects light so that the entire frame is illuminated. 
     Finally, the controller comprises at least one timing and sequence control unit for controlling a time when the light will light, and an order when the light will light. In addition there is an output stage following this timing and sequence control unit that comprises a plurality of triac drivers for delivering electric power sufficient to illuminate the light(s) on this display. Because the lighting of the lights is being controlled by the timing and sequence control unit, each frame will light in an ordered sequence to give the appearance of falling snow on the side of a house or other vertical surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1, shows a side view of the ornamental display on a side of a house; 
     FIG.  2 ( a ), shows a front view of a frame for the display; 
     FIG.  2 ( b ), shows a side view of a light housed in the frame; 
     FIG.  3 ( a ), shows a front view of a second embodiment of the frame for the display; 
     FIG.  3 ( b ), shows a side view of a transverse extending sub-branch for the frame in FIG.  3 ( a ); 
     FIG.  3 ( c ), shows a cross sectional view of the frame in FIG.  3 ( a ) with a light disposed therein; 
     FIG. 4, shows a block diagram of a controller for controlling the display; 
     FIG. 5, shows a string wire configuration for a row of frames in the display; 
     FIG. 6, shows a connection between a male and female connector for the display; 
     FIG. 7, shows a schematic diagram for the wiring of a series of frames in the display; and 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for the second embodiment of the wiring of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now in detail to the drawings and, in particular, FIG. 1 shows an ornamental display  10  displayed on the side of a house  12 . The display comprises a series of frames  20 , that each contain at least one light  30  that is controlled by a controller  40 . Each controller  40  is supplied with 115 VAC via ordinary extension cords  15 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2A, each frame  20  contains a plurality of branches  22  that each contain a series of sub-branches  24 . This plurality of branches  22 , meet in a center region  26  of frame  20 . There is at least one light  30  disposed within frame  20  wherein light  30  could be an ordinary Christmas light that comprises a light unit  32  (FIG. 2B) and a socket  36  receiving light unit  32 . In this first unit, this first embodiment of light  30  fits into frame  20  so that socket  36  resides inside of frame  20 , while light  30  is exposed outside of frame  20 . Mounting tabs  27  are provided to facilitate supporting the frame  20  on a side of a house with nails or other suitable fasteners. 
     FIGS. 3A,  3 B, and  3 C disclose a second embodiment of the invention wherein frame  20 ′ comprises a clear or translucent plastic injection-molded frame. In this embodiment frame  20 ′ comprises a plurality of branches  25  and transverse sub-branches  28  that extend out of frame  20 ′ to form a three-dimensional display. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3C, one light  30 ′ is disposed inside of frame  20 ′, wherein the light unit  32 ′, light frame  34 ′ and socket  36 ′ are all disposed within frame  20 ′ in the center region of the frame. Because frame  20 ′ is formed as an injection molded clear or translucent plastic frame, this frame emits light at each branch termination  38  when light  30 ′ is turned on in frame  20 ′. The frame is made from a light pipe or a material that functions as a conduit for light wherein this material extends out of the center region containing the light. In this way when light unit  32 ′ lights in center region  31  it illuminates the entire frame. 
     FIG. 4 discloses a block diagram of controller  40 . Controller  40  comprises a power supply  41  that is fed by both a hot power line  42  and a neutral power line  43 . Power supply  41  converts alternating current input power to direct current power required by the timing and sequence control unit  44 . Timing and sequence control unit  44  feeds into an output stage  46  for lighting lights  30  or  30 ′. Output stage  46  comprises a plurality of triac drivers  47  forming a series of channels  48  communicating with lights  30  or  30 ′ to alternately turn on and off lights  30  or  30 ′. These channels are designed so that only one of the channels is powered on at one time. If lights  30  or  30 ′ are connected to a channel that is on, then that light is turned on, however if lights  30  or  30 ′ are connected to a channel that is turned off, then that light is turned off. Timing and sequence control unit  44  alternately turns on and off channels  48  within the system based upon a timed sequence and an ordered sequence. Timing and sequence control unit  44  also controls the time rate or interval at which the output channels  48  are switched. This interval can be varied by the operator by adjustment of potentiometer  45 . The ordered sequence is set so that each channel turns on and off in order, and then at each interval the display will change so that the channel will switch at each interval to a different channel. In a preferred embodiment, there are four separate channels  48 A,  48 B,  48 C, and  48 D wherein each channel switches on and off to alternately turn on and off lights  30  or  30 ′ in frames  20  or  20 ′. Frames  20  or  20 ′ each connect to an adjacent frame through a series of five pin connectors  50  and  50 ′. In such case that the operator desires to mount the controller  40  above the display, an external reversing switch  49  is provided on controller  40  to reverse the sequence of the output channels  48 . This serves to maintain a top-to-bottom falling snow effect. For safety purposes, a current-limiting fuse  42 ′ is installed in series with the AC hot power line  42 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6, female connector  50  comprises a plurality of receptacles  52 ,  53 ,  54 ,  55  and  56 . Receptacles  52 ,  53 ,  54  and  55  are each set to send signals through different channels  48 A,  48 B,  48 C, and  48 D, based upon the instructions sent from controller  40 . Receptacle  56  is neutral that is set to receive a neutral pin  56 ′ that is common to all connections and is shown as channel  48 E. Female connector  50  is disposed in controller  40  for feeding signals into male connector  50 ′ on line  60 . Line  60  is a wire harness composed of a series of wires that transmit power to lights  30  or  30 ′ in frames  20  or  20 ′. These wires also transmit power to additional frames  20  or  20 ′ by means of a female connector  50  at the opposite end of line  60 . Thus, each frame  20  or  20 ′ is wired to a wire harness line  60  that has a male connector  50 ′ at one end and a female connector  50  at the opposite end as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     Male connector  50 ′ comprises a plurality of pins to connect to female connector  50  to form channels  48 A,  48 B,  48 C,  48 D and  48 E. For example, male connector  50 ′ comprises a first pin  52 ′, a second pin  53 ′, a third pin  54 ′ and a fourth pin  55 ′, all forming channels  48 A,  48 B,  48 C and  48 D shown in FIG. 4, while a fifth pin  56 ′ is designed to receive a neutral feed  56 ′ to form channel  48 E. 
     In the preferred embodiment, both female connector  50  and male connector  50 ′ are keyed so that they can only be mated with one orientation. This results in receptacles  52 ,  53 ,  54 ,  55  and  56  electrically connected to pins  52 ′,  53 ′,  54 ′,  55 ′ and  56 ′ respectively when the connectors are mated. 
     The square shape of connectors  50  and  50 ′ as shown in FIG. 6 is used for illustration purposes only as many other configurations would also be suitable. 
     To create the effect of falling snow, each frame must alternately light in a timed pattern. To create this effect, a series of frames are connected together on different channels. This feature is shown in FIG. 7 wherein the schematic of the wire harness line  60 , the receptacles of female connector  50  and the pins of male connector  50 ′ are wired such that pin  52 ′ is wired to receptacle  53 , pin  53 ′ is wired to receptacle  54 , pin  54 ′ is wired to receptacle  55 , pin  55 ′, is wired to receptacle  52 , and pin  56 ′ is wired to receptacle  56 . The displays  71 ,  72 ,  73 , and  74  are wired to receptacles  52  and  56  within their respective wire harness line  60 . This skewing of channels as they propagate from male connector  50 ′ to female connector  50  causes displays  71 ,  72 ,  73  and  74  to be electrically connected to channels  48 D,  48 C,  48 B and  48 A respectively. This results in the proper illumination sequencing of displays  71 ,  72 ,  73 , and  74  from top to bottom. If it is desired to increase the length of the string by adding additional displays, their proper sequencing will be automatically maintained by merely plugging them into the end of the line, i.e., mating the new display&#39;s male connector  50 ′ with the last female connector  50  on the string. Thus the only restriction on string length is the current-driving capacity of the triac drivers  47  (See FIG. 4) and wiring  60  which is limited by fuse  42 ′ (See FIG.  4 ). This permits flexibility when installing the display on the side of a house where varying string lengths are desirable as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Thus, displays  71 ,  72 ,  73 , and  74  alternately turn on and off to form a sequenced pattern when controller  40  alternately switches through channels  48 A,  48 B,  48 C and  48 D, formed by the connection between receptacles  52 ,  53 ,  54 , and  55  in female connector  50  and pins  52 ′,  53 ′,  54 ′ and  55 ′ in male connector  50 ′. The switching occurs in a timed sequence through channels  48 A,  48 B,  48 C, and  48 D to give a viewer the perception of falling snow when these displays are alternately lighting on and off. This row can be repeated to an infinite number of displays wherein these four channels can be repeated throughout the display, with each section of display proceeding in a continuous sequence. 
     FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the system of interconnections between displays  71  thru  74  and the controller  40  using connectors  50  and  50 ′ can be substituted with hard wiring between the aforementioned components. The result would be a light string fabricated to a fixed length, i.e. four displays. This would eliminate the flexibility in selection of string length but would be less expensive to manufacture. 
     In this case, channels  48 A,  48 B,  48 C,  48 D and neutral channel  48 E are all hard wired so that channel  48 D would light display  71 , channel  48 C would light display  72 , channel  48 B would light display  73  while channel  48 A would light display  74 . At the same time, each of the displays  71 ,  72 ,  73 , and  74  are hard wired to neutral channel  48 E. This design is important because it provides a less expensive less complicated solution than in the preferred embodiment. However, because in this design the displays  71 ,  72 ,  73 , and  74  are all hardwired together, they are less adaptable than in the preferred embodiment. 
     Accordingly, while several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.