Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AN ARTIFICIAL TREE
This invention relates to ornaments and more particularly
but not exclusively to an improved lighted christmas
tree.
Conventional christmas trees that are commonly used can
be for example ordinary fir trees, fabricated christmas
trees made out of metal or dried tree branches or plastic
christmas trees. Such christmas trees when used are
decorated with christmas lights and decorations arranged
around the branches of the tree in a manner to make the
tree look attractive. It is a disadvantage that
arrangement of christmas lights around a christmas tree
can be a tiresome job and the possibility of accidental
breaking of bulbs is great, so that failure of the
christmas lights is common.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an
artificial tree which alleviates this disadvantage.
US Patent 4,364,102 discloses an artificial tree in which
a florescent tube is located in the tree trunk. Light
is transmitted from the florescent tube along the trunk
and branches by means of a reflective layer provided on
the internal surfaces of the trunk and branches.
~ h~
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Apertures (or transparent regions) are provided in the
trunk and branches to allow light to escape and hence
provide illumination. There is no disclosure, however,of
the use of a series of electrical bulbs provided in the
trunk and branches of the tree.
According to the invention there is an artificial tree
comprising:
a trunk;
at least one branch extending from said trunk; and
illumination means provided in said tree, said tree
being light transmissible, at least in the region
of the illumination means, characterised in that,
said illumination means comprise a series of
electrical bulbs which are located within said
trunk and said at least one branch; and in that
when energised, said bulbs illuminate the tree
through light transmissible regions of said trunk
and said at least one branch.
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tr~nsp2rent pl~stic trunk and ~r~nches wherein the
lights are permanently po~itioned lnside the t~unk and
branches o~ the christm~ t~ee.
A preferred ~eatur~ is to provide an ~ ,~oved lighted
christmas t~e~ ~n which a music~l integrated circuit
d~i.ce is posi~ioned inside the base.
X~ is an advantage o~ the described em~odiment o~ the
presen~ invention that an improved lighted christmas
tree is provided in which the arrang~a~ent o~ lights is
well bal~nced giYing good al}-round ~llumination.
It is A further adv~ntage o~ the describ~d embodim~an~
o* the presen~ invention that a lighted ch~istmas treo
is provided which can be ~ore easily decorated since
~hQre is no out~r l~ght wiring around its branches.
Further prc~*ered ~eatures o~ the invention are
recite~ in dependent clai~s 2 to 12.
~mbodiments o~ the invention will now ~e descri~ed, by
w~y o~ example, w~th refe~ence to th~ ac--o,L,&nying
drawinqs, in which:-
20Figurta 1 is ~ p~rspective view o~ a first
o~ the invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-sect~on view showing the
~lectrical wixing construction in~de th~ ~un~,
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branctles and the posit~o~ o~ the musical lntegrat~d
circuit d~lYiCC insid~ th~ base o~ the embodiment o~
Pigure 1.
Figur~ 3 i8 a cross-section ~tiew o~ thc second
embodimcnt of the inventlon.
Fi~u~ 4 is an expanded Yiew of region A of
Pigure 3
~ igurc 5 is a cross-section view in the direction
B-B o Figure 3.
Figure 6 illustrates a thi~d 2. ho~l~ment O~ the
invention
Figure 7 illustrates a ~ourth e~ho~i ~nt of the
invention with figure~ 8-10 showing components of th~
e~bo~1re~t o~ ~igur~ 7, figs 8~ and 9b bein~ views in
the direction of arrows A,B of figures 8~ and 9a
3:espectively.
Referring now to the drawin~s in detai}, there is
shown a lighted christmas tree ~ennrally desi~nated by
referencQ numeral 1. '~ne lighted christmas tre~
ZO includQs a base 2, a trun~ 3 and brancheQ with
removable lea~es ~. Sald trunk and branch~s axe mad~
of hardcned transparent plast~c. ~he bas~ 2, which
may b~ any shape ~or examp7e c~rcular, rectangular or
squarc, is provided with a ~op circula~ ~ock~t 5, ~n
which sn clectrical outlet ~ i~ d~sposed. Said outlet
6 is cen~ccted to an outer plu~ 7 ~or connection to
elec~rical AC or DC source. ~he bas~ 2 is ~urth~r
provided with a musicsl integra~ed circuit device "M"
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positioned internally thereo~. The davic~ "M"
Connected to ~he base el~ct~ical outlet and to an
on/o~f swi~ch "S" disposed ~t the outer
circum~erontial sur~acs portion o~ the ba~c 2.
Adapte~ to ~e removably secured to said ~ase 2 is the
~runk 3. The ~run~ 3 is provided with electrical plug
8 integrally positioned at the lower end portion, to
~it soc~et 5 of the ba~e 2 . Sa~ d electrical plug 8 is
in turn connected to electric~l wiring or mQ~ trip
lo connectors 9 longitudinally po6itioned inside the said
~ran~parcnt plastic trunk 3. ~ plurality of
elQctrical bulbs 10 are conn~cted ~rom bot~om to top
along the length o~ the wiring 9. Said tru~k 3 is
~urther ~rovided with plur~lity o~ sta~ge~d braneh
I5 connectors 11, ~t pre-detQrmined inter~als ~rom the
bottom up to the top o~ th~ trunX 3. ~he br~nch
connecto~ 11 are each provided with an ~lectrical
oUtlQt 12 which ~s connectQd to the longitudin~l
wiring ~ o~ the t~unk 3. The chxistmas t~ee branches
4 ar~ ~dapt~d to ~e -~ ~ably ~itted to s~ branch
connec~ors 11. Each branch 4 is pro~idQd with an
electrical plug 13 disposed at one end, which in turn
i8 conn~cted to a plllrality o~ bulbs 16 arranged
~nsidQ th~ said transparent branch 4 along its leng~h.
Each branch 4 is ~urther provided with pl~rality c~
holcs 1~ in which the le~ves 15 are removably ~ecured.
In UQ~3, the trunlc 3 ~s positioned on the base 2 such
that ~he trunk plug 8 ~$ts in the sockct 5, 6. ~hen
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the branches 4 are connected to the branch connectors
11 of th~ t:run3~, ~itting the branch plU~5 13 to the
~ranch connectors 11 and then connectins all the
le~ves lS ~o the branches ~. When the christmas tree
1 is ~ssembled tho outer plug 7 o~ ~h~ bas~ is
connected to an outside electrical AC or ~C sQurc~, to
light ~he bulbs inside the trunk and b~anches th~reo~.
Thc switch "S" of the musical in~egrated clrcui~
device "M" may then be put into the on posi~ion to
provide musi.c appropriate ~or the christ~2s season.
A second embodiment o~ the invention is shown in
Figures 3 and 4. The second embodi~ent has many
similariti.es with the first e~odiment and so only the
principal di~erences will be described.
In order to aid assembly, the hollow transparent
plas1-ic ~runk 3 iç ~lvided into 3 sec~ions 3~, 3B and
3C which slidably enga~e. Each section is provided
with a plurali~y o~ hollow transparent plastic
branches, the oranches being arranged in 6 equi-
angularly spaced sats of 6 branches 20A-~ - 25A-~ (see
Fiyurc 5) o~ which sets 20A-F and 21A-F are s~own in
~igure 3. Each set o~ br~nche~ has an electrical wir~
gA-sF ~Figure 5) associated with it. Fo~ example
branch set ~o is asscci~ted with wire 9A and branch
set 2~. is a~sociated with wire gB which wires provide
connections to each branch o~ the set. Qne such
connec~ion i5 shown in dctail in Figure 4. ~he
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~ranches 21 may be connected to the ste~ 3 by any
con~r~ntional means and may ~or example be push :Cit, 80
tha~ the sides o~ the branch engag~ th~.stem. Bulbs
30 are connected in series with connectors e.g. 9A v~a
pins 32 pro~ided in the s~de o~ the s~em, the bulbs 30
and ar-sociated wiring being ~d into the interior of
the branch 21 when attached to the stem 3c. 1'~ 8iX
wires sA-s~' are connected to a : _n ~eturn 19 and
all wires are connected to an electrical supply
control ~ox ~0, having an on/o~ switch 41 and a power
connection 42.
F~rther bulbs 31 are provided along the length Or the
s~m 3A-3C in series w~th connectors ~A-9F.
In order to ~ridg~ the joints ~L~en segments 3A, ~B
And 3c o~ thc stem, slid~ng electricnl contacts (not
~hown) hetween the connectors 19, 9A-9F m~y be
provided.
Further embodiments o~ th~ inYention illustrnting
diff~ren~ connection opticns ~re shown ~n FiyurQs 6-
10.
In Figurc G, the segmentS o~ the stem 50, S2, 54 are
physic~lly and mechanically connected by complement~ry
plug and socket connectors 54,~6. Wiring 58 connects
the plug 56 and the socket 54 of the ~egments ~nd
lamps 60 may be connect~d in series with the w~ring 58.
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In ~igu~es 7-10, two types o~ s~gment 70,72 ar~
zlternately used. Seg~ent 70 is illustrated ln
~igur~s R and 8b ~nd includes ~ hollow c~l~ndric~l
body p~r~ion 80 provlded with a plug 84 and a
- 5 complemen~ary soc~et 86 ~t respe~tive ends. Six sets
of live and neutral electrical wi~es 88 a-~ are
prta~.~idQd between ~he plug and ~;oc3cet, the 5et3
corresponding to six branch connectors 8Z a-f. At
each en~ the wirss are connec~ed to slidab}y
elect~ically engageable connectors formed from copper
or aluminium provided at the ~ips of pairs 0c pins
95a-~ projecting ~rom plug 90 and at the base Or
correspon~ing slots 96a-~ formed in socket 86.
In or~r ~o ~nsure correct registration o~ connected
se~ment~, ~ recess 9~ is provided, ~or ~ec~iving a
corresponding projectlon 97 and this may be ~ormed to
allow interlock of the sagments by relative twisting
of the segments a~tcr engagement.
Elec~rical connections ~rom ~iring 88 4re provided to
sock~ts 93 formed in branch connectors 82.
Se~ment 72 is illustr~ted in figures 9a and 9b. ~hi~
SQgment is o~ the ~ame construction as ~egment 70,
having a similar body portion 100, p~ug 102, socket
104 and wi.ring 106 ~ut does not have any ~branch
connectors.
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A branch 74 is shown in fig. 10 o~ simil2r
construction ~o that described with re~erence to
figure 2 and having plug 110 for engagemen~ with
~ranch connectors 82 and pins 10~ for en~agemen~
with s~ckets 93.
In uso the segments 70,72 are altsrnately connect~d
via ~he complementa~y plugs and sockets to ~orm the
trunk o~ the t~ee. ~he trun~ is placed in base 75,
the b~anches are attached to the ~ranch connectors and
lC a cap mem~er 73 placed on the rree end o~ the trunk,
~o ~orm the completed tree.
While ~he inv~ntion has been described with referenco
to transparent branches and trun~ this is not to be
constru~d as limitative. ~or examplu any single
supportin~ member o~ the trQe may ~e ligh~
tr~n~mi~sible and may ~e ~ranslucent rather than
transparen~. The supporting me~ber need also be light
tr~ns~i~ible only in the region or adjacent to the
lamp(s).
