Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
r
RAPID CONNECTING STRUCTURE FOR FITTING LIGHTS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
s 1. Field of the invention
The present invention is related to a rapid connecting structure for fitting
lights, and especially to fast and convenient connecting of a fitting light
provided to be of any of various lengths by a rotation connecting means
io with another fitting light or with a power line and its extension line.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A fitting light or lighting rope system is a lamp string having light
is emitting or flashing function in a flexible and transparent pipe. It is
advantageous in providing a unique decorative effect by light emitting and
flashing of a lot of lamp bulbs through a transparent pipe. With the
flexible structure which is plastic, the fitting light can be used in various
fields for decoration with various patterns. For example, it can be hung
20 on a surface of a building, or can be wrapped on a broad wall with a
given pattern to form a marvelous and attractive large light emitting or
flashing pattern. And more, it can be wrapped on any of various frames
with given shapes such as the shape of a heart, a star or a snowman.
2s In using such a fitting light, it can have any of various decorative
patterns
in pursuance of designed patterns or
1
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
r
requirement of customers. Hence in manufacturing in factories,
fitting lights are all in rolled form. A user buy a fitting light in
rolled form can make cutting according to indicative marks to
obtain desired lengths and then the lengths are taken for
connection. Such operation of connection includes connection
between lamp pipes, connection between a lamp pipe with a
power line etc.
Fig. 1 shows a way of connection for such a lamp pipe of a
conventional fitting light, wherein, a power line 10 is provided on
one end thereof with an end piece 11, the corresponding end of a
lamp pipe 12 of the fitting light is provided with two holes 121,
122 for connecting. A connecting seat 13 is provided on both
sides thereof with metallic guide pins 131, 132 capable of
inserting into the end piece 11 and the holes 121, 122 of the lamp
pipe 12. Then a connector is used to connect them. The connector
generally used includes two semi-cylindrical housings 14, 15, the
semi-cylindrical housing 14 is provided on the four inner corners
thereof with four screw holes 16, while the semi-cylindrical
housing 15 is provided on the four corresponding inner corners
thereof with four through holes 17, screws 18 can be screwed
therein to connect the power line 10 and the lamp pipe 12 of the
fitting light.
Such a connector for conventional fitting lights must have a
2
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
r
tool to screw in the multiple screws 18, operation of connection by it is
troublesome, time consuming and inconvenient. And existing fitting
lights are sold to customers or users in rolls, they are bothersome in
operations of cutting and mounting for connecting by customers, the
optional connecting work with desired lengths of lamp pipes of a fitting
light cut from the rolls often does not meet the requirement of safety in
many countries. And even some countries do not permit using in the
markets of such cut products.
SLJwIMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a rapid connecting
structure for lamp pipes of a fitting light, with which, two lamp pipes can
be butt jointed quickly and conveniently without any tool or technique.
The pipes of the fitting light can also be conveniently connected to a
power line or an extension line or end caps.
To obtain the object, the (optionally flexible) lamp pipes of a fitting light
of the present invention are made in different lengths in a factory, two
ends of each length are provided with a male and a female electrical
connecting end respectively, the male and the female electrical connecting
ends are directly molding formed on and matchable with the lamp pipes
and are provided close to themselves with rotation connecting means
having been provided
3
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
over the lamp pipes, so that the rotation connecting means can be
rotated to connect the pipes of the fitting light when the male and
the female electrical connecting ends are butt connected.
The rotation connecting means mentioned can be a male
S sleeve and a female sleeve in pair and can be screw connected
with each other. The sleeves can be both or either movable.
In connecting the lamp pipes of the fitting light stated above
in pursuance of their predetermined lengths, one end of the power
line can be provided with a connecting end and a sleeve for fast
connecting too.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the rotation
connecting means can be a single sleeve and a rotation connecting
portion provided on an opposite end.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the rotation
connecting means can be mutually opposite sleeves capable of
locking by diversion after butt insertion.
The terminal ends of the pipes of the fitting light can also
make connection of the pipes with end caps.
The present invention will be apparent in its novelty and
features after reading the detailed description of the preferred
embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is an anatomic perspective view showing the structure
4
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
of a conventional fitting light;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing connection of two lamp
pipes of a fitting light of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view analytically showing the
connecting joint of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken from Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing connection of a lamp
pipe of a fitting light of the present invention with the power line;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view analytically showing the
connecting joint of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing connection of a lamp
pipe of a fitting light of the present invention with an end sleeve;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view analytically showing the
connecting joint of Fig. 7;
IS Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing connection of the
present invention in multiple directions;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view analytically showing the
connecting joint of Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing connection of the
second embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 12 is a perspective view analytically showing the
connecting joint of Fig. 11;
Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing connection of the third
s
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
embodiment of the present invention:
Fig. 14 is a perspective view analytically showing the connecting
joint of Fig. 13;
Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken from Fig. 14;
Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing connection of the fourth
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken from Fig. 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIIVVIENT
Referring to Fig. 2, 3 which shows connection of two assembled lamp
pipes 20, 30 of a fitting light of the present invention, each of the
(optionally flexible) lamp pipes 20, 30 can be made a specific length in a
factory, such as 2 m, 5 m or 10 m etc. The lamp pipe 20, for example,
can be provided on one end thereof with a male electrical connecting end
21, while the on the other end thereof with a female electrical connecting
end 22, both the male and female electrical connecting ends 21, 22 are
molding formed on and matchable with the lamp pipe 20. The lamp pipe
30 connecting with the lamp pipe 20 is provided, in a contrary sequence,
on one end thereof with a male electrical connecting end 31, while on the
other end thereof with a female electrical connecting end 32, both the
male and female electrical connecting ends 31, 32 are molding formed on
and matchable with the lamp pipe 30. The male and the female electrical
connecting ends 21, 22, 31, 32 are provided close to themselves with
rotation
6
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
connecting means having been provided over the lamp pipes 20,
30. In this embodiment, the rotation connecting means are male
external sleeves and female external sleeves 23, 24, 33, 34 and
can .be screw connected. The male and the female electrical
S connecting ends 21, 22, 31, 32 are preferably embedded guide
pins or insertion holes as are shown in the drawings, the
connecting joint of them can be provided with a gasket 90 for
sealing.
The lamp pipes 20, 30 includes light emitting and flashing
lamp bulbs under control and provided in a transparent pipe, they
emit light and flash when are connected to a power source.
When the lamp pipes 20, 30 are butt connected with each other as
shown in the drawings, a guide member 35 on the female electrical
connecting end 32 of the lamp pipe 30 enters an internal hole 25 on the
male electrical connecting end 21 of the lamp pipe 20, so that a pair of
internal insertion holes 36 provided in the guide member 35 slip over a pair
of guide pins 26 on the male electrical connecting end 21 (referring
to Fig. 4). Thus the primary connection of the two lamp pipes 20,
30 is completed. Thereafter, an external thread 27 provided on the male
sleeve 23 of the lamp pipe 20 is screwed in an internal hole 37 on the
female sleeve 34 of the lamp pipe 30 to complete the connection
operation as shown in Fig. 2 and 4.
In the embodiment as depicted in Fig. 5 and 6 showing
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
connection of a lamp pipe 20 of a fitting light of the present
invention with a power line 40, the power line 40 is provided on
one end thereof with a plug (not shown), and on the other end
thereof with a female electrical connecting end 42 and a female
external sleeve 44 in the shapes identical to those on the butt
connecting end of the lamp pipe 30. In this way, the lamp pipe 20
can be fast connected to the power line 40.
The lamp pipe 30 shown in Fig. 7 and 8 is connected on the
end thereof with an end cap 50. The end cap 50 is provided with
an internal liner 51 which is provided with an internal hole 52
mating with the guide member 35 and provided on the tailing end
thereof with a snap connecting portion 54 having a neck portion
53 and capable of mating and connecting with an end hole on the
end cap S0.
In the embodiment as depicted in Fig. 9 and 10 showing
connection of the present invention in multiple directions.
Wherein, a power line 40 is connected with two lamp pipes 20, 30.
Such a connection state includes a manifold 60 for connecting of
ends; the manifold 60 is provided with male and the female
electrical connecting ends 61, 62, 63, two semi housings 64, 65
provided with internal and external threaded sleeve portions 66,
67 and 68 are put together to fast screw-locking the male sleeves
and female sleeves 23, 33 and 44 for the lamp pipes 20, 30 and 40
s
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
to be connected.
In the embodiment as depicted in Fig. 11 and 12 showing
connection of the second embodiment of the present invention, a
lamp pipe 200 is connected with the abovementioned lamp pipe 30.
S The lamp pipe 200 has a male electrical connecting end 201
thereof integrally and fixedly connected with an external sleeve
203, so that when the female electrical connecting end 32 of the
lamp pipe 30 can be connected with the male electrical connecting
end 201, and then a movable external sleeve 34 is screw
connected with the external sleeve 203 of the lamp pipe 200.
In the embodiment as depicted in Fig. 13 to 15 showing
connection of the third embodiment of the present invention, an
end sleeve 230 on one end of the lamp pipe 20 is provided with an
internal thread 270, the other end thereof and the corresponding
end thereof and that of the lamp pipe 300 can have their external
threads 329 directly formed on a electrical connecting end 320
thereof. This embodiment can have the volume after assembling
effectively reduced; and during the process of screw connection,
the two lamp pipes 20, 300 displace axially, so that connection of
the male and the female electrical connecting ends can be firmer
and reliable. This embodiment can use only a single external
sleeve provided therein with two threads in predetermined lengths
and mutually contrary directions; so that when in rotating, the
9
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
f
male and the female electrical connecting ends of the mutually
opposite lamp pipes with threads formed in advance can make
connection of the ends.
In the embodiment as depicted in Fig. 16 and 17 showing
S connection of the fourth embodiment of the present invention,
two external sleeves 235, 345 are used for connection. The
external sleeve 345 is provided with more than one "L" shaped
internal grooves 346; a hole 347 directing diametrically is
provided thereon to communicate with a diverting section of the
internal groove 346. While the other external sleeve 245 is
provided with a protrusion 237 in cooperation with the internal
groove 346; so that the protrusion 237 of the external sleeve 245
can be moved axially along the internal groove 346 for connection
and then can be diverted to move to the diverting section of the
internal groove 346. In this way, a screw 348 can be screwed in
through the hole 347 for locking and positioning.
The lamp pipes of a fitting light of the present invention are
of predetermined shape with various lengths, they do not need
cutting from the roll of lamp pipe, but can well meet the severe
requirement in the safety specifications. Connection between
lamp pipes, a lamp pipe and a power line or a lamp pipe and an
extension line needs only to connect the male and the female
electrical connecting ends, then to rotate the rotation connecting
to
CA 02314552 2000-07-20
means or to rotate to make a diversion for locking, and connection
is completed. These are done without any connecting tool; rather,
only a simple way of operation is utilized in locking a single
screw. Therefore, assembling and disassembling of the present
S invention is easy, and connecting operation in the spot can be
faster and more convenient.
The embodiments mentioned above are only for illustrating
the present invention, and not for giving any limitation to the
scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled
in this art that various modifications or changes can be made to
the elements of the present invention without departing from the
spirit, scope and of this invention and fall within the scope of the
appended claims and are intended to form part of this invention.
20
