Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1
2 1. Field of the Invention
3 The present invention relates to a light string, and more particularly to a
4 light string having an attachment with which a cord of the light string is
securely
affixed to the tight socket.
6 2. Description of Related Art
7 Throughout the world, festivals are celebrated in particular with light
8 strings because of the attractive sparkling emitted by the light strings.
Christmas
9 is especially associated such light strings and Christmas light strings are
referrod
to hereinaf~tter though it is to be appreciated that the invention applies to
any such
11 light string for use on any appropriate occasion.
12 Christmas tights comprise multiple sockets, and multiple bulb
13 assemblies respectively having at least two electric wires. The bulb
assemblies
14 are separately installed into each socket. The wires connect each socket to
l 5 another.
16 Most installations of Christmas lights are hung or the wires are entwined
17 to an object, such as a tree. Sometime a force will act on the wires and
may cause
18 them to break and so manufacturers of Christmas lights will entwine at
least one
19 extra wire to the Christmas lights to add strength to the Christmas lights
string.
"two ends of the extra wire are separately secured to two ands of the
Christmas
21 lights string. However, the ends of the extra wire will get loose from the
ends of
22 the Christmas lights string after a period of use so the extra wire becomes
23 inet'fcctivc when the force acts on the Christmas lights string. The
Christmas
24 lights string is easily broken once the reinforcement of the extra wire is
lost.
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2
1 To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides an
2 attachment for a light string to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned
problems,
3 $j~AItY tZ TNF LNV>;NTI~N
4 The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an
attachment for a light string that is able to fasten a cord without letting
the cord
6 eventually become loose.
7 The attachment for a light string having sockets for respectively
8 receiving therein bulb assemblies and wires extending out of the sockets
9 includes a body The body of the attachment has a through hole defined
through
the body and a fastener slot de>xned in the body. An end of the cord is able
to
11 extend into the through hole and fasten into the fastener slot. The end of
the cord
12 is not able to get loose from the attachment so anotlser end of the cord is
also able
13 to fasten to another socket with the attachment. Thus, a Christmas lights
string
14 has the cord secured on the attachment such that when a force acts on the
Christmas lights string, it has enough strength to resist the force.
16 Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will
17 became niorc apparent from the following detailed description when taken in
18 conjunction with the accoxapanying drawings.
I9 B 1EF DES $IpZCQ]~ QIF THE D1~AWIN~S
2U Fig, 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an attachment for a
21 light string in accordance with the present invention;
22 Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the
23 attachment for a light string in accordance with tho present invention;
24 Fig. 3 is a top view of the attachment for a light string in Fig. 2;
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3
1 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the attachment for a light string in Fig. 2
2 with a bulb assembly inserted into a socket;
3 Fig. 5 is a top view of a third embodiment of the attachmcat for a light
4 string in accordance with the present invention;
S Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the
6 attachment for a light string in accordance with the present invention;
7 Fig. 7 is a side view in partial section of the attachment for a light
string
8 in Fig. 6 when a cord fasteas to an attachment;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the attachment for a
light string in accordance with the present invention;
11 Fig. 9 is a top view of the attachment for a light string in Fig. 8;
12 Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the attachment for a light string in Fig.
8
13 when a cap is not mounted on a top opening of the attachment;
14 Fig. l l is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the attachment for
I S a light string in accordance with the present invention;
16 Fig. 12 is a top view of the attachment for a fight string in Fig. 11;
1'7 Fig.13 is a perspective view of the attachment for a light string in Fig.
l l
18 when the cap covers the top opening of the attachment;
19 Fig. 14 is a top view of a seventh embodiment of the attachment for a
light strung in accordance with the present invention; and
21 Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the attachment for a light string in Fig.
22 14.
23
24 With reference to Figs. 1, 2, 5, b, 8, 11 and 15, an attachment ( 11, 11 A,
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1 1 iB, l iC) for a light string having sockets (10) for respectively
receiving therein
2 bulb assemblies (30) and cords (20) extending out of a corresponding oae of
the
3 sockets (10), the attachmeat (11, 11A, 118, 11C) is adapted to be securely
4 attached to a side of the socket ( 10) and includes a body.
s The socket (10) has a top opening, two sides, and an optional recess. The
6 recess of the socket (10) receives an insert of the bulb assembly (30). The
bulb
7 assembly (30) has at least two sides.
8 With further reference to Fig. 1, in a first embodiment of the attachment
9 for a light string in accordance with the present invention is shown. The
body of
the attachment (11) has a through hole (12), a fastener slot (13), a block
(111), a
t 1 top edge and multiple sides. The through hale (12) is formed thmugh the
body
12 and near the socket (10). The fastener slot (13) is formed inside of the
body The
13 blocfc (111) is located inside of the body and between the through hole
(12) and
14 fastener slot (13). An end of a cord (2O) extends into the thmugh hole (12)
and is
received in the fastener slot (13) to fasten the end of the cord (20) to the
body of
! 6 the attachment ( 11 ).
17 With reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a second embodiment of an
18 attachment for a fight string in accordance with the present invention is
shown.
19 The socket ( 10) further has two optional protrusio~as ( 14) and an
optional
compartment (141) defined between the twa protrusions (14). The two
21 pmtrusions ( 14) extend out of the socket ( 10) and are opposite to the
attachment
22 (11).
23 The fastener slot (13) of the body of the attachment (11) further has a
24 bottom and an optional passage ( 131 ) which is defined through the bottom
of the
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1 fastener slot (13) and allows the end of the cord (20) in the fastener hole
(13) to
2 extend out of the body of the attachment ( 11 ).
3 The bulb assembly (30) further has an optional T shaped tongue (31 ) and
4 an optional cap (32). The T shaped tongue (31 ) extends out of the side of
the bulb
5 assembly (30) and has a joint and a notch (311) defined at the joint between
the
6 T shaped tongue (31) and the bulb assembly (30) to facilitate pivotal
movement
7 of the T shaped tongue (31 ).
8 Tho cap (32) extends out and is opposite to the T shaped tongue (31).
9 The cap (32) is attached to the top edge of the body of the attachment (11)
and is
1o able tv cover the tkuough hole (12) and the fastener slot (13) so as to
prevtnt the
11 free end of the cord (20) from becoming loose inside the body of the
attachment
12 ( 11 ). In an alternative embodiment, the cap is a separate element form
other
13 element and is attached to the top edge of the body of the attachment (11)
to
14 cover the through hole ( 12) and the fastener slot ( 13).
With reference to Fig. 5, a third embodiment of an attachment for a light
16 sing in accordance with the present invention is shown. The through hole (
12)
17 and the fastener slot (13) are both defin~l in the body of the attachment
(11A)
18 and located next to each other.
19 With reference to Figs. 6 and 7, a fourth embodiment of an attachment
2o for a light string in accordance with the present invention is shown. The
fastener
21 slot (13) of the body of the attachment (11B) further has an optional
fastener peg
22 (15) inserted removably into the fastener slot (13). The fastener peg (15)
may
23 have at least two sides and two optional U-shaped recesses (151). The U-
shaped
24 recesses (151) are formed respectively on opposed edges of the fastener peg
(15).
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1 The fastener ( 15) is able to fasten one portion of the cord (20) in the
fastener slot
2 ( 13 ) of the body of the attachment ( 11 B) and the U-shaped recesses ( 1 S
1 ) are
3 able to abut sides of the cord (20) when the cord (20) is in a serpentine
4 configuration as shown in Fig. 7.
With reference to Figs. 8, 9 and 10, a fifth embodiment of an attachment
6 for a light string in accordance with the present invention is shown. The
body of
7 the attachment (11) fiu~ther has an optional cap (16). The cap (1~ is
attached to
8 and integrally connected to the top edge of the body of the attachment (11)
and
9 has a joint and a groove (161) formed at the joint between the cap (16) and
the
to body of the attachment (1 l) to facilitate pivotal movement of the cap
(1~6).
11 When glue or double-sided tape is used to raount the cap (16) to tho body
of the
12 attachment ( 11 ), the cap ( 16) is able to cover the through hole ( 12)
and the
13 fastener slot (13) so as to prevent the free end of the cord (20) from
becoming
14 loose inside the body of the attachment (11).
With reference to Figs. 11, 12 and 13, a sixth embodiment of an
16 attachment for a light string in accordance with the present invention is
shown,
17 wherein the attachment ( 11 ) further has two optional eXtensions ( 17) and
an
18 optional path ( 171 ). The two extensions ( 17) are oppositely extending
out of the
19 top edge and are opposed to the cap (16). The path (171) is formed between
two
extensions (17).
21 The cap (16) ftirtherhas an edge and an optional T shaped tongue (162).
22 The T shaped tongue (162) extends out of the edge of the cap (16) and has a
23 bottotn section with a notch (163) formed on the bottom sectioa of the T
shaped
24 tongue (162). The notch (163) allows the T shaped tongue (162) to bend whey
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1 the T shaped tongue (162) is to be engaged with the path (171).
2 With reference to Figs. 14 and 15, a seventh embodiment of an
3 attachment for a light string in accordance with the present invention, the
4 fastener slot (13) has as optional lever (18), a side edge and an optional
protrusion (183). The lever (18) is formed at fastoner slot (13) of the body
of the
6 attachment ( 11 C) and has a side edge, a recess ( 182) and a notch ( 181 )
formed at
7 side of the body of the attachment ( 11 C) whereby the lever ( 18) can be
opened.
8 The recess ( 182) is formed at the side edge of tho lever (18). The
protrusion ( 183)
9 is formed at the side edge of the fastener slot (13) and is received in the
recess
l0 ( 182) of the lever (18).
11 When the end of the cord (20) extends into the fastener slot (13), the
12 lever (18) is able to open to allow the end of cord (20) to easily extend
into the
13 fastec~er slot (13). After the end of the cord (20) is received in the
fastener slot
14 (13), the lever (18) is able to close the fastener slot (13) to secure the
cord (20).
In conclusion, one portion of the cord (20) can be fastened to one socket
16 ( 10) and another portion of the cord (20) can be engaged with another
socket (10)
i'7 via the attachment (1l, 11A, 11B, 11C), and this is duplicated for all the
sockets
18 ( 10) whereby the cord (20) has a ncpeated grip on the light string. Thus,
two eads
1 9 of the cord (20) are not able to get loose from a Christmas lights string.
The
2o Christmas lights string will not break when undergoing force because the
cord
21 (20) provides end-to-end security, as welt as the cord (20) being secured
at
22 regular intervals thus preventing snapping of the cord (20).
z3 The route of the cord varies within the embodiments but a feature
24 common to all is that at least one hairpin-like bend is formed in the cord
whereby
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1 any force tending to stretch the lights string is resisted as the bends in
the cord act
2 as but~ors.
3 Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present
4 invention have been set forth in the foregoing description together with
details of
the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative
only.
6 Changes may be made in detail especially in matters of shape, size, and
arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent
8 indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended
9 claims are expressed
