This document relates to decorating with a lighted device, such as a holiday ornament.
Decorations are often used as part of a celebration of an event or a season. For example, a living area or a shopping mall may be decorated with a tree having strings of lights and colored bulbs as part of the Christmas holiday season. Alternatively, a Menorah or other lighted decoration may be employed as part of a Chanukah celebration. In some circumstances, lighting effects may be used to provide a desired appearance to the decorations.
A number of factors may affect the design of such decorations, such as the lighting effects to be produced by the decoration. For example, if a decorative device is intended to appear as a Menorah, the device may include a plastic, nine-branched candelabrum with simple yellow light bulbs positioned at the top of each branch to provide the appearance of burning candles. In another example, a jack-o-lantern pumpkin decoration may include an internal candle or light bulb to produce a glowing effect during the nighttime celebration of Halloween.
A decoration device may include an internal light source that projects light through apertures formed in the outer surface of the ornament structure. The device may be equipped with a translucent divider panel that prevents viewability between a first set of apertures and an oppositely disposed, second set of apertures. In some cases, the device may be one in a group of decoration devices that are electrically connected to a circuit. Each device in the group of device may be disposed in various locations (e.g., at different parts of a Christmas tree) and may be independently illuminated or faded by a programmable controller coupled to the circuit.
In some embodiments, a decoration device may include an ornament structure having an interior space. The device may also include a first set of apertures formed in a first portion of the ornament structure and a second set of apertures formed in a second portion of the ornament structure. The first and second portions may be disposed opposite one another, and at least a portion of the interior space may be viewable through the first and second sets of apertures. The device may further include a light source disposed in the interior space such that, when the light source is activated, light projects from the light source out of the ornament structure through first and second sets of apertures. Also, the device may include a translucent divider panel disposed in the interior space between the first and second sets of apertures such that each aperture of the first set is substantially nonviewable through each aperture of the second set.
In certain embodiments, a decoration system includes a plurality of decoration devices and a circuit having a programmable controller. Each decoration device may include a light source disposed at least partially in an internal space of an ornament structure. Each ornament structure may also include a first aperture formed in the ornament structure such that light is projectable from the light source through the first aperture. Each ornament structure may further include a second aperture disposed opposite of the first aperture and formed in the ornament structure such that light is projectable from the light source through the second aperture. Also, each ornament structure may include a translucent divider panel disposed in the interior space between the first and second apertures. The programmable controller may be electrically connected to each of the light sources of the plurality of decoration devices. The programmable controller may be operable to illuminate and fade the light source of one ornament structure independently from the light source of another ornament structure.
These and other embodiments may be configured to provide one or more of the following advantages. First, the decoration device may employ an internal light source and apertures in the outer surface to provide pleasing appearance to a viewer. Second, a viewer may view light that is emitted out through the first set of apertures without the distraction of viewing completely through the ornament (e.g., by looking into the first set of apertures and out through the second set of aperture disposed on the opposite side of the ornament structure). In such circumstances, the divider panel does not permit external light or other distracting features that would ordinarily be viewable through the decoration to detract from the appearance of the light that is projected from the internal light source. Third, the decoration device may include a divider panel, an inner coating, or both to provide brighter diffused lighting. Fourth, the decoration device is capable of using a single internal light source to provide light that projects out of the front apertures and the oppositely disposed rear apertures even though a user is unable to view completely through the decoration by peering into the front apertures, through the internal space, and out of the rear apertures. Some or all of these and other advantages may be provided by the stretching systems described herein.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
FIG 10 is a schematic view of a decoration system in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
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The ornament structure 140 may include a front surface portion 142 having one or more apertures 144 formed therethrough. Some of the apertures 144 may be formed as die cut openings that are configured to resemble patterns, characters, or words that are associated with a particular season or holiday. In this embodiment, the some of the apertures 144 on the front surface portion 142 are configured as a pattern of snowflakes and stars that can be associated with the Christmas holiday season.
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The ornament structure 140 may be substantially hollow such that an internal space is defined between the front surface portion 142 and the rear surface portion 146. An internal light source may be disposed at least partially in the internal space (as shown, for example, in
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The internal light source 150 may be disposed proximal to the divider panel 160 that is assembled into the internal space 110 of the decoration 100. The divider panel 160 may comprise a translucent white material that is configured to permit light to transmit therethrough yet prevent viewability between the front apertures 144 on the front surface portion 142 and the rear apertures 148 on the rear surface portion 146. For example, the divider panel 160 may comprise a polypropylene or polyethylene material that is capable of permitting some light to pass therethrough and having a generally white color. The center divider panel 160 may include a channel region 162 that provides space for the internal light source 150. The channel region 162 may be disposed proximal the upper part of the front surface portion 142 and rear surface portion 146 so as to maintain the nonviewability between the front apertures 144 and the rear apertures 148 when the internal light source 150 is illuminated. In some embodiments, the channel region 162 may be configured to retain at least a portion of the internal light source 150. For example, the channel region 162 may have a shape that is complementary to the profile of the internal light source 150, in which case the walls of the channel region 162 may releasably engage the light source 150.
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Accordingly, a single internal light source 150 may provide light that projects out of the front apertures 144 and the oppositely disposed rear apertures 148 even though a user is unable to view completely through the decoration by peering into the front apertures 144, through the internal space 110, and out of the rear apertures 148. The divider panel 160 provides brighter diffused lighting and substantially prevents an interior view of the oppositely disposed apertures 144 or 148.
Without such a divider panel 160, light that projects out of the front apertures 144 may be less brilliant or less defined due to other light or distracting features that are viewable through the oppositely disposed apertures 144 or 148. If, for example, an external green light was emitted onto the rear surface portion 146 and into the rear apertures 148, a red light that is projected out through the front apertures 144 may be substantially the same as red light from the internal light source 150 (e.g., not necessarily affected by the distracting external green light that is projected onto the rear surface portion 146). The divider panel 160 substantially prevents viewability between the front apertures 144 and the rear apertures 148 such that an external light or other distracting features that would ordinarily be viewable through the decoration 100 do not necessarily detract from the appearance of the light that is projected from the internal light source 150.
In some embodiments, the interior surfaces 143 and 147 of the front and rear surface portions 142 and 146, respectively, may be white and substantially reflective so that a substantial portion of the light from the internal light source 150 is projected out of the apertures 144 and 148. For example the internal surfaces 143 and 147 may be coated with a substantially opaque, white material that provides a sufficient amount of reflectivity. In such cases, the decoration 100 may provide an attractive appearance from the projection of one or more light colors through the apertures 144 and 148 formed in the oppositely disposed portions 142 and 146.
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When connected to the control unit 200, the group of decorations 100 may be configured to have synchronized lighting effects among the individual internal light sources 150. In some embodiments, the synchronized lighting effects may be arranged to appear random to the viewer (e.g., the changing light pattern from a first decoration 100 may appear random compared to the light pattern from a second decoration 100). The lighting effects may include illumination, fading, changing of light color, blinking, or other effects that may be provided by the particular light source 150. As described in more detail below, the control unit 200 may include at least one programmable controller that is capable of selectively illuminating and fading the internal light source 150 of each decoration 100 in the system 10.
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The control unit 200 may include a power device port 230 that is configured to receive a power cord attached to the plug 205 (
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In this embodiment, the programmable controller 264 is embodied as a control module that is surface mounted to the printed circuit board. The programmable controller 264 may be a single, commercially available electronic device, or the programmable controller 264 may be a more complex module comprising a plurality of electronic devices. For example, in some implementations, the programmable controller 264 could comprise a voice synthesizer device capable of storing one or more channels of data that can be output as one or more time-varying voltage waveforms. The time-varying voltage waveforms may be applied to the light sources 150 to produce corresponding time-varying changes in light intensity. For example, the programmable controller 264, with other devices in the circuit 260, may power the light sources 150 via the wires 152. In the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, the switch 262 may be configured to transmit a signal to the programmable controller 264 so that the programmable controller 264 causes a new pattern of lighting effects from the decorations 100. In such embodiments, the switch may perform functions other than toggling the power to some circuit components. Instead, the activation of the switch 262 may cause the programmable controller 264 to change modes. For example, the programmable controller 264 may store several different “programs” for each channel (e.g. data that may be output as one of several time-varying voltage waveforms for each channel). Activation of the switch 262 may cause the programmable controller 264 to switch from a first mode having a first set of programs for the channels, to a second mode having a second set of programs for the channels. Accordingly, the switch 262 may effect a new pattern of lighting effects in the decorations 100.
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The programmable controller 264 may include multiple outputs to individually control the internal light sources 150 of the decorations 100. The outputs may control a switching device that controls power to the light sources 150. For example, each output may control a transistor, as shown, and the transistor may control current to each light source 150. In some alternative embodiments, each output of the programmable controller 264 may directly power a light source 150. For example, an output may supply power through a current limiting resistor to an LED light source 150.
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Similar to some of the previously described embodiments, the front surface portion 342 and the rear surface portion 346 may be formed as a separate shell halves that are subsequently coupled to one another. In this embodiment, the front and rear surface portions 342 and 346 may be formed of a polymer material, such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). The front surface portion 342 and the rear surface portion 346 may be coupled to one another along a border region 345. In some embodiments, the front and rear surface portions 342 and 346 may comprises a substantially transparent ABS material while the interior surfaces 343 and 347 are coated with a white and substantially reflective material. In such embodiments, the decoration 300 may project substantially brighter light through the front and rear apertures 344 and 348 while the ornament structure 340 emits a more subtle glowing appearance or emits a substantially non-glowing appearance.
As described in more detail below, the internal light source 350 and a divider panel 360 may be assembled into the internal space 310 of the decoration 300 before the front surface portion 342 and the rear surface portion 346 are coupled to one another. In this embodiment, the internal light source 350 comprises an ultrabright incandescent light bulb having a brightness of at least 0.25 MSCP. In these embodiments, the internal light source 350 may be used to project light out through the front and rear apertures 344 and 348 while the divider panel 360 is capable of preventing viewability between the apertures 344 formed in the front surface portion 342 and the apertures 348 formed in the rear surface portion 346.
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Accordingly, a single internal light source 350 may provide light that projects out of the front apertures 344 and the oppositely disposed rear apertures 348 even though a user is unable to view completely through the decoration by peering into the front apertures 344, through the internal space 310, and out of the rear apertures 348. The divider panel 360 provides brighter diffused lighting and substantially prevents an interior view of the oppositely disposed apertures 344 or 348. As previously described, the divider panel 360 substantially prevents viewability between the front apertures 344 and the rear apertures 348 such that an external light or other distracting features that would ordinarily be viewable through the decoration 300 do not necessarily detract from the appearance of the light that is projected from the internal light source 350.
Similar to the embodiments described in connection with
In other embodiments, the decoration 300 may include a non-spherical ornament structure other than a star shape. For example, the ornament structure may comprise a shape of an angel, a turkey, a ghost, or an animated character.
In some alternative embodiments, the control unit 200 may receive power from a source or than an AC/DC adaptor plug. For example, the circuit may receive direct current power from a battery power supply or any other DC power source. In another example, the circuit may be configured to receive AC power from an electrical outlet plug and to sufficiently limit the voltage that is supplied to the internal light sources 150 or 350 of the decorations. In such circumstances, the internal light sources 150 or 350 may emit a light that is capable of projecting out through the front and rear apertures.
In some circumstances, the decoration may include an attachment mechanism having a different configuration other than a ribbon 124 or 324. In some embodiments, the attachment mechanism may comprise a hook, a coil, a tubular member, or a mounting bracket. For example, the decoration 100 or 300 may include an attachment mechanism in the form of a tubular member that slidably engages a branch or upper stem of a Christmas tree. In another example, the decoration 100 or 300 may include an attachment mechanism having a mounting bracket that is capable of supporting the ornament structure on a table top, a mantle, a wall, or the like.
A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.