Patent Application
20150163876
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light string, especially to a kaleidoscopic light string that generates kaleidoscopic lighting variations.
2. Description of the Prior Art(s)
A conventional light string comprises multiple light bulbs. The light bulbs are serially connected by a power cord. The power cord is electrically connected to a plug. Each of the light bulbs has a lamp base, a lighting module, and a light shade. The lighting module is mounted in the lamp base, is electrically connected to the power cord, and has multiple light-emitting components. The light shade caps the lamp base.
The conventional light string is wound around articles for decoration, such as Christmas trees, dolls, or the like. The plug is connected to an external power source to provide electrical power to the lighting module. Thus, the light-emitting components of the lighting module emit light. Moreover, the light-emitting components can blink so as to generate lighting variations of the light string. However, since the light-emitting components can only provide an on-and-off lighting effect by blinking, the lighting is monotonous and a decorative effect of the conventional light string cannot be improved.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a kaleidoscopic light string to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a kaleidoscopic light string. Embodiments of the kaleidoscopic light string have a power cord and multiple light bulbs electrically and serially connected by the power cord. Each of the light bulbs has a lamp base with a first beam-splitter lens portion, a circuit board with a control unit, multiple light-emitting diode (LED) units, a refractive lens, and a light shade. The circuit board is mounted in the lamp base. The LED units are electrically mounted on the circuit board. The refractive lens is disposed in front of the distal ends of the LED units and is surrounded by the first beam-splitter lens portion of the lamp base. The light shade caps the lamp base and has a second beam-splitter lens portion being contiguous to the first beam-splitter lens portion of the lamp base.
Embodiments of the LED units are controlled by the control unit so as to form marquee lighting effects. Light beams that are emitted from the LED units project through and are mixed by the refractive lens. Then the mixed light beams further project through the first beam-splitter lens portion and the second beam-splitter lens portion to project outwards at different angles covering a large area to provide different kinds of lighting variations and to have improved entertaining and decorative effects.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
The power cord 20 is electrically connected to a plug 21. The plug 21 is used to be connected to an external power source.
With further reference to
With further reference to
The circuit board 12 is mounted in the lamp base 11, is electrically connected to the power cord 20, and has a control unit. A model number of the control unit may be NY5C185A.
The LED units 13 are electrically mounted on the circuit board 12 and are controlled by the control unit of the circuit board 12. Each of the LED units 13 may be a three-color LED unit that selectively emits light beams in different colors, such as blue, red, green, and so on. Each of the LED units 13 has a distal end. The distal end of the LED unit 13 protrudes toward the front open end of the lamp base 11. The control unit of the circuit board 12 controls blinking of the LED units 16 and the colors of the light beams of the LED units 13, so as to form marquee lighting effects with the blue light beams, red light beams, or the green light beams. Moreover, the LED units 13 may be circularly arranged and may be grouped into two, three, four, five, six, or more groups.
The refractive lens 14 is mounted in the lamp base 11, is disposed in front of the distal ends of the LED units 13, and is surrounded by the first beam-splitter lens portion 16 of the lamp base 11. The refractive lens 14 has a front surface. The front surface of the refractive lens 14 is irregular and rough, and has multiple refractive faces being planar and inclining at different angles.
The light shade 15 caps the lamp base 11, is mounted on the front open end of the lamp base 11 and has an inner surface and a second beam-splitter lens portion 17. The second beam-splitter lens portion 17 is formed on the inner surface of the light shade 15, faces the front surface of the refractive lens 14, is contiguous to the first beam-splitter lens portion 16 of the lamp base 11, and includes multiple convex lens units.
The kaleidoscopic light string as described may be used in a ground inserted projection light, a suspended stage light, a street light, inflatable clothes, or an inflatable display in shape of a cartoon character or doll.
When the power cord 20 of the kaleidoscopic light string is connected to the external power source to provide electrical power to the circuit board 12 and the LED units 13, the LED units 13 that are controlled by the control unit of the circuit board 12 sequentially emit the red light beams, the blue light beams, and then the green light beams so as to form the marquee lighting effects. As the light beams of the LED units 13 project through the refractive lens 14, the light beams in different colors are mixed and then further project through the first beam-splitter lens portion 16 and the second beam-splitter lens portion 17. With the convex lens units of the first beam-splitter lens portion 16 and the second beam-splitter lens portion 17, the light beams that are refracted by the first and the second beam-splitter lens portions 16, 17 can project outwards at different angles covering a large area to form kaleidoscopic lighting variations. Furthermore, depending on shapes and locations of the first and the second beam-splitter lens portions 16, 17, different kaleidoscopic lighting variations can be formed. Therefore, the kaleidoscopic light string as described provides different kinds of lighting variations and has improved entertaining and decorative effects.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
