Patent Grant
7213957
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates a freestanding lighted star ornament that can be used with a nativity set. The, multi-faceted star is affixed to the top of a telescoping support post that allows the height to be adjusted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Christmas has become a popular cultural holiday that is observed by people around the world. One of the most common traditional symbols of Christmas is the nativity scene, which represents the circumstances of the birth of Jesus. The nativity scene is typically represented as being in a stable at Bethlehem, where the baby is lying in a cradle surrounded by his parents, shepherds, wise men, and animals.
A symbol that is central to the nativity scene is the Christmas Star, which is said to have appeared in the sky over Bethlehem at the place where Jesus was born.
The Star represents the age-old procession of people journeying to places of pilgrimage, on the spiritual quest. Many Christmas stars have either five or eight points, with the bottommost point being a directional indicator of a point on the earth, below.
Unfortunately, the majority of nativity sets found throughout the world do not include an actual lighted star. Outdoor crèches are typically housed within some sort of enclosure, and that enclosure is often lighted at the dome or with lighting placed on the ground before the enclosure, directed to illuminate the crèche scene. In the case of indoor nativity scenes, however, an illuminated star is not typically found as an element included with the crèche figures.
A wide variety of star ornaments exists, which are designed for use on a Christmas tree. Some may be attached to the tree with ornament hooks, or by balancing them between the tree's boughs. Others are intended to be placed at the top of the tree. In order to create a distinctive presence, such ornaments are generally lighted, and are sized proportionate to a Christmas tree. Treetop stars are typically made to fit onto the topmost branch of a tree, or have a clip or other fixture by which they are attached and are not typically freestanding ornaments.
Other star designs use a fabric skin that is stretched over a dowel assembly in the shape of a five-pointed star. Decorative light bulbs may be placed in the assembly to illuminate the ornament. The ornament may be propped against or affixed to a variety of objects, but is not freestanding.
Another ornament is a five-pointed star, designed for outdoor use. It is comprised of a tubular skeleton with support legs in a tripod configuration that allow the device to be stood upright. A strand of decorative outdoor lights are attached to the entire structure so that its tubular skeleton is lighted. Such an ornament is not designed to be elevated above a typical indoor crèche.
Still other ornaments are found in star-shaped designs that are different from the typical star design of five or eight points. For example, ornaments are found in the design of the Star of David, which is a six-sided shape within which is a six-pointed star. Such ornaments are very different from the traditional Christmas Star design. Five-pointed ornamental stars are also decorated in a patriotic motif representative of the U.S. flag, with a stars and stripes pattern across the face of the star. Clearly, such a design would not be likely to find use in a nativity scene.
Therefore, what is desired is a lighted star ornament designed to be freestanding for use with a nativity crèche or for simple ornamentation in itself.
The instant invention is a star ornament made of a multi-faceted transparent material such as glass, plastic, acrylic, crystal, and a lightweight metal or finely meshed material. It has an opening in the back center of the star into which one or more lamp bulbs may be placed. The star is supported by a telescoping post. A socket fixture, into which a lamp bulb may be secured, is placed at the top of the post. The lamp socket is wired with electrical wire, which is strung through the center of the support post. The post sits on a support base made of plastic, wood, metal or other material. The base contains a battery or electrical power pack to energize the lamp. The device is controlled by a switch and a safety fuse can be provided, which protects the electric circuit from excessive current. In the preferred embodiment, the star is an eight-pointed star. However, the star can have other shapes, such as a five-pointed star.
It is thus an object of the invention to produce a star ornament that is freestanding, so that it is easy to incorporate it as an element of a crèche.
It is another object of the invention to produce a star ornament that is freestanding for a simple display of a star in any desired location.
It is yet another object of the invention to produce a star ornament that is illuminated to increase its aesthetic effect.
It is a further object of the invention to produce a star ornament to fit a traditional star motif for the Christmas holiday season.
Referring now to
The present disclosure should not be construed in any limited sense other than that limited by the scope of the claims having regard to the teachings herein and the prior art being apparent with the preferred form of the invention disclosed herein and which reveals details of structure of a preferred form necessary for a better understanding of the invention and may be subject to change by skilled persons within the scope of the invention without departing from the concept thereof.
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/580,121, filed Jun. 17, 2004.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60580121 | Jun 2004 | US |
