nited States Patent 1191
1111 1 3,731,081
Yellin
[541
[45]v
ELECTRICALLY ILLUMINATED
ORNAMENTAL DISPLAY
3,233,207
3,011,743
[76] lnvemor' gilgialgilYmeiltlg’ 515562023361 Kolmar
’
[22] ' Filed:
’
2/1966
12/1961
May I, 1973
Ahroni et al. ................. ..240/10 T x
Heath ................................... ..248/27
Primary Examiner-Joseph F. Peters, Jr.
Attorney-Max R. Kraus
Feb. 4, 1972
[21] Appl.‘No.: 223,481
[57]
[52]
us. c1. ................................. ..240/10 R, 161/12
An electrically illuminated ornamental display com
Prism? ‘1 h°dy member Of any shape Pm‘hded with a
[51]
[58]
Int. Cl. ............. ............................ ..A47g 33/00
Field of Search ................ ..240/10 R, 10 F, 10 P,
Plural“ "f Spaced hOdY 50cm °P¢hihg$ which 1"“
adapted "1 receive and SUPPO" 1‘ decmmh'e lighting
240/10 T, 10 S, 816; 161/8, 12, 15, 18, 19,
20, 21’ 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28; 243/27
string of lights, which string of lights comprises a plu
rality of electrical sockets each with a bulb therein,
-
[56]
ABSTRACT
with the electrical sockets connected by electrical
References Cited
UNlTED STATES PATENTS
11/1934 Szel ................................. ..161/8 ux
conductors to form a string of lights, said body
member adapted to receive said string of lights by in
serting the electrical sockets from the rear of the body
member iht° said h°dy Sockets’ with the body member
v2,864,192
12/1958
Shoalts . . . . . . . . .
. . . ..240/10T
hiding the electrical conductors- The body member
3,619,598
11/1971
Hermanson..
.....240/10 T
and the body sockets are integrally molded of a plastic
2,141,878
12/1938
Roby . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . ..248/27
material.
'
1,980,708
3,229,083
1/1966
George..
.....240/8.l6
3,604,918
9/1971
Cook . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . ..240/8. 16
14
J1,
J4
1' ll
Il ili
5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures
3,731,081
l
2
ELECTRICALLY ILLUMINATED ORNAMENTAL
DISPLAY
electrical conducting prongs 20 which are inserted in
the wires recessed 16 of the socket 12 to complete the
electrical circuit to the decorative lights 18. A ring~like
member 22 surrounds the conducting wires 14 ‘and is
positioned adjacent the bottom or rear of the electrical
socket 12.
The miniature decorative light bulb 18 is of a
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been a common practice in the art to provide
as a unit a decorative lighting string which comprises a
plurality of electrical sockets each with an ornamental
light bulb and where the plurality of electrical sockets
generally candle-shaped con?guration, the bottom of
are connected by ?exible electrical wires to form a
which is provided with the pair of spaced prongs 20
string of decorative lights. This decorative string of
lights is normally loosely draped, hung or strung on an
which are inserted in the socket recesses 16 to establish
the electrical contact. The miniature light bulb 18 has
an annular ?ange 24 which when the bulb is inserted in
the socket abuts against the outer edge of the mouth of
the socket, as best seen in FIG. 4.
The electrical socket 12 includes a tubular extension
26 which is of a reduced diameter from that of the
mouth portion 28 of the socket to provide a shoulder
30 therebetween. The decorative vbulbs and their
sockets, electrically connected as aforesaid to form a
object, such as a Christmas tree or the like, for the pur
pose of decoratively lighting same. The loosely draped
string of lights assumes a random shape depending
upon how it is draped or hangs on the object. There are
certain disadvantages in the use of such a string of
lights in this manner for the conducting wire is exposed
to view and it does not provide the maximum ornamen
tal advantages which might be obtained.
The purpose of this invention is to utilize such a
decorative lighting string in a body or holder of a
distinctive shape so that the string of lights forms with
said body an ornamental illuminating display. In addi
tion, it is an object of this invention to permit the use of
such a decorative lighting string as a unit whereby the
string of such lights is conventional.
The invention herein is directed to the use of such a
conventional string of lights in combination with a dis
play ?gure. The display ?gure herein identi?ed by the '
25 numeral 34 is merely for the purpose of illustration and
same is shown in FIG. 1, it being understood that the in
electrical sockets of said decorative lighting string are
inserted through the rear of the display ?gure and are
retained in said display ?gure and the electrical wire isv
hidden from view. This is accomplished without disas
vention herein is not limited to that particular shape or
con?guration of'a display figure but that any other type
of display ?gure, body, or ornamental design may be
utilized in conformity with this invention. The con?gu
ration, whatever form it may be, will sometimes
sembling or disconnecting the decorative string of
lights so'that such a string’of lights may be utilized in'its
manufactured form very readily and associated with
hereinafter be identi?ed as a-body member.
The body member 34 is provided ‘along any portion
the display ?gure or body in a minimum of time so as to
thereof with a body surface 36 provided with a plurality
be a part of the display ?gure.
'
35
of spaced sockets generally indicated at 37, each of '
Another object of this invention is to provide a body
said sockets including an opening 38 surrounded by a
member with the body sockets integrally molded of a
plurality of arcuate shaped wall segments 40 which ex~
plastic material which provides an inexpensive struc
tend outwardly of the front of the body surface 36; As
ture for supporting a string of light bulbs;
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
40 best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, there are four spaced seg
In the drawings:
ments 40 around each opening 38 and the segments 40
are spaced from each other by spacings 42. The seg
FIG. 1 is a front plan view of'one form of ornamental
ments 40 taper or inclinev inwardly from the surface 36
toward their outer extremity and this can best be seen
figure showing the invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view partly in section taken on
line 2--2 of FIG. 1 but without the string of lights.
FIG. 3_is an enlarged front plan viewof a portion of
the ornamental ?gure.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG.
2; and
‘
'
FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the ornamental
figure and the socket with. the electrical socket and
light bulb.
The conventional string of decorative lights is
45
in FIGS. 4 and 5. The body member, including the
sockets, are integrally molded of a plastic material and
this provides an economically produced structure for
supporting the string of lights.
The spaced sockets 37 of the body or ornamental
figure 34 are adapted to each receive and retain one of
the electrical sockets 12 of the string of lights 10. The
electrical socket 12 without the decorative light bulb
18 therein is inserted into the opening 38 of the display
?gure socket 37 from the rear or underside of the dis
generally designated by the numeral 10 and same com 55 play ?gure. Thus, all of the electrical sockets 12 while
connected together in their string are each inserted
prises a plurality or. series of miniature electrical
sockets generally indicated at 12 connected by means
from the rear of the display body 34 into their respec
of pairs of ?esible electrical conducting wires 14
tive display ?gure sockets 37. The electrical sockets 12
covered by suitable insulation. The conducting wires
when inserted through the openings 38 are positioned
14 are connected to a conventional plug (not shown)
in the openings as shown in FIG. 4, with the enlarged
which is inserted into a conventional electrical outlet
portion 28 of the socket 12 con?ned within the arcuate
for supplying the electrical current to the string of
shaped wall segment 40, with the reduced tubular por
decorative lights. Each of said miniature electrical
tion 26 of the socket extending inwardly or rearwardly
sockets 12 is internally provided with a pair of spaced
of the wall 36.,
65
recesses 16 with the conducting wires 14 electrically
The spaced‘arcuate tapering segments 40 serve to
connected to and in communication with said recesses
provide a frictional contact between the inside surface
16. The miniature decorative light bulb 18 has~a pair of
of said segments and the portion 28 of the electrical
3
3,731,081
4
sockets 12. The segments 40 will also provide sufficient
“give” or expansion between the segments to permit
the electrical sockets 12 to be inserted into the ?gure
sockets 37 from the rear of the ?gure. After the electri
nected or strung in their original string. The bulbs 18
are then quickly inserted from the front. This therefore
provides an ornamental display unit which when illu
minated provides a display of a distinctive shape.
What is claimed is:
1. An illuminated ornamental display comprising, a
body member of a shape to form a distinct con?gura
tion, a plurality of openings in said body member, a plu
cal sockets 12 are inserted, the segments 40 will move
together towards each other to constrict the spaces 42
between the segments and provide the necessary fric
tion against the portion 28 of the sockets to hold them.
With all of the electrical sockets 12 in position in their
respective ?gure display sockets 37, the miniature
rality of spaced arcuate-shaped segments extending
10 outwardly of the front of the body member and ad
decorative bulbs 18 are each then inserted in their
jacent said openings and formed integrally with said
respective electrical sockets 12 from the front of the
body of the ?gure. The ?ange 24 of the decorative light
bulb 18 will abut against the outer edges 41 of the seg
body member, a string of connected electric sockets
electrically connected by a ?exible electrical conduc
ments 40, as seen in FIG. 4. With the decorative light
secured to said body member, each said socket inserted
in the body opening from the rear of the body opening
tor and adapted while connected to each other to be
bulb 18 positioned in its socket 12, the ?ange 24 of the
light bulb will prevent the withdrawal of the electrical
while said sockets are electrically connected to said
conductor, said spaced segments engaging said sockets
sockets l2 and the light bulbs 18 from the rear of the
to frictionally retain said sockets in said body member,
a light bulb in each of said sockets, said body member
hiding said ?exible conductor.
figure. The connecting wires 14 forming the electrical
connectors between the sockets will obviously be hid
den from the front of the ?gure body 34 as the wires are
2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the
positioned rearwardly of the openings.
body member is integrally molded of a plastic material
While the particular light bulb 18 is described as
and in which the light bulb has a ?ange which engages
being inserted from the front after the electrical socket 25 the outer edges of the arcuate-shaped segments.
12 has been ?rst inserted into the body socket 37 from
3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the ar
the rear, it will be understood that the electrical socket
12 with the light bulb 18 therein may be inserted as a
unit through the rear of the body socket 37 by making
the size of the body socket 37 large enough to accom
modate the insertion from the rear, and that the inser
cuate shaped segments incline inwardly toward the
front thereof.
_
_
_
.
4. A structure as set forth in claim 3 1n Wl'llCh the
30 electrical sockets have a portion extending within the
arcuate shaped segments and a portion extending rear
tion from the rear of both the electrical socket 12 and
wardly thereof.
7
5. A structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the por
its light bulb 18 comes within the purview of this inven
tion.
tion of the electrical socket positioned within the arcu
The insertion of the electrical sockets 12 into the 35 ate segment has a greater diameter than the portion ex
tending rearwardly thereof.
figure or body member 34 can be accomplished in a
relatively short time with the electrical sockets 12 con
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