Illumination – Plural light sources – With modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-12
2003-03-25
Tso, Laura K. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Plural light sources
With modifier
C362S237000, C362S236000, C362S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06536915
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp string that allows easy replacement of damaged lamps.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6
of the drawings illustrates a conventional lamp string comprising a plurality of lamps
42
electrically connected in series by wires
43
. The lamps
42
and the wires
43
are enclosed in a soft tube
41
, and an enveloping layer
44
covers the soft tube
41
to protect the wires
43
and the lamps
42
from weather. Namely, the wires
43
and the lamps
42
are thus protected from sunlight and rain. The lamp string can be bent to any desired figure or pattern, and an external controller may be provided to control lighting of the lamps. However, the diameter of the soft tube
41
must be increased in response to an increase in the size of he lamps
42
. In this case, the lamps
42
would be damaged during bending of the soft tube
41
if the thickness of the soft tube
41
remains the same. If the thickness of the soft tube
41
is increased for protecting the lamps
42
, the softness of the soft tube
41
decreases, and the bending effect is reduced. In some cases, it would be difficult or impossible to obtain the required figure or pattern of the bent soft tube
41
. Further, the wires
43
surrounding the lamps
42
bar the illumination effect of the lamps
42
. Further, replacement of damaged lamps
42
enveloped by the enveloping layer
44
is impossible. As a result, the user has to buy a new lamp string just because of damage of few lamps
42
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a lamp string that allows easy replacement of damaged lamps.
A lamp string in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of serially connected lamp units. Each lamp unit comprises a casing, two base plates respectively mounted in two ends of the casing, an illuminating member mounted in the casing, at least one metallic bar extending between the base plates and electrically connected to the illuminating member, and two end covers removably attached to the ends of the casing for closing the casing. Two adjacent ones of the lamp units are electrically connected by at least one wire that is electrically connected to the illuminating member and the metallic bar. A soft tube may be provided to enclose the wire.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4271458 (1981-06-01), George, Jr.
patent: 4984142 (1991-01-01), Garnerone
patent: 6135612 (2000-10-01), Clore
patent: 6283612 (2001-09-01), Hunter
Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
Tso Laura K.
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