Illumination – Light source and modifier – Including translucent or transparent modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-07
2003-06-03
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light source and modifier
Including translucent or transparent modifier
C362S353000, C362S363000, C362S378000, C362S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06572247
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bulb shade, and more particularly to a bulb shade that allows a bulb to be detachably connect thereto to facilitate replacement of the bulb when necessary. The bulb shade may be connected to individual bulb in a light string or attached to and extended into an inflatable toy or other type of decorative article for a bulb to mount in the shade to shine the toy or the decorative article without direct contacting with the latter.
Light strings with flashing bulbs are frequently used as decorations in festivals, on advertising signboards, and in many other occasions to create warm and happy atmosphere usually by hanging them on walls, trees, signboards, etc. There are also small-sized light strings being provided inside inflatable toys and balloons to shine the same and thereby make the toys and balloons more attractive to people.
However, the use of conventional light strings inside inflatable toys and balloons has the following problems:
1. The bulbs included in the light strings are fixedly connected to the interior of the inflatable toys and balloons. Once the bulbs are burnt out or broken, they could not be replaced or repaired and are no longer useful in shining the inflatable toys and balloons.
2. In the event of a leaked inflatable toy or balloon or improperly mounted bulbs in the inflatable toy or the balloon, the inflatable toy or balloon would direct contact with the bulbs and very possibly be burned by the bulbs.
When the light string is used outdoors, it is usually fixed onto a wall surface or a tree by nails, adhesive tapes or some other clips, or is just freely spread over lawn. The bulbs are directly exposed to wind, rain and soil without being protected with any cover and are therefore subjected to damages and electrical leakage due to collision, moisture or trampling.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a bulb shade to protect and facilitate replacement of the bulbs included in the light strings or attached to the inflatable toys and balloons, so that the light strings and the inflatable toys and the balloons are not influenced by any damaged bulbs and have prolonged usable life.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a bulb shade adapted to attach to an inflatable toy or a balloon for a bulb to detachably mount in the bulb shade and shine the toy or balloon without direct contacting with the same, so that the inflatable toy or the balloon is not subject to burning due to any direct contact with the bulb and that a damaged bulb could be easily replaced or repaired without adversely influencing the usable life of the inflatable toy or the balloon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bulb shade adapted to use outdoors to cover and locate individual bulb in a light string, so that the light string is more attractive in appearance and safer for use.
To achieve the above and other objects, the bulb shade of the present invention mainly includes a light-transmissible hood portion and a bulb-mounting seat. The hood portion has a bottom opening, a horizontal flange surrounding the bottom opening, and a stepped shoulder close to the bottom opening. The bulb-mounting seat is provided with a connecting hole and a plurality of radiating holes and is adapted to locate in the hood portion to abut on the stepped shoulder. A bulb mounted on a bulb base is detachably connected to the connecting hole on the bulb-mounting seat to upward extend into the hood portion. The bulb shade may be directly connected to individual bulb base included in a light string to protect the bulbs thereof, or be attached to an inflatable toy of other type of decorative articles to separate a decorative bulb in the bulb shade from direct contacting with the toy or the decorative article. The inflatable toy or the decorative article is therefore protected against burning due to direct contact with the bulb.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1006805 (1911-10-01), Thomson
patent: 2339385 (1944-01-01), Dupler
patent: 4118762 (1978-10-01), Fennell
patent: 4477864 (1984-10-01), Van Duyn et al.
patent: 5034869 (1991-07-01), Choi
patent: 5113329 (1992-05-01), Lin
patent: 5911501 (1999-06-01), Katz
patent: 6152582 (2000-11-01), Klaus
patent: 6502962 (2003-01-01), Menke et al.
Dennison, Schultz & Dougherty
Negron Ismael
O'Shea Sandra
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