Illumination – Light modifier – Translucent or opaque
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-26
2002-06-04
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light modifier
Translucent or opaque
C362S351000, C362S360000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398390
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to lampshades, a kit for assembling lampshades, and a novel method of manufacturing lampshades. The completed lampshade is a flexible, resilient, customizable lampshade that consists in a preferred embodiment of a series of elongate slotted bars between which removable paper or plastic panels are positioned and inserted into opposed elongate slots of the bars. The bars are interconnected by cords, wires or the like in the vicinity of the two ends of the bars. The bars and panels can be assembled from a kit and arranged in a particular configuration (i.e., cylinder, cone, pyramid) preferably having circular symmetry.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lampshades are mounted on lamps to protect and decorate them, and to dim the direct light coming from the source of light that has over the centuries evolved from candle to bulb. There have been proposed numerous, more or less commonly adopted designs and methods for making lampshades. One traditional and very popular type of lampshade, known also as a “Tiffany” lampshade, consists of glass or mica panels joined by the lead came that have been in the recent past frequently replaced by adhesive foil and solder or adhesive modelling compounds that imitate the lead came construction. The method of fabricating this type of lampshade is very labour intensive and expensive. Although elegant, “Tiffany” lampshades are usually heavy, difficult to handle, susceptible to damage, and problematic to repair.
Methods for making and designing lampshades evolved over time. Probably the most common and the most inexpensive method of making lampshades today is a method that involves the use of a wire frame of a suitable shape onto which fabric or other material is stretched and fastened, either by sewing or by the use of adhesives. A typical frame for such lampshades has a top and bottom ring or band, interconnected by vertically oriented strut members. While this method of making lampshades is useful and very simple, it produces finished lampshades that require a shipping carton as large as the finished product. Further, such lampshades have an unalterable appearance. Lampshades manufactured in accordance with this particular method have in addition the disadvantage of being easily damaged, difficult to repair, and difficult to clean.
There have been many attempts to design an improved lampshade that would be flexibly decorative, but simple to manufacture, install and maintain. One proposed solution consists of the addition of removable and replaceable covers that can be washed or cleaned. A typical solution is to manufacture an easily replaceable fabric cover that is arranged over an existing lampshade (or a bare lampshade wire frame) to decorate and protect it. This design of replaceable cover offers the possibility to match a colour and pattern of the lampshade material with the specific style of the room in which the lampshade is being used.
The idea of alterable decorative lampshade covering has been greatly developed in the prior art. Aside from fabric covers used with standard lampshades disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,506 to Dunbar and 5,211,474 to Leitner, there have been proposed many methods of fabrication of customizable lampshades using other materials. The Throckmortons in their U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,120 disclose a lampshade structure that provides for the adherence of specially designed panels to a polystyrene lampshade. A lampshade with coiled interchangeable shades has been disclosed in Chan's U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,817. This lampshade is made of a translucent sheet, arranged in a loop or coil which bulges outwardly to form a wall, which surrounds a lamp bulb assembly, can be of varying heights and shapes and is easily interchangeable. The frame assembly can be manufactured and sold as a modular kit, having vertical and horizontal parts, which can be of different form after the assemblage. The lampshade disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,896 to Mann consists of a rigid support frame that supports two or more design panels formed as bowed sheets, achieving an inwardly-illuminated effect for the design, thus enabling a multiplicity of decorative sheet panels to be used as lampshade components with no assembly task except inserting them into support grooves, with no glue or other fastening means. This lampshade, however, is very difficult to manufacture. The frame of the lampshade is not flexible, so unless only two supports are used for a total of only two panels, it requires a large shipping container. Yet with only two support members, the sheet panels may very easily fall out, because only a small amount of friction holds them along their edges in the slots. In addition, the appearance of the resulting lampshade is limited to circular cylindrical configurations, as the support members are always vertically oriented.
A lamp is an important part of any interior decoration, and, as is obvious from the prior art, many individuals have been trying to find convenient methods of manufacturing a lampshade that would be aesthetic, inexpensive and readily adaptable to match the style of other pieces of furniture in the room. Ideally, a lampshade should be attractive and adaptable in as many design variations as possible within the limitations of the structure of the frame. Another consideration in designing a lampshade is its safety. The design must maintain a prudent distance between any flammable materials and a bulb, which is a source of heat, usually present when light is generated in useful intensities. It is usually desirable that the material of the lampshade be at least partially translucent so light can be diffused to the surrounding area. A lampshade should be easily removable from the lamp so that the light bulb can be changed from above, rather than having the user touch the lower, metallic, possibly electrified screw-base of a broken or burnt out bulb.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel lampshade structure and economical method of fabricating and assembling the same.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a frame for lampshade that is adapted to receive removable and replaceable decorative paper or plastic panels.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a lampshade, which is customizable. The lampshade frames can be assembled to have different forms, depending upon the number of components used. Users can be provided with, or they can design and produce various replacement panels, in a multitude of patterns and colours and at little cost to renew, repair, or change the appearance of the lampshade.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such lampshade in kit form, readily assembled by the user, that can be compactly packaged and shipped.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a lampshade that can be easily lifted from the lamp, exposing the bulb and socket for cleaning or replacement.
In accordance with aspects of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an improved lampshade that consists of a plurality of semi-rigid or rigid elongate slotted bars, cords linking all the bars and resilient panels snugly fitting between the bars, the side edges of the panels fitting between consecutive bars into facing slots extending longitudinally along selected sides of the bars. The bars are arranged in a truncated conical or cylindrical configuration, or can have triangular (if the bars are three in number) or rectangular (if the bars are four in number) horizontal cross-section. Instead of having a truncated overall shape, the lampshade may also have an overall pyramidal or conical shape if the bars are continued upwardly to meet at an apex. Each bar has two or more parallel holes bored completely through it with one hole at or near each end and slots running longitudinally along two sides of each bar beginning and ending at or near the holes mentioned above. The exact position of the slots depends upon the number of the bar
Barrigar Robert H.
Neils Peggy A
O'Shea Sandra
LandOfFree
Decorative lampshade and a method of making the same does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Decorative lampshade and a method of making the same, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Decorative lampshade and a method of making the same will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2924997