Illumination – Elongated source light unit or support – With means to position plural light sources colinearly
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-21
2003-08-05
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Elongated source light unit or support
With means to position plural light sources colinearly
C362S224000, C362S236000, C362S259000, C362S419000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06601971
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a rope light arrangement, and more particularly to an elongated rope light with multiple color sections, which can not only enhance an aesthetical lighting effect but also extend the service life span of the rope light while being cost effective.
2. Description of Related Arts
A conventional rope light comprises a hollow outer cover and an illuminating unit coaxially received in the outer cover, wherein the illuminating unit comprises a hollow protective shelter and a plurality of illuminators spacedly received in the protective shelter in a water sealed manner and arranged to electrically connect with each other via a wire in a serial connection. Therefore, when the illuminators are electrically connected to an electric input, the illuminators illuminate lights and/or flash in sequence in order to provide an aesthetical lighting effect of the rope light.
Conventionally, there are two methods to spacedly mount the illuminators to the protective shelter. Firstly, the protective layer is constructed by two pieces of protective layers in such a manner that the illuminators are spacedly warped between the two protective layers in a water sealed manner. Secondly, a plurality of locating holes is spacedly provided along the protective shelter such that the illuminators are inserted into the locating holes respectively.
In order to enhance the aesthetic lighting effect of the rope light, colored illuminators can be used. However, due to the conventional technology, the rope light can only produce a mono color. For multi-color lighting effect, the rope light can be constructed to have a plurality of rope sections wherein each of the rope sections is coated by a desired color in such a manner that when the rope sections are electrically connected together end to end, the rope light is capable of producing multi-colors corresponding to the colors on the rope sections respectively. However, such rope light is unsafe since current leakage may occur at the electrical connection between the rope sections, so as to cause the short circuit of the rope light. Thus, the manufacturing cost of the rope light will be highly increased by complicating the manufacturing process for the rope sections with color coated thereon.
Another technology for the rope light to provide multi-color lighting effect is that the colors are coated on the protective shelter of the rope light. However, due to the physical structure of the protective shelter, the colors cannot evenly coated thereon. While spraying the colors the protective shelter, different densities of colors are coated thereon. For example, the seam connection between the two protective layers or the area around each locating hole will have higher density of the color. Therefore, when the illuminators are on, the rope light may have different brightness therealong, so as to provide a poor quality of the rope light.
Since the outer cover of the rope light has a smooth outer surface, the colors can evenly coated thereon to solve the above mentioned problem. However, the colors on the outer cover will be gradually fade out easily, especially when the rope light is used outdoors and discolored in strong sunlight. Furthermore, the color may contain poison materials such that the user, especially a child, will be directly infected while playing with the rope light. Therefore, most countries do not allow the manufacturer to import such unsafe rope light. However, it is not economized by using the color with non-poison material to achieve the multi-color lighting effect of the rope light.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide an elongated rope light with multiple color sections, wherein the rope light is safe to use for enhancing an aesthetical lighting effect of the rope light.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an elongated rope light with multiple color sections, which can extend the service life span of the rope light while being cost effective.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an elongated rope light with multiple color sections, wherein a color layer is protected by an outer cover of the rope light such that the color layer will not be faded out easily and directly infect to the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an elongated rope light with multiple color sections, which does not require to alter the original structural design of a convention rope light, so as to minimize the manufacturing cost of the present invention incorporated with the color layer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an elongated rope light with multiple color sections, wherein no expensive or complicated structure is required to employ in the present invention in order to achieve the above mentioned objects. Therefore, the present invention successfully provides an economic and efficient solution for providing a safety configuration to achieve the multi-color lighting effect of the rope light.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides an elongated rope light, comprising:
an elongated outer sheath, made of transparent material for transmitting light therethrough, having a first end, a second end, and an axial slot extended from the first end toward the second end;
an intermediate sleeve, having an axial groove, fittedly received in the axial slot of the outer sheath wherein the intermediate sleeve has a first color section having a first predetermined color and a second color section having a second predetermined color different from the first color; and
an illuminating unit comprising a plurality of illuminators spacedly disposed along the axial groove of the intermediate sleeve and an electric input electrically connected to the illuminators and extended from the first end of the outer sheath to outside in such a manner that the illuminators are capable of respectively producing lights that transmit through the first and second colors sections of the intermediate sleeve so as to color up the lights with respect to the first and second colors.
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Chan Raymond Y.
David and Raymond Patent Group
O'Shea Sandra
Ward John Anthony
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