Illumination – Light modifier – Translucent or opaque
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-27
2004-06-08
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light modifier
Translucent or opaque
C362S358000, C362S360000, C362S361000, C362S357000, C362S367000, C362S368000, C362S440000, C362S450000, C362S806000, C362S311040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06746137
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND ART
A common problem in the home furnishings business is that many articles occupy a large volume of space, although much of that space is empty. For example a table having a top and four legs occupies a cube-like expanse of space, although much of the volume under the tabletop is empty. This characteristic causes problems in shipping and transporting home furnishings, because such home furnishings require large shipping containers and occupy large volumes of space in transporting vehicles, resulting in high shipping costs. Moreover, home furnishings in one or more oversize shipping containers are difficult objects for a customer to transport in the luggage compartment or passenger compartment of a standard passenger automobile. This problem obviously becomes even more acute in the case of items that incorporate several components having large dimensions or volumes. For example, floor lamps have lengthy lampposts and bulky lampshades. It is a common practice nowadays for customers to take purchases home in their own passenger automobiles, rather than to incur the added expense of obtaining home delivery by a delivery van. Thus, lost sales may result from the reluctance of customers to purchase articles contained in one or more oversize shipping containers.
A solution to this problem has been the practice of shipping home furnishings in a “knock-down” or “KD” state, in which the home furnishings are shipped partially unassembled to conserve space both in the shipping container and the transporting vehicle. For example, the table cited above could be shipped as a knocked-down shipment comprising a top and four separated legs, for later assembly. Under these circumstances, it is further required that the assembly procedure result in a robustly reassembled article that will not loosen and disassemble under normal use, and that the assembly procedure be a simple one, since it is normally carried out by the customer. It is important to emphasize that a “knockdown state” is in no way the same as an “unassembled state” which may involve a collection of a multitude of parts. Preferably, a “knockdown state” comprises a few parts that can be simply and rapidly reassembled without the need for elaborate tools or special skills. Moreover, it is important that the final, reassembled product be aesthetically pleasing, and in particular, that it should not display any visual evidence of the knockdown enabling features. Particularly in the case of lampshades, which are valued for their aesthetically pleasing features, disassembly and reassembly should not result in either aesthetically displeasing visual evidence or in damage resulting from the reassembly efforts of an ordinary customer without specialized training. Thus, a successful knockdown article is one that can be easily and safely reassembled by the customer from a few parts to form a robust unit without any aesthetically displeasing visual evidence or damage resulting from either the reassembly measures or the reassembly efforts of an ordinary customer without specialized training, and one that at the same time results in a significant saving of shipping space.
Lampshades are devices that partially block the radiation of light from illumination means. Illumination means are defined as any structure that includes a source of light, including table lamps, wall lamps, lanterns, candlesticks and their holders, street lamps, etc. Lampshades can be fixedly or removably attached to any part of the illumination means—for example to the lamp structure or to a light bulb—or they may be fixedly or removably attached to a nearby structure—for example, the wall to which a wall lamp is attached. Many types and configurations of lampshades are known in the lampshade art. For example, they may have a hollow generally conical, cylindrical, or cube-like configuration having an open top and bottom. However, the structures of lampshades often have features that restrict their economical shipment. Such lampshades are undesirably expensive to ship due to their relatively large diameter and height, which result in a lampshade that has a large volume. Shipping containers for fully assembled lampshades require excessive shipping room and thus transportation by ship or truck becomes relatively costly as a high volume of unused space is created. Accordingly, the shipper is paying for the excess unused space. Moreover, a lampshade in an oversize shipping container is a difficult object for a customer to transport in a standard passenger automobile. It is a common practice nowadays for customers to take purchases home in their own passenger automobiles, rather than to incur the added expense of obtaining home delivery by a delivery van.
This invention relates to novel, useful lampshades adapted for shipping in a knockdown state, and more particularly, to lampshades comprising at least two segments interconnected by a rotational locking connector means. Even more particularly, the present invention comprises novel lampshade structures, wherein the lampshade is separated into at least two segments interconnected by a rotational locking connector means and wherein the segments are adapted to be securely and aesthetically reunited with the use of clips. Such clips may include decorative features. This knockdown construction allows a shipping container to be constructed in dimensions that are only a fraction of what would otherwise be required but for the present invention. For example, a conical lampshade having a maximum diameter of about 16.5 inches (42 cm.) and a height of 10 inches (25 cm.) would require a container of at least 16.5×16.5×10 inches having a volume of about 2723 cu. in. (44,100 cc.). By contrast, the same lampshade, when manufactured as three segments using the KD lampshade and method of this invention, could be shipped in a container of about 9×14×10 inches having volume of only about 1260 cu. in. (20,406 cc.). The lampshade sections are disassembled without disconnection when shipped and are then reassembled after reaching their destination or later after sale to the purchaser. The present invention provides a KD lampshade that enables a purchaser to take the lampshade at the time of purchase for transportation in a passenger automobile. The present invention further provides a KD lampshade that is easily assembled without the use of tools by a person of average dexterity.
Applicant believes he is familiar with commercially available lampshades for knockdown shipping, and he represents that he never has encountered a lampshade constructed in accordance with this invention. By way of background, attention is called to the lampshade disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,746 by C.-F. Huang. This lampshade is not an advantageous knockdown structure because the lampshade is disassembled into a multiplicity of disconnected parts in its knockdown configuration. As has already been discussed, an advantageous knockdown structure must be configured in a manner where the conversion to the final article is rapid, facile, and structurally sound, when practiced by even an inexperienced consumer. An example of an effort to avoid these limitations is the disclosure Hidetaro Ozeki in U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,377 describing a collapsible lantern structure. However, this is a paper lantern and its construction is not applicable to a typical lampshade structure.
In contradistinction to these lampshades, the present invention embraces and finally addresses the clear need for a novel, useful lampshade for knockdown shipping, and more particularly to a successful knockdown lampshade that can be easily and safely reassembled by the customer from a few parts to form a robust unit without any aesthetically displeasing visual evidence or damage resulting from either the reassembly measures or the reassembly efforts of an ordinary customer without specialized training, and one that at the same time results in a significant saving of shipping space. Thus, as pioneers and innovators attempt to make KD lampshades cheaper, more universally used, and of
Husar Stephen
Intellepharm, Inc.
Payne Sharon
Wolff Manfred E.
LandOfFree
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