Illumination – Light source and modifier – Including reflector
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-27
2001-05-08
Chang, Audrey (Department: 2872)
Illumination
Light source and modifier
Including reflector
C362S298000, C362S300000, C362S307000, C362S329000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227683
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flag-pole light provided in a simple manner by means of a luminous flag-pole knob preferably of a conventional design.
2. Background Art
Various flags, such as national, advertising and organizational flags, and pennants flying on flag-poles are generally poorly or not at all visible in the dark. It is however often desired that flags and pennants be visible at any time of the day or night and at any time of the year, and therefore floodlights have sometimes been used to improve their visibility. Depending on the voltage range used, floodlight installations are, however, subject to licensing. In addition, floodlights are often difficult to use, and the investment and operating costs of the necessary equipment may be very high.
Various solutions relating to flag-pole lights have been disclosed in the prior art. Finnish Patent Application No. 881,266 discloses a transparent tube which contains lighting equipment and which is to be mounted at the top of a flag-pole. This solution involves mounting a separate element as an extension or part of a flag-pole.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 39 18169 discloses a separate rotating light to be mounted at the top of a flag-pole by fixing it to a rotating outer tube of the flag-pole, to which the flag is also attached. The flag, the outer tube and the light thus rotate with the wind. Even this solution requires that separate equipment be installed in the flag-pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,975 discloses a solution for illuminating a flag flying on a flag-pole. The flag-pole is surmounted by a lamp unit comprising an upwardly tapered canopy which comprises a shade supported upon legs. The upper end of the shade is provided with a lamp socket to which a downwardly extending spot light lamp is attached. Electrical wires extend along the legs and further along the pole to a timer. This solution, too, is complicated with its legs and separate shade.
In addition to the solutions described above, there have been attempts to illuminate a flag-pole by means of other separate lighting systems mounted on the flag-pole or at its top. All of these solutions are difficult to implement, they are not easily applicable to existing flag-poles, and it is not profitable to manufacture them in series.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide illumination of a flag-pole by an easy and simple solution without any additional parts not contained in a normal flag-pole. A further object of the invention is to provide a flag-pole light which can be installed and used without difficulty in both existing poles and in new poles manufactured in series. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a light which is applicable to flag-poles in both the vertical and diagonal positions.
The present invention is based on the idea of providing a light at the top of both new and existing flag-poles in a simple, inexpensive and easy manner for illuminating particularly flags and pennants by replacing a normal non-luminous flag-pole knob with a luminous knob of the invention. A flag-pole is thus illuminated with a luminous flag-pole knob of the invention, which is characterized by the claims disclosed herein. The solution of the present invention for illuminating flag-poles has not been disclosed previously.
Flag-poles that are manufactured industrially are hollow, and they can be tilted by means of a pivoted joint situated at a lower portion of the pole. In addition, they comprise a separate knob portion which is secured to the pole by means of a fitting. Currently, most conventional knob portions are made from a translucent resistent plastic which is usually painted white or silver. Knobs made of aluminum were also used previously, but because of the high costs, their manufacture has almost completely stopped. The solution of the present invention utilizes these features of a flag-pole efficiently and in a new manner for providing illumination at the top of a flag-pole.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
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patent: 3752975 (1973-08-01), Meyer
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patent: 4974137 (1990-11-01), Evans, Jr. et al.
patent: 5343825 (1994-09-01), Gazecimeon et al.
patent: 1-3918169 (1990-11-01), None
patent: 881266 (1991-02-01), None
patent: 8800900-6 (1989-09-01), None
patent: 8701755 (1987-03-01), None
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Chang Audrey
Winstedt Jennifer
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