# US 11,306,881 B2 · Tangle-resistant decorative lighting assembly

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- Number: US 11,306,881 B2
- Document ID: US11306881B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/894,989
- Filed: 2020-06-08
- Published: 2020-09-24
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2013-09-13
- Assignees: Willis Electric Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Willis Electric Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Johnny Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306881B2

## CPC

- F21S 4/15: the cables forming a grid, net or web structure
- C11D 7/5018: {Halogenated solvents}
- C11D 7/5022: {containing oxygen}
- F21V 23/001: {the elements being electrical wires or cables}
- F21V 23/06: the elements being coupling devices {, e.g. connectors}
- H01R 13/627: Snap or like fastening
- H01R 25/003: {the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables}
- C11D 2111/16: Metals
- F21S 4/10: with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
- F21W 2121/00: Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
- F21W 2121/006: {for illumination or simulation of snowy or iced items, e.g. icicle}
- H01R 13/6273: {comprising two latching arms}
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- C11D: DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS DETERGENTS; SOAP OR SOAP-MAKING; RESIN SOAPS; RECOVERY OF GLYCEROL
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS

## Abstract

A decorative lighting assembly comprises a first power wire electrically connected to a first power contact and a second power wire electrically connected to a second power contact. The first power wire and the second power wire cooperate to surround a display area of the decorative lighting assembly. Lamp assemblies are distributed across the display area. The lamp assemblies include a first row of lamp assemblies aligned along a first line, a second row aligned along a second line, a third row aligned along a third line, and a fourth row of lamp aligned along a fourth line. A first cord is disposed along a first zig-zag path connecting the lamp assemblies in the first row with the lamp assemblies in the second row. Intermediate wires are disposed along a second zig-zag path connecting the lamp assemblies in the second row with the lamp assemblies in the third row.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A decorative-lighting assembly, comprising:
first and second 22 AWG CXTW decorative-lighting power wires,
a plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, each of the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires including a conductor portion that includes a plurality of conductor strands, each strand having copper, one or more reinforcing strands, and an insulating jacket covering the conductor portion and the one or more reinforcing strands;
a plurality of non-wire mechanical-support cords connected to the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, the plurality of mechanical-support cords in combination with the first and second power wires, and the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires forming a shape of a net; and
a plurality of lamp assemblies connected to the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, at least some of the plurality of lamp assemblies electrically connected to one another in series;
wherein each one of the plurality of 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires is electrically and mechanically connected to a pair of lamp assemblies of the plurality of lamp assemblies, and each of the plurality of 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires is not twisted with another of the plurality of 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires and is not twisted with one of the plurality of non-wire mechanical-support cords over a majority of a length of the 22 AWG CXTW decorative-lighting wire,
and wherein the first and second 22 AWG CXTW decorative-lighting power wires are in electrical connection with the plurality of lamp assemblies so as to provide power to the decorative-lighting assembly.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductor strands forms a group of conductor strands, the group of conductor strands positioned such that at least one conductor strand of the plurality of conductor strands is positioned at a center of the internally-reinforced decorative-lighting wire, the group of conductor strands having pairs of conductor strands, each pair of conductor strands having a first conductor strand and a second conductor strand, the first conductor strand and the second conductor strand forming a space that is defined in part by an outer surface of the first conductor strand and an outer surface of the second conductor strand, and
wherein the one or more reinforcing strands are positioned in the spaces defined by the pairs of conductor strands.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductor strands forms a group of conductor strands, the group of conductor strands positioned at a center of the internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wire, the group of conductor strands having outer conductor strands and an inner conductor strand, the outer conductor strands surrounding the inner conductor strand, and wherein the insulating layer is in direct contact with the outer conductor strands, and not in contact with the inner conductor strand.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more reinforcing strands defines a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of any of the plurality of conductor strands.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein at least some of the non-wire mechanical-support cords are connected to at least one of the first and second power wires via a connector.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW decorative-lighting wires and the plurality of non-wire mechanical-support cords form a zig-zag pattern.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein portions of the plurality of non-wire mechanical-support cords are directly mechanically coupled to lamp holders of the plurality of lamp assemblies.

### Claim 8

A decorative-lighting assembly, comprising:
first and second decorative-lighting power wires,
a plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, each of the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires including:
a group of conductor strands positioned such that at least one conductor strand of the plurality of conductor strands is positioned at a center of the internally-reinforced decorative-lighting wire, the group of conductor strands having pairs of conductor strands, each pair of conductor strands having a first conductor strand and a second conductor strand, the first conductor strand and the second conductor strand forming a space that is defined in part by an outer surface of the first conductor strand and an outer surface of the second conductor strand;
a plurality of reinforcing strands, the plurality of reinforcing strands positioned in in the spaces defined by the pairs of conductor strands;
an insulating jacket covering the conductor portion and the plurality of reinforcing strands;
a plurality of lamp assemblies connected to the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, at least some of the plurality of lamp assemblies electrically connected to one another in series;
wherein each one of the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires is electrically and mechanically connected to a pair of lamp assemblies of the plurality of lamp assemblies, and
and wherein the first and second 22 AWG CXTW decorative-lighting power wires are in electrical connection with the plurality of lamp assemblies so as to provide power to the decorative-lighting assembly, and
wherein none of the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires is twisted with, or otherwise supported by, another of the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, a non-wire support cord, or other external supporting structure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 8, wherein the decorative lighting assembly is in a shape of a net and includes a plurality of non-wire mechanical-support cords to form the shape of a net.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 9, wherein groups of the plurality of lamp assemblies form rows of lamp assemblies, and lamp assemblies of two rows of lamp assemblies are connected by the internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative lighting wires and the non-wire mechanical-support cords.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more reinforcing strands defines a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of any of the plurality of conductor strands.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductor strands is not in direct contact with the insulating layer and is not in direct contact with any of the one or more reinforcing strands.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 12, wherein the one or more reinforcing strands comprises a material that is one or more of a polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride or polyamide.

### Claim 14

A decorative-lighting assembly, comprising:
first and second decorative-lighting power wires,
a plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, each of the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires including:
a conductor portion that includes a plurality of conductor strands forming a group of conductor strands, the group of conductor strands positioned at a center of the internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wire such that at least one conductor strand of the plurality of conductor strands is positioned at the center of the internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wire, the group of conductor strands having outer conductor strands and an inner conductor strand, the outer conductor strands surrounding the inner conductor strand;
one or more reinforcing strands;
an insulating layer covering the conductor portion and the plurality of reinforcing strands, the insulating layer in direct contact with the outer conductor strands, and not in contact with the inner conductor strand;
a plurality of lamp assemblies connected to the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, at least some of the plurality of lamp assemblies electrically connected to one another in series;
wherein each one of the plurality of decorative-lighting wires is electrically and mechanically connected to a pair of lamp assemblies of the plurality of lamp assemblies, and
and wherein the first and second 22 AWG CXTW decorative-lighting power wires are in electrical connection with the plurality of lamp assemblies so as to provide power to the decorative-lighting assembly,
wherein none of the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires is twisted with, or otherwise supported by, another of the plurality of internally-reinforced 22 AWG CXTW intermediate decorative-lighting wires, a non-wire support cord, or other external supporting structure.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 14, wherein the decorative lighting assembly is in a shape of a net and includes a plurality of non-wire mechanical-support cords to form the shape of the net.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 14, wherein the outer conductor strands define spaces between pairs of outer conductor strands, and a portion of the one or more reinforcing strands is positioned in in the spaces defined by the pairs of outer conductor strands.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The decorative-lighting assembly of claim 14, wherein the first and second power wires are 22 AWG wires.