Christmas tree lighting control
OwnerGeorge B. Davis, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates generally to ornamental lighting controls and particularly to a lighting control for Christmas tree lighting having preferably at least four duty cycle outputs and wherein the duty cycle pattern of each output differs, with respect to a predetermined time interval, from the duty cycle pattern of each of the other outputs of the control thereby to produce, in a plurality of ornamental lighting strings respectively connected to the outputs of the control, a coordinated condition of continuously changing light intensities between strings and that occur in predetermined sequential time differing order to result in an overall lighting effect totally unobtainable by any other form of light controlling apparatus.
Claims20
An ornamental lighting control including in combination a plurality of solid state duty cycle units having a common input and respectively variable duty cycle outputs, connector means respectively connected to each duty cycle output for connecting thereto an ornamental lighting source with the duty cycle of said output determining the light output intensity of a lighting source connected therewith, an RC gating circuit forming a respective part of each duty cycle unit and wherein the resistance value of the gating circuit resistor determines the duty cycle of the unit and output thereof, a resistance disk forming the gating circuit resistor in each RC circuit and including a resistance surface having differing resistance values for predetermined fixed distances across its surface, contact means electrically engaging the resistance surface of said disk and respectively connecting the resistance surface of the disk in the gating circuit of each duty cycle unit, motor means opperable to effect relative movement between said contact means and said resistance surface to apply predetermined random like resistance changes from said disk respectively to the gating circuit of each duty cycle unit to vary gradually and in predetermined random and in respectively differing order the duty cycle of each duty cycle unit whereby the light output intensity pattern of each lighting source respectively connected to the output of each duty cycle unit shall differ one from the other for a predetermined operating interval of said motor means.
An ornamental lighting control including in combination, a plurality of solid state duty cycle units having a common input and respectively variable duty cycle outputs, connector means respectively connected to each duty cycle output for connecting thereto an ornamental lighting source with the duty cycle of said output determining the light output intensity of a lighting source connected therewith, an RC gating circuit forming a respective part of each duty cycle unit and wherein the resistance value of the gating circuit resistor determines the duty cycle of the unit and output thereof, a resistance surface having differing resistance values for predetermined fixed distances across its surface forming the gating circuit resistor in each RC circuit, contact means electrically engaging said resistance surface and respectively connecting the resistance surface in the gating circuit of each duty cycle unit, motor means operative to effect relative movement between said contact means and resistance surface to apply predetermined random like resistance changes from said resistance surface respectively to the gating circuit of each duty cycle unit to vary gradually and in a predetermined random and in respectively differing order, the duty cycle rate of each duty cycle unit whereby the light output intensity pattern of each lighting sources respectively connected to each output differs from the other for a predetermined operating interval of said motor means.
An ornamental lighting control including in combination, a plurality of solid state duty cycle units having a common input and respectively variable duty cycle outputs, connector means respectively connected to each duty cycle output for connecting thereto an ornamental lighting source with the duty cycle of said output determining the light output intensity of a lighting source connected therewith, an RC gating circuit forming a respective part of each duty cycle unit and wherein the resistance value of the gating circuit resistor determines the duty cycle of the unit and output thereof, means respectively forming the gating circuit resistor in each RC circuit and including a resistance surface having differing resistance values for predetermined fixed distances across its surface, contact means electrically engaging said resistance surface and respectively connecting the resistance surface in the gating circuit of each duty cycle unit, motor means operative to effect relative movement between said contact means and said resistance surface to effect predetermined random like resistance changes from said resistance surface respectively to the gating circuit of each duty cycle unit to vary gradually and in a predetermined random and respectively differing order with respect to the other the duty cycle rate of each duty cycle unit whereby the light output intensity pattern of each lighting source respectively connected to each output of each duty cycle unit differs one from the other for a predetermined operating interval of said motor means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.