Lighting means for illuminative or decorative purpose and modular lighting tube used therefor

Lighting device for illuminative or decorative purpose including a mounting base provided with connector means and a group of modular lighting tubes electromechanically directly connected to one another by said connector means and/or to said connector means selectively, said modular lighting tube comprising:

• a tubular member made of transparent, flexible, heat resistant material;
• mechanical connector means having one end fixedly carried by an end of said tubular member and another end mechanically connectable, selectively, to an associated mechanical connector means provided on one end of an adjacent modular lighting tube or to said associated connector means of said mounting base;
• two pairs of electric terminal means each pair carrying two electric terminals provided on opposite ends of said tubular member so as to be electrically connectable, selectively, to the associated ends of adjacent modular lighting tubes or to the associated connectors of said mounting base;
• electrical connection means associated with each pair of said electric terminal means, inclusive of circuit wires electrically connecting said two electric terminals of each pair of said electric terminal means, wherein each of said circuit wires partially comprises a conductor incorporating a tension spring means therein;
• a plurality of light emitting means electrically connected across said circuit wires within said tubular member;
• groups of said modular lighting tubes constructing a lighting assembly of one or more sets of modular lighting tubes each set consisting of a series of electro-mechanically and directly connected by mutually associated mechanical connector means and electric terminal means of respectively adjacent modular lighting tubes or a single modular lighting tube so as to serve a lighting structure in a predetermined planar or spatial pattern.

Modular lighting tube capable of being directly electro-mechanically connected at mutually opposite ends to an adjacent tube to form a row of modular lighting tubes for illuminative or decorative purposes, comprising:

• a tubular member made of transparent, heat-resistant material and capable of being curved when used,
• mechanical connector means comprising a plug member, said plug member having one end fixedly adhered to one end of said tubular member and having elastic snapping locks at the other end thereof, said mechanical connector means further comprising a receptacle means fixedly adhered to the other end of said tubular member for engaging said elastic snapping locks,
• both said plug member and said receptacle means made of transparent material and having an outer diameter substantially identical with an outer diameter of said tubular member,
• two circuit wires arranged in parallel to one another in said tubular member,
• tension-elastic conductors forming respective parts of said two circuit wires,
• electrical connection means comprising a pair of socket contacts fixedly carried by one of said plug member and said receptacle means and a pair of attaching electric plugs fixedly carried by the other of said plug member and said receptacle means, said socket contacts and said attaching electric plugs being mutually engageable and being attached to opposite ends of said two circuit wires, and
• a plurality of light emitting means electrically connected across said circuit wires within said tubular member and arranged in accordance with a predetermined rule within said tubular member.

Lighting device for illuminative or decorative purpose including a mounting base provided with connector means and a group of modular lighting tubes electromechanically directly connected to one another by said connector means and/or to said connector means selectively, said modular lighting tube comprising:

• a tubular member made of transparent, heat-resistant material and capable of being curved when used,
• mechanical connector means comprising a plug member, said plug member having one end fixedly adhered to one end of said tubular member and having elastic snapping locks at the other end thereof, said mechanical connector means further comprising a receptacle means fixedly adhered to the other end of said tubular member for engaging said elastic snapping locks,
• both said plug member and said receptacle means made of transparent material and having an outer diameter substantially identical with an outer diameter of said tubular member,
• two circuit wires arranged in parallel to one another in said tubular member,
• tension-elastic conductors forming respective parts of said two circuit wires,
• electrical connection means comprising a pair of socket contacts fixedly carried by one of said plug member and said receptacle means and a pair of attaching electric plugs fixedly carried by the other of said plug member and said receptacle means, said socket contacts and said attaching electric plugs being mutually engageable and being attached to opposite ends of said two circuit wires, and
• a plurality of light emitting means electrically connected across said circuit wires within said tubular member and arranged in accordance with a predetermined rule within said tubular member,
• said mounting base comprising:
• second mechanical connector means engageable with said plug member or receptacle of said modular lighting tube, and second electrical connection means electrically connective with said socket contacts or said attaching electric plugs of said electrical connection means,
• groups of said modular lighting tubes constructing a lighting assembly of one or more sets of modular lighting tubes each set consisting of a series of lighting tubes electromechanically and directly connected by mutually associated mechanical connector means and electric terminal means of respectively adjacent modular lighting tubes or a single modular lighting tube so as to serve as a lighting structure in a predetermined planar or spatial pattern.