Collapsible lamp shade

A collapsible lamp shade capable of being folded or rolled for storage or shipping and removably supported on a lamp assembly by a shade frame member having a predetermined perimeter configuration and a known thickness, said lamp shade comprising:

• a cover member of flexible material having a peripherally continuous configuration with first and second longitudinally spaced open ends defined by respective upper and lower continuous edges of said material, said cover member having interior and exterior continuous surfaces;
• support means projecting inwardly from said interior surface for assembling said cover member on said frame member, said support means including first and second channel-defining members projecting inwardly and extending along said interior surface for defining a channel configured to receive said predetermined perimeter of said frame member, said first and second channeldefining members being transversely spaced from one another longitudinally along said interior surface of said cover member, each of said channel-defining members projecting inwardly of said interior surface beyond said predetermined perimeter of said frame member received in said channel;
• wherein said channel has an opening facing inwardly of said cover member, said opening having a width dimension extending longitudinally of said interior surface and transversely of said channel, said width dimension being at least as great as said known thickness of said frame member;
• wherein said second channel-defining member is disposed below said first channel-defining member along said cover member assembled on said frame member;
• wherein said second channel-defining member is temporarily distortable during assembly of said cover member on said frame member to permit inspection of said predetermined perimeter into said channel;
• and
• wherein said first and second channel-defining members include respective first and second resiliently and transversely compressible elongated members extending in substantially continuous respective paths along said interior surface;
• and retention means, secured to said interior surface, for supporting said first and second elongated members adjacent said interior surface.

A collapsible lamp shade capable of being folded or rolled for storage or shipping and removably supported on a lamp assembly by a shade frame member having a predetermined perimeter configuration and a known thickness, said lamp shade comprising:

• a cover member of flexible material having a peripherally continuous configuration with first and second longitudinally spaced open ends defined by respective upper and lower continuous edges of said material, said cover member having interior and exterior continuous surfaces;
• support means projecting inwardly from said interior surface for assembling said cover member on said frame member, said support means including first and second channel-defining members projecting inwardly and extending along said interior surface for defining a channel configured to receive said predetermined perimeter of said frame member, said first and second channel-defining members being transversely spaced from one another longitudinally along said interior surface of said cover member, each of said channel-defining members projecting inwardly of said interior surface beyond said predetermined perimeter of said frame member received in said channel;
• wherein said channel has an opening facing inwardly of said cover member, said opening having a width dimension extending longitudinally of said interior surface and transversely of said channel, said width dimension being at least as great as said known thickness of said frame member;
• wherein said second channel-defining member is disposed below said first channel-defining member along said cover member assembled on said frame member;
• wherein said second channel-defining member is temporarily distortable during assembly of said cover member on said frame member to permit insertion of said predetermined perimeter into said channel;
• wherein said support means is disposed proximate said upper edge of said cover member;
• and further comprising:
• rigidifying means, structurally independent of said frame member and said lamp assembly, for simultaneously rigidifying said lower edge of said cover member while radially expanding said lower edge of force radial contraction of said interior surface proximate said upper edge and about said frame member, said rigidifying means being secured to said cover member proximate said lower edge;
• wherein said rigidifying means comprises sleeve means secured to and extending circumferentially along said cover member and having an opening therein, and a length of wire-like material removably disposed within and along the entirety of said sleeve means, said wire-like material being selectively longitudinally insertable into and removable from said sleeve means via said opening.

A collapsible lamp shade capable of being folded or rolled for storage or shipping and removably supported on a lamp assembly by a shade frame member having a predetermined perimeter configuration and a known thickness, said lamp shade comprising:

• a cover member of flexible material having a peripherally continuous configuration with first and second longitudinally spaced open ends defined by respective upper and lower continuous edges of said material, said cover member having interior and exterior continuous surfaces;
• support means projecting inwardly from said interior surface for assembling said cover member on said frame member, said support means including first and second channel-defining members projecting inwardly and extending along said interior surface for defining a channel configured to receive said predetermined perimeter of said frame member, said first and second channeldefining members being transversely spaced from one another longitudinally along said interior surface of said cover member, each of said channel-defining members projecting inwardly of said interior surface beyond said predetermined perimeter of said frame member received in said channel;
• wherein said channel has an opening facing inwardly of said cover member, said opening having a width dimension extending longitudinally of said interior surface and transversely of said channel, said width dimension being at least as great as said kknown thickness of said frame member;
• wherein said second channel-defining member is disposed below said first channel-defining member along said cover member assembled on said frame member;
• wherein said second channel-defining member is temporarily distortable during assembly of said cover member on said frame member to permit insertion of said predetermined perimeter into said channel;
• and
• rigidifying means, structurally independent of said frame member and said lamp assembly, for simultaneously rigidifying said lower edge of said cover member while expanding said lower edge to force contraction of said interior surface proximate said upper edge and about said frame member, said rigidifying means being secured to said cover member proximate said lower edge;
• wherein said rigidifying means comprises sleeve means secured to and extending circumferentially along said cover member and having an opening therein, and a length of wire-like material removably disposed within and along the entirety of said sleeve means, said wire-like material being selectively longitudinally insertable into and removable from said sleeve means via said opening, said wire-like material being pre-stressed into arcuate form with a radius of curvature at least as large as the radius of said circumferential sleeve means.

A collapsible lamp shade capable of being folded or rolled for storage or shipping and removably supported on a lamp assembly by a shade frame member having a predetermined perimeter configuration and a known thickness, said lamp shade comprising:

• a cover member of flexible material having a peripherally continuous configuration with first and second longitudinally spaced open ends defined by respective upper and lower continuous edges of said material, said cover member having interior and exterior continuous surfaces;
• support means projecting inwardly from said interior surface for assemblying said cover member on said frame member, said support means including first and second channel-defining members projecting inwardly and extending along said interior surface for defining a channel configured to receive said predetermined perimeter of said frame member, said first and second channeldefining members being transversely spaced from one another longitudinally along said interior surface of said cover member, each of said channel-defining members projecting inwardly of said interior surface beyond said predetermined perimeter of said frame member received in said channel;
• wherein said channel has an opening facing inwardly of said cover member, said opening having a width dimension extending longitudinally of said interior surface and transversely of said channel, said width dimension being at least as great as said known thickness of said frame member;
• wherein said second channel-defining member is disposed below said first channel-defining member along said cover member assembled on said frame member;
• wherein said second channel-defining member is temporarily distortable during assembly of said cover member on said frame member to permit insertion of said predetermined perimeter into said channel;
• and
• sleeve means secured to and extending circumferentially along said cover member proximate said lower edge and having an opening tehrein to permit access into said sleeve means, and a length of wire-like material removably disposed within and along the entirety of said sleeve means, said wire-like material being selectively insertable into and removable from said sleeve means via said opening.

A collapsible lamp shade capable of being folded or rolled for storage or shipping and removably supported on a lamp assembly by a shade frame member having a substantially rigid frame ring of predetermined circumference with a known vertical thickness, said lamp shade comprising:

• a cover member of flexible material having a peripherally continuous configuration with first and second open ends defined by respective upper and lower continuous edges of said material, said cover member having interior and exterior continuous surfaces;
• support means projecting inwardly from said interior surface for assembling said cover member on said frame member, said support means including:
• a strip of cloth material extending lengthwise in a substantially closed circumferential path along the interior surface of said cover member proximate said upper edge, said strip having first and second thickness layers between which upper and lower elongated sleeves are defined and transversely spaced from one another along said circumferential path;
• and
• first and second elongated members disposed within upper and lower sleeves, respectively, to project said sleeves inwardly from said interior surface beyond said predetermined circumference of said frame ring, said second elongated member being resiliently compressible in thickness to permit temporary distortion thereof during insertion of said frame ring between said upper and lower inwardly projecting sleeves.

A collapsible lamp shade capable of being folded or rolled for storage or shipping and removably supported on a lamp assembly by a shade frame member having a predetermined circumference, said lamp shade comprising:

• a cover member of flexible material having a peripherally continuous configuration with first and second open ends defined by respective upper and lower continuous edges of said material, said cover member having interior and exterior continuous surfaces;
• support means projecting inwardly from said interior surface for assembling said cover member on said frame member;
• and
• rigidifying means for preventing inadvertent collapse of said lower edge of said cover member when said cover member has been assembled on said frame member, said rigidifying means comprising:
• sleeve means secured to and extending circumferentially along said cover member proximate said lower edge and having an access opening therein to permit access to the inside of said sleeve means;
• and a length of wire-like material removably disposed within and extend along the entirety of said sleeve means, said wire-like material being selectively insertable longitudinally into and removable longitudinally from said sleeve means via said access opening.

A lamp shade capable of being folded or rolled for storage or shipping and removably supported on a lamp assembly, said lamp shade comprising:

• a cover member of flexible material having a peripherally continuous configuration with first and second open ends defined by respective upper and lower continuous edges of said material, said cover material having interior and exterior continuous surfaces, said lower edge having a greater perimetral length than said upper edge;
• frame means secured to said lamp assembly for mounting said cover member on said lamp assembly;
• engagement means disposed on said interior surface of said cover member for receiving said frame means and supporting said cover member on said frame means;
• rigidifying means, structurally independent of said frame means and said lamp assembly, for simultaneously rigidifying said lower edge to said cover member and expanding said lower edge to force contraction of said interior surface proximate said upper edge about said frame means, said rigidifyig means being secured to said cover member proximate said lower edge;
• wherein said cover member, when mounted on said lamp assembly, is generally frustoconical and said upper and lower edges are substantially annular, and wherein said rigidifying means comprises:
• sleeve means secured to said cover member proximate and extending substantially along the entire cover member in a generally circular path having a known radius and circumference, said sleeve means having an access opening;
• and
• wire means of specified length for selective lengthwise insertion into and removal from said sleeve means via said access opening, said wire means having an arcuate bias position with a radius of curvature greater than the radius of said circular path.