Decorative array lighting system

#The present invention relates to decorative lighting for displays such as Christmas trees and the like.

#Array lighting systems are known in the prior art, being disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,943 to Forrer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,845 to Bednarz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,976 to DuMong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,519 to Dorfman, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,925 to Jenke et al. Specifically disclosed are a pliable conical frame having light sockets at frame intersections (Forrer), a array of LEDs at intersections of concentric and spiral conductors (Bednarz), a conical cloak-like assembly including strings of lights (DuMong), a net having lamp receptacles at intersections of a pair of conductors (Dorfman), and a combination of conductors and netting having low-profile illuminators through which pairs of the conductors extend (Jenke et al.). U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,845 to Bednarz and U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,709 to Eddings disclose flash circuits, sound and/or music elements to which illuminators can be responsive. The lights of the prior art have a number of disadvantages, including one or more of the following:

#1. They are awkward to use in that they are restricted to relatively rigid patterns;

#These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where:

#FIG. 1 is a front elevational perspective view of a light array system according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of the light array system of FIG. 1;

#The present invention is directed to a light array system that is particularly suitable for decorating a wide variety of objects and structures, including Christmas trees and the like. With reference to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, an light array system 10 has a conventional power cord 12 having a plug connection 13 to a standard AC electrical power source (not shown), the power cord 12 being connected to a control unit 14 for activating a multiplicity of illuminators 16 of the system 10 by driving separate circuit paths 18 of a wiring harness 20, the circuit paths being individually designated 18A, 18B, 18C, and 18D. Optionally, the harness 20 includes a segment plug 24 and a segment socket 26, the socket 26 being spaced from the control unit 14, at the free end of an umbilical portion 27.

#According to the present invention, a plurality of feeder locations 28 are spaced along opposite marginal edges of a net region 30 of the harness 20, a plurality of light strings 32 being connected between corresponding pairs of the feeder locations 28 and having respective pluralities of the illuminators 16 therein, adjacent ones of the strings 32 being in different ones of the circuit paths 18, each of the light strings 32 forming a circuit branch of the harness 20. Further, a plurality of the light strings 32 are connected in each of the circuit paths 18, the exemplary configuration of FIG. 1 having six light strings 32 in each of the four circuit paths 18, a total of 24 light strings 32, there being twenty-two of the illuminators 16 in each string 32, a grand total of 528 illuminators 16. The connections to the respective circuit paths 18 are made at the feeder locations 28 that are located in FIG. 1 along one of the marginal edges of the net portion 30, designated 28A, with common connections to a single conductor 33 of the harness 20 being made at feeder locations 28 along the opposite marginal edge of the net portion 30, designated 28B, the connections to the common conductor 33 being shown most clearly in FIG. 3. In each of the light strings 32, the illuminators 16 are series-connected by a plurality of conductor segments 34. The connections of the conductor segments 34 to the illuminators 16 are reinforced and insulated by respective feeder sleeves 29, the sleeves 29 being formed from suitable lengths of translucent heat-shrink tubing enclosing corresponding ones of the illuminators 16. Also, a plurality of net strands 36 are connected between adjacent ones of the light strings 32 proximate alternate ones of the illuminators 16, the net strands 36 and the light strings 32 each extending in zig-zag fashion between the respective feeder locations 28, the strands 36 being clamped proximate the illuminators 16 by extending within respective lamp sleeves 31 together with the corresponding illuminator 16, the feeder sleeves 29, and portions of the conductor segments 34 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The lamp sleeves 31 can also be formed from lengths of translucent heat-shrink tubing. In the configuration of FIGS. 1-4, the feeder locations are spaced at a spacing S, the sleeves 29 and 31 having a common length L as shown in FIG. 3, and being spaced apart at distances D along the respective light strings 32 and the net strands 36 as shown in FIG. 1, thereby forming an array of net cells 37 having four of the illuminators 16 at respective corners of a rhombus-like (rhomboid) structure.

#As further shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an exemplary form of each illuminator 16 is a miniature incandescent bulb having a pair of electrical leads 38 and 39 at one end of a capsule-shaped envelope 40. The lead 39 is folded back over the envelope 40, opposite ends of each conductor segment 34 being connected (by means such as soldering) between the lead 38 and the lead 39 of successive illuminators 16 of each light string 32. It will be understood, of course, that the leads 38 and 39 can alternatively extend axially from opposite ends of the envelope 40, in which case the lead 39 would not be folded back. Also, the illuminators 16 that are closest to the feeder locations 28 are preferably oriented with the leads 38 and 39 facing toward the respective locations 28 for facilitating common connections with respective conductors of the harness 20. Further, the common conductor 33 extends along side marginal edges of the net portion that are adjacent to that marginal edge having the feeder locations 28B, the conductor 33 being clamped by alternate ones of the lamp sleeves 31 of the light strings 32 that are located closest to the side marginal edges of the net portion 33 to function as counterparts of the net strands 36 for holding the zig-zag configuration of the light strings 32.