US 6,672,750 B1Granted

Multiple pattern illumination system

AssigneeBoto (Licenses) Limited

InventorCheung Chong Kao

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Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus for lighting a decorative tree which includes optical fibers with their first ends distributed in branches and ornaments of the tree, a color sleeve loop, a roller and track system attached to a motor which rotates the color sleeve loop through the system, and a light source. As the color sleeve is moved by the motor between the light source and the optical fibers, the color of the light provided to the optical fibers changes thereby changing the color displayed in the tree. The preferred embodiment uses a color sleeve with two different tracks of color and a divider which divides the optical fibers into two sets. Then one set of optical fibers is exposed to one color track and the other set exposed to the other track; light provided to one part of the tree will change colors differently than light provided to another part of the tree.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An apparatus to provide illumination comprising;

(a) a first plurality of optical fibres each with a proximal and a distal end wherein the proximal ends are bundled together;
(b) a second plurality of optical fibres each with a proximal and a distal end wherein the proximal ends are bundled together;
(b) a housing containing a single light source and a roller track system having at least two rollers;
(c) means to rotatably drive at least one of said rollers;
(d) a color sleeve loop aligned on said roller track system so that as a first roller driven by the drive means rotates said color sleeve loop is caused to travel along the roller track system in a continuous motion;
and
(e) said color sleeve loop is positioned to rotate past and in between said light source and said proximal ends of said first plurality of fibres and said proximal ends of said second plurality of fibres;
(f) said color sleeve loop comprises a first section and a second section alone its length;
(g) said first section includes a first pattern of color;
(h) said second section includes a second pattern of color;
(i) said bundled ends of said first and second pluralities of optical fibres are proximate one another and separated by a divider;
and
(j) said bundled ends of said first and second pluralities of optical fibres are positioned over said first and second sections of said color sleeve loop, respectively, with said divider aligned between said first and second sections of said color sleeve loop.

10 more elements

An apparatus to provide lighting comprising:

(a) a base plate;
(b) a housing containing a light source and a frame upon which are mounted at least two rollers and means to attach said housing to said base plate;
(c) a color sleeve loop with at least two circumferential sections wherein each section contains a color pattern and said color sleeve loop is fitted around the frame on said rollers;
(d) a synchronous motor associated with at least one of said rollers wherein upon activation, said motor rotatably drives said roller and moves said color sleeve loop around said frame and past said light source;
(e) at least two groups of optical fibres, each fibre comprising a proximal and a distal end, wherein each proximal end of each fibre in each group is bundled to the others in the group;
(f) a top cover comprising a central opening, flange slots positioned in said central opening, air vents, and means to associate said top cover with said housing;
(g) an adapter comprising a hollow interior, an exterior, and flanges mounted on said exterior wherein said adaptor is shaped complementarily to said central opening in said cover and said flanges correspond with said flange slots;
(h) said bundled ends of said at least two groups of optical fibres are positioned in said hollow interior of said adaptor and are separated by at least one divider which is, in turn, aligned relative to said flanges and between two of said at least two circumferential sections on said color sleeve loop which is positioned in-between said light source and said bundled ends of said groups of optical fibres such that light through only one circumferential section is transmitted to the bundled ends of each of said groups of optical fibres;
(i) a hollow trunk section in which said adaptor fits;
(j) a plurality of branch members with means for attaching to said hollow trunk section and around and through which said distal ends of at least one of said groups of optical fibres are arranged;
and
(k) a plurality of ornaments associated with said branch members and with which said distal ends of at least one of said groups of optical fibres are associated.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.