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(11) | EP 1 128 127 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Chasing rope light |
| (57) A chasing rope light comprises a flexible plastics core tube (3), a pair of wires
(5) extending substantially the length of the core tube (3), two sets (A, B) of series
connected of bulbs (7) located inside the core tube (3) and connected to the wires
(5) in parallel and current direction control means whereby when a current is applied
to the pair of wires (5) in a first direction, one of the sets (A) of bulbs (7) is
illuminated while when a current is applied to the wires (5) in the opposite direction,
the other set (B) of bulbs (7) is illuminated. |
[0002] A chasing rope light comprises a tube or rope like structure containing a number of lights (particularly sub miniature light bulbs) which appear to move along the tube giving a "chasing" effect.
[0003] In a conventional rope light, two sets of bulbs are provided. Each set comprises a number of bulbs connected in series, each set being connected in parallel with the other set. The bulbs of one set alternate with the bulbs of the other set and each set is switched on alternately, giving the effect of lights chasing each other along the length of the structure.
[0004] To achieve this effect, three wires are used, one being a live for each of the sets and the third being a common return. Such a set up is shown in figure 3.
[0005] In figure 3, there are shown two sets of bulbs 31 labelled A and B , the set A being connected to a live wire L1 and the set B being connected to a live wire L2. The wire N serves as a common return wire and is connected to both sets of bulbs A and B. To achieve the chasing effect, a controller (not shown) is provided which connects a current supply (also not shown) to each of the sets of bulbs A and B so that the bulbs are lit in a sequence A B A B A..... It will be appreciated that the current supply may be provided either by a battery or from the mains depending on the use of the rope light.
[0006] Other more complicated rope lights are known in which even three or four different sets of bulbs are used, each set of which requires its own feed wire. Thus with three sets of bulbs, four wires are needed and with four sets of bulbs, five wires are needed.
[0007] The problem with the current rope lights resides in the fact that they need to use a relatively large number of wires. If the rope lights could be operated on less wires, this would result in considerable saving in costs, i.e the wiring costs would be reduced significantly.
[0008] The present invention seeks to provide a rope light which will give a chasing effect using a reduced number of wires.
[0009] According to the invention, there is provided a chasing rope light comprising a flexible plastics core tube, a pair of wires extending substantially the length of the core tube, a pair of bulb sets comprising two sets of series connected bulbs located inside the core tube and connected to the wires in parallel and current direction control means whereby when a current is applied to the pair of wires in a first direction, one of the sets of bulbs is illuminated while when a current is applied to the wires in the opposite direction, the other set of bulbs is illuminated.
[0010] A third set of series connected bulbs may be provided and may have its with its own feed wire. Alternatively four sets of series connected bulbs may be provided in two pairs using three wires, each pair being connected between its own wire and the third wire acting as a common wire.
[0011] The core tube may be surrounded by a second layer of plastics material. The core tube and/or the second layer may comprise polyvinyl chloride.
[0012] Each of the series of bulbs in a pair may have a rectifier in series with the bulbs, the rectifier having a first conducting direction in one set of bulbs and a second conducting direction in the other set of bulbs
[0013] The core tube may be a hollow tube with the series of bulbs placed therein or the core tube may be a solid tube which has bores provided transversely of the core tube, the bulbs being placed in these transverse bores.
[0014] The wires may be located on the exterior of the core tube and may be located between the outer layer and the core tube.
[0016] The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a side view of a rope light featuring a hollow core tube and three wires;
Figure 2 is a view similar to figure 1 but showing a second rope light featuring a solid core tube and three wires;
Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of a known chasing rope light with three wires;
Figure 4 is a circuit diagram of a two wire chasing rope light in accordance with the invention,
Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of a first form of three wire chasing rope light in accordance with the invention,
Figure 6 is a circuit diagram of a second form of three wire chasing rope light in accordance with the invention, and
Figure 7 is a view similar to figure 1 but to a larger scale and showing an embodiment of the invention.
[0017] Referring firstly to Figure 1, the general structure of one known form of rope light will be described. It comprised an inner hollow tube 3 suitably of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) through the length of which three wires 5 pass. These wires are suitably twisted tin wires. Two series connected sets A and B of subminiature bulbs 7 are placed in the hollow tube 3 and are connected to the appropriate wires 5 for operation thereby as will hereafter be described. Finally, the hollow or core tube 3 is covered by a second layer 9 of PVC tubing which, in the embodiment shown, is in the form of a tape wound around the core tube 3. Only the beginning part of the layer 9 is shown
[0018] In an alternative form of known rope light (Figure 2), the inner hollow tube 3 is replaced by a solid element 11, a number of transverse bores or apertures 13 being formed in the solid element 11. The subminiature bulbs 7 are placed in the bores alternately from opposite sides, the three wires 5 being run along the exterior of the tube element 11 and are surrounded by the second layer 9 of the PVC tubing.
[0019] In these two versions of known rope lights, the circuit connections are as shown in figure 3 as previously described.
[0020] Figure 4 shows the circuit set up of the rope light in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention. Here there are two wires 5 labelled L and N which are connected by means of a controller and DC current source (not shown). Each of two sets of bulbs A and B are provided with rectifier diodes 15 and 17, each of the rectifiers operating in the reverse direction. Thus if current flows from L to N, the set of bulbs A will be energised through the diode 15, the diode 17 preventing energisation of the set of bulbs B. When the current flows from N to L, the reverse will happen and the set of bulbs B will be energised through the diode 17 while the set of bulbs A will be cut off by the diode 15. Thus this embodiment will replace the known rope light of figure 3, only requiring two wires instead of three
[0021] As will be appreciated, a controller is needed to provide periodic reversals of the polarity of the current being supplied so that the sets of bulbs A and B are illuminated in a sequence A B A B A ....... As the bulbs in each set alternate along the length of the rope light, the effect will be obtained of a number of lights chasing each other along the tube.
[0022] Figure 5 shows the circuit set up of the rope light in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. Here three wires are used labelled L1, L2 and N. They are connected to a controller and DC current source (not shown). Three sets of bulbs A, B and C used. The sets A and B are provided with rectifier diodes 15 and 17, each of the rectifiers operating in the reverse direction. These two sets of bulbs A and B operate in the same way as the sets A and B in figure 4. Thus if current flows from L2 to N, the set of bulbs A will be energised through the diode 15, the diode 17 preventing energisation of the set of bulbs B. When the current flows from N to L2 the reverse will happen and the set of bulbs B will be energised through the diode 17 while the set of bulbs A will be cut off by the diode 15. The third set C of bulbs has its own wire L1 so that this set of lights operates in the known fashion. Under known rope light technology, this set up would have needed four wires.
[0023] A different type of a controller is needed here to provide periodic reversals of the polarity of the current being supplied to the sets of bulbs A and B and to provide periodic energisation of bulbs C. For example, the bulbs could be illuminated in a sequence A B C A B C A ....... As the bulbs in each set follow each other along the length of the rope light, the effect will be obtained of a number of lights chasing each other along the tube.
[0024] Figure 6 shows the circuit set up of the rope light in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention. Here again three wires are used labelled L1, L2 and N. They are connected to a controller and DC current source (not shown). Four sets of bulbs A, B C and D used as two sets A B and C D. The sets A and B are provided with rectifier diodes 15 and 17, each of the rectifiers operating in the reverse direction. The sets C and D are provided with rectifier diodes 15' and 17', each of the rectifiers operating in the reverse direction. Both of these two sets A B and C D operate in the same way as the sets A and B in figure 4. Thus if current flows from L2 to N, the set of bulbs A will be energised through the diode 15, the diode 17 preventing energisation of the set of bulbs B. When the current flows from N to L2, the reverse will happen and the set of bulbs B will be energised through the diode 17 while the set of bulbs A will be cut off by the diode 15. Similarly, if current flows from L1 to N, the set of bulbs C will be energised through the diode 15', the diode 17' preventing energisation of the set of bulbs D. When the current flows from N to L2, the reverse will happen and the set of bulbs D will be energised through the diode 17' while the set of bulbs C will be cut off by the diode 15'. Under known rope light technology, this set up would have needed five wires.
[0025] A dual controller is needed here to provide periodic reversals of the polarity of the current being supplied to the sets of bulbs A, B, C and D. For example, the bulbs could be illuminated in a sequence A B C D A B C D A ....... If bulbs in each set follow each other along the length of the rope light, the effect will be obtained of a number of lights chasing each other along the tube.
[0026] It will be appreciated that various programs of control could be used, particularly in the cases of figures 5 and 6, so that the direction of "chasing" could be reversed. Other patterns of flashing lights could be used
[0027] Figure 7 is a view similar to figure 1 but showing but shows one structural embodiment of the invention. Apart from the use of only two wires 5 and the location of the diodes 15 and 17, The construction is substantially the same as that shown in figure 1. Thus it comprises an inner hollow tube 3 suitably of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) through the length of which two wires 5 pass. These wires are suitably twisted tin wires. Two series connected sets A and B of subminiature bulbs 7 are placed in the hollow tube 3 and are connected to the appropriate wires 5 for operation thereby. Finally, the hollow or core tube 3 is covered by a second layer 9 of PVC tubing which, in the embodiment shown, is in the form of a tape wound around the core tube 3. Only the beginning part of the layer 9 is shown.
[0028] It will of course be appreciated that the invention could equally be applied to the construction shown in figure 2.
1. A chasing rope light comprising a flexible plastics core tube (3, 11), a pair of wires
(5) extending substantially the length of the core tube (3, 11), a pair of bulb sets
comprising two sets (A, B) of series connected bulbs (7) located inside the core tube
(3,11) and connected to the wires (5) in parallel and current direction control means
whereby when a current is applied to the pair of wires (5) in a first direction, one
(A) of the sets of bulbs (7) is illuminated while when a current is applied to the
wires (5) in the opposite direction, the other set (B) of bulbs (7) is illuminated.
2. A rope light as claimed in claim 1 wherein a third set (C) of series connected bulbs
is provided and has its with its own feed wire
3. A rope light as claimed in claim 1, wherein four sets (A, B, C, D) of series connected
bulbs (7) are provided in two pairs using three wires (5), each pair being connected
between its own wire (L1, L2) and the third wire (N) acting as a common wire.
4. A rope light as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the core tube (3,11) is surrounded
by a second layer (9) of plastics material.
5. A rope light as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the core tube (3, 11) and/or
the second layer (9) comprise polyvinyl chloride.
6. A rope light as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each of the series (A, B,
C, D) of bulbs (7) in a pair has a rectifier (15, 15', 17, 17') in series with the
bulbs (7), the rectifier (15, 15' 17, 17') having a first conducting direction in
one set (A, C) of bulbs (7) and a second conducting direction in the other set (B,
D) of bulbs (7).
7. A rope light as claimed in any preceding claim ,wherein the core tube (3) is a hollow
tube with the series of bulbs (7) placed therein.
8. A rope light as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the core tube (11) is
a solid tube which has bores (13) provided transversely of the core tube (11), the
bulbs (7) being placed in these transverse bores (13).
9. A rope light as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wires (5) are located on the exterior
of the core tube (11).
10. A rope light as claimed in claim 9 when appendent directly or indirectly from claim
4, wherein the wires (5) are located between the outer layer (9) and the core tube
(11).