GB2190480A - Lampshades - Google Patents

Abstract

A lampshade which has a plastics, card, fabric or like cover supported by a two-part wire or like frame 1,2 has the exterior of said cover 4 printed with a pattern 7 and also the interior of the cover 4 printed with an identical pattern 8. The inner and outer patterns 7,8 are symmetrically identical and are printed in exact register with one another by offset lithography printing employing a full colour process using scanned separations. Cartoon characters or other figures may be provided instead of, or in addition to, the patterns 7,8 and any marking is much more clearly visible than in a conventional lampshade, particularly if the material of the cover 4 is translucent and when a light bulb within the lampshade is lit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Lampshades This invention relates to lampshades and has, as its object, to provide lampshades of the kind in which a plastics, card, fabric or like cover is carried by a wire, rod or other similarframework, the cover being provided with ornamentation which may be in the form of a pattern, picture, representation of a cartoon or other character or the like or some mixture oftwo or more of these markings. It is evidentthatthe possibilities in this regard are almost infinite in extent. Lampshades of this kind have been known for manyyears but often sufferfromthedisadvantage that the markings on the cover are not as clear as they might be.This is a general disadvantage which is particularly noticeable when the markings on the cover are in the form of a picture, cartoon character orthe like. The present invention seeks to overcome, or very significantly to reduce, this disadvantage by providing a lampshade of the kind set forth above in which both sides of the material of the cover are printed or otherwise marked with the pattern and/or picture and/or cartoon or other character or the like, the markings on opposite sides ofthe material being symmetrically identical and in exact registerwith one another. The markings on the cover of a lampshade produced in accordance with the invention are much clearer than those on the cover of a conventional lampshade of the kind set forth and, in the case of a lampshade having a large opening at its lower end, are fully and clearly visible from substantially any viewing position.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show howthe same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, byway of example, to the accompanying single Figure of drawings which is a side elevation of a lampshade constructed in accordance with the invention, the lampshade being shown partly cut away so that both its interior and its exterior are visible in the same Figure.

Referring to the accompanying single Figure of drawings, the lampshade that is illustrated comprises a supporting framework in two separate parts, namely, an upper part 1 and a lower part 2.

Both parts are formed from heavy wire or light rod that is preferably coated with a corrosion-resistant material orthat may alternatively be formed form wire or rod that is itself corrosion-resistant. The upper part 1 oftheframework comprises a ring 3to which the top of a cover 4 is secured and a central smaller ring 5 that is located centrally of the ring 3 by substantially radial arms 6. The ring 5 is intended to co-operate, in a known manner, with the iamp bulb socket of a traditional electric light fitting. The larger part 2 ofthe framework is in the form of a relatively large diameter ring to which the lower edge of the lampshade cover4 is secured and it is noted again thatthetwo parts 1 and 2 of the framework are, in the case of the lampshade that is being described, separate from another.However, this is by no means essential, and, depending upon the shape and material of the lampshade, two parts of a framework that are equivalent to the illustrated parts 1 and 2 could be interconnected by ribs of wire, rod or even strip construction.

In the case of the example that is illustrated in the single Figure of drawings, the exterior of the cover4 is printed with a pattern 7 of coloured rings whose widths successively decrease and whose colour intensities successively become lighter as the distance of the successive rings from the lower framework part 2 becomes greater. It can be seen at the left side of the single Figure of drawings that an identical pattern 8 is printed on the inner surface of the material ofthe cover 4, the inner and outer markings being symmetrically identical and being printed in exact register with one another. In the particular example under consideration, the material ofthe cover4 is 300 grams per square metre card containing a known high optical brightener.The outer pattern 7 and the identical inner pattern 8 are both produced by offset lithography printing using known light faust inks. Each ofthetwo sets of identical markings or images is printed by a full colour process using scanned separations.

The lampshade that is illustrated in the accompanying single Figure of drawings is, of course, only one example of an almost infinite number of possibilities. Instead of, or in addition to, the simple identical patterns 7 and 8 of coloured rings, pictures may be provided and/or representations of cartoon or other characters.

Obviously, where the picture or representation is not itself symmetrical in nature, the printing thereof on opposite sides of the translucent material of the cover 4 must be symmetrically identical and the two images must exactly register with one another. The material which forms the cover4will almost always be translucent but this is not absolutely essential, particularly where, as in the illustrated case, the lampshade has a wide open end so that the inner pattern 8 is visible from beneath the lampshade independentlyofanyviewofthe external pattern 7.

The pattern and/or picture and/or characterisation on the cover4 of the lampshade is much more clearly visible than in a conventional lampshade and this is particularly apparent when the material of the cover 4 is translucent and the lampshade is in use in conjunction with an operating light bulb.

1. A lampshade of the kind set forth, in which both sides of the material of the cover are printed or otherwise marked with the pattern and/or picture and/or cartoon or other characterorthe like,the markings on opposite sides of the material being symmetrically identical and in exact registerwith one another.

2. A lampshade according to claim 1, wherein the cover is formed from three hundred grammes per square metre card.

3. A lampshade according to claim 2, wherein said card contains a high optical brightener.

4. A lampshade according to any preceding claim, wherein the pattern and/or picture and/or cartoon or other character orthe like is/are printed on opposite sides of the material by an offset

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Lampshades This invention relates to lampshades and has, as its object, to provide lampshades of the kind in which a plastics, card, fabric or like cover is carried by a wire, rod or other similarframework, the cover being provided with ornamentation which may be in the form of a pattern, picture, representation of a cartoon or other character or the like or some mixture oftwo or more of these markings. It is evidentthatthe possibilities in this regard are almost infinite in extent. Lampshades of this kind have been known for manyyears but often sufferfromthedisadvantage that the markings on the cover are not as clear as they might be.This is a general disadvantage which is particularly noticeable when the markings on the cover are in the form of a picture, cartoon character orthe like. The present invention seeks to overcome, or very significantly to reduce, this disadvantage by providing a lampshade of the kind set forth above in which both sides of the material of the cover are printed or otherwise marked with the pattern and/or picture and/or cartoon or other character or the like, the markings on opposite sides ofthe material being symmetrically identical and in exact registerwith one another. The markings on the cover of a lampshade produced in accordance with the invention are much clearer than those on the cover of a conventional lampshade of the kind set forth and, in the case of a lampshade having a large opening at its lower end, are fully and clearly visible from substantially any viewing position. For a better understanding of the invention, and to show howthe same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, byway of example, to the accompanying single Figure of drawings which is a side elevation of a lampshade constructed in accordance with the invention, the lampshade being shown partly cut away so that both its interior and its exterior are visible in the same Figure. Referring to the accompanying single Figure of drawings, the lampshade that is illustrated comprises a supporting framework in two separate parts, namely, an upper part 1 and a lower part 2. Both parts are formed from heavy wire or light rod that is preferably coated with a corrosion-resistant material orthat may alternatively be formed form wire or rod that is itself corrosion-resistant. The upper part 1 oftheframework comprises a ring 3to which the top of a cover 4 is secured and a central smaller ring 5 that is located centrally of the ring 3 by substantially radial arms 6. The ring 5 is intended to co-operate, in a known manner, with the iamp bulb socket of a traditional electric light fitting. The larger part 2 ofthe framework is in the form of a relatively large diameter ring to which the lower edge of the lampshade cover4 is secured and it is noted again thatthetwo parts 1 and 2 of the framework are, in the case of the lampshade that is being described, separate from another.However, this is by no means essential, and, depending upon the shape and material of the lampshade, two parts of a framework that are equivalent to the illustrated parts 1 and 2 could be interconnected by ribs of wire, rod or even strip construction. In the case of the example that is illustrated in the single Figure of drawings, the exterior of the cover4 is printed with a pattern 7 of coloured rings whose widths successively decrease and whose colour intensities successively become lighter as the distance of the successive rings from the lower framework part 2 becomes greater. It can be seen at the left side of the single Figure of drawings that an identical pattern 8 is printed on the inner surface of the material ofthe cover 4, the inner and outer markings being symmetrically identical and being printed in exact register with one another. In the particular example under consideration, the material ofthe cover4 is 300 grams per square metre card containing a known high optical brightener.The outer pattern 7 and the identical inner pattern 8 are both produced by offset lithography printing using known light faust inks. Each ofthetwo sets of identical markings or images is printed by a full colour process using scanned separations. The lampshade that is illustrated in the accompanying single Figure of drawings is, of course, only one example of an almost infinite number of possibilities. Instead of, or in addition to, the simple identical patterns 7 and 8 of coloured rings, pictures may be provided and/or representations of cartoon or other characters. Obviously, where the picture or representation is not itself symmetrical in nature, the printing thereof on opposite sides of the translucent material of the cover 4 must be symmetrically identical and the two images must exactly register with one another. The material which forms the cover4will almost always be translucent but this is not absolutely essential, particularly where, as in the illustrated case, the lampshade has a wide open end so that the inner pattern 8 is visible from beneath the lampshade independentlyofanyviewofthe external pattern 7. The pattern and/or picture and/or characterisation on the cover4 of the lampshade is much more clearly visible than in a conventional lampshade and this is particularly apparent when the material of the cover 4 is translucent and the lampshade is in use in conjunction with an operating light bulb. CLAIMS

1. A lampshade of the kind set forth, in which both sides of the material of the cover are printed or otherwise marked with the pattern and/or picture and/or cartoon or other characterorthe like,the markings on opposite sides of the material being symmetrically identical and in exact registerwith one another.

2. A lampshade according to claim 1, wherein the cover is formed from three hundred grammes per square metre card.

3. A lampshade according to claim 2, wherein said card contains a high optical brightener.

4. A lampshade according to any preceding claim, wherein the pattern and/or picture and/or cartoon or other character orthe like is/are printed on opposite sides of the material by an offset lithography process using light fast inks.

5. A lampshade according to claim 4, wherein each of the two sets of symmetrically identical printed markings or images on opposite sides ofthe material is produced by a full colour printing process using scanned separations.

6. A lampshade according to any preceding claim,whereinthe material of the cover is translucent.

7. A lampshade according to any preceding claim,wherein said cover is substantially frusto-conical configuration and is supported buy a heavy wire or like frame, said frame comprising a smaller substantially circular upper part and a separate larger substantially circular lower part.

8. A lampshade according to claim 7, wherein a central region ofthe smaller upperframe part exhibitsasubstantially circu lar central portion in the form of a ring constructed and arranged for connection to the lamp bulb socket of an electric light fitting.

9. A lampshade ofthe kind set forth, substantially as hereinbefore described with or without reference to the accompanying drawing.