US3675008A

US3675008A - Decorative lamp shades

Info

Publication number: US3675008A
Application number: US32793A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clifford W Hill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-04-29
Filing date: 1970-04-29
Publication date: 1972-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-04

Abstract

A lamp shade that is decorative and which can also be sold in ''''kit form'''' to be built by hobbyists, to be used as a kit for both educational purposes and for manual dexterity training, and which can also be easily assembled by handicapped persons such as the blind. The lamp shade has a translucent colored plastic liner which provides the inner portion of the shade and also provides a form on which to stack elongated members in interleaved relation. The liner and elongated members have corresponding alignment indicia on them to facilitate the proper alignment of the elongated members on the liner.

Description

United States Patent [151 3,675,008 Hill 1 July 4, 1972 [54] DECORATIVE LAMP SHADES FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: Clifford W. Hill, Pardeeville, Wis. 319,788 4/ 1920 Germany ..240/108 [22] Filed: April 1970 Primary ExaminerRichard C. Queisser [21] Appl. No.: 32,793 7 Assistant Examiner-Marvin Smollar Attorney-Joseph G. Werner, Theodore J. Long, John M. Winter and James A. Kemmeter [57] ABSTRACT A lamp shade that is decorative and which can also be sold in kit form to be built by hobbyists, to be used as a kit for both educational purposes and for manual dexterity training, and which can also be. easily assembled by handicapped persons such as the blind. The lamp shade has a translucent colored plastic liner which provides the inner portion of the shade and also provides a form on which to stack elongated members in interleaved relation. The liner and elongated members have corresponding alignment indicia on them to facilitate the proper alignment of the elongated members on the liner.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures INVENTOR.

AT TORNE YS P'ATE'N'TEDJUL 4-1972 CLIFFORD W. HILL BY FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a decorative lamp shade, and more particularly to a lamp shade that has a plastic shell and elongated members stacked on the shell in interleaved relation forming a decorative exterior of the lamp shade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, my invention comprises a decorative lamp shade which is for use on a lamp where the user desires to have a lamp that is useful, decorative and a conversation piece. Another object is to provide a lamp shade that can be sold in kit form which is easy to assemble and yet the finished product is a very attractive and decorative lamp shade.

A further object is to provide a kit that can be used for both educational purposes and for manual dexterity training.

A still further object is to provide a lamp shade that can be easily assembled by handicapped persons, such as the blind.

These objects are accomplished by my lamp shade, which can be distributed in kit form, and which has a liner that is a polygonal shaped plastic shell which serves as the inner portion of the completed shade. This liner is preferably made of a colored translucent plastic. It thereby provides not only the structural strength and building form for the completed shade, but also adds to the decorativeness and attractiveness of the lamp on which it is used. When the lamp, on which my shade is used, is lighted, besides providing a reflective surface to direct the light outward and downward, the shade also has spaces between the interleaved elongated members through which is emitted light colored by the translucent plastic liner. Elongated members are stacked on the outer surface of this shell in interleaved spaced relation. The sides and panels of the plastic shell have alignment indicia on them for mating with corresponding alignment indicia on the elongated members.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of my lamp shade liner.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of my lamp shade liner partially covered by elongated members stacked in interleaved spaced relation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, the liner of my lamp shade is generally shown at 10in FIG. I. Liner I is made of plastic, and preferably a colored translucent plastic, and has the form of a polygonal shaped shell. In the particular embodiment shown the liner is an octagonal shaped shell 11, but can be formed into any multi-sided shape that is desired.

Shell 11 has a first plurality of substantially upright sides 12, each of said sides having upper edges 13 and lower edges 14. The same number of tapered panels 15 as there are sides 12 extend inwardly and upwardly from upper edges 13 of sides 12. However, it is recognized that a different number of tapered panels than sides can be used. A second plurality of substantially upright sides 16 extend from edges 17 of tapered panels 15. A polygonal shaped panel 18 forms a substantially horizontal top of shell 1 1. This polygonal shaped panel 18 substantially closes the shell 1 1 at the top by connecting all of the second plurality of upright sides 16 at their upper edges 19. In another embodiment the second plurality of upright sides 16 could be simply eliminated and the polygonal shaped panel 18 could form the same substantially horizontal top of the shell 11 by connecting with all of the tapered panels 15 at their edges 17. In still another embodiment the upright sides 12 and tapered panels 15 could be replaced by a plurality of tapered si es or panels that taper upwardly an inwardly to be joined at an apex or by a polygonal shaped panel such as panel 18.

Extending outwardly from the lower edges 14 of shell 11 is a continuous flange 20. Although the flange 20 shown in the accompanying drawings is a continuous flange, an alternative would be to substitute a plurality of smaller individual flanges at required points along the lower edges 14. Flange 20 serves as a base from which to begin the stacking of elongated members 21, as partially shown in FIG. 2, that form the outer portion of my lamp shade. The polygonal shaped top panel 18 and the second plurality of substantially upright sides 16 have openings 22 so that air may pass through the shell 1 1 and thus provide ventilation for cooling of the light source.

Sides 12 and tapered panels 15 have alignment indicia 23 thereon. These alignment indicia may be either raised indicia or indented indicia. The elongated members 21 have corresponding alignment indicia (not shown) for mating with the alignment indicia 23. If alignment indicia 23 on sides 12 and panels 15 are raised indicia, then the alignment indicia on the elongate members 21 would be an indented or slotted type indicia. If alignment indicia 23 are indented indicia, then the corresponding alignment indicia on the elongated member 21 would be a raised indicia. This allows for a simple alignment of the elongated members 21 in a proper relationship with sides 12 and tapered panels 15 when the elongated members are stacked up and around the liner 11. Moreover, such alignment indicia also make it easy for handicapped persons, such as the blind, to assemble my lamp shade.

Referring now to FIG. 2, elongated members 21 are shown stacked around the shell 1 1. l have found that popsickle sticks serve as very satisfactory elongate members. In the illustration, only the first few tiers of elongated members are shown as this is sufficient to show the interleaved relation in which the members are stacked and the spaces that are formed between the elongated members and through which colored light is emitted. Elongated members 21 are stacked around the full periphery of liner 11 adjacent to all of its sides 12, tapered panels 15, and sides 16 as well as on the panel 18. In the preferred embodiment all of the elongated members 21 are stacked substantially horizontal as shown in the illustration. However, the particular user could stack the members in accordance with his own design without deviating from my invention.

At the juncture 24 where the elongated members 21 are stacked on top of each other, any fastener may be used but I have found ordinary white glue to be most satisfactory. The elongated members 21 that are stacked immediately adjacent flange 20 are attached to flange 20 by any suitable fastener such as adhesives, rivets, or brads. This secures the outer portion of my lamp shade, which is formed by the stacked elongated members, to the liner 10.

It is understood that my invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as may come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim 1. A lamp shade comprising a translucent liner having a plurality of upright sides, flange means extending outwardly from the lower edges of said sides, a plurality of elongated flattened elements stacked upon said flange to form a plurality of interleaving columns, the elements of each column being supported at their ends and spaced from the next element by the interleaving portions of the two adjacent columns, and means to hold said elements in place, whereby light may pass through said translucent liner and said spaces.

Claims

1. A lamp shade comprising a translucent liner having a plurality of upright sides, flange means extending outwardly from the lower edges of said sides, a plurality of elongated flattened elements stacked upon said flange to form a plurality of interleaving columns, the elements of each column being supported at their ends and spaced from the next element by the interleaving portions of the two adjacent columns, and means to hold said elements in place, whereby light may pass through said translucent liner and said spaces.