WO2008039976A1

WO2008039976A1 - Decorative outdoor lighting device

Info

Publication number: WO2008039976A1
Application number: PCT/US2007/079868
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian Kessler
Original assignee: Maui Toys, Inc.
Priority date: 2006-09-28
Filing date: 2007-09-28
Publication date: 2008-04-03

Abstract

An illuminated holiday yard stake is disclosed having a stake at one end of the device for placing in the ground, an elongated post attached to the stake, and a figurine attached to the post. The interior portion of the figurine accommodates a light source which shines through the figurine. The light source is part of a light assembly that is activated by a photosensitive switch to turn on the light source when it is dark. The light source includes at least one light emitting diodes that may be of different colors and flash intermittently or continuously.

Description

DECORATIVE OUTDOOR LIGHTING DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to illuminated yard stakes and specifically a yard stake that has a lighted figurine at the top.

BACKGROUND

[000?] Lighted yard stakes are known in the art for decorative purposes or to light a pathway. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,911,501 Lo Katz issued June 15, 1999 shows a home decoration system that uses figurines that may be attached to posts forming part of a permanent grojnd lighting system. Lights that are part of a string of lights may be inserted into each figurine to illuminate the figurine. U.S. Patent No. 6,439,744 to Chanslor, issαed Aug. 27, 2002, shows a decorative ground lighting stake assembly and system in which individual lights on a string of lights are mounted to stake posts. U.S. Patent No. 7,021,787 to Kuelbs, issued Apri] 4, 2006, relates to an outdoor lighting system having lights that are attached to stakes ana which utilize rechargeable batteries powered by a solar panel. None of the prior art systems, including most so^'ar panel systems, provide bright enough lights that allow the units to be seen at night. SUMMARY

[0003] A yard stake Is disclosed having a lighted figurine at the top and a light assembly that includes a battery operated light emitting dj ode (LED) type of light source that may flash intermittently or continuously. The light (s) may be turned on by a photosensitive type of switch (e.g. infrared) responding to darkness.

[0004] The bottom portion of the yard stake comprises a pointed member capable of being pushed into the ground. The middle portion is a hollow rod-like member with a bottom part than press fits onto a reduced diameter portion of the pointed member. The upper portion of the rod-like member press fits onto a reduced diameter stub portion of an upper light assembly support member.

[0005] The support member is a somewhat curved cylindrical hollow part having the stub portion at a lower end, a battery compartment, a light sensor hole and light sensor switch. A PCB/IC (printed circuit board/integrated circuit) is provided with three LEDs connected to the PCB/IC and which extend into the figurine. The support member is formed of two parts that fit together and has an opening at the top to accommodate a stub portion of the figurine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the yard stake of one embodiment of the invention; [0007] Figs. 2-7 are front, bacic, left and right sides, top and bottom views respectively of one embodiment of the invention;

[0008] Fig. 8 is a front view of one embodiment of the invention showing the middle rod-like member separated from the bottom stake and support member and figurine;

[0009] Fig. 9 is an exploded view of the support member and figurine;

[0010] Fig. 10 is a diagram of the circuit used in one embodiment of the invention;

[0011] Fig. 11 is an end view of one embodiment of a figurine haJ f looking inside of the figurine;

[0012] Fig. 12 is a side view of the figurine of Fig. 11; and

^'0013] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the figurine of Fig. 11 half looking at the inside of the figurine.

DESCRIPTIOH

[0014] The yard stake 1 of the invention as can be seen in the figures and as described below is a lighted decoration adapted to be inserted into the ground. The light assembly is operated by a photosensitive (e.g. an infrared sensor) switch such that the light assembly is turned on when it becomes dark.

[0015] The bottom portion 3 of the yard stake is cross-shaped in end view to facilitate pushing of the stake into the ground. The upper end of the pointed member has a cylindrical stub 30 (see Figs. 8-9) . The stub 30 is press fit into the middle rod-] ike member 4. This middle member 4 spaces the figurine at a predetermined distance above ground level. The upper part of the middle member is press fit onto a stub 5 of the figurine support member 6. The figurine part 7 has a stub 8 that fits into a hole 9 in the upper part of the support member 6.

[0016] As can be seen specifically seen in Fig. 9, the support member 6 is made of two halves that are fitted together and may be attached by a snap fit, screws or the like. The support member 6 is hollow and has an interior that includes a battery compartment 10' that accommodates one or more batteries 10, and a light sensor switch 11 in the form of a photosensitive (e.g. an infrared) switch. A light sensor hole 12 is formed on one of the halves of the support member 6 which allow light to pass through to sensor switch 11. The battery compartment door 13 and the two halves of the support member 6 may include gaskets to prevent moisture from entering the support member.

[0017] The figurine is a molded member that may be transparent or translucent through which the light from the LEDs projects. The figurine may be any shape, including but not limited to the ghost-like shape shown in Figs. 1-7, the globe shown in Figs. 9 and 11-13, a pumpkin, witch, snowman, Santa Claus, angel, or the like.

[0018] One embodiment of the figurine 7' is shown in Figs. 11-13. The figurine is a plastic molded member made of two halves that are fitted together. A ridge 16 along the outer edge of one half fits into a corresponding groove in the other half to provide water-tightness. A groove 18 formed between a shoulder 19 and the body portion of the figurine accommodates a projection 20 (Fig. 9) of rhe upper part of the support member 6 to securely hold the molded figurine halves when assembled.

[0019] Each moided half of the figurine includes a PCB/IC support 21 that includes a groove 22 of rectangular shape formed therein to support the rectangular end of the PCB/IC. The battery leads (not shown) are connected to the PCB/IC 14 (Fig. 9) and extend through an opening 23 in each molded member, to the battery compartment 10' of the support member 6. The lower end of the half stub 5' of each half of the figurine may Include a projection 24 to fit into a corresponding groove (not shown) of the support member 6 to further enhance support of the figurine .

[0020] As seen in the circuit diagram of Fig. .0, the LΞDs 15 are connected in parallel between the bat^~ery positive terminal and the PCB/IC 14. A capacitor Cl and photosensitive switch 11 are connected in parallel between the battery positive terminal and another input of the IC. [0021] The LEDs 15 may be of different colors, such as red, blue and yellow and each LED nay light up and fade out in overlapping manner to an adjacent LED in one embodiment. For example, when the light assembly is turned on the red light becomes bright over a brief period of time and then starts to fade out. The blue light becomes bright as the red light fades and then the yellow light; becomes bright as the blue light fades out and the sequence continues.

[0C22] According Lo one embodiment, the LEDs 15 are ultra bright LEDs, which allow the yard stakes to be strongly visible at night.

[0023] In operation the yard stake is inserted into a location in the ground. Upon the ambient light reaching a predetermined low level the LEDs will turn on and the yard stake will function as a lighted decoration and/or pathway light.

[0024] Various modifications to the invention may be made, such as the color, number and configuration of the LEDs. The device may be made of plastic or other convenient materials, a push button switch for on/off operation may be provided, various other decorative figures may be used for the figurine, and the PCB/IC may be designed in various ways to provide different light patterns.

Claims

What is claimed

1. A yard stake configured to be placed in the ground comprJ sing : a pointed stake portion having a ground insertion end; a middle rod-like member attached at one end to the pointed stake portion for spacing the figurine from the ground; an upper figurine support member attacheo to the upper end of the rod-like member, the figurine support member including a battery compartment configured to support at least one battery, and a light sensor switch for sensing ambient light; a figurine mounted to the support member; at least one light emitting diode extending into the figurine and electrically connected to the light sensor switch; and a circuit for operating the at least one light emitting diode in a predetermined manner responsive to the light sensor switch, wherein the figurine will be ] it when a low-light level is sensed.

2. The yard stake of claim 2, wherein the supper" member comprises comp] eirenzary halves that are connecred together ,

3. The yard stake of c] aim 1, wherein the figurine is a molded plastic member.

4. The yard stake of claim 1, wherein the figurine is formed ol two halves that are fitted together and each half

5 includes a circuit support member.

5. The yard stake of claim 4, wherein each half of the figurine includes a shoulder that forms a groove between the shoulder and a body of the figurine, and each half of the support member includes a projection at the top end thereof thatC fits into the groove of the figurine when in assembled condition.

6. The yard stake of claim 5, wherein each figurine half includes a bottom half stub portion, each half stub portion including a projection at its lower end that fits into a 5 corresponding groove in a support member half when in assembled condition .

7. The yard stake of claim 1, wherein the at least one light emitting diode comprises three ultra bright light emitting diodes.

8. The yard stake cf claim 1, wherein the at least one light emitting diode comprises a plurality of lignt emitting diodes, and when the ambient light reaches a predetermined low level, the circuit operates the plurality of light emitting diodes to turn on such that each of the plurality of light emitting diodes light up and fades out in an overlapping manner to an adjacent one of the plurality of light emitting diodes.

9. The yard stake of claim 1, wherein the at least one light emitting diode comprises three light emitting diodes, each having a different color.