Combustion-resistant artificial tree

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10357071-B2
Application number	US-201615349457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A combustion-resistant branch assembly for an artificial tree, the branch assembly including a first branch portion including a first rod having a main portion intermediate a first end portion and a second end portion; a first group of sub-branches attached to the first branch portion, each sub-branch of the first group of sub-branches including a member having a first end portion; and a first winding, including a combustion-resistant strand, wrapped about the first end portion of the first rod of the first branch portion and the first end portion of each sub-branch of the first group of sub-branches, thereby attaching the first group of sub-branches to the first branch portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A combustion-resistant artificial tree assembly comprising: a trunk portion;
a first plurality of branch assemblies coupled to the trunk portion, each of the first plurality of branch assemblies including:
a first branch portion including a first rod having a main portion, a first end portion coupled to the trunk portion, and a second end portion, the main portion positioned intermediate to the first end portion and the second end portion;
a first group of sub-branches attached to the first branch portion, each sub-branch of the first group of sub-branches including a member having a first end portion; and
a first winding, including a combustion-resistant strand, wrapped about the first end portion of the first rod of the first branch portion and the first end portion of each sub-branch of the first group of sub-branches, thereby fixedly attaching the first group of sub-branches to the first branch portion, the combustion-resistant strand comprising a metal material; and
a second plurality of branch assemblies, each of the second plurality of branch assemblies including:
a second branch portion including a second rod having a main portion, a first end portion coupled to the trunk portion, and a second end portion, the main portion positioned intermediate to the first end portion and the second end portion;
a second group of sub-branches attached to the second branch portion, each sub-branch of the second group of sub-branches including a member having a first end portion; and
a second winding wrapped about the first end portion of the second rod of the second branch portion and the first end portion of each sub-branch of the second group of sub-branches, thereby fixedly attaching the second group of sub-branches to the second branch portion;
wherein the first plurality of branch assemblies are coupled to the trunk portion below the second plurality of branch assemblies, the second plurality of branch assemblies do not include the combustion-resistant strand of the first winding, and the second winding is less combustion-resistant than the first winding.

2. The combustion-resistant artificial tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second winding consists of a polymer material.

3. The combustion-resistant artificial tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of branch assemblies comprises a majority of a total of branch assemblies of the combustion-resistant artificial tree.

4. The combustion-resistant branch assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first winding further includes a polymer thread intertwined with the combustion-resistant strand.

5. The combustion-resistant branch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the combustion-resistant strand comprises a zinc-clad iron material.

6. The combustion-resistant branch assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the combustion-resistant strand has an average diameter that is in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

7. The combustion-resistant branch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first rod defines a diameter in the range of 0.3 cm to 0.6 cm.

8. The combustion-resistant artificial tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein the combustion-resistant strand has a melting point in the range of 400 to 1700 degrees Celsius.

9. The combustion-resistant artificial tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second winding includes a polymer strand.

10. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein: the first winding further includes a polymer thread intertwined with the first combustion-resistant strand.

11. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein: the first combustion-resistant strand comprises steel.

12. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein: the first combustion-resistant strand has a diameter of about 0.2 mm.

13. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first rod defines a diameter in the range of 0.4 cm to 0.5 cm, and the first combustion-resistant strand defines a bend radius in the range of 0.2 cm to 0.25 cm.

14. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein each member of the sub-branches further comprises artificial foliage attached along a portion of the member.

15. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 14 , wherein the artificial foliage comprises a strip of artificial foliage attached along a portion of the member, the strip having a plurality of polymer strands extending outwardly from the member.

16. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein: each member of the sub-branches is a flexible member that includes a plurality of intertwined metal wires, such that the member may be flexed during assembly of the branch assembly.

17. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein: the first winding further includes a polymer thread, the first winding including alternating combustion-resistant strand regions and polymer thread regions, such that portions of the combustion-resistant strand regions are not covered by polymer thread.

18. The combustion-resistant tree assembly of claim 1 , wherein: the first combustion-resistant strand is wrapped directly onto the first branch portion and the first end portion of each sub-branch of the first group of sub-branches, such that the first combustion-resistant strand is in direct contact with a rod of the first branch portion and the first end portion of each of sub-branch.

Assignees

• Willis Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Johnny

Classifications

• A47G33/04

  Christmas trees  (lighting devices therefor F21S  {; string lighting F21S4/00; electric candles F21S10/04}; candle holders F21V35/00 {; light guides for lighting systems G02B6/00}) · CPC title

• A41G1/007 Primary

  Artificial trees · CPC title

• A47G33/06

  Artificial Christmas trees · CPC title