Reinforced electric wire and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10978221-B2
Application number	US-202017000821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2020
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to reinforced electric wires, particularly reinforced electric wires as used in holiday lighting such as Christmas light strings. In some embodiments, the reinforced electric wire has a conductor, a reinforcing string or one or more reinforcing threads, and an insulator jacket. In some embodiments, the conductor has a single conductor strand. In some embodiments, the conductor has a plurality of conductor strands. In some embodiments, the wire has an insulator jacket having a plurality of channels therein, where a conductor is passed through the center channel, and reinforcing threads are passed through the other channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An artificial tree comprising:
a first trunk section including:
a first plurality of branches pivotally connected to the first trunk section;
a light set distributed on a first branch and a second branch of the plurality of branches, the light set including a plurality of lamp assemblies;
a plurality of reinforced wires electrically connecting the plurality of lamp assemblies, the plurality of reinforced wires comprising:
a first wire comprising:
a first plurality of conductor strands;
a first plurality of reinforcing threads, each reinforcing thread of the first plurality of reinforcing threads being disposed in a respective gap of a first plurality of gaps, each respective gap of the first plurality of gaps disposed between at least two conductors of the first plurality of conductors; and
a first insulator jacket covering the first plurality of conductor strands and the first plurality of reinforcing threads and in contact with a subset of the first plurality of conductor strands and a subset of the first plurality of reinforcing threads; and

a second wire comprising:
a second plurality of conductor strands;
a second plurality of reinforcing threads, each reinforcing thread of the second plurality of reinforcing threads being disposed in a respective gap of a second plurality of gaps, each respective gap of the second plurality of gaps disposed between at least two conductors of the second plurality of conductors; and
a second insulator jacket covering the second plurality of conductor strands and the second plurality of reinforcing threads and in contact with a subset of the second plurality of conductor strands and a subset of the second plurality of reinforcing threads,

wherein a first lamp assembly of the plurality of lamp assemblies is electrically connected to the first wire and the second wire.

2. The artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of reinforcing threads is not twisted with the first plurality of conductor strands and the second plurality of reinforcing threads is not twisted with the second plurality of conductor strands.

3. The artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of conductor strands is not substantially wrapped around the first plurality of reinforcing threads, and the second plurality of reinforcing threads is not substantially wrapped around the second plurality of conductor strands.

4. The artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first and second pluralities of reinforcing threads each are made of a material selected from the group consisting of: nylon, polyester, polypropylene, rayon, Poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide, and mixtures thereof.

5. The artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first and second pluralities of reinforcing threads each comprise a conductive metal having a higher resistivity than the conductor.

6. The artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first and second insulator jackets each are made from a material comprising a plastic.

7. The artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second wires is configured to transmit an electric control signal to the first lamp assembly.

8. The artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second wires is configured to transmit electric power to the first lamp assembly.

9. The artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first lamp assembly comprises:
a lamp having first and second electric terminals;
a lamp holder configured to house the lamp; and
a first crimp connector configured to connect the first wire to the first electric terminal of the lamp.

10. The artificial tree of claim 9 , wherein the first lamp assembly further comprises a second crimp connector configured to connect the second wire to the second electric terminal of the lamp.

11. The artificial tree of claim 9 , wherein the first lamp assembly further comprises a flange configured to crimp around the first and second insulator jackets.

12. An artificial tree comprising:
a first trunk section including:
a first plurality of branches pivotally connected to the first trunk section;
a light set distributed on a first branch and a second branch of the plurality of branches, the light set including a plurality of lamp assemblies;
a plurality of reinforced wires electrically connecting the plurality of lamp assemblies, the plurality of reinforced wires comprising:
a first wire comprising:
a first plurality of conductor strands including a first central conductor oriented along at least a portion of a central axis of the first wire, the first plurality of conductor strands defining a first plurality of gaps, each gap of the first plurality of gaps being disposed between at least two conductors of the first plurality of conductor strands;
a first reinforcing strand comprising a first plurality of reinforcing threads, the first reinforcing strand being disposed in a gap of the first plurality of gaps; and
a first insulator jacket covering the first plurality of conductor strands and the first reinforcing strand, wherein at least a first portion of the first insulator jacket contacts a subset of the first plurality of conductor strands and at least a second portion of the first insulator jacket contacts the first reinforcing strand;

a second wire comprising:
a second plurality of conductor strands including a second central conductor oriented along at least a portion of a central axis of the second wire, the second plurality of conductor strands defining a second plurality of gaps, each gap of the second plurality of gaps being disposed between at least two conductors of the second plurality of conductor strands;
a second reinforcing strand comprising a second plurality of reinforcing threads, the second reinforcing strand being disposed in a gap of the second plurality of gaps; and
a second insulator jacket covering the second plurality of conductor strands and the second reinforcing strand, wherein at least a first portion of the second insulator jacket contacts a subset of the second plurality of conductor strands and at least a second portion of the second insulator jacket contacts the second reinforcing strand,

wherein a first lamp assembly of the plurality of lamp assemblies is electrically connected to the first wire and the second wire.

13. The artificial tree of claim 12 , wherein the first lamp assembly comprises:
a lamp having first and second electric terminals;
a lamp holder configured to house the lamp;
a first crimp connector configured to connect the first plurality of conductor strands to the first electric terminal of the lamp; and
a second crimp connector configured to connect the first plurality of reinforcing threads to the lamp base.

14. The artificial tree of claim 13 , wherein the first lamp assembly further comprises:
a third crimp connector configured to connect the second plurality of conductor strands to the second electric terminal of the lamp; and
a fourth crimp connector configured to connect the second plurality of reinforcing threads to the lamp base.

15. The artificial tree of claim 12 , wherein:
the first and second pluralities of reinforcing threads comprise a nylon yarn,
the first and second pluralities of conductor strands comprise a portion of an AWG #22 stranded copper wire, and
the first and second insulator jackets are made of a material comprising PVC.

16. An artificial tree comprising:
a first trunk section including:
a first plurality of branches pivotally connected to the first trunk section;
a light set distributed on first and second branches of the plu

Assignees

• Polygroup Macau Ltd Bvi

Inventors

• Cao Xiaofeng

Classifications

• H01B3/443 Primary

  from vinylhalogenides or other halogenoethylenic compounds · CPC title

• H01B7/1825 Primary

  forming part of a high tensile strength core · CPC title

• H01B13/012

  for manufacturing wire harnesses · CPC title

• H01B7/182 Primary

  comprising synthetic filaments · CPC title

• H01B13/02

  Stranding-up · CPC title