An automatic take-up yard ground plug-in decorative light

Abstract

The application discloses a garden ground-inserted decorative lamp with automatic line winding, and relates to the technical field of garden lamps. The garden ground-inserted decorative lamp with automatic line winding comprises a cylindrical shell, a fixed shaft fixedly arranged in the middle of the shell, a line hopper rotatably arranged on the fixed shaft, a part of electric wires of the decorative lamp being wound on the line hopper and another part of the electric wires being stored in the lower part of the shell, line winding devices arranged on the two sides of the line hopper, the line winding devices being used for winding the electric wires by rotating the line hopper, a support rotatably arranged at one end of the lower part of the shell, the support being connected with the line winding devices through a handle, the line winding devices being energized by opening and closing the support, a locking mechanism arranged at the bottom of the shell, and the locking mechanism being used for fixing the support. Thus, the energy storage can be completed without external power and additional operation, and the line winding process is convenient and reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of courtyard lighting technology, and specifically relates to a courtyard ground-insert decorative light with automatic cord retraction. Background Technology

[0002] Ground-mounted decorative lights are widely used in landscape lighting for gardens, lawns, and walkways due to their ease of installation and flexible placement. Traditionally, these lights consist of a lamp holder, a pole, a ground socket, and a connected power cord. To use them, the user inserts the ground socket into the ground and then places the lamp holder in the desired position. When storing them, the power cord needs to be manually wrapped around the pole or a specific bracket.

[0003] To address these issues, the industry has proposed several improvements: Firstly, manually wound storage lamps, which incorporate winding grooves or posts in the lamp body, allowing users to manually wind the wires for storage. While this method alleviates the problem of tangled wires to some extent, it remains cumbersome, and uneven winding can damage the wires. Repeatedly bending the same spot over a long period also reduces the wire's lifespan. Secondly, electrically powered automatic wire retraction lamps, using miniature motors to drive the wire retraction in garden lights. However, this electric retraction solution has significant drawbacks, including complex structure and high cost: the motor, reduction gear set, and corresponding control circuitry make the product structure complex, significantly increasing manufacturing costs compared to ordinary lamps, and also reducing reliability in harsh outdoor environments such as humidity and extreme temperatures; and poor maintainability: the failure rate of electronic components is relatively high, and once the motor or circuitry fails, the entire wire retraction function becomes ineffective, leading to difficult repairs.

[0004] Therefore, a courtyard-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatically retractable, ground-mounted decorative light for courtyards, capable of storing energy without external power or additional operation, and with a convenient and reliable retraction process. The specific technical solution is as follows: An automatic retractable ground-mounted decorative light for courtyards includes: a cylindrical housing; and a fixed shaft fixedly disposed in the middle of the housing; A wire hopper mounted on the fixed shaft rotates, with a portion of the decorative lamp's wire wound around it and the other portion stored in the lower part of the housing. A wire take-up device is located on both sides of the wire hopper, which collects the wire by rotating the hopper. A bracket, rotatably mounted at one end in the lower part of the housing, is connected to the wire take-up device via a handle; opening and closing the bracket stores energy for the take-up device. A locking mechanism is located at the bottom of the housing to secure the bracket.

[0006] Preferably, the take-up device includes: two gears slidably mounted on the fixed shaft and located on both sides of the hopper, each gear having a groove in its middle; a sliding groove on the fixed shaft; an energy storage element disposed within the groove, one end of which is connected to the sliding groove and the other end to the inner wall of the groove; a clutch assembly disposed on the end face of the gear facing the hopper, for selectively transmitting the rotation of the gear to the hopper; two racks disposed on the inner side wall of the housing, the racks meshing with the gears and connected to the handle; and a button disposed on the outer side of the housing, the button being connected to the gears and controlling the connection between the clutch assembly and the hopper.

[0007] Preferably, the two racks are disposed on the same side inside the housing, and the two handles are disposed side by side on the same outer side of the housing. The arrangement allows the user to step on them to drive the racks to move downward and store energy for the energy storage component.

[0008] Preferably, the clutch assembly includes a flexible rubber pad, which wraps around the outer surface of the wire hopper to drive the wire hopper to rotate.

[0009] Preferably, the housing includes an upper shell and a lower shell; the upper shell is a telescopic structure and is slidably mounted on the top of the lower shell, the decorative light is mounted on the top of the upper shell, and the cord retractor is disposed in the lower shell.

[0010] Preferably, a storage plate is provided on the lower shell.

[0011] Preferably, the bracket includes: a horizontal plate disposed on the outer surface of the lower shell; a support plate rotatably disposed on the horizontal plate; and a handle connected to the horizontal plate.

[0012] Preferably, the surface of the hopper is provided with an adhesive layer.

[0013] Preferably, a cable collector is provided at the lower part of the housing, the cable collector is located below the cable hopper, and the outer surface of the cable collector is connected to the wire on the cable hopper.

[0014] Preferably, a base is provided at the bottom of the housing.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. This invention provides an automatic retractable floor-mounted decorative light for courtyards, equipped with a retractable cord device and a bracket. When the user presses down the handle to fix the decorative light to the ground, the energy required for the retractable cord is automatically stored. This process requires no electricity and no additional operation, improving the smoothness and convenience of use.

[0016] 2. By placing two handles side-by-side on the same side of the casing, users can simultaneously pedal to store energy. Compared to manual operation, using body weight to pedal provides greater power, higher efficiency, and less effort. This makes it suitable for hard soil requiring considerable force to penetrate, expanding the product's applicability. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. In all the drawings, similar elements or parts are generally identified by similar reference numerals. In the drawings, the elements or parts are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a courtyard ground-mounted decorative light according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a first-view view of the interior of the lower shell in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a second perspective view of the interior of the lower shell in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Exploded view.

[0022] Explanation of key figure labels: 1. Housing; 101. Upper housing; 102. Lower housing; 2. Fixed shaft; 201. Slide groove; 3. Cable hopper; 4. Bracket; 401. Support plate; 402. Horizontal plate; 5. Gear; 6. Rack; 7. Energy storage component; 8. Clutch assembly; 9. Button; 10. Storage plate; 11. Cable spool; 12. Base; 13. Handle; 14. Locking mechanism; 1401. Locking groove; 1402. Buckle. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] Next, the working principle of this embodiment will be described in detail to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention: refer to Figure 1-2This invention provides an automatic retractable courtyard-mounted decorative light, comprising: a wire hopper 3 rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 2, wherein a portion of the decorative light's wire is wound around the wire hopper 3 and the other portion is stored in the lower part of a housing 1; a wire retracting device disposed on both sides of the wire hopper 3, wherein the wire retracting device retracts the wire by rotating the wire hopper 3; a bracket 4 rotatably mounted at one end in the lower part of the housing 1, wherein the bracket 4 is connected to the wire retracting device via a handle 13, and the wire retracting device is powered by opening and closing the bracket 4; and a locking mechanism 14 disposed at the bottom of the housing 1, wherein the locking mechanism 14 is used to fix the bracket 4.

[0025] The fixed shaft 2 is installed inside the housing 1 and cannot rotate or move. The wire hopper 3 is rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft 2 but cannot move axially. An annular boss inside the hopper restricts the axial movement of the wire hopper 3 on the fixed shaft 2. The wire hopper 3 has a cylindrical structure. Specifically, one end of the wire is connected to the decorative light, and the other end is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing 1. A small portion of the wire in the middle is wound around the wire hopper 3 to create friction. During the movement of the decorative light, this friction is used to lift the wire located below the wire hopper 3 into the wire hopper 3 for use. The wire take-up devices on both sides of the wire hopper 3 are independent and can drive the wire hopper 3 to rotate separately. When one take-up device is working, only one end of the wire hopper 3 is driven to rotate. Alternatively, both take-up devices can be driven simultaneously to act on the wire hopper 3. Users can adjust the take-up according to the actual wire length and usage. The power for the winding device to rotate the wire hopper 3 can come from the torque generated when the user sets up the bracket 4. The bracket 4, winding device, and handle 13 are interconnected. The user opens the bracket 4 using the handle 13, simultaneously accumulating power for the winding device. In this embodiment, the bracket 4 also moves downwards during the opening process. Outdoors, the bracket 4 can be inserted into the ground for fixed support. Indoors, the base 12 at the bottom of the housing 1 and the bracket 4 can cooperate to provide multi-faceted support to adapt to various usage environments. After the bracket 4 is opened to the set position, it is fixed by the locking mechanism 14, while the power stored in the winding device is maintained. At this point, the user has completed the installation of the courtyard ground-insert decorative light in this embodiment, while the wire hopper 3 remains in a free state. When the user moves the decorative light to the preset position, the wire at the bottom of the housing 1 is continuously taken out through the wire hopper 3. After the user finishes using the decorative light, they first place the decorative light on the top of the housing 1, then activate the winding device to drive the wire hopper 3 to reverse, retrieving the taken-out wire back into the lower part of the housing 1, thus achieving the effect of automatic wire winding.

[0026] In one embodiment, the take-up device includes: two gears 5 slidably mounted on the fixed shaft 2 and located on both sides of the hopper 3, each gear 5 having a groove in its middle; a sliding groove 201 mounted on the fixed shaft 2; an energy storage element 7 mounted in the groove, one end of which is connected to the sliding groove 201 and the other end of which is connected to the inner wall of the groove; a clutch assembly 8 mounted on the end face of the gear 5 facing the hopper 3, for selectively transmitting the rotation of the gear 5 to the hopper 3; two racks 6 mounted on the inner sidewall of the housing 1, the racks 6 meshing with the gears 5 and connected to the handle 13; and a button 9 mounted on the outer side of the housing 1, the button 9 being connected to the gears 5 and controlling the connection between the clutch assembly 8 and the hopper 3.

[0027] Among them, reference Figure 3 and Figure 4The rack 6 is positioned on a specific side of the gear 5 so that when the gear 5 and rack 6 are engaged, the rotation direction of the gear 5 is the same as the rotation direction of the cable hopper 3 when the user takes the cable. This arrangement allows the cable hopper 3 to rotate in the opposite direction when the gear 5 is released, thereby rewinding the cable into the housing 1. The groove on the gear 5 is cylindrical, and the energy storage element 7 can be a spring, torsion spring, or other energy storage device. Its end is engaged in the slide groove 201 and can slide synchronously with the gear 5. The sliding of the gear 5 can be controlled by the button 9, thereby controlling the contact or separation of the clutch assembly 8 and the cable hopper 3. A bearing or sliding groove can be provided between the button 9 and the gear 5 to ensure that the rotation of the gear 5 and the axial movement of the button 9 are not synchronized. In this embodiment, the handle 13 is connected to the rack 6. A corresponding moving groove is provided on the housing 1. During the installation of the courtyard floor-mounted decorative light, the user presses down on the handle 13, causing the rack 6 to move and drive the gear 5 to rotate. After the bracket 4 is extended to the set position, it is fixed by the locking mechanism 14. During this process, the two gears 5 and rack 6 are independent of each other, meaning the wire hopper 3 has two opportunities to reverse. This design eliminates the extra work required for the wire hopper 3 to reverse, ensuring the user can completely retract the wire into the housing 1. The relationship between the wire length reserved in the housing 1 and the kinetic energy that the energy storage device can store can be pre-set. After the wire hopper 3 completes its reverse retraction, it means the courtyard floor-mounted decorative light is no longer in use. The bracket 4 needs to be retracted, the handle 13 raised to its initial position, the rack 6 returns to its initial position, and the button 9 is pulled out to re-engage the gears 5 and rack 6. The clutch assembly 8 may include a flexible rubber pad. This flexible rubber pad wraps around the outer surface of the wire hopper 3, causing the hopper 3 to rotate. The flexible rubber pad is fitted inside a cylinder with a diameter approximately equal to that of the wire hopper 3. The high friction between the rubber pad and the surface of the wire hopper 3 drives the hopper 3 to rotate. Similarly, protrusions can be provided on the side of the gear 5, and slots adapted to these protrusions can be provided on the end face of the wire hopper 3, also driving the hopper 3 to rotate. Furthermore, the surface of the wire hopper 3 is provided with a rubber layer. This rubber layer enhances the friction between the wire hopper 3 and the wire, preventing slippage and damage to the wire. Moreover, if the rubber layer extends to the outermost edge of the wire hopper 3, the interaction between the rubber layer and the flexible rubber pad in the clutch assembly 8 generates even greater friction, improving the efficiency of kinetic energy utilization in the accumulator.

[0028] In this embodiment, the two racks 6 are disposed on the same side inside the housing 1, and the two handles 13 are disposed side by side on the same outer side of the housing 1. Their arrangement allows the user to step on them to drive the racks 6 to move downwards and store energy for the energy storage component 7.

[0029] In this design, the two racks 6 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the two handles 13 are located on the same horizontal plane. This arrangement allows the user to more easily drive the racks 6 downwards with their feet or other parts, thus better storing energy for the energy storage device. It also means that a larger capacity energy storage device can be used without worrying about user concerns. On the other hand, especially in outdoor use, the more powerful downward drive allows the bracket 4 to be more firmly erected in the ground, improving stability. In this embodiment, through foot-operated energy storage, the spring can store sufficient energy to ensure that when the button 9 is pressed, regardless of the length of the wire, it can provide a strong and stable winding force, quickly and neatly retracting the wire into the housing 1.

[0030] In any embodiment, the bracket 4 includes: a horizontal plate 402 disposed on the outer surface of the lower shell 102; a support plate 401 rotatably disposed on the horizontal plate 402; and a handle 13 connected to the horizontal plate 402.

[0031] The handle 13 is located above and connected to the horizontal plate 402. The horizontal plate 402 connects to two handles 13. Regardless of which handle 13 moves downwards, it can control the support plate 401 to engage. The support plate 401 is rotatably mounted on the horizontal plate 402. Damping can be provided at the connection between the support plate 401 and the horizontal plate 402. This design allows the user to pre-open the support plate 401 to a suitable angle before use. When the handle 13 is pressed down, the support plate 401 will automatically open upon contact with the ground. The locking mechanism 14 can be a snap-fit ​​structure 1402. A locking groove 1401 is provided on the base 12, and a snap-fit ​​1402 that engages with the locking groove 1401 is provided on either the handle 13 or the horizontal plate 402. After the handle 13 moves to a specific position, the locking groove 1401 and the snap-fit ​​1402 engage to fix the support plate 401.

[0032] The housing 1 includes an upper housing 101 and a lower housing 102. The upper housing 101 is a telescopic structure and is slidably mounted on the top of the lower housing 102. The decorative light is mounted on the top of the upper housing 101. The cable retractor is located in the lower housing 102. Specifically, the upper housing 101 is a cylindrical structure comprising multiple interlocking cylindrical tubes. The decorative light is mounted on the top of the upper housing 101. In normal use, the decorative light can be fixed to the top of the upper housing 101. By adjusting the height of the cylindrical tubes in the upper housing 101, a vertical light pole structure can be achieved. When the decorative light needs to be placed in a more distant location, it can be removed from the cylindrical tubes. In both cases, the cable needs to be removed from the lower housing 102. The process of removing the cable is not described in detail.

[0033] Furthermore, a storage plate 10 is provided on the lower shell portion 102.

[0034] After the decorative light is used and placed in the upper shell 101, and before the collection device is turned on, the removed wire is placed on the storage plate 10. The wire is then retrieved from the storage plate when the wire collection device is activated. The storage plate 10 is placed on the lower shell 102 and also supports the upper shell 101. The cylindrical structure of the upper shell 101 is placed on the storage plate 10 when it is stored.

[0035] Furthermore, a cable collector 11 is provided at the lower part of the housing 1. The cable collector 11 is located below the cable hopper 3, and the outer surface of the cable collector 11 is connected to the wires on the cable hopper 3.

[0036] The wires stored at the bottom of the housing 1 are centrally wound on a cable tray 11 to prevent them from getting tangled inside the housing 1, ensuring easy retrieval by the user. The cable tray 11 has a frustum-shaped structure, and its outer surface receives the wires on the cable hopper 3. That is, the wires that fall into the housing 1 after being reversed by the cable hopper 3 come into contact with the outer surface of the cable tray 11, and through the action of the frustum-shaped inclined surface, the wires can be orderly wound onto the cable tray 11, ensuring long-term use by the user. Similarly, a cable tray 11 can also be installed on the storage plate 10. After the user places the decorative light on top of the housing 1, the initially collected wires will be wound in the cable tray 11 of the storage plate 10, allowing the collection device to more smoothly retrieve the wires.

[0037] The foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention is for illustrative and explanatory purposes. These descriptions are not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it is obvious that many changes and variations can be made based on the above teachings. Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, these specific embodiments are merely explanations of the invention and are not intended to limit it. The specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. The purpose of selecting and describing exemplary embodiments is to explain the specific principles of the invention and its practical application, so that those skilled in the art, after reading this specification, can make modifications, substitutions, variations, and various choices and changes to the embodiments as needed without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, provided that such modifications, substitutions, variations, and choices and changes are within the scope of the claims of the invention and are protected by patent law.

Claims

1. A courtyard-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction, characterized in that, include: Cylindrical shell (1); A fixed shaft (2) is fixedly installed in the middle of the housing (1); Rotate the wire hopper (3) set on the fixed shaft (2), a part of the wire of the decorative lamp is wound on the wire hopper (3), and the other part is stored in the lower part of the housing (1); The wire take-up devices are set on both sides of the wire hopper (3), and the wire take-up devices take in the wire by rotating the wire hopper (3); A bracket (4) is rotatably mounted on the lower part of the housing (1). The bracket (4) is connected to the take-up device via a handle (13). The process of opening and closing the bracket (4) stores energy for the take-up device. A locking mechanism (14) is provided at the bottom of the housing (1) for fixing the bracket (4). Two gears (5) are slidably mounted on the fixed shaft (2) and located on both sides of the wire bucket (3), with a groove in the middle of the gear (5); Two racks (6) are provided on the inner side wall of the housing (1), the racks (6) mesh with the gear (5), and the racks (6) are connected to the handle (13); The slide groove (201) is provided on the fixed shaft (2); An energy storage device (7) is installed in the groove. One end of the energy storage device (7) is connected to the slide (201), and the other end is connected to the inner wall of the groove. It is used to couple the linear motion of the gear (5) and the rack (6). The clutch assembly (8) disposed on the end face of the gear (5) facing the hopper (3) is used to selectively transmit the rotation of the gear (5) to the hopper (3). A button (9) is provided on the outer surface of the housing (1). The button (9) is connected to the gear (5). The button (9) controls the connection between the clutch assembly (8) and the cable hopper (3). The two racks (6) are located on the same side inside the housing (1), and the two handles (13) are arranged side by side on the same outer side of the housing (1). Their arrangement allows the user to step on them to drive the racks (6) to move downwards and store energy for the energy storage unit (7).

2. The courtyard ground-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clutch assembly (8) includes a flexible rubber pad, which wraps around the outer surface of the wire hopper (3) to drive the wire hopper (3) to rotate.

3. The courtyard ground-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (1) includes an upper housing portion (101) and a lower housing portion (102). The upper shell (101) is a telescopic structure and is slidably mounted on the top of the lower shell (102), and the decorative light is mounted on the top of the upper shell (101); The take-up device is located in the lower shell (102).

4. The courtyard ground-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction according to claim 3, characterized in that, A storage plate (10) is provided on the lower shell (102).

5. The courtyard ground-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support (4) includes: A horizontal plate (402) is disposed on the outer surface of the lower shell (102). Rotate the support plate (401) that is mounted on the horizontal plate (402); The handle (13) is connected to the cross plate (402).

6. The courtyard ground-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the wire bucket (3) is provided with an adhesive layer.

7. The courtyard ground-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower part of the housing (1) is provided with a cable collector (11), which is located below the cable hopper (3). The outer surface of the cable collector (11) is connected to the wire on the cable hopper (3).

8. The courtyard ground-mounted decorative light with automatic cord retraction according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the housing (1) is provided with a base (12).

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