Electronic Kenzan (flower frog) and electronic artificial flowers

Abstract

This product features an electronic kenzan (flower frog) that solves the problems of conventional electric kenzan, and electronic artificial flowers that, when inserted into this electronic kenzan, enable a wide range of decorative possibilities and versatility in flower arrangements that could not be achieved with conventional artificial flowers. [Solution] An electronic kenzan Ek is formed by arranging multiple electrodes of one side of a pair of electrodes that can be joined and separated in a male-female configuration upwards on the outer surface of a kenzan body 1 which is circular or polygonal in plan view and bulges or rises upwards to form a kenzan electrode 2, and an electronic artificial flower Af is formed by having the other electrode attached downwards as an artificial flower electrode 3 at the lower end of a stem 4 and having a lamp La such as an LED connected to the artificial flower electrode 3 inside the petal 5 at the upper end of the stem 4, and inserting the electronic artificial flower Af into the kenzan electrode 2 at its artificial flower electrode 3 to form a decorative flower in the style of an ikebana arrangement using the electronic artificial flower Af and electronic kenzan Ek.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ikebana stand (hereinafter also referred to as an electronic ikebana stand) having an electrode for energizing a lamp such as an LED provided in artificial flowers, and to an artificial flower in which the lamp is lit or blinked when the artificial flower is inserted and used like an ikebana arrangement on the electronic ikebana stand.

Background Art

[0002] Decorative flowers using artificial flowers are known from Patent Documents 1 and 2, which are composed of an ikebana stand-like object (hereinafter referred to as an electrical ikebana stand) in which a large number of electrodes are arranged side by side in a plane, and an artificial flower including an electrode connected to the electrode of the ikebana stand and a lamp, and the lamp is lit by bringing the electrode of the artificial flower into contact with the electrode of the ikebana stand.

[0003] However, the electrical ikebana stand of Patent Document 1 has a problem that since the electrodes to be arranged are arranged in a flat shape with the same height on the entire surface, it is difficult to give a three-dimensional effect to the ikebana arrangement using artificial flowers when the lengths of the stems of the artificial flowers are the same.

[0004] On the other hand, the electrode of the ikebana stand of Document 2 and the electrode of the artificial flower are joined by merely electrical contact, but since it is a connection that is not mechanically constrained, the posture of the inserted artificial flower cannot be kept constant, the posture of the artificial flower is unstable, and there is a problem that when an external force such as a person touches it, it falls off or deviates from the ikebana stand.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an electronic kenzan (flower frog) that solves the problems of the previously known electric kenzan, and electronic artificial flowers (also called art flowers) that can be inserted into this kenzan to achieve a wide range of decorative possibilities and diversity in flower arrangements that could not be obtained with conventional artificial flowers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention, which was made to solve the above problems, comprises an electronic kenzan (flower frog) having a circular or polygonal shape in plan view that bulges or rises upward, on the outer surface of which multiple electrodes of a pair of electrodes that can be joined and separated in a male-female configuration are arranged facing upward to form a kenzan electrode; and an electronic artificial flower having the other electrode facing downward as an artificial flower electrode at the lower end of the stem, and a lamp such as an LED connected to the artificial flower electrode inside the petals at the upper end of the stem, wherein the electronic artificial flower and electronic kenzan can be electrically and mechanically coupled by inserting the kenzan electrode into the artificial flower electrode to form a decorative flower like an ikebana arrangement.

[0008] In the case where the planar shape of the electronic kenzan described above is circular, the term "circular" includes oval and elliptical shapes, and in the case where the planar shape is polygonal, it includes polygons with triangles or more sides. Furthermore, the planar shape of the kenzan in this invention includes shapes other than the above-mentioned circular and polygonal shapes, such as irregular or non-linear shapes in plan view, such as star shapes, starfish shapes, cloud shapes, or infinity symbol shapes.

[0009] The spiked head of the present invention has a shape that bulges outwards or rises upwards. Specific examples of spiked head shapes include: (a) those with a dome-shaped bulge or rise on the upper side; (b) those with a trapezoidal cone-shaped bulge or rise on the upper side; (c) those formed into a cone shape with two or more terraces; and (d) those with a short columnar shape.

[0010] In the present invention, the number and arrangement pattern of the pincushion electrodes placed on the surface (outer surface) of the pincushion body can be arbitrarily selected or set based on differences in the size and shape of its planar shape, differences in the bulging or raised forms described in (a) to (d) above, and differences in the external shape of the pincushion body.

[0011] Here, as for the arrangement patterns of the spike electrodes to be placed on the dome-shaped spike body described in (a) above, or the trapezoidal pyramidal spike body described in (b), for example, virtual contour lines can be drawn on the spike body to divide it into three or four equal parts in the height direction, and upward-facing spike electrodes can be arranged at approximately equal intervals along these virtual contour lines. In this case, spike electrodes will also be placed at the center of the top of the dome or trapezoid. Not all upward-facing spike electrodes are vertical; spike electrodes placed at lower latitudes on the virtual contour lines can be tilted outwards.

[0012] Furthermore, in the case of a terraced spike bed, for example, a spike bed with three stages and a maximum diameter of approximately 60 mm, spike electrodes are placed on the flat annular sections of the bottom and middle stages and on the circular top of the top stage. Specifically, in the case of a three-stage cone, eight spike electrodes are placed on the annular section of the bottom stage, eight on the annular section of the middle stage, and five on the circular section of the top stage.

[0013] The number of electrodes to be placed varies depending on the planar shape and size of the spike-like structure. Similarly, the arrangement patterns also vary depending on the planar shape and size of the spike-like structure. As described in paragraphs 0011 and 0012 above, if the spike-like structure 1 is hollow inside, a power supply unit including a battery and a control circuit including a lamp switch can be placed inside. Note that some spike-like structures 1 are not hollow inside; in this case, the power supply unit including the control circuit is placed outside the spike-like structure 1 via lead wires to the electrodes.

[0014] In this invention, an electronic kenzan for a single-flower vase is, for example, composed of a kenzan body having a short columnar shape with a circular or square cross-section, and one kenzan electrode positioned upward at the upper end (top) of the kenzan body. In this case, in addition to the one at the top, the electronic kenzan may have at least one kenzan electrode positioned diagonally upward in the middle. In an electronic kenzan for a single-flower vase, the kenzan body may be hollow, and a battery, a control circuit for lighting, and a switch may be placed inside.

[0015] In this invention, the kenzan electrode is a female electrode with a jack structure, and the artificial flower electrode is a male electrode with a plug structure. The kenzan electrode and the artificial flower electrode may also be configured with the jack and plug reversed. Here, multiple pincushion electrodes located at the same height are connected by a circuit board where each electrode is connected in parallel to the others, and the circuit boards of each stage are also connected in parallel to each other.

[0016] In this invention, the above-mentioned spike-like body and the spike-like electrodes arranged on this spike-like body constitute the electronic spike-like device of the present invention.

[0017] Next, we will describe the electronic artificial flower according to the present invention, which has an artificial flower electrode inserted into the kenzan electrode of the electronic kenzan of the present invention.

[0018] As an example, the electronic artificial flower of the present invention is composed of a stem, a flower (petals) provided at the upper end of the stem, leaves provided from the lower end to the middle of the stem, an artificial flower electrode provided integrally with the stem at the lower end of the stem, in this case an artificial flower electrode with a plug structure male electrode, a lamp such as an LED provided at the center of the flower, and a conductor running through the stem connecting the lamp and the artificial flower electrode.

[0019] In the aforementioned artificial flower stem, the lower end equipped with the artificial flower electrode is made of hard resin, while the section from the lower end upwards to the petal base (sepal) is made of flexible resin or paper. The wire running through the inside of the stem is a plastically deformable wire that can maintain its shape when the stem is bent, depending on its material. The petals and stem are also made of flexible resin or paper. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] In the present invention, one of a pair of electrodes that can be joined and separated with a male-female structure is arranged upward on the surface or outer surface of a sword mountain body that bulges or rises upward in a circular or polygonal shape in plan view to form a sword mountain electrode. The sword mountain electrode is provided with the other electrode downward at the lower end of the stem as a flower arrangement electrode. An artificial flower with a lamp such as an LED connected to the flower arrangement electrode in its petals is inserted into the flower arrangement electrode. Therefore, a plurality of artificial flowers with the flower arrangement electrode at the lower end of the stem inserted into the sword mountain electrode can be stably held, and the artificial flowers with a lamp connected to the flower arrangement electrode in the petals of each artificial flower can be decorated as a flower arrangement with the lamp lit or flashing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] Perspective view of the first example of the electronic sword mountain of the present invention. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the second example of the electronic sword mountain of the present invention. [Figure 3] Perspective view of the third example of the electronic sword mountain of the present invention. [Figure 4] Perspective view of the fourth example of the electronic sword mountain of the present invention. [Figure 5] Perspective view of the state where the upper cover of the electronic sword mountain of the first example is removed. [Figure 6] Perspective view of an example of the electronic artificial flower inserted into the electronic sword mountain of the present invention. [Figure 7] Perspective view of an extension stem for extending the stem of the electronic artificial flower in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] Perspective view of an example of use of an electronic artificial flower using an extension stem. [Figure 9] Perspective view of an example of arranging the electronic sword mountain with the electronic artificial flower arranged in a vase that does not contain water. [Figure 10] Perspective view of the state of use of the electronic sword mountain for single-stem flower arrangement of the fourth example of the present invention. [Figure 11] Exploded perspective view of an aroma stand that can be set on the electronic sword mountain of the present invention. [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view of an example of the sword mountain electrode. [Figure 13] Enlarged cross-sectional view of an example of the flower arrangement electrode. [Figure 14]A cross-sectional view showing the bonding state between the kenzan electrode in Figure 12 and the artificial flower electrode in Figure 13. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first example of the electronic kenzan Ek of the present invention, in which a three-tiered, stepped terrace-like body is designated as the kenzan body 1, and jack-shaped electrodes 2 on the kenzan side (hereinafter referred to as kenzan electrodes 2) are placed on the upper surface of each tier.

[0023] In Figure 1, the pincushion electrodes 2 in each stage are connected in parallel to each other, and the substrate circuits of each stage are also connected in parallel. The pincushion electrodes 2 arranged on the pincushion body 1 are, for example, jack-type electrodes with the structure shown in Figure 10. The structure of the pincushion electrodes 2 will be described later.

[0024] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the second example of the present invention, an electronic pincushion Ek-2, in which a pincushion electrode 2 is arranged at approximately equal pitches along three virtual contour lines formed on the outer surface (or surface) of the pincushion body 1, which is roughly dome-shaped or hemispherical. In this example, a pincushion electrode 2 is also placed at the top.

[0025] Figure 3 shows an example of a truncated cone-shaped, specifically a roughly frustoconical, pincushion-shaped pincushion body 1. Two virtual contour lines are drawn on the surface of the pincushion body 1 in the same manner as in the case of pincushion body 1 in Figure 2. Pincushion electrodes 2 are arranged in a ring at roughly equal pitches along each contour line, and five pincushion electrodes are arranged in a plum blossom-like pattern on the apex surface, representing a third example of the present invention, the electronic pincushion Ek-3. Here, all pincushion electrodes 2 arranged in the electronic pincushion Ek-2 and Ek-3 shown in Figures 2 and 3 are connected in parallel. Also, at least two virtual contour lines are sufficient for the pincushion body 1 in Figures 2 and 3.

[0026] Figure 4 shows a short columnar, in this case a hollow rod-shaped kenzan body 1. In this example, at least one kenzan electrode 2 is placed at the top of the kenzan body 1, forming an electronic kenzan Ek-4 for a single flower vase. This is the fourth example of the electronic kenzan of the present invention. In this case, the kenzan electrode 2 may be placed not only at the top but also diagonally upward in the middle of the kenzan body 1. Although not shown in Figure 4, the kenzan body 1 contains a battery and a control circuit for the lamp, etc. SW is the ON / OFF switch for the lamp in the control circuit.

[0027] Next, a specific example of the first example of the electronic kenzan Ek of the present invention shown in Figure 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the electronic kenzan Ek shown in Figure 1 with the upper cover 10, which constitutes the kenzan body 1, removed. Note that the removed cover 10 is not shown.

[0028] In Figure 5, 11 is the disc-shaped base of the spiked head 1, and is a resin molded product as an example. 12, 13, and 14 are three electrode substrates arranged in three layers on the base 11, maintaining vertical gaps between them. The outer diameter of each of the three electrode substrates 12-14 decreases from the bottom layer upwards, and rotating the imaginary ridge connecting each layer of substrates 12-14 360° around the center of the base 11 forms a frustoconical shape.

[0029] Each electrode substrate 12-14 is supported from below by spacers 11a that are formed as columnar projections extending upward from the upper surface of the base 11. Each spacer 11a is formed on the base 11 at three different heights and supports the electrode substrates 12-14 at their respective heights. As a result, each electrode substrate 12-14 maintains approximately the same vertical gap between them. Here, the spacer 11a supporting the uppermost electrode substrate 14 is provided by penetrating the electrode substrates 13 and 12 below this substrate 14, and the spacer 11a for the middle electrode substrate 13 is provided by penetrating the electrode substrate 12 below this substrate 13.

[0030] In the example shown in Figure 5, eight pincushion electrodes 2 are arranged on the circumference of the bottom electrode substrate 12 at approximately equal pitches. In the same manner, eight pincushion electrodes 2 are arranged on the middle electrode substrate 13, and five pincushion electrodes 2 are arranged on the top electrode substrate 14. In Figure 5, all pincushion electrodes 2 on each electrode substrate 12 to 14 are installed in a nearly vertical position, however some of the pincushion electrodes 2 on the bottom and middle electrode substrates 13 and 12 are installed at an outward inclination.

[0031] Each of the pincushion electrodes 2 placed on the electrode substrates 12-14 of each stage is connected in parallel by a circuit board printed on each electrode substrate 12-14 for each stage (not shown in the diagram), and the circuit boards of each stage are electrically connected by connecting legs 11b placed in the gaps (spaces) between each stage, so that all of the pincushion electrodes 2 placed on the pincushion body 1 are connected in parallel.

[0032] The kenzan body 1 with the cover 10 shown in Figure 5 removed becomes the electronic kenzan Ek of the present invention shown in Figure 1 when the removed cover 10 is placed over it. Here, the cover 10 is a synthetic resin molded product formed in a roughly cap-like shape with a stepped appearance corresponding to the differences in size (outer diameter) and height of the three electrode substrates 12-14 arranged in three stages. On the annular and circular parts of each stage of this cover 10, the same number of through holes 10a as the electrodes 2 arranged on the electrode substrates 12-14 are formed at positions corresponding to the electrodes 2 (see Figure 1).

[0033] In the electronic kenzan Ek shown in Figures 1 and 5, a power supply unit, not shown in the figures, is located on the underside (back) of the lowest electrode substrate 12. This power supply unit includes a power circuit that is turned ON / OFF by an AC100V DC converter power supply or a battery power supply, and a control circuit that lights up and blinks the lamp (LED) La of the electronic artificial flower Af, which will be described later.

[0034] The above description pertains to the first example of the electronic kenzan Ek of the present invention. However, the above description of the kenzan electrode 2, electrode substrates 12-14, spacer 11a, and connecting legs 11b can also be applied to the second example, the electronic kenzan Ek-2, and the third example, the electronic kenzan Ek-3, of the present invention.

[0035] The configuration of the kenzan electrode 2 is explained here with reference to Figure 12. This pincushion electrode 2 comprises a short cylindrical housing 2a made of synthetic resin, an outer contact 2b formed from an electrical conductor such as a copper plate arranged along the cylindrical surface of the housing 2a, and a pin-shaped center contact 2d positioned in the center of the outer contact 2b via a spacer 2c which is integrally molded with the housing 2a.

[0036] The electronic artificial flower Af used in this invention will be described in detail later, but the artificial flower electrode 3, which is electrically and mechanically detachably coupled to the kenzan electrode 2 described in

[0034] above, will be explained with reference to Figure 13.

[0037] As shown in Figure 13, the artificial flower electrode 3 is integrally formed with the stem 4, which is made of a hollow cylindrical body of the artificial flower Af, and is attached to the lower end of the stem 4, which will be described later.

[0038] In Figure 13, 3a is a cylindrical resin insulator with an outer contact 3b made of an electrical conductor on its outer surface. 3c is a center contact made of an electrical conductor inserted inside the insulator 3a.

[0039] When the artificial flower electrode 3 is inserted into the kenzan electrode 2, the outer contact 3b of the artificial flower electrode 3 comes into close contact with the outer contact 2b of the kenzan electrode 2, while the pin-shaped center contact 2d of the kenzan electrode 2 is inserted into and comes into close contact with the cylindrical center contact 3c of the artificial flower electrode 3. As a result, the kenzan electrode 2 and the artificial flower electrode 3 are electrically and mechanically joined. This joining and joining state is stable, but can be easily separated by hand.

[0040] Next, an example of the electronic artificial flower Af of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figure 6. The electronic artificial flower Af is formed from a stem 4 made of a soft, hollow cylindrical body of synthetic resin, an artificial flower electrode 3 as described in

[0037] above, placed at the lower end of the stem 4, a flower 5 consisting of a flower center and petals placed at the upper end of the stem 4, leaves 6 placed from the lower end of the stem 4 to the middle in the length direction, a lamp La, such as an LED, provided in the flower center of the flower 5, and a wire 7 that passes through the stem 4 and connects the artificial flower electrode 3 at the lower end to the lamp La of the flower 5. The flower 5 and leaves 6 can be formed from paper, synthetic paper, etc., in a full-color, realistic form, or simplified forms as appropriate.

[0041] As explained in Figure 6, multiple electronic artificial flowers Af are prepared using multiple types of flowers, and as an example, as shown in Figure 9, the artificial flower electrodes 3 of each electronic artificial flower Af are inserted into the electrodes 2 at the desired positions of the electronic kenzan Ek of the present invention to create the appearance of an artificial flower arrangement.

[0042] As shown in Figure 9, the electronic kenzan Ek, which is shaped like multiple electronic artificial flowers Af arranged in a vase Fp without water, can be placed as is, and when the power supply is turned ON, the lamps La of each electronic artificial flower Af will light up or blink, creating a decorative effect that cannot be achieved with natural flower arrangements.

[0043] In the above-described electronic artificial flower Af, an adapter-shaped extension stem 41 with the stem length shown in Figure 7 may be used to lengthen the stem 4. This extension stem 41 is composed of an extension part 41a made of the same material as the stem 4, an extension stem electrode 21 identical to the kenzan electrode 2 provided at the upper end of the extension part 41a, and an extension artificial flower electrode 31 identical to the artificial flower electrode 3 provided at the lower end. Thus, as illustrated in Figure 8, it can be used as an electronic artificial flower Af with a long stem 4. In this way, by using the extension stem 41, electronic artificial flowers Af with different stem lengths (height of the flower 5) can be arranged in the electronic kenzan Ek.

[0044] Figure 10 shows the electronic flower holder Ek-4 for single-flower arrangements (Figure 4) with a single electronic flower Af placed in it, and is a perspective view of the Ek-4 placed in a vase.

[0045] Next, since the electronic kenzan Ek~Ek-4 of the present invention can also be used as an aroma stand As, an example of its application to the first example electronic kenzan Ek shown in Figure 11 will be described.

[0046] The aroma stand As consists of a hollow support column Pa with the same structure as the stem 4, a support electrode 32 with the same structure as the artificial flower electrode 3, which is provided at the lower end of the support column Pa, and a tray Sa for a cotton ball-shaped aroma generator Ca, which is secured to the upper end of the support column Pa with a pin Pi.

[0047] The Aroma Stand As can be used alone by inserting the support electrode 32 into the kenzan electrode 2 of the present invention's electronic kenzan Ek to volatilize the aroma absorbed by the aroma generator Ca, or by inserting it into the electrode 2 of the electronic kenzan Ek together with other electronic artificial flowers Af to emit an aromatic scent while also enjoying the decorative flowers made from the electronic artificial flowers Af.

[0048] As described above, the present invention allows you to enjoy more diverse and gorgeous floral arrangements than those made with fresh flowers by using the electronic kenzan (flower frog) and electronic artificial flowers of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] Ek Electronic Kenzan 1. Mount Tsurugi 2. Pin-shaped electrode Af Electronic Artificial Flowers 3 Artificial flower electrodes 4 stems 41. Extended stem 5 flowers 6 leaves

Claims

1. An electronic kenzan (flower frog) and electronic artificial flower are characterized in that the electronic kenzan has a circular or polygonal shape in plan view, which bulges or rises upward, and on the outer surface of the kenzan body, one electrode of a pair of electrodes that can be joined and separated in a male-female configuration is positioned upward to form the kenzan electrode, and the electronic artificial flower has the other electrode positioned downward at the lower end of the stem as the artificial flower electrode, and has a lamp such as an LED connected to the artificial flower electrode inside the petals at the upper end of the stem, and the electronic artificial flower and electronic kenzan can be electrically and mechanically coupled to the kenzan electrode at the artificial flower electrode to form a decorative flower like an ikebana arrangement.

2. The electronic kenzan according to claim 1, wherein the planar shape of the electronic kenzan is one of a circle, a polygon, or an irregular shape, and in the case of a circle, it includes an oval and an ellipse, in the case of a polygon, it includes a polygon with triangles or more sides, and in the case of an irregular shape, it includes at least a cloud shape.

3. The electronic kenzan according to claim 1, wherein the kenzan body has an upward-bulging shape, an upward-rising shape, or a short columnar shape.

4. The electronic kenzan according to claim 3, wherein the bulging or raised shape of the kenzan body is either a shape in which the outer surface bulges or rises in a dome shape or a truncated cone shape, or a terraced shape that forms at least two steps.

5. The electron pincushion of claim 4, wherein the dome-shaped or truncated cone-shaped pincushion body has a plurality of pincushion electrodes arranged in a ring along one or more imaginary contour lines drawn on its outer surface.

6. The electron pincushion of claim 4, wherein the terraced pincushion body has at least two or three annular steps when viewed from above, and a plurality of pincushion electrodes are arranged in an annular pattern on the plane of each step.

7. The electron pincushion according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of pincushion electrodes are connected in parallel.

8. The short columnar shape of the spiked body is provided with at least one of the electrodes at its top, according to claim 3.

9. The electronic artificial flower according to claim 1, comprising: an artificial flower electrode electrically and mechanically coupled to a kenzan electrode provided on the kenzan body; an artificial stem having the artificial flower electrode at its lower end; an artificial flower having petals provided at the upper end of the stem; an artificial leaf provided from near the lower end to the middle of the stem in the longitudinal direction; a lamp such as an LED provided inside the flower; and a conductor arranged along the stem connecting the lamp and the artificial flower electrode.

10. The electronic artificial flower according to claim 9, comprising an extension stem that is shorter than the stem of claim 9 and made of the same material as the stem of claim 9, the extension stem having the same electrode as the kenzan electrode at its upper end and the same electrode as the artificial flower electrode at its lower end.

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