Portable special effects illumination device

An illumination device especially adapted for internally illuminating a decorative object wherein the decorative object is associated with a particular seasonal holiday, festive, or celebratory event. The device includes a dome shaped housing that is sized and configured to mount inside the decorative object. The housing has concavities with reflective surfaces and electric lights that are disposed in the concavities. Electric current is supplied to the light for illumination of the interior of the decorative object. The illuminative object has the optional capability to flash the electric lights to mimic the flickering of a burning candle and employ the use of fiber optics for special lighting effects.

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We claim:

1. An illumination device adapted to rest on a generally flat support surface and connect to a source of electrical power, comprising: (a) a housing including a bottom portion adaptedto contact the support surface and having an upper dome shaped exterior surface, said housing having at least one concavity formed in the exterior surface such that the concavity has a terminal edge that is contiguous with the exterior surface of saidhousing, said concavity having an optically reflective concave surface; and (b) an electrical lighting element disposed in the concavity and connectable to a source of electrical power thereby to emit light, said lighting element positioned at alocation such that light emitting therefrom is projected from the concavity when said lighting element is connected to the source of electrical power.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said housing has a plurality of concavities formed in the exterior surface thereof, each of said concavities having an optically reflective concave surface and including an electrical lighting elementdisposed therein.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said housing has an attachment protrusion extending from said bottom portion.

4. A device according to claim 1 including a light-diffusing lens supported by said housing and positioned to cover said concavity.

5. A device according to claim 1 including a colored lens supported by said housing exterior surface and positioned to cover said concavity.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said lighting element can alternate between an off and an on state to simulate a candle's flickering illumination effect.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein said concavity is defined by a rotated parabola having an edge at the exterior surface of said housing and an interior region bounded by the rotated parabola and a plane containing the edge, and whereinsaid lighting element is located in the interior region.

8. A device according to claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of said housing and the concave surface of the concavity is completely coated with a common layer of a reflective material.

9. A device according to claim 1 including a sound generating element, said sound generating element disposed in said housing.

10. An illumination device adapted to rest on a generally flat support surface and connect to a source of electrical power, comprising: (a) a housing including a bottom portion adapted to contact the support surface and having an upper domeshaped exterior surface, said housing having at least one concavity formed in the exterior surface such that the concavity has a terminal edge that is contiguous with the exterior surface of said housing and with said concavity having an opticallyreflective concave surface; (b) an electrical lighting element disposed in the concavity and connectable to a source of electrical power thereby to emit light, said lighting element positioned at a location such that light emitting there from isprojected from the concavity when said lighting element is connected to the source of electrical power; and (c) means for supplying electrical power to said lighting element.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein said housing has a plurality of concavities formed in the exterior surface thereof, each of said concavities having an optically reflective concave surface and including a plurality of electricallighting elements, each of said electrical lighting elements disposed within a respective one of said concavities.

12. A device according to claim 10 including a fiber optic light transmission element having a proximal portion and a distal portion, said proximal portion disposed proximately to said lighting element.

13. A device according to claim 12 including a colored lens sized and configured for use with the proximal portion of said fiber optic light transmission element.

14. A device according to claim 12 wherein said lighting element can alternate between an off and an on state to simulate a candle's flickering illumination effect.

15. A device according to claim 10 wherein said electrical power is supplied by at least one battery disposed within said housing.

16. A device according to claim 10 including an external port disposed on the exterior surface of said housing, said port adapted to receive the electrical power from outside of said housing.

17. A device according to claim 10 including a toggle switch for the electrical power.

18. A decorative system adapted to provide illuminative lighting effects for a festive object to commemorate an event, comprising: (a) a decorative object including a surrounding sidewall forming an interior, said object having an apertureformed through said sidewall, said aperture sized and configured to display a selected decorative feature when the interior is illuminated; (b) an illumination device sized and adapted to internally illuminate said object, comprising: (i) a housingincluding a bottom portion adapted to contact a support surface and having an upper dome shaped exterior surface, said housing having a concavity formed in the exterior surface, with said concavity having a terminal edge that is contiguous with the upperdome shaped exterior surface; (ii) an electrical lighting element disposed in the concavity and connectable to the source of electrical power thereby to emit light, said lighting element positioned at a location such that light emitting therefrom isprojected from the concavity when said lighting element is connected to a source of electrical power; and (iii) means for supplying electrical power to said lighting element.

19. A decorative system according to claim 18 including an ornamental insert piece for placement into said aperture of said decorative object.

20. A decorative system according to claim 18 wherein said object has a soft shell that has a bottom wall and an upwardly extending surrounding side wall, and wherein said housing includes at least one attachment protrusion extending from saidbottom portion, and operative to pierce said shell when the illumination device is pressed into the bottom wall of the shell.

21. A device according to claim 20 including a mating connector that attaches to said attachment protrusion, said mating connector is affixed to the support surface.

22. An illumination device adapted to rest on a generally flat support surface and connect to a source of electrical power, comprising: (a) a housing including a bottom portion adapted to contact the support surface and having an upperdome-shaped shell having a dome-shaped exterior shell surface, said upper dome-shaped shell having at least one concavity formed integrally therewith such that the concavity has a concave exterior surface which has a terminal edge that is contiguous withthe dome-shaped exterior shell surface; and (b) an electrical lighting element disposed in the concavity and connectable to the source of electrical power thereby to emit light, said lighting element positioned at a location such that light emittingtherefrom is projected from the concavity when said lighting element is connected to the source of electrical power.

23. An illumination device according to claim 22 wherein the concave exterior surface of the concavity is optically reflective.

24. An illumination device according to claim 22 including a plurality of concavities formed integrally with the upper dome-shaped portion.

25. An illumination device according to claim 24 wherein said concavities a generally distributed equidistantly about said upper dome-shaped portion.

26. An illumination device adapted to rest on a generally flat support surface and connect to a source of electrical power, comprising: (a) a housing including a bottom portion adapted to contact the support surface and having an upper shellhaving an upper shell surface, said upper shell having a plurality of concavities formed therein such that the concavity has a concave exterior surface which has a terminal edge that is contiguous with the upper shell surface; and (b) an electricallighting element disposed in a plurality of the concavities and connectable to the source of electrical power thereby to emit light, each said lighting element positioned at a location such that light emitting therefrom is projected from the concavitywhen said lighting element is connected to the source of electrical power.