Lamp with heat-responsive decoration

Abstract

A lighting product including a holder for an illumination source, a frame, attached to the holder including a back plate having a front surface adjacent to the illumination source, and a layer of a thermochromic material, which is disposed on the front surface of the back plate so as to alter an appearance of the back plate in response to heat emitted by the illumination source.

1 . A lighting product, comprising:
 a holder for an illumination source;   a frame, attached to the holder and comprising a back plate having a front surface adjacent to the illumination source; and   a layer of a thermochromic material, which is disposed on the front surface of the back plate so as to alter an appearance of the back plate in response to heat emitted by the illumination source.   
     
     
         2 . The product according to  claim 1 , wherein the illumination source is a candle. 
     
     
         3 . The product according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a base, upon which the holder and the back plate are mounted. 
     
     
         4 . The product according to  claim 3 , wherein the back plate has a back surface opposite the front surface, and wherein the frame comprises a protective plate mounted on the base adjacent to the back surface of the back plate. 
     
     
         5 . The product according to  claim 1 , wherein the back plate comprises a canopy that extends forward over the illumination source. 
     
     
         6 . The product according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermochromic material is opaque at an ambient temperature of the product and becomes transparent in response to the heat emitted by the illumination source. 
     
     
         7 . The product according to  claim 6 , wherein an image is disposed on the front surface of the back plate, beneath the layer of the thermochromic material, so that the image becomes visible as the thermochromic material becomes transparent. 
     
     
         8 . The product according to  claim 7 , wherein the image on the front surface of the back plate is a first image, and wherein the layer of the thermochromic material comprises a second image, which is visible at the ambient temperature and becomes transparent in response to the heat so as to reveal the first image. 
     
     
         9 . A method for lighting, comprising:
 mounting a holder for an illumination source on a frame comprising a back plate so that a front surface of the back plate is adjacent to the illumination source; and   providing, on the front surface of the back plate, a layer of a thermochromic material that alters an appearance of the back plate in response to heat emitted by the illumination source.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the illumination source is a candle. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the frame comprises a base, upon which the holder and the back plate are mounted. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the back plate has a back surface opposite the front surface, and wherein the frame comprises a protective plate mounted on the base adjacent to the back surface of the back plate. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the back plate comprises a canopy that extends forward over the illumination source. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the thermochromic material is opaque at an ambient temperature and becomes transparent in response to the heat emitted by the illumination source. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , and comprising forming an image on the front surface of the back plate, beneath the layer of the thermochromic material, so that the image becomes visible as the thermochromic material becomes transparent. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the image on the front surface of the back plate is a first image, and wherein the method comprises forming, in the layer of the thermochromic material, a second image, which is visible at the ambient temperature and becomes transparent in response to the heat so as to reveal the first image.