Nightlight, led power supply circuit, and combination thereof

• US 20070002570A1
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony Pacitto, Jenkin Hua, John Ferreira, Joseph Diorio, Mehmet Tanacan, Michael Souza, Wilson Brunkhurst
• Original Assignee: Anthony Pacitto, Jenkin Hua, John Ferreira, Joseph Diorio, Mehmet Tanacan, Michael Souza, Wilson Brunkhurst
• Inventors: Souza, Michael, Ferreira, John, Pacitto, Anthony, Tanacan, Mehmet, Hua, Jenkin, Brunkhurst, Wilson, Diorio, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/372
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/06 by movement of refractors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/635
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/02 with provision for adjustment F21V17/04 - F21V17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/68 mounted on directly pluggable apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/09 for baseless lamp bulb
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention pertains to a night light assembly which plugs directly into an electrical wall receptacle to provide a beam of light that can be directed along different paths. The assembly comprises a housing having a plug with projecting blade contacts for insertion into a wall receptacle and a light sensor for automatically controlling the activation and de-activation of the lamp of the nightlight. A cover member rotatably supported by the housing includes a lens, a low wattage lamp, a support member, and a lamp retaining member. The low wattage lamp in the cover assembly is coupled, via sliding contacts, to the blade contacts in the base housing. This arrangement allows the cover and the lamp to be rotated as a unit relative to the base housing without limitation. The lamp retaining member is non-rotatably coupled to the cover and is rotatably engaged by a retaining member fixed to the housing member. The longitudinal axis of the low wattage lamp located in the lamp retaining member is aligned along the rotational axis of the lens in the cover to permit both direct and reflected light to pass through the lens in the cover without being obstructed by the base of the lamp. The disclosed assemblage is a new improved nightlight of simple design which provides increased light and can be manufactured and sold at relatively low cost. The low wattage lamp used in the nightlight can be either an incandescent bulb or a light emitting diode (LED) such as an ultrabright white LED either as a single bulb or a cluster of 2 or more bulbs. A photo sensitive circuit can be provided to automatically energize the incandescent bulb or the LED during low light conditions. When an LED is use as the light source, the LED is energized by a new improved power supply that is both simple in design and more efficient in operation than the standard power supply circuit used for LED'"'"'s.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A night light comprising:

a base member having blade contacts for insertion into an electrical receptacle;

a first electrical contact coupled to a first blade contact and a second electrical contact coupled to a second blade contact wherein the first and second contacts are slidably coupled to base contacts of the lamp via a PCB board;

a cover member having a lens affixed thereto;

a lamp support member for receiving an LED for emitting light through the lens, the lamp support member supports outwardly projecting protrusions adapted to be held captive by a support member of the cover member having an opening for receiving the LED and being non-rotatably coupled to the cover member at a first end and rotatably coupled to the base member at a second end;

the base having a first section and a second section which connect together, wherein the first section has a first portion of a retaining wall and a first section of an opening, and

the second section has a second portion of the retaining wall and a second section of the opening wherein the first and second sections of the opening support the second end of the lamp support member;

a light sensor coupled to the base member to control activation of the LED in response to the ambient light level; and

a power supply circuit coupled to the LED comprising;

a resistor;

a diode; and

a capacitor, all connected in series and adapted to be connected to a source of AC potential wherein the value of the current in the series circuit is determined by the value of the impedance of the resistor in series with the capacitor.

8. The night light of claim 7 wherein the second end of the lamp support member is funnel shaped.

9. The night light of claim 8 wherein the first and second sections of the opening fit around and are rotatably coupled to the second end of the lamp support member.

10. The night light of claim 7 further comprising:

a support member located within the cover member having a centrally located opening and recesses for receiving and holding captive the lamp support member.

11. The night light of claim 10 wherein the recesses support latch members engage and retain the first end of the lamp support member captive to the support member.

12. The night light of claim 11 wherein the first end of the lamp support member supports arms which fit within the recesses in the support member and are retained in place by the latch members.

13. The night light of claim 12 wherein the second end of the lamp support member supports a radially extending protrusion which rotatably engage a retaining wall of the base member.

14. The night light of claim 13 wherein the retaining wall of the base member rotatably engages the second end of the lamp support member between the radially extending protrusion and the support member of the cover member.

15. The night light of claim 14 wherein the radially extending protrusion at the second end of the lamp support member is an outwardly extending flange.

16. The night light of claim 14 wherein the radially extending protrusion at the second end of the lamp support member is funnel shaped.

17. The night light of claim 16 wherein the small diameter of the funnel shaped end of the lamp support member is coupled to the second end of the lamp support member.

18. A power supply circuit for an LED comprising:

a resistor,

a diode,

an LED, and

a capacitor, all connected in series and adapted to be connected to a source of AC potential wherein the value of the current in the series circuit is determined by the value of the impedance of the resistor in series with the capacitor.

19. A power supply circuit for an LED comprising:

a capacitor;

an LED coupled in parallel with a diode and in reverse polarity with respect to the diode; and

a resistor coupled is series with the capacitor and with the LED in parallel with the diode wherein the circuit is adapted to be connected to a source of AC potential and wherein the impedance of the capacitor in series with the resistor is selected to limit the current in the LED, and the diode is provided to block AC current when its polarity is such that the LED is reversed biased.

20. A power supply circuit for an LED comprising:

a capacitor coupled in series with an LED coupled in series with a resistor; and

a diode coupled in parallel with the LED in series with the resistor and in reverse polarity with respect to the LED;

wherein the circuit is adapted to be connected to a source of AC potential and wherein the impedance of the resistor is selected to limit the inrush current in the LED, and the diode is provided to block AC current when its polarity is such that the LED is reversed biased.

21. A power supply circuit for an LED comprising:

a series circuit of a capacitor and a resistor;

a bridge rectifier having first and second input terminals and first and second output terminals where the first input terminal of the bridge rectifier is coupled to the series circuit and wherein the series circuit and the second input terminal of the bridge rectifier are adapted to be coupled to a source of AC potential; and

an LED coupled across the first and second output terminals of the bridge rectifier wherein the bridge rectifier rectifies the AC potential to provide DC current to the LED.

22. A power supply circuit for an LED comprising:

a capacitor;

a bridge rectifier having first and second input terminals and first and second output terminals where the first input terminal of the bridge rectifier is coupled to the capacitor and wherein the capacitor and the second input terminal of the bridge rectifier are adapted to be coupled to a source of AC potential; and

a resistor in series with an LED is coupled across the first and second output terminals of the bridge rectifier wherein the resistor limits the inrush of current and the bridge rectifier rectifies the AC potential to provide DC current to the LED.

23. A power supply circuit for an LED comprising:

a series circuit of a first diode, a first LED, a resistor and a capacitor adapted to be connected to a source of AC potential; and

a series circuit of a second LED and a second diode coupled in reverse polarity and parallel with the first diode and the first LED wherein the first diode is connected to block negative half waves wherein the first and second diodes light alternately on each half of an AC wave.

24. A night light comprising:

a base having blade contacts for insertion into an electrical receptacle;

a cover member having a lens affixed thereto;

a lamp support member for receiving an LED for emitting light through the lens, the lamp support member being non-rotatably coupled to the cover member at a first end and rotatably coupled to the base member at a second end; and

,

a light sensor coupled to the base member to control activation of the lamp in response to the ambient light level.

25. The night light of claim 24 further comprising a power supply circuit for the LED comprising:

a resistor,

a diode,

an LED, and

a capacitor, all connected in series and adapted to be connected to a source of AC potential wherein the value of the current in the series circuit is determined by the value of the impedance of the resistor in series with the capacitors.

26. A power supply circuit for an LED comprising:

a resistor,

a diode,

an LED, and

an inductor, all connected in series and adapted to be connected to a source of AC potential wherein the value of the current in the series circuit is determined by the value of the impedance of the resistor in series with the inductor.