Electrical devices

• US 4,839,562 A
• Filed: 04/22/1986
• Issued: 06/13/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Colin R. Francis, Wojciech W. Giller
• Original Assignee: Colin R. Francis, Wojciech W. Giller
• Inventors: Francis, Colin R., Giller, Wojciech W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Razavi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US06/854,849
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 315/129, 315/134, 315/149, 315/158, 315/300, 315/361, 315/307, 315/363, 315/363, 315/308, 315/209 R, 315/159
• US Class Current: 315/149
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/081 by measuring the incident light H05B39/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The invention relates to the idea of a device which can be interposed between a lamp and its socket for a variety of purposes including control of the operation of the lamp, hazard and security status detection. In one form the device is responsive to the light'"'"'s wall switch being turned off and then rapidly on again to initiate a periodic energization of the lamp so as to give the impression that the room in which the lamp is located is occupied. Various other uses for the device are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An electrical device comprising a body adapted to be interposed between a light bulb and a light socket and having an electrical connector for insertion into the light socket to receive electrical power therefrom and an electrical socket for receiving the light bulb to supply electrical power thereto, the body comprising;

a housing which is to be interposed between the lamp and its socket and houses electronic circuitry including bulb energisation control means arranged to detect a pattern of energisation of the device by the electrical supply comprising a predetermined series of on and off periods of the mains supply and having a number of operating modes and effective to control the energisation of the light bulk so as to be at different power levels in different ones of said operating modes and including monitoring means, responsive to a first pattern of energisation of the device by the electrical supply to said light socket into which the device is, in use inserted, to set the light output of the light bulb at a first lower level and responsive to a second pattern of energisation of the device by the electrical supply to said light socket into which, in use, the device is inserted to set the light output of the light bulb at a second power level, said first power level being lower than said second power level, and said first pattern of energisation comprising the means supply being turned off for no more than a short predetermined time and then being turned on again; and

a sound producing device for producing music or other reassuring noise housed in said housing;

sound energisation control means to control the energisation of the sound producing device and effective in response to the said first pattern of energisation of the device by the electrical supply to the socket as detected by the sound energisation control means to control the sound producing device to produce said music or other reassuring noise when the bulb energisation control means is operative to energize the light bulb at said first, lower, power level and is not responsive to the second pattern of energisation so that the sound producing device is not energized when the light output of the light bulb is at said second, higher, power level.