Motion sensitive light and battery assembly switched on and off by the oscillation of a helical spring

• US 5,550,721 A
• Filed: 05/08/1995
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carmen Rapisarda, Thomas Rapisarda
• Original Assignee: Carmen & Thomas Rapisarda Enterprises
• Inventors: Rapisarda, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basichas, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US08/437,617
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 362/205, 362/276, 362/394, 362/800, 362/802, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.48, 200/61.49, 200/61.51
• US Class Current: 362/205
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0492 the sensor detecting a change in orientation, a movement or an acceleration of the lighting device, e.g. a tilt switch
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/242 the contact forming a part of a coil spring
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/168 operated by movement in any direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/144 operated by vibration
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/40 actuated by devices allowing continual flow of fluid, e.g. vane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A light emitting diode having a helical spring around one of its leads. The spring extends so that it has a free end which is cantilevered. As the free end of the spring moves it completes an electrical circuit intermittently lighting the light emitting diode.

Claims

1. A process for intermittently and briefly sustainedly energizing an electrically powered light comprising:

electrically connecting a straight, conductive lead to a first lead of the electrically powered light having first and second leads;

insulating a portion of said straight, conductive lead to provide an insulated portion and leaving at least an exposed end terminal;

supporting a flexible, helical spring over at least a portion of said insulated portion of said straight, conductive lead, said helical spring having a conductive inner surface, said flexible, helical spring having a central axis;

positioning said flexible, helical spring so that when said spring is at rest it surrounds, overhangs but does not touch said exposed end terminal, the length that said spring overhangs said conductive end terminal being a overhanging length;

abruptly moving said straight, conductive lead in a direction so that the overhanging length exhibits a wagging movement, said wagging movement being sufficient that the conductive inner surface contacts said exposed end terminal and is deflected thereby and caused to move in an opposite direction by contact with said conductive end terminal; and

contacting said spring to one lead of a source of electrical energy and contacting another lead of said source of electrical energy to said second lead of said electrically powered light whereby when said conductive inner surface of said spring contacts said exposed end terminal, a circuit is completed in an intermittent and briefly sustained manner.

2. An assembly for providing intermittent and briefly sustained light with movement of the assembly comprising:

a light source having a first and a second conductor for attachment to a source of electromotive force;

a straight lead electrically connected to said first conductor, said straight lead having an exposed end terminal;

an insulator surrounding a part of the length of said straight lead and leaving said exposed end terminal uninsulated and said insulator having a remote end spaced from said exposed end terminal;

a flexible, conductive helical spring having an inside diameter and an inside surface surrounding and in contact with said insulator and said flexible, conductive helical spring extending past said insulator over and past said exposed end terminal so that it surrounds said exposed end terminal and the inside surface is spaced from said exposed end terminal when the spring is at rest, said spring having a fixed end surrounding said insulator and a free end, said free end extending a distance of at least two times the inside diameter past the exposed end terminal and said spring being sufficiently flexible so that the free end will oscillate from the remote end of said insulator until the inside surface of the spring contacts the exposed end terminal and the spring will continue to move being deflected by contact between the exposed end terminal and said inside surface until the spring'"'"'s flexibility causes it to reverse its movement and move in an opposite direction and cease contact with the exposed end terminal and, as it continues to move, the inside surface of the spring will again contact the exposed end terminal and once again be deflected by contact with the exposed end terminal; and

a battery having a pair of terminals, one of said terminals being electrically connected to said second conductor of said light source, and the other of said pair of terminals being connected to said flexible, conductive helical spring, whereby when the free end of said spring is moved, the spring will oscillate and its inside surface come into intermittent and repeated contact with said exposed end terminal of said straight lead thereby completing an electrical circuit and intermittently and sustainedly lighting said light source.

3. The assembly for providing intermittent light with movement of claim 2 wherein said free end extends a distance of between two and twenty four times the inside diameter of the spring.

4. The assembly for providing intermittent light with movement of claim 3 wherein said free end extends a distance of between six and eighteen times the inside diameter of the spring.

5. The assembly for providing intermittent light with movement of claim 3 wherein said free end extends a distance of about twelve times the inside diameter of the spring.

6. The assembly for providing intermittent light with movement of claim 2 wherein the free end of the spring has sail means affixed thereto so that wind will deflect the free end to complete the circuit intermittently.

7. The assembly for providing intermittent light with movement of claim 2 wherein said light source is a light emitting diode having a first and a second conductor extending therefrom and said straight lead is one of said first and second conductors of said light emitting diode.

8. The assembly for providing intermittent light with movement of claim 7 wherein said insulator is a length of spaghetti tubing.

9. The assembly for providing intermittent light with movement of claim 7 wherein said battery is a wafer battery.

10. The assembly for providing intermittent light with movement of claim 9 wherein the wafer battery is positioned between the first and second conductors of said light emitting diode.