Water faucet generated emergency lighting system

• US 6,036,333 A
• Filed: 05/04/1999
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Spiller
• Original Assignee: Andrew Spiller
• Inventors: Spiller, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAWHNEY, HARGOBIND S
• Application Number:
  US09/304,044
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• Field of Search: 362/192, 362/193, 362/96, 362/253, 290/54, 290/43, 290/35, 73/861.74, 73/861.75, 73/861.79, 73/861.87, 73/861.77
• US Class Current: 362/192
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/046 driven by hydropower, e.g. by water powered turbines

Abstract

An emergency lighting system 10 for use on the outlet 101 of a conventional faucet 100 and including a generally T-shaped housing member 20 having a cross-arm portion 22 that is connected on one end 24 to the faucet outlet 101 and has an interior fluid flow deflector element 26 disposed above the intersection of the cross-arm portion 22 with the stem portion 21 of the housing member 20 which contains a power generating unit 12 and an illumination unit 13; wherein, the power generating unit 12 includes a turbine element 26 which is positioned beneath the fluid flow deflector element 26 for supplying electrical current to the illumination unit 13 when pressurized water flows over the fluid flow deflector element 26.

Claims

1. An emergency lighting system for use on the outlet of a conventional water faucet;

wherein, the lighting system consists of;

a housing unit including a hollow T-shaped housing member having a cross-arm portion which is intersected by a stem portion;

wherein, the cross-arm portion is provided with an upper end having a resilient fluid coupling element that is adapted to captively engage the outlet of the conventional water faucet, a lower end provided with a nozzle element, and a fluid flow deflector element extending outwardly from one side and disposed intermediate the upper and lower ends of the cross-arm portion of the body member at a location proximate the intersection of the stem portion with the cross arm portion of the body member;

a power generating unit substantially disposed within the stem portion of the body member and including a generator member sealingly engaged in the stem portion of the body member;

wherein, the generator member is provided with an axial input shaft which extends at least partially into the cross-arm portion and in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the cross arm portion at a point below the fluid flow deflector element and wherein the axial input shaft is further provided with rotary turbine element for imparting rotary motion to the axial input shaft in response to pressurized fluid flowing over the fluid flow diverter element; and

an illumination unit operatively associated with the shaft portion of the body member and electrically coupled to the generator member.

2. The lighting system as in claim 1;

wherein, the stem portion of the housing member has an outer end which is operatively connected to the illumination unit.

3. The lighting system as in claim 2;

wherein, the illumination unit includes

a lamp member electrically coupled to the generator member and operatively surrounded by a reflector housing element which is disposed in the outer end of the stem portion of the housing member.

4. The lighting system as in claim 3;

wherein, the stem portion of the body member has an inner end provided with a membrane element and the axial input shaft passes through the membrane element in a water tight fashion.

5. The lighting system as in claim 1;

wherein, the rotary turbine element is provided with a plurality of radially aligned impeller vanes.