Night light with fiber optics

• US 7,232,251 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aaron Chien, Hsin-Yi Wang, Te-Ju Chien
• Original Assignee: Tseng-Lu Chien
• Inventors: Chien, Tseng-Lu
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cranson, Jr.; James W
• Application Number:
  US11/092,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20060227573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 362641-644, 362/282, 362/554
• US Class Current: 362/644
• CPC Class Codes: A41G 1/005 luminous or luminescent
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre

Abstract

A night light with fiber optics has a main object and a fiber optics arrangement to let visible wavelength light beams be seen by a viewer after passing through the fiber optics. The main object material can be selected from textile, metal, plastic, porcelain, ceramic, or viscous-mud related items, wooden toys, stuffed toys, blow-mold unit, seasonal items, dolls, porcelain units, ceramic units, poly resin units, as well as a sporting related unit, painting unit, poster unit, sign unit, photo unit, angel unit, artificial related unit, animal unit, flower unit or other conventional units in a variety of gift, toy, sports, seasonal, holiday applications to make the night light exhibit more attractive light effects than the original main objects. The night light may incorporate a switch that provides selected preferred light functions.

Claims

1. A night light with fiber optics, comprising:

light means for emitting light;

at least one prong means built into said night light for supplying electricity to said light means when said prong means is connected with a power source;

at least one main object;

fiber optic means attached to said main object for transmitting light from said light means to form a plurality of lighted spots, said fiber optic means being arranged in bundles of optical fibers; and

IC means for controlling said light means to provide predetermined illumination functions and effects.

2. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light means is selected from the group consisting of at least one LED;

EL, OEL, or OLED element;

gas filled bulb;

fluorescent tube, black light;

neon tube;

strobe light;

neon bulb;

discharge device; and

combinations of any of the foregoing lighting elements.

3. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said functions controlled by said IC means include on/off timing, brightness, color, and duration.

4. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main object includes a body and at least one of a stencil, front piece, cover, and display surface, wherein said at least one of a stencil, front piece, cover, and display surface has a predetermined design, indicia, shape, or configuration.

5. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main object is made from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, glass, pottery, wood, ceramic, porcelain, viscous-mud related material, plastic, poly resins, plastic resins, paper, bamboo, and textile.

6. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said effects controlled by the IC means include one or more of the following effects:

steady-on, chasing, random, pair flashing, fade in/fade out, or scan effects.

7. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main object is selected from the group consisting of a toy unit, gift unit, stuffed toy unit, blow0molded unit, textile unit, seasonal unit, plastic unit metal unit, porcelain unit, ceramic unit, viscous-mud unit, painting unit, poster unit, sign unit, photo unit, doll unit, promotion unit, advertisement unit, give away unit, holiday items, artificial flower, lava unit, aquarium unit, and water ball unit.

8. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said night light further incorporates a device selected from the group consisting of a moving mechanism, filter, rotating device, electric device, circuit, sensor, switching device, scent device, motion sensor device, and receptacle.

9. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fiber optic means are arranged on the main object and light is emitted from ends of said optical fibers.

10. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical fibers include cut-outs for emitting light along a length of said fibers.

11. A night light as claimed in claim 1, further comprising additional said light means for providing different lighting functions.

12. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said prong means further includes a ground prong.

13. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said prong means is connected to said IC means by connection elements selected from the group consisting of a resilient conductive member, conductive wires, a conductive metal piece, conductive soldering paste, snaps, and clips.

14. A night light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said IC means is connected to said light means by connection elements selected from the group consisting of a resilient conductive member, conductive wires, a conductive metal piece, conductive soldering paste, snaps, and clips.