Directionally controllable night light

• US 7,303,327 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Tack & Hardware Company Incorporated (Jackson Deerfield Manufacturing Corp.)
• Original Assignee: American Tack & Hardware Company Incorporated (Jackson Deerfield Manufacturing Corp.)
• Inventors: Thompson, Mitchell, Copeland, Steve A.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton; Anabel
• Application Number:
  US11/274,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20070109813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 362/640, 362/641, 362/642, 362/644, 362/646, 362/651, 362/205, 362/197, 362/199, 362/200
• US Class Current: 362/640
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members

Abstract

A night light comprising a housing with a rotatable bezel mounted thereon. The housing includes a rear wall with electric blades extending outwardly therefrom for engaging in an electrical wall outlet. The bezel is rotatable about a first pivot axis. A LED array is mounted in the bezel and the array is rotatable about a second pivot axis. The second pivot axis is oriented on a different plane to the first pivot axis and preferably lies at ninety degree thereto. When the bezel is rotated about the first pivot axis, the direction of the light emitted from the LED array is changed. Because the bezel can rotate through 360°, the LED array can be rotated through 360° about the first pivot axis. The LED array can be pivoted through an arc of between 160° and 175° about the second pivot axis. The combination of being able to rotationally adjust the position of the bezel on the housing and to adjust the position of the LED array within the bezel allows the individual to control the direction of the light emitted from the night light.

Claims

1. A night light comprising:

a housing having a first pivot axis;

a bezel mounted to the housing and being rotatable relative to the housing about the first pivot axis; and

wherein said bezel has a second pivot axis;

a light source mounted on the bezel and being adapted to emit a beam of light outwardly therefrom when activated; and

wherein the light source is rotatable relative to the bezel about the second pivot axis;

whereby the direction of a beam of light emitted from the night light is controllable by rotating one or both of the bezel and the light source about the respective first and second pivot axes.

2. The night light as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second pivot axes are different.

3. The night light as defined in claim 1, wherein the first pivot axis is oriented at ninety degrees to the second pivot axis.

4. The night light as defined in claim 1, wherein the bezel is rotatable about the first pivot axis through an arc of substantially 360°

.

5. The night light defined in claim 1, wherein the light source is rotatable about the second pivot axis through an arc of between 160°

and 175°

.

6. The night light defined in claim 1, wherein the light source is mounted within the interior of the bezel.

7. The night light defined in claim 6, wherein the light source is mounted diagonally across to bezel.

8. The night light defined in claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a LED array.

9. The night light defined in claim 8, wherein the LED array includes a plurality of LEDs configured in a straight line.

10. The night light defined in claim 8, wherein the LED array is retained within a base member and the base member is mounted to the bezel;

the base member being rotatable about the second pivot axis.

11. The night light as defined in claim 10, wherein the base member comprises:

an upper housing; and

a lower housing connectable to the upper housing;

each of the upper and lower housings having a front face with a plurality of scalloped indentations formed therein; and

wherein each one of the plurality of LEDs in the array is disposed proximate one of the indentations;

whereby the beams of light from the individual LEDs are emitted outwardly through the scalloped indentations.

12. The night light as defined in claim 10, wherein the base member has a pair of opposing side walls and a locking flange extends outwardly from each of that pair of side walls;

and wherein the bezel includes a pair of indentations formed in an interior wall thereof, the indentations being positioned diagonally across from each other;

the indentations being complementary sized and shaped to retain the locking flanges of the base member therein.

13. The night light as defined in claim 12, wherein the second pivot axis extends between the locking flanges on the base member.

14. The night light as defined in claim 10, wherein each of the upper and lower housings includes an outer wall extending between the side walls;

and

wherein a depression is formed in the outer wall of at least one of the upper and lower housings;

the depression being adapted to receive a fingertip of an individual therein.

15. The night light as defined in claim 14, wherein the outer walls of both the upper and lower housings includes a depression, and the depressions are disposed opposite each other;

and whereby the base member is adapted to be grasped between a forefinger and thumb of a individual.

16. The night light as defined in claim 1, wherein the night light further includes a switch for turning the night light on and off.

17. The night light as defined in claim 1, wherein the bezel includes a plurality of grooves formed in an outer surface thereof;

whereby the bezel may be more easily grasped for rotation about the first pivot axis.

18. A method of directionally controlling light emitted from a night light, the method comprising:

providing a night light having a housing with a bezel mounted thereon, the bezel being rotatable about a first pivot axis, the night light having a light source mounted on the bezel;

the light source being separately rotatable about a second pivot axis that lies at right angles to the first pivot axis;

rotating the bezel about the first pivot axis to position the light source at a desired orientation;

rotating the light source about the second pivot axis to position the light source a desired orientation and to thereby direct light emitted therefrom in the desired direction.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein step of rotating the bezel about the first pivot axis includes the step of grasping an outer surface of the bezel and turning the same until so that the light source is positioned in the desired orientation.

20. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the step of rotating the light source about the second pivot axis includes the step of grasping the light source and turning the same so that the light source is positioned in the desired orientation.