Switch plate area light

• US 7,850,322 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nite Ize Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nite Ize Incorporated
• Inventors: Glazner, Gregory F., Ormsbee, Bowden
• Primary Examiner(s): Sawhney; Hargobind S
• Application Number:
  US12/408,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20090180274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 362/20, 362/85, 362/95, 362/96, 362/147, 362/149, 362/183, 362/249.05, 362/249.06, 362/260, 362/176, 362/277, 362/28, 362/2, 362/290, 362/291, 362/322, 362/325, 362/365, 362/800, 362/802, 200/310, 200/312, 200/317
• US Class Current: 362/95
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/18 Distinguishing marks on switches, e.g. for indicating switch location in the dark; Adaptation of switches to receive distinguishing marks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/34 Voltage stabilisation; Maintaining constant voltage

Abstract

A switch plate area light for attachment to an electrical box includes a body having a first aperture adapted to accommodate an element selected from a switch and an outlet, a second aperture adapted to accommodate a screw for attaching the body to the electrical box, and a third aperture located at a light-directing portion of the body. The light further includes a light emitting diode (LED) located in the third aperture, wherein the third aperture is adapted to receive the LED. The light also includes a driver circuit, connected with the LED and mounted on the body, the driver circuit having a pair of wires to be interconnected with the circuitry of the electrical box without the removal of the electrical box, wherein no ground wire is used to connect the driver circuit, and a load borne by the element is not activated when the LED is on.

Claims

1. A switch plate area light for attachment to an electrical box, the switch plate area light comprising:

(a) a body having a first aperture adapted to accommodate an element selected from the list consisting of a switch and an outlet, the body further having a second aperture adapted to accommodate a screw for attaching the body to the electrical box, and the body further having a third aperture, the third aperture located at a light-directing portion of the body;

(b) a light emitting diode (LED) located in the third aperture, wherein the third aperture is adapted to receive the LED; and

(c) a driver circuit, connected with the LED and mounted on the body, the driver circuit having a pair of wires to be interconnected with the circuitry of the electrical box without the removal of the electrical box, wherein no ground wire is used to connect the driver circuit and a load borne by the element is not activated when the LED is on, wherein the light-directing portion of the partially conical body protrudes from an outward facing portion of the body.

2. The switch plate area light of claim 1 wherein the driver circuit draws current from an alternating current power source of the electrical box, such that a return path for the current is through an electrical load of the electrical box.

3. The switch plate area light of claim 1 wherein the electrical box is not specifically configured to receive the switch plate area light.

4. The switch plate area light of claim 1 wherein the light-directing portion of the body faces down.

5. The switch plate area light of claim 1, further including a light sensing component mounted on the front of the switch plate and connected with the driver circuit.

6. The switch plate area light of claim 5 wherein the driver circuit is configured to turn off the LED when the ambient light reaches a predetermined level.

7. The switch plate area light of claim 1, further including both an ambient light sensing component and a manually operated switch mounted on the front of the switch plate and associated wiring and modifications to the LED driver circuit configured to turn off the LED when the ambient light reaches a predetermined level and to allow a user to turn off the LED when desired.

8. The switch plate area light of claim 1 wherein a first wire of the pair of wires is connected to a hot wire of the electrical box, and a second wire of the pair of wires is connected to a neutral wire of the electrical box.

9. The switch plate area light of claim 8 wherein the element is connected to the hot wire and the neutral wire.

10. A switch plate area light for attachment to an electrical box, the switch plate area light comprising:

(a) a body having a first aperture adapted to accommodate an element selected from the list consisting of a switch and an outlet, the body further having a second aperture adapted to accommodate a screw for attaching the body to the electrical box, and the body further having a third aperture, the third aperture located at a light-directing portion of the body;

(b) a light emitting diode (LED) located in the third aperture, wherein the third aperture is adapted to receive the LED; and

(c) a driver circuit connected with the LED and mounted on the body, the driver circuit having a pair of wires to be interconnected with the circuitry of the electrical box without the modification of the electrical box, wherein the driver circuit includes a current regulating component including an adjustable three-terminal regulator integrated circuit, the regulator having an input terminal, an adjustment terminal, and an output terminal configured such that rectified and filtered current from the current rectifying and filtering components of said LED driver circuit is applied to the input terminal of the regulator, output current to drive an LED is drawn from the adjustment terminal of the regulator, and the output terminal of the regulator is unused.

11. The switch plate area light of claim 10 wherein no modification of the element is needed in order to interconnect the driver circuit.

12. The switch plate area light of claim 10 wherein a first wire of the pair of wires is connected to a hot wire of the electrical box, and a second wire of the pair of wires is connected to a neutral wire of the electrical box.

13. The switch plate area light of claim 12 wherein, when the LED is on, a load borne by the element is not activated.

14. The switch plate area light of claim 13 wherein the element is connected to the hot wire and the neutral wire.

15. The switch plate area light of claim 10 wherein no ground wire is used to connect the driver circuit, and the load borne by the element is not activated when the LED is on.