LED night light with liquid optics medium

• US 7,909,477 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• 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): Sember; Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US11/094,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,182 Days
• Field of Search: 362641-644, 362/96, 362/318, 362/806, 362/101, 362/92
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/002 using liquids, e.g. water
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/29 employing universal joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/00 Protecting lighting devices from thermal damage; Cooling or heating arrangements specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting fixtures combined with outlets for air-treatment systems F24F13/078
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

An LED night light includes a liquid optics medium arrangement that lets visible wavelength light beams pass through the liquid optics medium to a viewer. The liquid optics medium may include miniature floating objects made from textile, metal, plastic, porcelain, ceramic, dry flower, wood, plants, and/or potpourri in the shape of toys, stuffed animals, blow-molded units, seasonal items, dolls, etc. for a variety of gift, toy, sports, seasonal, or holiday applications. The night light may further incorporate a heater element to cause the liquid medium to flow and cause movement of the miniatures.

Claims

1. An LED night light with liquid medium, including:

at least one prong means built-in the night light for supplying electricity to the light means when the prong means are connected with the power source;

at least one light means including an LED selected from the group consisting of a die, chip, and sealed unit for providing a light source with a certain range of visible wavelengths, and related circuit means for offering illumination with predetermined timing, functions, brightness, colors, and duration;

at least one liquid-containing medium means for containing said liquid medium, said liquid medium means or liquid medium contained therein having reflective, diffusion, or optics properties, said medium means being incorporated with the said LED light source to increase the value, appearance, accent of the said night light;

at least one miniature within said medium means, said miniature being selected from the group consisting of a shell, leaves, dry flower, potpourri, flower, plastic piece, floating stuff, fish, animals, smiling face, metal piece, paper piece, wood piece, seed, boat, snow flake, tree, and any material with a predetermined shape and colors, said material having a design, indicia, drawing, color, painting, or coating available to put within the medium means to enhance value and appearance by causing the medium means to look like a conventional gift item including a scene inside,

wherein the LED night light with liquid optics medium includes a circuit means for providing a desired function selected from the group consisting of steady on, chasing, random, fade-in and fade out, sequential on and off, pair flashing, scanning, color mixed, color changing, all flashing and any combination of said functions,

the improvement including a heater means for making the miniature change position by movement of the liquid medium due to heat created by the heater means, and

wherein the night light exhibits a first said function when the prong means is connected with a power source, wherein the first said function is changed to a another said function upon operation of a switch means by a user while the prong means is still connected with the power source, and wherein the second said function is changed to an additional said function upon a next operation of the switch means by the user while the prong means is still connected with the power source.

2. The LED night light with a liquid medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one device selected from a motor, movement, filter device, IC chips with desired functions, sensor, rotating filter, magnetic piece and metal pieces, and sound receiver device to provide light effects and functions.

3. The LED night light with a liquid medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said switch means enables selection from multiple said functions.

4. The LED night light with a liquid medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the prong means is connected with the circuit means by connecting elements selected from a resilient conductor, conductive wires, a conductive metal piece, a conductive soldering paste with conventional soldering, snapping, clip means, and any combination of said connecting elements, to deliver electricity from the prong means to circuit means.

5. The LED night light with a liquid medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said night light further includes ground prong means for electrical connection to ground.

6. The LED night light with a liquid medium as recited in claim 1, the circuit means is connected with light means by connecting elements selected from resilient conductor, conductive wires, a conductive metal piece, a conductive soldering paste with conventional soldering, snapping, clip means, and any combination of said connecting elements, to deliver electricity from the prong means to circuit means.