Panel illumination system

• US 8,591,065 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2011
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jay C. Rickel Jr, Josiah M. Baer
• Original Assignee: Jay C. Rickel Jr
• Inventors: Baer, Josiah M., Rickel, Jay C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US13/244,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20130039034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 794 Days
• Field of Search: 362/137, 362/155, 362/253, 362/193, 362/95, 362/20, 315/291, 307/29, 307/126, 307/64, 340/638
• US Class Current: 362/253
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/185 Electrical failure alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/306 Accessories, e.g. windows
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service

Abstract

An illumination system integrateable into or retrofit onto a circuit panel breaker box. The system may include a light source, a power supply, and a switch to activate a light when the panel cover is removed, or when the line power to the breaker box is interrupted, or when the specific breaker for the light in the area of the panel is tripped. The system may include a light external to the breaker box to provide assistance in locating the box in a power-outage or tripped breaker situation, a light within the panel cover recess with a switch that activates the light when the panel cover door is opened to provide illumination for assessing the status of the breakers, and a light behind the panel cover with a switch that activates the light when the panel cover is removed to access the wiring and breakers within the box.

Claims

1. A device for illuminating an electrical panel, said panel having a breaker box, comprising:

a battery, an illumination source, and a cover switch;

the battery switchably connected to the illumination source via the cover switch; and

the cover switch configureable to interrupt power between the battery and the illumination source when a panel cover is installed on the panel box.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the battery and the illumination source are postionable within the breaker box.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the battery and the illumination source are postionable on the panel cover.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrical panel further comprises a protected power supply, further comprising:

a battery charger operatively connectable to the protected power supply, and the battery charger operatively connectable to the battery in order to charge the battery.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the battery charger is positionable on the panel cover.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the battery charger is positionable within the breaker box.

7. A device for illuminating an electrical panel, said panel having a breaker box,

wherein the electrical panel further comprises a protected power supply, comprising:

a battery, a battery charger, an illumination source, and a cover switch;

the battery charger operatively connectable to the protected power supply, and the battery charger operatively connectable to the battery in order to charge the battery;

the battery switchably connected to the illumination source via the cover switch; and

the cover switch configureable to interrupt power between the battery and the illumination source when a panel cover is installed on the panel box.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the battery charger is attached to the panel cover.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the battery charger is removably connectable to the battery.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the electrical panel has a panel recess, further comprising:

a panel recess LED removably connectable to the battery and positioned to illuminate the panel recess.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the electrical panel has a panel door to the panel recess, further comprising:

a panel door switch operatively connected to the panel recess LED to permit the illumination of the panel recess LED when the panel door is open.

12. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

a power-loss indicator circuit operatively connected to a power loss indicator to provide an alert upon an interruption in the power supply; and

the power-loss indicator circuit operatively connected to the protected power supply to detect an interruption in the power supply.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the power loss indicator is a panel face LED.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the power loss indicator is an audible sound generator.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the power loss indicator is transmitter for transmitting a signal to a communication device.

16. A device for illuminating an electrical panel, said panel having a breaker box,

wherein the electrical panel further comprises a protected power supply, comprising:

a battery, a battery charger, an illumination source, and a cover switch;

the battery charger operatively connectable to the protected power supply, and the battery charger operatively connectable to the battery in order to charge the battery;

the battery switchably connected to the illumination source via the cover switch;

the cover switch configureable to interrupt power between the battery and the illumination source when a panel cover is installed on the panel box;

a power-loss indicator circuit operatively connected to a power loss indicator to provide an alert of an interruption in the power supply; and

the power-loss indicator circuit operatively connected to the protected power supply to detect an interruption in the power supply.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the power loss indicator is a panel face LED.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the power loss indicator is transmitter for transmitting a signal to a communication device.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein the electrical panel has a panel recess, further comprising:

a panel recess LED removably connectable to the battery and positioned to illuminate the panel recess.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the electrical panel has a panel door to the panel recess, further comprising:

a panel door switch operatively connected to the panel recess LED to permit the illumination of the panel recess LED when the panel door is open.