Abstract:
The toilet bolt finial night light provides a moisture-proof cover for the anchor bolts of the toilet having a low-power illumination and automatic light sensing switch capability. The toilet bolt finial night light automatically illuminates in a low ambient light environment, and automatically reverts to no illumination when the ambient light of the environment is a bright level. Additionally, the toilet bolt finial night light has a manual ON/OFF switching capability, which overrides the light sensor switch. In addition, the toilet bolt finial night light has translucent and interchangeable tops for providing selecting decorative embellishments. This permits many decorative options. For example, thematic or seasonal ornamentations can be used.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to toilets, and particularly to a toilet bowl anchor bolt finial night light with low-power illumination and automatic light sensing switch capability. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Toilets are usually secured to the floor of a bathroom by threaded studs that extend through the base of the toilet and corresponding nuts threaded over the toilet base. While such fasteners are effective to secure the toilet, the studs are unsightly, and after a number of years, they tend to rust. Plastic caps are available to cover the tops of the studs, but such caps are not very decorative and tend to crack or deteriorate over time. In addition, most people keep their bathroom light turned off at night. When it is necessary to use the bathroom, people tend to grope for the bathroom light in the dark, unless there is a nightlight plugged into a wall outlet. It can be difficult to locate a wall switch in the dark, particularly for children. It would be desirable to provide a decorative cover for toilet bolts, and particularly one that can also provide at least a low level of illumination in the bathroom to aid in locating a wall switch. 
     Thus, a toilet bolt finial night light solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The toilet bolt finial night light provides a decorative cover for a toilet bowl anchor bolt that also provides a low level of illumination, similar to a night light. The toilet bolt finial night light provides a moisture-proof cover for the anchor bolts of the toilet and a low-power illumination and automatic light sensing switch capability. The device automatically illuminates in a low ambient light environment, and automatically reverts to no illumination when the ambient light of the environment is at a bright level. Additionally, the toilet bolt finial night light has a manual ON/OFF switch, which overrides the light sensor switch. In addition, the toilet bolt finial night light has translucent and interchangeable tops for providing selecting decorative embellishments. This permits many decorative options. For example, thematic or seasonal ornamentations can be used. The device has a base that may be left in place on the bolt while changing the translucent cover to suit the decor. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental view of a toilet bolt finial night light according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic side view of a toilet bolt finial night light according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a toilet bolt finial night light according to the present invention, including an exemplary kit of interchangeable decorative translucent covers. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary light circuit used in a toilet bolt finial night light according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a toilet or commode  2  (hereafter referred as toilet  2 ) has a base flange  4  through which a pair of anchor bolts (not shown) or studs protrude. A pair of nuts engage the bolts to secure the toilet  2  to the floor or supporting structure. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the toilet bolt finial night light  10  is adapted for mounting atop the anchor bolts and nuts that secure the base flange  4  of the toilet  2 . Optionally, the finial night light  10  may be used in lieu of the nut to secure the toiled base to the anchor bolt. It is understood that although only one side of the toilet  2  is shown, the toilet bolt finial night light  10  is usually attached to both sides of the toilet  2 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the toilet bolt finial night light  10  includes a base  12 , an electrical circuit  20 , and an ornamental top or cover  28 . The base  12  has a lower section  14  and an upper section  18 . The lower section  14  has a centrally defined socket or internally threaded bore  16  for engaging the toilet anchor bolt. The socket  16  is dimensioned and configured to engage the anchor bolt in such a fashion that it securely affixes the toilet bolt finial night light  10  to the anchor bolt. The socket  16  has helical threads for engaging the anchor bolt, securing the toilet bolt finial night light  10  atop the bolt. Alternatively, the socket  16  may be form a pressure fit or friction fit with the toilet anchor bolt. As a further alternative, an additional washer may be provided between the anchor nut and the base flange  4 , and the toilet bolt finial night light  10  may snap fit onto the washer. In any arrangement, the socket  16  provides an enclosed and dry environment, generally maintaining a watertight seal about the anchor bolt (and nut) to prevent corrosion of the bolt. In addition, a washer, such as a rubber or silicone washer, may be provided to insure that there is a watertight seal about the toilet anchor bolt, and to prevent any marring or scratching of the finishes of the toilet  2  and finial  10 . The toilet bolt finial night light  10  ensures the maintenance of the toilet anchor bolt and nut by preventing deterioration or rusting thereof. In addition, the toilet bolt finial night light  10  contributes to the aesthetic quality of the toilet  2 . 
     The upper section  18  of the base  12  provides an enclosure for the circuit  20 , and a releasable attachment for the ornamental top or cover  28 . The base  12  is formed of a generally solid material, with the socket  16  formed in the lower section  14 . Likewise, a portion of the upper section  18  includes a well or depression for containing the circuit  20 . In addition, the upper section  18  also has a coupling for attaching the ornamental top or cover  28  to the upper section of the base  12  of the toilet bolt finial night light  10 . 
     The light circuit  20  is configured for producing light when ambient lighting conditions surrounding the toilet bolt finial night light  10  are at a predetermined low level or relatively dark. The circuit  20  generally includes a power source  22 , a light sensor  24 , and a light source  26 . These components are operatively and electrically connected so that when a predetermined low ambient light condition occurs, the light source  26  will be energized via the power source  22 . The power source  22  also provides electrical power at the light sensor  24  so that the when the light sensor  24  detects a low ambient light condition, the light sensor  24  actuates a switching mechanism, thus igniting the light source  26 . The light sensor  24  may be a photocell or phototransistor. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the structural relationship of the toilet bolt finial night light  10  is shown. As seen in phantom, a toilet anchor bolt  6  and an associated anchor nut  4  secures the base flange  4  of the toilet  2  to a supporting structure. The toilet bolt finial night light  10  is mounted atop the toilet anchor bolt  6  and nut  4 , as discussed above, in order to prevent moisture from accumulating, consequently preventing the deterioration or rusting thereof. The exploded view shows an exemplary kit of options or choices for the ornamental top or cover  28 . The covers  28  shown in the drawing are exemplary, and merely a sampling of the vast array of designs usable with the night light  10 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , the upper portion  18  of base  12  has a depression for receiving the circuit  20  therein. Surrounding the circuit  20  in the depression is an outer wall and an attachment coupling  42 . Illustrated herein, the wall and attachment coupling  42  include a flange  46 , which may be an annular flange, protruding inwardly of the depression about the circuit  20 . The flange  46  is dimensioned and configured to readily accept and matingly engage a corresponding finial attachment  44  at the bottom of the ornamental top or cover  28 . Upon engagement of the flange  46  and the finial attachment  44 , the circuit  20  is enclosed in a virtually hermetically sealed environment. Thereby, the operation of the circuit  20  is functionally stable against environmental factors, such as water, cleaning solutions, humidity, and so on. Although the flange  46  and the finial attachment  44  are shown as a type of snap-fit engagement, the base  12  and the cover  28  may have mating threads or any other form of coupling, so long as the interior of the ornamental top or cover  28  and the depression containing circuit  20  remain virtually hermetically sealed. 
     Also seen in  FIG. 3  is a sampling of the variety of choices for the ornamental top or cover  28 . Each cover in the kit has the finial attachment bottom  44  for attachment to the upper portion  18  of the base  12 . The kit of ornamental tops or covers may include animal varieties, illustrated by a duck  30 . In addition, orbs  32  (such globes, balls, etc.), vehicles  34  (such as cars, trucks, boats, etc.), holiday themes (such as Christmas trees  36  and religious themes  38 ), and toys and novelties (such as a magic wand  40 ) are further examples of the multitude of decorative designs for the ornamental top or cover  28 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the composition of the ornamental top or cover  28  is highly translucent. That is, the material or materials used to form the ornamental top or cover  28  ranges from transparent to nearly opaque. This broadly encompasses a vast array of materials and colorations to make the ornamental top or cover  28 . In this manner, the light source  26 , upon activation, will illuminate from within the ornamental top or cover  28 , and the illumination is readily visible external to the ornamental top or cover  28 . The light source  26  preferably has low intensity, although highly visible. When illuminating from the interior of ornamental top or cover  28 , the decorative and ornament design will provide an aesthetically appealing feature to the toilet  2 . The choice of ornamental top or cover  28  may be selectively chosen from seasonal or holiday, child, sports, educational, novelty or hobby themes. The toilet bolt finial night light  10  would be generally provided in pairs because standard toilets  2 , particularly in the home, have a pair of anchor bolts and nuts. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the circuit  20  provides a control operation of a light source  26 . The circuit has a power supply  22 , which is indicated as providing V in    22 A and V out    22 B. The power supply  22  may be batteries, typically of the dry cell type; including any long life or rechargeable cells, button- or watch-type, lithium, or the like. Additionally, household AC is an option, using a standard AC/DC transformer or converter. Likewise, other sources for providing power, such as solar cell, photovoltaic cell, or photoelectric cell would be useable for providing power. Between the V in    22 A and V out    22 B from the power supply  22  are the circuit components for producing the operative functions of the circuit  20 . The circuit  20  includes the light source  26 , the light sensor  24 , and switching mechanisms. 
     The light source  26  may be a standard light emitting diode (LED)  54 . Typically, the LED  54  is a low power-consuming, low heat-generating, high light-producing element. As such, it is the optimum choice for the light source  26 . Alternatively, other types of light sources may be substituted, and the light source  26  may be chosen from compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), incandescent bulbs, as well as any of the myriad of light-producing elements available in the market. The light source  26  may be a single LED  54  or a plurality of LEDs. 
     The light sensor  24  of the present embodiment is a photoconductive light sensor. A photoconductive light sensor does not produce electricity, but simply changes its physical properties when subjected to light energy. The most common type of photoconductive device is the photoresistor which changes its electrical resistance in response to changes in the light intensity. Photoresistors are semiconductor devices that use light energy to control the flow of electrons, and hence the current flowing through them. The photoconductive cell may be a Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)  58 . The LDR  58  is provided between nodes  62  and  64 . 
     As its name implies, the LDR  58  is made from a piece of exposed semiconductor material, such as cadmium sulfide, that changes its electrical resistance from several thousand ohms in the dark to only a few hundred ohms when light falls upon it by creating hole-electron pairs in the material. The net effect is an improvement in its conductivity with a decrease in resistance for an increase in illumination. Materials used as the semiconductor substrate include lead sulfide (PbS), lead selenide (PbSe), and indium antimonide (InSb), which detect light in the infra-red range, with the most commonly used of all photoresistive light sensors being cadmium sulfide (CdS). Cadmium sulfide is used in the manufacture of photoconductive cells because its spectral response curve closely matches that of the human eye, and can even be controlled using a simple torch as a light source. Typically then, it has a peak sensitivity wavelength (λp) of about 560 nm to 600 nm in the visible spectral range. Thus, the LDR  58  effectively responds to changing ambient conditions in the toilet  2  environment as would a human user, providing light response when needed. 
     Other types of light sensors  24  suitable for the described embodiment are photojunction devices, such as photodiodes, phototransistors, photodarlingtons, photo-thyristors, and silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR). It should be noted that the use of photovoltaic cells as both light sensor  24  and power supply  22  are also contemplated in the present circuit  20 . 
     The illumination of the LED  54  is accomplished when a transistor device (T 1 )  56  is conducting, i.e., when the base is provided with a voltage via node  62 . The presence of a voltage causes the transistor  56  to conduct current through the collector and emitter, thereby allowing electrical energy from V in    22 A to flow through LED  54  to V out    22 B, causing LED  54  to illuminate. When LDR  58  is in a high ambient light environment, it is more conductive, thereby allowing current to flow through it, causing a voltage to not be present at the base of transistor  56 . When the LDR  24  is in a low ambient light or a dark condition, it becomes highly resistive, thereby forcing a voltage to be present at the base of transistor  56 , allowing current flow through the transistor  54 . Consequently, the LED  54  turns on when LDR  58  detects a low ambient light environment. 
     The resistors  48  and  52  serve as ballast loads or bias resistors to keep currents and voltages in the circuit in an operational range. Variable resistor  50  provides an adjustment to preselect the level of ambient light within which the light source  26  is illuminated. Variable resistor  50  is either preset for optimal performance, or may be a user-defined adjustment for causing illumination at a predetermined level. In addition, a manual switch  60  is provided to turn the toilet bolt finial night light  10  ON or OFF. The manual switch  60  overrides the light sensor  24 , thereby disabling the effect of the light sensor  24  on the function of the circuit  20 . In addition to ON and OFF positions, the manual switch  60  may have an AUTO position, in which the ambient light sensor  24  switches the light source  26  on and off. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.