A current-seen cable, includes a main cord as a power cord or a signal cord and a plurality of electroluminescence cords, said a plurality of electroluminescence cords are arrayed abreast and are intertwisted helically in sequence to be a electroluminescence cable which is insulated from the main cord and emit light section by section, in which every electroluminescence cord is controlled by a driver working in synchronization with the main cord to emit light in sequence. Said current-seen cable is driven to emit light by a plurality of output drivers controlled by the program-operated chip. When the main cord is live, the drivers work synchronously, then each electroluminescence cord emits and dies light periodically under the control of program-operated chip of the driver, and as each electroluminescent cord is intertwisted helically and people can only see one side of the cable visually, said whole cable is shown as a kind of lighting phenomenon in which a lighting section (or a lighting dot) of said cable goes after another section (or another dot) next to it. The visual direction for going after light is same as the direction of the current flowing in the main cord, so it can indicate the direction of power input and output.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a power cord or cable, particularly to an electroluminescence power or signal cable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The conventional power cable, communication cable and signal cable can not indicate whether it is in live state, and also can not indicate the direction of the current in said cable.

It is known that the electroluminescence cable is widely used for decorating the lamps. For example, CN 02115607.7 disclosed an electroluminescence cable and a method for producing the same. The electroluminescence cable consists of at least a linear conductor as a central electrode, a layer of insulating material applied on the central electrode, a electroluminescence layer of mixture of fluorescent powder and binder applied on the layer of insulating material, a transparent conductive layer composed of nano grade conductive substance which the diameter of particle is equal to or smaller than 20 nm applied on the electroluminescence layer, the nano grade conductive substance as the transparent conductive layer also penetrate into the gaps formed in the mixture of the fluorescent powder and binder as the electroluminescence layer and at least a linear conductor as an outer electrode wound in spiral form on the above transparent conductive layer.

THE PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

To overcome the above drawback in the prior art, an purpose of the invention is to provide a current-seen cable which assemble an electroluminescence cable and various power cord or signal cord, which is simple in structure and can visually indicate the live state of it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above purpose is achieved by providing a current-seen cable, said cable includes a main cord as a power cord or a signal cord and a plurality of electroluminescence cords, said a plurality of electroluminescence cords are arrayed abreast and are intertwisted helically in sequence to be a electroluminescence cable which is insulated from the main cord and emit light section by section, in which every electroluminescence cord is controlled by a driver working in synchronization with the main cord to emit light in sequence.

Said current-seen cable is driven to emit light by a multi-group output driver controlled by the program-operated chip. When the main cord is live, the driver works synchronously, then each electroluminescence cord emits and dies light periodically under the control of program-operated chip of the driver, and as each electroluminescent cord is intertwisted helically and people can only see one side of the cable visually, said whole cable is shown as a kind of lighting phenomenon in which a lighting section (or a lighting dot) of said cable goes after another section (or another dot) next to it. The visual direction for going after light is same as the direction of the current flowing in the main cord, so it can indicate the direction of power input and output.

Emitting light of the present invention can be in a variety of forms, is particularly shown as a lighting dynamic phenomenon in which a lighting section goes after another section next to it in sequence and indicate the live state of all kind of main cord such as a power cord, a signal cord. The present invention is particularly used for the power cable connecting the power supply and a general electrical device or household appliance and also for connecting the transmitting unit with the receiving unit in the technical field of computer, telecommunication and communication. The current-seen cable can show a dynamic effect of the live state and input power visually, that means said cable simulate and show the current flow state, we can see whether said cable is live. Additionally, the present invention can widely used in a variety of decoration and illumination fields and also used as a lighting cable in warning sign and fingerpost.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBER AND ITS CORRESPONDING PARTS ON FIG.1TO FIG.16

1,2,3—an electroluminescence cored bar or an electroluminescence cored cords;4—a live wire of the power supply;5—a bare metal wire;6—a zero phase line of the power supply;7—the transparent plastics layer;8—a metal foil base strip;9—a metal conductive wire base;10—the insulating layer;11—the layer of mixture of fluorescent powder and binder;12—the transparent conductive layer;13—the insulating layer;14—the insulating layer or coating layer of the electroluminescence plastic or light sensitization glisten plastic.16—a multi-core power or signal cord;17—an electroluminescence cored bar;18—an electroluminescence cable in which an electroluminescence cored cords is intertwisted on a bare metal wire;19—computer;20—printer;21—a plug encapsulating the driver of the current-seen cable;22—monitor;23—a plug used in the vehicle;24—mobile phone;25—a plug;26—a current-seen cable;27—AC electrical outlet;28—driver having multiple AC outputs;29—3-group output unit;30—third group AC output circuit;31—second group AC output circuit;32—first group AC output circuit;33—high-frequency inverter circuit;34—AC-DC rectifier or DC power supply;35—synchronization circuit;36—DC voltage stabilization circuit;37—program-operated chip;38—power supply switch;39—an electroluminescence cored cords;40—first electroluminescence cored cords;41—second electroluminescence cored cords;42—third electroluminescence cored cords;43—Electric appliance

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

A current-seen cable of the present invention, includes a main cord as a power cord or a signal cord and a plurality of electroluminescence bars or cords, said a plurality of electroluminescence bars or cords are arrayed abreast and are intertwisted helically in sequence to be a electroluminescence cable which is insulated from the main cord and emit light section by section, in which every electroluminescence cord is controlled by a driver working in synchronization with the main cord to emit light in sequence.

The positional relationship between the electroluminescence cable and the main cord can be that the main cord pass through the central axis of the electroluminescence cable or the main cord is arranged lateral to the electroluminescence cable and in parallel to the electroluminescence cable.

The electroluminescence cord of the present invention can be the conventional electroluminescence cord or the electroluminescence cored bar or the electroluminescence cored cord, wherein said electroluminescence cored bar consists of a metal foil base strip with an insulating coating, an electroluminescence powder coating on said insulating coating and a transparent conductive coating on said electroluminescence powder coating. Said the electroluminescence cored cord is formed by removing the auxiliary bare wire on the conductive layer of the conventional electroluminescence cord, the configuration of which is that a base metal cord is coated with insulating medium, an fluorescent powder coating and a transparent conductive layer in sequence.

The several current-seen cables with the different configuration will be as following by using the conventional electroluminescence cord, the electroluminescence cored bar or the electroluminescence cored cord.

In the present invention, in order to enhance the lighting effect of said current-seen cable, the insulation layer of the power cord or signal cord can be made of electroluminescence plastic or light sensitization glisten plastic. As well as at least a strip of electroluminescence plastic or a strip with light sensitization glisten plastic coating is provided on a transparent plastics layer of said current-seen power cable, said strip is in parallel to the power cord and the electroluminescence cable.

Referring toFIGS. 1,2,3,4and5, the present invention uses an electroluminescence bar or an electroluminescence cored cord of an electroluminescence cord in the art as an electroluminescence cored bar or an electroluminescence cored cord which base on a metal foil strip8or a metal wire9coated with an insulating medium layer10and then a layer11of mixture of fluorescent powder and binder and then a transparent conductive layer12in sequence (seeFIGS. 2 and 3). To save cost, usually only one side exposed in the electroluminescence cored bar is coated with the layer of fluorescent powder. In the present invention, there is a central axis formed by an insulated power cord (including a live wire4, a zero phase wire6and insulation layer13) which is intertwisted helically by a bare metal wire5. the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3intertwiste helically on said central axis so that the respective transparent conductive layer12of the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3is in contact with the bare metal wire5, and then the whole cable will be encapsulated by the transparent plastics layer7finally to form a current-seen cable.

There are no shadow or a helical black line on the exposed side of every electroluminescence cored cord because a bare metal wire is arranged on the central axis where electroluminescence cored bar or cord is intertwisted helically. And the cross-section or diameter of the bare metal wire can be equal to or greater than that of the metal base strip so that the difference of resistance between said wire and said strip become less, the effective length of the cable which can emit light section by section in sequence is greater than that of the conventional electroluminescence cord.

In operation, a metal base strip8or a metal conductive wire base9of the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3is connected to a AC output line of each of group32,31,30output of a plurality of AC drivers28via a wire respectively, in other words, a AC output line of group32is connected to a metal base strip or cord of the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1, a AC output line of group31is connected to a metal base strip or cord of the electroluminescence cored bar or cord2, and a AC output line of group30is connected to a metal base strip or cord of the electroluminescence cored bar or cord3, whereas a bare metal wire5as a central axis is connected to an other AC output line of each of group32,31,30output of a plurality of AC drivers28and the input power ends of the driver28are connected to a live wire4and a zero phase line or a ground line6of the power in parallel respectively, and a switch38.

When the switch38is turn on, the driver28works and outputs the current to a first group32, a second group31and a third group30via the AC-DC rectifier (or DC)34, the high-frequency inverter circuit33and the three-group output circuit29, but these three group AC outputs can not be energized simultaneously under the control of the program-operated chip37. The program-operated chip37is driven by the high-frequency inverter circuit33and the synchronization circuit35via the DC voltage stabilization circuit36, and controls three group AC output line32,31,30to turn on or turn off in sequence, hence controls the relevant electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3to emits and dies light periodically in sequence; in other words, first the AC output line32is live and the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1emits and dies light, then the AC output line31is live and the electroluminescence cored bar or cord2emits and dies light, again then the AC output line30is live and the electroluminescence cored bar or cord3emits and dies light, the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3to emits and dies light circularly continuously periodically, the circulatory period is from 0.2 to 0.9 second, so whole current-seen cable is shown as a kind of lighting phenomenon in which a lighting section of said cable goes after another section next to it, the visual direction for going after light is from power to the electric appliance. In order to enhance the lighting effect of said current-seen cable, the insulation layer13of the power cord can be made of electroluminescence plastic or light sensitization glisten plastic, as well as a strip of electroluminescence plastic or a strip14with light sensitization glisten plastic coating is provided on a transparent plastics layer7of the power cord.

Referring toFIGS. 6 and 7, there is a central axis formed by a multi-cored signal cord16which is intertwisted helically by a metal foil strip15, the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3intertwiste helically on said central axis, the whole cable will be encapsulated by the transparent plastics layer7to form a lighting signal cable in which a lighting section goes after another section next to it, as a current-seen cable. In this embodiment, its driving way by driver for lighting is the same as in embodiment 1, the signal cord is supplied with power in synchronizing with the driver28, but when the signal current is DC, a DC power source is in parallel connected with the driver28and the DC is directly supplied to the high-frequency inverter circuit33.

Referring toFIG. 8, there is a central axis formed by an metal bare wire5in which the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3are intertwisted helically in sequence, and then a electroluminescence cable18which can emit light section by section in sequence is formed. (seeFIGS. 9 and 10). The power cord4and6having outer insulation layer13are arranged beside said electroluminescence cable18, said electroluminescence cable18and power cord4and6will be encapsulated by the transparent plastics layer7finally to form a current-seen cable.

In order to enhance the lighting effect of said current-seen cable, a strip of electroluminescence plastic or a plastic insulating strip14with light sensitization glisten coating is bound on a transparent plastics layer7of the present invention.

Referring toFIGS. 9 and 10, there is a central axis formed by an metal bare wire5in which the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3are intertwisted helically in sequence, which is encapsulated by the transparent plastics layer7, in this embodiment, the main cord is omitted and the bare metal wire5and the metal base strip8or9of the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3are used as the main cord, which combine the electroluminescence cable and the power cable to a cable which is the simplest structure of the present invention.

In operation, one end of the metal bare wire5and the metal foil base strip8or the metal conductive wire base9of the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3in said the electroluminescence cable (As the main cord, the diameter of the metal bare wire5is the same as that of the metal foil base strip8or the metal conductive wire base9of the electroluminescence cored bar or cord1,2,3because said wire5and said strip8or wire base9are as a main cord) is connected to the multi-group AC output line of the driver28and the other end is connected to an electric appliance43.

As shown inFIGS. 11 and 12, three electroluminescence cords40,41,42are intertwisted helically to form an electroluminescence cable, each metal bare wire on the conductive layer of said electroluminescence cords40,41,42is combined with each other and then is connected to a AC output line of each of multi-group output drivers, a metal base strip of each said electroluminescence cord is connected to an other AC output line of each of multi-group output drivers respectively. A main cord can be arranged in the central axis of said electroluminescence cable or lateral to said electroluminescence cable. Its driving way by driver for lighting is the same as in embodiment 1.

As shown inFIG. 14, one end of a current-seen power cable26of the present invention is connected to a plug21encapsulating a multi-group output driver, the other end is connected to an AC electrical outlet board27. When an electric appliance is connected to said board27via a plug and turn on, a current-seen power cable26is shown as a kind of lighting phenomenon in which a lighting section of said cable goes after another section next to it in sequence.

As shown inFIG. 13, one end of a current-seen power cable26of the present invention is connected to a power plug21encapsulating a driver, the other end is connected to a computer19. When the computer turn on, the current-seen power cable will emit light section by section in sequence and indicate visually that the power current is inputting into the computer. For an other current-seen cable26, one end of said current-seen cable26is connected to the computer19and the other end is connected to a monitor22and a printer20. When the monitor or the printer is working, the current-seen cable26is shown as a kind of lighting phenomenon in which a lighting section of said cable goes after another section next to it in sequence and indicates visually the status of the signal currents.

As shown inFIG. 15, one end of a current-seen power cable26of the present invention is connected to a plug23encapsulating a driving and a charging circuit used in the vehicle, the other end is connected to a plug25which will be connect to mobile phone24or any other electric appliance. When the plug23plug in an electrical outlet in the vehicle, the current-seen cable26will emit light section by section and indicate visually the direction of the current which goes toward the mobile phone or other electric appliance.

The present invention can be used in a variety of electrical device and household appliance, and show the working status as a power input cable; the current-seen cable of the present invention can be a power cord or a signal cord used in computers, telecommunication and communication technical fields for indicating visually their working state of power or signal. Additionally, the present invention can widely used in a variety of illumination and decoration fields and also used in a fire protection warning sign system.

It is understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments are used only for elucidating the principle of the invention but not for the protection scope of limitation. Any obvious alterations or improvement according to the present invention may be incorporated into ambit of the present invention. For example, a plurality of electroluminescence cords are arrayed abreast and are intertwisted helically in sequence to be a electroluminescence cable which is insulated from the main cord and emit light section by section, or a multi-cored electroluminescence cord are arrayed abreast and are intertwisted helically in sequence to be a electroluminescence cable which is insulated from the main cord and emit light section by section, their technical effect between above solutions is the same and is also incorporated into ambit of the present invention.