Integrated light fixture and night light

A light fixture assembly having a plurality of sockets to receive a plurality of electrically powered sources of illumination, and a plurality of receptacles to receive a plurality of LED lights, the assembly including a housing. The plurality of receptacles are mounted on the fixture housing and a logic board is mounted in the housing, the logic board being electrically connected to a switch, and the switch is electrically connected to a source of electrical power. Separate electrical connections extend between the logic board and the sockets, and between the logic board and a voltage reduction device. The voltage reduction device is electrically connected to the receptacle to provide a lower voltage to the LED receptacles compared to the voltage of the electric power supplied to the light bulb. The switch is operable between off and on positions; and the logic board activates and deactivates the electrical energy provided to the sockets and to the LED receptacles upon operation of the switch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to light fixtures having an integrated low voltage LED night light for use in residential and commercial bathroom facilities, such as hotels, apartment buildings, and single home dwellings.

2. Description of the State of the Art

Light fixtures have been used to house and support light bulbs for lighting rooms, streets, driveways, sidewalks, bathrooms, offices, and the like. Costs associated with powering light bulbs especially in large buildings and particularly in hotels have risen dramatically due to the cost of energy. Turning off lights in hotel rooms for example would help hotels save on energy costs, but often that cost isn't passed to the consumer. Conversely, the consumer, staying in a hotel room, has an incentive to leave the lights in their room on particularly at night so that they can navigate easily to the bathroom if they need to. This incentive also drives up the cost of a hotel's energy bill. An object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of electricity in hotels and apartment buildings.

Currently, light fixtures have secondary light systems. These secondary light systems are on different power lines, use higher voltage non-LED lights, rely on movement sensors or timers, or do you use logic or circuit boards to receive sequences to determine which light to illuminate.

The '149 patent discloses a lighting system with both fluorescent and incandescent lamps, operated by a switch. The systems operate at a lower voltage, dropping the voltage from 120 volt to 115 volt. This is not enough to activate LED lights, which are not part of the disclosed system. Also, this patent does not disclose a circuit board with logic to provide separate electrical power paths, one to an incandescent or fluorescent regular lighting system, and another path to a driver to activate a plurality of LED lights at a lower voltage.

The '494 patent discloses two embodiments of a light fixture having a fluorescent light for room lighting, and a separate sensor activated incandescent night light 156 connected directly to house current 32 (FIG. 9). This patent does not disclose a lower voltage night light, nor an on-off sequence switch to toggle between normal lighting and the night light.

The '562 patent discloses a triac device inserted between the light bulb and the socket for the bulb in a lamp, whereby the lamp can also function as a night light. As seen in FIG. 2, the triac 11 is connected to a low voltage D.C. power supply 14 to control the triac functions. The system has a single bulb B connected to standard AC current, but through the triac. The '562 patent systems includes a wall switch that can rapidly be turned on, off, and on again to change the mode of operation of the triac. You have advised me previously that these types of on-off-on switches are presently available in the market. However, the '562 patent does not disclose, in combination, the operation of separate incandescent and lower voltage LED light sources in a single fixture, operated through a path-separating logic board and a low voltage LED driver.

The '476 patent discloses a lighting circuit for activating fluorescent lamps and an LED array. The LED array is not used as a night light, and a single toggle switch operates one of the other light system. The '476 patent does not disclose a logic board to send electrical energy to either a series of incandescent lights or an LED driver for operating an LED night light array at lower voltage.

The '766 patent publication discloses a lighting system, including a night light mode, using timers and outdoor lighting conditions to change the lighting modes. The '766 publication does not disclose a single fixture for incandescent light and LED lights with a logic board to operate one circuit or the other at different voltages, and an on-off-on switch sequence to control the operation of the night light.

The '976 patent disclosure is similar to the '766 publication disclosure, and discloses motion detection and measured light levels to actuate outdoor lights, including a night light mode, all computer controlled. The '976 patent does not use LED's as an indoor bathroom night light, an electric power supply logic board, nor an on-off-on switch to control the operation of fluorescent lights and an LED light array.

The '524 patent is also similar to the '976 patent and the '766 publication, in that the '524 patent discloses an indoor or outdoor lighting system responsive to measured light levels and detection mode. The '524 system does not use low voltage LED's nor an on-off-on light switch to actuate either the incandescent lights or the LED lights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A light fixture assembly having a plurality of sockets to receive sources of electrically powered illumination, such as standard light bulbs, and at least one receptacle to receive at least one LED, said assembly comprising, a housing with a logic board mounted in the housing. The logic board is electrically connected to a switch that is connected to a source of electrical power. A first electrical connection extends between the logic board and the sockets, and a second electrical connection extends between the logic board and a voltage reduction device. The voltage reduction device is electrically connected to the LED receptacles for providing a lower voltage to the LEDs compared to the electric power supplied to the light bulbs. The switch is operable between off and on positions, such that the sockets are electrically energized and the LEDs are de-energized when the switch is moved from an off to an on position. The LEDs are electrically energized and the light bulbs are de-energized when the switch is moved from an on position to an off position, and then rapidly to an on position. When the switch is in the off position, the light bulbs and the LEDs remain de-energized.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 1, the numeral10generally designates the light fixture of the present invention. The fixture10comprises a housing12to which a plurality of light bulb sockets14are mounted, as is known in the art. Sockets14are normally adapted to hold three 60 watt bulbs, a single bulb, or any quantity of bulbs per design. The bulbs can be incandescent or fluorescent, or any other light source known in the art. The rear portion16of housing12is adapted to be firmly mounted on the bathroom wall (not shown), or the wall of any room where both regular lighting and night lighting are desired in a single fixture.

In the illustrated embodiment, the light fixture10is controlled by single pole, single throw wall switch18, normally mounted on the wall adjacent the entry to a typical bathroom. The present invention is adapted to operate with any standard bathroom wall switch18. An input electrical power line20and an output electrical power line22are connected to switch18as is known in the art. A neutral line24is also preferably attached to a ground connection26.

Fixture housing12includes a printed circuit board28comprising a logic system as explained in detail below. Also mounted to housing12is an LED driver30that is electrically connected to a plurality of low voltage LED light receptacles32. Each receptacle32is adapted to receive a replacement LED light.

The wiring between wall switch18, circuit board28, LED driver30, light bulb sockets14and LED receptacles32is as follows: Neutral wire24extends from ground26to contact point33on circuit board28. First electrical lines34, extend from an output of circuit board28at one end, and to each of the sockets14at the other end to transmit electrical energy from circuit board28to each socket14.

A second pair of electrical lines40,42are electrically connected between a second output of circuit board28and the input to LED driver30to provide 120 volt input power to the LED driver30. A plurality of electrical wires44extend from the output of LED driver30to each of the LED receptacles32. As is known in the art, LED driver30converts 120 volt AC electrical energy to low voltage DC electrical energy, for purposes to be explained.

In operation, for normal lighting of the bathroom in which fixture10is installed, wall switch18is moved from the off position to the on position when a user enters the bathroom. The logic in circuit board28transmits electrical current from circuit board28through lines34,35to activate the light bulbs disposed in each socket14, thus illuminating the bathroom for normal use. When the user leaves the bathroom, switch18is moved to the off position, and the logic in the circuit board28cuts off the flow of electricity to sockets14, darkening the bathroom.

When the user desires to turn on the LED lights in receptacles32, without leaving the bulbs in sockets14illuminated, wall switch18is rapidly moved on, then off, and on again in rapid movements. The logic embedded in circuit board28transmits electricity to electric lines40,42, and not to wires34,35. The LED driver30, upon receiving a 120 volt AC input from printed circuit board28, converts the 120 volt AC to a low wattage DC output, as is known in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the output voltage from LED driver is 0.5 watts, however, the power requirements for the LED lights in receptacle32, and thus the power output of LED driver30, may vary. The low wattage output of LED driver30is transmitted to the LED lights in receptacles32through wires44, illuminating the LED lights while the bulbs located in sockets14remain off. A low level light is then provided in the bathroom, preferably throughout the night.

In the morning, the wall switch18is moved to the off position, shutting off electrical power to both the LED lights in receptacles32and the bulbs in sockets14. When the wall switch18is moved to the on position, and left there, the bulbs in socket14are turned on, illuminating the bathroom for normal use. Turning wall switch18to the off position will darken the bathroom. When the user desires to turn on LED lights in receptacles32the next night, the above rapid on-off-on process is repeated.

The present invention provides both 120 volt, 60 to 100 watt light bulbs, and 0.5 to 1.0 watt LED lights, for example, to be operated from a standard single pole, single throw 15 amp 120 volt wall switch, normally found in residential and commercial bathrooms.

Referring toFIG. 2, in another embodiment of the invention, the light fixture10is controlled by one single pole, single throw light switch18. The second pair of electrical lines40,42are electrically connected to a battery58within the light fixture housing16and the input to LED driver30to provide battery input power to the LED driver30. The logic system of the circuit board28determines when electrical power flows and doesn't flow to the LED driver30. A plurality of electrical wires44extend from the output of LED driver30to each of the LED receptacles32. This embodiment eliminates the need for electrical power to the LED driver30from the output electrical power line22to power the LED lights.

The foregoing descriptions of the illustrated embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. The description was selected to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application of these principals to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by the specification, but be defined by the claims set forth below.