LIGHT CURING DEVICE

A light curing device includes a housing module and a lighting module. The lighting module includes at least one light-emitting diode (LED), a driver, and a pulse width modulator. The LED is disposed at the housing module, and is configured to be driven to emit curing light. The driver is operable in an activated state. When in the activated state, the driver is operable to supply current to the at least one LED for driving the at least one LED to emit the curing light. The pulse width modulator is configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to the driver for controlling the driver to supply the current intermittently when the driver is in the activated state.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 104217717, filed on Nov. 5, 2015.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to alight curing device, and more particularly to alight curing device with varying illumination period.

BACKGROUND

A conventional light curing device is adapted to emit light on a hand or foot of a user applied with light curable product, such as gel nail polish. The light emitted by the conventional light curing device sometimes creates discomfort from a burning, pricking or tingling sensation. To escape the discomfort, the user tends to remove his/her hand or foot from the conventional light curing device in a rush. It is very easy for the user to tip over the whole device or damage the gel nail polish in this kind of circumstance.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a light curing device that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the disclosure, the light curing device includes a housing module and a lighting module. The housing module defines an irradiation space. The lighting module includes at least one light-emitting diode (LED), a driver, and a pulse width modulator. The LED is disposed at the housing module, and is configured to be driven to emit curing light into the irradiation space. The driver is electrically connected to the at least one LED, is operable in an activated state. When in the activated state, the driver is operable to supply current to the at least one LED for driving the at least one LED to emit the curing light. The pulse width modulator is electrically connected to the driver, and is configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to the driver for controlling the driver to supply the current intermittently when the driver is in the activated state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 4, the first embodiment of a light curing device according to this disclosure is described below. The light curing device includes a housing module3, a control module4, a lighting module5, and a power module6for supplying power.

The housing module3includes a base31, an outer cover32, an inner cover33, and a plurality of magnetic members34disposed at the inner cover33for interconnecting the inner cover33and the base31. The outer cover32covers the inner cover33and the base31separably and is coupled to the base31separably, and cooperates with the inner cover33and the base31to define an irradiation space300and an opening301. The opening301is in spatial communication with the irradiation space300and is configured to permit insertion of an object (e.g., a user's hand) therethrough into the irradiation space300. The base31is provided with a plurality of markers311for positioning of fingers or toes. In this embodiment, the markers311are in the form of grooves and are substantially finger-shaped. A user can insert his/her hand into the irradiation space300with the fingers positioned about the markers311. The base31has a top surface310. The top surface310has a reflective zone312surrounding the markers311and capable of reflecting the curing light. The inner cover33has an inner reflective surface331that faces the base31and that is capable of reflecting the curing light. The top surface312further has an anti-reflecting zone that faces the object sensor41and that does not reflect the sensing light. In an embodiment, the housing module3further includes an anti-reflecting membrane35attached to the top surface312of the base31for serving as the anti-reflecting zone. As illustrated inFIG. 2, the anti-reflecting membrane35is disposed near the opening301.

The lighting module5is disposed at the housing module3and includes at least one light-emitting diode (LED)51, a driver52, a pulse width modulator53, and a user operable adjusting mechanism54. In this embodiment, the lighting module5includes four of the LEDs51, and each LED51is a UV (ultraviolet) LED. For the sake of brevity, only one LED51will be described. The LED51is disposed at the housing module3, in particular in a corresponding mounting hole332in the inner cover33(i.e., the inner cover33has a plurality of mounting holes332for respective installation of the LEDs51), and is configured to be driven to emit curing light, which is ultraviolet (UV) light in this embodiment, into the irradiation space300.

The driver52is electrically connected to the LED51, and is operable in an activated state. When in the activated state, the driver51is operable to supply current to the LED51for driving the LED51to emit the curing light. The pulse width modulator53is electrically connected to the driver52, and is configured to generate and output a pulse width modulation signal to the driver52for controlling the driver52to supply the current intermittently when the driver52is in the activated state. The user operable adjusting mechanism54disposed at the outer cover32, and is electrically connected to the pulse width modulator53. The user is allowed to change the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal by operating the user operable adjusting mechanism54, so as to vary the intermittent supply of current by the driver52according to the changing duty cycle. More specifically, during an ON time of the pulse width modulation signal, the driver52supplies the current to drive the LED51to emit the curing light, and during an OFF time of the pulse width modulation signal, the driver52does not supply the current and thus the LED51does not emit the curing light. The user operable adjusting mechanism54may be, for instance, in the form of a dial.

The control module4includes an object sensor41and a timer42. The object sensor41is disposed in the irradiation space300and is electrically connected to the driver52. The object sensor41is configured to emit sensing light toward a predetermined area within the irradiation space300, and is capable of sensing reflected sensing light, which is the sensing light reflected by and due to presence of an object at the predetermined area. The object sensor41also outputs an activating signal whenever the reflected sensing light is sensed thereby. In this embodiment, the sensing light has a wavelength different from the curing light, and is infrared light. In this embodiment, the object sensor41is disposed at the inner cover33and exposed in the irradiation space300, and positioned above the anti-reflecting membrane35. Essentially, the anti-reflecting membrane35serves as the predetermined area, and the object sensor41emits the sensing light towards the anti-reflecting membrane35, and in the absence of an object, the object sensor41will not receive reflected sensing light. When an object, such as the user's hand, blocks the anti-reflecting membrane35and reflects the sensing light, the object sensor41would receive the reflected sensing light and output the activating signal.

The timer42is electrically connected to the object sensor41and the driver52. The timer42is configured to be triggered by the activating signal from the object sensor41to start measuring a predetermined time period, for example, 30 seconds, and outputs to the driver52a deactivating signal when the predetermined time period has elapsed.

The driver52is further operable in a deactivated state, where the supply of current to the LED51is disabled. The driver52operates in the activated state whenever the activating signal is received thereby while the deactivating signal is not received thereby, and operates in the deactivated state when otherwise. In other words, whenever the deactivating signal is received, the driver52operates in the deactivated state; and whenever the activating signal is not received, the driver52also operates in the deactivated state.

In one embodiment, the driver52, the pulse width modulator53and the timer42are integrated into a circuit board50. In another embodiment of this disclosure, the user operable adjusting mechanism54is omitted, and the pulse width modulator53is configured to generate the pulse width modulation signal with a predetermined varying duty cycle. With either configuration, the intermittent illumination of the curing light on the user's hand/foot alleviates the burning, pricking or tingling sensation felt by the user.

In use, as an example, for gel nail polish curing purposes, the user inserts fingers or toes applied with gel nail polish into the irradiation space300through the opening301and places the fingers or toes about the markers311. At this time the object sensor41senses the reflected sensing light reflected by the user's hand or foot and outputs the activating signal, which triggers the driver52to operate in the activated state and drive the LEDs51to emit the curing light intermittently into the irradiation space300. Since the inner cover33has the inner reflective surface331and the base31has the reflective zone312, the curing light can be evenly distributed in the irradiation space300to effectively cure the gel nail polish. Before the predetermined time period has elapsed as measured by the timer42, with the provision of the pulse width modulator53, the intermittent illumination of the curing light alleviates the discomfort sensation felt by the user, during which time the user may freely remove the fingers or toes from the illumination space300to cease the emission of the curing light by the LEDs51. In addition, once the predetermined time period has elapsed, the deactivating signal is outputted to trigger the driver52to move into the deactivated state and stop driving the LEDs51to emit the curing light.

It is noted that, since the base31and the outer cover32are separable, in use, the user may opt to place the fingers or toes on a surface, such as a tabletop, separate the base31from the light curing device, and cover the fingers or toes can also cover his/her hand or foot with the remainder of the light curing device.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, a second embodiment of a light curing device according to this disclosure is described below. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the object sensor41is mounted co-movably to the base31and has a first terminal (not shown) fixed at the base31, and the lighting module5has a second terminal (not shown) disposed at the outer cover32or the inner cover33and configured to be electrically and separably connected to the first terminal so as to electrically connect the object sensor41to the driver52of the lighting module5. Further, different from the first embodiment, there is no anti-reflecting membrane35or anti-reflecting zone in the second embodiment. The object sensor41may be configured to be able to sense reflected sensing light within such a limited range that the fingers or toes placed in the illumination space300will be determined. The description of the other similar structure and operation will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

In sum, the user can prevent the hand get burning feelings by adjusting the mechanism54. The LED51automatically turns off after the timer42finishing counting or the object sensor41sensing no hand or foot in the light curing device, this means the hand or the foot is pulling out of the light curing device. Thus, the nervousness feeling of the user will be decreased and the safety will be increased.