Abstract:
The combination if a useful article, such as a purse, pack, clothing, or footwear, and a logo illuminating device including a housing attached to the article including a logo and a circuit including a battery, a logo illuminating light source for back illuminating the logo and a switch unit including a switch having an on position activating the logo illuminating means with energy from the energy source responsive to use of the article. In one embodiment, the useful article includes a compartment; and access means for selectively creating an opening for accessing the compartment, and the logo is visible externally the compartment, and the switch is activated by accessing the compartment. The user may turn off the device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates in general to an illuminating device and more specifically to an illuminating device for the logo of a product.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Brand recognition is very important in a highly competitive market place. Logos including brand names are being displayed more and more prominently on goods as a method of brand recognition, promoting brand loyalty, and advertising.  
         [0003]     It would be desirable to have an additional method of calling attention to the brand. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the illuminating device of the invention attached to a purse.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is a partial enlarged cross section of the purse of  FIG. 1  showing the attached illuminating device in side elevation view with the purse closed.  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  is a partial enlarged front elevation view of the illuminating device and purse of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged side elevation exploded view, partially in cross section, of the illuminating device of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0008]      FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the illuminating device of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 6  is a front, top perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the logo illuminating device attached to a shoe. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     With reference now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1-3  thereof, there is shown in  FIG. 1 a  perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the illuminating device  10  including an illuminated logo  50  of the invention attached to a useful article  100 , such as container  110 , such as a purse  120 , in  FIG. 2 a  partial enlarged cross section of the purse of  FIG. 1  showing the attached illuminating device  10  in side elevation view with purse  120  closed, and in  FIG. 3 a  partial enlarged front elevation view of illuminating device  10  and purse  120  of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]     Although a particular embodiment of the invention is being illustrated and described, various changes may be made in the form, composition, construction, and arrangement of the parts herein without sacrificing any of its advantages. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0012]     Purse  120  includes a useful feature  130 , such as a compartment  131  for holding articles defined by walls  132 , including a front wall  132 F and a rear wall  132 R, and activation means  140 , such as access means  142 , such as closure  145 , for using compartment  131  by selectively providing an opening  135  for access thereto. Walls  132  may be made of any suitable material, such as cloth, such as is well known in the art. Closure  145  may be of many suitable closure designs, however closure  145  shown is a snap type comprising a pair of stiffeners  150  including front stiffener  150 F and rear stiffener  150 R, to which the tops  134  of front wall  132 F and rear wall  132 R respectively are attached. Latching means  160 , such as cooperating latching means, such as hook/loop fastener, or snap  165 , are movable by the user between a latched position holding stiffeners  150  in proximity to one another such that opening  135  is closed and an unlatched position wherein stiffeners  150  are not so held such that they may be separated to form opening  135 . Snap  165  shown is of a well known type including balls  166 , including front and rear balls  166 F,  166 R, each mounted on a resilient stem  168  on front and rear stiffeners  150 F,  150 R, respectively. Balls  166  interfere with one another and act as a detent to hold stiffeners  150  in the closed position.  
         [0013]     Illuminating device  10  includes a housing  20  mounted on purse  120 , such as on front wall  132 F. Housing  20  generally includes main body  30 , front cover  40 , logo  50  and rear cover  60 . Logo  50  includes a logo symbol  52  and logo area  54  around logo symbol  52 .  
         [0014]     Further including  FIGS. 4 and 5 ,  FIG. 4  is an enlarged side elevation exploded view, partially in cross section, of illuminating device  10  of  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the illuminating device  10  of  FIG. 2 . Housing  20  is of generally cylindrical configuration. Housing  20  includes a portion of smaller circumference, such as hollow neck  32  on main body  30  for disposition in bore  133  in front wall  132 F of purse  120  for attaching device  10  to purse  120 . Neck  32  and front cover  40  include cooperating attachment means, such as circumferential flange  33  on neck  32  and inward circular flange  43  on front cover  40  by which front cover  40  can be selectively attached to neck  32  by clicking it on and off. Front cover  40  is of larger circumference than neck  32  so as to retain neck  32  in mounting bore  133  in purse  120 . Logo  50  is held to neck  32  by front cover  40 . Logo  50  may be of any suitable material, such as plastic or a film sheet. The logo symbol  52  and the logo area  54  are contrasting and either may be applied to logo  50  in any desirable manner, such as painting or etching. Logo  50  may be transparent. Front cover  40  is optically transparent to allow viewing of logo  50 . Alternately, logo  50  may be integral with front cover  40  and may even be attached, such as by screening, to front surface  41  of front cover  40 . Alternately, also, front cover  40  may be integral with housing  20  so as to be water proof.  
         [0015]     Attaching means, such as cooperating detent barbs  35 ,  65  on main body  30  and rear cover  60 , respectively, selectively attach rear cover  60  to main body  30 .  
         [0016]     Illuminating circuit  70  is disposed in central cavity  25  in housing  20 . Circuit  70  includes an electrical energy source  71 , such as coin cell type battery  72 ; logo illuminating means  80 , such as a light source, such as first light emitting diode, such as logo illuminating LED  81 , additional illuminating means  85 , such as second light emitting diode, such as compartment illuminating LED  86 , connectors  75  including spring contacts  76 ,  77  for connecting LEDS  81 , 86  to battery  72 , and switch means  90 , such as push button  92 , having an activated position wherein battery  72  is connected to diodes  81 ,  86  such that LEDS  81 ,  86  are lit and a deactivated position wherein battery  72  is disconnected from LEDS  81 , 86  such that LEDS  81 , 86  are off. Although LEDS  81 ,  86  are shown and described, other illuminating means, such as incandescent lights or electroluminescent lights, may be used.  
         [0017]     Logo illuminating LED  81  is mounted in front socket  31  in main body  30  so as to backlight logo  50  through hollow neck  32 . Second LED  86  is mounted in bottom socket  34  so as to shine downward and illuminate compartment  131  of purse  120 . Selective removal of front cover  40  and logo  50  permits LED  81  to function as a flash light external to article  100 . Although only one light source each is shown for illuminating logo  50  and compartment  131 , with small alteration, multiple light sources could be used for each function.  
         [0018]     Spring contact  76  connects first leads  88  of LEDS  81 ,  86  to center pole  73  of battery  72 . Spring contact  77  connects second leads  89  of LEDS  81 ,  86  to outer pole  74  of battery  72 . Push button  92  is slidingly disposed in a longitudinal bore  37  in a radial projection  36  of main body  30 . Front end  93  of push button  92  contacts spring contact  77  such that push button  92  is resiliently biased rearward thereby. With switch  90  in the “on” position, spring contact  77  is in contact with outer post  74  of battery  72  and rear end  95  of push button  92  is disposed through bore  62  in rear cover  60  so as to extend rearward slightly past the rear  69  of rear cover  60 . Moving push button  92  forward from this position pushes spring contact  77  away from contact with outer post  74  of battery  72  and opens the circuit to turn LEDS off.  
         [0019]     Push button  92  may be activated in any desired manner. The embodiment shown uses magnetic means to activate switch  90 . A ferrous or magnetic plate  66  is attached to rear  69  of rear cover  60  by any suitable means, such as by riveting or gluing. A cooperating magnetically attracting ferrous or magnetic plate  98  is attached by suitable means, such as adhesive or sewing about its border, to rear wall  132 R of compartment  131 , as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . When walls  132 F,  132 R are in proximity, plate  98  attaches to plate  66  such that push button  92  is pushed forward, opening circuit  70 . When compartment  131  is accessed, such as by opening closure  145 , plates  66 ,  98  are separated, push button  92  is moved rearward by spring contact  77  and spring contact  77  contacts battery  72  to close circuit  70  and light LEDS  81 ,  86 .  
         [0020]     The user may selectively open circuit  70  by pushing forward on rear end  95  of push button  92  and may selectively keep it in the open position by then slightly rotating rear cover  60  such that push button  92  is not aligned with bore  62  and cannot move rearward to the closed position. In this manner, the user can turn off device  10 .  
         [0021]     Although a switch  90  of the push button type is shown, other switches may be used. A rocker switch may be used, for example, for activation by a zipper slider.  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is a front, top perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the logo illuminating device  10 A attached to footwear, such as to shoe  125 . Logo illuminating device  10 A includes a housing  20  attached by any suitable means, such as gluing or adhesive to shoe  125 , such as to front  126  of shoe  125 . Alternate device  10 A is similar to device  10  in that it includes circuitry for illuminating logo  50  and additional illuminating means  85 , such as lights, such as a plurality of bright LEDS  87  shining forward to light the way for the wearer. A motion switch, such as is well known in the art, may be used to activate the circuit such that device  10 A illuminates logo and path when shoe  125  is in movement.  
         [0023]     Having described the invention, it can be seen that it provides a very convenient device for calling attention to the brand of the purse, luggage, backpack or other goods, such as clothing, such as jackets having pockets, and additionally provides for useful light for taking advantage of a feature, such as a compartment, of the goods. Marketing value is achieved by the change of state perception by human eyes as the logo is illuminated. Activation is caused by a willful effort to implement a feature, such as opening a pocket, purse, or backpack, operating a zipper, or stepping on a shoe. This energizes a light which indicates the feature is in use to the people in the surrounding vicinity. The on/off feature catches the attention of people much more than any constantly illuminated sign.  
         [0024]     Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, various changes may be made in the form, composition, construction, and arrangement of the parts herein without sacrificing any of its advantages. For example, the circuit may include timing circuitry as is well known in the art to delay turning the circuit on or, particularly, off. Other circuit components may include an intermittent function in the logo light such that it blinks. The light or lights may be of any suitable type and the switch may be mechanical, optical, magnetic or other types well known in the art. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.