Abstract:
A night light comprising a housing with a rotatable bezel mounted thereon. The housing includes a rear wall with electric blades extending outwardly therefrom for engaging in an electrical wall outlet. The bezel is rotatable about a first pivot axis. A LED array is mounted in the bezel and the array is rotatable about a second pivot axis. The second pivot axis is oriented on a different plane to the first pivot axis and preferably lies at ninety degree thereto. When the bezel is rotated about the first pivot axis, the direction of the light emitted from the LED array is changed. Because the bezel can rotate through 360°, the LED array can be rotated through 360° about the first pivot axis. The LED array can be pivoted through an arc of between 160° and 175° about the second pivot axis. The combination of being able to rotationally adjust the position of the bezel on the housing and to adjust the position of the LED array within the bezel allows the individual to control the direction of the light emitted from the night light.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     This invention generally relates to night lights. More particularly, the invention relates to night lights that utilize light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the source of illumination. Specifically, the invention relates to a night light in which the direction of the emitted light can be controlled by adjusting a portion of the housing and/or by controlling the orientation of the LED array within the housing.  
         [0003]     2. Background Information  
         [0004]     Night lights are used to provide low levels of light in passageways, bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms so that people can negotiate their way around the house during the night without having to switch on the overhead lights or lamps and totally illuminate the room.  
         [0005]     Most night lights incorporate incandescent light bulbs which emit omnidirectional light. Other night lights incorporate one or more LEDs (light-emitting Diodes) or banks of LEDs which emit a cool light. One of the problems with previously known night lights is that they emit light in many directions which may make it difficult for a person to move about without light from the night light shining into their eyes.  
         [0006]     Directionally controlled night lights have been disclosed in the prior art. Some night lights include shields that obscure at least a portion of the light emitted from the light bulb in the night light and thereby permit only a portion of the light to be emitted from the night light in a desired direction.  
         [0007]     Other previously known night lights include the night light disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,231 to the present inventor, Robert Dickie. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,231, there is disclosed a first night light in which a reflector is mounted adjacent the light bulb and the position of the reflector is adjusted to change the direction of the light emitted thereby. A second night light is disclosed in the patent which includes a LED array which can be rotated through a small arc to alter the direction of the light emitted from the array. A third embodiment of night light is disclosed which includes a bezel mounted translucent front face. An incandescent light bulb is mounted within the housing and between the front face and the rear wall thereof. A louvered element is positioned behind the front face of the housing and is rotatable therewith. When the night light is activated, light emitted from the bulb passes through the louvered element and the louvers change the angle of the emitted light relative to the front face. When the front face is rotated, the louvered element is moved in unison therewith and, consequently, the direction of the light emitted from the night light is altered.  
         [0008]     Previously known night lights have only allowed for the direction of the light emitted from these devices to be controlled in a limited manner, typically allowing for the direction to be changed through a fairly narrow arc, typically in the order of no more than between 30° and 150°.  
         [0009]     There is therefore a need in the art for a night light that allows an individual to alter the direction of the light emitted by the night light through a larger arc and that allows the direction of the light to be altered both vertically and horizontally.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The device of the present invention therefore comprises a housing with a rotatable bezel mounted thereon. The housing includes a rear wall with electric blades extending outwardly therefrom for engaging in an electrical wall outlet. The bezel is rotatable about a first axis. A LED array is mounted in the bezel and the array is rotatable about a second axis. The second axis is oriented on a different plane to the first axis and preferably lies at ninety degree thereto. When the bezel is rotated about the first axis, the direction of the light emitted from the LED array is changed. Because the bezel can rotate through 360°, the LED array can be rotated through 360° about the first axis. The LED array can be pivoted through an arc of between 160° and 175° about the second axis. The combination of being able to rotationally adjust the position of the bezel on the housing and to also be able to adjust the position of the LED array within the bezel allows the individual to control the direction of the light emitted from the night light.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a night light in accordance with the present invention and having a LED array mounted on the gimbaled base within the housing and positioned in a first position;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the night light viewed from the front;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2   a  is an exploded perspective view of the night light viewed from the rear;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the night light of present invention with the LED array on the base and positioned in a second position;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the night light with the LED array on the base rotated into a third position;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the night light with the LED array on the base and rotated into a fourth position;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of the night light of  FIG. 5 ; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of the night light of  FIG. 4 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-7 , there is shown a night light in accordance with the present invention and generally indicated at  10 . Night light  10  comprises a bezel  12  mounted on a housing  14 . A narrow LED array  16  is rotatably mounted in bezel  12 . Array  16  comprises a plurality of individual LEDs  60  preferably mounted on a member in substantially a straight line. Electrical blades  18  extend outwardly from a rear wall  30  ( FIG. 2   a ) of housing  14 . As will be subsequently described herein, the direction of the light emitted by the LEDs  60  can be controlled by manipulating the bezel  12  relative to the housing  14  and by manipulating the orientation of the LED array  16  within the bezel  12 .  
         [0021]     Bezel  12  is a shallow, dish-shaped body which is generally circular in appearance when viewed from the front but, cross-sectionally. The body is deeper proximate a first side  12   a  ( FIG. 7 ) and shallower proximate a second side  12   b . Bezel  12  comprises a wall  20  having a skirt  22  extending outwardly and rearwardly away from a front edge  24  thereof. Skirt  22  preferably includes a plurality of ridges or indentations  26  on its outer surface to make the skirt  22  easy to grasp in order to rotate bezel  12 . A tubular member  28  extends outwardly and rearwardly away from the rear surface  20   a  of wall  20 . Tubular member  28  projects through an aperture  32  in housing  14  when bezel  12  is mounted on housing  14 . As may be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , night light  10  has a longitudinal axis X-X extending through a center line of night light  10  and through tubular member  28  of bezel  12 . A pair of recesses  29  are formed in the interior surface  20   b  of wall  20 . Recesses  29  are disposed diagonally opposite from each other and are aligned with each other.  
         [0022]     Housing  14  is a substantially cylindrical member including a rear wall  30  with a peripheral side wall  34  extending upwardly and outwardly away therefrom and thereby defining a recess  14   a  ( FIG. 2 ) therein. Rear wall  30  further defines at least a pair of slots  31  for receiving electrical blades  18  therethrough and has a central aperture  32  therein. A pair of spring biased detents  33  are disposed adjacent aperture  32 . Side wall  34  includes an annular groove  36  disposed proximate a front end of housing  14 . Groove  36  constitutes a lip that is received between skirt  22  and wall  20  ( FIG. 6 ) of bezel  12  when bezel  12  and housing  14  are engaged together. When housing  14  and bezel  12  are interlocked, peripheral side wall  34  and skirt  22  are substantially continuous when night light  10  is viewed from the side. Peripheral wall  34  further includes an aperture  38  ( FIG. 2 ) into which a switch  40  is inserted. A locking flange  42  is provided on the interior surface of  34   a  of peripheral side wall  34 .  
         [0023]     A conductive PCB plate  44  is disposed between bezel  12  and housing  14 . Blades  18  extend outwardly from a rear surface of plate  44 . Plate  44  also includes a central aperture  46  which aligns with aperture  32  in rear wall  30  of housing  14  and with tubular member  28  of bezel  12 .  
         [0024]     LED array  16  includes a base made up from an upper housing  50  and a lower housing  52  which are snap fitted together about a LED strip  54 . Upper and lower housings  50 ,  52  are substantially identical, each having a fingertip depression  56  on an outer surface thereof and having a plurality of semi-circular or scalloped indentations  58  formed in the front face thereof. Each individual pair of indentations  58  (when upper and lower housings  50 ,  52  are fitted together) is shaped to accommodate one of the LED bulbs  60  of the LED strip  54  therein. When light is emitted from array  16 , the light rays from each individual LED  60  shines outwardly through scalloped indentations  58 . Detents  62  extend outwardly away from opposing side walls of upper housing  50 . Detents  64  extend outwardly away from opposing side walls of lower housing  52 . Detents  62  and detents  64  are aligned with each other so that when upper and lower housings  50 ,  52  are snap fitted together, detents  62 ,  64  are complementary in size and shape to be received within recesses  29  in bezel  12 . A lens  66  may be provided within array  16  when upper and lower housings  50 ,  52  are snap fit together. Lens  66  is positioned in front of LED strip  54 . It will be understood that while it has been disclosed that detents  62  and  64  extend outwardly from the upper and lower housings  50 ,  52  of array  16 , a single detent could be formed on the side walls of only one of the upper and lower housings without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Array  16  has a longitudinal axis Y-Y which extends from the detents  62 ,  64  on one side of array  16  through to the detents  62 ,  64  on the opposite side of the array. Axis Y-Y lies in a different plane to axis X-X and preferably at ninety degrees thereto as is shown in  FIG. 1 . Detents  62 ,  64  are received within recesses  29  in bezel  12  in such a manner that while array  16  is firmly mounted on bezel  12 , detents  62 ,  64  can rotate within recesses  29 , thereby allowing array to rotate about the longitudinal axis Y-Y. The rotation of array  16  about axis Y-Y allows the individual to change the angle of the array  16  relative to the interior wall  20   b  of bezel  12 . Array  16  can be manipulated manually by an individual in that bezel  12  is free of a front face that would prevent contact with array  16  from outside of night light  10 . Electrical wiring  67  extends through an aperture  69  defined by detents  62 ,  64  and extends through recesses  29  and engages plate  44 .  
         [0025]     Night light  10  is assembled by connecting the various components together in the following manner. LED array  16  is mounted within bezel  12  such that the electrical wiring  67  extends through apertures  29  and detents  62 ,  64  engage in the apertures  29 . Plate  44  is inserted into housing  14  so that blades  18  are received through slots  31  in rear wall  30  and detents  33  are snap-fitted through aperture  46  in plate  44 . Detents  33  prevent plate  44  from accidentally disengaging from housing  14 . Stop  43  is secured to bezel  12  so that it extends rearwardly from an interior wall of skirt  22 . When bezel  12  is engaged with housing  14 , stop  43  slides over peripheral outer edge  44   a  of plate  44  and abuts interior surface  34   b  of housing  14 . As seen in  FIGS. 6&amp;7 , bezel  12  is slid onto grooved lip  36  of housing  14  so that the rear surface  20   a  of wall  20  lies proximate interior surface  34   b  of peripheral side wall  34  and skirt  22  is substantially continuous with exterior surface  34   b  of side wall  34 . A fastener  68  ( FIGS. 2 &amp; 7 ) is inserted through a washer  70 , through aperture  32  in housing  14 , through aperture  46  in plate  44  and into the bore  72  of tubular member  28  of bezel  12 . This fastener  68  secures the components together, but allows bezel  12  to rotate relative to housing  14 . As may be seen from  FIG. 2   a , rear wall  30  of housing  14  includes a recessed area  69  surrounding aperture  32 . When night light  10  is assembled, washer  70  is received within recessed area  69  so that rear wall  30  and washer  70  are substantially coplanar. This allows the rear wall  30  of night light  10  to lie in substantially continuous abutting contact with an outlet wall (not shown). It will be understood that all of the interior wiring of the night light has not been shown for sake of clarity.  
         [0026]     With reference mainly to  FIGS. 6 &amp; 7 , night light  10  is used in the following manner. Night light  10  is inserted into an outlet (not shown) by grasping side wall  34  of housing  14 , inserting blades  18  into the outlet and pushing light  10  inwardly until rear wall  30  of housing  14  lies flush against the outlet wall (not shown). Switch  40  is depressed to engage plate  44  and switch night light  10  on. Power is transmitted through electric blades  18 , through plate  44  and the electrical wiring (not shown) to array  16 . LEDs  60  are powered to emit light and that light is directed straight out of the array  16  as indicated by the dashed lines “C” emanating from array  16 . The beams of light “C” travel directly outwardly from each individual LED  60  and are not scattered around as is the case with incandescent light bulbs. Consequently, in order to direct the beams of light “C” in a particular direction, array  16  needs to be oriented in such a way that the LEDs  60  are pointing in that desired direction. If it is desired that the beams of light “C” be directed toward another location, then the LEDs  60  have to be pointing toward that other location. In order to change the direction of light beams “C” emanating from the night light  10 , the array  16  has to be reoriented to the desired new direction.  
         [0027]     The first way in which the array  16  can be reoriented is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 &amp; 3 , where it is shown that the reorientation of array  16  is accomplished by grasping and rotating bezel  12  about its longitudinal axis X-X. This may be accomplished when night light  10  is on or off, although it will, of course, be easier for the individual to see where the light is being directed if night light  10  is switched on. When bezel  12  is rotated about this first axis X-X, housing  14  remains in a fixed position. The individual grasps skirt  22  of bezel  12  and twists their hand to rotate bezel  12  relative to housing  14 . Ridges or indentations  26  assist the individual in grasping bezel  12 . As bezel  12  rotates, the LED array  16  rotates in unison with bezel  12  because it is mounted therein. If the night light  10  is viewed from the front, the change in orientation of array  16  can be seen. When array  16  is positioned as shown in  FIG. 1 , beams of light shining out from array  16  will shine out in a horizontal direction. If bezel  12  is then rotated into the position shown in  FIG. 3 , array  16  is now positioned at approximately 45° relative to its initial horizontal position. Consequently light emitted from the LED&#39;s  60  is now directed outwardly at 45° relative to the initial horizontal position. Bezel  12  can be rotated substantially through 360° about longitudinal axis X-X and consequently array  16  can be rotated through 360° about that first axis. Since stop  43  is secured to bezel  12 , when bezel  12  rotates, stop  43  rotates with it. When stop  43  engages flange  42  on the interior surface  34   a  of housing  14 , any further rotation of bezel  12  in that direction is prevented. Bezel  12  can be rotated in the opposite direction and similarly when stop  43  encounters flange  42 , any further rotational movement of bezel  12  in that direction is prevented. Stop  43  consequently limits the travel of bezel  12 .  
         [0028]     A second way that the array  16  can be oriented in order to control the direction of the light beams emitted therefrom is illustrated in  FIGS. 4-7 . Here, instead of bezel  12  being rotated about axis X-X, the array  16  itself is rotated about the array&#39;s longitudinal axis Y-Y. In order to rotate array  16 , the individual uses a thumb and forefinger and grasps the indentations  56  on the upper and lower housings  50 ,  52  of the array  16 . The individual can then rotate the array  16  into the desired new orientation. This can again be accomplished while night light  10  is on or off, although it will, of course, be easier to see where the light is being directed if night light  10  is on.  FIG. 5  illustrates an instance where light beams “C” are initially directed upwardly out of night light  10 .  FIG. 6  shows that array  16  has been rotated around second axis Y-Y through about 45° and the light beams “C” are directed downwardly out of night light  10 . The rotational arc of array  16  about second axis Y-Y is limited by the fact that beyond a certain position, light beams will not shine out of night light  10 , but will instead reflect off inner surface  20   b  of wall  20 . Consequently, while array  16  can potentially be rotated through 360°, practically speaking in order to allow the light emitted by LEDs  60  to exit night light  10 , the LED array is only rotated about second axis Y-Y through about 160° to 175°.  
         [0029]     It will be understood that the direction of light being emitted by night light  10  can be controlled by manipulating both the bezel  12  and the array  16 . An individual can therefore rotate bezel  12  about first axis X-X and rotate array  16  about second axis Y-Y in order to direct beams of light toward any desired location.  
         [0030]     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.  
         [0031]     Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.