Patent Publication Number: US-2004047152-A1

Title: Portable illuminator for use with a laptop computer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a portable illuminator, and more particularly to a portable illuminator for use with a laptop computer. The portable illuminator has a transmission element, a plug securely coupled to one distal end of the transmission element and an illuminating device coupled to the other distal end of the transmission element. A clip is provided on the transmission element so that the illuminator is able to attach to a side face of the screen of a laptop computer.  
       [0003] 2. Description of Related Art  
       [0004] A conventional keyboard illuminator generally has a plain board removably attached to a computer keyboard, a control panel mounted on one side of the plain board and at least one illuminator electrically mounted on the control panel. The illuminator has an arm rotatably connected to the control panel and a light bulb rotatably connected to a distal end of the arm. Therefore, the illuminator is able to rotate around the keyboard via the arm and the light bulb is also rotatable relative to the arm so that the user is able to adjust the light bulb and the arm to an angle where the best lighting effect is gained.  
       [0005] Although the foregoing conventional illuminator is able to provide sufficient light to the user, the illuminator is suitable for the desktop computer because this type of illuminator occupies a large space and is not portable. Further, although the light bulb and the arm are rotatable, the plain board is not able to be folded to minimize the size of the illuminator. Even after the light bulb and the arm are rotated to reduce the overall size of the illuminator, the illuminator is still bulky for portable use.  
       [0006] Therefore, during a briefing or a presentation, should the user bring along an illuminator of this size for use with a laptop computer, the user will need help from others to manage to place all the devices in place, which is quite awkward and unpractical.  
       [0007] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved portable illuminator to mitigate and obviate the aforementioned problems.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved portable illuminator suitable for a laptop computer. Another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved portable illuminator having a programmable circuit board received in a housing and connected to a light emitting diode so that the blinking manner is able to be controlled to show status of the laptop computer.  
       [0009] In order to accomplish the foregoing objective, the portable illuminator includes a transmission element for transmission power, a connector securely connected to a first distal end of the transmission element and having a connection portion for engaging with a power source and an illuminating unit detachably connected to a second distal end of the transmission element and having a light emitting diode received in a housing. With the foregoing parts, the user is able to bend the transmission element to any desired angle so that the light emitting diode is able to light the effective area. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the portable illuminator in FIG. 1;  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the application of the portable illuminator;  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clip clamped to a side face of a laptop computer so as to hold the illuminating unit;  
     [0014]FIG. 5 a  is an exploded perspective view of the illuminating unit of the second preferred embodiment;  
     [0015]FIG. 5 b  is a perspective view of the illuminating unit in FIG. 5 a;    
     [0016]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0018]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
     [0019]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0020] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable illuminator in accordance with the present invention has a transmission element  1  with a resilient core  11  received inside the transmission element  1  and a clip  12  securely provided on the transmission element  1 , a connector  2  securely connected to a first distal end of the transmission element  1  and a illuminating unit  3  detachably connected to a second distal end of the transmission element  1 .  
     [0021] With the resilient core  11  received in the transmission element  1 , the transmission element  1  is able to be bent to any shape and angle.  
     [0022] The connector  2  has a connection portion  21  integrally formed with the connector  2  for engaging with a power source. The connection portion  21  may be a USB (Universal Series Bus) connector or a 1394 (data bus) connector.  
     [0023] The illuminating unit  3  is detachably connected to a second distal end of the transmission element  1  and includes a housing  31  with a compartment  311  defined in the housing  31  and a circuit board  32  received in the compartment  311  and provided with a light emitting diode (LED)  33 . A button  34  is mounted on the housing  31  to control the activation of the LED  33  and an enclosure  36  is partially provided outside the housing  31  to cover the location where the compartment  311  is defined. It is noted that the LED  33  and the enclosure  36  may have colors according to the situations as designed. Multiple holes  3   12  are defined in at least one side of the housing  3   1  and recesses  314  are defined close to the holes  312  in the housing  31 . The circuit board  32  has contacts  321  corresponding to the holes  312  so that after the circuit board  32  is received in the compartment  311 , the contacts  321  are received in the corresponding holes  312 .  
     [0024] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, after the enclosure  36  is mounted outside the housing  31  to cover the circuit board  32 , the connection portion  21  is directly connected to a power output port  41  of a laptop computer  4 . The user is able to push the button  34  on the housing  31  to activate the LED  33 . Because the portable illuminator of the present invention is connected to the laptop computer  4  for power so that even when there is a power failure from the power plant, the portable illuminator can still operate properly. Furthermore, the circuit board  32  is programmable so that the user is able to design a certain blinking patter of the LED  33  so that when there is an incoming email transmission or an incoming call, the LED  33  is able to remind the user of the incoming incident. Still, the user is able to use the clip  12  to hold a piece of paper on a side of the illuminating unit  3  so that the user is able to use the light of the LED  33  to read the information on the paper.  
     [0025] With reference to FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b , a secondary illuminating unit  3 ′ may be provided to the illuminating unit  3 . The secondary illuminating unit  3 ′ has a button  34 ′ independent from the button  34 , ears  313 ′ formed on one side of the housing  31 ′ and guiding recesses  314 ′ defined in the other side of the housing  31 ′. Contacts  321 ′ are provided inside the housing  31 ′ to correspond to the contacts  32 . When the secondary illuminating unit  3 ′ is to be combined with the illuminating unit  3 , each of the ears  313 ′ are inserted into a corresponding one of the recesses  314  to allow engagement between the contacts  321  and the contacts  321 ′. Thus power is supplied to the secondary illuminating unit  3 ′. Furthermore, it is noted that two secondary illuminating units  3 ′ may be provided to both sides of the illuminating unit  3  with the ears  313 ′ inserted into corresponding recesses  314  to allow engagement between the contacts  321  and the contacts  321 ′.  
     [0026] With reference to FIG. 6, the connection portion  21  of the connector  2  is able to connect to an adapter  5  that has two contact pins  51  available to electrically connect to a wall outlet so as to provide electricity to the illuminating unit  3 .  
     [0027] With reference to FIG. 7, the connection portion  21  of the connector  2  is able to connect to a cigarette lighter  6  on a vehicle. The cigarette lighter  6  is able to be plugged in a socket in the vehicle so that the illuminating unit  3  is able to have electricity to light the LED  33 .  
     [0028] With reference to FIG. 8, the connection portion  21  of the connector  2  is able to connect to a battery box  7  so that the illuminating unit  3  has power to light the LED  33 .  
     [0029] With reference to FIG. 9, the connection portion  21  of the connector  2  is able to connect to an extension wire  8  having an adapter  81  on one end of the extension wire  8  to be connected to the connection portion  21  and a plug  82  on the other end of the extension wire  8  to be connected to a wall outlet so that the illuminating unit  3  is able to have electricity to light the LED  33 .  
     [0030] It is noted that the LED  33  may not be formed on the circuit board  32  and is able to connect to the circuit board  32  via a wire (not shown). The contacts  321  may also be formed on one side of the housing  31  to electrically connect to the circuit board  32 . With such an arrangement, the illuminating unit  3  still has the power to light the LED  33 .  
     [0031] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.