Patent Publication Number: US-2013229791-A1

Title: Bidirectional lighting device for a rim

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a lighting device, and in particular to a bidirectional lighting device for a rim. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     The conventional lighting device for a rim is provided with a plurality of light-emitting units on a plate. The light-emitting diodes are all located on the same side of the plate. If the lighting device is to emit light in two directions, the other side of the plate has to be provided with a plurality of light-emitting units of the same number. By this arrangement, emitting light in two directions can be achieved. 
     However, since a lot of light-emitting units are provided on both sides of the plate of the conventional lighting device for a rim, the production cost of the lighting device is high. On the other hand, the double light-emitting units consume the electricity of a battery faster, which reduces the lifetime of the lighting device. Further, the fixation between the plate and the rim is achieved by binding bands, so that the lighting device may displace or slide off during the rotation of the rim. Even, the lighting device may often collide with the rim to generate an electric circuit easily. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is to provide a bidirectional lighting device for a rim, in which two reflecting surfaces formed by a reflecting element are used to reflect the light of respective light-emitting diodes out of a casing in two directions. 
     The present invention provides a bidirectional lighting device for a rim, including a casing, a light-emitting module, a reflecting element, and a power supply unit. The casing includes a lower base and an upper cover combined with the lower base. The upper cover and the lower base are provided with a transparent region respectively. The light-emitting module is received in the casing and has a plurality of light-emitting diodes arranged in strips. The reflecting element is mounted in the casing at a position corresponding to the respective transparent regions. The reflecting element has a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface intersecting the first reflecting surface. The first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface are located on one side of the respective light-emitting diodes, so that the light generated by the respective light-emitting diodes can be reflected by the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface to exit the transparent regions. The power supply unit is received in the casing to be electrically connected with the light-emitting module. 
     The present invention has the following advantageous effects. The efficiency of consuming electricity is reduced, and the lifetime of the power supply unit is extended. The lighting device can be firmly fixed on the rim by a fixing means. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view showing the bidirectional lighting device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled view showing the bidirectional lighting device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view showing the external appearance of the bidirectional lighting device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled cross-sectional view showing the bidirectional lighting device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled view showing that the bidirectional lighting device of the present invention is applied to a rim; 
         FIG. 6  is an assembled cross-sectional view showing that the bidirectional lighting device of the present invention is applied to a rim; and 
         FIG. 7  is an assembled view showing that the bidirectional lighting device of the present invention is applied to a rim by another fixing means. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The detailed description and technical contents of the present invention will become apparent with the following detailed description accompanied with related drawings. It is noteworthy to point out that the drawings is provided for the illustration purpose only, but not intended for limiting the scope of the present invention. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . The present invention relates to a bidirectional lighting device for a rim, which includes a casing  10 , a light-emitting module  20 , a reflecting element  30 , and a power supply unit  40 . 
     The casing  10  is substantially formed into an L shape, which includes a lower base  11  and an upper cover  12 . The interior of the lower base  11  has a first accommodating portion  111  and a second accommodating portion  112 . The interior of the first accommodating portion  111  of the lower base  11  is formed with a pair of retaining strips  113  and an insertion trough  114 . The right side of the lower base  11  is formed with an upper lug  115  and a lower lug  116 . The left side of the lower base  11  is provided with a guiding slot  117 . The interior of the second accommodating portion  112  of the lower base  11  is accommodated with a controller  60 . The controller  60  is provided with a plurality of touch switches  61  and electrically connected to a USB jack  63 . The USB jack  63  is disposed in the lower base  11  for charging the light-emitting module  20  or updating internal programs for light-emitting module  20 . In this way, the light-emitting module  20  can generate different light effects (such as ON/OFF of the light, duration of ON state or OFF state, change in color temperatures). The lower base  11  has a transparent region  118  at a position corresponding to the first accommodating portion  111 . The lower base  11  may be also made of transparent materials, so that the whole lower base  11  is configured as a transparent element. 
     The upper cover  12  is combined with the lower base  11 . The upper cover  12  is provided with a plurality of buttons  62  facing the touch switches  61  at positions corresponding to the location of the controller  60  respectively. The upper cover  12  has a transparent region  121  above the first accommodating portion  111 . Similarly, the upper cover  12  may be also made of transparent materials, so that the whole upper cover  12  is configured as a transparent element. The left side of the upper cover  12  is provided with a plurality of through troughs  122 . 
     The light-emitting module  20  is received in the first accommodating portion  111  of the casing  10 . The light-emitting module  20  includes a circuit board  21  and a plurality of light-emitting diodes  22  arranged on the circuit board  21  in a line. Each light-emitting diode  22  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21 . The circuit board  21  is inserted into the insertion trough  114 . Each light-emitting diode  22  is oriented toward the first accommodating portion  111 . The circuit board  21  is electrically connected to the controller  60  via electrical conductive terminals. 
     The reflecting element  30  is mounted in the first accommodating portion  111  of the casing  10  to correspond to the transparent regions  118  and  121 . The reflecting element  30  has an elongate V-shaped plate  31 . Both ends of the V-shaped plate  31  are connected with an insertion block  32  respectively. Each insertion block  32  is engaged with the retaining strip  113 . The V-shaped plate  31  has a first reflecting surface  311  and a second reflecting surface  312  intersecting the first reflecting surface  311 . The first reflecting surface  311  and the second reflecting surface  312  are located on one side of each light-emitting diode  22 . The light emitted from the light-emitting diodes  22  can be reflected by the reflecting surfaces  311 ,  312  to exit the transparent regions  118 ,  121  respectively ( FIG. 4 ). 
     In the present embodiment, the power supply unit  40  is a battery, but it is not limited thereto. The power supply unit  40  is received in the second accommodating portion  112  of the casing  10  and electrically connected with the light-emitting module  20  via the controller  60 . 
     The bidirectional lighting device of the present invention further includes a fixing means  50 . The fixing means  50  includes a first fixing assembly  51  and a second fixing assembly  52 . The first fixing assembly  51  includes a screw rod  511 , a clamping plate  512 , and a wing nut  513 . An end surface of the clamping plate  512  is provided with a trough  514 . The screw rod  511  penetrates the clamping plate  512  and the lower lug  116  to be threadedly engaged with the wing nut  513 . The second fixing assembly  52  includes a screw rod  521 , a clamping plate  522 , a wing nut  523 , and an movable adjustment block  524 . The movable adjustment block  524  is inserted into the guiding slot  117 . An end surface of the clamping plate  522  is provided with a trough  525 . The screw rod  521  penetrates the clamping plate  522  and the movable adjustment block  524  to be threadedly engaged with the wing nut  523 . 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The bidirectional lighting device of the present invention can be applied to a rim  8  of a bicycle. The rim  8  has a hub  81  and a plurality of supporting strips  82  connected to the hub  81 . The casing  10  is disposed in a space between any two supporting strips  82 . The trough  514  of the clamping plate  512  of the first fixing assembly  51  is used to press the supporting strips  82  with the clamping plate  512  being fixed to the end surface of the lower lug  116 . One end of the movable adjustment block  524  of the second fixing assembly  52  is inserted into the guiding slot  117 . The position of the movable adjustment block  524  relative to the casing  10  can be adjusted based on the locations of the respective supporting strips  82 . Similarly, the trough  522  of the clamping plate  522  is used to press the supporting strips  82  with the clamping plate  522  being fixed to an end surface of the movable adjustment block  524 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 7 . In addition to the above-mentioned manner for fixing the bidirectional lighting device of the present invention to the rim  8  of a bicycle, the upper lug  115  and the through trough  122  may be bound and fixed to the respective supporting rods  82  by binding bands. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiment, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.