Patent Publication Number: US-10767824-B2

Title: LED night-light with color filter

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure generally relates to an LED (light-emitting diode) night-light, and more specifically to an LED night-light configured to emit different colors of light. 
     A typical night-light includes an incandescent bulb or LED electrically connected to circuitry and prongs of the night-light so that when the night-light is connected to a power source, the bulb or LED can emit light to illuminate the surrounding environment. The bulb/LED may be configured to emit light within a single wavelength such that the night-light emits light of a single color. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, an LED night-light generally comprises a housing and first and second prongs extending out of the housing. A light-emitting diode is mounted to the housing and is configured to emit a first color of light. Circuitry is electrically connected to the light-emitting diode. The circuitry is configured for energizing the light-emitting diode when the first and second prongs are inserted into an electrical outlet connected to a power source. A color filter is mounted on the housing. The color filter is configured to filter the first color of light emitted from the light emitting diode to produce at least a second color of light different from the first color of light. 
     In another aspect, a method of producing multiple colors of light from an LED night-light is disclosed. The night-light comprises a housing, a light-emitting diode mounted to the housing and configured to emit a first color of light, and circuitry electrically connected to the light-emitting diode. The circuitry is configured for energizing the light-emitting diode when first and second prongs of the night-light are inserted into an electrical outlet connected to a power source. The method generally comprises rotating a color wheel mounted on the housing to selectively place color filter sections of a color filter of the color wheel in registration with the light-emitting diode to filter the first color of light emitted from the light emitting diode to produce at least a second color of light different from the first color of light. 
     Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. 
         FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of an LED night-light; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the LED night-light with a cover removed; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the LED night-light with the cover removed; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the LED night-light of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the LED night-light of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the LED night-light of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a back panel of the LED night-light showing a color wheel received within a groove in the back panel; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the back panel in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the back panel of the LED night-light with the color wheel removed; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the back panel in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a back view of a front panel of a housing of the LED night-light; 
         FIG. 12  is a back view of the front panel of the housing of the LED night-light with a button removed; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective of the button; 
         FIG. 14  is a top plan view of the color wheel; and 
         FIG. 15  is a bottom plan view of the color wheel. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , an LED night-light assembly of the present disclosure is generally indicated at  10 . The assembly includes a housing  12  having a front panel  14  and a back panel  16  connected to the front panel by a screw  18  ( FIG. 6 ). An optional transparent cover  19  is secured to the housing  12 . First and second parallel prongs  20  are supported by the housing  12  and are received through slots  24  in the back panel  16 . A printed circuit board (PCB)  26  is electrically connected to the prongs  20  ( FIG. 6 ). A light-emitting diode (LED)  28  has lead wires  30  electrically connecting the LED to the PCB  26  ( FIG. 9 ). In one embodiment, the LED  28  emits a white light when energized. A plate  36  seats the LED  28  in the housing  12 . A button  38  is mounted on the front panel  14 . The button  38  is moveable to engage a switch  40  on the PCB  26  for powering the assembly on and off when the prongs engage an electrical outlet connected to a power source. The button  38  and switch  40  may be broadly considered a switch assembly. 
     Each panel  14 ,  16  of the housing  12  has a semi-cylindrical portion  41 F,  41 B. An annular shoulder  42  extends around the housing  12  near a top of the semi-cylindrical portions  41 F,  41 B. An annular neck  44  extends upward from the annular shoulder  42 . The optional cover  19  has a hollow cylindrical shape with an inner diameter at a bottom of the cover that is slightly larger than an outer diameter of the annular neck  44  such that the cover slides over the neck and seats on the shoulder  42  for attaching the cover to the housing  12  ( FIG. 1 ). It will be understood that the cover  19  can be attached to the housing  12  in any suitable manner and other covers or no cover may be used, within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6-13 , the semi-cylindrical portions  41 F,  41 B form a cylindrical housing for containing the internal components of the night-light  10 . An opening  45  ( FIG. 9 ) in the top of the housing  12  forms a rim  47  surrounding the opening. The housing  12  houses, at least partially, the PCB  26 , prongs  20 , button  38 , and switch  40  within an interior of the housing. A bore  54 F,  54 B in the front and back panels  14 ,  16  receives the screw  18  by a threaded engagement for connecting the panels  14 ,  16 . The front and back panels  14 ,  16  have mating side edges  55  which engage each other when the panels are connected by the screw  18 . The back panel  16  slideably receives interior ends of the prongs  20 ,  22 . When received in the back panel  16 , the prongs are supported in parallel by the housing  12 . The prongs are prevented from sliding out the back of the back panel  16  once the prongs are inserted in the back panel  16 . Exterior ends of the prongs  20  extend out of the housing  12  and are configured for insertion into an electrical outlet (not shown) connected to a power source. The front panel  14  also has a hole  64  ( FIGS. 11 and 12 ) and a positioning sleeve  66  which receive and position the button  38  in the front panel  14 . A key  68  in the positioning sleeve  66  receives a tab  70  on the button  38  to prevent the button from rotating in the sleeve. It is understood that the housing can have other configurations and still be within the scope of the present disclosure. For instance the housing could have other shapes or be formed from a single piece. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6-10 , the PCB  26  comprises a rigid substrate having an electrically conductive surface layer L. The PCB  26  along with the conductive surface layer is electrically connected to the prongs  20  by wires (not shown) which electrically interconnect the prongs  20  and the layer L. Electrically connected to the PCB  26  is circuitry  72  ( FIG. 9 ) configured for energizing the LED  28  when the prongs  20  engage an outlet connected to a power source. The circuitry  72  comprises standard electrical components well known to those of skill in the art and therefore will not be described in any further detail. The plate  36  supports the LED  28  above the PCB  26  and below the rim  47  of the housing  12  for positioning the LED  28  in the interior of the housing. Accordingly, an entirety of the LED  28  is disposed below the rim  47  and within the interior of the housing  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-8, 14, and 15 , a color wheel  80  is supported at the top of the housing  12 . The color wheel  80  is rotatable relative to the housing  12  to selectively place color sections of a color filter  82  in registration with the LED  28  to selectively produce light of different colors by filtering the light being emitted from the LED. The color wheel  80  comprises an annular disk  84 , the color filter  82  attached to a bottom surface of the disk, and a dial  86  mounted to a top surface of the disk. The disk  84  has a lip  88  ( FIG. 15 ) extending circumferentially around the disk. The lip  88  on the disk  84  is received in a groove  90  in an interior surface of the housing  12  for securing the disk and thus the color wheel  80  to the housing. The dial  86  rests on the rim  47  of the housing  12  and is configured to be grasped by a user to rotate the disk  84  and filter  82  relative to the housing. The dial  86  includes notches  91  in a circumferentially extending surface that form projections  93  which provide a grip surface on the dial which helps the user better grasp the dial for rotating the color wheel  80 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the color filter  82  comprises a film  92  including a plurality of pie-shaped color sections  94 . In one embodiment, the color sections include a clear section  94   c , a red section  94   r , an orange section  94   o , a yellow section  94   y , a pair of green sections  94   g , a blue section  94   b , a pink section  94   p , a coral section  94   co , and a black section  94   bl . Grasping the dial  86  and rotating the disk  84  and film  92  relative to the LED  28  allows a user to selectively locate a color section  94  in registration with the LED so that the selected color section filters the light emitted from the LED in the desired manner. Thus, the desired colored light will ultimately be perceived by the environment using a single white light LED  28 . This eliminates the need for replacing the actual LED  28  with a different colored LED when a different light color is desired. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the color filter  82  is a film  92  having multiple color sections  94 . However, the color filter  82  could have other configurations and still be within the scope of the present disclosure. For instance, the color filter  82  could comprise separate pieces of film each having a different color. Alternatively, the color filter  82  could comprise a structure other than a film of material. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 10-13 , the button  38  is movable in the sleeve  66  to engage the switch  40  for powering on and off the assembly  10 . In operation, the button  38  can be depressed to engage the switch  40  such that if the assembly  10  is connected to a power source, the circuitry  72  and LED  28  will be energized, powering on the LED. The button  38  can be depressed again to engage the switch  40  to de-energize the circuitry  72  and LED  28 , powering off the LED. It should be understood, however, that other configurations and types of buttons and switches can be utilized within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, a toggle switch can be used to power on and off the assembly. 
     Having described the invention in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. 
     When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
     As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.