Patent Publication Number: US-6710254-B2

Title: Cable having location-indicating function

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cable, more particularly, a cable having location-indicating function, at least one illuminating device is disposed on such cable body, whereby the location of the cable is explicitly indicated for passers-by, thus achieving the location-indicating function. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     Please refer to FIG. 1, wherein the conventional extension cable is shown. The object of such extension cable is to extend further the stationary power, thus a plug  11  and a socket  12  are respectively disposed on both ends of such conventional extension cable, so as to transmit electricity through the connection of the cable body  13 . However, the use of extension cables is not supposed to be permanent, sometimes it is only temporary; therefore, with the period of use being short, passers-by shall not be able to notice the existence of such extension cable. Furthermore, since the installation of extension cables is usually temporary, the location installed, not being stationary, is up to the convenience of users, with the location possibly being at hallways, on walls or suspending downwards from ceilings. 
     There is no apparent indication signs attached on the conventional extension cables, thus passers-by not knowing the location of such extension cables are apt to be tripped thereby, and such extension cables may subsequently be pulled and detached from the power connected therewith, thus causing short circuitry and therefore injuries to people, especially as such extension cables are installed at locations without enough illumination, such as construction sites, the foregoing situations are to occur frequently, causing users unable to prevent such dangerous episodes from recurring. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the fact that there is no apparent indication signs attached on the conventional extension cables, so that danger may occur at locations without enough illumination or at night, the present invention then provides with a cable having location-indicating function, at least one illuminating device is disposed on the cable body, so as to explicitly indicate the location of the cable for passers-by. 
     For achieving the foregoing object, the present invention then provides with a cable having location-indicating function, comprising a plug, a socket and a cable body for connecting the foregoing two, an illuminating device is disposed on the cable body, including a luminous body disposed at the interior thereof as an illumination source and a transparent protection body covered at the exterior thereof. 
     At least one illuminating device is disposed on the cable. 
     Both ends of the transparent protection body of the illuminating device are disposed with stress elimination device. 
     The luminous body within the illuminating device is an LED or a neon lamp. 
     The luminous body within the illuminating device is disposed in parallel with the transmission circuit of the internal power. 
     The luminous body within the illuminating device receives power needed from the transmission circuit of the internal power in the cable body. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings that are provided only for further elaboration without limiting or restricting the present invention, where: 
     FIG. 1 shows a conventional extension cable; 
     FIG. 2 shows a structural view of the cable having location-indicating function of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the illuminating device of the cable having location-indicating function of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the cable having location-indicating function of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following is a detailed description of the best presently known modes of carrying out the inventions. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the inventions. 
     Please refer to FIG. 2, wherein the cable  2  having location-indicating function of the present invention is shown. The cable  2  comprises a cable body  23 , a plug  11 , a socket  12 , a plurality of illuminating device  24  and a plurality of stress elimination device  25 . The plug  11  and the socket  12  are respectively disposed at both ends of the cable body  23 , which connects in tandem with a plurality of illuminating device  24 , with both ends of the illuminating device  24  being respectively disposed with a stress elimination device  25 . 
     Please refer to FIG.  2  and FIG. 3, wherein the cable body  23  can be for example a three-strand copper wire including a live wire  232 , an earth wire  233  and an earth connection wire for equipment  231 , corresponded by a live wire end  212 , an earth wire end  213  and an earth connection end for equipment  211  of the plug  11 , and a live wire socket  222 , an earth wire socket  223  and an earth connection socket for equipment  221  of the socket  12 . As the plug  11  engages with a stationary power, electricity is transmitted to the cable body  23 , so as to provide the illuminating device  24  with electricity needed. The socket  12  is utilized for a plurality of cables  2  to be connected in tandem, thus extending the length of the cable  2 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, a protection layer  20  made of a transparent material (e.g., PVC) is applied on the outer layer of the illuminating device  24 , with the protection layer  20  having the luminous body, such as neon lamp  241 , and the resistor  242  disposed therein, and such resistor  242  is soldered between the live wire  232  and the earth wire  233  in tandem. Through the protection layer  20  protecting the neon lamp  241 , the resistor  242  and the junctures thereof, the object of both preventing moisture from infiltrating therein thus causing short circuitry and enabling the cable to sustain tramples from passers-by can thus be achieved. During usage and storage, the cable  2  may often be contorted, therefore the stress elimination device  25  extended further from both ends of the protection layer  20  are disposed so as to prevent the illuminating device  24  from being ruptured because of any contortion of the cable body  23 . 
     Since the neon lamp  241  may provide with illumination by utilizing the power of alternating current, no extra power conversion apparatus shall be needed, thus enabling convenient usage and lowering of cost for cables. At the same time, the illuminating device  24  are disposed on the live wire  232  and the earth wire  233  of the cable body  23  in parallel, thus preventing any dysfunctional individual illuminating device from adversely affecting the illuminating function of other illuminating device. 
     Please refer to FIG. 4, wherein another embodiment of the cable having location-indicating function of the present invention is shown. Since the specifications for plugs and sockets in countries all over the world might not be identical, the plug  11  and the socket  12  of the cable  2  can be converted according to various specifications. For example, FIG. 4 shows that the plug  31  is a two-pole plug and the socket  32  is a two-hole socket., with other features identical to those shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art can easily understand that all kinds of alterations and changes can be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiments contained herein.