Patent Publication Number: US-6341882-B1

Title: Light emitting circuit assembly for toy

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a light emitting circuit assembly for toy, and more particularly to such a light emitting circuit assembly which closes/opens the circuit by means of the effect of the resilient material property of the lead-out legs of the light-emitting element. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a light emitting circuit assembly used in a toy stamp. As illustrated, a compression spring  6 ′ is mounted in a casing  5 ′ around a stamp holder  4 ′, a cover  3 ′ is covered on the casing  5 ′ and supported on the compression spring  6 ′ to hold a light emitting element  1 ′, a battery set  2 ′ and a button  31 ′. When pressing the stamp holder  4 ′ on a sheet of paper, the stamp holder  4 ′ is moved relative to the cover  3 ′ to force the button  31 ′ inwards against one lead-out leg  11 ′ of the light emitting element  1 ′, thereby causing the light emitting element  1 ′ to emit light. When the pressure is disappeared, the stamp holder  4 ′ is pushed back to its former position by the compression spring  6 ′, and at the same time the button  31 ′ returns to its former position, and therefore the light emitting element  1 ′ is off. This light emitting circuit assembly is complicated. FIG. 2 shows another structure of light emitting circuit assembly according to the prior art. According to this arrangement, the light emitting element  1 ′ has two lead-out legs respectively disposed in contact with the negative terminal of two battery cells  2 ′, and switching means  7 ′ is provided and controlled to electrically connect the positive terminal of the two battery cells  2 ′. This design requires much horizontal installation space. FIG. 3 shows still another structure of light emitting assembly according to the prior art. According to this design, a contact element  8 ′ is used and adapted to connect one lead-out leg  11 ′ of the light emitting element  1 ′ to the positive terminal of the battery set  2 ′ through a metal spring  6 ′, and the other lead-out leg  11 ′ of the light emitting element  1 ′ is constantly maintained in contact with the negative terminal of the battery set  2 ′. This design is complicated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one object of the present invention to provide a light emitting circuit assembly, which has a simple structure. It is another object of the present invention to provide a light emitting circuit assembly, which is inexpensive to manufacture. According to the present invention, the light emitting circuit assembly comprises a battery holder holding a battery set, and a light-emitting element installed in the battery holder. The light-emitting element has two lead-out legs arranged at right angles. The vertically extended lead-out leg of the light-emitting element is disposed in contact with the negative terminal of the battery set. The horizontally extended lead-out leg of the light-emitting element is spaced from the positive terminal of the battery set. When the battery holder is forced against the light emitting element, the vertically extended lead-out leg is curved, causing the horizontally extended lead-out leg to contact the positive terminal of the battery set, and therefore the light emitting element is turned on to emit light. When the pressure is disappeared, the vertically extended lead-out leg immediately returns to its former shape to move the horizontally extended lead-out leg away from the positive terminal of the battery set, and therefore the light-emitting element is off. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a light emitting circuit assembly used in a toy stamp according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another structure of light emitting circuit assembly according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing still another structure of light emitting circuit assembly according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a toy stamp constructed according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the toy stamp shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view in an enlarged scale taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 but showing the circuit of the light emitting circuit assembly closed, the light emitting element turned on. 
     FIG. 8 is a transverse view in section of a part of the present invention, showing the battery set installed in the battery chamber of the battery holder. 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the second embodiment of the present invention, showing the battery holder pushed upwards relative to the light emitting element, the light emitting element turned on. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. from  4  through  6 , a light emitting circuit assembly  1  is shown comprised of a light emitting element  11 , a set battery cells  12 , and a battery holder  13 . The light-emitting element  11  comprises a base  111 , and two lead-out legs  112  and  113  extended out of the base  111 . The lead-out legs  112  and  113  are made of resilient metal and arranged at right angles outside the base  11 , i.e., one lead-out leg  112  extends out of the base  111  in vertical direction, and the other lead-out leg  113  extends out of the base  11  in horizontal position. The battery holder  13  comprises a battery chamber  131  adapted to receive the battery set  12 , and a locating groove  132  vertically extended in the battery chamber  131 . The vertically extended lead-out leg  112  of the light emitting element  11  is inserted into the vertically extended locating groove  132  in the battery holder  13  and retained between the peripheral wall of the battery chamber  131  and the negative terminal  121  of the battery set  12 , keeping the horizontally extended lead-out leg  113  of the light emitting element  11  in close contact with the positive terminal  122  of the battery set  12 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8 and FIG. 5 again, the two opposite lateral side walls of the battery chamber  131  are respectively curved inwards. When inserting the battery set  12  into the battery chamber  131 , the two opposite lateral side walls of the battery chamber  131  are forced outwards for enabling the battery set  12  to be inserted into position. After insertion, the opposite lateral side walls of the battery chamber  131  are forced back to their former positions by their material spring power, and therefore the battery set  12  is positively secured in position. After installation of the battery set  12  and the light emitting element  11  in the battery holder  13 , the battery set  12  is pressed on the vertically extended lead-out leg  112  of the light emitting element  11  against the battery holder  13 , and therefore the light emitting element  11  is secured to the battery holder  13 . (see FIG.  6 ). 
     Referring to FIG.  7  and FIG. 5 again, the light emitting circuit assembly  1  is installed in a tubular receptacle  42  in a stamp holder  4 . The stamp holder  4  is inserted into a casing  5  and covered with a cover  3 . The stamp holder  4  has a stepped peripheral wall  41  fitting the inside wall of the casing  5 . The cover  3  holds an ornament  2  that admits light. The light-emitting element  11  is partially suspended in the recessed bottom side of the ornament  2 . When stamping the stamp holder  4  (the stamp holder  4  holds a stamp at its bottom side) on a sheet of paper, the vertically extended lead-out let  112  is curved, and the positive terminal  122  of the battery set  12  is forced into contact with the horizontally extended lead-out leg  113  of the light emitting element  11  to close the circuit of the battery set  12  and the light emitting element  11 , thereby causing the light emitting element  11  to emit light. After releasing the stamp toy from the sheet of paper, the positive terminal  122  immediately returns to its former shape (due to the effect of its material spring power), and the horizontally extended lead-out leg  113  is moved with the light emitting element  11  upwardly away from the positive terminal  122  of the battery set  12 , and therefore the light emitting element  11  is off. 
     Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the light emitting circuit assembly  1  can be used in a writing instrument holding a bubble blower (not shown). When writing, the ink cartridge  6  imparts an upward pressure to the battery holder  13 , causing the light-emitting element  11  to emit light. On the contrary, when the upward pressure disappears, the light emitting circuit assembly  1  is off, and the light-emitting element  11  does no work. 
     It is to be understood that the drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended for use as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed.