Patent Publication Number: US-2019178455-A1

Title: Nightlight

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a nightlight, especially to a nightlight that includes a bent tube built-in with at least one pattern plate and at least one LED for projecting light with specific patterns. 
     There are many adorable nightlights on the market nowadays and consumers care about product appearance or light function. Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,192 “LED NIGHT LIGHT HAS PROJECTION OR IMAGE FEATURE”, an LED night light for night time or dark area is revealed. A rotatable slides-disc (3g) with a plurality of slides (3k),(3k′), (3k″) is revealed in  FIG. 3  and at least one telescoping optics-means 4c is combined with the LED 4d and slides (not shown) and other components to form a tube that is mounted on a rotatable sealing housing. Openings (4e) on the tube are disposed with a projection lens element that is at one end of the sealed housing and the LED is at another end of the sealed housing. However, as shown in  FIG. 4 , a circuit means (4b), (4f), (4g), (4h), (4i) such as a circuit board, conductive means, etc., is arranged to work with the LED 4d for providing light functions. The circuit means is extended into a bottom end inside the rotatable sealed housing through a plug. The rotatable sealed housing is often rotated while the nightlight is in use. Thus the circuit means (4b), (4f), (4g), (4h), (4i)/conductive means are easy to be pulled and damaged. Moreover, the length of the tube with the telescoping optics-means 4c is equal to the largest internal diameter of the sealing housing. Thus the shape of the light shade is restricted. This affects consumer purchase intention and operation cost in manufacturing. There is room for improvement and there is a need to provide a novel nightlight. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a nightlight in which light emitted is passed through at least one pattern plate and then is projected outward. Thus the light projected out is with specific pattern. The light function of the nightlight is improved and the cost is reduced. 
     In order to achieve the above object, a nightlight according to the present invention includes a support, a plug, a housing, a bent tube, at least one light emitting diode (LED) and a wire. The support is formed by two symmetrical axle seats each of which is disposed with an axial hole and arranged at an upper part of the support. The plug is set on a lower part of the support for connection to an external power source. The housing is composed of a chamber and two symmetrical shafts each of which is mounted on the axle seat of the support. Thus the housing can be rotated slantingly with respect to the support. The shaft is set with a shaft hole. The bent tube is mounted in the chamber of the housing and having an upper segment, a lower segment and a middle segment located between the upper segment and the lower segment. Thus the bent tube is having an angle of bending and a central axis formed therein. An opening of the upper segment is fixed on the top surface of the housing while an opening of the lower segment is disposed with a LED slot. A lens slot is arranged at the middle segment for mounting a reflective lens. At least one pattern plate and a projection lens set are mounted in the bent tube. The LED is set on the LED slot of the bent tube. Light emitted from the LED is moved along the central axis of the bent tube and passed through the projection lens set, the pattern plate and the reflective lens to be projected out. One end of the wire is connected to the plug while the other end thereof is passed through the axial hole on the axle seat of the support and the shaft hole on the shaft of the housing and entered into the chamber of the housing for connecting and providing power to the LED. Thus the nightlight can project the light with specific patterns at a certain angle. The light function of the nightlight is improved and the cost is down. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment having a rectangular housing in combination with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 1A  is a partial view of the embodiment in  FIG. 1  in use with a rotatable plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the embodiment in  FIG. 1  with a rotatable housing according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an explosive view of the embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a partial enlarged view of a bent tube of the embodiment in  FIG. 3  according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is an enlarged sectional view of a bent tube of the embodiment in  FIG. 3  according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3C  is an explosive view of a bent tube of the embodiment in  FIG. 3  according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a right side view of a pattern plate with various patterns of an embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment including a spherical housing and a standard USB plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  A is a partial view of the embodiment in  FIG. 5  in use with a rotatable plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the embodiment in  FIG. 5  in use with a rotatable housing according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is an explosive view of the embodiment in  FIG. 5  according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7A  is an enlarged sectional view of a bent tube of the embodiment in  FIG. 7  according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7B  is an explosive view of a bent tube of the embodiment in  FIG. 7  according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a right side view of a pattern plate of an embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a further embodiment with a rectangular housing and a miniature type USB plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of a rotary disc of an embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a further embodiment with a spherical housing and a miniature type USB plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a further embodiment with a rectangular housing and a US plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a further embodiment with a spherical housing and a US plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a further embodiment with a rectangular housing and an EU plug according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a further embodiment with a spherical housing and an EU plug according to the present invention; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 , a nightlight  1  of the present invention includes a support  10 , a plug  20 , a housing  30 , a bent tube  40 , at least one light emitting diode (LED)  60  and a wire  70 . 
     The support  10  consists of two symmetrical axle seats  11  on an upper part thereof, and an axial hole  12  disposed on each axle seat  11 . The plug  20  is arranged at a lower part of the support  10  for connection to an external power source and is able to be a USB (Universal Serial Bus) plug  20   a  (as shown in  FIG. 1-3 ,  FIG. 5-7 ,  FIG. 9 , and  FIG. 11 ), a US plug  20   b  (as shown in  FIG. 12  and  FIG. 13 ) or an EU plug  20   c  (as shown in  FIG. 14  and  FIG. 15 ), but not limited. The US plug  20   a  can be a standard size (shown in  FIG. 1-3  and  FIG. 5-7 ) or miniature size (shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11 ). Thus the nightlight can be used in different areas and countries. When the plug  20  is a USB plug, the plug  20  can be rotated within 90 degrees between the vertical and horizontal directions, as the arrow C in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 5A  indicates. Thus the nightlight  1  can be used for different space. 
     The housing  30  is composed of a chamber  31 , two symmetrical shafts  32  and two shaft holes  33  set on the shafts  32  respectively. Each shaft  32  is mounted on the axle seat  11  of the support  10  correspondingly so that the housing  30  can be rotated slantingly with respect to the support  10 , as the arrow A in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6  indicates. The shape of the housing  30  is not limited. The housing  30  can be a rectangular housing  30   a  (as shown in  FIG. 1-3 ,  FIG. 9 ,  FIG. 12 , and  FIG. 14 ) or a spherical housing  30   b  (as shown in  FIG. 5-7 ,  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 13  and  FIG. 15 ). Thus users have more options owing to different shapes of the nightlight  1 . 
     The bent tube  40  is mounted in the chamber  31  of the housing  30  and including an upper segment  41 , a lower segment  43  and a middle segment  42  located between the upper segment  41  and the lower segment  43  as shown in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 3C . Thus the bent tube  40  is having an angle of bending (as the arrow C in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 7A  indicates) and a central axis (as the Z axis in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 7  indicates) formed therein. An opening of the upper segment  41  is fixed on the top surface of the housing  30  while a lens slot  44  is arranged at the middle segment  42  and used for mounting a reflective lens  45 , as shown in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B . An opening of the lower segment  43  is disposed with a LED slot  46 . The angle of bending formed among the upper segment  41 , the middle segment  42  and the lower segment  43  can be, but not limited to, 90 degrees. The design of the bent tube  40  minimized the space the bent tube  40  occupied in the chamber  31  of the housing  30 . The less the shape of the housing  30  is limited, the greater variability the design of the housing  30  exhibits. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4 , at least one pattern plate  50  and a projection lens set  47  are mounted in the bent tube  40 . The projection lens set  47  includes at least one lens  48  that is able to be arranged at the upper segment  41  and the lower segment  43 , as shown in  FIG. 3C  and  FIG. 7B  respectively. 
     The LED  60  is set on the LED slot  46  of the bent tube  40 , as shown in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 7A . Light emitted from the LED  60  is moved along the central axis of the bent tube  40  (the Z axis in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 7 ), and passed through the projection lens set  47 , the pattern plate  50  and the reflective lens  45  to be projected outward, as the arrow B in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3B ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 7A  indicates. The pattern plate  50  is a transparency film printed with patterns, able to be mass-produced and used for image enhancement. 
     The color of light the LED  60  emits is not limited, able to be R (red), G (green), B (blue), or others of the mixed light such as yellow, white, etc. Users can choose what they need. 
     One end of the wire  70  is connected to the plug  20  while the other end thereof is passed through the axial hole  12  on the axle seat  11  of the support  10  and the shaft hole  33  on the shaft  32  of the housing  30  and entered into the chamber  31  of the housing  30  for connecting and providing power to the LED  60 . The LED  60  is rotated coaxially with the axial hole  12  and the shaft hole  33  so that the wire  70  will not be rotated along with the housing  30  and damaged easily while users rotate the housing  30 . Thus the service life of the nightlight  1  is extended. 
     Refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the housing  30  is further disposed with an outer radial slot  34  that is perpendicular to the central axis (the Z axis in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 7 ) of the upper segment  41  of the bent tube  40  while the bent tube  40  in the housing  30  is arranged with an inner radial slot  49  corresponding to the outer radial slot  34  (as shown in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3C ). The inner radial slot  49  is located on the lower segment  43  of the bent tube  40  and having two vertical lugs  491  outside thereof. The vertical lugs  491  are parallel to each other and set with a base  492  respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1-3 ,  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , the nightlight  1  further includes a rotary disc  80  that is composed of a cover part  81 , a base part  82 , a left shaft  83 , a right shaft  84  and a plurality of through holes  85 . The rotary disc  80  is moveably mounted into the outer radial slot  34  of the housing  30  and the inner radial slot  49  of the bent tube  40  while the left shaft  83  and the right shaft  84  of the rotary disc  80  are stopped on the bases  492  of the bent tube  40  respectively. Thus the rotary disc  80  is rotating on the lugs  491 . About a half part of the rotary disc  80  is exposed outside the outer radial slot  34  of the housing  30  for being rotated by users. 
     Refer to  FIG. 1-4  and  FIG. 9 , the pattern plate  50  is disposed with a plurality of patterns  51  arranged circularly and corresponding to the through holes  85  of the rotary disc  80  respectively. The patterns  61  are aligned with the central shaft of the bent tube  40  when the rotary disc  80  is rotated. The pattern plate  50  is disposed between the cover part  81  and the base part  82  of the rotary disc  80  so that the pattern plate  50  is enclosed by the cover part  81  and the base part  82 , without falling off easily. 
     Refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 5 , and  FIG. 6 , the user can change the angle of the light being projected (as the arrow A in the figures indicates) by rotating the housing  30 . Thus the light with one of the patterns  51  (as shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 8 ) is projected to different places such as the ceiling, the whiteboard, the blackboard, the ground, etc. While adjusting the angle of the light projected, the user can also rotate the rotary disc  80  to select the pattern  51  they need and project the light with different patterns  51  once the nightlight  1  is disposed with the rotary disc  80 . Refer to  FIG. 9 , the rotary disc  80  can be mounted into or removed from the nightlight  1  freely. Thus manufactures or users can replace or select the rotary disc  80  with different patterns  51  easily according to their needs. Thus the users have more options on the patterns  51  of the light the nightlight  1  emits. The light function of the nightlight  1  is further enhanced. 
     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, and representative devices shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalent.