Patent Publication Number: US-2011069480-A1

Title: Illumination structure of switch panel

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No(s) .098217483 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Sep. 22, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improved illumination structure of a switch panel. The illumination structure includes a panel and an illumination mechanism detachably received in a receptacle of the panel. The illumination mechanism can be securely located in the receptacle of the panel or easily taken off from the panel as a flashlight. The appearance and the size of the panel will remain unchanged and tidy without being affected by the illumination mechanism. The illumination structure can provide nighttime illumination, emergency illumination and mobile illumination effect. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional switch panel with illumination structure includes a panel and an illumination mechanism detachably disposed on the panel. An edge of the panel is formed with an insertion channel. At least one lateral side of the illumination mechanism is provided with a guide block, which is slidably inserted in the insertion channel. Accordingly, the illumination mechanism can be mounted on the panel as a night lamp or taken off from the panel and solely used as a flashlight. 
     The guide block of the illumination mechanism is slidably inserted in the insertion channel of the panel. The insertion channel has a considerable length so that it takes time to move the illumination mechanism out of the panel. Therefore, a user cannot readily use the illumination mechanism. Moreover, in the case that the guide block is not properly assembled with the insertion channel, the guide block will be dislocated and derailed. Under such circumstance, it is impossible to securely associate the illumination mechanism with the panel and the user can hardly conveniently use the illumination mechanism. 
     In another conventional switch panel with illumination structure, a first attraction section (magnet or metal plate) is arranged on an edge of the panel and a second attraction section (metal plate or magnet) is arranged on one face of the illumination mechanism. The first and second attraction sections can attract each other to easily detachably assemble the illumination mechanism with the panel. 
     Such measure can overcome the shortcomings existing in the conventional switch panel with the insertion channel and guide block. However, in both the above conventional switch panels, the illumination mechanisms are added to the edges of the panels. The additional illumination mechanism will deteriorate the appearance of the panel and enlarge the size of the panel. 
     It is therefore tried by the applicant to provide an improved illumination structure of a switch panel. The illumination structure includes a panel and an illumination mechanism detachably received in a receptacle of the panel. The illumination mechanism can be securely located in the receptacle of the panel or easily taken off from the panel as a flashlight. The appearance and the size of the panel will remain unchanged and tidy without being affected by the illumination mechanism. The illumination structure can provide nighttime illumination, emergency illumination and mobile illumination effect. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved illumination structure of a switch panel. The illumination structure includes a panel and an illumination mechanism. The panel is provided with a receptacle in which the illumination mechanism is detachably received. Accordingly, the illumination mechanism can be securely located in the receptacle of the panel or easily taken off from the panel as a flashlight. The appearance and the size of the panel will remain unchanged and tidy without being affected by the illumination mechanism. The illumination structure can provide nighttime illumination, emergency illumination and mobile illumination effect. 
     According to the above and other objects, the illumination structure of the switch panel of the present invention includes: a panel, an edge of the panel being provided with a receptacle, a conductive section being disposed in the receptacle and connected to an AC/DC conversion module; and an illumination mechanism detachably received in the receptacle. The illumination mechanism has a first light-emitting section and a second light-emitting section and an illumination control module connected to the first and second light-emitting sections. The illumination control module is electrically connected to the AC/DC conversion module via contacts and the conductive section. The illumination mechanism further has a switch section connected to the first and second light-emitting sections and the illumination control module. 
     The illumination mechanism can be securely located in the receptacle of the panel or easily taken off from the panel as a flashlight. The appearance and the size of the panel will not be changed due to the illumination mechanism. The illumination structure can provide nighttime illumination, emergency illumination and mobile illumination effect. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective assembled view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the AC/DC conversion module and the illumination control module of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the present invention in an assembled state; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  shows the use of the present invention in flashlight mode. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , in which  FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a perspective assembled view of the present invention, and  FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the AC/DC conversion module and the illumination control module of the present invention. The illumination structure of the switch panel of the present invention at least includes a panel  1  and an illumination mechanism  2 . 
     At least one edge of the panel  1  is provided with a receptacle  11 . A first end of the receptacle  11  is formed with an opening  111 , while a second end of the receptacle  11  is formed with a stop section  112 . A through hole  113  is formed at a center of the stop section  112 . A conductive section  12  is disposed in the receptacle  11  and connected to an AC/DC conversion module  13 , which is connectable to an external power supply. The AC/DC conversion module  13  at least includes a high-frequency switch unit  131  and a current-limiting charging unit  132 , which are electrically connected to each other. 
     The illumination mechanism  2  is received in the receptacle  11 . The illumination mechanism  2  has a first light-emitting section  21  and a second light-emitting section  22 . The first light-emitting section  21  can be arranged on a lateral side of the illumination mechanism  2 , while the second light-emitting section  22  can be arranged at one end of the illumination mechanism  2 . The illumination mechanism  2  further has an illumination control module  23  connected to the first and second light-emitting sections  21 ,  22 . The illumination control module  23  is electrically connected to the AC/DC conversion module  13  via contacts  230  and the conductive section  12 . The illumination control module  23  at least includes a rechargeable battery  231 , a boosting circuit  232 , an illumination mode detection unit  233  and an illumination detection unit  234 , which are electrically connected to each other. The illumination detection unit  234  can be arranged on an outer face of the panel  1 . In addition, the illumination mechanism  2  further has a switch section  24  connected to the first and second light-emitting sections  21 ,  22  and the illumination control module  23 . 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 , in which  FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the present invention in an assembled state,  FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the present invention, and  FIG. 6  shows the use of the present invention in flashlight mode. As shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6  as well as  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the panel  1  of the present invention can be mounted on an outer side of a common indoor switch  3  (or power socket) in substitution for the original switch panel. The illumination mechanism  2  is received in the receptacle  11  of the edge of the panel  1  so that the appearance and the size of the panel  1  will remain unchanged and tidy without being affected by the illumination mechanism  2 . In the original indoor switch  3 , the power distribution circuit is only provided with a live wire (as the positive electrode) and inadaptable to the AC/DC conversion module  13 , the illumination mechanism  2  and the illumination control module  23  for charging. Therefore, in use of the present invention, a grounding wire is added to the power distribution circuit of the indoor switch  3  as the negative electrode to provide a negative electrode circuit between the indoor switch  3  and an indoor illumination unit  4 . Under such circumstance, after the illumination mechanism  2  is connected to the power supply of the indoor switch  3  via the conductive section  12  and the AC/DC conversion module  13 , in the case that the indoor illumination unit  4  is turned off via the indoor switch  3 , a negative electrode circuit is formed for charging the illumination mechanism  2 . 
     When the illumination mechanism  2  is used in connection with the panel  1 , the illumination mechanism  2  is directly placed into the receptacle  11  from the opening  111 . The stop section  112  of the second end of the receptacle  11  serves to prevent the illumination mechanism  2  from dropping out of the receptacle and keep the illumination mechanism  2  securely associated with the panel  1 . Also, the contacts  230  of the illumination control module  23  are in contact with the conductive section  12  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) to electrically connect the illumination control module  23  with the AC/DC conversion module  13 . The AC/DC conversion module  13  not only supplies necessary power for the illumination mechanism  2 , but also charges the rechargeable battery  231  of the illumination mechanism  2 . When charged, the high-frequency switch unit  131  converts AC high voltage into DC low voltage at high efficiency. The current-limiting charging unit  132  cooperates with the high-frequency switch unit  131  to protect the rechargeable battery  231 . The rechargeable battery  231  has a lower voltage itself. Therefore, in use, the voltage is boosted with the boosting circuit  232  for driving the first and second light-emitting sections  21 ,  22 . 
     After the illumination mechanism  2  is connected with the panel  1 , the illumination detection unit  234  of the illumination control module  23  serves to detect the ambient light source. In the case of darkness or blackout, the first light-emitting section  21  is turned on to provide illumination as a night lamp or emergency light (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). Reversely, when the illumination is sufficient, the illumination detection unit  234  turns off the first light-emitting section  21  and the rechargeable battery  231  is charged. In the case of blackout, the first light-emitting section  21  will emit light as an emergency light for a user to locate the illumination mechanism  2 . Then the user can apply a force to the other end (the bottom section) of the illumination mechanism  2  through the through hole  113  of the stop section  112  so as to extrude the illumination mechanism  2  out of the opening  111  and detach the illumination mechanism  2  from the receptacle  11 . Accordingly, the illumination mechanism  2  can be easily taken off from the panel  1 . When the illumination control module  23  is removed from the AC/DC conversion module  13 , the illumination mode detection unit  233  will switch the illumination mechanism  2  to a flashlight mode. At this time, the user only needs to switch on the switch section  24 , whereby the rechargeable battery  231  will supply power to turn on the second light-emitting section  22  as a flashlight (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). After used, the user only needs to replace the illumination mechanism  2  through the opening  111  into the receptacle  11  and securely locate the illumination mechanism  2  in the panel  1 . When the illumination control module  23  is connected to the AC/DC conversion module  13 , the illumination mode detection unit  233  will switch the illumination mechanism  2  to a night lamp mode. No matter whether the illumination mechanism  2  is used in the night lamp mode or the flashlight mode, the first and second light-emitting sections  21 ,  22  can be turned on or off by means of the switch section  24  in cooperation with the rechargeable battery  231 . 
     In conclusion, the illumination mechanism can be securely located in the receptacle of the panel or easily taken off from the panel to serve as a flashlight. The illumination mechanism is received in the receptacle of the panel so that the appearance and the size of the panel will remain unchanged and tidy without being affected by the illumination mechanism. The present invention can provide nighttime illumination, emergency illumination and mobile illumination effect to fully satisfy the current demands on the market. 
     The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. It is understood that many changes and modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.