Light emitting circuit assembly for toy

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6341882
  • Patent Number
    6,341,882
  • Date Filed
    Friday, September 8, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 29, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • O'Shea; Sandra
    • Truong; Bao
    Agents
    • Troxell Law Office PLLC
Abstract
A light emitting circuit assembly includes a battery holder holding a battery set and a light emitting element installed in the battery holder, wherein the light emitting element has a first lead-out leg extended in vertical direction and retained between the negative terminal of the battery set and the battery chamber, and a second lead-out leg extended in horizontal, which is forced into contact with the positive terminal of the battery set when the battery holder is forced upwards relative to the light emitting element to curve the first lead-out leg, or disconnected from the positive terminal of the battery set when the upward pressure is released from the battery holder.
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.



Claims
  • 1. A light emitting circuit assembly comprising:a) a battery holder having at least one battery with a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the battery holder being movable between first and second positions; and, b) a base having a light-emitting element, the light-emitting element having first and second lead out legs extending therefrom and from the base, at least the first lead out leg comprising a resilient metal and engaging the battery holder so as to contact one of the positive and negative terminals, the second lead out leg located such that it contacts the other of the positive and negative terminals when the battery holder is in the second position, the second lead being out of contact with the other of the positive and negative terminals when the battery holder is in the first position, the resilient metal first lead out providing a sole biasing force on the battery holder urging the battery holder toward the first position.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number Name Date Kind
5738011 Tay Apr 1998 A