Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6341882
-
Patent Number
6,341,882
-
Date Filed
Friday, September 8, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, January 29, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- O'Shea; Sandra
- Truong; Bao
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 362 394
- 362 800
- 362 806
- 362 186
- 362 253
- 362 124
- 362 119
- 362 109
- 362 208
- 101 405
- 101 406
- 101 327
- 101 368
-
International Classifications
-
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 |