Patents Examined by David V. Hobden
  • Patent number: 6398379
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a display apparatus main body, illuminating component, and transparent plate. The display apparatus main body has a flat screen. The illuminating component is formed into a frame to, correspond to a peripheral edge portion of the screen, and is arranged in tight contact with the screen. The transparent plate is arranged on an opposite side of the screen in tight contact with the illuminating component to face the screen. The illuminating component entirely seals a peripheral portion of a gap between the screen and transparent plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Fumihito Imai
  • Patent number: 6390647
    Abstract: A night light design which allows for improved functionality over those heretofore available. The basic design is flexible enough to be adapted for either indoor or outdoor use, and for various brightness levels. Particularly for outdoor use, bulbs of up to 15 watts can be used, providing an increased illumination level. All designs preferably include a light sensing element and a control circuit, wherein the light turns itself on when the ambient lighting levels fall low enough. Also, several preferred embodiments include a variable control, wherein the brightness of the night light can be continuously varied between very dim and full brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Inventor: Louisa Shaefer
  • Patent number: 6390652
    Abstract: A portable mounting light unit with provision for unit-to-unit interconnection comprising a housing having a mounting surface, at least two insulation displacement connectors mounted at diametrically opposite portions of the housing adjacent to the mounting surface, a lamp assembly, a diffuser cover for attachment over the lamp assembly, and at least one fastener access for attaching the housing to the supporting structure. The insulation displacement connectors allow for unit-to-unit interconnection with the ability to custom fit each interconnecting cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Westek Assocaites, Inc.
    Inventor: Cory Echito
  • Patent number: 6386731
    Abstract: A light emitting unit of one or more kinds selected from light sources such as, neon lamp, cold cathode fluorescent lamp, electro luminescence (EL), and light emitting diode (LED) accommodated in a protecting enclosure together with a rectifier circuit, is mounted on a rotating body of an automobile such as a wheel or a tire. Power for illumination is supplied from an extra miniature generator installed on the rotating body converting its rotating kinetic energy into electrical energy by means of a specially designed vane, an eccentric swing block, and a bearing disc with associated transmission gear wheel to continuously supply electricity to the light emitting unit. Both sides of the automobile are therefore well illuminated in a dark environment so as to achieve traffic security and contribute to beautiful night scenery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Inventor: Chen-Kang Cheng
  • Patent number: 6386742
    Abstract: A modular rearview mirror assembly for vehicles incorporates one or more integrated subassembly modules or carrier members to which are connected separate electrical components such as lamps, reflectors, switches, plug receptacles and the like to simplify mirror assembly and provide integral support, electrical connections, and an electrical distribution network for the mirror assembly having added, electrically operated features. The carrier member includes a circuit member secured to and/or at least partially encased or encapsulated within a support body such that electrical connections extend therefrom. Preferably, the carrier member may include recesses at opposite ends for receiving and supporting reflectors thereon to prevent vibration while allowing interchangeability for different vehicle types. The carrier member may form a stop for a toggle actuator to limit the movement of the mirror housing between day and night positions in the event a prismatic mirror element is included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan E. DeLine, Roger L. Veldman, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 6382811
    Abstract: A component of a generally cylindrical luminous signaling column housing plural conductors that are substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder and a printed circuit bearing plural LED luminous sources. The printed circuit is oriented such that its main plane is parallel to the axis of the component and bears plural LEDs on each surface. The cylindrical luminous signaling column includes a cylindrical inner surface provided with light-diffusing reliefs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SA
    Inventor: Jacques Bernard
  • Patent number: 6379023
    Abstract: A light assembly is adapted for use with an electrically insulated bucket disposed on the boom of an aerial lift truck having a pressurized hydraulic fluid supply positioned proximate to the bucket. The light assembly includes a power supply which converts energy from a fluid flow from the pressurized hydraulic fluid supply to electrical energy and a lamp that is electrically connected to the power supply and receives electrical energy therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Inventor: Edward Passno
  • Patent number: 6347880
    Abstract: A lighting device for attachment to a motor vehicle inside a housing 4. One or more light emitting diodes 9 which emit substantially white light are employed as lighting emitters. On account of the small amount of waste heat of the light-emitting diodes 9 the lighting device can be particularly easily integrated into existing subassemblies of the motor vehicle, in particular into the outside mirrors, inside mirror, trim strips and door handles, and can serve to illuminate the region around the vehicle or the interior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Donnelly Hohe GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Fürst, Harald Buchalla
  • Patent number: 6334689
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel having a plurality of liquid crystal cells and aback light that irradiates the liquid crystal display panel with irradiation light. The back light includes a light source and a light guide plate having one side arranged adjacent the light source and having a planar surface with a plurality of small concaves. The planar surface is substantially parallel to a liquid crystal cell face and a plane shape of the small concaves is substantially rectangular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Electronics Devices Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taniguchi, Yasuo Hira, Yuji Mori, Hisao Hirayama, Toshitsugu Miyawaki
  • Patent number: 6331062
    Abstract: Disclosed is a portable electric light comprising a housing, a source of electrical power, and having as a light source an LED with a high internal resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Inventor: Iain Sinclair
  • Patent number: 6315424
    Abstract: An underwater safety lighting device for lighting water beneath a surface (4) of the water in a swimming pool is provided. A water-tight light housing (1) is disposable beneath the surface (4) of the water in the pool and has a lens (5) removably attached to a front side (6) of the light housing (1), a light-emitting source (12) is secured within the light housing and a concaved light reflector (9) is secured within the light housing. The light-emitting source (12) is disposed above a conjugate axis (21) of the concave light reflector (9). An aperture (20) is disposed entirely in an upper one-half (21) of the light reflector (9) for receiving the light-emitting source (12). A control housing (2) is disposable out of the water of the pool and has a control device (26). An elongated connector (3) having a lower connector end (28) connects with a light housing connection portion (22) and an upper connector end (29) connects with a support of the pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Smartpool Incorporated
    Inventor: Joseph W. T. Hui
  • Patent number: 6312142
    Abstract: A lamp assembly includes a diffraction grating, such as a CD, CD-ROM, DVD, laserdisc, mini disc or the like, positioned with respect to the light bulb for reflecting light from the bulb to produce a pleasing spectral visual effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Inventor: Albert N. Dorsa
  • Patent number: 6309083
    Abstract: A pivoting light socket is used in the light pan of an up-light fixture of a low clearance ceiling fan, the light pan is positioned above the fan blades to provide indirect lighting which reflects from the ceiling above the fan blades. The circular, trough-shaped light pan surrounds, and is coupled to, the top circumference of the ceiling fan's motor stator, with the trough shaped portion positioned below the top of the stator. The light bulbs have a pivoting light socket that allows the bulb and socket to be positioned substantially below the top surface of the stator when the light socket is in its horizontal position, parallel to the top of the stator. Tilting the light socket upward, toward a vertical position, allows the light bulbs to be easily replaced, especially if the trough-shaped light pan is deep or narrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: David Lathrop, Craig Phillip Johnson, Ed Springer
  • Patent number: 6302568
    Abstract: A head lamp for a vehicle having a power supply includes a discharge bulb, a reflector for holding the discharge bulb, a lamp body for accommodating the reflector, the lamp body having an opening in the reflector for replacing the discharge bulb, a back cover coupled to the lamp body to close the opening, a starting circuit coupled to the discharge bulb for lighting the discharge bulb, a first connector coupled to the starting circuit, a second connector coupled to the power supply; and a detachable lock member fastening the back cover to the first and second connectors, wherein the lock member is covered by the first and second connectors when the connectors are coupled with each other, so that the back cover cannot be open before disengaging the lock member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sumito Ohtaki
  • Patent number: 6299336
    Abstract: An improved low profile mounting arrangement is provided for a telescoping tube construction applied to the roof of a vehicle. The lowest mast section is nested between two vertically upright shaft support plates which journal a pivot shaft rotatably secured to a collar affixed to the bottom of the lowest mast section whereby rotation of the pivot shaft causes the telescoping mast to rotate from a horizontal to a vertically upright position. A pivot link mounted to an end of the pivot shaft extends downward adjacent a support plate side opposite to the side facing the telescoping mast so that an actuator secured to the pivot link is mounted on the side of the telescoping mast construction to achieve a low profile mount with minimal vertical elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: The Will-Burt Company
    Inventor: John A. Hulse
  • Patent number: 6280070
    Abstract: A vehicle headlight capable of switching beams between low and high beams by vertically tilting a reflector by a predetermined angle so that upward forward visibility ahead of a vehicle can be secured during high-beam traveling by using a light distribution pattern having a cutoff line as a low-beam light distribution pattern. An upward deflection prism, projecting substantially perpendicularly downward from an upper side of a reflector up to a vicinity of a height position of an upper end edge of the reflective surface of the reflector, is provided in the vicinity of the front of the front end opening of the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishida, Hirohiko Ohshio, Shoji Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6273588
    Abstract: A submersible lamp including a base member having a waterproof cable entry therethrough, one or more bulb holders mounted to the base member, a lamp cover positioned over the bulb holder(s), and an at least partially transparent over cover extending over the lamp cover and engaging with the base member in a sealing relationship so that the base member, the waterproof cable entry and the over cover together form a waterproof enclosure. The waterproof cable entry, which may be used independent of the submersible lamp, includes a housing through which a cable is adapted to pass, an elastomeric plug adapted to fit within a bore of the housing, and a securing device for urging the plug into the bore and secure the plug within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Ark Engineering Pty, Ltd.
    Inventor: Richard Arakelian
  • Patent number: 6260988
    Abstract: Provided a vehicle exterior lamp capable of illuminating the ground surrounding a vehicle. When returning to a predetermined position of a parking lot, a road or the like where a vehicle has been parked, a switch of a transmitter is operated. By doing so, the vehicle is illuminated in a predetermined color and a selected mode, and the vicinity of a door of the vehicle is illuminated by this light, so that the condition of the ground can be confirmed. Particularly, the color of the light, emitted from a light-emitting source, can be arbitrarily set, and the setting can be made, taking the brightness and the saving of the energy into consideration. Even if discriminating information, such as a code, is not provided between the transmitter and a receiver, the color of the illumination of the vehicle can be discriminated from that of other vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Misawa, Hisao Yamaguchi, Tadanobu Iwasa, Hiroshi Ito
  • Patent number: 6247825
    Abstract: A vehicle lighting system providing lighting for an instrument panel generating light having a wave length, such as white light, which does not interfere with night goggle vision systems. The system comprises a portable housing, a battery pack, and an plurality of cables extending outwardly from the housing to a plurality of light-emitting elements providing white light proximate each of the plurality of vehicle instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Inventor: Richard E. Borkowski
  • Patent number: 6241371
    Abstract: An activating device for light-emitting wheel comprises a wheel, a sound and light generating circuit, a plurality of light emitting elements and a plurality of conductive wires. The wheel has a hub at the center of the wheel, a plurality of spokes radially arranged around the hub and a rim arranged around the outer contour of the plurality of spokes. An interspace chamber is formed between two adjacent spokes. The sound and light generating circuit is arranged within one of the interspace chambers. The sound and light generating circuit has a housing case, two conductive plates, an activating element and a top cover on the housing case. The two conductive plates are of the same structure and have slantingly bent bottom portions. The two conductive plates are such mounted on the housing case that a predetermined separation is kept between the two slantingly bent bottom portions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Inventor: Jen Hao Dai