WO2005019722A1

WO2005019722A1 - Ornamental light

Info

Publication number: WO2005019722A1
Application number: PCT/JP2004/005573
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yukio Haruyama; Nobuhiko Nukaga; Kiyomi Yamamoto
Original assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Banpresto
Priority date: 2003-08-22
Filing date: 2004-04-19
Publication date: 2005-03-03
Also published as: JP2005071766A

Abstract

An ornamental light capable of being lighted in water. It comprises a hermetic hollow casing provided with an outer shell body having transparency or light-permeability in at least the upper section or upper half, a light emitting device received in the casing, a weight member disposed on the bottom of the inside or outside of the casing, the light emitting device comprising a substantially spherically formed lens body, a light emitting means which emits light in the vicinity of the lens body, a switch for detecting inclination or inversion of the casing, and a control circuit for controlling emission of light by the light emitting body on the basis of detection of the inclination or inversion of the casing by the switch, the weight member being heavy at least enough to submerge the casing having the light emitting device received therein, the arrangement being such that switching between emission of light and turn-off of the light emitting means is effected by tilting or inverting the casing, and light from the light emitting body is radiated around through the lens body and outer shell by the emission of light of the light emitting means.

Description

Specification

Ornamental light Technical field

The present invention relates to an ornamental light. In particular, the present invention relates to an ornamental light suitable for a light that emits light while being immersed in water and that appreciates the light emitted in the water. Background art

Conventionally, as a lighting device used underwater, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-100203 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-251901 (Patent Document 2) Is known.

The underwater lighting device described in Patent Document 1 has a light-emitting diode lamp provided on the upper surface of a cover plate, and the light-emitting diode lamp is made to pass through the cover plate in a state of maintaining airtightness so as to protrude downward. The lead is connected to the power supply inside the container, and the lid is hermetically attached to the container to form an underwater lighting device. The lighting device did not have a power switch or the like to turn on / off the lighting to be operated from the outside to enhance waterproofness, and it was not possible to turn on or off the lighting at will.

Further, in Patent Document 2, power is supplied to a waterproof lighting means by a lead wire to illuminate the inside of the water tank. The illuminating means did not have a power switch or the like for turning on / off the illuminating light, and the illuminating light was turned on or off depending on whether or not power was supplied via a lead wire. Disclosure of the invention The underwater lighting device described in Patent Document 1 does not have a switch that can be operated from the outside because of the need to maintain waterproofness, and cannot turn on / off the lighting arbitrarily. In addition, the underwater lighting device described in Patent Document 2 is connected to a lead wire and supplies power through the lead wire, so the device is large-scale and can be used easily when relaxing. The structure was not suitable for

The ornamental light according to the invention of the present application has been devised in view of the above points, and is a lighting device for relaxation, healing, and the like, which can emit light while being immersed in water, It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device which can turn on / off the lighting arbitrarily and does not require a lead wire or the like. Means for solving the problem

In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 of the present application has the following configuration. That is, a hermetically sealed hollow housing provided with a transparent or light-transmitting outer shell at least in the upper or upper half, a light-emitting device housed in the housing, A light-emitting device, a switch for detecting the inclination or inversion of the housing, and a switch for detecting the inclination or inversion of the housing by the switch. A control circuit for controlling light emission of the luminous body, wherein the weight member has a weight greater than or equal to a weight capable of submerging a housing accommodating the light emitting device, and a tilting operation or an inverting operation of the housing. An ornamental light characterized in that the light emitting means switches between light emission and light extinguishing, and the light emitted from the light emitting means emits the light of the light emitter to the surroundings through the outer shell.

The invention described in claim 2 has the following configuration. That is, less A hermetically sealed hollow housing provided with a transparent or light-transmitting outer shell at the top or upper half, a light-emitting device housed in the housing, and a bottom inside or outside the housing. A light emitting device that emits light in the vicinity of the lens body, a switch that detects inclination or inversion of the housing, and a housing that is formed by the switch. A control circuit for controlling light emission of the light emitting body by detecting inclination or inversion of the body, wherein the weight member has a weight not less than a weight capable of submerging a housing accommodating the light emitting device. Switching between light emission and light emission of the light emitting means is performed by tilting or inverting the casing, and light of the light emitting body is emitted to the surroundings through the lens body and the outer shell by the light emission of the light emitting means. Ornamental line that you want to, characterized in that the configuration was.

The invention according to claim 3 has the following configuration. That is, the casing has a substantially spherical or oval outer shape, and when the casing is submerged, the buoyancy due to the internal space of the outer shell provided at the top of the casing and the bottom of the casing are provided. 3. The ornamental light according to claim 1, wherein the weight member is configured to stand substantially upright with the outer shell upward.

The invention according to claim 4 has the following configuration. That is, a translucent cover body that covers the outer shell body is detachably attached to the housing, The ornament according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Light.

The invention according to claim 5 has the following configuration. That is, the ornamental light according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light emitting means is constituted by a plurality of light emitters having different colors.

The invention according to claim 6 has the following configuration. That is, the light emitting means is constituted by a light emitting body that emits a plurality of colors. The ornamental light according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

The invention according to claim 7 has the following configuration. That is, the control circuit is provided with erroneous input prevention means for eliminating erroneous input due to chattering generated at a contact portion of the switch. Ornamental light.

The invention according to claim 8 has the following configuration. That is, the ornamental light according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the lens body is formed in a spherical shape. Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an ornamental light according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the cover of the ornamental light according to the present invention is attached. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ornamental light according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ornamental light according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of an ornamental light according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining erroneous input prevention processing performed in the ornamental light according to the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an ornamental light according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows an external perspective view of an ornamental light according to the present invention. Body).

The main body 1 includes a housing 3 forming an external shape, a light emitting device 5 housed in the housing 3, and the like. The housing 3 is formed in a substantially oval shape, and the slender side above the substantially middle portion is the upper half 7 and the lower thick side is the lower half 9. An upper shell 11 formed of a transparent synthetic resin is provided in the upper half 7 of the housing 3 that is configured to stand up by the action of a weight member or the like described later. The upper outer body 11 is a bowl-shaped member having an outer wall of a few mm in thickness, with the outer surface of the top of the head being substantially spherical and the end being a circular open end. A spiral ridge 13 is formed on the inner periphery of the open end, and is formed so as to be detachably screwed to a base 15 to be described later while maintaining airtightness. .

Further, a plurality of ridges 17 are provided on the outer periphery near the opening end substantially in parallel with the outer periphery of the opening end. The ridge 17 is used as a locking means when the cover 19 that further covers the upper outer body 11 is detachably mounted. FIG. 2 shows a state where the cover 19 is attached to the housing 3. The cover body 19 is a bowl-shaped member integrally formed of a synthetic resin, and is formed as an opaque milky white as an example. This has the function of diffusing the light emitted by the light emitting device 5 and transmitting the light, and the function of mixing the light emitted from the light sources of a plurality of colors to make the light of a color different from the light source color appear dim. have. An engaging means (not shown) for engaging with the ridge 17 is provided on the inner periphery near the opening end of the cover body 19.

The lower half 9 of the housing 3 is provided with a lower outer body 21 formed of a synthetic resin. The lower outer shell 21 is a bowl-shaped member similar to the upper outer shell 11, with the top of the head facing downward and the circular opening end facing upward, and a lower base 15 described later. The attached member. A spiral ridge 23 is also formed on the inner periphery of the open end of the lower outer body 21, and is detachably screwed to the base 15 while maintaining airtightness. It is formed so that FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main body 1 and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the main body 1. The structure of the main body 1 will be further described with reference to FIGS.

The housing 3 has the above-described upper outer body 11, base 15 and lower outer body 21 as main constituent members.

The base 15 has a circular opening at the upper end and a space for accommodating the battery at the lower end.

25 is a short cylindrical member having a bottom wall integrally formed with 25. On the outer peripheral side wall of the base 15, male threads 27 and 29 are respectively provided to be screwed with the ridges 13 of the upper shell 11 and the ridges 23 of the lower shell 21. A flange-shaped protruding edge 31 is provided substantially at the center of the peripheral side wall over the entire periphery of the peripheral side wall. Also, O-rings 33, 35 surrounding the entire circumference of the peripheral side wall are attached to the upper and lower sides of the convex edge 31 respectively.

By the action of 35, the airtightness is maintained at the joint between the base 15 and the upper shell 11 and the lower shell 21.

A space 25 having an opening on the bottom surface side is formed on the bottom wall of the base 15. The space 25 is a space for accommodating the battery 37 as described above, and is formed by bulging the bottom wall of the base 15 inward, and is mounted from the bottom side. The battery cover 39 is closed. The battery cover 39 is fixed to the bottom wall of the base 15 by screws.

On the bottom wall of the base 15 bulged to form the space 25, six bosses 41 are erected, and a circular printed wiring board is provided on the upper end surface of the boss 41. 43 is mounted, and is fixed by screws using a screw hole provided on an end face of the boss 41 together with a circular plate 47 described later.

The printed wiring board 43 has red LED 45 r and blue

LED 45 b, green ED 45 g are equally spaced around the center of the board Is attached. The light emitting portion of each LED projects from three small holes 49 formed in a circular plate 47 arranged above the printed wiring board 43 in parallel with the printed wiring board 43. I have.

The printed circuit board 43 is provided with a control circuit 51 shown in FIG. 5 for controlling the emission of the LEDs 45r, 45g, and 45b. The control circuit 51 has a control function corresponding to CPU and a control IC 53 for outputting a drive signal for the LEDs 45r, 45g, and 45b. Further, the control circuit 51 includes a switch 55 having a moving sphere and energized by the movement of the sphere, and an erroneous input preventing means for eliminating energization due to chattering generated in the switch 55. And the control circuit 51

There is also a manual main switch 59 that switches between opening and closing the pond 37.

When the control IC 53 receives the input of the switch 55 through the erroneous input prevention circuit 57, the control IC 53 controls the light emission of each of the LEDs 45r, 45g, and 45b. In an example of the light emission control, when the input of the switch 55 is made, the LED 45 r is first made to emit light for about 2 minutes, and then the light emission amount of the LED 45 r is gradually reduced, so that the LED 45 r is gradually reduced. The emission control is performed such that the emission amount of g is gradually increased, the LED 45 r is turned off, and the LED 45 g is turned on. Similarly, when the LED 45 g is lit for a certain period of time, the LED 45 b gradually emits more light in accordance with the LED 45 g light emission gradually decreasing, and the LED 45 g Is turned off and the LED 45b is turned on. Hereinafter, light emission control is performed such that a similar cycle is repeated.

When red, blue, and green are mixed, various colors other than the primary colors can be emitted according to the mixing ratio. Therefore, each LED 4 5 r, 45g, 45b by adjusting the amount of light emitted at the same time, it is possible to show the user of various colors of light. In addition, it can show a continuous change to various colors.

In this embodiment, three LEDs having different emission colors are used. However, one LED having light sources of three colors may be used.

Next, the erroneous input prevention circuit 57 will be described. The erroneous input prevention circuit 57 is configured to output a signal to the control IC 53 when the switch 55 is closed for a preset time. The switch 55 is configured to close the contact point by a rolling sphere, as described later. Therefore, no signal is output to the IC 53 even when the contact is momentarily closed due to a momentary fall, vibration, or the like.

In the ornamental light according to the present embodiment, when the ONZOFF of the light emission is inverted for about 1 second from the state in which the housing 3 itself is erected and then returned to the original posture, the control IC 53 switches the switch. Is recognized as a key operation. The details of the processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

The switch 55 is, in the present embodiment, configured so that a sphere rolls in a cylinder and the contact is closed when the sphere rolls in the cylinder as an optimal example. Is used. As the switch 55, an inclination sensor or other sensors may be used in addition to the switch having the above configuration. Further, since the switch 55 does not have an operation unit or the like outside the housing 3, the waterproof property is not hindered.

The main switch 59 is a slide-type operation switch, which is mounted on the base 15 and can be operated by removing the lower shell 21 from the base 15. ing. When the main switch 59 is closed, the energization by the switch 55 is used as an operation input. And accept it.

The circular plate 47 is arranged above the printed wiring board 43 as described above. A spherical body 61 is attached to the center of the circular plate 47. The spherical body 61 is a member that functions as a lens body formed of transparent glass or transparent resin. At the bottom of the spherical body 61, there is provided a convex part for fixing. The spherical body 61 is inserted into a cylindrical bore provided at the center of the circular plate 47, so that the spherical body 6 is attached to the circular plate 47. 1 is fixed.

As described above, the LEDs 45 r, 45 g, and 45 b project from the three small holes 49 provided in the circular plate 47. Each of these LEDs is disposed immediately below the spherical body 61 and in a circle having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the spherical body 61. This is because the light emitted from the LED passes through the spherical body 61 as a lens body and is diffused and radiated around the upper part as a center. In addition, arranging the LEDs having different colors at a short distance has an effect of easily generating an intermediate color by mixing the colors. Since each light-emitting color has a different refractive index depending on the wavelength, if the distance between the LEDs is long, the light of each color will not be mixed and will be emitted as independent light, and the LED of each color will be spherical as described above. 6 It is located immediately below 1. In the ornamental light according to the present embodiment, a transparent upper shell 11 is provided around the spherical body 61, and a translucent cover body 19 covering the outer shell 11 is provided. It has become. Since the power member 19 is formed in a semi-transparent color such as milky white, the light has a function of further diffusing light to the surroundings in the cover member 19, and each color is easily mixed to express an intermediate color. This has the effect.

The shape of the lens may be various shapes other than the spherical shape, such as a shape having a high effect of diffusing light and mixing various luminescent colors. The one having It may have a conical shape, a polyhedral shape having a large number of surfaces, or the like.

A weight 63 is attached to the lower half of the housing 3. At the bottom inside the lower outer shell 2 1, four bolts 65 with screw holes on the upper end face are standing upright, and the weight is shaped so as not to interfere with the post. The body 63 is attached, and the holding plate 67 is attached to the post 65 with screws to fix the weight 63.

The weight 63 has a weight equal to or greater than the weight of the main body 1 sinking in water when the main body 1 is put in water. The main body 1 sinks in the water by the weight 63, and the center of gravity is lowered by attaching the weight 63 to the outer body 21, so that the main body 1 is moved to the upper outer body 1 regardless of whether it is in the water or not. It stands up with 1 on top.

Further, since a large amount of buoyancy is generated on the upper outer shell 11 side due to the space formed inside the upper outer shell 11, a synergistic effect with the function of the position of the center of gravity by the weight body 63 makes it difficult to fall down in water. ing. That is, in the bath f, a water flow is generated by human motion, but even when the water flow is generated, the main body 1 is hard to fall.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining chattering prevention processing and the like performed in the erroneous input prevention circuit 57. When the contact of switch 55 closes, the time that the contact is closed is determined. If the time during which the contact is closed is 340 milliseconds or more in this determination, it is determined that the chattering is not caused by minute vibration (step S1), and the time during which the contact is closed next is determined. Further judgment is made (step S2), and if the contact is opened within one second, the LED is made to emit light.

The processing in steps S1 and S2 is performed when the upright housing 3 is turned over once and returned to its original state within one second, and This is received as an input for lighting. The process relating to step S1 is for determining whether or not the input to the switch 55 has caused the housing 3 to be inverted instead of so-called chattering or overturning, and the process relating to step S2 is the process of reproducing the original. This is to determine whether or not the posture has been returned.

If the contact of the switch 55 closes for more than 100 milliseconds from the state in which the LED is lit, it is regarded as an input for turning off the LED and the LED is turned off (step S3). ). The reason why it is determined in step S3 that the contacts are closed for 100 milliseconds is to eliminate an erroneous input due to chattering as in step S1. In the present embodiment, the erroneous input prevention circuit 57 is provided on the circuit as erroneous input prevention means, but the same function as the erroneous input prevention circuit 57 is performed by software processing performed by the control IC. Is also good.

[The invention's effect]

The ornamental light according to the present invention has the following effects.

That is, it is possible to provide an ornamental lighting device that sinks in water in a bathtub or the like by its own weight and emits light toward the periphery in the sinking state. In addition, the power supply can be switched from OFF to ON or from ON to OFF by tilting the housing that composes the ornamental light or turning it over and then returning it to its original position. Lighting and turning off operations can be performed without providing any obstructive switches externally.

Also, the ornamental light according to the present invention has an outer shape of substantially an oval or a sphere, and furthermore, an outer shell for transmitting light of the illuminant by the action of the space in the housing and the weight member is always located above. , The ornamental light submerged in the water is always emitted upward. Therefore, when the ornamental light is used in a bathtub, the bottom of the bathtub The light emitted in the section is radiated upward with refraction, fluctuation, etc. due to water, which has the effect of allowing the viewer to enjoy the varied light while taking a bath.

Also, by attaching a translucent cover to the outer shell of the ornamental light that emits light, the light can be diffused by the cover, and the appearance of the light depends on whether or not the cover is attached. Can be changed.

In addition, by using a light source of a plurality of colors for the illuminant, in addition to the above-described effects, it is possible to appreciate light with more variety. In particular, when light sources of three colors such as red, blue, green or red, blue, yellow, etc., which are called three primary colors of light or three primary colors of light, are used, depending on the light emission ratio of each light source, the light of the three or more colors is used. Can emit light.

In particular, in the present invention, light is emitted through various media such as a spherical lens, a transparent outer shell covering the lens body, a cover body covering the outer shell, or a water layer. Therefore, the appearance of each emission color is not uniform, and it has the effect that it can be seen as a single color by changing the viewing angle, or the user can see colors other than the mixed primary colors. The start / stop operation of light emission is not performed by a switch installed outside, but by using a vibration sensor or tilt sensor installed in a waterproof internal space. It does not need to be waterproofed, so that the appearance is not impaired. When a vibration sensor or tilt sensor is used, malfunctions may occur due to unnecessary vibrations other than switch operation.However, by providing erroneous input prevention means to eliminate inputs considered to be malfunctioning, This prevents accidental turning on and off. In particular, since the ornamental light according to the present invention can be used by sinking in a bathtub while taking a bath, it can be tilted or fall down due to the flow of water generated in the bathtub. In any case, the posture and shape return to the original position like a little boy. Even when the ornamental light falls down and returns to its original position, it is not considered a switch operation, and is used when you want to relax by continuing to emit light or inadvertently emitting light. Has the effect of not causing discomfort to the elderly.

Further, by forming the lens body in a spherical shape, there is an effect that light emitted by the light source can be diffused in a wide range.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 · Ornamental light body, 3 · · Casing, 5 · · Light emitting device, 7 · · Upper half, 9 · Lower half, 1 1 · Upper outer body, 3 · · 'Base, 17 · ridge, 1 9 · · cover body, 2 1 · lower outer body, 2 3 · · ridge, 2 5 · space to accommodate batteries, 2 7 · male screw, 2 9 · · External thread, 3 1 · Convex edge, 3 · · O-ring, 35 · O-ring, 37 · Battery, 39 · Battery lid, 41 · Post, 4 3 'Printed wiring board, 4 5 r · · light emitting diode (L ED), 45 g · light emitting diode (L ED), 45 'light emitting diode (L ED) 4 7 · · circular plate, 49 · · small hole, 5 1 · · Control circuit, 5 3 · Control IC, 55 · 'Switch, 5 7

• Incorrect input prevention circuit, 59 • Main switch, 61 • Spherical

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is applicable to a light that emits light in a state of being immersed in water and appreciates the light emitted in the water.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A hermetically sealed hollow housing provided with a transparent or light-transmitting outer shell at least in the upper or upper half, a light emitting device housed in the housing, and an inside or outside of the housing A weight member provided at the bottom of the light emitting device, wherein the light emitting device comprises: a light emitting means; a switch for detecting the inclination or inversion of the housing; and the light emission by detecting the inclination or inversion of the housing by the switch. A control circuit for controlling light emission of a body, wherein the weight member has a weight equal to or greater than a weight that can submerge a housing containing the light emitting device, and the tilting or inverting operation of the housing An ornamental light, wherein light emission of a light emitting means is switched between switching off and light emission, and light of the light emitting body is emitted to the surroundings through an outer shell by the light emission of the light emitting means.

2. An airtight hollow housing provided with a transparent or light-transmitting outer shell at least in the upper or upper half, a light emitting device housed in the housing, and an inside or outside of the housing A weight member provided at the bottom of the lens body; the light emitting device includes: a lens body; a light emitting unit that emits light in the vicinity of the lens body; a switch that detects inclination or inversion of the housing; And a control circuit for controlling light emission of the light emitter by detecting inclination or inversion of the housing by the weight member, wherein the weight member has a weight not less than a weight capable of submerging the housing housing the light emitting device. Switching between light emission and light emission of the light emitting means by tilting or inverting the casing, and emitting light of the light emitting body to the surroundings through the lens body and the outer shell by the light emission of the light emitting means. An ornamental light characterized by being configured to perform

3. The casing has a substantially spherical or oval outer shape, and when the casing is submerged, buoyancy due to the internal space of an outer shell provided at the top of the casing and provided at the bottom of the casing. The operation of the weight member allows the outer shell body to be substantially upright in a posture in which the outer shell body is directed upward. The ornamental light described in 2.

4. The ornament according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a translucent cover body that covers the outer shell body is detachably attached to the housing. Light.

5. The ornamental light according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light emitting means is constituted by a plurality of light emitting bodies having different colors.

6. The ornamental light according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light emitting means is constituted by a light emitting body that emits a plurality of colors.

7. The ornament according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control circuit is provided with erroneous input prevention means for eliminating erroneous input due to chattering generated at a contact portion of the switch. Light.

8. The ornamental light according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the lens body is formed in a spherical shape.