WO2007065177A1 - Dispositif d'eclairage - Google Patents

Dispositif d'eclairage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2007065177A1
WO2007065177A1 PCT/ZA2006/000109 ZA2006000109W WO2007065177A1 WO 2007065177 A1 WO2007065177 A1 WO 2007065177A1 ZA 2006000109 W ZA2006000109 W ZA 2006000109W WO 2007065177 A1 WO2007065177 A1 WO 2007065177A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
housing
bowl
light source
light
lighting device
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/ZA2006/000109
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Craig Bennetts
Original Assignee
Craig Bennetts
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Craig Bennetts filed Critical Craig Bennetts
Publication of WO2007065177A1 publication Critical patent/WO2007065177A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V33/00—Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
    • F21V33/0004—Personal or domestic articles
    • F21V33/004—Sanitary equipment, e.g. mirrors, showers, toilet seats or paper dispensers
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
    • A47K13/00—Seats or covers for all kinds of closets
    • A47K13/24—Parts or details not covered in, or of interest apart from, groups A47K13/02 - A47K13/22, e.g. devices imparting a swinging or vibrating motion to the seats
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
    • F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
    • F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a lighting device.
  • a toilet or urinal
  • a toilet urinal
  • a person who intends using a toilet bowl at night is often compelled to turn a light on to ensure that the bowl is "found”.
  • a person who is familiar with the physical layout of a particular building may be capable of reaching a toilet in the dark or under low-light conditions but may still be inclined to activate a light source for a number of reasons. This can be a source of irritation to a sleeping partner.
  • the invention aims to provide a lighting device which, at least partly, addresses the aforementioned situations.
  • the invention provides a lighting device which includes a housing which is engageable with a toilet, a battery in the housing, at least one light source mounted to the housing, a sensor for detecting the presence of a person, and a switch which is responsive to the sensor for causing the light source to be energised for a defined period of time, by the battery, upon detection of the presence of a person.
  • the toilet may include a toilet bowl and the housing may be shaped to engage with the toilet bowl at or close to a rim thereof.
  • the toilet bowl may have a lid or seat attached to it and in a variation of the invention, the housing is attached to the lid or seat.
  • the housing may be attached to the bowl in any appropriate way, for example by means of one or more suction cups.
  • the housing may have an appropriate shape and for example may include or define at least one hook- shaped formation.
  • the housing may have relatively narrow dimensions so that at least part of the housing can be positioned, without unwanted interference, between opposing surfaces of the toilet bowl and a seat which is mounted to the toilet bowl.
  • the sensor may be mounted to the housing so that, in use, it is on an outer side of the toilet bowl.
  • the light source on the other hand may be mounted to the housing so that, in use of the lighting device, the light source is positioned on, or shines to, an inner side of the bowl.
  • the light source is directed, e.g. via a suitable light guide, to pass or shine through a gap between opposing surfaces of the bowl and a seat which is attached to the bowl.
  • the light output of the light source is preferably substantially less than the output of a conventional electric bulb.
  • the light source may be an LED.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a toilet bowl with which a lighting device according to one form of the invention is used
  • Figure 2 is an enlarged view, partly in cross section, of part of the toilet bowl shown in Figure 1 ;
  • Figure 3 shows in cross section a lighting device according to a different form of the invention
  • Figure 4 is a side view of the device of Figure 3, engaged with a toilet bowl;
  • Figure 5 illustrates an electric circuit of a lighting device according to the invention.
  • FIGS 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrate a toilet 10 to which is fitted a lighting device 12, according to the invention.
  • the toilet includes a bowl 14 to which is coupled a cistern 16.
  • a lid 20 which is mounted to a seat 22 is fixed to the bowl.
  • the lighting device 12 includes a housing 30 which incorporates a circuit 32 of the kind shown in Figure 5.
  • the housing is substantially hook-shaped in cross section and is designed so that it can rest on an upper surface 36 of a rim 38 of the bowl.
  • a bridging piece 40 of the housing is relatively narrow or thin in transverse dimensions and hence can rest on the surface 36 below an opposing portion of the seat 22 without having load transferred from the seat to the housing.
  • the circuit 32 which is incorporated in the housing, includes one or more long- life batteries 44, a light sensor 46, a switch 48, a light emitting diode 50, a timer 52 and an infrared proximity sensor 54.
  • the components in the circuit are chosen and designed to have low energy consumption.
  • the sensors 46 and 54 are positioned on the housing so that they face to an outer side of the bowl, see Figure 2. These sensors could be separate, discrete devices or they could be combined into a single unit.
  • the light emitting diode 50 is positioned on the housing, so that, in use, it faces towards an interior 60 of the bowl.
  • the light sensor 46 inhibits operation of the switch 48 under all lighting conditions except in the situation in which the ambient lighting is poor e.g. at night.
  • the sensor 54 is responsive to the presence of a person. Assume for example that, under low light conditions or at night, a person approaches the toilet 10. This is detected by the sensor. As the light sensor 46 is responsive to the condition of poor light the switch 48 is operable. The switch 48 is then immediately enabled and the light emitting diode 50 is energised by the battery. When the person moves away from the toilet and out of range of the sensor 54 this is detected and the timer 52 is started. After a period of time which is determined by a timing interval of the timer 52 the light source 50 is turned off.
  • the timer could commence a fixed timing interval when the sensor 54 detects the presence of a person. During this interval the LED is kept energised. At the end of the interval the LED is turned off. However, if the sensor 54 still detects the presence of a person at the end of the timing interval the timer is restarted and again commences the timing of the fixed timing interval. These operations can be repeated.
  • the light emitting diode 50 emits light at a low level of intensity. Nonetheless the light is more than adequate to illuminate the interior of the toilet bowl. This, hopefully, will materially help a user.
  • the light source is automatically turned off a short period thereafter. The light source is not turned on while there is ambient lighting of an acceptable intensity. This feature helps to preserve the life of the battery.
  • the lighting device of the invention thus facilitates the use of a toilet or urinal during low light conditions.
  • Figures 3 and 4 depict a device 10A according to a variation of the invention which includes a circuit 32A, not further described herein, which is essentially the same as the circuit 32 of Figure 5.
  • the device 10A has a housing 3OA with a battery compartment 60, the circuit 32A, an LED 48A and a transparent plastic light conductor 62, e.g. of Perspex (TM) with an opaque outer surface 64 and a clear end 66 exposed to the LED.
  • TM Perspex
  • the housing 3OA has a number of suction cups 68, on its rear side, which are used to adhere the housing to an outer side of a toilet bowl 14.
  • at least one of these cups is adjustable, to take account of the external shape of the bowl, to ensure the housing is suitably mounted to the bowl.
  • the light conductor 62 is slender and elongate with a slight bend near its free end and extends freely between opposing surfaces of the toilet bowl rim 38 and an underside of a seat 22.
  • the infrared sensor 54 is on a front side of the housing 3OA.
  • the circuit operates in the manner which has been described but in this instance the light from the LED does not shine directly into the bowl. Instead the light is guided by the conductor 62 which then directs the light into the bowl.
  • the opaque outer surface 64 helps to contain the light within the conductor so that a narrow beam of light is emitted by the clear end 66. If this end has a lens-shape 66A, see Figure 3 then the narrow beam can be made slightly divergent to provide a broader area of illumination within the bowl.
  • suction cups and the light conductor in the device 10A, allows the device to be used in an hygienic and effective manner, with a wide variety of toilet bowls and urinals.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Sanitary Device For Flush Toilet (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif (12) d'éclairage comprenant un logement (30), une ventouse utilisée pour fixer le logement à une surface d'une cuvette (14) de W.C., une source (50) de lumière, une batterie (44), un capteur (54) permettant, lors de la détection de la présence d'une personne, l'alimentation de la source de lumière par la batterie, et un conducteur de lumière exposé à la source de lumière, et destiné à diriger la lumière de la source de lumière à l'intérieur de la cuvette.
PCT/ZA2006/000109 2005-09-15 2006-09-15 Dispositif d'eclairage WO2007065177A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ZA200507452 2005-09-15
ZA2005/07452 2005-09-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2007065177A1 true WO2007065177A1 (fr) 2007-06-07

Family

ID=37907581

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/ZA2006/000109 WO2007065177A1 (fr) 2005-09-15 2006-09-15 Dispositif d'eclairage

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2007065177A1 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2455723A (en) * 2007-12-18 2009-06-24 Janina Internat Ltd Automatically activated illumination device
WO2013076441A1 (fr) * 2011-11-22 2013-05-30 Small Ideas Limited Pot pour enfant
US20160223177A1 (en) * 2015-01-06 2016-08-04 Erin Bulcao Motion Activated Illumination Device for Use with a Toilet
US20180003374A1 (en) * 2015-01-06 2018-01-04 Erin Bulcao Motion Activated Illumination Device for Use with a Toilet
WO2021072363A1 (fr) * 2019-10-12 2021-04-15 El Taher Todd Urinoir sans eau
US20230200788A1 (en) * 2015-02-25 2023-06-29 Kohler Co. Bodily emission analysis

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2703407A (en) * 1954-03-31 1955-03-08 Rolph E Henoch Boy's toilet trainer
US5276595A (en) * 1993-02-02 1994-01-04 Patrie Bryan J Color-coded toilet light assembly
US5335379A (en) * 1993-08-03 1994-08-09 Waldo David L Toilet bowl flushing attachment
WO1995025853A1 (fr) * 1994-03-22 1995-09-28 Alec Robinson Veilleuse
US5926867A (en) * 1997-11-21 1999-07-27 Buchanan; Craig Illuminated toilet target device

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2703407A (en) * 1954-03-31 1955-03-08 Rolph E Henoch Boy's toilet trainer
US5276595A (en) * 1993-02-02 1994-01-04 Patrie Bryan J Color-coded toilet light assembly
US5335379A (en) * 1993-08-03 1994-08-09 Waldo David L Toilet bowl flushing attachment
WO1995025853A1 (fr) * 1994-03-22 1995-09-28 Alec Robinson Veilleuse
US5926867A (en) * 1997-11-21 1999-07-27 Buchanan; Craig Illuminated toilet target device

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2455723A (en) * 2007-12-18 2009-06-24 Janina Internat Ltd Automatically activated illumination device
WO2013076441A1 (fr) * 2011-11-22 2013-05-30 Small Ideas Limited Pot pour enfant
US20160223177A1 (en) * 2015-01-06 2016-08-04 Erin Bulcao Motion Activated Illumination Device for Use with a Toilet
US20180003374A1 (en) * 2015-01-06 2018-01-04 Erin Bulcao Motion Activated Illumination Device for Use with a Toilet
US20230200788A1 (en) * 2015-02-25 2023-06-29 Kohler Co. Bodily emission analysis
WO2021072363A1 (fr) * 2019-10-12 2021-04-15 El Taher Todd Urinoir sans eau

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