U.S. patent application number 10/686467 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-06 for illumination devices for watches and other instruments.
Invention is credited to Fuwausa, Michelle Jillian, Thompson, James L..
Application Number | 20040085752 10/686467 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27403796 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040085752 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fuwausa, Michelle Jillian ;
et al. |
May 6, 2004 |
Illumination devices for watches and other instruments
Abstract
A UV emitter is incorporated into a variety of different
illumination devices suitable for illuminating indicia associated
with dials on watches, gauges and other instruments, as well as
ornaments. The indicia is made of a material responsive to UV
emissions to render the indicia visible. The devices may be used in
motor vehicles and other devices. In addition, a conductor
arrangement is also provided that can be used to support the UV
emitter under the transparent cover of watches or gauges, with the
UV emitter oriented to direct the UV emissions toward the indicia.
Embodiments are presented for UV emitters on top of dials with
indicia, laterally from the dials, or even under the dials.
Inventors: |
Fuwausa, Michelle Jillian;
(Columbia, MD) ; Thompson, James L.; (Arlington,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GOTTLIEB RACKMAN & REISMAN PC
270 MADISON AVENUE
8TH FLOOR
NEW YORK
NY
100160601
|
Family ID: |
27403796 |
Appl. No.: |
10/686467 |
Filed: |
October 14, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10686467 |
Oct 14, 2003 |
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10139660 |
May 3, 2002 |
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60288330 |
May 3, 2001 |
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60298984 |
Jun 18, 2001 |
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60315323 |
Aug 28, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
362/84 ;
257/E33.072 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G04B 19/30 20130101;
B60Q 3/68 20170201; B60K 35/00 20130101; H01L 2924/3025 20130101;
B60K 2370/336 20190501; F21V 33/0052 20130101; H01L 2924/3025
20130101; B60K 2370/1438 20190501; G01D 13/20 20130101; B60K 37/02
20130101; B60Q 3/76 20170201; H01L 2924/00 20130101; H01L
2924/00014 20130101; B60Q 3/12 20170201; G04B 19/32 20130101; G09F
3/10 20130101; G09F 13/20 20130101; F21L 4/005 20130101; B60K
2370/33 20190501; H01L 33/62 20130101; B60K 2370/143 20190501; H01L
2224/48091 20130101; F21Y 2115/10 20160801; H01L 33/60 20130101;
G04C 17/02 20130101; B60K 37/06 20130101; B60Q 3/14 20170201; H01L
2224/48091 20130101; G01D 13/28 20130101; G04G 9/0041 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/084 |
International
Class: |
F21V 009/16 |
Claims
We claim:
1. In a watch having a case with a dial and a crystal disposed on
top of said dial, an illumination apparatus comprising: a light
emitter including a lensless semiconductor junction adapted to
generate light in the UV region and generating a broad UV light
beam; and at least one indicia disposed on said dial, said indicia
being adapted and arranged to become visible in response to said UV
light beam.
2. The illumination apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light emitter
is attached to said crystal.
3. The illumination apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light emitter
is arranged to direct said UV beam laterally from sidewalls of said
case.
4. The illumination apparatus of claim 2 wherein said light emitter
is disposed under said dial.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said dial is transparent.
6. An ornamental device comprising: a case having a base and a
transparent cover, with an image affixed to said base and visible
through said cover, said image including image elements responsive
to UV light; and a light emitter disposed in said base and arranged
to form a UV light beam directed to said image.
7. The ornamental device of claim 6 wherein said light emitter
includes a semiconductor junction adapted to emit UV radiation.
8. In a vehicle having at least one device, an illumination
apparatus comprising: a light emitter including a semiconductor
junction without a focusing lens adapted to generate wide UV beam;
and indicia responsive to said UV beam and attached to said
device.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said device is an instrument
having a dial and said indicia is attached to said dial.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said instrument includes a
transparent cover extending on said dial and said light emitter is
mounted on said cover.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising several light
emitters, each emitter generating beams toward said indicia.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the vehicle has a structural
member remote from the device and wherein said light emitter is
attached to the structural member.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the vehicle has a roof and
said light emitter is attached to the roof.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said device is an instrument
having a moving member and said indicia is attached to said moving
member.
15. An illuminating apparatus for a device having a case with a
dial and a transparent cover through which the dial is visible,
comprising: a conductor arrangement having an arm extending under
said transparent cover and having a first end fixed and a second
end; and a light emitter attached to said second end and being
supported by said arm in a cantilevered fashion, said light emitter
being oriented to direct light toward the dial.
16. The illuminating apparatus of claim 15 wherein said case
further includes a circuit board disposed under said dial and
wherein said arm is electrically coupled to said circuit board.
17. The illuminating apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a pin
assembly extending from said circuit board and having one end
supporting said arm.
18. The illuminating device of claim 17 wherein said pin assembly
includes a spring biasing said pin toward said arm.
19. The illuminating device of claim 16 further comprising a spring
extending between said circuit board and said arm.
20. The illuminating device of claim 15 wherein said light emitter
is further attached to the transparent cover.
21. A flashlight comprising: an elongated body adapted to hold a
battery; and a UV emitter secured to said body and arranged to
selectively produce UV emissions, said UV emitter including a
semiconductor junction adapted to generate said UV emissions.
22. The flashlight of claim 21 wherein said elongated body has an
end, with said UV emitter being attached to said end, and a quartz
element attached to said body to protect said UV emitter.
23. The flashlight of claim 22 wherein said quartz element is
arranged and constructed to shape the beam formed by said UV
emissions.
24. The flashlight of claim 22 wherein said quartz element is
removable from said body.
25. The flashlight of claim 21 wherein said body is flexible to
allow said flashlight to take a selected configuration.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to provisional applications
S.N. 60/288,330 filed May 3, 2001; S.N. 60/298,984 filed Jun. 18,
2001; and S.N. 60/315,323 filed Aug. 28, 2001; all incorporated
herein by reference.
[0002] The subject matter of this application is also related to
application Ser. No. 09/659,189 filed Sep. 12, 2000, entitled
SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT EMITTING ELEMENT FORMED ON A CLEAR OR
TRANSLUCENT SUBSTRATE, now ______, incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A. Field of the Invention
[0004] This invention relates generally to an improvement in
illumination devices such as electronic timepieces equipped for a
conventional analog or digital display, indicator gauges, which may
comprises a meter panel, directional gauges, used for example in
motor vehicles, ornamentation displays of an image, logo or design,
and other similar articles which are illuminated for viewing under
poor lighting conditions.
[0005] B. Description of the Prior Art
[0006] Historically, watches, gauges and other similar articles
were first illuminated by using phosphorescent markings. However,
when both the manufacturing methods of phosphorescent materials and
the materials themselves proved to be medically and environmentally
unacceptable, other illuminating means were developed. Some of
these other means include the use of LED, LCD, and fluorescent
devices, as well as incandescent bulbs. All of these proved to be
unsatisfactory, especially for small devices such as wrist
watches.
[0007] Additionally, these devices could not provide sufficient
illumination due to a non-uniformity in brightness across the
illuminated display surface. The insufficient illumination was the
result of the positioning or shape of the light source itself which
was either a point or linear source thereby making these
illumination devices limited and unacceptable.
[0008] Recently, electroluminescent lighting, hereinafter referred
to as EL, was introduced, for an analog or digital watches as
another known alternative. An EL element is positioned underneath
the watch dials, or other surfaces, or alternatively the dials
themselves are made of an EL material, as described in U.S. Pat.
No., 3,749,977--Sliker, Pat. No. 4,775,964--Alessio & Olsen,
Pat. No. 4,208,869--Hanaoka, Pat. No. 5,029,046 --Kameda, Pat. No.
5,117,334--Kameda. In all of these references direct illumination
is provided upward towards the viewer, restricting any aesthetic
aspects such as a full color logo or colored images on the dial.
Another disadvantage of EL's is that they require complicated
auxiliary circuitry. Moreover, the lighting colors are determined
by phosphorus contents of the EL, and are limited commercially to
colors such as blue-green, white and yellow.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,161 discloses a black light instrument
cluster illuminated by standard black light or UV bulbs.
[0010] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,962,971 and 5,813,753 disclose complicated
means of generating UV light.
[0011] In my U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,106,127 and 6,299,321, incorporated
herein by reference, I have described an illumination device for a
watch and other instruments consisting of a light emitter disposed
on a transparent or translucent surface(like the a watch crystal).
The emitter receives power from a battery disposed in the watch
case through wires imbedded in, or otherwise attached to the
crystal. The emitter is adapted to emit light in a wide angle to
illuminate the dial of the watch in an even light distribution
pattern. The following concepts comprise various improvements to
the basic patented invention of the these patents.
OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] It is, accordingly, an objective of the present invention to
eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages encountered in the
prior art and provide an improved system through which sufficient
illumination can be provided to both indicia of interest as well as
logos and other decorative elements.
[0013] It is another objective of the present invention to provide
an improved illumination device for an electronic or analog
timepiece, indicator gauge, directional gauge or ornamental device
or other articles eliminating any EL as the illumination source and
its associated circuitry.
[0014] Another objective of the invention is to provide an improved
illumination apparatus for viewing the dial or surface of various
objects by positioning an illumination device to direct light in a
direction towards the subject to be illuminated which makes viewing
easier, more efficient and less stressful to the viewer.
[0015] A further objective of this invention is to provide in
situations such as limited lighting or at night time, the cosmetic
illumination of single or multiple color images, logos or items
located on or about the surface of a timepiece, indicator or
directional gauges or ornamentation devices.
[0016] A further objective is to provide a solid state illumination
device that makes use of a source of UV light to provide a novel
type of illumination for watches, gauges and other similar
articles.
[0017] The present invention seeks to attain these objectives by
disposing a light-emitting element, on or inside a light
transmissive surface of the article to be illuminated. This element
is positioned in the center, sides or in a random placement and
rendered light emisive or is activated by means of an electronic
circuit which is installed within or in proximity of said article.
An illumination switch controlled by an external control member is
provided on the case of the article for selectively activating the
light emitting element.
[0018] More particularly, the light source is disposed either on an
inner surface of, or is imbedded within the cover or article
itself, in such a manner that is virtually invisible to the
viewer.
[0019] In many instances various objects must be observable in the
dark or under low lighting conditions. In instances where it is not
possible, or it is inconvenient to provide full illumination, low
level lighting is provided to light the observed object either
directly, laterally, using edge-effect type lighting or using
backlight type illumination (wherein the light source is built into
or disposed behind the object to be observed). However, these
solutions have been found to be unsatisfactory because they provide
mediocre lighting at best. Moreover, in many instances these types
of devices are not pleasing esthetically.
[0020] For example, most automobiles, motorcycles or aeronautical
vehicles use some form of interior and/or instrument illumination
for visibility at night or in low visibility conditions. This
illumination system is usually based on electroluminescent (EL),
incandescent or LED devices which require special controls, power
supplies, dimmers and so on.
[0021] Another example where improved illumination would be useful
are laptop computers. Under poor lighting conditions most laptops
(as well as PDAs, cell phones, electronic games and other similar
small hand-held devices) have built-in light sources or active
screens that are fairly easy to see. However, the keyboards and
controls for these devices are provided with little or no
illumination and accordingly they are very hard to see.
[0022] One effective means of lighting objects comprise so-called
black lights. These kind of lights are particularly desirable for
providing illumination under low lighting conditions and are
especially useful when used in combination with fluorescent inks or
objects having fluorescent colors applied on the object being
illuminated. However, until now, all black light sources comprised
high voltage tubes or incandescent lamps that have been coated with
a filter adapted to transmit UV light and block most visible light.
Typically these filters do allow a small amount of light to escape
from the tube in the violet range so that the light can be seen
with the naked eye when turned on.
[0023] Similarly, a UV light source can be used for a laptop or
standard compute keyboard. This light source could be an accessory
or built into the unit. As an accessory the unit could be connected
and powered through a USB port and could be fixed or could be
provided on a flexible support so as to allow the user to customize
the position of the light source. The light source could have an
on/off switch, which could allow the user to activate the light
source as desired.
[0024] As an integrated unit within the keyboard or on the
periphery it is the UV light sources positioning which is critical
for maximum illumination. Under the most efficient circumstances a
single UV-LED light source could be positioned above the
illuminated object at a predetermined distance for effective
illumination but in manner that insures that it will not interfere
with the users vision or periphery .The UV light source could be
made to provide a broad radial pattern over the entire area or
modified with a directional cone or shield focusing the light to
the desired area for illumination.
[0025] Inks or other materials responsive to UV light (such as
fluorescent and phosphorescent inks etc.) are applied onto or
processed into the keyboard, mouse or the desired illuminated area
and could be make into shapes, diagrams, logos, images or numerals
in multiple colors such as red, green, yellow, orange, blue, purple
or pink.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The invention will be better understood by reference to the
following description, taken in connection with the appended
drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, and
in which:
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a power circuit for a watch
in accordance with this invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic view of a watch with an external
power supply;
[0029] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a controller for controlling
a light for a watch with an external and an internal battery;
[0030] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a watch with a touch
screen;
[0031] FIG. 5 shows a side sectional view of a watch with several
positions of a UV emitter in accordance with this invention;
[0032] FIGS. 5A-5R show schematically various lighting arrangements
of various different apparatus in accordance with this
invention;
[0033] FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of a watch with a light
emitter and a dielectric coating on the crystal;
[0034] FIGS. 7A-7J show details of a UV flashlight constructed in
accordance with this invention;
[0035] FIGS. 8A-8D show details of the UV source for the flashlight
of FIGS. 7 and other such devices
[0036] FIGS. 9A-I show details of a conductor arrangement used to
provide power and support a light emitter constructed in accordance
with this invention;
[0037] FIGS. 10A-10C show details of another conductor
arrangement;
[0038] FIG. 11 shows a side elevational view of another conductor
arrangement;
[0039] FIG. 12 shows an orthogonal view of yet another conductor
arrangement;
[0040] FIGS. 13A and 13B show details of light emitter arranged to
illuminate a watch, instrument or other device laterally;
[0041] FIGS. 14A and 14B show details of a watch, instrument or
other device illuminated from the bottom;
[0042] FIG. 15 shows a light emitter on a conductor arrangement
with a reflector; and
[0043] FIGS. 16A-C show details of a light emitter extending
through a shaft and optionally including a reflector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0044] A. Internal Power Source
[0045] Typically, watches are powered by a so-called button type
battery which is kept small so that it can fit in watches with
small cases. This type of battery has a nominal output of about 1.5
volts. Recently, new light emitter devices are marketed which have
better light emitting characteristics, including new and brighter
colors. For example, light emitting diodes are becoming available
which are referred to as Super Bright LEDs using InGaN technology
to generate deep blue, standard blue and aquamarine light.
Superluminosity light chips are also available which are capable of
generating high intensity blue or white light. However, all of
these new type of devices require a power source in the range of
2-6 volts and hence could not be used in standard watches having
1.5 volt batteries.
[0046] Therefore, according to the present invention, a circuit is
provided which converts the power from a standard 1.5 volt battery
to a higher level. A circuit 10 of this type is shown in attached
FIG. 1. As can be seen in this FIG. 1, the circuit includes a DC/DC
converter 12 which powers a 2 to 6 volt bus B-B using power from
the 1.5 volt battery 14. DC/DC converters of this type are well
known in the art.
[0047] An alternate means of providing higher voltage is to use two
thin 3 volt lithium batteries known as 1616's in series with a
voltage dropping resistor.
[0048] Connected to the bus B-B are one or more light emitting
elements LE which receive power at the higher voltage from
converter and generate light. Preferably a resistor R1 is in series
with the LE to limit the current therethrough. Since this bus B-B
is available, other elements 16 including timing circuits may be
connected to it as well.
[0049] The DC/DC converter 12 may be an ASIC which may be preset to
generate a preselected voltage on the bus B-B. Alternatively the
ASIC could be externally programmable, or could be responsive to a
control signal C. In FIG. 1 the control signal C is derived from a
light sensor 18 . The light sensor 18 is used to sense ambient
light. The converter 12 is constructed and arranged to adjust the
voltage of the bus B-B in accordance with the control signal C.
Accordingly, the voltage on bus B, and hence the intensity of the
light produced by the light emitter LE is dependent on the ambient
light level.
[0050] Alternatively the DC/DC converter could be a dedicated chip
or an IC that is incorporated on the PC board of a watch (not shown
in FIG. 1) and is set so that it can produce only a single voltage
level. This alternative design is less flexible but cheaper to
implement.
[0051] B. Internal and External Batteries
[0052] Some watches have an active element, such as a light source,
which uses a substantial amount of energy. In these types of
watches, it is customary to use a timer which disables the active
element after a predetermined time. For example, a light used to
illuminate a watch dial is usually turned off automatically after
about 2-3 seconds. However in some instances, it may be desirable
to have the active element on for a longer time period. For
example, a jogger may want to see his time continuously, or a watch
may incorporate a heart rate monitor and the jogger may want to see
his heart rate as well.
[0053] For these types of devices, two batteries are provided: an
external and an internal battery. Of course, more than one internal
and/or more than one external batteries may be provided. As shown
in FIG. 2, a watch 20 is shown with a case C and an external
battery XB which is connected to the watch case via a plug P.
[0054] This external battery can be mounted in a piggyback fashion
on the case C, or alternatively it can be mounted on or within the
watch band itself, and can be removed therefor and inserted into
the plug P as desired. A sensor S that senses the presence of
battery XB is associated with plug P.
[0055] FIG. 3 shows the internal circuitry of watch 20. The
circuitry includes two batteries: an internal battery IB and the
external battery XB discussed above. The circuitry can operate in a
variety of modes as determined by a control circuit 22. In one
mode, the two batteries can be connected in parallel to provide
power to a bus B-B. In a second mode, a switch SW can be used to
selectively connect either the internal or the external battery to
the bus. The control circuit 22 can monitor the reserve energy
level left in each battery and when one battery gets depleted, the
control circuit can automatically switch the bus over from the
first to the second battery.
[0056] A timer 24 is also associated with the control circuit 22.
The timer is used to energize the bus (which may be used, for
example, to power a light LE) for a predetermined time period. As
discussed above, this time period may dependent on which battery is
being used as the energy source for the bus. With the internal
battery IB as the power source, a relatively small time period may
be set, for example 3 seconds. With the external battery XB as the
power source , a much longer time, for example, two hours, may be
set. The control circuit can determine if the external battery XB
is in place through external sensor ES. Moreover, the timer and/or
the control circuit may also be adapted to pulse the LED LE
intermittently at a duty cycle of 10% at a frequency 1 KHz. This
operation allows the LED to be operated either at a lower current
level to extend the life of the device, at a higher apparent
intensity or lower temperature. This operation is effective because
the LED has sufficient persistence so that even though a very low
duty cycle is used, the LED appears to be on all the time.
[0057] Since the operation of the watch may be dependent on the
external battery XB, it becomes important for the user to know its
status. For this purpose an internal sensor maybe used to show
determine the reserve energy left in the external battery XB. When
the external battery XB becomes discharged, an indication light I
is activated to alert the user that the external battery must be
replaced ( or recharged if possible). Alternatively the indicator
light I may be on whenever the external battery is connected to the
watch to indicate that the external battery is operational. When
the external battery is depleted, the indicator light I can be set
to blink by the sensor IS, and/or the control circuit 22.
[0058] While the external battery was described as being used to
power a watch, obviously it could be plugged into the case of other
types of devices such as hand-held game, a PDA, a cell phone,
etc.
[0059] C. Control Switching
[0060] Most modern electronic watches include one or more
pushbuttons used to activate its various functions. As these
devices evolved the number of functions that they could performed
continuously increased. However, the number of pushbuttons that
could be accommodated on a watch case and the number of operations
assigned to each is very limited.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 4, this problem is resolved by providing
the face (not shown) or any other accessible part of a watch 30
with a touch screen TS. The touch screen TS could be a resistive, a
capacitive type or any other similar type of device that can be
used to detect when a particular portion of the screen TS is
touched by a user. Of course, normally, the touch screen TS should
not be active because otherwise it would react to any inadvertent
touch by the user or the user may press the watch face against
other objects. Therefore, in accordance with this invention, the
touch screen TS is activated for a predetermined time after a
pushbutton PB is pressed. Thereafter a sensor/decoder 34 is used to
sense what portion of the screen( if any) is touched, and to
generate an appropriate code for a microprocessor 34. The
microprocessor 34, which also controls all the functions of watch
30 then performs an appropriate function.
[0062] Some functions that may be activated in this manner are:
[0063] a. Controlling the illumination level of the watch face;
[0064] b. Controlling the duration of illumination;
[0065] c. Blinking
[0066] d. Alarm functions
[0067] Of course, these are just illustrative examples, and many
other functions may be performed as well.
[0068] The touch screen TS is normally transparent so that it can
be disposed on top of, or incorporated into, or positioned on the
bottom surface of the crystal.
[0069] D. Illumination Using UV Light
[0070] One aspect of the present invention pertains to various
systems and devices wherein various elements are rendered visible
at night, and/or low light conditions by using in combination a
solid state UV source such as a UV emitter or UV LED in and
alphanumeric characters and/or images printed or otherwise
deposited using a UV-sensitive material.
[0071] In accordance with the present invention, as shown in FIG.
5, the dial or a watch 40 or other instrument is illuminated, as
shown in FIG. 5 by using a light emitter B1 which is a
semiconductive junction adapted to emit UV light. In one embodiment
the light emitter B1 is attached and mounted on the bottom surface
of a cover, such as a crystal 42 crystal.
[0072] Preferably, the dial 44 is provided with one or more images
C1, C2 which could be alphanumeric characters or any other types of
images. Preferably these characters are printed or otherwise
affixed to the dial using a phosphorescent or fluorescent ink. When
the UV light from source B1 hits these characters, they appear to
glow and are very visible. This type of illumination is especially
advantageous under low ambient lighting conditions or in the dark.
While in FIG. 5 a watch is illustrated, it should be understood
that the same principles may be used to illuminate many other types
of devices such as gauges, and the like. For example, a gauge on
the instrument panel of a car, truck or plane may be lit in this
manner, as disclosed in more detail below.
[0073] Moreover, while in FIG. 5 the light emitter B1 is shown on
the crystal, other light emitters may also be under the dial, such
as B2 and B3 or on the sides, such as B4 and B5. With the emitters
on the bottom, the dial 44 has to be made of a material that is
transparent or translucent at least to UV light.
[0074] The emitters B1-B5 etc. could be implemented as a flop chip,
a flip chip or other types of ICs. In one embodiment, the emitters
are covered with sheath made of glass, plastic or other materials
for enhancing the effectiveness of the junction at the desired
light wavelengths. The sheath could be very dark, or it could be
blue, green or violet. Moreover, if it known that if a phosphorous
tip is formed on the sheath then the tip generates a bright white
light.
[0075] The emitters B1-B5 are connected of course to a power supply
which has been omitted for the sake of clarity using conductors
described in more detail below.
[0076] Importantly, emitters B1-B5 can be LEDs adapted to provide
UV light in the range of 315-320 to 380-400 nm (nanometers, usually
referred to as UV-A). LEDs of this type are available from Cree in
the USA and Nichia in Japan. However, preferably, the emitters are
formed from semiconductor junctions without a focusing lens (which
are normally provided on conventional LEDs) . The present inventor
has found that if the focusing lens, is omitted, the emitter
generates a wide angle beam which is substantially uniform.
[0077] The second component of this aspect of the invention
consists of various indicia (such as C1 and C2) made imprinted or
otherwise attached to a support and created from fluorescent inks.
These indicia can be applied and formed into shapes, images, logos,
script or numerals. In motor vehicle or motorcycle, the fluorescent
inks could be used to outline instrument clusters such as a
speedometer, gearshifter, cup holder or other instruments. If a
moving element needs to be illuminated, for example, a speedometer
needle, the indicia can be applied to the moving element
itself.
[0078] The UV source (such as the emitter B1) is preferably
positioned above the illuminated object and oriented so that its
light impinges on the indicia at a predetermined angle. If a UV
generating LED is used as the source it can be placed at various
positions within the motor vehicle very easily because it is very
small and unobtrusive. The UV lighting source could be positioned
in the inside of the roof for the front and back seats or within
the instrument cluster, on the underside of the rearview mirror or
the center console depending on where UV illumination is desired
for exciting the applicable fluorescent ink. This type of
illumination is much more informative and cost effective then the
currently available lighting devices.
[0079] Optionally, in the watch of FIG. 5 the dial 44 can be made
transparent and additional indicia may be provided under the dial
on various components of the watch(not shown). These components can
then become visible when the respective UV emitters, such as B1 are
activated. This embodiment is especially attractive if the watch is
an analog watch with some moving parts since these moving parts can
then become highlighted by the UV light from the sources.
[0080] Our application uses one or more UV light sources that can
be focused to generate a narrow beam or can be disbursed to form a
radial pattern to illuminate multiple objects or elements with a
single light source. Advantageously, the fluorescent inks are
available in many brilliant colors including combinations such as
red, green, blue, pink, purple or yellow. Moreover, the indicia can
be formed with different colored inks which are illuminated with a
single UV light.
[0081] These concepts are illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 5A-
5R. FIG. 5A shows an instrument panel 60 used either on the
dashboard of an automobile or other motor vehicle, such as a truck,
bus, tractor, airplane, motorcycle, etc. The panel includes a
housing 62 and a face 63 on which there are a plurality of
instruments 64. These instruments may include a speedometer, a
tachometer, a fuel gauge, a pressure gauge, a water temperature
gauge, and other various indicia, well known in the art. Each
instrument is defined by a plurality of elements. Some of these
elements can be fixed, while others can be moving. For example,
elements 66 are stationary elements consisting of alphanumeric
characters painted or otherwise affixed to the face 63. Element 68
consists of a needle pivoting about an axis (not shown) and having
an angular position that indicates a certain parameter associated
with the operation of the motor vehicle. Importantly, all or some
of these indicia, are printed or incorporate a substance that is
flourescent and therefore visible in the daylight as well as well
as when illuminated by UV light. Alternatively, each indicia may be
composed of one element that is visible by daylight and a second
element that is visible under UV light. The indicia may made of
inks, phosphors or other similar materials.
[0082] The needle comprising element 68 may be painted with the
appropriate material either along its entire length. Alternatively
the tip of the needle may be covered with the fluorescent ink.
[0083] The panel 60 is protected by a transparent cover 70 made of
glass, plastic or suitable material.
[0084] UV light for the indicia is provided by a plurality of light
sources that can be provided and positioned in a number of
different configurations. For example, in FIG. 5B, a cover 70A is
provided with a plurality of sources 72, each source being
positioned so that when the cover 70A is in place, each source is
positioned above the center of one of the instruments 64. The cover
70A also includes conductors 74 that provide power to the light
sources 72. Preferably, the light sources consists of semiconductor
emitters as discussed above. Various structures and configurations
for the conductors 74 are discussed in more detail below.
[0085] FIG. 5C shows another embodiment of the invention. In this
embodiment the housing 60 includes bosses 72 disposed peripherally
of each instrument 64. Each instrument may be provided with one or
more such bosses 76. Each is mounted on the face (or alternately,
on the cover 70 and carries at least one light source. Some bosses
may be used to support more than one light source. Each light
source is arranged and constructed to generate UV light directed
toward a respective instrument.
[0086] FIG. 5D shows a modified housing 60A that incorporates only
a single instrument 64A. The housing 60A includes a boss 80 holding
a light source 82 oriented to illuminate the instrument 64A.
[0087] FIG. 5E shows another embodiment. In this embodiment,
housing 60B includes a face 62B on which there are a plurality of
instruments 64B including pivoting needles 68B. An intermediate
plate 67 is fitted over the face 62B. The plate 67 has a plurality
of circular cutouts 69. The circular cutouts 69 have sidewalls
supporting one or more UV sources 72B. The sources are oriented
radially. The intermediate plate fits over the face 62B so that
each needle 68B enters into one of the opening 70 and is
illuminated by sources 72B. Additionally, cover 70B fits over the
intermediate plate. The cover 72B is optionally provided with
additional light emitters 72B' positioned like sources 72 in FIG.
5B to further illuminate the instruments. The emitters 72B' are
powered by current through conductors 74B.
[0088] FIG. 5F shows another embodiment with a face 62C,
instruments 64C defined by indicia similar to the indicia 66, 68 in
FIGS. 5A, and a clear cover 70C. An independent, self supporting
set of conductors 74C are provided that extends between the face
62C and the cover 70C. The sources 72C are attached to the
conductors 74C.
[0089] In all the embodiments discussed above each of the
individual instruments can be illuminated using a light emitter or
source, preferably centrally located. Alternatively, a plurality of
emitters are used that are dispersed peripherally around each
instrument at various angular positions. Of course a combination of
both schemes may be used.
[0090] FIG. 5G shows a panel 77 formed into a grid pattern or two
dimensional array defined by a plurality of light emitters 72K.
This panel can be made into any size, and can be mounted behind a
transparent or translucent billboard, or other large sign for
illumination as required. FIG. 5H shows the panel 77 used in a
display 81. The display includes a sheet 79 covered by a
phosphorescent or other UV responsive material. When the emitters
72K are activated, the UV light therefrom impinges and renders
sheet 79 luminescent. The sheet then forms a back light for a sheet
80 that is imprinted with an image.
[0091] FIG. 51 shows a wristwatch with a cover having a built in
light emitter 120C. When the cover is open the light emitter can be
activated to illuminate the watch as shown. The illumination could
be visible or UV light.
[0092] FIG. 5J shows a wrist watch or a pocket watch with a cover
having its own light emitter 120D. When the cover is opened, the
face of the pocket watch.
[0093] FIG. 5K shows an ornament 83 that can be mounted on a motor
vehicle including a car, a motorcycle, etc. The ornament includes a
base 83A with a design 83B. A clear protective cover 83C is
disposed on top of the base and is domed to provide some interior
space therebetween, One or more emitters 83D is attached to the
cover and is positioned to selectively illuminate the design 83B.
The light emitter 83D is coupled to conductors 83E that are
connected to a power source not shown. The power source could be an
independent battery, the battery of the car, a power supply, etc.
Alternatively, the ornament may also be mounted on a non-motorized
apparatus such as a skateboard, a surfboard, and the like, in which
case batteries may be incorporated therein.
[0094] FIGS. 5L, 5M and 5Q show another embodiment of the
invention. In this embodiment, in addition to the instrument panel
70, other control elements 84 of a motor vehicle are identified by
respective indicia, including the controls for the radio,
transmission, air conditioning/heating, radio, seat belts, etc.
Each of these indicia are printed or otherwise applied using
substances that are visible in the daylight, as well substances
that become visible when exposed to UV light. As best seen in FIG.
5L and 5M, one or more UV emitters 72M are provided on the roof of
the automobile. These sources are oriented to illuminate the
indicia on these controls. As a result the indicia on all the
controls is very easily visible at night, when the rest of the
cabin within the motor vehicle must be dark to allow the driver to
see his external environment. If necessary additional emitters may
be provided, as shown at 72M.
[0095] FIGS. 5N and 5O show another embodiment. This embodiment
shows a system for illuminating the keyboard of a PC, laptop or
other similar devices. The system includes an arm 90 having an
elongated body which is made of a semi-rigid material so that it
can be bent and shaped into any desired shape. After it has been
bent, the arm stays in that position. The body has one end 94
adapted to be mated with or coupled to a housing. In FIG. 5N end 94
is male USB connector adapted to mate with a complementary female
connector. Of course the end can be shaped to couple with other
types of connections as well. Devices like arm 90 have been
proposed previously in which the other end of the arm incorporates
an incandescent light bulb. In the present invention, the other end
of the body includes a UV source 96, which is preferably a UV
emitter as described above. Surrounding the source 96 is a
cone-shaped shield 98 that protects the source and may be used to
direct the UV light from source 96 in a predetermined
direction.
[0096] Referring now to FIG. 5O, a standard keyboard 100 is shown.
This keyboard can be the keyboard of a lap top, the keyboard for a
desk top computer, or other similar device. The keyboard 100 is
provided with a USB jack 102 . The keyboard further includes with
standard QWERTY keys 104 and various other control keys 106.
Importantly, each key is identified by an alphanumeric legend 108.
According to this invention, this legend is printed using a
fluorescent or similar UV-responsive material. Of course the legend
should also be visible in daylight.
[0097] In operation, the arm 90 is attached to the keyboard through
the USB port 102 so that the source 96 is powered through said USB
port. If desired, a switch (not shown) may be incorporated into the
arm 90 to selectively turn the source 96 on or off. Before, or
after the arm is installed, it is shaped so that the source 96 is
directed at the keyboard. Once the arm is in position, UV light
from the source lights the legend on the keys of the keyboard
thereby rendering the same visible. As a result the keyboard is
very easy to use in the dark, or under low light conditions.
Moreover, the arm 90 works equally well with any other type of
device that has a USB, a parallel port, a serial port, a game port
or other port that can be used or modified to act as a power
source.
[0098] FIG. 5P shows another embodiment of the invention. In this
Figure, an electronic device 110 is shown. This device could be a
laptop, a PDA, a cellphone, a hand-held computer or any other
similar device. The device has two articulated portions, a top
portion 112 and a bottom portion 114, said two portions being
hingedly connected. If the device 110 is a laptop computer, the top
portion generally includes a screen (not shown) while the bottom
portion includes a keyboard 116 with a legend 118 associated with
each key. For other types of devices, the top portion 112 could be
a cover and the bottom portion could include a screen. The top
portion includes, preferably along one edge, a light source 120,
which is, preferably, a UV source. As in the previous embodiment,
the legends are printed using a UV-responsive material. The device
110 may also include a switch (not shown) for selective activation
of the source. As can be seen in FIG. 5P, the source is positioned,
so that when the two portions are separated to form an angle of
about 30-135 degrees, the UV source on the first portion
illuminates the keyboard or any other legends on the second portion
thereby rendering the legends visible in the dark, or low light
conditions. In some instances, it may be helpful to mount the
source 120 on portion 112 on a pivoting member, so that the source
could be directed manually at the legends. Moreover, the UV source
could be made adjustable so that it generates broad beam covering
the whole keyboard or area of interest, or only a narrow beam
covering only a portion of the keyboard.
[0099] For the embodiments of FIGS. 5N, 5O and 5P the UV source
could be a single UV emitter as described in more detail.
Alternatively, the UV source could include two separate UV emitter
disposed side by side, as shown in Fig, 5R. In this Figure, emitter
120A is a red-phosphor tipped emitter and UV emitter 120B is an
emitter radiating in the invisible spectrum. The two emitters can
be activated individually. The emitter 120A renders only certain of
the keys visible, for example, the keys that are colored red. This
type of operation is advantageous because it is very easy on the
eye and allows a user to look quickly at the keyboard and at the
screen. Emitters of other colors may be used as well, such as,
green or yellow. The UV emitter 120B can be used in a passive mode,
for instance when the user watches a DVD movie.
[0100] E. Dielectric Coatings
[0101] FIG. 6 shows another improvement to my invention. In this
Figure, a watch or other gauge 50 is shown with a dial 52 and a
crystal or other transparent or translucent cover 54. Associated or
coupled to the cover is a light source 56, which is preferably an
emitter that emits light in the visible spectrum, or an ultraviolet
emitter. The emitter 56 is directed toward the dial 52 as described
in my Pat. Nos. 6,106,127 and 6,299,321. However, in addition, a
coating or layer 58 is applied to the crystal to form a
predetermined image, for example of a logo. Preferably the coating
or layer 58 is made of a dielectric material that acts as an
insulator. This material is used to form a transparent or
translucent design (such as a logo) on the crystal. Dielectric
materials that are particularly useful for this purpose are
available from 3M. These kinds of materials are particularly useful
because they have very unusual optical characteristics. One such
characteristic is that they reflect light of one color while
transmitting a different color to the dial. The combination of
these characteristics can be used to obtain esthetic designs on the
watch or other articles being illuminated. Preferably, as shown in
FIG. 6, the dielectric coating 58 is applied on the crystal with
the emitter 56 resting on the dielectric coating 58. As a result,
as seen in FIG. 6 a small amount of light from the emitter 56 is
reflected from the dial 52 in such a manner so as to illuminate the
coating thereby rendering the respective image clearly visible.
[0102] Alternatively the dielectric coating 54 could be made opaque
thereby blocking any light from being transmitted in the vicinity
of the light emitter thereby masking the light emitter 56 so that
it is completely invisible.
[0103] F. A UV Flashlight
[0104] It is known that UV light can be used to detect certain
substances, and accordingly there is a great need for a, portable,
effective and convenient light source. For example, a UV light can
be used to find and identify various human-related fluids,
including blood, urine, semen, etc. A UV source could be used to
harden some materials, e.g. fillings and materials used in
dentistry UV light could be also used in various security related
environments by providing markings and other identifying indicia
which is not visible under normal light. Such indicia may be
applied, for example, on banknotes, securities, rare, secret or
valuable documents, art works, etc.
[0105] UV light could also be used in various industrial
environments. For example, fluids in an engine could treated with a
fluorescent additive and the engine could be inspected with a UV
source for cracks or leakages at joints.
[0106] Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention pertains to
a flash light. Referring to FIG. 7A, shows a flash light 120 having
a standard body with batteries, a keychain hole 122 and a momentary
switch 124 at one end. At the other end, the there is provided a
semiconductor UV source 126, including an emitter 128, and a
conical or parabolic shield 128. The source 126 is protected by a
transparent protective lid 130. FIG. 7B shows another known type of
flashlight 120A. This flashlight has at one end 132 a twist-type
an/off switch and a UV source 126A at the other. The housing of
FIGS. 7A, 7B is made of a material (aluminum, plastic, etc.) that
is relatively rigid.
[0107] FIG. 7C shows another type of flashlight 120C. This
flashlight has a first body portion 120-B1 which is relatively
rigid and holds the batteries. A forward portion 120B2 is flexible
to allow the positioning of the source 126C into any desired
configuration.
[0108] FIG. 7D shows another type flashlight 120D. In this
embodiment, instead of plastic or glass, the flashlight is provided
with a cover 130 made of quartz. This type of cover is desirable
because quartz is transparent to and does not degrade in the
presence of UV light .
[0109] FIG. 7E shows a cross-sectional view of a flashlight
particularly useful for the medical applications, including the use
of UV for hardening materials. In this embodiment, the reflective
cone 184C has a tip that provides a means of attaching one of
several different types of cones. The replaceable cones for
generating UV beams having different geometric shapes and sizes. In
FIG. 7F, a planar lens is shown that generates a generally columnar
beam. FIG. 7G shows a truncated cone. FIG. 7H shows a cone with a
rounded tip. FIG. 7I shows a cone with a pointed tip. FIG. 7J shows
a cone with an inverted tip, e.g. a tip with a V-shaped notch. All
these cones have a base that is threaded or provided with other
means of attachment for the flashlight and can provide light beams
of different shape, intensity and distribution patent.
[0110] For all the applications described above, a UV source is
required. As discussed above, a solid state UV source is preferable
adapted to emit radiation at about 320-400 nm. A UV LED that may be
used is shown in FIG. 8A. In this Figure, the LED 150 includes a
semiconductor chip 152 connected to respective terminals 154, 156.
One terminal 154 includes, or is connected to a standard current
limiting resistor 158. The chip 152 is imbedded in blob of plastic
material 160 shaped to protect the junction and to form a light
concentrating and focusing lens in the normal fashion.
[0111] Preferably, however, instead of UV LED with a focusing lens,
a UV emitter 170 should be used. The emitter 170 does not have the
focusing lens. As illustrated in FIG. 8B, preferably the UV emitter
170 includes a semiconductor chip 172 formed on substrate 174. The
chip 172 could be a standard IC chip or a flip chip. One terminal
of the chip is bonded to the substrate 174 and then connected to a
conductor 176. The other terminal of the IC is connected by a wire
bond 178 to the substrate 174. On the substrate the wire bond 178
is connected to a terminal 180. Optionally, a resistor 182 is
attached to the terminal 178 as shown and provides current
limiting.
[0112] The emitter 170 described so far can be attached to a
carrier and used as is to provide a constant and uniform
illumination just as is. Optionally, for a more directed light
beam, a reflective cone 184 may be placed on the substrate to
surround the IC 172. FIG. 8C shows the resulting arrangement.
[0113] Finally, a protective cover can be attached to the cone,
which can be either disc-shaped, as at 186, or cone shaped, as at
188. The whole emitter 170 can then be sealed and the interior of
the cone can be partially evacuated to form a vacuum.
[0114] FIG. 8D shows an alternate embodiment of the UV emitter of
FIGS. 8A-C. In this embodiment, the emitter 170A is mounted on a
plastic holder 190. A conical (or parabolic) shield 186A is mounted
around the emitter 170A and a protective quartz lens 186A is added
as a cover. Importantly the resulting emitter assembly is sized and
shaped to fit unto the flashlight as illustrated in FIG. 7D.
[0115] The emitter 170 described so far can be attached to a
carrier and used as is to provide a constant and uniform
illumination just as is. Optionally, for a more directed light
beam, a reflective cone 184 may be placed on the substrate to
surround the IC 172. Finally, a protective cover can be attached to
the cone, which can be either disc-shaped, as at 186, or cone
shaped, as at 188. The whole emitter 170 can then be sealed and the
interior of the cone can be partially evacuated to form a
vacuum.
[0116] G. Conductor Arrangements for Emitters
[0117] In many, if not all, of the lighting arrangements discussed
above a light emitter is shown which is supported by, or in close
proximity to a flat surface. This flat surface is usually a
transparent or translucent member, such as , for example, the
crystal of a watch. In my co-pending application Ser. No.
09/659,189 filed Sep. 12, 2000, I disclose a method of providing
conductors for light emitters in the forms of thin metallic strips
deposited on the flat surface. In the following discussion other
conductor arrangements are disclosed.
[0118] FIG. 9A shows a cross-sectional view of a watch 200 with
various elements discussed above. The watch has a case 202, a dial
204, a crystal 206 and a bottom cover 208 sealing the case in the
usual manner. Mounted on the dial is a battery 14, a DC/DC
converter 12, an ASIC chip 16 with various timing circuits and
other control elements. A movement (not shown) is used to drive the
hands 210, 212. The hands are supported by a dual shaft 214 in the
usual manner.
[0119] A plurality of indicia are printed or otherwise attached or
formed on the dial 204. These indicia are used to indicate time and
other information. The indicia may also include logos. The indicia
are visible under normal lighting conditions. In addition, as
discussed above, the indicia may also include elements that render
them responsive to UV light.
[0120] The watch 200 is also provided with a light emitter 218 that
provides illumination during low light conditions. The emitter 218
may generate light in the visible range as described in my Patents
identified above, or it may generate UV light as discussed above. A
conductor arrangement 220 is provided to supply energy to the light
emitter 218 and to support the same at its desired location.
[0121] Details of the conductor arrangement 220 are shown in FIG.
9B-9F. The conductor arrangement includes a pair of generally
vertical pins 222A, 222B and a generally horizontal arm 224. The
vertical pins have a circular or square cross section. At their
bottom, each pin has a stop 226. Below this stop, the pins extend
through the dial 204 and mate with a respective female connector
228. Instead of connectors, a pins could also be mated directly
with a PC circuit board to connect the pins to power through a
switch (not shown in these drawings). The stops 226 and connectors
228 cooperate to mount the pins vertically on the dial and maintain
it in a substantially vertical orientation. The two pins may be
made of steel or other material have high tensile strength and may
be gold- or copper-plated to eliminate oxidation and to provide low
conductivity. The two pins may be connected by crossbars 230 to
enhance their structural stability.
[0122] The top of the pins 222A, 222B is terminated with a pad 232.
This pad can be made of an insulated material with a conductive
surface touching the pins. The bar 224 could be made as a solid
strip with two conductors imbedded therein, each conductor being
connected to one of the pins. Alternatively, the arm 224 may
consist of two conductors 224A, 224B made of phosphor bronze which
is very good conductor that is also very spring-like flexibility.
Thus, the arm 224 is very flexible so that the whole conductor
arrangement flexible and easy to install. The lengths of the pins
are selected to position pad 232 and arm 224 just underneath the
crystal. Since the crustal is non-conductive, the pad 232 or the
arm 224 could be touching the crystal without any effect on the
operation of the light emitter 218. The ends of the conductors
224A, 224B are attached to respective terminals on the emitter 218
as discussed in more detail below. If the arm 224 is rigid than it
may not be necessary to affix the light emitter 218 to the crystal.
Thus the crystal is support in a cantilevered manner by the arm
224. However, in order to insure that the light emitter is
positioned properly and does not move out of place over time,
especially as the watch is shaken during normal ware, the light
emitter can be attached to the crystal using an adhesive such as UV
curable adhesive 234. FIG. 9J shows the conductors 224A and 224B
being angled with respect to each other.
[0123] In FIG. 9E, the two conductors 224A and 224B are shown as
being offset laterally. FIGS. 9G, 9H and 9I show a different
conductor arrangement wherein the two conductors 224A and 224B are
offset vertically from each other.
[0124] FIG. 10A discloses another conductor arrangement 240. This
arrangement consists of a square post made of a non-conductive
material such as aluminum oxide or other ceramic material. The post
has two opposed faces 244, 246 that are coated with silver, gold or
platinum to provide to conductive paths along the post. The
conductors 234A, 234B are attached to these faces, using soldering
or other well known means. The bottom of the post 242 has a wider
portion. Two springs 250, 252 extend downwardly to the circuit
board 254. The springs 250, 252 or the post 242 pass through a slot
made in the dial 202. The springs 250, 252 rest against the circuit
board 254 to make contact with pads(not shown) connecting the
springs (and hence, the conductors 234A, 234B to other circuit
elements. Thus the springs 250, 252 provide both contact means and
a biasing means to urge the post upward toward the crystal.
Therefore, good contact is maintained between the circuit board 254
and the coils, the coils and the post.
[0125] Another conductor arrangement is shown in FIG. 11A. This
arrangement 260 includes a plate 262 which has two contact pads 264
on the bottom and two pads 266 on top. The conductors 234A and 234B
are welded or otherwise attached to the top pads 266. The
arrangement further includes two springs 268, 270, extending down
and making contact with two pads 272 on circuit board 254. When
assembled the arrangement is compressed between crystal 206 and
circuit board 254. Advantageously, the plate 262 or the conductors
234A. 234B can be secured to the crystal using a UV-activated
adhesive 274 or other similar means.
[0126] The arrangement 270 can be located in a number of different
positions within the watch. For example, the arrangement can be
positioned adjacent to the case, or a niche formed in the case.
Alternatively, a hole 276 can be formed in the case with an upper
shoulder 278. The springs 268, 270 can then introduced through the
hole 276 so that the plate 262 rests on shoulder 278. Finally, the
whole coils can be placed into a sleeve 280 and the sleeve can then
be introduced into hole 276.
[0127] FIG. 12 shows yet another embodiment for a conductor
arrangement 300. This arrangement has the two conductors 234A, 234B
extending across the watch face as shown. Each conductor is
supported in a cantilevered manner by a post 302, 304. The watch is
provided with a collar 306, which performs other functions as well.
Two holes 308, 310 are formed in the collar 306. Two coils 312, 314
extend through the holes 308, 310 and contact the posts 302, 304
directly or through intermediate contact pads (not shown). The
collar is installed under the crystal and the light emitter 218 is
positioned under the crystal, and can be glued to it, as described
in earlier embodiments.
[0128] G. Lateral Illumination
[0129] FIGS. 13A and 13B show a side of a watch 300 with a dial 302
carrying indicia 304 and a light emitter 306 displaced under the
dial 302. A light guide 308 carries the light from light emitter
306. Adjacent to the lateral wall of the watch there are provided
several mirrors, including mirror 310, 312 and 314. Mirror 310
receives the light from the emitter 306 and directs it upward to
mirror 312 and/or 314. Mirrors 312 and 314 are arranged and
oriented to redirect light toward the dial 302 thereby lighting the
indicia 304. As can be seen in FIG. 13B, several mirrors can be
placed circumferentially about the watch face, each mirror
directing the light at a portion of the dial. For example, a mirror
can be placed at every quadrant, e.g. 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9
o'clock, 12 o'clock, etc. A single light emitter may be provided
for all of the mirrors, or alternatively, more than one light
emitter may be provided.
[0130] H. Indirect Illumination
[0131] FIGS. 14A and 14B shows a configuration somewhat similar to
the ones in FIGS. 13A and 13B, in that the watch 400 has a dial 402
with indicia 404 and a light emitter 406 disposed under the dial
402. In this configuration the dial is translucent and the light
emitter is directed upward. As a result, when the light emitter is
activated, it illuminates the translucent dial which then becomes
luminous and renders the indicia 404 visible. A single light
emitter may suffice, or several light emitters may be used as
indicated in FIG. 14B.
[0132] I. Reflector Cones for the Electromagnetic Device
[0133] All the embodiments described above incorporate a light
emitter which is preferably a lensless to provide a very broad
light beam. It was found that in some instances a reflector cone
may be used to shape the beam. FIGS. 16A-B shows a light emitter
502 which consists of a semiconductor junction 504 and a reflector
506. The semiconductor junction generates light along the axes
indicated by the arrows. Current to the semiconductor junction is
provided by conductors 508 and 510. In this embodiment, the
conductor 508 is shown passing through the sleeve 512 of an
instrument having a needle 514. The conductor passes through the
sleeve 512 as well, or is welded to the sleeve and the sleeve
serves as the current return.
[0134] Some of the light is directed along some of the horizontal
axes, such as axis X. This portion of the light is wasted. In order
to render the light emitter more efficient, the reflector is
arranged and constructed to intercept the waste light and redirect
downward toward dial 516.
[0135] FIG. 16C shows another embodiment of the invention in which
the light emitter 502A includes a semiconductor junction 504A that
is inverted. In this configuration, even more light would be lost
without a reflector, as shown. In this case the reflector 506 is
positioned slightly higher to intercept more of the light. It
should be understood that structures similar to the one shown in
FIG. 16C could be used to illuminate not only gauges or instruments
but watches as well. Morever, an emitter similar to 502A can be
extended through any dial or backache through any hole, not just
through a shaft. Moreover the shield 506 may be omitted, if
desired.
[0136] FIG. 15 shows the light emitter 502 supported in a
cantilevered fashion by conductors 234A and 234B.
[0137] Obviously numerous modifications may be made to this
invention without departing from its scope as defined in the
appended claims.
* * * * *