BANDE COMPORTANT UNE PORTION D'ILLUMINATION

BAND WITH ILLUMINATION PORTION

Abrégé anglais

A light band to be worn by a human, including a bi-stable spring substrate, a
fabric cover
for covering the substrate, the cover comprising a sleeve for receiving a
light emitting
element, the light emitting element comprising a light strip connected to a
light source for
illuminating the strip, the light source connected via a circuit to a battery
source, a light
switch and a timer, whereby engagement of the light switch causes the light
source to
turn on and illuminate the light strip and the timer causes the light source
to turn off after
a set period of time has elapsed since the engagement.

Revendications

What is claimed is:
1. A light band to be worn by a human, comprising:
a bi-stable spring substrate,
a fabric cover for covering the substrate, the cover comprising a sleeve for
receiving a
a light emitting element,
the light emitting element comprising a light strip connected to a light
source for
illuminating the strip,
the light source connected via a circuit to a battery source, a light switch
and a timer,
whereby engagement of the light switch causes the light source to turn on and
illuminate the light strip and the timer causes the light source to turn off
after a set
period of time has elapsed since the engagement.

Description

BAND WITH ILLUMINATION PORTION
TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates to the general subject of bands with an illumination
portion.
BACKGROUND
It is common for children to fall asleep with a night light illuminated in
their room. Once
the child has fallen asleep, an adult usually turns off the night light so
that it is not
illuminated all night. Manually turning off a night light is not always
convenient. Night
lights are also usually situated remote from the child.
SUMMARY
One aspect of the instant disclosure relates to a light band to be worn by a
human,
including a bi-stable spring substrate, a fabric cover for covering the
substrate, the cover
comprising a sleeve for receiving a light emitting element, the light emitting
element
comprising a light strip connected to a light source for illuminating the
strip, the light
source connected via a circuit to a battery source, a light switch and a
timer, whereby
engagement of the light switch causes the light source to turn on and
illuminate the light
strip and the timer causes the light source to turn off after a set period of
time has elapsed
since the engagement.
Another aspect of the instant disclosure relates to a light band appointed to
be worn as
an accessory that serves as a night light for the wearer and in particular
children, is
provided. The band may be worn as for example a wristband or anklet. The light
band
includes a flexible substrate having a flat state and a curled state and a
flexible light
emitting element, where in the curled state the flexible substrate conforms to
an
appendage of the end-user and causes the flexible light emitting element to
conform to
the appendage of the end-user as well. The light emitting element includes a
light strip,
an on switch, battery power source and timing circuit. In operation, the light
band is
conformed to an appendage, such as the wrist, of an end-user, such as a child.
The light
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band can be turned on by the child by pushing the on switch which also engages
the
timer. The timer counts down a preset period of time (for example 30 minutes)
and then
automatically shuts off the light emitting element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a bi-stable spring for use in aspects of the present
disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates a band according to an aspect of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 illustrates a light strip for use in aspects of the present disclosure;
and,
FIG. 4 illustrates a band according to an aspect of the present disclosure on
the wrist of
an end-user.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms,
there is shown
in the drawings, and will herein be described hereinafter in detail, some
specific
embodiments of the instant invention. It should be understood, however, that
the present
disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the
invention and is
not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments so described.
Referring the figures, there is shown a perspective view of a band indicated
generally at
2 in accordance with this invention. The band 2 may be worn as a wrist
bracelet or on
another appendage of the end-user. The band 2 includes a thin bi-stable spring
4 covered
by fa first fabric covering 6.covering a first side of the spring 4 and folded
over to form
folded edge 8. The folded edge 8 is sewn to a second fabric covering 10 which
covers a
second side of the spring 4. The third fabric covering 12 is sewn to the edge
8 and forms
a sleeve indicated generally at 13 with an open end 14 for receiving a
lighting strip 16.
The lighting strip 16 is connected at one end to a light emitting diode (LED)
light source
18, a pneumatic push-button 20, battery 22 and electrical circuit 24. The
strip 16 is sized
such that when inserted in the sleeve 13, the push-button 20 is approximately
aligned
with a light icon 25 on the covering 12. The alignment and icon 25 are
optional. In
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operation, when the push-button 20 is depressed, the circuit 24 is completed
and the light
18 is illuminated. The lighting strip 16 contains one or more optical fibers
(not shown) for
propagating light from the source 18 along the strip 16. When the strip 16 is
illuminated,
light shines through the fabric covering 12. The push-button provides a timer
function
such that the push-button 20 does not immediately return to its original
"light off" position.
In the present embodiment, the push-button 20 returns to is light off position
after
approximately 30 minutes at which time the light 18 turns off. In another
embodiment, an
electronic timer is used in place of a pneumatic push button to provide the
timer function.
In a still further embodiment, a microcontroller is used to provide the timer
function.
The band 2 can optionally be decorated with graphics, such as graphics that
appeal to
children. For example, the band 2 can be adorned with one or more actiOn
heroes 26 to
increase a child's enjoyment of using the band as a night light.
In operation, a child snaps the band 2 of the wrist indicated generally at 30
and pushes
the icon 25 to depress the push-button 20 to activate the LED light 18 to
light the strip 16.
If the band is adorned with an action hero, the child will see the action hero
illuminated.
The child can then proceed to fall asleep with the band illuminated and can
have the
comfort of having a night light in close proximity. The LED light strip then
automatically
shuts off after a set period of time has elapsed (for example 30 minutes)
after the child
has pushed the on button. This obviates the need for a parent to manually turn
off a
child's night light. Should the child wake during the night and have to, for
example use
the washroom, the child can press the on button again to illuminate the band
to help guide
him/her to the washroom.
In certain embodiments, the band may be constructed to comfortably conform to
the wrist
of the wearer, enabling it to be conveniently slipped over and worn around the
wearer's
wrist or ankle; or the band may be constructed without a bi-state spring to
conform to the
size of a wearer's wrist, enabling it to be placed on the wearer's wrist by
magnetic closure
or metal/plastic clasp, hook and loop fasteners of the type sold under the
name Velcro
and thereby worn around a wrist or an ankle of a human and in particular a
child.
Advantageously, the light band imparts illumination for the wearer to serve as
a night light
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for the wearer. The lighting is preferably LED lighting; alternatively fiber
optic lighting may
be used. There may be a single light, or multiple lights may be provided.
Having thus described the invention in rather full detail, it will be
understood that such
detail need not be strictly adhered to, but that additional changes and
modifications may
suggest themselves to one skilled in the art.
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