Time-variable illuminating device

Claim 1

A device comprising: an opaque base having a plurality of light sources; a translucent block secured to the base for illumination by said light sources, said block being partitioned into zones differentiated by different optical characteristics; and a control circuit disposed in said base for activating and deactivating said light sources in a preselected sequence; said control circuit comprising only: a pulse generator for generating clock pulses; a single ring counter operatively connected to said pulse generator, and having a plurality of outputs, each output being provided to generate output pulses sequentially in response to said clock pulses; and a plurality of integrators each being coupled to one of the light sources, each said integrator being connected directly to at least one ring counter output for generating a shaped pulse in response to a respective output pulse for activating said one of said light sources wherein the control circuit further comprises a buffer interposed between an integrator and a corresponding light source and wherein the integrator comprises an operational amplifier with an amplified output and the buffer comprises a transistor with a base connected to the amplifier output and a collector in series with said light source.

Claim 2

A device comprising: an opaque base having a plurality of light sources; a translucent block secured to the base for illumination by said light sources, said block being partitioned into zones differentiated by different optical characteristics; and a control circuit disposed in said base for activating and deactivating said light sources in a preselected sequence; said control circuit comprising only: a pulse generator for generating clock pulses; a single ring counter operatively connected to said pulse generator, and having a plurality of outputs, each output being provided to generate output pulses sequentially in response to said clock pulses; and a plurality of integrators each being coupled to one of the light sources, each said integrator being connected directly to at least one ring counter output for generating a shaped pulse in response to a respective output pulse for activating said one of said light sources wherein the control circuit further comprises a buffer interposed between an integrator and a corresponding light source and wherein the integrator comprises an operational amplifier with an amplified output and the buffer comprises a transistor with a base connected to the amplifier output and a collector in series with said light source.