Light providing apparatus attachable to umbrella and stand assembly

• US 20050117326A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oliver Joen-An Ma
• Original Assignee: Oliver Joen-An Ma
• Inventors: Ma, Oliver Joen-An
• Granted Patent: US 7,134,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/102
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2200/1027 with means for generating solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/04 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/088 Clips; Clamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/116 Fixing lighting devices to arms or standards F21V21/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/91 Illuminated cane or umbrella

Abstract

A light provider for an umbrella and stand assembly, comprising a body releasably attachable to the assembly, a source or sources of electric light carried by the body, to direct light away from the body, and incident light responsive means on the body to provide electrical energization for the light source, the means configured to receive incident light from a direction or directions spaced away from light directed from the source or sources.

Claims

1. A light provider for an umbrella pole comprising in combination:

a) a body releasably attachable to the umbrella pole.

b) a source or sources of electric light carried by the body, to direct said light away from the body,

c) and incident light responsive means on the body to provide electrical energization for said light source, said means configured to receive incident light from a direction or directions spaced away from light directed from said source or sources.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body includes multiple sections that become interconnected when said body is attached to the umbrella.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein at least two of said sections have hinged interconnection, whereby said sections are clampingly connectable to the umbrella pole.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body has upper and lower sides, said means is located to face away from one of said sides, and said source of electric light is located to face away from the other of said sides.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means comprise a solar cell or cells, and said light source or sources comprise an LED or LEDs.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein said one side is generally convex in one direction away from the body, and said other side is generally convex in an opposite direction away from the body.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body defines a through opening to receive the umbrella pole.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said opening has at least two selectable sizes to receive poles of different diameters.

9. The combination of claim 7 wherein said means comprise solar cells spaced about said through opening, and said light sources comprise LEDs spaced abut said central opening, in light concentrating clusters, each cluster received in a light reflecting receptacle.

10. The combination of claim 1 including a control to control the intensity and/or color of light emission from said source or sources

11. The combination of claim 5 including a control or controls to control the intensity and/or color of light emission from said LED or LEDs.

12. The combination of claim 7 including a pole gripper or grippers at said opening and carried by the body.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein the body includes two sections respectively carrying said grippers, there being a spring or springs urging at least one gripper relatively toward another gripper.

14. The combination of claim 3 including latch elements carried by said body sections to latch together when the sections are closed about an umbrella pole.

15. The combination of claim 14 including a latch release on at least one of the sections and movable to unlatch said latch elements, there being a guide means to guide the sections when closed about the pole.

16. (canceled)

17. A light provider for an umbrella pole comprising in combination:

a) a body attachable to the pole,

b) a source or sources of electric light carried by the body, to direct said light away from the body,

c) and means on or in the body for providing energy to said light source,

d) and wherein a through opening is carried by the body to receive the assembly stand.

53. The light provider of claim 17, wherein the means for providing energy comprises at least one solar panel.

54. The light provider of claim 53, wherein the means for providing energy comprises a battery configured to be recharged by said at least one solar panel.

55. The light provider of claim 17, wherein the means for providing energy comprises a battery.

56. The light provider of claim 55, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery and further comprising a corded charging unit.

57. The light provider of claim 17, wherein said opening is adjustable to receive stands of different sizes.

58. The light provider of claim 17 including at least one stand gripper carried by the body at said opening.

59. The light provider of claim 58, wherein the body includes two sections carrying said grippers, there being at least one spring urging at least one gripper relatively toward another gripper.

60. The light provider of claim 58, including means for adjusting said at least one gripper.

18-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A lighting device suitable for fastening to a pole-like object, comprising:

a) a base part,

b) and a light mean source;

c) wherein, the base part comprises a first base part and a second base part, said first and second base parts being divided so that each has an inner sidewall surface facing that of the other, said sidewall surfaces forming a through hole to substantially encircle a pole-like object when said two base parts are connected.

35. The lighting device of claim 24, further comprising a clamp to couple said lighting device to said pole-like object.

36. The lighting device of claim 35, wherein the clamp further comprises:

a first member extending from a recess in the inner sidewall surface of the first base part, the first member comprising a first engagement surface; and

a second engagement surface generally opposing said first engagement surface;

the clamp configured to urge the first and second engagement surfaces into frictional engagement with the pole-like object.

37. The lighting device of claim 36, further comprising a second member comprising said second engagement surface, the second member extending from a recess in the inner sidewall surface of the second base part

38. The lighting device of claim 36, wherein the clamp further comprises a resilient member coupled with the first base part and with the first member to urge the first member into engagement with the pole-like object.

39. The lighting device of claim 36, wherein the first engagement surface comprises a serrated edge to enhance friction between the first engagement surface and the pole-like object.

40. The lighting device of claim 24, further comprising a hinge adjacent a first end of each of said first base part and said second base part, said hinge coupling said first ends of said first and second base parts together.

41. The lighting device of claim 40, further comprising a latch adjacent a second end of said first and second base parts, said latch configured to connect said first and second base parts.

42. The lighting device of claim 35, wherein the base part includes a recess and the clamp further comprises:

a first member comprising a sliding block slidable within the recess and a first engagement surface;

a plurality of threaded pillar parts configured to drive the sliding block;

a transmission transmitting longitudinal force to the sliding block via rotation of the threaded pillar parts; and

a crank handle configured to cause the pillar parts to rotate whereby the first engagement surface is urged into engagement with the pole-like object.

44. The lighting device of claim 24, wherein the lighting device further comprises a solar power charging unit.

45. The lighting device of claim 44, wherein the solar power charging unit further comprises:

a plurality of solar panels located on the base part;

a plurality of wires; and

a solar-charging circuit,

wherein, each solar panel is electrically connected in series to the solar-charging circuit in the base part by said wires.

46. The lighting device of claim 24 wherein the base part has a generally circular, disk shape, and further comprising:

a symmetrically divided first base part and a second base part each having a semi-circularly curved inner sidewall surface facing that of the other in which a circular through hole is formed to substantially encircle a pole-like object when said two base parts are locked together; and

a clamp to lock said two base parts together.

47. The lighting device of claim 24, wherein the base part farther comprises:

a hinge; and

a latch;

wherein the first and second base parts are held together by the hinge along a corner edge of each of said first and second base parts while the other corner edges are releasably coupled together by the latch.

48. The lighting device of claim 24, wherein the light source comprises LED lamps.

49. The lighting device of claim 48, wherein the light source comprises a rechargeable battery supplying electricity to the LED lamps.

50. The lighting device of claim 24, further comprising a solar panel and a battery configured to be recharged by said solar panel, said solar panel and said battery providing energy to the light source.

51. The lighting device of claim 24, further comprising a battery coupled with the light source to provide energy to the light source.

52. The lighting device of claim 51, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery and further comprising a corded charging unit.

25-34. -34. (canceled)

43. The lighting device of 42, wherein the transmission further comprises:

a drive gear coupled with the crank handle; and

a pair of driven gears coupled with the drive gear and with the pillar parts;

wherein rotation of the crank handle induces rotation in the pillar parts to slide the sliding block