Dock light

• US 5,709,458 A
• Filed: 08/14/1996
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Commercial Products LLC (American Plastics, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Donald Metz
• Inventors: Metz, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/696,605
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 362/80, 362/83.3, 362/66, 362/147, 362/198, 362/199, 362/253, 362/287, 362/294, 362/370, 362/371, 362/373, 362/418, 362/419, 362/432, 362/390, 362/369, 362/96
• US Class Current: 362/96
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/32 Flexible tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/67 characterised by the arrangement of fans
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/00 Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/411 for inspection of the interior of hollow structures, e.g. vessels, tubes

Abstract

A dock light assembly includes a base member adapted to be secured inside a warehouse adjacent a door opening at a loading dock, a hollow flexible self-supporting tube connected at one end thereof to the base member and a lamp assembly mounted at an opposite end of said tube for lighting the interior of a cargo vehicle located adjacent said door of said loading dock. A fan assembly is provided in the base member for blowing air through the base member, hollow flexible tube and the lamp assembly to cool the lamp assembly. A thermal fuse may be provided in the circuit of the lamp assembly to turn off the lamp assembly should overheating of the lamp assembly occur.

Claims

1. A loading dock and light assembly comprising door means on said loading dock for providing communication between a warehouse interior and an interior of a cargo vehicle disposed adjacent said loading dock, a dock light comprising a base member, a hollow flexible self-supporting tube connected at one end thereof to said base member and a lamp assembly connected to an opposite end of said tube, said base member having air flow means for providing a flow of air through said base member and through said tube to said lamp assembly, said base member being mounted in said warehouse adjacent said door means whereby said tube can be manipulated outwardly through said door means to locate said lamp means in a position for illuminating said interior of said cargo vehicle.

2. A loading dock and light assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said air flow means includes a housing having louver means to permit entry of air into said housing, a fan mounted in said housing and deflector means disposed between said fan and said tube for directing air from said fan into said tube.

3. A loading dock and light assembly as set forth in claim 2, further comprising circuit means for supplying electric power to said fan and said lamp assembly and including switch means for controlling a flow of current to said fan and said switch means.

4. A loading dock and light assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said circuit means includes a transformer located in said base member and a low voltage, high output halogen lamp mounted in said lamp assembly.

5. A loading dock and light assembly as set forth in claim 3, further comprising thermal fuse means in said circuit means in said lamp assembly for interrupting the flow of current to said lamp assembly upon overheating of said lamp assembly.

6. A dock light for use at a loading dock to illuminate an interior of a cargo vehicle located adjacent the loading dock, said dock light assembly comprising a base member adapted to be mounted adjacent a door of the loading dock inside a building structure, a hollow flexible self-supporting tube connected to said base member at one end of said tube and a lamp assembly connected to an opposite end of said tube, said base member having air flow means for providing a flow of cooling air through said base member and through said tube to said lamp assembly for cooling said lamp assembly, wherein circuit means are provided for supplying electric power to said air flow means and said lamp assembly and including switch means for controlling flow of current to said air flow means and said lamp assembly, said circuit means including a transformer located in said base member and a low voltage, high output halogen lamp mounted in said lamp assembly.