Adjustable clamp-on lamp with ball-head

• US 7,040,783 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2004
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Showertek Inc.
• Original Assignee: Showertek Inc.
• Inventors: Christianson, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Han, Jason
• Application Number:
  US10/823,165
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 362 98- 99, 362/186, 362190-191, 362/227, 362/232, 362234-235, 362249-251, 362/253, 362/269, 362/285, 362/296, 362/341, 362/363, 362/396, 362/565, 362/806, 362808-809, 362/421, 362/427, 362/430
• US Class Current: 362/396
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/04 characterised by the provision of a light source housing portion adjustably fixed to the remainder of the device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0885 for portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A clip-on task lamp has a ball-shaped head that is pivotally and frictionally mounted between the cup-shaped ends of two tines of a ball-holding fork so that the ball-head can be rotated to any position. The ball-head has a front lens with two LEDs that are backed by a reflector. The ball has a flexible two-state pushbutton switch on the rear side and an internal battery. The base of the ball-holding fork comprises a single leg with a small swivel ball. The lamp has a clamp part that has, at its top end, two arms with two respective cup ends that hold the small swivel ball by friction fit. The base end of the clamp part comprises two legs, a shorter one of which is springably pivoted on an ear of the other. The end of each leg has a swivel pad and the shorter leg has a projection for facilitating spreading the legs so that they can be sandwiched around a member and clamped to it.

Claims

1. A lamp, comprising:

a spherical body having a front side containing a light portion and a rear side containing a pushbutton switch portion,

the outside of said spherical body comprising a substantially entirely spherical surface,

said light portion having a partially spherical surface that forms a continuous part of said spherical surface of said spherical body,

said pushbutton switch portion also having a partially spherical surface that forms another continuous part of said spherical surface of said spherical body,

whereby said lamp, when held by a clamp, can be oriented in any position,

and further including a clamp having a pair of opposite ends with a fork at one end and a clip at the opposite end,

said fork comprising a pair of arms shaped to hold said spherical body by friction fit so as to enable sad spherical body to rotate in said arms and be held in any position by friction fit.

2. The lamp of claim 1 wherein said clip has a pair of legs that are springably urged together so that said clip can be used to attach said lamp to a support.

3. The lamp of claim 1 wherein said arms of said fork are joined at a base that comprises a pivot ball and said clip comprises a pair of legs that are joined at an apex that comprises a socket that mates frictionally with said pivot ball.

4. A lamp, comprising:

a spherical body having a front side containing a light portion and a rear side containing a pushbutton switch portion,

the outside of said spherical body comprising a substantially entirely spherical surface,

said light portion having a partially spherical surface that forms a continuous part of said spherical surface of said spherical body,

said pushbutton switch portion also having a partially spherical surface that forms another continuous part of said spherical surface of said spherical body,

whereby said lamp, when held by a clamp, can be oriented in any position,

and further including a clamp having a pair of opposite ends with a fork at one end and a clip at the opposite end,

said fork comprising a pair of arms shaped to hold said spherical body by friction fit so as to enable said spherical body to rotate in said arms and be held in any position by friction fit,

said clip having a pair of legs that are springably urged together so that said clip can be used to attach said lamp to a support,

said fork arms being joined at a base that comprises a pivot ball and said clip legs being joined at an apex that comprises a socket that mates frictionally with said pivot ball.

5. The lamp of claim 4 wherein one of said legs of said pair of legs of said clip is substantially straight and has a projecting pivot mount, the other of said legs of said pair being pivotably and springably pivoted on said projecting pivot mount.

6. The lamp of claim 5 wherein each of said legs of said pair of legs has a free distal end which has a clamping pad mounted thereon.

7. The lamp of claim 6 wherein each of said clamping pads is pivotably mounted.

8. A lamp, comprising:

a spherical body, the outside of said body comprising a substantially complete spherical surface, said spherical body having a front side containing a light that forms a first portion of said spherical surface and a rear side containing a pushbutton switch that forms a second portion of said spherical surface,

said first portion of said partially spherical surface having a partially spherical shape that forms a continuous part of said spherical surface of said spherical body,

said second portion of said partially spherical surface having a partially spherical shape that forms another continuous part of said spherical surface of said spherical body, and

a clamp having a pair of opposite ends with a fork at one end and a clip at the opposite end,

said fork comprising a pair of arms with a concave portion on each arm shaped to hold said spherical body by friction fit so as to enable said spherical body to rotate in said arms and be held in any position by friction fit.

9. The lamp of claim 8 wherein said light comprises a transparent window and at least one light-emitting element inside said window.

10. The lamp of claim 8 wherein said pushbutton switch comprises a flexible covering membrane and a switch mechanism inside said membrane.

11. The lamp of claim 8 wherein said clip has a pair of legs that are springably urged together so that said clip can be used to attach said lamp to a support.

12. The lamp of claim 8 wherein said pair of arms of said fork are joined at a base that comprises a pivot ball and said clip has a pair of legs that are joined at an apex that comprises a socket that mates frictionally with said pivot ball.

13. The lamp of claim 12 wherein each of said legs of said pair of legs of said clip has a free distal end opposite said apex, said distal end of each leg having a clamping pad thereat.