Light assembly adapted to an umbrella shank

• US 7,401,936 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Heshan LIDE Electronic Enterprise Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Heshan LIDE Electronic Enterprise Company Limited
• Inventors: Fan, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Laura
• Application Number:
  US11/840,480
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 362/102, 362/119, 362/120, 362/253, 362/196, 362/190, 362/191, 362/109
• US Class Current: 362/102
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/04 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/088 Clips; Clamps
• 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]

Abstract

A light assembly includes a circular base light emitting diodes mounted on the circuit board and electrically connected to a controlling chip, a circular rim mounted on a peripheral edge of the circular base, a transparent cover provided to securely engage with the circular rim to enclose the light emitting diodes and a clamping mechanism securely mounted on two opposed sides of the U shaped passage and having two rubber cushions oppositely movable relative to each other so that when an umbrella shank is extended into the U shaped passage and located between the two rubber cushions, the umbrella shank is securely sandwiched and the light emitting diodes are able to provide illumination.

Claims

1. A light assembly comprising:

a circular base having a circuit board mounted thereon, a battery on top of the circular base, a power switch on a side face of the circular base and electrically connected to the battery and the circuit board, a power socket electrically connected to the battery to provide electricity to the battery, light emitting diodes mounted on the circuit board and electrically connected to a controlling chip so that the controlling chip is able to control illumination of the light emitting diodes, a battery seat on top of the circular base to securely receive therein the battery and a U shaped passage defined through a side face of the circular base, wherein the U shaped passage communicates with ambient air;

a circular rim mounted on a peripheral edge of the circular base;

a transparent cover provided to securely engage with the circular rim to enclose the light emitting diodes; and

a clamping mechanism securely mounted on two opposed sides of the U shaped passage and having two rubber cushions oppositely movable relative to each other so that when an umbrella shank is extended into the U shaped passage and located between the two rubber cushions, the umbrella shank is securely sandwiched and the light emitting diodes are able to provide illumination.

2. The light assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping mechanism further comprises a sliding block movable to the circular base, an engagement block received in the sliding block and having a finger extending out of the sliding block and a pivoting block securely engaged with the sliding block and having an elongated slot defined in a side face thereof to receive therein the finger and the rubber cushion securely attached to a side face thereof oppositely relative to that of the elongated slot such that the movement of each of the sliding blocks on opposite sides of the U shaped passage drives a corresponding one of the two pivoting blocks to move and the rubber cushions are moved to securely clamp the umbrella shank.

3. The light assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sliding block is composed of two halves each having a circular column extending upward, a baffle formed on a side face of each half and an indent defined in a free side of the baffle such that the finger of the engagement block is able to extend out of a hole of the sliding block after the two halves of the sliding block are combined.

4. The light assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pivoting block has a passage defined in the side face where the elongated slot is defined, the sliding block is composed of two halves each having a circular column extending upward, a baffle formed on a side face of each half and an indent defined in a free side of the baffle such that the finger of the engagement block is able to extend out of a hole of the sliding block after the two halves of the sliding block are combined and the circular column of each of the two halves of the sliding block is able to extend into the passage to secure engagement between the pivoting block and the sliding block.

5. The light assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the circular base has a spring seat and a spring received in the spring seat, one end of the spring is abutted a side face of the spring seat and the other end of the spring is engaged with a side of the engagement block so that movement of the pivoting block drives the engagement block as well as the spring to move.

6. The light assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the circular base has a spring seat and a spring received in the spring seat, one end of the spring is abutted a side face of the spring seat and the other end of the spring is engaged with a side of the engagement block so that movement of the pivoting block drives the engagement block as well as the spring to move.

7. The light assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the circular base has a spring seat and a spring received in the spring seat, one end of the spring is abutted a side face of the spring seat and the other end of the spring is engaged with a side of the engagement block so that movement of the pivoting block drives the engagement block as well as the spring to move.

8. The light assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a cap detachably connected to the circular base to close the U shaped passage so as to prevent the umbrella shank from disengagement with the two rubber cushions.

9. The light assembly as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a cap detachably connected to the circular base to close the U shaped passage so as to prevent the umbrella shank from disengagement with the two rubber cushions.

10. The light assembly as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a cap detachably connected to the circular base to close the U shaped passage so as to prevent the umbrella shank from disengagement with the two rubber cushions.

11. The light assembly as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a cap detachably connected to the circular base to close the U shaped passage so as to prevent the umbrella shank from disengagement with the two rubber cushions, wherein the cap has two ribs formed on two opposed sides thereof and two ears extending from two end sides thereof, the U shaped passage has slits defined in two opposite sides thereof to receive therein the ribs of the cap and two cutouts to receive therein the two ears.

12. The light assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping mechanism further has a U shaped spring with two ends respectively received in two cutouts defined in two opposed sides of the U shaped passage and the two rubber cushions are securely and oppositely engaged with the U shaped spring such that when an umbrella shank is extended into the U shaped passage and located between the two rubber cushions, the umbrella shank is securely sandwiched and the light emitting diodes are able to provide illumination.

13. The light assembly as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a cap detachably connected to the circular base to close the U shaped passage so as to prevent the umbrella shank from disengagement with the two rubber cushions.

14. The light assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cap has two ribs formed on two opposed sides thereof and two ears extending from two end sides thereof, the U shaped passage has slits defined in two opposite sides thereof to receive therein the ribs of the cap and two cutouts to receive therein the two ears.