Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LAMP CLAMP
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to clamps and more particularly to an
improved clamp for holding and fastening a lamp or a flashlight so as to
facilitate work.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional flashlight 1 is shown in FIG. 1 and comprises a case 10, a
rotating joint 11 pivotably provided at a front end of the case 10, the
rotating
joint 11 being adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the case 10, two
opposite conductive arms 12 and 13 provided on a head assembly, a bulb
carrier assembly 14 pivotably provided in the head assembly between the arms
12 and 13, the bulb carrier assembly 14 being adapted to rotate about a
longitudinal axis thereof between the arms 12 and 13, and at least one battery
(two are shown) 15 provided in the case 10 for supplying power to a bulb 141
of
the bulb carrier compartment 14 for emitting light. The emitted light is
adapted to
change its projecting direction by rotating both the rotating joint 11 and the
bulb
carrier compartment 14.
2o Also, an onloff switch 16 is provided on an outer surface of the case 10.
The switch 16 has one end extended into an inner surface of the case 10.
Moreover, a circuit 17 is formed in the flashlight 1 and is extended from a
positive terminal of a lower battery 15 to one end of the switch 16 along the
inner surface of the case 10. From the switch 16; the circuit 17 further
extends
to the arm 12, the bulb 141 of the bulb carrier compartment 14, the other arm
13,
and a negative terminal of an upper battery 15. The switch 16 is operative to
enable or disable the circuit 17. In the enabled state of the circuit 17,
electric
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power of the batteries 15 is supplied to the bulb 141 of the bulb carrier
compartment 14 for emitting light directed to an object.
For example, a worker has to hold the case 10 and direct light emitted from
the bulb 141 of the bulb carrier compartment 14 with one hand and use the
other hand to repair a malfunctioned device on a machine table being
illuminated by the flashlight. This is inconvenient.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a clamp for holding and fastening a lamp or
flashlight so as to facilitate repairing of a rnalfunctioned device on a
machine
table being illuminated by the lamp or flashlight because both hands of a
worker
are free.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
After considerable research and experimentation, a clamp for holding and
fastening a lamp or a flashlight according to the present invention has been
devised so as to overcome the above drawback of the prior art (i.e., only one
hand is avaiiabfe to repair a malfunctioned device on a machine table and such
is insufficient and inconvenient).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for holding and
fastening a light-emitting member, comprising a fastening assembly including a
first space for receiving and damping an object; and a secureness assembly
provided on the fastening assembly, the secureness assembly including a
second space for receiving and fastening a portion of the light-emitting
member.
By utilizing the present invention, for example repairing of a malfunctioned
device on a machine table being illuminated by the light-emitting member can
be facilitated because both hands of a worker are free. Moreover, both the
light-emitting member and the device can be easily carried after detaching the
light-emitting member from the secureness assembly and disengaging the
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fastening assembly from the object.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional flashlight;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of clamp
according to the invention, where the clamp is about to fasten a flashlight
to thereon;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a second preferred embodiment
of clamp according to the invention; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of clamp
according to the invention, where the clamp is about to fasten a lamp thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a lamp clamp constructed in accordance
with a first preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a fastening
assembly 3 including a first space 31 for clamping an object (e.g., a desk,
the
sidewail of a barbeque, a book shelf, or the table of a tool machine). As
such,
the object is clamped and fastened by the fastening assembly 3. A secureness
assembly 4 is provided on a tap of the fastening assembly 3. The secureness
assembly 4 comprises a second space 41 for accommodating a lower portion of
a light-emitting member (e:g., filashfight as shown) 2. Further, the light-
emitting
member 2 can be fastened in the second space 41 of the secureness assembly
4 as detailed later. Once the object is fastened by the fastening assembly 3
and
the light-emitting member 2 is fastened by the secureness assembly 4, both
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hands of a worker are free to do things with the help of the enabled
light-emitting member 2.
Referring to FIG. 2 again, in the first preferred embodiment of the invention
the fastening assembly 3 comprises an upper plate 51, a lower plate 52, and a
side plate 53 interconnected the upper and the lower plates 51 and 52. The
first
space 31 is thus defined by the plates 51, 52, and 53. The secureness
assembly 4 is provided on a top of the upper plate 51 opposite the first space
31. A wing screw 54 is driven upward through the lower plate 52 into the
fastening assembly 3 from below: The wing screw 54 is adapted to extend into
to or withdraw from the first space 31 by a clockwise or counterclockwise
rotation
respectively. As such, a tip of the wing screw 54 can move toward the upper
plate 51 or the lower plate 52. 1n a case of the wing screw 54 rotated to move
the tip thereof toward the upper plate 51, the object in the first space 31 is
biased by the tip of the wing screw 54 so as to clamp the object by the
cooperating upper plate 51 and the wing screw 54. In such a manner, the object
is clamped by the fastening assembly 3 and the light-emitting member 2 is
fastened by the secureness assembly 4 above the object.
Referring to FIG. 2 again, in the embodiment a moveable plate 55 is formed
in the first space 31 and is disposed on a top of the tip of the wing screw
54. A
2o first pad (e.g., silica-gel spacer or soft rubber) 56 is provided on a
bottom of the
upper plate 51 opposite the Lower plate 52. A second pad 57 is provided on a
top of the moveable plate 55 and is above the lower plate 52. The facing
surfaces of the pads 56 and 57 are implemented as flat, corrugated, or toothed
ones. As such, the moveable plate 55 is adapted to move toward the upper
plate 51 or the lower plate 52 in response to turning the wing screw 54 in
either
direction. In a case of the moveable plate 55 moved toward the upper plate 51,
the object in the first space 31 is clamped by the first pad 56 under the
upper
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plate 51 and the second pad 57 on the moveable plate 55. As a result, the
object is fastened in the fastening assembly 3.
Referring to FIG. 4, a third preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.
The characteristics of the third preferred embodiment are detailed below. The
fastening assembly 3 comprises an upper curved plate 61 and a lower curved
plate 62. An opening 63 is formed by opposing jaws at one ends of the upper
curved plate 61 and the lower curved plate 62. An intermediate member 64 is
formed at either side of the upper curved plate 61. An intermediate mated
member 65 is formed at either side of the lower curved plate 62. A hinge shaft
66 is provided between the upper curved plate 61 and the lower curved plate 62
and is across the intermediate members 64 (or the mated intermediate
members 65) such that the upper curved plate 61 and the lower curved plate 62
can be pivotably coupled together. A first space 31 is formed between the
hinge
shaft 66 and the opening 63 and is defined by the upper curved plate 61 and
the lower curved plate 62. A secureness assembly 4 is formed on an outer
surface of the upper curved plate 61 opposite the lower curved plate 62 and
spaced from the first space 31.
A coil spring 67 is provided around the hinge shaft 66. The coil spring 67 is
adapted to open or close the opening 63 by either pressing the other ends
(i.e.,
opposing the opening 63) of the upper curved plate 61 and the lower curved
plate 62 toward each other or not. Once the opening 63 is open, an object can
be placed in the first space 31. Next, a releasing of the pressing will close
the
opening 63 due to the compression of the stored elastic force of the coil
spring
67. As a result, the object is clamped at the opening 63.
Referring to FIG. 2 again, in the embodiment the secureness assembly 4 is
implemented as a cylindrical socket 7 formed on a top of the fastening
assembly 3. A top of the socket 7 is open to communicate the second space 41
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in the socket 7 with the external. A second wing screw 71 is further provided
and is laterally driven through the socket 7: The second wing screw 71 is
adapted to extend into or withdraw from the second space 41 by a clockwise or
counterclockwise rotation respectively. As such, a tip of the second wing
screw
71 in the second space 41 can continuously move toward a lower portion of the
light-emitting member 2 in the second space 41 until the light-emitting member
2 is clamped by the second wing screw 71 and the inner surface of the socket
7.
Moreover, a moveable pad (e.g., silica-gel spacer, soft rubber, or hard
rubber) 72 is provided on the inner surface of the socket 7. In response to
turning the second wing screw 71, the pad 72 together with the tip of the
second
wing screw 71 move from the inner surface of the socket 7 toward a center of
the second space 41. As such, the pad 72 can continuously move toward the
lower portion of the light-emitting member 2 in the second space 41 until the
light-emitting member 2 is clamped by the pad 72 and the inner surface of the
socket 7. As a result, the light-emitting member 2 is clamped by the
secureness
assembly 4.
Referring to FIG. 3, a second preferred embodiment of the- invention is
shown. The second preferred embodiment substantially has same structure as
the first preferred embodiment. The differences between the first and the
second preferred embodiments; i.e., the characteristics of the second
preferred
embodiment are detailed below. The secureness assembly 4 comprises a
cylindrical receptacle 8 formed on a top of the fastening assembly 3, the
receptacle 8 including a plurality of spaced; peripheral latches 82 extended
upward to define a second space 41 therein, and a ring member 81 put on the
latches 82, the ring member 81 including a plurality of spaced, curved
projections 83 around its inner surface. In response to inserting the lower
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portion of the Light-emitting member (e.g., damp as shown in FIG. 4) 2 into
the
second space 41, turn the ring member 81 to be away from the fastening
assembly 3 until the latches 82 are tightly urged by the projections 83. In
this
position, radial displacements of the latches 82 (i.e., toward the light-
emitting
member 2) can clamp the light-emitting member 2 therein. As a result, the
light-emitting member 2 is fastened on the fastening assembly 3.
Moreover, external threads 84 are formed around a lower portion of the
receptacle 8 adjacent the fastening assembly 3. Correspondingly, internal
threads 85 are formed around the inner surface of the ring member 81. As such,
the internal threads 85 can be threadedly secured to the external threads 84
when the ring member 81 is put on the receptacle 8 and is turned downward
with respect thereto. As a result, the ring member 81 is secured to the
receptacle 8. Moreover, at this position (i.e., the ring member 81 has been
positioned after turning), the ring member 81 contracts inward to secure the
light-emitting member 2 to the secureness assembly 4.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of
specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made
thereto by those skilled in he art without departing from the scope and spirit
of
the invention set forth in the claims.
