Disclosed non-limiting embodiments or aspects relate generally to work lights, and in one some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, to adjustable, portable, and mountable work lights for use in a variety of applications.
Different work environments, such as automobiles, construction, property management, and laboratories, have different lighting requirements. Supplying the right amount of light in these environments at the most effective angles is difficult and sometimes impossible. Often times, common portable light sources, like flashlights, are not bright enough or cannot be adjusted to illuminate awkwardly shaped spaces. Single-point flashlights may not provide enough light to focus on multiple areas of illumination, and hand-held flashlights reduce the dexterity and mobility of a user. Certain work environments, such as the interior of an automobile engine hood, may not present a viable placement surface for setting down known work lights. Moreover, one type of portable light source may be sufficient in one application but wholly insufficient in another. Therefore, there is a need for a bright, portable, and adjustable work light that can focus multiple points of light at varying intensities across various work spaces, and that is adaptable for placement in various types of work environments.
According to some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, provided is an adjustable work light that overcomes one or more of the deficiencies described above.
According to some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, provided is an adjustable work light. The adjustable work light includes a support having a length. The adjustable work light also includes a plurality of lights located along the length. The adjustable work length further includes at least one attachment mechanism connected to the support. The at least one attachment mechanism is configured to arrange the support in a desired position. The support is adjustable along the length, and the plurality of lights are individually adjustable. The support is bendable at a plurality of points along the length. The support is configured to extend and contract at a plurality of points along the length. The plurality of lights are rotatable about the support. The plurality of lights are configured to extend a distance away from the support. The brightness of the plurality of work lights is adjustable.
In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the at least one attachment mechanism may include a first attachment mechanism located at a first end of the support and a second attachment mechanism located at a second end of the support, opposite the first end. The at least one attachment mechanism may include a third attachment mechanism located between the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism. The first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism may be clamps. The third attachment mechanism may be a hook. The flexible support may be a tube having a hollow interior. The adjustable work light may include a power cord extending through the hollow interior and configured to provide power to the plurality of lights. The power cord may include a plug end configured to draw power from an outside source. The tube may include a body defining the hollow interior and a plurality of rings extending from the body equidistant along the length. The body may be configured to expand and contract between each of the plurality of rings. The plurality of lights may be received within the tube. The tube may include a plurality of portions, each portion corresponding to one of the plurality of work lights. Each of the plurality of portions may be configured to bend relative to the other plurality of portions.
According to some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, provided is an adjustable work light including a flexible support tube. The adjustable work light also includes a plurality of lights disposed along a length of the flexible support tube. The adjustable work light further includes a first attachment mechanism arranged at a first end of the flexible support tube, and a second attachment mechanism arranged at a second end of the flexible support tube, opposite the first end. The length of the flexible support tube is adjustable along a plurality of points, and the plurality of lights are individually adjustable relative to the flexible support tube and each of the other plurality of lights. The flexible support tube defines a hollow interior configured to receive a power cord therein, and the power cord is configured to provide power from an outside source to the plurality of lights. A third attachment mechanism is located between the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism. The flexible support tube includes corrugated stainless steel tubing.
In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the present disclosure may be characterized by one or more of the following numbered clauses:
Clause 1: An adjustable work light comprising: a support having a length; a plurality of lights located along the length; at least one attachment mechanism connected to the support, the at least one attachment mechanism configured to arrange the support in a desired position, wherein the support is adjustable along the length, and wherein the plurality of lights are individually adjustable.
Clause 2: The adjustable work light of clause 1, wherein the support is bendable at a plurality of points along the length.
Clause 3: The adjustable work light of clause 1 or clause 2, wherein the support is configured to extend and contract at a plurality of points along the length.
Clause 4: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-3, wherein the plurality of lights are rotatable about the support.
Clause 5: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-4, wherein the plurality of lights are configured to extend a distance away from the support.
Clause 6: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-5, wherein the brightness of the plurality of work lights is adjustable.
Clause 7: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-6, wherein the at least one attachment mechanism comprises a first attachment mechanism located at a first end of the support and a second attachment mechanism located at a second end of the support, opposite the first end.
Clause 8: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-7, wherein the at least one attachment mechanism comprises a third attachment mechanism located between the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism.
Clause 9: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-8, wherein the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism are clamps.
Clause 10: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-9, wherein the third attachment mechanism is a hook.
Clause 11: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-10, wherein the flexible support is a tube comprising a hollow interior.
Clause 12: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-11, wherein the adjustable work light further comprises a power cord extending through the hollow interior and configured to provide power to the plurality of lights.
Clause 13: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-12, wherein the power cord comprises a plug end configured to draw power from an outside source.
Clause 14: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-13, wherein the tube comprises a body defining the hollow interior and a plurality of rings extending from the body equidistant along the length, and wherein the body is configured to bend between each of the plurality of rings
Clause 15: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-14, wherein the plurality of lights are received within the tube.
Clause 16: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 1-15, wherein the tube comprises a plurality of portions, each portion corresponding to one of the plurality of work lights, and wherein each of the plurality of portions of the tube are configured to bend relative to the other plurality of portions.
Clause 17: An adjustable work light comprising: a flexible support tube; a plurality of lights disposed along a length of the flexible support tube; a first attachment mechanism arranged at a first end of the flexible support tube; and a second attachment mechanism arranged at a second end of the flexible support tube, opposite the first end, wherein the length of the flexible support tube is adjustable along a plurality of points, and wherein the plurality of lights are individually adjustable relative to the flexible support tube and each of the other plurality of lights.
Clause 18: The adjustable work light of clause 17, wherein the flexible support tube defines a hollow interior configured to receive a power cord therein, the power cord being configured to provide power from an outside source to the plurality of lights.
Clause 19: The adjustable work light of clause 17 or clause 18, further comprising a third attachment mechanism between the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism.
Clause 20: The adjustable work light of any of clauses 17-19, wherein the flexible support tube comprises corrugated stainless steel tubing.
These and other features and characteristics of the present disclosure, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structures and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the disclosure. As used in the specification and the claims, the singular form of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Additional advantages and details of the disclosure are explained in greater detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which:
For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “lateral”, “longitudinal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to non-limiting embodiments or aspects as they are oriented in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understood that non-limiting embodiments or aspects may assume various alternative variations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments or aspects. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments or aspects disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.
No aspect, component, element, structure, act, step, function, instruction, and/or the like used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with “one or more” and “at least one.” Furthermore, as used herein, the term “set” is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, a combination of related and unrelated items, etc.) and may be used interchangeably with “one or more” or “at least one.” Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based at least partially on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. The terms “first”, “second”, and the like are not intended to refer to any particular order or chronology, but refer to different conditions, properties, or elements. The term “at least” is synonymous with “greater than or equal to.”
With reference to
With continued reference to
With specific reference to
With specific reference to
The flexible support 12 may also be bent along the body 26 in between the rings 28, so that the flexible support may take different shapes such as those shown in
With specific reference to
In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, a back surface of lights 14 may be connected to flexible support 12 via glue, tape, or another adhesive. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, lights 14 may be embedded within flexible support 12 (e.g., at least partially housed within an interior of flexible support 12 and having an illuminating surface substantially in alignment with an outer surface of flexible support 12). In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, flexible support 12 may have a number of holes (not shown) provided therein, which permit a corresponding number of lights 14 to be placed and secured within holes. The holes are large enough to support at least a portion of the lights 14 therein, thereby securing the lights 14 to the holes to some degree. Lights 14 may be further connected to the holes via an adhesive and/or a may be mounted into the holes using a central rod attached to each light 14, which may extend into hollow interior 24 of flexible support 12. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, it is contemplated that lights 14 may partially extend from flexible support 12 or have a surface that is flush with support 12. It is further contemplated that flexible support 12 may include different portions that are able to twist relative to other portions of support 12. Relative flexibility permits different lights 14 to be angled and aimed in different directions.
Each light 14 may be individually focusable (e.g., configured to modify a cone, arc, or spread of light emitting from light 14) and adjustable (e.g., configured to modify an angle at which light emits from light 14). The intensity of each light 14 can be set to a desired level (e.g., by turning a knob connected to the light 14 or by a touch-sensitive sensor). The spread of the projected field of light 14 can be widened or narrowed (e.g., by turning a knob connected to the light 14 or by a touch sensitive sensor). Each light 14 may be turned on and off as desired, such as by touching each light 14 (e.g., on a touch-sensitive sensor), by adjusting a knob or buttons provided on each light 14, and/or by operating a control panel (e.g., on a remote control, on a mobile device, etc.) (not shown).
In some non-limiting embodiments, power cord 20 may supply power to lights 14. As discussed above, power cord 20 extends through hollow interior 24 of flexible support 12. As shown in
Referring now to
With specific reference to
Although the disclosure has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and non-limiting embodiments or aspects, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments or aspects, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment or aspect can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment or aspect.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/331,052, filed on Apr. 14, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US23/18456 | 4/13/2023 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63331052 | Apr 2022 | US |