Patent Grant
9613794
The present invention relates, in general, to a light bulb replacing tool, and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a light bulb replacing tool that can be used to replace light bulbs in high areas without using a ladder.
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Many businesses, homeowners and others must hire a professional to change light bulbs on their ceilings. Others that do not wish to pay another person may choose to replace bulbs on their own. This may cause them to drag out bulky ladders. These ladders, quite frequently, are unsafe to use or too heavy for some to carry. In order to reach the light bulbs, one may also have to move furniture, carpeting or other objects that may be in the way.
In other places such a work areas, schools gymnasiums or halls the ceilings may be sufficiently high and may require two employees to set up and move the ladders and scaffolding when changing bulbs. Companies can save money by being able to send only one person to do the job. Having a compact and efficient way to change bulbs may help users to do so, quickly and easily.
The instant invention provides an apparatus for changing a light bulb that is out of reach for a person even with the use of a six foot ladder. The apparatus comprises a substantially hollow elongated tubular member having a predetermined shape, a predetermined size and a first predetermined length and formed of a first predetermined material. An extendable member is disposed within the substantially hollow elongated tubular member, the extendable member having a second predetermined length and formed of a second predetermined material. A locking means is engageable with the substantially hollow elongated tubular member and such extendable member for adjusting the length of the apparatus. A vacuum cup having a predetermined shape is disposed on a first end of the extendable member for attachment to such light bulb. Such vacuum cup is replaceable. A vacuum pump is disposed adjacent a bottom portion of the elongated tubular member and is in fluid communication with the vacuum cup for creating a vacuum in the cup for securing such light bulb therein. A vacuum release means is disposed on the pump for releasing the vacuum.
It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide an apparatus for changing light bulbs that are in high places.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that includes an extendable member to provide additional height.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that uses a vacuum pump to hold the bulb in place while the old bulb is removed and a new bulb inserted.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that uses a manually operable vacuum pump to hold the bulb in place during removal and installation process.
In addition to the various objects and advantages of the invention which have been described in some specific detail above it should be noted that various other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description, particularly when such description is taken in conjunction with the appended claims.
Prior to proceeding with the more detailed description of the present invention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity, identical components which have identical functions have been designated by identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawings.
Now in reference to
A locking means 20 is engageable with the first portion 2 and the second portion 4 for adjusting the length of the apparatus 10 and temporarily securing the portions 2 and 4 at a preselected linear relationship therebetween. The instant invention contemplates that the locking means 20 is of any conventional locking arrangement for fixing a pair of telescopic members. A cup shaped member 6 has a predetermined shape, a first end 30 thereof attached to a first end of the extendable portion 4 and a second end 32 defining a concave interior surface 34 shaped and sized for abutting engagement with at least a portion of an exterior surface of the light bulb (not shown). An axial aperture 36 is provided in open communication with each of an exterior surface of the first end 30 and the concave interior surface 34 of the second end 32 for engagement with a peripheral surface of such light bulb (not shown). Such vacuum cup 6 is preferably configured as a replaceable member. At least partially coiled tubular member 14 extends through a hollow interior 3 of the substantially hollow elongated portion 2 and has a first end thereof connected to the axial aperture 36.
A pump, generally designated as 8, is disposed adjacent and attached to a bottom portion of an axially opposite end of the substantially hollow elongated portion 2, such pump 8 is connected in fluid communication to an opposite second end of the coiled tubular member 14 so as to generate a vacuum condition within the cup shaped member 6, the vacuum condition sufficient to temporarily securing such light bulb (not shown) therein.
Although the vacuum condition can be removed or released by simply prying the edge of the suction cup 6 from engagement with the peripheral surface of the light bulb (not shown), the instant invention advantageously provides a user operable vacuum release means 12 being preferably disposed on the pump 8 for removing or releasing the vacuum condition.
Now in a more particular reference to
A diameter of the second bore 44 is sized smaller than a diameter of the first bore 42. Thus, a shoulder 46 is formed at a juncture of the second and first bores, 44 and 42 respectively. There is a third bore 48 that is disposed within the body 40. The third bore 48 is sized and shaped to receive an exterior surface of the second end of the first portion 2. A fourth bore 50 is disposed axially with and external to the third bore 48. The fourth bore 50 is sized to receive, in a substantially sealed manner, an exterior surface of a second end of the coiled tubular member 14. The first passageway 52 connects the fourth bore 50 directly with the second bore 44 and, thus, essentially directly with the end of the coiled tubular member 14 disposed within such fourth bore 50. It is contemplated that the size of the cross-section of the first passageway 52 may any one of smaller equal or larger than the size of the cross-section of the fourth bore 50, depending on a specific application.
A second passageway 54 has one end thereof connected in fluid communication to the first passageway 52 and has an opposite end thereof connected in fluid communication to an exterior surface of the body 40. It is contemplated that the size of the cross-section of the second passageway 54 may any one of smaller equal or larger than the size of the cross-section of the first passageway 52, depending on a specific application.
The plunger 60 is mounted for a linear reciprocal motion within the first bore 42. The plunger 60 has an open first end 62, an axially opposite closed second 64 end and a hollow interior 66.
An elongated member 70 is disposed within the hollow interior 66 of the plunger 60 and has a first end 72 thereof attached to an interior surface 68 of the closed second end 64. The length of the elongated member 70 is so dimensioned that the elongated member 70 is disposed for a reciprocal linear movement within the first and second bores, 42 and 44 respectively.
A first disk shaped member or washer 80 is mounted on the elongated member 70 for movement thereon. The first disk shaped member 80 has one surface 82 thereof disposed in abutting engagement with the shoulder 46 during operation of the pump 8. The first disk shaped member 80 further has an axial aperture 84 sized to pass the elongated member 70 therethrough.
A first resilient member 88, shown by way of one example only as a coiled compression spring, is seated around the elongated member 70 between another surface 86 of the first disk shaped member 80 and the interior surface 68 of the closed second end 64 of the plunger 60. The first resilient member 88 may be also manufactured from an elastomeric material.
A second disk shaped member or washer 90 is rigidly mounted on the elongated member 70 for movement therewith in the second bore 44.
A first seal 92 is positioned between the first and second disk shaped members, 80 and 90 respectively, and has a disk shaped body 94, an abutment 96 disposed on one surface of the disk shaped body 94 coaxially therewith, a peripheral flange 98 inclined outwardly at an angle relative to the one surface of the disk shaped body 94, and an aperture 100 formed through the a thickness of each of the disk shaped body 40 and the abutment 96 so that the first seal 92 is mounted on the elongated member 70 for movement therewith. The first seal 92 is manufactured from rubber or from any other material suitable for air sealing purposes.
The second disk shaped member 90 is provided as an assurance for securing the first seal 92 on the elongated member 70 and may be otherwise excluded from the pump 8.
In operation, a repetitive reciprocal linear movement of the plunger 60 removes air between the concave interior surface 34 of the cup shaped member 30 and the exterior surface of the light bulb (not shown) through the at least partially coiled tubular member 14 so as to generate a vacuum condition within the cup shaped member 30, the vacuum condition sufficient to temporarily secure the light bulb (not shown) within the cup shaped member 30. The first seal 92 is so configured, that it permits air flow from the fourth bore 50 to the first bore 42 when the plunder 60 moves in a first direction into the body 40 and prevents air flow through contact between the peripheral flange 98 and the inner surface of the second bore 44 when the plunger 60 moves in a second direction away from the body 40. When the plunger 60 moves in the second direction, the vacuum is generated. It has been found that two (2) to four (4) cycles of the plunger 60 is usually sufficient to generate vacuum condition.
The instant invention also contemplates an optional check valve assembly, generally designated as 110, positioned within the second bore 44 and including a second seal 112 having one surface 114 thereof positioned in abutting engagement with a bottom of the second bore 44, a flap 116 disposed axially within a thickness of the second seal 112 and a third disk shaped member 120 positioned in abutting engagement with an opposite surface 118 of the second seal 112 and having an axial aperture 122 formed through a thickness thereof and having a diameter thereof being generally equal to a diameter of the flap 116. The check valve assembly 110 is configured to permit air flow only from the fourth bore 50 to the second bore 44.
Finally, the vacuum release assembly 12 includes a pair of abutments 132, preferably elongated, disposed on one exterior surface of the body 40 in a spaced apart relationship with each other, a spring seat 134 defined on the one surface between the pair of elongated abutments 132, a plate shaped member 136 positioned between the pair of elongated abutments 132 and being pivotally connected thereto at a pivot connection 138, a second resilient member, shown by way of one example only as compression coiled spring, 140 having one end thereof seated on the spring seat 134 and having a second end thereof positioned in abutting engagement with an inner surface 142 of the plate shaped member 136, a third seal 150 disposed on the inner surface 142 of the plate shaped member 140 in air sealing alignment with the second passageway 54, wherein a pivotal movement of the plate shaped member 136 about the pivotal connection 138 exposes the second passageway 54 to atmosphere and removes the vacuum condition. The plate shaped member 136 may be extended beyond the envelope of the body 40. Alternatively, the function of the above described vacuum release assembly 12 may be provided by a manually operable valve (not shown).
Preferably, the axis of the plunger 60 is disposed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 7 of the portions 2 and 4, although other orientations of the plunger 60 are also contemplated. For example, plunger 60, with corresponding bores 42 and 44, spring 88, seal 92 and other components may be mounted perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 7 or even axially therewith by repositioning the vacuum release assembly.
In another form of the invention, when only a single elongated hollow member 2 is provided, the at least partially coiled tubular member 14 or the hollow interior 3 is replaced by a longitudinal bore 5 in operative alignment with the fourth bore 50 so that the first passageway 52 is then connected directly to the longitudinal bore 5 of the elongated hollow tubular member being in fluid communication with the interior of the suction cup 6. Furthermore, the fourth bore 50 may be illuminated in its entirety by connecting the first passageway 52 directly to the third bore 48, thus connecting the pump 8 in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the elongated hollow tubular member.
Now in reference to
The vacuum cup 6 can be made in different shapes to conform to different shaped light bulbs (not shown). As stated, the vacuum cup 6 is replaceable so the user can put on the cup 6 that corresponds to the shape of the light bulb (not shown). In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention such vacuum cup is manufactured from rubber material.
It is also presently preferred that material for forming the elongated portions 2 and 4 is selected from one of aluminum, plastic or fiberglass. It is even more preferred that such material is fiberglass.
While a presently preferred embodiment and alternate embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it should be understood that various other adaptations and/or modifications of the invention can be made by those persons who are particularly skilled in the art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/507,112 filed Jul. 22, 2009, pending, and claiming priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/084,649 filed Jul. 30, 2008.
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| Entry |
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| Vacuummounts.com; 2011 Copyright. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120222521 A1 | Sep 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61084649 | Jul 2008 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12507112 | Jul 2009 | US |
| Child | 13471523 | US |
