Patent Application
20200262614
The present disclosure is directed generally to bags for handling fluorescent light bulbs, and more particularly to bags held by a maintenance worker when installing multiple bulbs on a ladder.
Fluorescent bulbs are long, cylindrical bulbs having a glass casing around the fluorescent light emitting element. Due to their relatively long length and glass casing, the bulbs are rather fragile and subject to breaking or cracking when coming into contact with another object, such as another bulb, or any hard object.
Most fluorescent light fixtures retain at least two, if not several more, fluorescent bulbs. As fluorescent bulbs and fixtures are commonly used in factories and other workplaces having very high ceilings, maintenance crews changing fluorescent bulbs generally have to do so from a ladder. In many workplaces, there may be dozens of fluorescent bulbs to change at any one time, thereby necessitating a maintenance worker having to climb up and down a ladder many times in order to carry a bulb up and carry the used bulb back down the ladder. Practical and legal safety regulations advise a person to maintain at least 3 points of contact with the ladder at all times (e.g., two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot). When changing fluorescent bulbs this becomes challenging due to having to handle the large, fragile bulbs.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a device that permits maintenance workers to maintain at least three points of contact while carrying several fluorescent bulbs up a ladder at one time while also having a means for retaining the used fluorescent bulbs before having to climb back down the ladder.
The present disclosure is directed to a fluorescent bulb bag.
According to an aspect is a florescent bulb bag, comprising a body comprising first and second elongated panels extending along a first axis and composed of material having top, bottom and side edges that are connected to one another along their bottom and side edges in overlying relation to one another and defining a cavity therebetween that is accessible via through the top edges; and a plurality of elongated sleeves formed in the cavity each of which extends along respective, parallel axes and all of which are parallel to the first axis, wherein each sleeve is sized and shaped to comfortably receive one fluorescent bulb therein.
According to an embodiment, the florescent bulb bag further comprises an elongated strap having first and second ends that are attached to the ends of the top edges of the first and second panels.
According to an embodiment, the florescent bulb bag further comprises first and second D-clips removably interconnecting the strap to the top edges of the first and second panels.
According to an aspect is a method for using a florescent bulb bag having a plurality of sleeves formed within the bag and a carrying strap, comprising the steps of placing new fluorescent bulbs into each of the plurality of pockets; placing the carrying strap around one's body to secure the bag for carrying; removing an old fluorescent bulb from a fixture; removing a new fluorescent bulb from one of the sleeves within the bag; placing the old fluorescent bulb in the same sleeve from which the new fluorescent bulb was removed; and installing the new fluorescent bulb in the fixture.
According to an embodiment, the method comprises the further step of attaching the bag to the ladder using at least one D-clip.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the embodiments described below.
The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present disclosure describes a fluorescent bulb bag, designated generally by reference numeral 10, which is useful for safely holding and carrying several fluorescent bulbs 12 therein. Bag 10 is elongated in shape extending along a longitudinal axis X-X.
Referring to
Bag 10 comprise front and back major surfaces 16, 18, respectively, that is joined along common, closed side edges 20, 22 and closed bottom 24 to form a bag with an open top 26 into and out of which bulbs 12 may be drawn. An elongated and adjustable strap 28 is attached at its terminal ends to the tops of side edges 20, 22; a buckle 30 or similar adjustment mechanism is provide to adjust the length of strap 28. A pair of carabineers 32, 34 or similar fasteners are tethered to strap 28 adjacent the terminal ends to provide tools for fastening the bag to a worker's belt or to a ladder, thereby more safely freeing a worker installing fluorescent bulbs to hold onto a ladder and handle the bulbs 12 with care.
While various embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.
