Patent Application
20140036518
The present invention relates to a lighting apparatus, and more particularly, to an improved desk lamp having an organizer for holding desktop items and electronic devices such as a tablet computer and smart phone.
Conventional lighting apparatuses are useful as sources of electrically-generated light, and are also popular for decorative purposes. Standard organizers for desktop items (i.e. paperclips, pens) are usually placed on a desk which often also has as a desk lamp placed thereon. Furthermore, stands for electronic devices (i.e. tablet computers and smart phones) are also often placed on a desk for ease of use. This can make the desk crowded. There is a continuing need for integrating desktop devices thereby minimizing desk space and avoiding clutter from associated wired connections.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a desk lamp having an integrated organizer and electronic device stand in order to eliminate the need for having separate organizer, stand and lamp apparatus, in order to save desk space and to reduce unnecessary clutter from conventional desktop devices. It would further be desirable to coordinate and combine electrical fittings suitable for both the lamp and various electronic devices. The present invention satisfies these and other needs.
The present invention is for desk lamp including an organizer for desktop items and stand for electronic devices. The lamp has a support or base, the support having at least a surface for receiving an organizer. The organizer has at least one or more cavities defined by a bottom surface and one or more peripheral walls and one or more interior dividing walls. The interior dividing walls of one or more adjacent cavities define one or more slots. The lamp further includes a neck having a first portion coupled to the support mount surface and a second portion remote from the first portion. A terminal housing is fixedly disposed relative to the neck second portion, a bulb socket including a seat portion is attached to the terminal housing, and a shell portion of the terminal housing is shaped to receive the base of a light bulb. The lamp in addition includes a power cord including a pair of insulated conductive cord members, electrically coupled at one end to the bulb socket and at another end to a battery compartment or to an electrical plug.
The lamp support can further include one or more power outlets disposed on the support. The one or more power outlets having a first end that is directed internally of the support and is electrically coupled to the power cord, and having a second end that is accessible at an external surface of the support.
The lamp support can further include a transformer electrically coupled to the power cord and a charging circuit electrically connected to the transformer. In addition, a socket can be disposed on the support. The socket having a first end that is directed internally of the support and is electrically coupled to the charging circuit, and having a second end that is accessible at an external surface of the support for electrical coupling to an electronic device compatible cable.
Alternatively the lamp support can also include a plug disposed on the support and the organizer, the plug having a first end that is directed internally of the support and is electrically coupled to the charging circuit, and having a second end that is accessible at an external surface of the organizer for electrical coupling to an electronic device. The plug can be retractably extended from the lamp support temporarily for attaching one or more electronic devices.
These and other aspects, features, steps and advantages can be further appreciated from the accompanying drawing Figures and description of certain illustrative embodiments.
The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example, and not by way of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what we presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention. It should be understood that any feature described in one embodiment or arrangement can be equally applied to any other embodiment or arrangement without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
By way of overview and introduction, described is a lighting apparatus having an integrated organizer and stand for electronic devices. Referring to
As an alternative to the flexible neck 14 illustrated in
Jointed connector 34e interconnects upper neck member 34c to lower neck members 34d in a manner allowing for rotational movement of upper neck members 34c in at least one plane relative to lower neck members 34d. A selected position of upper neck member 34c in relation to lower neck members 34d may be maintained by a spring 34f, which resists additional movement due to the application of gravitational force on upper neck member 34c and terminal housing. Alternatively, jointed connector 34e may be configured so that frictional forces within the jointed connector 34e resist such movement. Connectors 34a and 34b may be similarly connected. In this manner, articulable neck 34 enables the lamp assembly 18, 22 to be movably positioned during use, and to be retractably folded after use for compact storage.
It should be understood that the articulable neck 34 may alternatively be configured with a single neck member that interconnects jointed connectors 34a and 34b. The single neck member may either fixed, or assembled in telescoping sections to permit the neck 34 to be collapsed from an extended position for compact storage.
The lamp shade 22 can have a variety of conventional configurations, and adds an eye-pleasing effect to the lighting assembly. For example, the lamp shade 22 may be configured as a globe, a shade, or any other suitable surrounding for a light source 24, as is known in the art. Furthermore, lamp shade 22 and terminal housing 18 is not required to be two separate pieces and may be combined to form a single unit.
Support 12 may be readily fabricated from one or more sheet metal stampings, or alternatively, from one or more plastic components fabricated for example by injection molding. For example, support 12 may be fabricated as a transparent plastic housing. Alternatively, support 12 may be fabricated as a translucent plastic housing.
As illustrated in
The interior dividing walls 56 of adjacent cavities 52 define slots 60 and 61 that run perpendicular to the direction that the lighting apparatus 10 is facing. Slots 60 and 61 are constructed in accordance with the invention so as to have a width sufficient to accommodate one or more electronic devices 100 and can be of different dimensions including different widths and/or heights to accommodate various devices. For example, the slot 60 preferably has a width to accept a tablet computer such as an iPad® by Apple Inc. and slot 61 preferably has a width to accept a smart phone such as an iPhone® by Apple Inc. The cavities 52 can define any number of slots in any width and orientation relative to the direction of the lighting apparatus 10. The curvature of the slots 60 and 61 that are formed by the interior dividing walls 56 and bottom 54 can be shaped such that they receive the electronic device 100 in a particular location and orientation or in a manner that does not cause stress or damage to the electronic device. The slots 60, 61 are preferably formed to have open ends to allow the slot to receive from a lateral direction and contain at least in part, an electronic device 100. The electronic device is kept by the organizer, yet can extend beyond the organizer's perimeter.
Furthermore, the walls of slots 60 and 61 can be covered with one or more materials that protect the electronic device from damage. For example, the protective material can be a soft textile that will not scratch the surface of the electronic device, or a rubberized coating that protects the electronic device from a jarring impact if placed in slot 60 or 61 with excessive force.
Organizer 15 can be fabricated, for example, by injection molding using a hard plastic material, such as an ABS material, polycarbonate, an acrylic material, or similar materials. Obviously, other modern manufacturing techniques can be used to form the organizer described herein with parts and assembling components together to form the organizer. It will also be understood that the organizer 15 can be formed of two or more parts that are complementary to one another and in one embodiment, can be joined to one another (e.g., a snap-fit) to form an assembled organizer structure.
Organizer 15 can be fixedly or removably attached to support 12. For example, organizer can be joined to support by heat welding, glue or other adhesive, rivets, screws, fasteners, slot and tab joints or other suitable temporary or permanent joining means. Optionally support includes locating feature 13, such as a depression formed on the surface of the support 12 or alternatively a raised lip. A complementary locating feature can be formed on the bottom of the organizer 15 such that the organizer 15 can be aligned and matingly coupled to the support 12.
As illustrated in
Referring to
Support 12 has a mass which is sufficient to overcome any turning moments created when the light source 24 is cantilevered out beyond an edge of the support 12, thus preventing the lighting assembly 10 from tipping.
The flexible neck 14 permits users to position the light source 24 over a wide range of positions relative to the support 12. Multiple lamp assemblies supported by multiple necks 14 are also fully contemplated within the scope of the present invention. It should be pointed out that flexible neck 14 must have a resiliency which is sufficient to support a load imposed by the terminal housing 18, the light bulb socket 20 and the lamp shade 22. In particular, the flexible neck 14 may further demonstrate its resiliency by having the characteristic capability of recovering its shape after deformation. With this resiliency, a user can freely position a light source 24 relative to the support 12. More particularly, a load defined by the terminal housing 18, the light bulb socket 20, and the lamp shade 22 must be insufficient to cause the flexible neck 14 to sag or otherwise change its position from that selected by the user. It should be noted that the flexible neck 14 is of a length that is sufficient to not interfere with an electronic device 100 positioned in slots 60 and/or 61.
A power outlet 15 can also be electrically coupled to the power cord 26 in parallel to the bulb socket 20. Power outlet 15 is disposed on an exterior surface of support 12, thereby allowing other devices requiring AC power to be plugged into and powered via the power outlet 15. Any number of power outlets 15 can be disposed on any surface of the support 12 and/or the organizer 15 including the sides, front, back, top or underside of the support 12.
A transformer 40 can also be provided within the support 12. The transformer 40 is electrically coupled to the power cord 26 and is connected in parallel to the bulb socket 20. The on-off switch 30 can also be electrically coupled to the transformer 40, but in another embodiment receives electricity through cord 26 regardless of the position of the switch 30. A circuit board 64 is also provided inside the support 12. A charging circuit of the circuit board 64 is electrically interconnected to socket 50, and to the transformer 40 in order to obtain, for example, a DC voltage generated by the charging circuit. As such, rated voltage can be supplied to the transformer 40, lowered by the transformer 40, and then sent to the charging circuit of circuit board 44 for DC conversion which is supplied to socket 50.
The socket 50 is disposed on an exterior surface of support 12 and is adapted to interface with the charging cable associated with electronic device 100. For example, an iPhone® smart phone sold by Apple Inc. typically employs a cable with a custom pinout on one end which connects to the iPhone® device and a USB connection on the other end which mates with the USB port on a computer or wall charger. The cable allows charging of the iPhone's internal battery through the USB port on a computer or wall charger. Socket 50 on support 12 allows lighting apparatus 10 to be adapted for use with standard electronic device charging cables. Thus, in the example above, when socket 50 is configured to match a USB port, the cable with custom pinout for iPhone can be connected at one end to the iPhone and the other USB port is connected to socket 50. Charging of electronic device 100 can thus be provided through the media device's standard cable connection. Any number of sockets 50 can be disposed on any surface of the support 12 and/or the organizer 15 including the sides, front, back, top or underside of the support 12.
As depicted in
Referring to
Thus, while there have been shown, described, and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to several embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. It is also to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but that they are merely conceptual in nature. The invention is defined solely with regard to the claims appended hereto, and equivalents of the recitations therein.
