Patent Grant
11774087
The field of this invention relates to lighting devices such as lamps and also to a means for hiding or securing valuables, and more particularly to an apparatus that provides both functions simultaneously.
Tents, canopies, and similar portable structures are widely used at campsites, beaches, and along hiking trails for providing shelter, recreation and similar utilization. Recreational activities, such as trips to the beach, often involve setting up personal belongings in a common area and typically under a portable shelter. Often, the belongings must be tied down or otherwise secured to prevent damage or theft. Once belongings have been set up and secured, it is often desirable to leave them unattended for a period of time, as for instance, to go swimming or hiking. Clearly when valuables are left unattended they are subject to theft. To ensure safekeeping, it is desirable to store valuables in a secure manner where they cannot be stolen or damaged. Accordingly, it is desirable to produce a portable device or apparatus that provides a secure storage space for safekeeping personal items. In this instance such a device must be securely attached to physical members of physically structured structures. Another possibility is to hide valuables in a place that appears to have an alternate purpose so mislead a thief. Such items are well-known such as the hollow garden rock where a house key or other item may be hidden and the hollow rock appears to be just one of several present. The prior art teaches other solutions of this kind such as the lantern with a detachable accessory compartment.
The invention apparatus has a dual purpose, that is, as a source of illumination, useful in a camping situation, as well as a means for storing valuables such as documents, wallets, watches, and cell phones. The lamp is mounted in a lower portion of an enclosure which also has a storage space. The enclosure is securely fastened to an overhead support structure such as the upper trusses of a camping canopy or large tent so that it is generally out-of-reach. An upper portion of the enclosure has a battery powered electrical circuit capable of operating a mechanical drive for unwinding and rewinding coiled bands which are attached between the lower and upper portions of the enclosure so as to drop the lower portion to table-top level whereupon valuables may be placed therein. The lower portion of the enclosure may then be raised and recoupled with the upper portion forming a closed unitary apparatus that appears to be a simple lamp. The lamp which is mounted on the downfacing surface of the lower portion is powered by a separate battery pack which provides downcast illumination. The electrical circuit may be modified to include common and well-known motion and attitude detection components to warn unwanted intruders Clearly all functions, as described, may be managed by a hand-held remote control device using blue-tooth or other types of signaling. Preferably, a remote control pass code may be entered in order to operate certain features of the invention, as for instance, lowering and raising the lower portion of the enclosure thereby enabling access to a storage area within for placing and removing items. As an operational back-up in case of remote control failure or battery failure a manual lock and key feature is incorporated in the invention in order to gain access to the storage area. It should be realized that battery power is incorporated separately in both the upper and the lower portions of the enclosure to power their respective functions.
Embodiments shown in the drawing figures are illustrated only as examples associated with the accompanying written description. Alpha-numerical call-outs are used to identify elements of the invention in the drawing figures, wherein a call-out used for a particular element in any drawing view is used for that same element in any other view, wherein:
The stated and illustrated components or alternatives described herein are well known in the art, however the arrangement of these components and their joint functional operations is novel. Operation of apparatus 10 is preferably initiated via a hand-held remote control generated signal which may be received by controller 40 whereby worm gear motor 42 may be activated driving shaft 48 through bevel gears 46. Synchronizing disk 50 rotates on shaft 48 whereby on each rotation, a slot in disk 50 permits light or other energy signal to travel between synchronizer transmitter 43A and synchronizer receiver 43B whereby synchronizer receiver 43B produces voltage pulses or other electrical change signaling controller 40 to increment a counter (not shown). A memory element (not shown) of controller 40 is calibrated for the total counts required to lower or raise portion 14 for a desired vertical travel. When total counts equal the stored maximum counts in the memory element, travel of lower enclosure portion 14 is halted. Enclosure portions 12, 14 may have mechanical, magnetic or other proximity sensors as is well known in the art for location termination or disposition upon coupling. Once the designated travel of enclosure portion 14 has been completed, worm gear 42 is halted and the memory element of controller 40 is set to zero.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10577822 | Singh | Mar 2020 | B1 |
| 20070091594 | Soon | Apr 2007 | A1 |
