The present disclosure relates generally to a light fixture assembly that includes an attachment assembly for a creeper device, and more particularly, to a light fixture assembly for connection to work surfaces to display light away from the work surface.
Creeper assemblies have been known to greatly facilitate access beneath a motor vehicle or other low-slung mechanical device, for work beneath the machine. Creepers are conventionally constructed as relatively small, thin, generally rectangular platforms having sufficient size to support the back, hips, and head of a supine person lying thereon, with a small roller, caster, or wheel at each corner to minimize ground clearance.
The reason conventional creepers may be impractical is that there exists relatively bad lighting directed beneath the machine storage. As a result, some known creeper assemblies have incorporated light assemblies attached to the body of the creepers. These embodiments are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,540,378; 7,032,908, and 9,126,326 as well as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0227303. However, each of these creeper assemblies include light assemblies that are rigidly attached to a portion of the creeper body. These light assemblies include relatively rigid or bulky armatures or otherwise require impractical power sources, such as being plugged into a power receptacle. These design flaws obviate much of the advantage of providing a light assembly attached to the creeper body. Moreover, the configuration of such creeper light assemblies do not allow room for modifying the position of the supplemental work light source while having practical access and storage to tools, equipment, accessories while maintaining a work position under the machine being maintained.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a creeper assembly and light fixture assembly that can be easily attached. Further, it may be beneficial to provide a light fixture assembly that may provide ease of use, as well as, overcome the ergonomic and functional deficits of known assemblies. There is also a need for providing a light fixture assembly that is easily removable from a work surface.
The present disclosure describes a creeper assembly with a light assembly that is removably attachable to a creeper assembly or other work surface. In one embodiment, provided is a creeper assembly that includes a body and a plurality of wheels attached to the body. At least one pad member may be attached to the body, the at least one pad member including at least one attachment member and a light assembly selectively attachable with the at least one pad member. The body may include a plurality of pad members such as four or six. The pad member may include a plurality of attachment members and the light assembly may includes a plurality of lugs wherein the lugs selectively attach to the attachment members. Each attachment member may include an arm and an overhang portion wherein at least one of the attachment members may include a biasing member. The biasing member may be generally continuous with the attachment member. At least one of the pad member and the base may include a magnet to selectively attach the base to the pad member.
In another embodiment, provided is a light assembly to be selectively attached to a pad member. The light assembly may include a dome shaped housing and at least one light disposed within the dome shaped housing. A base may be attached to the dome shaped housing wherein the base may be selectively attachable to a pad member. The base may include a plurality of lugs extending from a perimeter of the base and the plurality of lugs may be selectively attachable with a plurality of attachment members that extend from the pad member. At least one of the attachment members may include a biasing member, wherein the biasing member includes a self-locating detent configured to engage with a self-locating recess thereby generally aligning the pad member and the light assembly. The pad member may include a shaped protrusion configured to be received within an annular recessed portion of the light assembly. At least one of the pad member and the base includes a magnet such that the base may be magnetically attachable to the pad member. The base may include a swivel hook configured to pivot relative the base and be stowed within an annular recessed portion of the base. The pad member may be attachable to a work surface, such as a surface of a creeper assembly or another surface.
In one embodiment, the dome shaped housing includes a lens cover for a hazard warning light wherein the hazard warning light includes a light array positioned along a portion of the perimeter of the dome shaped housing in alignment with the lens cover. The light array includes a viewing angle between about 5 to 20 degrees and more particularly between about 8 to 15 degrees. Further, the at least one light may be positioned along a top of the dome-shaped housing, the dome shaped housing may include a depression that surrounds the at least one light. The at least one light includes a viewing angle between about 120 to 160 degrees and more particularly about 140 degrees from the top of the dome shaped housing.
Operation of the present disclosure may be better understood by reference to the detailed description taken in connection with the following illustrations. These appended drawings form part of this specification, and any written information in the drawings should be treated as part of this disclosure. In the same manner, the relative positioning and relationship of the components as shown in these drawings, as well as their function, shape, dimensions, and appearance, may all further inform certain aspects of the present disclosure as if fully rewritten herein. In the drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the respective scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, features of the various embodiments may be combined or altered without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As such, the following description is presented by way of illustration only and should not limit in any way the various alternatives and modifications that may be made to the illustrated embodiments and still be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
The creeper assembly 10 includes a plurality of wheels 30 such as caster wheels. In one embodiment there are four (4) wheels 30 and in another embodiment there are six (6) wheels. However, this disclosure is not limited to the number or location of the wheels 30 positioned on the creeper 10. The wheels 30 may be attached to the body 12 of the creeper assembly 10 by any suitable means such as fasteners extending through the body 12.
The creeper assembly 10 may include at least one pad member 40 or cradle. In one embodiment, the creeper assembly 10 includes a plurality of pad members 40. The pad member 40 may be positioned along the body 12 of the creeper assembly 10 in alignment with the wheels 30. However, any number and position of pad members 40 are contemplated by this disclosure.
Additionally, the creeper assembly 10 may include one or more tool carriers 42. The tool carriers 42 may extend from the sides of the body 12 of the creeper assembly 10. The tool carriers 42 may be recessed within the body 12.
The housing 52 may be dome shaped. By way of a non-limiting example, the housing may be a solid shell with a texture and/or a color. The housing 52 may be made of a weather, ultra violet (UV) and/or shatter resistant polymer such as ABS and polycarbonate and/or with IP-67 rating. The housing 52 may have a gripping surface 55 thereon having an ornamental shape made with precision molding contours thereon. The gripping surface of the housing 52 may be externally facing to allow a user to grasp the dome shaped housing and rotate it relative to the pad member 40. The gripping surface may be made by over molding including insert molding, double shot molding, co-injection molding as well as hot stamping for a decorative finish and sonic welding for attachment of various features. However, the housing 52 may be made of any appropriate materials and colors and this disclosure is not limited in this regard. The switch 58 may be positioned along a ledge or a shoulder 53 positioned along the perimeter of the dome shaped housing and be generally adjacent to the light 54. In one embodiment, the housing 52 includes opposite facing ledges wherein one of the ledges includes the switch 58. The ledges 53 may be recessed from the gripping surface 55 to ensure that the switch is not toggled by accident.
The light 54 may be positioned along the top of the housing 52 and have a viewing angle that distributes light upwardly away from the base 60. In another embodiment, the light 54 may be positioned along a depression 61 along a top of the housing. The depression 61 may be generally slight and have a generally oblong or oval shape and allow for the viewing angle of the light to be directed upwardly and with a desired angle away from the base 60 of the housing 52. The shape of the depression 61 includes a perimeter that surrounds the lens cover 56 along the top of the housing 50 and includes a reflective layer or color that provides reflection or illumination of the light. The light 54 may be positioned along the top of the housing 52 and within the depression 61 may have a viewing angle VA1 that distributes light between about 100 to 160 degrees and more particularly about 140 degrees directed upwardly and away from the base 60. This viewing angle VA1 may be measured from the base of the depression as illustrated by
The light 54 may be an LED type light, but other light types may be used. By way of non-limiting example, the light may include a chip-on-board (COB) LED type light. The COB LED may be round and include a viewing angle of 140 degrees, light-emitting area of 16 mm in diameter, 3 watt in power, 0.1 ampere in current, 4.5 Volt, 220-240 lm in luminous flux, and with a cool white color. While the specific specifications are provided for the light source above, these are merely exemplary embodiments and that the present system may utilize any appropriate configuration of a light source or any lighting device for that matter. Further, depending upon the application of the present system, specific capabilities of the light source may be required. These various configurations are contemplated by the present disclosure.
Referring to
Referring to
A hook member 66 shown in
The light assembly 50 maybe be selectively attached to the pad member 40. The selective attachment of the base 60 to the pad member 40 may provide the user tactile feedback to ensure that the light assembly 50 has been secured to the creeper assembly 10 in the desired position. In one embodiment, as illustrated by
As illustrated by
Referring to
In one embodiment, a plurality of attachment members 70 may generally align with the a plurality of perimeter lugs 68 that extend from the base 60 of the light assembly 50. As illustrated by
In one embodiment, there may be five (5) lugs 68 positioned about the perimeter of the base 60 and there may be five (5) attachment members 70 positioned about the perimeter of the pad member 40. The lugs 68 may be sized to be aligned with the spaces between the attachment members 50 and to slidably rotate relative to the pad member 40 to position a top surface of each of the lugs 68 within the arm 74 and overhang 76 simultaneously.
Further, the magnet 62 positioned on the underside of the light assembly 50 may engage with the interior portion 90 of the at least one pad member. As the magnet 62 engages with the interior portion of the pad member, the user may feel a tactical feedback identifying that the light assembly has magnetically attached to the pad member 40. This configuration may be used with or without attachment members 70.
Alternatively, the attachment member 70 of the pad member 40 may include a shaped protrusion 100 (See
With respect to
Referring to
The hazard warning housing 152 may further include the PCB 110 and circuitry that may support following operating modes in which the light 54 and/or light array 158 of the light assemblies may be toggled with various manners. These modes include:
This disclosure provides a compact, adjustable, easily attachable/detachable light assembly to a work surface such as on the body of the creeper assembly. However, other assemblies could also be utilized to attach to the creeper body and this disclosure is not limited to just light assemblies. Containers or tools may be adapted to fit the disclosed pad members to provide a convenient work environment for a user, and in particular, when the work environment is under a machine or vehicle or around the shop or garage. The light assembly may provide sufficient work lighting directed at the work area without being in the way of the user while allowing the user to move freely. Further, the light arrays may provide sufficient lighting to others signaling that a worker is under a vehicle or within a confined work space while also providing work lighting for the worker. Additional flexibility is provided due to the particular configuration of the light assembly. The light assembly may be attached to any ferrous surface via the magnet or any other member via the folding hook. The pad member may also provide a magnet for the retention of small tools and work pieces as well as the selectively engaging of the light assembly. The at least one pad member may also allow the light assembly to be rotated 360 degrees to redirect light in a particular manner. The pad member may be constructed from durable plastic, but this disclosure is not limited to the materials.
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to just the embodiments disclosed, but that the present disclosure described herein is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the claims hereafter. The claims as follows are intended to include all modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the claims or the equivalent thereof.
Accordingly, the present specification is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
This application claims the benefit from Provisional Patent Application No. 62/354,390 entitled “CREEPER ASSEMBLY” filed on Jun. 24, 2016 and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62354390 | Jun 2016 | US |