Stand lamp assembly including main and auxiliary lamp units

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6642659
  • Patent Number
    6,642,659
  • Date Filed
    Friday, July 12, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 4, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Wong; Don
    • Vo; Tuyet T.
    Agents
    • Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP
Abstract
A stand lamp assembly includes a stand frame unit and auxiliary and main lamp units. The auxiliary lamp unit includes a night lamp disposed removably on a night lamp socket, a light sensor to control activation of the night lamp in accordance with ambient light conditions, and a sleeve disposed around the night lamp and having a rotatable cover body that can be opened to permit removal of the night lamp via an opening in the sleeve.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The invention relates to a stand lamp assembly, more particularly to a stand lamp assembly that includes main and auxiliary lamp units.




2. Description of the Related Art




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, a conventional stand lamp assembly


900


is shown to comprise a power control circuit


91


, a stand base


92


, a hollow upright stand body


93


, an auxiliary lamp unit


94


, a main lamp unit


95


, an annular skirt member


96


, and a lampshade


97


. The power control circuit


91


includes a power cord


911


and a wire unit


912


that extends outwardly from a center hole


921


in the stand base


92


to connect with the main lamp unit


95


. The stand body


93


has a lower portion


931


engaged threadedly to the center hole


921


in the stand base


92


. A power switch


933


is connected to the control circuit


91


so as to control activation of the main lamp unit


95


. The auxiliary lamp unit


94


includes an upright frame member


943


, a tubular sleeve


944


, a night lamp


942


, and a light sensor


941


. The upright frame member


943


has a lower section engaged to an upper portion of the stand body


93


by means of a connector


934


, a left side formed with a hollow post


9431


for extension of the wire unit


912


therethrough, and a right side formed with a night lamp socket


9432


. The tubular sleeve


944


is sleeved on the upright frame member


943


. The night lamp


942


is mounted on the night lamp socket


9432


of the frame member


943


. The light sensor


941


is connected to the night lamp


942


and the power control circuit


91


so as to control activation of the night lamp


942


in accordance with ambient light conditions. The main lamp unit


95


includes a pair of main lamp sockets


954


, a pair of main lamps


957


, a positioning seat


952


, and a lamp socket holder


953


. Each main lamp


957


is mounted on a respective one of the main lamp sockets


954


. The positioning seat


952


is formed with an upper plate portion


9521


seated on the upper end of the tubular sleeve


944


, and a retaining post portion


9522


extending downwardly from the upper plate portion


9521


and insertingly retained in the tubular sleeve


944


. The lamp socket holder


953


is mounted on the upper plate portion


9521


. The wire unit


912


extends through the positioning seat


952


and the lamp socket holder


953


so as to connect with the main lamp sockets


954


. The main lamp sockets


954


are retained in anchoring end portions


9531


of the lamp socket holder


953


. The annular skirt member


96


is disposed to surround the upper plate portion


9521


of the positioning seat


952


. The lampshade


97


is seated on the upper plate portion


9521


of the positioning seat


952


, and is disposed to surround the lamp socket holder


953


, thereby surrounding the main lamps


957


.




A drawback of the conventional stand lamp assembly resides in that when the night lamp


942


is damaged or malfunctions, it is very difficult to replace the night lamp


942


since the tubular sleeve


944


has no opening in its peripheral wall. Since the tubular sleeve


944


has no opening, the main lamp unit


95


has to be disassembled first before the night lamp


942


can be removed.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a stand lamp assembly that can facilitate replacement of a night lamp of an auxiliary lamp unit without disassembling the main lamp unit.




According to the present invention, a stand lamp assembly includes a stand frame unit, and auxiliary and main lamp units. The auxiliary lamp unit includes a night lamp disposed removably on a night lamp socket, a light sensor to control activation of the night lamp in accordance with ambient light conditions, and a sleeve disposed around the night lamp and having a rotatable cover body that can be opened to permit removal of the night lamp via an opening in the sleeve.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:





FIG. 1

is a partly exploded perspective view of a conventional stand lamp assembly;





FIG. 2

is a fragmentary partly sectional schematic view of the stand lamp assembly of

FIG. 1

in an assembled state;





FIG. 3

is a partly exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a stand lamp assembly according to the present invention;





FIG. 4

is an enlarged sectional view of a resilient member that is mounted to a night lamp socket of the preferred embodiment;





FIG. 5

is a fragmentary partly sectional schematic view of the preferred embodiment in an assembled state; and





FIG. 6

is a side view of the preferred embodiment.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 3

to


5


, the preferred embodiment of a stand lamp assembly


100


according to the present invention is shown to comprise a stand frame unit


3


, an auxiliary lamp unit


4


, and a main lamp unit


5


.




The stand frame unit


3


includes a stand base


33


, a power control circuit


35


, and an upright stand body


36


. The stand base


33


has a weight and size sufficient to stably support the stand lamp assembly


100


on a ground surface, and has a center threaded hole


331


and a side hole


332


.




The power control circuit


35


includes a power cord


351


and a wire unit


352


. The power cord


351


extends outwardly from the side hole


332


and is terminated by plug member (not shown) for connection to an electrical outlet (not shown). The wire unit


352


extends outwardly from the center hole


331


to connect with the auxiliary and main lamp units


4


,


5


.




The upright stand body


36


has an externally threaded lower portion


362


, and an upper portion


361


with an inner threaded wall opposite to the lower portion


362


. The lower portion


362


is engaged threadedly to the central threaded hole


331


, thereby securing the stand body


36


on the stand base


33


. A power switch


34


is mounted on the upright stand body


36


, is connected to the control circuit


35


in a known manner, and controls the activation of the main lamp unit


5


.




The auxiliary lamp unit


4


includes an upright frame member


41


, a night lamp socket


42


, a night lamp


43


, a tubular sleeve


45


, an annular ring


47


, and a light sensor


48


. The upright frame member


41


is mounted threadedly on the upper portion


361


of the stand body


36


, and has a left side formed with a hollow post


410


, an inverted-T tube


415


connected fixedly to an upper end of the hollow post


410


, and a T-shaped portion


412


connected fixedly to a lower end of the hollow post


410


. The hollow post


410


is formed with a wire hole


414


. The T-shaped portion


412


has a horizontal plate portion


418


connected to the hollow post


410


, and a vertical tube portion


417


connected threadedly to the horizontal plate portion


418


. The vertical tube portion


417


has an inner threaded hole extending through the horizontal plate portion


418


, and engages the upper portion


361


of the upright stand body


36


by means of a connector


31


. The connector


31


has an externally threaded upper end


311


that threadedly engages the vertical tube portion


417


of the T-shaped portion


412


, and an externally threaded lower end


312


opposite to the upper end


311


and threadedly engaging the upper portion


361


of the stand body


36


, thereby securing the upright frame member


41


on the upright stand body


36


. The inverted-T tube


415


has a horizontal tube portion


411


and a vertical tube portion


416


, which is connected fixedly to a middle portion of the horizontal tube portion


411


at a lower end and which is formed with an externally threaded upper end


4161


. The wire unit


352


extends through the vertical tube portion


417


of the T-shaped portion


412


, through the wire hole


414


in the hollow post


410


, and through the horizontal and vertical tube portions


411


,


416


of the inverted-T tube


415


.




The ring


47


is disposed fixedly on the hollow post


410


above the wire hole


414


, and is located around the night lamp socket


42


.




The night lamp socket


42


is provided with a pair of resilient members


44


attached respectively to two opposite sides of the night lamp socket


42


. Each resilient member


44


includes an inverted U-shaped mounting element


440


(see

FIG. 4

) that has upright inner and outer plate portions, and an inclined push plate


442


extending outwardly, downwardly, and integrally from a lower end of the outer plate portion of the mounting element


440


(see FIG.


4


). The mounting element


440


is formed with a front through hole


444


in the outer plate portion, and a rear rivet hole


443


in the inner plate portion. During assembly of each resilient member


44


and the night lamp socket


42


, a rivet


46


is inserted into the rivet hole


443


and the night lamp socket


42


via the through hole


444


. Two notches


445


are formed between the mounting element


440


and the push plate


442


. The resilient members


44


are inserted into and pressed outwardly against the ring


47


in such a manner that the ring


47


engages the notches


445


in the resilient members


44


so as to position the night lamp socket


42


within the ring


47


.




The night lamp


43


is disposed removably on the night lamp socket


42


.




The sleeve


45


is tapered, is made of a light transmissive material, is sleeved on the upright frame member


41


, and has a lower end that is seated on the connector


31


, and an upper end that is mounted with the main lamp unit


5


. The sleeve


45


has a peripheral wall


450


with an opening


452


, and a curved cover body


451


connected rotatably to the peripheral wall


450


. The cover body


451


has a free end formed with a pair of fixed pins


453


, and is rotatable to a closed position so as to cover the opening


452


, and an open position so as to permit removal of the night lamp


43


and the night lamp socket


42


via the opening


452


, as shown in FIG.


5


. The peripheral wall


450


is formed with a pair of pin recesses


454


, which have a semi-circular cross-section and which engage respectively and fittingly the pins


453


of the cover body


451


so as to retain the cover body


451


at the closed position.




The light sensor


48


is connected to the night lamp


43


so as to control activation of the night lamp


43


in accordance with ambient light conditions.




The main lamp unit


5


is mounted on the tubular sleeve


45


, and includes an annular skirt member


50


, a U-shaped positioning seat


510


, upper and lower nuts


513


,


514


, two horizontal support plates


511


, a horizontal positioning plate


52


, a lamp socket holder


53


, a pair of main lamp sockets


54


, and a pair of main lamps


55


. The annular skirt member


50


has a tapered upper portion


501


with an open end, and a bottom wall


502


connected integrally to the upper portion


501


and formed with a hole


5023


therethrough. The U-shaped positioning seat


510


abuts against the bottom wall


502


, and is formed with a hole


5101


therethrough. The lower nut


514


is located under and abuts against the bottom wall


502


. The upper nut


513


is located over and abuts against the positioning seat


510


. The externally threaded upper end


4161


of the inverted-T tube


415


extends through the holes


5023


,


5101


in the bottom wall


502


of the annular skirt member


50


and the positioning seat


510


, and engages the upper and lower nuts


513


,


514


so as to clamp the annular skirt member


50


and the positioning seat


510


between the upper and lower nuts


513


,


514


, thereby fixing the annular skirt member


50


and the positioning seat


510


relative to the upright frame member


41


.




The horizontal support plates


511


are spaced apart from each other, and are formed integrally with the positioning seat


510


. Each support plate


511


is formed with a threaded hole


5111


. The horizontal positioning plate


52


is a thin circular plate, and is disposed above and mounted on top of the support plates


511


. The positioning plate


52


is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed oval holes


520


, a pair of diametrically opposed threaded holes


521


, a pair of diametrically opposed through holes


522


, and a pair of diametrically opposed wire holes


523


. The lamp socket holder


53


is mounted on top of the positioning plate


52


, and has an elongated portion


530


and two anchoring end portions


531


. The elongated portion


530


has a pair of threaded holes


5301


that correspond to the through holes


522


in the positioning plate


52


. Each anchoring end portion


531


is formed with a retaining hole


5311


. Each of the main lamp sockets


54


is mounted threadedly on a respective one of the anchoring end portions


531


of the lamp socket holder


53


. Each main lamp


55


is mounted threadedly on a respective one of the main lamp sockets


54


.




The stand lamp assembly


100


further comprises a lampshade


56


having a tapered upper portion


563


with an open end, and a bottom portion formed integrally with a pair of horizontal lugs


561


that are mounted on top of the positioning plate


52


. Each of the horizontal lugs


561


is formed with a hole


562


.




During assembly, the resilient members


44


are fastened to the night lamp socket


42


by the rivets


46


(only one is shown in FIG.


3


), and the night lamp


43


is threadedly secured on the night lamp socket


42


. The night lamp socket


42


is then inserted into the ring


413


by pressing the two push plates


442


into the ring


47


until the ring


47


engages the notches


445


. The assembly of the night lamp socket


42


and the night lamp


43


is now positioned within the ring


47


. The upright frame member


41


is then brought into engagement with the stand body


36


by inter-engaging the upright frame member


41


and the connector


31


, and the sleeve


45


is sleeved on the upright frame member


41


. The externally threaded upper end


4161


of the inverted-T tube


415


of the upright frame member


41


protrudes out of the sleeve


45


at this time. The auxiliary lamp unit


4


is now mounted securely on the stand frame unit


3


.




The next step is to secure the positioning seat


510


and the annular skirt member


50


on the externally threaded upper end


4161


of the upright frame member


41


by threadedly engaging the upper and lower nuts


513


,


514


with the externally threaded upper end


4161


. Then, the lamp socket holder


53


is secured on the positioning plate


52


by means of a pair of screw bolts


525


, each of which extends upwardly through a respective one of the through holes


522


in the positioning plate


52


, and engages a respective one of the threaded holes


5301


in the lamp socket holder


53


. Another pair of screw bolts


524


are engaged to and extend out of the threaded holes


521


in the positioning plate


52


for later engagement with the lampshade


56


. The positioning plate


52


is then engaged to the horizontal support plates


511


by means of a pair of screw bolts


526


that extend downwardly from the oval holes


520


in the positioning plate


52


and that engage the threaded holes


5111


in the support plates


511


. After the main lamps


55


are respectively and threadedly secured on the main lamp sockets


54


, the main lamp sockets


54


are retained on the anchoring end portions


531


of the lamp socket holder


53


by engaging a pair of screw nuts


542


(only one is shown in

FIG. 3

) with threaded ends


541


of the main lamp sockets


54


.




Finally, the lampshade


56


is mounted on the top surface of the positioning plate


52


by inserting the screw bolts


524


through the holes


562


in the horizontal lugs


561


, and is secured on the positioning plate


52


by means of a pair of wing nuts


564


that engage the screw bolts


524


.




The wire unit


352


extends from the stand base


33


through the stand body


36


, through the connector


31


, through the upright frame member


41


, through the hole


5023


in the annular skirt member


50


, through the hole


5101


in the positioning seat


510


, and out of the wire holes


523


in the positioning plate


52


to connect with the terminals (not shown) of the main lamp sockets


54


. The stand lamp assembly


100


is now fully assembled and is best illustrated in FIG.


6


.




It is noted that the stand base


33


of the stand lamp assembly


100


of the present invention can be omitted. In this case, the stand body


36


can be directly fixed on a piece of furniture.




While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.



Claims
  • 1. A stand lamp assembly comprising:a stand frame unit including an upright stand body having an upper portion; an auxiliary lamp unit including an upright frame member mounted on said upper portion of said stand body, a night lamp socket mounted on said frame member, a night lamp disposed removably on said night lamp socket, a light sensor connected to said night lamp so as to control activation of said night lamp in accordance with ambient light conditions, and a sleeve made of a light transmissive material, said sleeve being sleeved on said upright frame member, and having a peripheral wall with an opening, and a cover body connected rotatably to said peripheral wall, said cover body being rotatable to a closed position so as to cover said opening, and an open position so as to permit removal of said night lamp from said night lamp socket via said opening; and a main lamp unit mounted on said sleeve.
  • 2. The stand lamp assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a power switch mounted on said stand frame unit and connected to said main lamp unit to control activation of said main lamp unit.
  • 3. The stand lamp assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary lamp unit further includes a ring disposed fixedly on said upper portion of said stand body, said night lamp socket being provided with a pair of resilient members attached respectively to two opposite sides of said night lamp socket, said resilient members being inserted into and pressing outwardly against said ring so as to position said night lamp socket within said ring.
  • 4. The stand lamp assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cover body of said sleeve has a free end formed with a fixed pin, said peripheral wall of said sleeve being formed with a pin recess that has a semi-circular cross-section and that engages fittingly said pin so as to retain said cover body at the closed position.
  • 5. The stand lamp assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said main lamp unit includes an annular skirt member with a bottom wall that is formed with a hole therethrough, a U-shaped positioning seat that abuts against said bottom wall and that is formed with a hole therethrough, a lower nut that is located under and that abuts against said bottom wall of said annular skirt member, and an upper nut that is located over and that abuts against said positioning seat, said upright frame member of said auxiliary lamp unit including an inverted-T tube having a horizontal tube portion and a vertical tube portion, which is connected fixedly to a middle portion of said horizontal tube portion at a lower end and which is formed with an externally threaded end that extends through said holes in said annular skirt member and said positioning seat and that engages said upper and lower nuts so as to clamp said annular skirt member and said positioning seat between said lower and upper nuts, thereby fixing said annular skirt member and said positioning seat relative to said upright frame member.
  • 6. The stand lamp assembly of claim 4, wherein said main lamp unit includes:two horizontal support plates spaced apart from each other and formed integrally with said positioning seat; a horizontal positioning plate disposed above and mounted on top of said support plates; a lamp socket holder mounted on top of said positioning plate; a main lamp socket mounted on said holder; and a main lamp mounted on said main lamp socket.
  • 7. The stand lamp assembly as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a lampshade having a bottom portion formed integrally with a pair of horizontal lugs that are mounted on said positioning plate.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number Name Date Kind
6400104 Ham, II Jun 2002 B1
6476559 Rapp Nov 2002 B2
20030007360 Hsieh Jan 2003 A1