Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6642659
-
Patent Number
6,642,659
-
Date Filed
Friday, July 12, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 4, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
- Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 315 56
- 315 57
- 315 58
- 315 149
- 315 158
- 315 157
- 315 152
- 362 276
- 362 257
- 362 410
- 362 802
- 362 806
-
International Classifications
-
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)