Patent Application
20160280452
The disclosure relates to light storage devices and more particularly pertains to a new light storage device for allowing stringed seasonal lights to be maintained on a structure throughout the year and alternatively positioned to be displayed extending from a housing or obscured by positioning within the housing.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base having a rear face, a pair of sidewalls and an open bottom. Each of a pair of laterally aligned slots extends the sidewalls to receive a light string therein positioning a light between the sidewalls and pivotable between a display position and a storage position. A cover coupled to the base is pivotable between an open position and a closed position to permit moving of the light between the display position and the storage position and inhibit movement of the light between the storage position and the display position when the cover is in the closed position.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A cover 34 is pivotally coupled to the base 12. The cover 34 is pivotable between an open position 36 and a closed position 38 wherein the cover 34 is configured to permit moving of the light 26 between the display position 28 and the storage position 30 while the cover 34 is in the open position 36 and inhibit movement of the light 26 between the storage position 30 and the display position 28 when the cover 34 is in the closed position 38. A top face 32 of the base 12 is open. The cover 34 has an open face 40 positioned adjacent to the top face 32 of the base 12.
A flange 42 is coupled to and extends from the base 12. The flange 42 extends away from the rear face 14 such that the flange 42 defines a right angle with the rear face 14 of the base 12. The flange 42 is apertured for receiving a conventional fastener therethrough. Thusly, the base 12 is configured for coupling to the surface 16 aligned with a bottom edge 44 of the surface 16 wherein the light 26 will protrude downwardly relative to the bottom edge 44 when the light 26 is in the display position 28.
Each of a plurality of base tabs 48 extends from an outer face 50 of an associated one of the sidewalls 18 of the base 12. Each of a plurality of cover tabs 52 extends from an inwardly directed surface 54 of the cover 34. Each of the base tabs 48 is positioned complementary to an associated one of the cover tabs 52 wherein each cover tabs 52 is positionable to engage the associated one of the base tabs 48 to hold the cover 34 in a static position relative to the base 12. The base tabs 48 include an upper base tab 56 and a first lower base tab 58 proximate to the rear face 14 of the base 12. The upper base tab 56 is engaged by an upper cover tab 60 and the first lower base tab 58 is engaged by a lower cover tab 62 when the cover 34 is in the closed position 38. A second lower base tab 64 is engaged by the lower cover tab 62 propping the cover 34 into a partially open position facilitating manipulation of the light 26 and light string 24 when moving between the display position 28 and the storage position 30.
Each of a pair of slits 66 extends into the cover 34. The slits 66 align with the slots 22 when the cover 34 is in the closed position 38. The slits 66 have curved sections 68 to prevent pinching of the light string 24 as the cover 34 is pivoted into the closed position 38.
A cover stop 70 is coupled to and extends over the top face 32 of the base 12. The cover stop 70 abuts by the cover 34 when the cover 34 is pivoted into the open position 36 wherein the cover stop 70 inhibits pivoting of the cover 34 beyond the fully open position 36. As shown in
A projection 74 extends from the cover 34. The projection 74 extends outwardly away from a pivot point 76 of the cover 34 relative to the base 12 wherein the projection 74 is configured to facilitate opening of the cover 34.
In use, the base 12 is installed onto the surface 16. The light string 24 is positioned to extend through the slots 22 with the light 26 being positioned between the sidewalls 18 of the base 12. Multiple devices 10 are used such that each light 26 on the light string 24 is housed within a respective base 12. When display is desired, the light 26 is positioned in the display position 28 extending through the open bottom 20 of the base 12. The cover 34 secures the light 26 relative to the base 12. When the lights 26 are no longer to be displayed, each cover 34 is opened and the respective lights 26 are manipulated into the storage position 30 while the cover 34 is in the open position 36. The cover 34 is then moved back to the closed position 38 to secure the light 26 within the base 12.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
