Abstract:
A submersible floating light ( 1 ) having a bulb that ( 3 ) that floats under that surface of a body of water, thereby illuminating the water and attracting fish and other aquatic life at night. A weighted base ( 8 ) locks onto an electrical power cord ( 7 ) that passes through apertures ( 15, 16 ) located on a housing ( 9 ) of the weighted base. The electrical power cord extends from an electrical power source through the weighted base and to the bulb. Clamps ( 17 ) allow the weighted base to be positioned at a predetermined distance from the bulb on the electrical power cord.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to application No. 61/714,935, filed on Oct. 17, 2012. The patent application identified above is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to submersible lights used for illuminating water to attract fish and other aquatic wildlife and more particularly a submersible light have a weighted base that allows an individual to easily adjust the position of the light in a body of water in relation to the surface of the body of water. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Submersible lights are used to illuminate a body of water, such as a lake, pond, canal and so forth, to attract fish and other aquatic wildlife for fishing and/or for aesthetic pleasure. Conventional permanent underwater lights are normally mounted to a boat or dock. However, there are also portable or free standing submersible lights that are held in place by a power cord and a weight. A problem with such conventional free standing submersible lights is perfecting the placement of the light in the water, and more specifically adjusting the height of a bulb portion of the submersible light in relation to the surface of the water and the water floor. This is normally accomplished by estimating the required length of power cord to place the bulb portion under the surface of the water and then attaching a weight to the power cord at the estimated distance from the bulb portion. The weight is currently attached by tying the weight to the cord. 
     However, this conventional method can cause three problems. The first problem is that if the estimated length of cord is incorrect, then the weight must be pulled out of the water and reattached to the power cord which can cause installation of the submersible light to be time consuming. The second problem is that the electrical power cord can become loosened from the weight thereby causing the submersible light to float to the surface of the water and requiring that the weight be more firmly attached to the electrical power cord. The third problem is that the weight can become completely detached from the electrical power cord, thereby requiring that an individual to dive into the water to retrieve the weight or face a complete loss of the weight. 
     Therefore, a need exists for a submersible floating light having a weighted base that securely clamps onto a power cord and allows an individual to easily adjust the length of electrical power cord between the weighted base and a bulb portion of the submersible light. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a submersible floating light having a weighted base that securely clamps onto and attaches to a power cord. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a submersible floating light having a weighted base that allows an individual to easily adjust the length of power cord between the weighted base and a bulb portion of the submersible light. 
     The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing a submersible floating light having a bulb portion, a weighted base and a power source. The bulb portion has a bulb, such as a metal halide lamp, LED or other light source, that is buoyant and capable of floating in water. The bulb portion also has a socket that holds the bulb. 
     The bulb portion is then connected to a power source via an electrical power cord. The electrical power cord may be hard wired to the electrical power source or connected to the electrical power source via an electrical plug, which is preferably a ground-fault circuit interrupter (“GFCI”) electrical plug to prevent electrical shocks from occurring from the submersible floating light. A junction box may be connected to the electrical power cord proximal to the electrical plug to provide storage for an electrical transformer, a capacitor, a power switch, a photolytic cell and so forth. 
     A weighted base having a housing with an upper surface, a lower surface, at least one side surface and an interior portion is located between the electrical plug and the bulb portion of the submersible floating light. The electrical power cord extends from the electrical plug to the junction box and then through the weighted base and terminates at the bulb portion. The electrical power cord passes through a first aperture preferably located on the at least one side surface of the weighted base, passes through the interior portion of the weighted base and then passes out of the weighted base through a second aperture that is preferably located on the upper surface of the weighted base. By passing the electrical power cord through the at least one side surface and then through the upper surface, the electrical power cable between the weighted housing and the bulb portion will be substantially straight, thereby causing the bulb to be in an upright position in the water. Clamps, such as cord grip connectors, are located at the first aperture and/or the second aperture to grip the electrical power cord and lock the weighted base in place at predetermined position on the electrical power cord. At least one weight is located within the housing to keep the weighted base in place on the water floor. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side plan view of a bulb portion of a submersible floating light of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a weighted base of a submersible floating light of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an alternate side view of a weighted base of a submersible floating light of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  of a weighted base of a submersible floating light of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a cord grip connector of a weighted base of a submersible floating light of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of a junction box of a submersible floating light of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a junction box of a submersible floating light of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view of a junction box of a submersible floating light of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is a box diagram showing the various components of a submersible floating light of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminology used in reference to the numbered components in the drawings is as follows:
           1 . submersible floating light, generally     2 . bulb portion     3 . bulb     4 . metal halide lamp     5 . socket     6 . sealing means     7 . electrical power cord     8 . weighted base     9 . housing     10 . upper surface of housing     11 . lower surface of housing     12 . side surface of housing     13 . interior portion of housing     14 . electrical plug     15 . first aperture     16 . second aperture     17 . clamp     18 . cord grip connector     19 . weight     20 . concrete     21 . bore     22 . junction box     23 . rear panel of junction box     24 . side of junction box     25 . cover of junction box     26 . transformer     27 . capacitor     28 . power switch     29 . photolytic cell     30 . vent     31 . bottom surface of junction box     32 . nut of the cord grip connector     33 . body member of the cord grip connector     34 . grommet of the cord grip connector       

     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a side plan view of a bulb portion  2  of a submersible floating light  1  of the present invention is illustrated. The bulb portion  2  comprises a bulb  3 , such as a metal halide lamp  4 , LED or other light source, that is buoyant and capable of floating in water. The bulb portion  2  further comprises a socket  5  that holds the bulb  3 . A sealing means  6 , such as rubber, silicone, epoxy and so forth is located between the socket  5  and the bulb  3  to waterproof the sockets and to prevent water from entering a space located between the socket  5  and the bulb  3 . An electrical power cord  7  extends from the socket  5  and connects the bulb portion  2  to the other components of the submersible floating light  1  as described hereafter. A cord grip connector  18  may be located on the socket  5  to clamp the electrical power cord  7  and to provide a water tight seal. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 , a side view, an alternate side view and a cross-sectional view along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 , respectively, of a weighted base  8  of a submersible floating light  1  of the present invention are illustrated. The weighted base  8  comprises a housing  9  with an upper surface  10 , a lower surface  11 , at least one side surface  12  and an interior portion  13 . The weighted base  8  is located between an electrical plug  14  and the bulb portion  2  of the submersible floating light  1 , as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . The electrical power cord  7  extends through the weighted base  8  through a first aperture  15 , preferably located on the at least one side surface  12  of the housing  9 , then through the interior portion  13  of the weighted base  8 , and then passes out of the housing  9  through a second aperture  16  that is preferably located on the upper surface  10  of the housing  9 . Clamps  17 , such as cord grip connectors  18  (as illustrated in  FIG. 5 ), are located at the first aperture  15  and/or the second aperture  16  to grip the electrical power cord  7 , thereby locking the weighted base  8  in place at predetermined position on the electrical power cord  7 . At least one weight  19 , such as concrete, lead and so forth, is located within the housing  9  to keep the weighted base  8  in place on the water floor. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the weight  19  is concrete  20  that fills the inner portion  13  of the housing  9  and has a bore  21  from the first aperture  15  to the second aperture  16  to allow a space for the electrical power cord  7  to pass through. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , a perspective view of a cord grip connector  18  of a weighted base  8  of a submersible floating light  1  of the present invention is illustrated. Tightening a nut  32  onto a body member  33  of the cord grip connector  18  results in radial forces between a grommet  34  and the electrical power cord  7  to restrain the electrical power cord  7  and provide a water tight seal. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 , a front view, a side view and a bottom view, respectively, of a junction box  22  of a submersible floating light  1  of the present invention are illustrated. The junction box  22  comprises a rear panel  23  sides  24  and a removable cover  25 . The electrical power cord may be hard wired to an electrical power source or connected to the electrical power source via an electrical plug  14  (as illustrated in  FIG. 6 ), which is preferably a ground-fault circuit interrupter (“GFCI”) electrical plug to prevent electrical shocks from occurring from the submersible floating light  1 . The junction box  22  may be connected to the electrical power cord  7  proximal to the electrical plug  14  to provide storage for an electrical transformer  26  (as illustrated in  FIG. 9 ), a capacitor  27  (as illustrated in  FIG. 9 ), a power switch  28  (as illustrated in  FIG. 9 ), a photolytic cell  29  and so forth. The photolytic cell  29  may be used to activate and deactivate the submersible floating light  1  according to ambient lighting conditions. A vent  30  is located on a bottom surface  31  of the junction box  22  to provide air circulation to the junction box  22 . With reference to  FIG. 9 , a box diagram showing the various components of a submersible floating light of the present invention is illustrated. The junction box  22  may be proximal to the electrical plug  14 , which is connected to a power source  32 . The junction box  22  may comprise an electrical transformer  26 , a capacitor  27 , a power switch  28 , a photolytic cell  29  and so forth. All of the components are connected by one or more electrical power cords  7 . The weighted base  8  is located between the junction box  22  and the socket  5 , which is connected directly to the bulb  3 . 
     It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.