Abstract:
A lamp for wall mounting above a piece of wall mounted art, having a base connected to a bottom cover to form an enclosed base interior, wherein a remote controller station is disposed, said lamp having an elongated arm mounted normal thereto, with the arm having a swivel mounted shade thereon. A remote coupled to the controller is disposed on the front surface of the housing. At least two bulbs are disposed in suitable sockets inside the housing. An optional reflector can be used behind each bulb set. A remote actuator having an actuator button activates the bulbs in the housing. A master on/off switch is provided in the base.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention pertains to a remote-controlled lamp for use with artworks to cast the art in a favorable light.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Patrons of the arts who keep their art in the home or office recognize the need to show-off the art be it an oil, watercolor, etc., or a sculpture of whatever material under flattering light. One problem that is well recognized is that too much light can be detrimental to certain types of art works. The result is, that ofttimes guests at galleries and in homes, never see the art lit as it should be as the art light if present is kept in the off position.  
           [0003]    Thus there is a need for an art lamp that can be easily actuated by remote control to enable the occasional visitors to see the art piece in a bath of flattering light. This invention can also be used by galleries to help them to enhance their individual pieces of art. Thus, the invention has widespread appeal.  
           [0004]    The invention accordingly comprises the device possessing the features, properties, the selection of components, which are amplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.  
           [0005]    For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
           [0006]    Applicant conducted a patent search and is aware of the following references, none of which anticipates or discloses the invention of this application.  
                                       INVENTOR   PATENT NUMBER   ISSUE DATE                   DAVIS ET AL   5,526,345   Jun. 11, 1996       BUIJ ET AL   5,459,376   Oct. 17, 1995       BENJAMIN   3,871,609   Mar. 18, 1975       BASACCHI   6,203,175   Mar. 20, 2001       HAKKARAINEN ET AL   5,637,964   Jun. 10, 1997                  
 
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    This invention is a picture light having at least one bulb therein, preferably wall mountable and capable of casting a flattering light on a piece of art. The unit features at least one bulb selected from among halogens, xenon, or incandescent for clean white bright light. Fluorescent is not preferred due to its color temperature. The lamp is actuated by the use of a handheld infrared or radio frequency remote controller somewhat similar to the handheld unit used for actuation of an automatic garage door. These controllers are available in the marketplace.  
           [0008]    It is a first object therefore to provide a remote-controlled art light.  
           [0009]    It is a second object to provide a remote-controlled halogen light that can be wall mounted.  
           [0010]    It is a third object to provide a lamp that can flatter both paintings and sculpture.  
           [0011]    It is fourth object to provide a lamp that can be easily adjusted to throw light at a specific angle.  
           [0012]    It is a fifth object to provide a lamp that optionally can be selectively actuated in a room by the use of a specific frequency emission so that one lamp among many can be lit.  
           [0013]    Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the remote control art lamp of this invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a top perspective view thereof.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a portion of this invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is an underside rear perspective view of this device with the base cover removed.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a bottom front perspective view of this device.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an end cap for the shade which cap forms a part of this invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cap of FIG. 6.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the lamp lens having been partially removed.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the exposed light housing.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the lamp housing cover.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the handheld remote controller used in this invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is a side elevational view showing the lamp portion of the device mounted on the wall above a picture to be lit up.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0026]    In FIG. 1 there is seen a perspective view of the device  10  of this invention. Lamp  10  has a base  20  comprising a main housing  21 , in which there is an opening  22  for a master switch  23 . This master switch is a standard pushbutton on/off switch, more about which will be set forth infra. Also seen in FIG. 1 are a pair of spaced decorative stud nuts  26 , often of brass. These secure the housing underside  35 , seen in FIG. 4 to the main housing  21 .  
         [0027]    As can be seen the main housing is an open bottom box having spaced parallel side walls disposed normal to spaced front and rear walls. The rear wall  25  has a threaded open centre bolt disposed therein, through which passes the electrical cord  27  for internal connection. Cord  27  terminates in a conventional electrical plug  37 .  
         [0028]    An arm socket  28  is threaded into the main housing top wall  38  and arm  40  is threadedly engaged thereto at a first end of said arm, preferably distant from the cord entry location. A U-shaped, here tilted, shade  50  is threadedly engaged on the opposite end, which is the second end of the arm  40 . Near the arm socket is eye  68  which is used to receive the signal from the remote actuator not seen in this view. This eye is part of the controller disposed within the housing. Such eyes are well known in the art. The term “shade” is an art term to designate the bulb housing. Arm  40  may be of a fixed length or it may be adjustable as by telescoping one element into another and using a conventional locking mechanism to secure one tube with respect to the second tube to fix the adjusted length.  
         [0029]    In FIG. 1, lens  52  is shown disposed in its normal operative location across the opening of the shade  50 . See infra and the discussion pertaining to FIG. 8. One of the two end caps  54  is also seen in this figure.  
         [0030]    Cap nuts  24  are seen spaced apart holding the bottom cover plate  35  which is seen in detail in FIG. 3 in its assembled location. These cap nuts  24  fit over the respective studs  44  per FIG. 3. Upon assembly, these studs  44  are disposed through the spaced apertures  22  shown in FIG. 4, for engagement with the cap nuts  24 .  
         [0031]    The discussion now moves to FIG. 2. This is a perspective view of the device of this invention. Here the connection of the U-shaped shade  50  to the hollow arm  40  is seen. A conventional ball swivel  51  is seen to be disposed at the upper end of hollow arm  40 . Swivel  51  has a receiving section  60  which is preferably threadedly engaged to the upper or second end of the arm  40 . A friction fit may also be employed. Receiving section  60  also has a socket usually at the top thereof for the receipt of a ball swivel  61 . Ball swivel  61  is threaded to a connector not seen or is soldered or welded or otherwise attached to the shade  50 . Both arm  40  and the swivel  51  are hollow such that wiring can pass therethrough to the interior of the shade  50 . The wiring will be discussed infra.  
         [0032]    In FIG. 3 the housing bottom cover  35  is seen. This is a five sided box having a pair of notches  42 , and one in each of the two sidewalls  43  of the bottom cover which nests into base  20 . A pair of upstanding threaded studs  44  are suitably disposed to be able to engage the cap nuts  24 , shown in FIG. 4 overlying the apertures  22  in the housing, both of which can just be made out in FIG. 4. The spacing between the end walls- unnumbered, and the side walls  43  is slightly smaller than the opening size of the housing  21  to permit a snug function fit prior to the attachment of the cap nuts  29  to the two studs  44 . The notches  42  are positioned to permit clearance of the incoming wiring  27  and to grant clearance for the lock nut  41  which holds the arm  40 . The lamp is wall mounted by the sliding the two keyhole openings  73  seen in FIG. 3 over two screws disposed in wall anchors, or by using a less preferred picture hook for engaging said keyholes. While two such keyholes are shown, as an alternative, one central key hole may be employed.  
         [0033]    In FIG. 4 the underside of the main housing is seen. Cord  27  passes through an internal plastic grommet  29  to the base interior. The cord  27  has two wires, positive and negative. Each of these is connected by conventional wire nuts  31 , 32  into which have been placed the input wires  30 WI of the remote control station  30 . The output wires  30 WO from the remote control station  30 , only one of which is visible in FIG. 4 is also disposed in wire nuts  34  and  33  respectively along with wires  62 , 63  that are placed through the arm  40 &#39;s lower end opening for delivery to the interior of the shade. A locknut  41  is seen retaining the arm  40  in its vertical position through the main housing.  
         [0034]    In FIG. 5, one of he cap nuts  24  has been purposely removed to reveal the stud  44  seen in FIG. 3 disposed upwardly within the housing  21  and which protrudes slightly through aperture  48  for engagement with the cap nut  24 . Wiring  27  which terminates in a conventional plug  37  is dosed through grommet  29  for internal connection to be discussed infra. In this view also, the sensor eye  68  can be seen on the housing front surface.  
         [0035]    Also seen in FIG. 5 is the bulb housing  50  previously discussed, and housing cover  53  having the two lenses  52  built in for light transmission. Cover  53  is retained by a pair of opposed grooves SOG at the termini of the generally U-shaped housing  50 . Lens  52  may be heat resistant plastic or thermally safe glass while the balance of the cover  53  is metal such as brass or aluminum. The location of the arm socket  28  which is disposed near the top of the housing front surface is seen in aperture  48 . The reader is advised that the lamp is mounted to a wall and does not sit on a desk. Thus, what would normally be a top surface is in fact a front surface when considered from the in-use position of the device. As can be seen, arm  40  is threadedly engaged into arm socket  28 .  
         [0036]    The discussion turns now to FIGS. 6 and 7 which should be viewed together, as they are different views of the same part namely the end cap  54  one of which fits in each end of the U-shaped shade  50 . As can be seen in FIG. 6, end cap  54  has an outside periphery  54 P of a decorative nature of a generally U-shaped configuration. The end cap has a recessed lower portion or lip  54 L that nests inside of the housing, while aspect  54 P overlies the edge thereof. The end cap  54  is retained by the force of the two opposed springs  55 .  
         [0037]    In FIG. 8, one of the two lenses  52  has been removed, from the underside of the cover  53  in order to show the shade interior  56  with one of its socket&#39;s  57  having a bulb  58  therein. In FIG. 9, the shiny reflector  59  disposed within the housing  50 , one of which is disposed behind each bulb  58  may be seen.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 10 is plan view of the shade cover  53 , the aspects of which have been discussed supra.  
         [0039]    As noted earlier, the key to business success to this lamp is the ability of the remote control. Thus the handheld remote actuator  11  has a single actuation button  13 , one click of which turns the bulbs on, while a double click returns the bulb(s) off, while retention of finger pressure on button  13  serves to dim or brighten the bulb intensity of all bulbs present. While two are shown, the lamp could also include one to four bulbs or more. If two pairs are employed, they can be set out in two opposed pairs or linearly. Bulbs such as are shown may have a screw in or bayonet or bi-pin base and are available in the marketplace. The remote actuator and the remote station controller disposed within the base of the lamp are off the shelf units available from at least one Asian source. These may use an infra red light, radio frequency (rf) or ultra sound as the actuating signal.  
         [0040]    In FIG. 12, lamp  10  is seen to be hanging on the wall  16  in its in use position, wherein it is casting light rays  67  upon art piece  15 . The actuation frequency for each remote station also known as the controller  30  can be of a different frequency, if so desired. If a plurality of lamps has the same actuating frequency, then a multiplicity of these can be placed in a home or art gallery and each one can be lit when the user is in the vicinity of that lamp to show-off a particular piece of art.  
         [0041]    It is seen that the remote control lamp of this invention that permits the user to set the level of light intensity from afar as the mood suits him or her, or permits full on, full off as may be desired, is a significant improvement and benefit over conventional art mounted or art adjacent lamps.  
         [0042]    While the lamp of this invention is seen to have two opposed bulbs with their bases facing toward each other, a similar lamp having only one bulb or up to about four spaced bulbs of bulbs, preferably of a variety offering full spectrum light capability, is within the skill of the art.  
         [0043]    While the lamp of this invention has been shown to be an electrical lamp adapted to be plugged into a 110-volt 60 cycle AC wall outlet, no reason is seen why the power source cannot be of a different voltage and amperage.  
         [0044]    Since certain changes may be made in the described apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.