Adjustable grill light and methods of use thereof

An adjustable grill light having a lamp portion with light emitting diodes, a lens and a reflector, a gooseneck extension, and an adjustable clamp comprised of two members hingedly joined and locked together. After unlocking, the two members are secured in a selected position by a slidable plate, a fixed plate and a brace hingedly joined therebetween. Further, a timer controls the period during which the grill light is illuminated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to lights that attach to base objects, and more specifically to an adjustable light for attaching to a grill, wherein the adjustable grill light folds down and/or is positionable at a selected angle via a hinged split dual-plate clamp base.

2. Description of Related Art

Grilling is a year round activity that is practiced so long as there is adequate light available to illuminate a grill surface and table extensions. A variety of lighting devices exist for providing night illumination, and such are often utilized by securing the lighting device to a base object, such as an outdoor grill. Many such devices require mains power, while there are a few portable and/or stand alone devices that are powered by batteries.

Modern gas grills are typically manufactured from metal, such as stainless steel, or of other non-combustible materials. Such grills typically have a flat table section for preparation or placement of food and/or plates, wherein the table sections may be placed on either or both sides of the grill surface. The table sections comprise a thickness that varies by application and manufacturer, and further may include overhangs or slanted angle edges that are different from a standard flat table top. Accordingly, grill lights that work for one size or type of table section are often not suited for a different size.

One existing device utilizes a gooseneck shaft with a handle attached thereto, wherein the handle facilitates movement of the gooseneck extension. However, this device requires a flat uniform thickness of table extension in order to be secured to the grill, limiting the range of the gooseneck shaft. Another such device requires its supporting leg to be inserted into an open support tube that retains the grill table section. Such device requires that the support tube have its plug end removed, thereby resulting in a hazardous condition, wherein the sharp edges of the support tube may injure a grill user, particularly during installation of the grill light, and further requires the grill to have such a table support tube.

In addition to the need for an adaptable grill light that may be utilized with a variety of grill surfaces, available grill lights, once installed, typically interfere with installation of a protective cover for the grill, such as a plastic cover that envelops the grill to protect same from the elements. This is typically because existing grill lights are the same height or taller than the grill and lack an ability to be collapsed easily without the need for removal or readjustment. Thus, such grill lights must typically be removed from the grill or readjusted to lower their height to accommodate the grill cover. Accordingly, such grill lights are inconvenient and typically avoided by grill users.

Furthermore, recent technology has provided availability of light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources having a long service life, but LEDs often have poor color rendering of red objects, and such is particularly the case with low cost cool white LEDs.

Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an adjustable grill light that can readily adapt to securing to a variety of table section thicknesses and profiles, that does not impede covering the grill, and that further enhances the red spectrum and/or provides a good color rendering index.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need for such a device by providing an adjustable grill light and methods of use thereof, wherein the adjustable grill light provides a securing mount that adapts to a variety of surfaces having different profiles and thickness, and which permits installation of the grill light at different angles, while retaining upright functionality via a hinged split dual-plate clamp base. Further, once mounted, the adjustable grill light can be folded to lay flat upon the grill or other surface, or, alternately, can be positioned at a selected angle. Lastly, in particular, the adjustable grill light includes a reflector that reflects back infrared radiation from the grill combining same with the white radiation from the LEDs to provide an increased red wavelength component resulting in better visibility of articles on a grill.

According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention in its preferred form is an adjustable grill light comprising a lamp and an adjustable clamp with two hingedly joined plates. The lamp preferably has a light source comprised of light emitting diodes, such as, for exemplary purposes only, high intensity light emitting diodes. The lamp further has a lens covering the light emitting diodes that is selected to pass selected wavelengths and a reflector behind the light source that is selected to reflect selected wavelengths, enhancing the red color element of articles illuminated. The lamp is disposed at the end of a flexible extension, such as, for exemplary purposes only, a gooseneck extension, that is joined to the adjustable clamp base.

The adjustable grill light is secured in a selected location by its clamp portion and subsequently positioned at a selected angle by a slidable plate and a fixed plate, each having a pivot, and a brace therebetween having two rectangular apertures at opposite ends, wherein the pivot of the slidable plate cooperatively engages one of the two rectangular apertures and the pivot of the fixed plate cooperatively engages the other of the two rectangular apertures, thereby permitting movement of the brace about the two pivots as the slidable plate is adjusted, and permitting an angle of adjustment to be selected. In an alternate embodiment, the adjustable grill light is positioned at a selected angle by a slidable plate and a fixed plate, each having a pivot hinge portion, and a brace therebetween having a complementary pivot hinge portion that cooperatively engages the pivot hinge on the fixed and slidable plates, and wherein a hinge pin fastener engages with the pivot hinge portions of the fixed plate, the slidable plate and the brace, thereby permitting movement of the brace about the two hinges as the slidable plate is adjusted, and permitting an angle of adjustment to be selected. Further, it will be recognized that other pivoting fasteners than hinge/pin, as are known in the art, could be utilized without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The adjustable grill light also comprises a turning lock mechanism having a locking pin disposed perpendicularly through a rod that is utilized to secure the two hingedly joined plates together for storage or for use when secured in closed position for use on a horizontal surface.

In use, to illuminate a grill or other selected area, the adjustable grill light is secured to a surface of a grill via the split dual-plate hinged adjustable clamp base, wherein the surface can be horizontal, vertical or any angle in between. The grill light is subsequently adjusted by unlocking the two plates and opening same around the hinge and fixing the plates in a selected open angle by sliding the slidable plate and securing same, wherein the slidable plate, the fixed plate and the brace therebetween fix the angle between the two plates of the clamp base. The brace is connected to and movable about pivots on the slidable and fixed plates. Removal of the hinge pin on the fixed plate of the alternate embodiment facilitates quick release to fold the lamp/extension to permit rapid covering of the grill with a grill cover when desired.

More specifically, the present invention is an adjustable grill light having a body, an extension, a lamp and a base, wherein the extension is preferably a flexible gooseneck extension. The base comprises a clamping mechanism having an upper portion and lower portion, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are hingedly joined via a hinge to permit opening of the upper portion at a selected angle from the lower portion.

The base comprises a slide rod, a clamp arm, and a securing stop with a clamp adjusting screw, wherein the clamp adjusting screw secures the stop on the slide rod below the clamp arm. The base further has a threaded rod with a wingnut secured at one end thereof and a clamp foot at the other end thereof. The threaded rod passes through the clamp arm, and the clamp arm is threaded to receive the threaded rod.

The body comprises a battery access cover that is threadedly joined to the body, and upon removal of the battery access cover access to a set of batteries is obtained. The batteries are optionally contained in a removable battery tray. The batteries are in electrical communication with the lamp and power is controlled by a switch. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that mains power could be provided in lieu of batteries via a power cord.

The upper portion of the base has a fixed plate secured thereto upper portion and the lower portion has a slidable plate secured via loosenable fasteners thereto to permit selective adjustment and locking of the slidable plate in position. An opening in the brace pivotally engages with a hook portion of the slidable plate, and a second opening of the brace pivotally engages a hook portion of the fixed plate. Pivoting engagement of the hooks with the openings permits positioning of the upper portion at a selected angle to the lower portion for subsequent securing of upper and lower portions in position.

In use, the adjustable grill light is secured to a horizontal surface, a vertical surface, or a surface sloping at any angle between horizontal and vertical. The lower portion has a rubber pad thereon provides frictional grip to prevent the lower portion from moving once it is clamped to the surface. Once clamped, a securing stop is slidably positioned on a slide rod to move a clamp foot loosely against the other side of the surface and a clamp adjusting screw is tightened. Once the clamp foot is in contact with the surface, it is tightened against the surface via threaded rod by turning a wingnut.

Once secured to a selected location, the adjustable grill light is adjusted by unlocking the upper portion from lower portion and hingedly moving the unsecured portion of upper portion away from the lower portion. Once a selected angle has been achieved, the upper portion and lower portion are maintained at the selected angle by positioning of a slidable plate, which is locked by tightening fasteners.

A first opening in a brace engages a hook portion of the slidable plate, and a second opening in the brace engages a hook portion of the fixed plate, thereby securing the upper and lower portions at the selected angle. Once mounted in position, the adjustable grill light is further adjusted by movement of the gooseneck extension into a desired position, to aim the lamp at an area selected for illumination.

The lamp has a switch that controls light emitting diodes (LEDs). A lens covers the LEDs and a reflector behind the LEDs reflects their light forward. Both the lens and the reflector may optionally be selected to pass/reflect specific wavelengths of light to enhance the red color element of articles illuminated by the adjustable grill light.

The upper and lower portions of the base are locked together by a quarter turn knob. The knob is connected to a stud that has a rod insert at one end passing perpendicularly therethrough. The lower portion has an opening therein with a locking plate. A washer and a rubber gasket are disposed around the stud between the locking plate and the upper portion of the base to provide compression when locked. To close and lock the upper portion and the lower portion together, the rod insert engages a locking plate and rotates a quarter turn.

The body is removably secured within a retaining ridge via fasteners to permit removal of the body, the extension and the lamp.

In an alternate embodiment, the fixed plate and the slidable plate each comprise half portions of a hinge, and the brace has complementary half portions of a hinge at each end thereof. The complementary hinge portions of the fixed plate are assembled to form a hinge by insertion of a hinge pin, and the complementary hinge portions of the slidable plate are assembled to form a hinge in similar fashion by insertion of a hinge pin. The pins are optionally removable, and may comprise an ‘L’ shape.

Accordingly, a feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to fold flat to permit installation of a grill cover over the grill and lamp.

Another feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be attached to any selected flat horizontal, vertical, or to an angled surface.

Still another feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be secured to a variety of surfaces having different profiles and thicknesses.

Yet another feature and advantage of the present invention is its flexible neck to illuminate a selected area of the grill.

Yet still another feature and advantage of the present invention is that if conserves energy via the automatic shutoff of light after a preprogrammed time.

A further feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to enhance the red color element of articles illuminated by the adjustable grill light.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description and claims when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED AND SELECTED ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In describing the preferred and selected alternate embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated inFIGS. 1-8, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The invention, however, is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish similar functions.

Referring now toFIGS. 1-6C, the present invention in a preferred embodiment is adjustable grill light10, wherein adjustable grill light10comprises body20, extension30, lamp40and base50, wherein extension30is preferably a flexible gooseneck extension. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that other forms of adjustable extensions could be utilized without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Base50comprises a clamping mechanism having upper plate member120and lower plate member110, wherein upper plate member120and lower plate member110are hingedly joined via hinge130, thereby permitting opening of upper plate member120at a selected angle from lower plate member110.

Base50further comprises slide rod60, clamp arm140, securing stop150having clamp adjusting screw155, wherein clamp adjusting screw155secures stop150on slide rod60below clamp arm140, threaded rod80having wingnut90fixedly secured at one end thereof and clamp foot100disposed at the other end of threaded rod80, wherein threaded rod80passes through clamp arm140, and wherein clamp arm140is threaded to threadedly receive threaded rod80.

Body20comprises battery access cover70, wherein battery access cover70is threadedly joined to body20, and wherein removal of battery access cover70(best shown inFIG. 1B) permits access to batteries160, and wherein batteries160are optionally disposed in battery tray165within tube170for ease of removal. Tube170is in electrical communication with one terminal of batteries160and thereby provides a ground return to lamp40via battery access cover70and extension30or via wires therewithin. The other terminal of batteries160is in electrical communication with lamp40and switch200via wiring (not shown) within battery access cover70, extension30and lamp40. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that power sources other than batteries, such as, for exemplary purposes only, alternating current corded power, could be utilized without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly toFIG. 2D, fixed plate245is fixedly secured to upper plate member120and slidable plate220is slidably secured via fasteners230to lower plate member110, wherein fasteners230pass through slidable plate220and slots270of lower plate member110and threadedly engage retainer275, permitting selective adjustment and locking of slidable plate220in position. First opening255in brace180pivotally engages hook260of slidable plate220, wherein second opening250of brace180pivotally engages hook240of fixed plate245. Pivoting engagement of hooks240,260with openings250,255permits positioning of upper plate member120at a selected angle to lower plate member110and securing of plate members110,120in position.

Referring now more particularly toFIGS. 2A-2EandFIGS. 5A-5B, in use, adjustable grill light10is secured to substrate S, wherein substrate S comprises a horizontal surface, a vertical surface, or a surface sloping at any angle between horizontal and vertical. Lower plate member110comprises rubber pad115(best shown inFIG. 2E), wherein when lower plate member110is disposed against substrate S, rubber pad115provides frictional grip to prevent lower plate member110from moving once lower plate member110is clamped to substrate S. Subsequent to placement of lower plate member110on substrate S, securing stop150is slidably positioned on slide rod60to move clamp foot100loosely against substrate S and clamp adjusting screw155is tightened. Once clamp foot100is proximate substrate S, clamp foot100is tightened against substrate S by rotation of threaded rod80via wingnut90, thereby securing adjustable grill light10to substrate S.

Once adjustable grill light10has been secured to a selected location, it is pivotedly adjusted by unlocking upper plate member120from lower plate member110and hingedly moving the unsecured portion of upper plate member120away from lower plate member110as described hereinabove. Once a selected angle has been achieved, upper plate member120and lower plate member110are maintained at the selected angle by positioning of slidable plate220, and locking same via tightening of fasteners230, wherein first opening255in brace180engages hook260of slidable plate220, and wherein second opening250of brace180engages hook240of fixed plate245, thereby securing plate members110,120at the selected angle. Once mounted in position, adjustable grill light10is further adjusted by movement of extension30into a desired position, such that lamp40is aimed at an area selected for illumination.

Referring now more particularly toFIGS. 3-4, lamp40comprises switch200, lens190, lens retaining ring195, light emitting diodes (LEDs)210and reflector215, wherein removal of lens retaining ring195provides access to LEDs210. LEDs210are disposed behind lens190and reflector215is disposed behind LEDs210. Lens190is optionally chosen to pass a selected wavelength of light, and further to provide protection to LEDs210and reflector215. LEDs210are preferably cool white LEDs, but it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that LEDs of any selected color could be chosen. It will be further recognized by those skilled in the art that other light sources than LEDs210could be utilized, such as, for exemplary purposes only, fluorescent or incandescent light sources.

Reflector215is chosen to reflect light of a selected wavelength, thereby providing improved CRI. Switch200is an ‘on-off’ push button switch; however, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that other types of switching mechanisms to provide or interrupt power from a power source to a lamp could be utilized without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Switch200could further control timer205, wherein timer205controls the period during which adjustable grill light10is illuminated.

Turning now toFIGS. 5A,5B,6A,6B and6C, depicted therein is base50, wherein plate members110,120comprises knob290, wherein rotation of knob290by a quarter turn, releases or locks upper plate member120from/to lower plate member110.

Knob290is threaded to receive threaded stud320, wherein threaded stud320has disposed therethrough rod insert350, and wherein rotation of knob290turns threaded stud320, thereby rotating rod insert350. Lower plate member110comprises opening370and locking plate300, wherein locking plate300is disposed on the top side of lower plate member110, between lower plate member110and upper plate member120. Locking plate300is fixedly secured to lower plate member110, such as, for exemplary purposes only, welding. Washer340and rubber gasket330are disposed around threaded stud320between locking plate300and upper plate member120.

When closing upper plate member120to lower plate member110to lock same together, rod insert350and threaded stud320enter opening370. Rotation of knob290by a quarter turn causes rod insert350to engage locking plate300, thereby locking upper plate member110together. Reverse rotation of knob290frees rod insert350from locking plate300, thereby permitting opening of upper plate member120from lower plate member110. Washer340and rubber gasket330provide compressive force that retains rod insert350against locking plate300when in locked position.

Turning now more particularly toFIG. 6A, upper portion120comprises retaining ridge380and throughholes390and400, wherein body20is removably secured within retaining ridge380via fasteners (not shown) that engage body via through holes390,400. In such fashion, body20, extension30and lamp40can be removed from base50when desired, such as for replacement and or servicing.

Referring now more specifically toFIGS. 7-8, depicted therein is an alternate embodiment of base50, wherein the alternate embodiment ofFIGS. 7-8is substantially equivalent in form and function to that of the preferred embodiment detailed and illustrated inFIGS. 1-6Cexcept as hereinafter specifically referenced. Specifically, the embodiment ofFIGS. 7-8comprises fixed plate245and slidable plate220, wherein fixed plate245and slidable plate220each comprise half portions410,420of a hinge, and wherein brace180has half portions430,440of a hinge at each end thereof, and wherein complementary hinge portions410,430of fixed plate245are assembled to form a hinge by insertion of pin450, and wherein complementary hinge portions420,440of slidable plate220are assembled to form a hinge by insertion of pin460. Pin450and/or pin460, wherein pin450and/or pin460comprises an ‘L’ shape, are removable to facilitate quick separation to facilitate folding adjustable grill light10to reduce its height to permit covering of grill and light with a grill cover.

The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Merely listing or numbering the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of that method. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein, but is limited only by the following claims.