Abstract:
A flexible support includes a support member, two steel strips, and two fixing elements. The support member includes a plurality of support elements disposed together. The adjacent support elements are connected by a connection element to cascade the support elements. Two clamp structures are respectively extended from two sides of each support element. Two steel strips are respectively clamped by the clamp structures of the two sides of the support elements. Two steel strips have a spacing therebetween. Two fixing elements are respectively fixed to two terminals of the spacing. A bendable lamp device structure using the flexible support is also disclosed. The lamp cap is stably fastened to the flexible support. The user may bend the support to acquire light sources of differ angles with the lamp cap kept at the same level or direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a support and a lamp device structure involving the support, particularly to a flexible support and a lamp device structure involving the flexible support. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Lamps are indispensable instruments in living and working. Lamp devices have diversified structures to satisfy different requirements. For example, some traditional lamp devices have bendable supports so as to provide illumination along different directions from different positions. In designing a bendable support of a lamp device, operational convenience and structural stability are the factors the designers should center on. 
         [0005]    While the support of a bendable lamp device is curved, the lamp is also rotated or displaced together with the support, which would vary the position and illumination direction of the lamp and may cause inconvenience to the user. If the manufacturers can provide a lamp device whose lamp is not displaced together with the bent support, the lamp device will provide higher usage quality and operational convenience. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In order to overcome the problems of the conventional technology, the present invention proposes a flexible support and a bendable lamp device structure involving the flexible support, wherein the flexibility of the support may help the user to curve the support conveniently and acquire a light source projecting from different angles according to requirement, and wherein the lamp cap of the bendable lamp structure is stably fastened to the flexible support, wherefore the lamp cap is not deviated but kept at the same level or the same direction while the flexible support is curved. 
         [0007]    According to one embodiment, the flexible support of the present invention includes a support member, at least one first steel strip, at least one second steel strip, and at least two fixing elements. The support member includes a plurality of support elements disposed together. The adjacent support elements are connected by a connection element to cascade the support elements. Each support element has a body with a first side and a second side opposite to said first side. Two clamp structures are respectively extended from the first side and the second side of each support element. The first steel strip is clamped by the clamp structures of the first sides of the support elements. The second steel strip is clamped by the clamp structures of the second sides of the support elements. The first steel strip and the second steel strip have a spacing therebetween. At least two fixing elements are respectively fixedly installed at two terminals of the spacing formed by the first steel strip and the second steel strip. 
         [0008]    In a preferred embodiment, each clamp structure has two clamp arms, and a clamping room is formed among the two clamp arms and the body. 
         [0009]    In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of fastening elements fastens the first steel strip, the fixing element and the second steel strip together to fixedly install the fixing element in the spacing. 
         [0010]    In a preferred embodiment, the fastening element is a screw or an adhesive agent. 
         [0011]    According to one embodiment, the bendable lamp device structure of the present invention includes a flexible support, a light emitting module, and a base, wherein the flexible support includes a support member, at least one first steel strip, at least one second steel strip, and at least two fixing elements. The support member includes a plurality of support elements disposed together. The adjacent support elements are connected by a connection element to cascade the support elements. Each support element has a body with a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. Two clamp structures are respectively extended from the first side and the second side of each support element. The first steel strip is clamped by the clamp structures of the first sides of the support elements. The second steel strip is clamped by the clamp structures of the second sides of the support elements. The first steel strip and the second steel strip have a spacing therebetween. At least two fixing elements are respectively fixedly installed at two terminals of the spacing formed by the first steel strip and the second steel strip. One end of at least one fixing element has an extension portion. The light emitting module includes a lamp cap and a light emitting element. The lamp cap is connected with the extension portion of the fixing element and thus fastened to one end of the flexible support. The base is fastened to another end of the flexible support. 
         [0012]    In a preferred embodiment, each clamp structure has two clamp arms, and a clamping room is formed among the two clamp arms and the body. 
         [0013]    In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of fastening elements fastens the first steel strip, the fixing element and the second steel strip together to fixedly install the fixing element in the spacing. 
         [0014]    In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of fastening element fastens the lamp cap to the extension portion of the fixing element and thus installs the lamp cap to the flexible support fixedly. 
         [0015]    In a preferred embodiment, the fastening element is a screw or an adhesive agent. 
         [0016]    In a preferred embodiment, the light emitting element is light emitting diodes, cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), or other light emitting elements. 
         [0017]    Below, embodiments are described in detail in cooperation with attached drawings to make easily understood the objectives, technical contents, characteristics and accomplishments of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1 a    is a diagram schematically showing a flexible support according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 1 b    is an enlarged view of Region A in  FIG. 1   a;    
           [0020]      FIG. 2 a    is a sectional view taken along Line I-I′ in  FIG. 1 b    and schematically showing a support element without steel strips; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2 b    is a sectional view taken along Line I-I′ in  FIG. 1 b    and schematically showing a support element with steel strips thereinside; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view schematically showing a terminal of a flexible support according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a diagram schematically showing a bendable lamp device structure according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a plan view schematically showing a local region of a bendable lamp device structure according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6 a    and  FIG. 6 b    are diagrams schematically showing different operational examples of a bendable lamp device structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    Below, the present invention is further demonstrated in detail with embodiments and corresponding drawings. It should be noted: the embodiments are only to exemplify the present invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0027]    Refer to  FIG. 1 a    and  FIG. 1 b   . According to one embodiment, the flexible support  100  of the present invention includes a support member  101 , at least one first steel strip  21 , at least one second steel strip  22 , and at least two fixing elements  30  and  30 ′.  FIG. 1 b    is an enlarged view of Region A in  FIG. 1 a   . In order to illustrate the support member  101  concisely, only the support member  101 , the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22  are depicted in  FIG. 1 b   . However, the present invention is not limited to have only the support member  101 , the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22 . As shown in  FIG. 1 b   , the support member  101  includes a plurality of support elements  10  disposed together. The adjacent support elements  10  are connected by a connection element  11 . Thereby, the plurality of support elements  10  is cascaded to form a vertebra-like structure. The first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22  are insertedly installed inside the support member  101 . The fixing elements  30  and  30 ′ are respectively fixedly installed at two ends of the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22 . The configuration of the first steel strip  21 , the second steel strip  22  and the fixing elements  30  and  30 ′ in the flexible support  100  will be described in further detail thereinafter. 
         [0028]    Refer to  FIG. 2 a   . Each support element  10  includes a body  102  having a first side S 1  and a second side S 2  opposite to the first side S 1 . Two clamp structures  110  are respectively extended from the first side S 1  and the second side S 2  of each support element  10 . Each clamp structure  110  has two clamp arms  112  and  112 ′. A clamping room  113  is formed among the two clamp arms  112  and  112 ′ and each of the first side S 1 /the second side S 2 . The two clamping rooms  113  respectively accommodate the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22 , as shown in  FIG. 2 b   . In other words, the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22  are clamped to the support element  101  by the clamp structures  110  at two sides of the body  102 . Refer to  FIG. 1 a    and  FIG. 2 b    again. In the embodiment, the clamp structures  110  extended from the first sides S 1  of the support elements  10  clamp the first steel strip  21 , and the clamp structures  110  extended from the second sides S 2  of the support elements  10  clamp the second steel strip  22 . Thereby, the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22  are oppositely disposed inside the cascaded support elements  10  and have a spacing G therebetween. 
         [0029]    The first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22  are flexible strips that can be bent or curved arbitrarily. Therefore, the entire flexible support  100  can move 2-dimensionally on the X-Y plane in a waving way. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 1 a   , the fixing elements  30 , 30 ′ have a shape corresponding to the shape of the terminals of the spacing G formed by the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22 , and the fixing elements  30 ,  30 ′ are respectively fixed to the terminals of the spacing G. The assemblage is exemplified with the first fixing element  30  below. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the terminals of the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22  have a plurality of first fixing holes  23 , and the fixing element  30  has a plurality of second fixing holes  31  corresponding to the first fixing holes  23 . A plurality of fastening elements  40  are inserted through the first fixing holes  23  and the second fixing holes  31  to fasten the first steel strip  21 , the fixing element  30  and the second steel strip  22  together. Thus, the fixing element  30  is fixedly installed inside the spacing G. In  FIG. 3 , the fastening elements  40  are exemplified by two screws. However, the present invention does not limit that the fastening elements  40  must be two screws. The present invention may have a single fastening element or a plurality of fastening elements. In the present invention, the fastening element may be an adhesive agent or another locking element. 
         [0031]    In the flexible support of the present invention, the support member accommodates the two steel strips thereinside to enhance rigidity of the overall structure and favor bending the steel strips; fastening elements fasten the fixing elements, the first steel strip and the second steel strip together at the terminals of the flexible support. Therefore, while the flexible support is curved on the X-Y plane, the bending action would not cause displacement of the steel strips. Thus is greatly improved the utility of the overall flexible support. 
         [0032]    Refer to  FIG. 4 , one embodiment of the present invention also proposes a bendable lamp device structure. The bendable lamp device structure of the present invention includes a flexible support  100 , a light emitting module  200  and a base  300 . Refer to  FIG. 5 . The flexible support  100  is basically similar to that in the abovementioned embodiments. However, this embodiment is different from the abovementioned embodiments in that one end of the fixing element  30 ″ is fixedly installed in the spacing G between the first steel strip  21  and the second steel strip  22  and that the other end of the fixing element  30 ″ has an extension portion  33 , which is to be connected with the light emitting module  200 . In other words, the fixing element  30 ″ is fastened to the light emitting module  200  and the steel strips  21  and  22  simultaneously. The light emitting module  200  includes a lamp cap  201  and a light emitting element  202 . The lamp cap  201  has an accommodation portion  203  corresponding to the extension portion  33  of the fixing element  30 ″. The accommodation portion  203  has a plurality of third fixing holes  204 , and the extension portion  33  of the fixing element  30 ″ has a plurality of fourth fixing holes  32  corresponding to the third fixing holes  204 . The extension portion  33  of the fixing element  30 ″ can be inserted into the accommodation portion  203  of the lamp cap  201 . A plurality of fastening elements (not shown in the drawing) is inserted through the third fixing holes  204  and the fourth fixing holes  32  to assemble the light emitting module  200  to the flexible support  100 . 
         [0033]    The drawings attached to the specification are only to schematically exemplify the present invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. For example, the lamp cap  201  may have various shapes and designs to meet different requirements. In one embodiment, the lamp cap  201  has a plate-like structure with a honeycomb-like pattern functioning as a heat-dissipation device of the light emitting module. Although the light emitting element  202  is exemplified by a circular lamp in the drawing, it can be fabricated to have various shapes. The light emitting element  202  may be light emitting diodes, cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), or other light emitting elements. In the present invention, the base  300  is fixed to another end of the flexible support  100 . 
         [0034]    Refer to  FIG. 6 a    and  FIG. 6 b   , according to the description in the abovementioned embodiments, the flexible support  100  can be curved or moved 2-dimensionally on the X-Y plane in a waving way to assume different curvatures. In the present invention, the light emitting module  200  is firmly locked to one terminal of the flexible support  100  by the fixing element  30 ″. While the flexible support  100  is curved, the light emitting module  200  is not moved together with the flexible support  100  but maintained at the same level or the same orientation. Therefore, the present invention can provide better illumination quality and operation quality. 
         [0035]    In summary, the present invention proposes a flexible support, wherein two steel strips are disposed and clamped inside the support member to enhance the stability of the entire support structure, favor bending the steel strips and protect the steel strips, and wherein fastening elements lock the fixing elements and the steel strips at two ends of the flexible support to prevent the steel strips from displacement or dropping off while the steel strips are curved, wherefore is greatly promoted the utility of the flexible support. The present invention also proposes a bendable lamp device structure, wherein the light emitting module is firmly fastened to the flexible support, whereby the light emitting module would not be deviated but will be kept at the same level no matter what curvature the flexible support is bent to have, wherefore the present invention can provide better illumination quality and operation quality. 
         [0036]    The embodiments described above are to demonstrate the technical thought and characteristics of the present invention and enable the persons skilled in the art to understand, make, and use the present invention. However, it should be understood: these embodiments are only to exemplify the present invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent modification or variation according to the spirit of the present invention is to be also included within the scope of the present invention.