Patent Publication Number: US-2007103913-A1

Title: Lamp

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to a lamp, more particularly to a lamp with a lamp seat pivotable relative to a lamp base.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a conventional lamp  1  includes a lamp seat  11 , a light unit  12  received in the lamp seat  11 , and a base  13  with a mounting seat  14  defining a passage  141 . The lamp seat  11  is pivotably connected to the mounting seat  14 . The lamp seat  11  has an arcuate wall  112  provided with a slide engaging member  113 . The lamp  1  further includes an arcuate frame plate  15  formed with a frame slot  150 , and having one end mounted on the mounting seat  14 . The lamp  1  further has a screw  16  that interconnects the frame plate  15  and the slide engaging member  113  by extending through the frame slot  150  in the frame plate  15  to engage threadedly the slide engaging member  113  so as to permit sliding movement of the lamp seat  11  along the frame slot  150  in the frame plate  15 . A coil spring  17  is sleeved on the screw  16 . The lamp seat  11  is prevented from sliding when the screw  16  is tightened, thereby positioning the lamp seat  11  at a desired position relative to the mounting seat  14 .  
      The conventional lamp  1  is disadvantageous in that since the frame plate  15  is elongated and thin in shape and has only one end secured to the mounting seat  14 , undesired bending and damage to the frame plate  15  can occur during sliding movement of the lamp seat  11  along the frame slot  150  in the frame plate  15 . Moreover, sliding movement of the lamp seat  11  on the frame plate  15  is likely to be unstable.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a lamp that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art.  
      Accordingly, a lamp of this invention comprises: a base formed with a central hole and having two opposite mounting portions projecting into the central hole; a support seat having a pair of opposite supporting walls that respectively stand upright from the mounting portions of the base, and that cooperatively define an accommodating space which is in spatial communication with the central hole; and a lamp seat adapted to support a lamp member thereon, pivotably mounted on the mounting portions of the base, and including a pair of opposite lamp walls that are disposed between and that are slidably and respectively connected to the supporting walls of the support seat. The lamp seat is rotatable relative to the support seat so as to move in and out of the accommodating space in the support seat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional lamp;  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic partly sectional view to illustrate pivoting movement of a lamp seat of the conventional lamp;  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a lamp according to the present invention; and  
       FIG. 4  is a schematic partly sectional view to illustrate pivoting movement of a lamp seat of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the preferred embodiment of a lamp according to the present invention is shown to include: a base  2  formed with a central hole  221  and having two opposite mounting portions  22  projecting into the central hole  221 ; a support seat  4  having a pair of opposite supporting walls  41  that respectively stand upright from the mounting portions  22  of the base  2 , and that cooperatively define an accommodating space  44  which is in spatial communication with the central hole  221 ; and a lamp seat  3  adapted to support a lamp member  7  thereon, pivotably mounted on the mounting portions  22  of the base  2 , and including a pair of opposite lamp walls  31  that are disposed between and that are slidably and respectively connected to the supporting walls  41  of the support seat  4 . The lamp seat  3  is rotatable relative to the support seat  4  so as to move in and out of the accommodating space  44  in the support seat  4 .  
      In this embodiment, the base  2  further has an outer ring frame  21  extending outwardly from the mounting portions  22 .  
      The supporting walls  41  are formed with a pair of opposite arcuate slots  6 , respectively. The lamp further includes a pair of coupling members  5 , each of which includes a screw  51  that extends through a respective one of the arcuate slots  6  to engage threadedly a respective one of the lamp walls  31  so as to permit sliding movement of the lamp seat  3  along the arcuate slots  6  during pivoting movement of the lamp seat  3  relative to the support seat  4 . Each of the coupling members  5  further includes a coil spring  52  that is sleeved on the screw  51 . After assembly, each of the screws  51  serves as a slider sliding along the respective one of the arcuate slots  6 . The coil springs  52  resiliently buffer the engagement between the screws  51  and the lamp walls  31  so as to prevent the screws  51  from engaging too tightly the lamp walls  31 , which can hinder sliding along the arcuate slots  6 .  
      The mounting portions  22  of the base  2  are formed with a pair of opposite pivot grooves  222 , respectively. The lamp walls  31  are formed with a pair of pivot studs  34  projecting therefrom into the pivot grooves  222 , respectively, and cooperating with each other to form a pivot axis (A), so as to permit pivoting movement of the lamp seat  3  relative to the support seat  4  about the pivot axis (A). Moreover, each of the supporting walls  41  has a bottom end  411  that is formed with a wing plate  43  extending laterally therefrom. Each of the mounting portions  22  of the base  2  is formed with a mounting post  25  that is disposed adjacent to a respective one of the pivot grooves  222 . The lamp further includes fasteners  9  that extend through the wing plates  43  and into the mounting posts  25 , respectively, so as to fasten the support seat  4  to the base  2 . Moreover, the wing plate  43  of each of the supporting walls  41  has an end section  431  extending over a top side of a respective one of the pivot grooves  222  so as to confine the top side of the respective one of the pivot grooves  222  and so as to prevent undesired removal of the pivot studs  34  from the pivot grooves  222 .  
      In this embodiment, the support seat  4  further has a connecting plate  42  that interconnects the supporting walls  41  so as to enhance the structural strength of the support seat  4  and to prevent undesired bending of the supporting walls  41  during sliding movement of the lamp seat  3 .  
      In this embodiment, the lamp walls  31  of the lamp seat  3  have a fan-like shape. The lamp seat  3  further includes an arcuate wall  33  interconnecting the lamp walls  31 . The lamp  7  member includes at least one light unit  71 . The number of the light units  71  can be larger than one according to the actual requirement. Each light unit  71  can be a light-emitting diode (LED).  
      The lamp further includes a lamp shade  8  having a bottom edge  81  mounted on the outer ring frame  21  of the base  2  for covering the lamp seat  3 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , in use, when the lamp seat  3  is pivoted upwardly about the pivot axis (A) relative to the support seat  4  so as to move in the accommodating space  44  in the support seat  4  and toward the connecting plate  42 , the coupling members  5  will slide to upper ends of the arcuate slots  6 . On the other hand, when the lamp seat  3  is pivoted downwardly about the pivot axis (A) relative to the support seat  4  so as to move out of the accommodating space  44  in the support seat  4  and away from the connecting plate  42 , the coupling members  5  will slide to lower ends of the arcuate slots  6 .  
      With the inclusion of the support seat  4  in the lamp of this invention, the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art can be eliminated.  
      While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.