Patent Publication Number: US-7905623-B2

Title: Magnetic illumination device for tool

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The invention relates to illumination devices and more particularly to such an illumination device having a magnetic arrangement adapted to releasably secure to one of a variety of tools or a metal object. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It is often that a user may use a tool to work in a dark environment. Hence, an auxiliary illumination device (e.g., flashlight) is required to illuminate a working area of the tool (e.g., screw driver) held by a user. However, the user has to use one hand to hold the flashlight and the other hand to hold the screw driver to work. This is inconvenient and can hinder work. 
     Taiwanese Utility Model Patent Nos. 309,642 and 484,492 each discloses an illumination device releasably mounted on a tool (e.g., screw driver) so as to facilitate a user to use the screw driver in a dark environment. However, the illumination devices of these patents are not adaptable. In brief, they are specially designed to cooperate with one type of tool only. Thus, the need for improvement still exists. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an illumination device having a magnetic arrangement adapted to releasably secure to one of a variety of tools or a metal object. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of illumination device for tool according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the illumination device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the illumination device shown in  FIG. 1  where a first configuration of the first receiving spaces is shown; 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  where a second configuration of the first receiving spaces is shown; 
         FIG. 5  is a longitudinal sectional view of the illumination device shown in  FIG. 1  where a first type of screw driver is secured to the illumination device; 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  where a different second type of screw driver is secured to the illumination device; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the illumination device being adhered to a wrench; 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  are perspective views of the illumination device horizontally and vertically adhered to a metal object respectively; and 
         FIG. 10  is a longitudinal sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of illumination device for tool according to the invention with a screw driver being secured thereto. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 9 , an illumination device  1  for tool in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention comprises the following components as discussed in detail below. 
     A cylindrical housing  10  comprises a base  11  and a cover  12  releasably secured together. An internal space  115  used as a battery compartment is defined by the base  11 . The base  11  comprises an inverted V-shaped cavity  111  on an underside, the inverted V-shaped cavity  111  having two opposite first-receiving spaces  112  on both inclined sides; two second receiving spaces  113  on the underside of the base  11  and spaced from both sides of the inverted V-shaped cavity  111 ; and two spaced third receiving spaces  114  formed on a flat on an outer surface of the base  11  and being disposed above the inverted V-shaped cavity  111 . 
     First, second, and third magnetic members  31 ,  32 , and  33  are provided in the first, second, and third receiving spaces  112 ,  113 , and  114  respectively. Alternatively, a second configuration of the first receiving spaces  112  other than one shown in  FIG. 3  can be implemented in  FIG. 4 . 
     The base  11  further comprises two opposite slit projections  116  on a bottom edge. The shank of a tool (e.g., screw driver)  2  is disposed in a space between the first magnetic members  31  and adhered to the first magnetic members  31 . A strap  41  has one end secured to one projection  116  (i.e., hingedly secured thereto) and the other end provided with a hook and loop fabric fastener  411  wrapping around the other projection  116  to secure to itself after tightly contacting a bottom of the shank of the screw driver  2  (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). As a result, the screw driver  2  and the illumination device  1  are secured together. 
     The cover  12  comprises two forward holes  121  on a top edge, an opening  122  on a center of the top, and a flat  123  on a circumferential surface opposing the holes  121 . The flat  123  is adjacent the third receiving spaces  114 . 
     A light emitting assembly  20  comprises three cells  21  tightly provided in the battery compartment  115  and a circular circuit board  22  provided on the cells  21  and electrically connected thereto. A switch  24  is provided on a top center of the circuit board  22  and has a depressible push button  241  projecting out of the opening  122  for on/off operation of the switch  24 . Two cylindrical LEDs (light-emitting diodes)  23  are provided on the circuit board  22  and electrically connected thereto. The LEDs  23  have open ends slightly projecting out of the holes  121  and retained therein. The LEDs  23  are adapted to emit light rays to illuminate a working area pointed by the tool fastened by the illumination device  1 . 
     The first magnetic members  31  are parallelepiped. The second magnetic members  32  are cylindrical and are adapted to adhere to a wrench  3  (see  FIG. 7 ). Alternatively, the second magnetic members  32  are adhered onto a metal object (not numbered) when the illumination device  1  is disposed upright thereon (see  FIG. 8 ). Still alternatively, the third magnetic members  33  are adhered to a bottom of a metal object (not numbered) when the illumination device  1  is disposed horizontally thereunder (see  FIG. 9 ). In view of the above, the invention is adaptable. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , an illumination device for tool in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment, except that the first receiving spaces and the first magnetic members are eliminated. Hence, the fastening of a tool (e.g., screw driver)  2  is completely done by urging the screw driver  2  against the inverted V-shaped cavity  111  by tightening the strap  41 . The second embodiment has fewer components than the first one. 
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.