Patent Abstract:
The present invention is to provide a device for holding and fastening a light-emitting member, comprising a fastening assembly including a first space for receiving and clamping an object; and a secureness assembly provided on the fastening assembly and having a second space for receiving and fastening a portion of the light-emitting member, enabling both the light-emitting member and the device to be easily carried after the light-emitting member being detaching from the secureness assembly and the fastening assembly being disengaged from an object.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to clamps and more particularly to an improved clamp for holding and fastening a lamp or a flashlight so as to facilitate work. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A conventional flashlight  1  is shown in  FIG. 1  and comprises a case  10 , a rotating joint  11  pivotably provided at a front end of the case  10 , the rotating joint  11  being adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the case  10 , two opposite conductive arms  12  and  13  provided on a head assembly, a bulb carrier assembly  14  pivotably provided in the head assembly between the arms  12  and  13 , the bulb carrier assembly  14  being adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis thereof between the arms  12  and  13 , and at least one battery (two are shown)  15  provided in the case  10  for supplying power to a bulb  141  of the bulb carrier compartment  14  for emitting light. The emitted light is adapted to change its projecting direction by rotating both the rotating joint  11  and the bulb carrier compartment  14 . 
   Also, an on/off switch  16  is provided on an outer surface of the case  10 . The switch  16  has one end extended into an inner surface of the case  10 . Moreover, a circuit  17  is formed in the flashlight  1  and is extended from a positive terminal of a lower battery  15  to one end of the switch  16  along the inner surface of the case  10 . From the switch  16 , the circuit  17  further extends to the arm  12 , the bulb  141  of the bulb carrier compartment  14 , the other arm  13 , and a negative terminal of an upper battery  15 . The switch  16  is operative to enable or disable the circuit  17 . In the enabled state of the circuit  17 , electric power of the batteries  15  is supplied to the bulb  141  of the bulb carrier compartment,  14  for emitting light directed to an object. 
   For example, a worker has to hold the case  10  and direct light emitted from the bulb  141  of the bulb carrier compartment  14  with one hand and use the other hand to repair a malfunctioned device on a machine table being illuminated by the flashlight. This is inconvenient. 
   Thus, it is desirable to provide a clamp for holding and fastening a lamp or flashlight so as to facilitate repairing of a malfunctioned device on a machine table being illuminated by the lamp or flashlight because both hands of a worker are free. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   After considerable research and experimentation, a clamp for holding and fastening a lamp or a flashlight according to the present invention has been devised so as to overcome the above drawback of the prior art (i.e., only one hand is available to repair a malfunctioned device on a machine table and such is insufficient and inconvenient). 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for holding and fastening a light-emitting member, comprising a fastening assembly including a first space for receiving and clamping an object; and a secureness assembly provided on the fastening assembly, the secureness assembly including a second space for receiving and fastening a portion of the light-emitting member. By utilizing the present invention, for example repairing of a malfunctioned device on a machine table being illuminated by the light-emitting member can be facilitated because both hands of a worker are free. Moreover, both the light-emitting member and the device can be easily carried after detaching the light-emitting member from the secureness assembly and disengaging the fastening assembly from the object. 
   The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a conventional flashlight; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of clamp according to the invention, where the clamp is about to fasten a flashlight thereon; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of clamp according to the invention; and 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of clamp according to the invention, where the clamp is about to fasten a lamp thereon. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a lamp clamp constructed in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a fastening assembly  3  including a first space  31  for clamping an object (e.g., a desk, the sidewall of a barbeque, a book shelf, or the table of a tool machine). As such, the object is clamped and fastened by the fastening assembly  3 . A secureness assembly  4  is provided on a top of the fastening assembly  3 . The secureness assembly  4  comprises a second space  41  for accommodating a lower portion of a light-emitting member (e.g., flashlight as shown)  2 . Further, the light-emitting member  2  can be fastened in the second space  41  of the secureness assembly  4  as detailed later. Once the object is fastened by the fastening assembly  3  and the light-emitting member  2  is fastened by the secureness assembly  4 , both hands of a worker are free to do things with the help of the enabled light-emitting member  2 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  again, in the first preferred embodiment of the invention the fastening assembly  3  comprises an upper plate  51 , a lower plate  52 , and a side plate  53  interconnected the upper and the lower plates  51  and  52 . The first space  31  is thus defined by the plates  51 ,  52 , and  53 . The secureness assembly  4  is provided on a top of the upper plate  51  opposite the first space  31 . A wing screw  54  is driven upward through the lower plate  52  into the fastening assembly  3  from below. The wing screw  54  is adapted to extend into or withdraw from the first space  31  by a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation respectively. As such, a tip of the wing screw  54  can move toward the upper plate  51  or the lower plate  52 . In a case of the wing screw  54  rotated to move the tip thereof toward the upper plate  51 , the object in the first space  31  is biased by the tip of the wing screw  54  so as to clamp the object by the cooperating upper plate  51  and the wing screw  54 . In such a manner, the object is clamped by the fastening assembly  3  and the light-emitting member  2  is fastened by the secureness assembly  4  above the object. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  again, in the embodiment a moveable plate  55  is formed in the first space  31  and is disposed on a top of the tip of the wing screw  54 . A first pad (e.g., silica-gel spacer or soft rubber)  56  is provided on a bottom of the upper plate  51  opposite the lower plate  52 . A second pad  57  is provided on a top of the moveable plate  55  and is above the lower plate  52 . The facing surfaces of the pads  56  and  57  are implemented as flat, corrugated, or toothed ones. As such, the moveable plate  55  is adapted to move toward the upper plate  51  or the lower plate  52  in response to turning the wing screw  54  in either direction. In a case of the moveable plate  55  moved toward the upper plate  51 , the object in the first space  31  is clamped by the first pad  56  under the upper plate  51  and the second pad  57  on the moveable plate  55 . As a result, the object is fastened in the fastening assembly  3 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , a third preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The characteristics of the third preferred embodiment are detailed below. The fastening assembly  3  comprises an upper curved plate  61  and a lower curved plate  62 . An opening  63  is formed by opposing jaws at one ends of the upper curved plate  61  and the lower curved plate  62 . An intermediate member  64  is formed at either side of the upper curved plate  61 . An intermediate mated member  65  is formed at either side of the lower curved plate  62 . A hinge shaft  66  is provided between the upper curved plate  61  and the lower curved plate  62  and is across the intermediate members  64  (or the mated intermediate members  65 ) such that the upper curved plate  61  and the lower curved plate  62  can be pivotably coupled together. A first space  31  is formed between the hinge shaft  66  and the opening  63  and is defined by the upper curved plate  61  and the lower curved plate  62 . A secureness assembly  4  is formed on an outer surface of the upper curved plate  61  opposite the lower curved plate  62  and spaced from the first space  31 . 
   A coil spring  67  is provided around the hinge shaft  66 . The coil spring  67  is adapted to open or close the opening  63  by either pressing the other ends (i.e., opposing the opening  63 ) of the upper curved plate  61  and the lower curved plate  62  toward each other or not. Once the opening  63  is open, an object can be placed in the first space  31 . Next, a releasing of the pressing will close the opening  63  due to the compression of the stored elastic force of the coil spring  67 . As a result, the object is clamped at the opening  63 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  again, in the embodiment the secureness assembly  4  is implemented as a cylindrical socket  7  formed on a top of the fastening assembly  3 . A top of the socket  7  is open to communicate the second space  41  in the socket  7  with the external. A second wing screw  71  is further provided and is laterally driven through the socket  7 . The second wing screw  71  is adapted to extend into or withdraw from the second space  41  by a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation respectively. As such, a tip of the second wing screw  71  in the second space  41  can continuously move toward a lower portion of the light-emitting member  2  in the second space  41  until the light-emitting member  2  is clamped by the second wing screw  71  and the inner surface of the socket  7 . 
   Moreover, a moveable pad (e.g., silica-gel spacer, soft rubber, or hard rubber)  72  is provided on the inner surface of the socket  7 . In response to turning the second wing screw  71 , the pad  72  together with the tip of the second wing screw  71  move from the inner surface of the socket  7  toward a center of the second space  41 . As such, the pad  72  can continuously move toward the lower portion of the light-emitting member  2  in the second space  41  until the light-emitting member  2  is clamped by the pad  72  and the inner surface of the socket  7 . As a result, the light-emitting member  2  is clamped by the secureness assembly  4 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , a second preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The second preferred embodiment substantially has same structure as the first preferred embodiment. The differences between the first and the second preferred embodiments, i.e., the characteristics of the second preferred embodiment are detailed below. The secureness assembly  4  comprises a cylindrical receptacle  8  formed on a top of the fastening assembly  3 , the receptacle  8  including a plurality of spaced, peripheral latches  82  extended upward to define a second space  41  therein, and a ring member  81  put on the latches  82 , the ring member  81  including a plurality of spaced, curved projections  83  around its inner surface. In response to inserting the lower portion of the light-emitting member (e.g., lamp as shown in  FIG. 4 )  2  into the second space  41 , turn the ring member  81  to be away from the fastening assembly  3  until the latches  82  are tightly urged by the projections  83 . In this position, radial displacements of the latches  82  (i.e., toward the light-emitting member  2 ) can clamp the light-emitting member  2  therein. As a result, the light-emitting member  2  is fastened on the fastening assembly  3 . 
   Moreover, external threads  84  are formed around a lower portion of the receptacle  8  adjacent the fastening assembly  3 . Correspondingly, internal threads  85  are formed around the inner surface of the ring member  81 . As such, the internal threads  85  can be threadedly secured to the external threads  84  when the ring member  81  is put on the receptacle  8  and is turned downward with respect thereto. As a result, the ring member  81  is secured to the receptacle  8 . Moreover, at this position (i.e., the ring member  81  has been positioned after turning), the ring member  81  contracts inward to secure the light-emitting member  2  to the secureness assembly  4 . 
   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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5