Abstract:
A light apparatus includes a base for engaging a planar support surface and rotatably mounting a base adapter for rotation about a first axis. An articulated arm extends between the base adapter and a lamp head. The arm has a lower arm section rotatably attached to the base adapter for rotation about a second axis generally perpendicular to the first axis and having an upper end and rotatably attached to an upper arm section for rotation about a third axis generally perpendicular to the first axis. An upper connector is rotatably attached to an upper end of the upper arm section for rotation about a fourth axis perpendicular to the third axis and the lamp head is rotatably attached to the upper connector for rotation about a fifth axis generally perpendicular to the first axis.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a portable light and, in particular, to an articulated arm light apparatus. 
     Portable lights, which can be manually moved and suspended about a work site to aid a user to obtain the best lighting conditions, are well known. It has been the practice to use incandescent light bulbs, suitably encased in light guards, for this purpose. Such lights are often referred to as trouble lamps, extension lights, work lights, inspection lights, utility lights, and the like, and are commonly employed by mechanics and other workers who require a concentration of light while frequently changing locations. Such a trouble light is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,647 to Kovacik et al. 
     The U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,177 shows an articulated task lamp for use as a counterbalanced drafting table lamp. The lamp has two support arms pivotally connected between a clamp base and a lamp head. The lamp also utilizes a torsion counterbalance spring in the base to retain the lamp head in a selected position. 
     The U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,153 shows an articulated arm table lamp with two arms and a flexible support element that also conducts electrical current to the lamp head. 
     The U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,136 shows an articulated lamp having a vertical support arm and a transverse support arm connected to a lamp head by a universal joints. 
     The U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,496 shows a portable lamp assembly with a lamp housing and a U-shaped support bracket, and having a clamp functioning as a third leg or an attachment means. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns an articulated arm light apparatus including a base adapted to engage a planar support surface and a base adapter rotatably mounted on the base for rotation about a first axis. The base can have legs or a disk magnet for engaging the support surface. A lower arm section has a lower end rotatably attached to the base adapter for selective rotation about a second axis generally perpendicular to the first axis and has an upper end. An upper arm section has a lower end rotatably attached to the upper end of the lower arm section for rotation about a third axis generally perpendicular to the first axis and has an upper end. An upper connector is rotatably attached to the upper end of the upper arm section for rotation about a fourth axis perpendicular to the third axis. A lamp head is rotatably attached to the upper connector for rotation about a fifth axis generally perpendicular to the first axis. Thus, the light apparatus according to the present invention has up to five degrees of adjustment for the lamp head relative to the base. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an articulating arm light apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a left side perspective view of the light apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a lower portion of the light apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an upper portion of the light apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevation view in partial cross section of an alternate base for the light apparatus shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     There is shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 an articulating arm light assembly  10  including a surface engaging base  11 , a lamp head  12  and an articulated arm  13  supporting the lamp head above the base. The base  11  extends in a generally horizontal plane and has a plurality of short legs  14  extending downwardly from corners for engaging a surface such as a top of a desk, work table or hobby bench. Mounted in a center of a convex upper surface  15  of the base  11  is a base adapter  16  having a first lower connector portion  17 . The first lower connector portion  17  cooperates with a second lower connector portion  18  provided at a lower end of the arm  13  to form a first joint. A first knob  19  has a threaded aperture  20  (FIG. 3) receiving the threaded end of a bolt  21  extending through apertures  17   a  and  18   a  in the connector portions  17  and  18  respectively. The base  11 , the base adapter  16  and the knob  19  can be made from any suitable materials such as ABS plastic for the base, and nylon for the base adapter and the knob. 
     The base  11  is hollow having an open bottom closed by a cover plate  22  that can be made of, for example, steel. A tubular wall  23  extends downwardly from the surface  15  and is open at both ends to form an aperture  24  for receiving a tubular extension  25  extending downwardly from the first lower connector portion  17 . The extension  25  has an annular groove  26  formed on an outer surface adjacent a lower end. At least one of the base  11  and the adapter  16  is made of a suitable resilient material such that the groove  26  receives by a snap fit an annular flange  23   a  extending from an inner surface of the wall  23 . When thus assembled, the base  11  and the base adapter  16  can be rotated relative to one another about a common longitudinal axis  27 . 
     The arm  13  includes a lower arm section  28  having an elongated switch enclosure  29  with a lower end connected to the second lower end connector portion  18  and an upper end connected to a lower end of a lower shaft  30 . The enclosure  29  is open adjacent the knob  19  which opening is closed by a removable cover  31  attached by a plurality of threaded fasteners  32 . A switch aperture  33  is formed in a wall of the enclosure  29  to retain a rocker type electrical switch  34  for turning the light  10  on and off. A cord aperture  35  is formed below the switch aperture  32  for the passage of an electrical power cord  36  connected to the switch  34  in a known manner (not shown). The knob  19  can be rotated to loosen the frictional connection between the portions  17  and  18  thereby permitting the lower arm section  28  to be rotated about an axis  37  as indicated by a double-headed arrow  38 . When the lower arm  28  has been selectively moved to a desired position, it can be locked in place by tightening the knob  19  to clamp the connector portions together. Each of the portions  17  and  18  has a respective plurality of teeth  17   b  and  18   b  that cooperatively engage when the knob  19  is tightened to prevent relative rotation. The lower arm section  28  and the cover  31  can be made from any suitable material such as nylon. 
     The arm  13  also includes an upper arm section  39  that is attached to the lower arm section  28  by a middle connector  40 . An upper end of the lower shaft  30  is received in a tubular extension of a first middle connector portion  41  of the connector  40 . The extension of the portion  41  has a pair of opposed annular slots  42  formed in the wall thereof for retaining a cooperating pair of tabs  43  formed on an outer surface of the shaft  30 . The first middle connector portion  41  cooperates with a second middle connector portion  44  provided at a lower end of the section  39  to form a second joint. A second knob  45  has a threaded aperture  46  receiving the threaded end of a bolt  47  extending through apertures  41   a  and  44   a  in the connector portions  41  and  44  respectively. The upper arm section  39  has an upper shaft  48  with the second middle connector portion  44  connected at a lower end thereof and an upper end connected to the lamp head  12 . The knob  45  can be rotated to loosen the frictional connection between the portions  41  and  44  thereby permitting the upper arm section  39  to be rotated about an axis  49  as indicated by a double-headed arrow  50 . When the upper arm  39  has been selectively moved to a desired position, it can be locked in place by tightening the knob  45  to clamp the connector portions together. Each of the portions  41  and  44  has a respective plurality of teeth  41   b  and  44   b  that cooperatively engage when the knob  45  is tightened to prevent relative rotation. The upper arm section  39  and the knob  45  can be made from any suitable material such as nylon. 
     The upper shaft  48  is attached to an upper connector  51 . The upper end of the upper shaft  48  is received in a tubular extension formed by a first upper connector portion  52  and a second upper connector portion  53  of the connector  51 . The connector portions  52  and  53  are attached by a plurality of fasteners  54  and define an annular channel  55  that retains a plurality of radially extending teeth  56  on the upper end of the upper shaft  48  permitting relative rotation between the upper connector  51  and the upper shaft  48 . A radially inwardly extending detent  57  is provided in the channel  55  in the connector portion  53  to engage the teeth  56  thereby defining one less stop position than the number of the teeth  56  for rotation of the lamp head  12  about a longitudinal axis  58  of the upper shaft  48 . The upper connector  51  can be made from any suitable material such as polycarbonate. 
     A third knob  59  has a threaded aperture  60  receiving the threaded end of a stud  61  extending through an aperture  53   a  in the connector portion  53 . The stud  61  is attached to a hollow body  62  of the lamp head  12 . The knob  59  can be rotated to loosen the frictional connection between the portion  52  and the body  62  thereby permitting the lamp head  12  to be rotated about an axis  63  as indicated by a double-headed arrow  64 . When the lamp head  12  has been selectively moved to a desired position, it can be locked in place by tightening the knob  59  to clamp the connector portions together. Each of the portion  52  and the lamp head  12  has a respective plurality of teeth  52   b  and  12   b  that cooperatively engage when the knob  59  is tightened to prevent relative rotation. The knob  59  can be made from any suitable material such as nylon. 
     The body  62  of the lamp head  12  has a generally tubular shape with a plurality of longitudinally and radially extending fins  65  on an outer surface thereof. An open front end of the body  62  is closed by a transparent lens  66  held in place by an annular bezel  67 . The bezel  66   67  is attached to the body  62  by a pair of fasteners  68 . As shown in FIG. 4, a lamp socket  69  is mounted in the hollow interior of the body  62  for retaining a lamp (not shown) aimed at the lens  66 . The body  62 , the lens  66  and the bezel  67  can be made from any suitable material such as polycarbonate. 
     There is shown in FIG. 5 an alternate embodiment base  70  for magnetically mounting the articulating arm light  10  on a surface. The base  70  can be made of any suitable material, ABS plastic for example, and includes a generally tubular top portion  71  having a segmented annular flange  71   a,  such as two opposed segments, extending from an inner surface of the wall thereof. An open upper end of the top portion  71  receives the extension  25  of the base adapter  16 . As described above, the extension  25  has the annular groove  26  formed on the outer surface. At least one of the base  70  and the adapter  16  is made of a suitable resilient material such that the groove  26  receives the flange  71   a  by a snap fit. When thus assembled, the base  70  and the base adapter  16  can be rotated relative to one another about a common longitudinal axis  72 . The top portion  71  joins a larger diameter bottom portion  73  open at a bottom end for receiving a disk magnet  74 . The base  70  has a central tower  75  extending upwardly from a radially extending wall  76  at the junction of the top portion  71  and the bottom portion  73 . The tower  75  and the wall  76  have an aperture  75   a  formed therethrough aligned with the axis  72 . The magnet  74  has a stepped aperture  77  formed therein aligned with the aperture  75   a  for recessing a head of a fastener  78  threadably retained in the aperture  75   a . The magnet  74  permits the base  70 , the lamp head  12  and the articulated arm  13  to be mounted on any surface to which the magnet is magnetically attracted. 
     In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.