Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of each of the co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/914,805 filed Aug. 10, 2004, the co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/915,527 filed Aug. 10, 2004, and the co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/234,468 filed Jul. 9, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to illumination devices and, in particular, to a utility light having a light source configured as an array of LEDs and a magnet for releasably attaching the utility light to surfaces.  
         [0003]     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 fight guards, for this purpose. Such lights are often referred to as trouble lamps, extension lights, work lights, inspection fights, 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. Fluorescent lights have several advantages in use as compared with the incandescent bulbs. As an example, for the same wattage fluorescent lights usually provide more light with less glare. In the past, attempts have been made to convert portable lights such as extension lights to fluorescent tubes. For example, see the U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,658 to Kovacik et al.  
         [0004]     Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are well known for providing illumination to digital displays and the like. It has become more common for an array of LEDs to be utilized for providing illumination. LEDs are particularly advantageous because of their low power consumption per candlepower produced when compared to incandescent light bulbs and, to a lesser degree, to fluorescent fight bulbs.  
         [0005]     It is desirable to provide a portable light having lower power consumption that also provides sufficient illumination for a work site. It is also desirable to be able to place and orient the portable light in as many locations and positions as possible. It further is desirable to provide utility lamps that are lightweight and cost-effective to produce.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention concerns an LED utility light including: a hollow housing having a wider upper light portion connected to a narrower lower handle portion, the light portion having a lens opening formed therein; a plurality of LEDs mounted in the housing adjacent the lens opening; a transparent lens member mounted in the lens opening permitting light generated from the LEDs to exit the housing; and a magnet assembly mounted on the housing and adapted to releasably retain the utility light on a support surface. A magnet of the magnet assembly is releasably attached to the housing and can be rotated about an axis generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The narrower handle portion allows for easier manipulation of the utility light by a single human hand when in use.  
         [0007]     The LEDs are mounted on a circuit board in rows and columns. A reflector has a reflective surface facing the lens and apertures for each of the LEDs. A hook member is disposed in a recess formed in an exterior surface of the housing and is rotatable between a stored position in the recess and an extended position. The hook member is attached to the housing by a ball and socket connection permitting the hook member to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the hook member. An electrical plug is disposed in the rear housing half at a preferably canted position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rear housing half in a receiver portion formed in the rear housing half.  
         [0008]     The LED utility light in accordance with the present invention advantageously provides a portable handheld utility light that may be placed and oriented in many locations and positions with the use of the hook member and the removable magnet assembly. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     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:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a rear elevation view of an LED utility light in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the utility light of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the utility light of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the interior of the front housing portion of the utility light shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is an electrical schematic of the utility light shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     The following patent applications are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/914,805 filed Aug. 10, 2004; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/915,527 filed Aug. 10, 2004; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/234,468 filed Jul. 19, 2005.  
         [0018]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , an LED utility light in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at  610 . The utility light  610  includes a hollow light housing  612  split on a vertical plane into a rear housing portion  614  and a front housing portion  616 . When attached, the housing portions  614  and  616  define an elongated upper light portion  618 , having a first width indicated by an arrow  618   a , extending from a lower handle portion  620 , having a second width indicated by an arrow  620   a  that is less than the first width. The housing portions  614  and  616  are substantially arcuate in cross section and, when attached, form the housing  612  with a substantially oval cross section, best seen in  FIG. 6 . The housing  612  is preferably formed of a lightweight material, such as plastic or the like, as the utility fight  610  is contemplated to be both handheld and portable. The rear housing portion  614  includes a plurality of transverse strengthening ribs  622  ( FIG. 3 ) extending generally horizontally across interior walls thereof A plurality of tubular bosses  624  each having a larger diameter base  626  and a smaller diameter free end  628  extend from an inner surface  630  of the rear housing portion  614  for receiving respective fasteners  633  ( FIG. 1 ) inserted into corresponding apertures  631  formed in the housing portion  614 . The fasteners  633  extend through the bosses  624  and threadably engage corresponding posts  632  ( FIG. 4 ) formed in and extending inwardly from an inner surface  617  of the front housing portion  616  to secure the housing portions  614  and  616  together to form the housing  612 , discussed in more detail below. The front housing portion  616  includes a plurality of transverse strengthening ribs  623  extending across the inner wall thereof During assembly, the smaller diameter free end  628  of each of the bosses  624  is received by a corresponding aperture  634  formed in an associated one of the posts  632  of the front housing portion  616 .  
         [0019]     An exterior surface  636  of the rear housing portion  614  is formed to define a hook recess  638  for receiving and storing a hook member  640  therein. The hook member  640  includes a ball portion  642  that is connected to a shank portion  644 . The recess  638  has a respective closed bottom wall  646  at the inner surface  630  the rear housing portion  614 , best seen in  FIG. 2 . The wall  646  does not extend above the ribs  622  in the rear housing portion  614 . The shape of the recess  638  corresponds to the shape of the hook member  640  in plan view. When the hook member  640  is disposed in the recess  638 , the hook member  640  does not extend above the exterior surface  636  of the rear housing portion  614 . Formed in a side wall of the recess  638  is a sloped surface  637  that provides access to the hook member  640  by a human finger for improved removal and stowage of the hook member  640 .  
         [0020]     The ball portion  642  of the hook member  640  cooperates with a ball retainer  643  disposed between the rear housing portion  614  and the front housing portion  616  when the housing  612  is assembled. The ball retainer  643  includes a pair of retaining arms  643   a  extending from opposing sides of a cup shaped ball receiver. Each of the retaining arms  643   a  is apertured to receive an associated one of the free ends  628  of the mating bosses  624 . The ball receiver  643  cooperates with a pair of curved surfaces formed on the inside of the rear housing portion  614  to retain the ball portion  642  of the hook member  640 . The ball receiver  643 , the surfaces and the ball portion  640  function as ball and socket attachments for the hook member  640 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the hook member  640  can rotate between the stored position shown and an extended “use” position as indicated by an arrow  645 . Once out of the recess  38 , the hook member  640  is free to rotate about its respective longitudinal axis. The hook member  640 , therefore, provides a means for placing and orienting the utility light  610  during use.  
         [0021]     An upper cushion  647  is formed of a resilient material and is contoured to the shape of an upper end of the light housing  612 . A plurality of attachment fingers  648  extend from a lower surface of the cushion  647  and have a wider stop portion  650  at a free end of a narrower shaft portion  652 . The upper cushion  646  is attached to the top of the light portion  618  of the housing  612  by placing the shaft portion  652  of each of the attachment fingers  648  in a corresponding one of a plurality of grooves or cutouts  654  formed in the upper walls of the rear portion  614  and the front portion  616  of the housing  612 . The stop portions  650  prevent removal of the cushion  646  from the housing  612  after the housing has been assembled, as discussed in more detail below. Similarly, each one of a pair of elongated handle cushions  656  includes a plurality of attachment fingers  658  having a larger stop portion  660  and a smaller diameter shaft portion  662 . The handle cushions  656  are each attached to the handle portion  620  of the housing  612  by placing the shaft portions  662  of the attachment fingers  658  in corresponding ones of a plurality of grooves or cutouts  664  formed in facing edges of the rear portion  614  and the front portion  616  of the housing  612 . The stop portions  660  prevent removal of the cushions  656  from the housing  612  after the housing  612  has been assembled. The upper cushion  646  and the handle cushions  656  are each preferably constructed of a soft, easily deflectable resilient material.  
         [0022]     A power cord, shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  in phantom at  666 , extends through an aperture  668  in a bottom wall  621  of the front housing portion  616  and is used to provide power to the circuitry, discussed below, that is enclosed within the housing  612 . A strain relief  670  is adapted to be attached to the power cord  666 . The strain relief  670  has a pair of spaced flanges  672  that retain an edge  674  ( FIG. 5 ) of the bottom wall  621  defining the aperture  668  to retain the power cord  666  in place should a pulling force be applied to the power cord. The end of the power cord  666  has a male plug (not shown) for insertion into a common female electrical power receptacle (not shown) to obtain AC power. An electrical receptacle  676  is disposed in an aperture  677  formed in a projection  678  extending adjacent the bottom end of the front housing portion  616  at an angle canted with respect to a longitudinal axis of the light housing  612 . An indicator  679  is disposed in an aperture formed in the exterior surface  636  of the rear housing portion  414  adjacent the plug  676  to visually indicate when the receptacle  676  is connected to a source of electrical power through the cord  666 .  
         [0023]     The hollow housing  612  defines a space between the rear portion  614  and the front portion  616  thereof for receiving a plurality of lighting components, including an LED circuit board assembly  680  having a switch  682  extending from a lower surface thereof a reflector member  684 , and a lens member  686 . The switch  682  is preferably a push button type that extends through an aperture  688  formed in the rear housing portion  614  of the handle portion  620  of the housing  612 . The switch  682  electrically connects power from a power source  691  connected to the power cord  666  to an input of a conventional AC/DC power converter  690 , best seen in  FIG. 7 . The converter  690  can be a separate unit mounted in the handle portion  620 , or can be a circuit on the circuit board of the assembly  680 . The LED circuit board assembly  680  includes a plurality of LEDs  692  extending from a front surface  694  thereof In the example shown, fifty LEDs  692  are arranged in an array having five columns and ten rows. The LEDs  692  are connected to an output of the converter  690  through the switch  682  and are operable to emit light in a well-known manner when a DC voltage is provided by the converter  690 . The LED circuit board assembly  680  includes a plurality of alignment holes  695  extending through opposite ends thereof The alignment holes  695  engage with alignment pins  705  extending upwardly from outer edges of the support ribs  622  of the rear housing portion  614  and aid in the assembly of the utility light  610 .  
         [0024]     The reflector member  684  is in the form of a planar mask that fits over the front surface  694  of the LED circuit board assembly  680 . The reflector member  684  includes a plurality of spaced apart apertures  696  formed therein. A front surface  685  of the reflector member  684  is preferably mirror chrome plated or has a similar highly reflective surface. The number and spacing of the apertures  696  corresponds to the number and spacing of the LEDs  692  on the circuit board assembly  680 . The walls of the reflector member  684  that define each of the apertures  696  are also mirror chrome plated and taper radially outwardly toward the front surface  685  to form a generally cone-shape profile, best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . A width, indicated by an arrow  698 , of the reflector member  684  is greater than a width, indicated by an arrow  700 , of the circuit board assembly  680 . A plurality of spaced support legs  702  extend from a rear surface of the reflector member  684  along side edges thereof The spacing between the support legs  702  at opposed sides of the reflector member  684  is greater than the width  700  of the circuit board assembly  680  so that the support legs  702  extend beyond the side edges of the circuit board assembly  680  and engage with corresponding support pins  704  extending upwardly from outer edges of the support ribs  622  of the rear housing portion  614 . A flange  683  extends from opposed upper and lower ends of the reflector member  684 . The flange  683  has an upwardly extending portion  683   a  and an outwardly extending portion  683   b , best seen in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0025]     The lens member  686  is received in an aperture  615  extending through an upper portion of the front housing portion  616  during assembly of the utility light  610 . The lens member  686  is preferably constructed of clear plastic material or similar material. The lens member  686  includes a flange  706  extending thereabout. The flange  706  includes a stepped portion  706   a , best seen in  FIG. 5 . A flange  708  on the front housing portion  616  extends about the edges that define the aperture  615 , best seen in  FIG. 5 , for retaining the stepped portion  706   a  upon assembly of the utility light  610 .  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the front housing portion  616  has a peripheral flange  712  on the outer edge that overlaps a cooperating peripheral flange  714  on the outer edge of the rear housing portion  614  when the portions  614  and  616  are secured together by the fasteners  633  extending through the bosses  624  engaged in corresponding posts  632 .  
         [0027]     As seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the lens member  686  has a plurality of focusing portions  710  that correspond in number and position to the LEDs  692 . Each of the focusing portions  710  is formed as a convex protrusion on the rear surface of the lens member  686  facing the reflector member  684 . The focusing portions  710  collect and focus light from the corresponding LEDs  692  to generate a collective focused beam of light exiting the lens member  686 . However, the rear surface of the lens member  686  could be flat, so that no focusing is provided, or the areas adjacent the LEDs  692  could be formed with concave shapes, so that the light exiting the lens member  686  is dispersed for a flood light effect.  
         [0028]     The switch  682  is easily actuated by a thumb or finger of a person (not shown) holding the handle portion  620  to light the LEDs  692  with one hand while also orienting and hanging the light  610  with the same hand. A flexible cover  687  can be provided on the switch  682  to protect it from dirt and liquids.  
         [0029]     A magnet assembly  716  is adapted to be attached to the exterior surface  636  of the rear housing portion  614 . The magnet assembly  716  includes a magnet slide bracket  718  that is attached to the rear housing portion by a fastener (not shown) extending through each aperture  720  (two are shown) formed in the slide bracket  718 . A slide member  722  includes a base  724  and an adjustment bracket  726  extending therefrom The base  724  of the slide member  722  is adapted to be slidably disposed in a slot between spaced apart walls (not shown) on an outer surface of the slide bracket  718 . The adjustment bracket  726  includes a pair of spaced apart flanges  728  each having an aperture extending therethrough. The flanges  728  of the adjustment bracket  726  receive therebetween a washer  730  and a magnet bracket  732  extending from a magnet  734 . The washer  730  and the bracket  732  each include an aperture extending therethrough that receive, along with the apertures in the flanges  728 , a fastener  736  that is secured to the magnet assembly  716  by a handwheel or knob  738 . When the components of the magnet assembly  716  are attached to the utility light  610  and the magnet  734  is magnetically attached to a surface (not shown), the knob  738  allows the tension on the fasener  736  to be reduced and allows adjustment and orientation of the utility light  61  along an axis of rotation about the longitudinal axis of the fastener  736 . The magnet assembly  716  may be easily removed from the utility light  610  by sliding the slide member  722  out of the slot on the slide bracket  718 .  
         [0030]     An electrical schematic of the utility light  610  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The AC to DC converter  690  is provided for converting AC power from the power source  691 , when the power cord  666  is connected to the power source  691 , to the lower voltage DC power required to power the LEDs  696  of the LED circuit board assembly  680 . When the power cord  666  is connected to the power source  691 , the plug  676  is also energized, advantageously allowing the user of the utility light  610  to power, for example, additional electrical tools (not shown).  
         [0031]     The electrical power from the converter  690  is directed through the switch  682  to the LED circuit board assembly  680 . The switch  682  has at least a pair of “on” positions wherein in a first “on” position the switch  682  can direct electrical power from the converter  690  to a first or central group  692   a  of the LEDs  692  wherein only those LEDs in a central portion, for example, of the assembly  680  are lighted. In a second “on” position, the switch  682  directs power to light a second group  692   b  including all of the LEDs  692 . The utility light  610  also includes the indicator  679  that, when the power cord  66  is connected to the power source  691  such that the converter  690  is energized, will indicate that the utility light  610  and the receptacle  676  are energized. The indicator  679  is preferably a red LED mounted in the aperture formed in the exterior surface  636  of the rear housing portion  614 , best seen in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0032]     The utility light  610  shown in  FIGS. 1-6  has the LEDs  692  arranged in five columns of ten rows for a total of fifty LEDs. The center three columns can be the first group  692   a  such that sixty per cent of the total light output is generated by thirty LEDs in the first “on” position of the switch  682 . All of the columns are included in the second group  692   b  such that the total light output is generated by fifty LEDs in the second “on” position of the switch  682 . An alternative array can consist of three columns and eight rows for a total of twenty-four LEDs. In that case, the center column can be the first group  692   a  and all the LEDs can be the second group  692   b . The twenty-four LED array permits a smaller housing  612  since the circuit board assembly  680  will be smaller.  
         [0033]     Of course, any number of LEDs can be used. For example, the patent application Ser. No. 10/915,527, incorporated herein by reference, shows an array of four columns and six rows ( FIG. 2 ) for a total of twenty-four LEDs. The patent application Ser. No. 10/914,805, incorporated herein by reference, shows an array of three columns and ten rows ( FIG. 2 ) for a total of thirty LEDs and an array of three columns and twenty rows ( FIG. 6 ) for a total of sixty LEDs.  
         [0034]     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.

Technology Category: 2