GB2110359A

GB2110359A - A portable lamp device

Info

Publication number: GB2110359A
Application number: GB08232558A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Trevor Donald Corbett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-11-26
Filing date: 1982-11-15
Publication date: 1983-06-15
Also published as: GB2110359B

Abstract

A lamp device comprises a main housing (10) provided with a carrying handle (12). A pair of trays (28) are detachably connectible one to each side of the main housing (10) so that each tray can be fastened to the main housing with the access opening in the tray closed off by the respective side wall (30) of the main housing. Each tray (28) may accommodate one or more items for use, for example, in electrical circuit testing and electrical repairs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A portable lamp device This invention relates to a portable lamp device which, in addition to providing a source of light, also acts as a carrier for articles, such as tools, which are likely to be used in situations where a source of light is required.

According to the present invention I provide a portable lamp device comprising a Inain housing provided with a carrying handle and including a battery storage space, and at least one storage member which is detachably connectible to the main housing whereby the main housing and said at least one storage member, when connected together, can be carried together as a unit by means of the carrying handle of the main housing, the detachable connection between the or each storage member and the main housing being such that the member can be either entirely separated from the main housing or at least hinged relative thereto into a position allowing access to the contents of the storage member.

Preferably the or each storage member is in the form of a tray with a base, upstanding side walls and an open top, means being provided on the or each tray and/or on the main housing for detachably fastening the or each tray so that the open top thereof is closed by a side wall or respective side walls of the main housing.

Conveniently said means includes a snapengageable detent formation or formations so that the or each tray can be fastened to the main housing by pushing it towards the main housing until the detent or detent formations snap-engage and retain the tray in a position in which the open top thereof is closed off by the adjacent side wall of the main housing. Likewise, the or each tray can be detached from the main housing by pulling it away from the main housing until the snapengagement of the detent formation of formations is overcome.

As well as providing a battery storage space, the main housing may be provided with a slidable drawer for accommodating articles such as an electrical mains tester.

In a preferred embodiment, the main housing is intended for use in conjunction with a pair of trays, each of which may, for example, accommodate a range of articles and accessories for use in carrying out various tasks. For example, it is envisaged that for electrical tasks, one tray may accommodate a screw driver, a cable stripper, and a combined mains tester and fuse tester. The second tray may accommodate fuse wire, adhesive P.V.C. tapes of different colours, a spare bulb for the lamp and a range of fuses.

The trays may be substantially identical in terms of external appearance and dimensions and may be interchangeable with each other and also other substantially identical trays accommodating other useful articles so that the user may attach appropriate trays to the main housing according to the particular task to be undertaken. For example, as well as trays containing electrical accessories, there may be a tray containing accessories for carrying out routine tests and checks on cars (e.g. feeler gauges, a tyre pressure gauge, tyre thread depth gauge, spark plug tester etc), a tray containing a first aid kit, a tray containing an emergency breakdown kit for cars, etc.

To promote further understanding of the invention, one embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lamp device in accordance with the invention with the trays shown separated from the main housing; and Fig. 2 is a front view of the device with the trays shown attached to the main housing.

As shown, the lamp device comprises a main housing 10 provided with a carrying handle 12, a lamp reflector and bulb mounting assembly 14, a storage space 1 6 (see Fig. 2) for accommodating a battery 1 5 for powering the bulb and a switch 1 8 for controlling operation of the lamp. The battery compartment 16 is closed by a removable cover 20 to allow battery renewal when necessary. Beneath the battery compartment 16, the housing 10 defines a space 22 (see Fig. 2) for reception of a slidable drawer 24 (see Fig. 1) which may accommodate a tool or other article such as a circuit tester 26.

The main housing 10 is adapted for use with any two (at one time) of a range of trays 28 of substantially identical external appearance and dimensions. The trays 28 are each detachably connectible to respective ones of the side walls 30 of the main housing 10 so that, when connected as shown in Fig. 2, the trays and the main housing can be carried as a unit. When access is required to the contents of one or both trays, they can be detached from the main housing in the manner seen in Figure 1.

In the illustrated embodiment, the tray attachment means comprises inter-fitting male and female formations 31, 32 along the bottom edges of the trays and the main housing, which formations may serve to fulcrum the trays for hinging movement about the bottom edges of the main housing, and snap-engageable detent formations 34 cooperable with a recess or aperture 36 in the top side wall 38 of each tray. In this way, each tray is secured to the main body by registering the formations 31, 32 and then hinging the tray about these formations so that the detent 34 slides over the top wall 38 and enters the recess or aperture 36 with a snapengaging action. Detachment of the tray may be effected by pulling the tray in the opposite direction to cause the detent 34 to ride out of the recess or aperture 36.

As shown in Fig. 1, the left hand tray accommodates pliers 40, mains tester 42 and screwdriver 44 while the right hand tray contains items such as adhesive, PVC tapes 46, 48, a spare bulb 50 for the lamp, fuse wire 52 and fuses 54. The trays 28 are inter-changeable with one another or with identical trays containing other items and, in the illustrated embodiment, they are completely detachable from the main housing. In an alternative embodiment, the trays may be hingedly connected (in at least a semipermanent manner) to the main housing and releasable detent formations (which may be similar to the detent 34 in the illustrated embodiment) may be provided for fastening the trays in the closed positions in which their open tops are closed off by side walls of the main housing. In this event, the main housing trays may be plastics mouldings integrally united by webs of the plastics material serving as hinges.

In a modification the formations 31 may be replaced by a single continuous flange with corresponding appropriate modification of the formations 32. In this event, flanges may be provided along the opposite edge of the tray, i.e.

on wall 38 in such a way that they do not interfere with co-operation between detent 34 and aperture 36, whereby the flanges on the opposite edges of the tray can function as drawer slides so that the trays (when not in use with the main housing) can be stored one above the other in a drawer housing.

Claims

1. A portable lamp device comprising a main housing provided with a carrying handle and including a battery storage space, and at least one storage member which is detachably connectible to the main housing whereby the main housing and said at least one storage member, when connected together, can be carried together as a unit by means of the handle of the main housing, the detachable connection between the or each storage member and the main housing being such that the member can be either entirely separated from the main housing or at least hinged relative thereto into a position allowing access to the contents of the storage member.

2. A lamp device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the or each storage member is in the form of a tray with a base, upstanding walls and an open top, means being provided on the or each tray and/or on the main housing for detachably fastening the or each tray so that the open top thereof is closed by a side wall or a respective side wall of the main housing.

3. A lamp device as claimed in Claim 2 in which said means includes a snap-engageable detent formation or formations whereby the or each tray can be fastened to the main housing by pushing it towards the main housing until the formation snap-engage and retain the tray.

4. A lamp device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which the main housing is provided with a slidable drawer.

5. A lamp device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 in which the main housing is adapted for use with a pair of storage members which are detachably connectible to the main housing on opposite sides thereof.

6. A lamp device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 in which there are a plurality of storage members of substantially identical configurations and dimensions at least as viewed externally.

7. A lamp device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 in which the or each storage member is integrally united with the main housing so as to be hingeable relative thereto, with means being provided for detachably connecting the or each storage member to the main housing in a closed hinged position in which an access opening to the interior of the storage member is closed by a side wall of the main housing.

8. A lamp device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.