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US 5,381,325 AGranted
Self-positioning lamp fixture with stabilizing base
OwnerJoseph Messanainventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerJoseph Messanainventor
Estimating the term…
A self-positioning light fixture with a stabilizing base comprises a self-righting member in the shape of a spherical segment and a separate lamp supporting member with connecting means to join the two together and to separate each from the other. When separated, a filling neck or spout on the top wall of the self-righting member is exposed through which fluid ballast material such as sand may be poured into the cavity of the self-righting member. The filling neck has external threads to engage the internal threads of a recess opening to the bottom wall of the lamp supporting member when received therein to thereby couple the two members together. Additional fastening screws are provided to more securely connect the self-righting member to the lamp supporting member. A shock absorbing mechanism is provided comprising mounting springs to secure the lamp bulb socket member to the lamp supporting member and thereby protect it from shocks transmitted to the lamp fixture. The spherical segment self-righting member when filled with ballast material and connected to the lamp supporting member will rotate the fixture back to its upright position if tilted away therefrom. A flat bottom wall of the spherical segment self-righting member stabilizes the fixture on its upright position.
A self-positioning lamp fixture, comprising an elongated structure to be supported in a vertical position on a horizontal surface, said elongated structure including self-positioning means to position said elongated structure in said vertical position when placed on a said horizontal surface and to return it to said vertical position when tipped away therefrom, a lamp supporting structure extending from said self-positioning means, said self-positioning means including a segment of a sphere taken between the equatorial plane of said sphere and the pole of said sphere nearest said segment lying on the axis of said sphere which extends normal to said equatorial plane and from the center thereof, said segment having an upper wall and a lower wall, said upper wall lying in a plane which is closer to said equatorial plane than said lower wall, said segment having a planar lower wall spaced apart above said pole of said sphere and below said upper wall, said lower wall of said segment lying in a plane which extends transverse to said axis of said sphere, said lower wall of said segment providing stabilizing means for said lamp fixture to stabilize it in said vertical position when said lower wall is placed on a said horizontal surface, said segment having a continuously curved side wall extending between said upper wall and said lower wall, said segment including ballast means to counter-balance the weight of said lamp supporting structure extending from said self-positioning means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.