Background of the Invention Numerous light bulb removal tools have been patented which alleviate the problems associated with replacing light bulbs from remote locations. One such problem is accessibility. Overhead lights are purposefully positioned out of reach to minimize risks associated with heat burns and unintentional contact which could result in globe glass breakage. Another problem stems from the variety of angles from which bulbs must be extracted and replaced from these remote locations, such as from chandeliers and hanging light arrangements. Another problem is the adjustability of the handle to reach light bulbs at varying distances.

United States Patent No. 1,514, 814 to Allen, discloses an electric bulb holder which has bulb gripping arms that are pivotally connected to a slidable member which causes the bulb gripping arms to spread around the light bulb and then collapse to grip the light bulb.

Once the user has a grip of the light bulb, she must rotate the whole bulb holder to screw or unscrew the light bulb. Further, the handle in this patent does not have a flexible arm for reaching light bulbs that are at an angle.

United States Patent No. 2,983, 541 to Maki discloses a device for removing or placing light bulbs in sockets. Specifically, the device taught by Maki consists of a fixed rod with a bendable arm for reaching light bulbs at different angles. The patent discloses using a helicoidal operating member inside the bendable arm which is bendable and rotatable.

However, the device taught by Maki, by having a fixed rod, does not allow the user to adjust the rod to different heights. Also, the user must use an air bulb to create suction in an engaging cup to engage the light bulb. This is disadvantageous to the user, because the cup is not adjustable to engage different sized light bulbs.

U. S. Patent No. 2,616, 743 to Negley discloses a light bulb changer having a rigid handle and a bendable arm attached to the handle. Although this light bulb changer allows the user to bend the arm to engage light bulbs at different angles, the light bulb changer does not allow the user to adjust the handle to different heights. Further, the light bulb changer taught by Negley does not allow the user to adjust the mechanism to fit differently sized light bulbs.

United States Patent Nos. 1,202, 432 and 1,201, 506 to Rozelle et al. , both disclose an adjustable device for placing and removing electric light bulbs. Specifically, the device taught in these patents utilizes a rod which has a pivoting section about a clamp screw for reaching light bulbs at different angles. However, the pivoting section is locked by tightening the clamp screw, which is burdensome on the user, because the user must use a screw driver, or some other external tool, to lock the pivoting shaft. Further, the rods taught in this patent are also adjustable to reach light bulbs at different heights, but the mechanism to lock the rods at a desired height is limiting. The mechanism to prevent the sliding of the rods consists of pins positioned along the rod which are configured to slide into a bayonet slot cut into the outer surface of the rod. Therefore, the user can only adjust the rod at certain heights, which is burdensome if the light bulb is at a height that does not correspond to any of the positions available on the rod.

Summary of the Invention A light bulb changer includes an outer tube and an inner tube positioned within the outer tube. The outer and inner tubes are adjustable along a longitudinal axis in relation to each other. The inner tube has a rotating member which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis by a corresponding grip. The light bulb changer also includes a flexible arm coupled with the outer tube with a flex cable running through the arm. The flex cable in the flexible arm rotates in agreement with the rotating member by means of a transferring mechanism and drives a clasping mechanism comprising a plurality of spring urged fingers. The spring urged fingers are adjustable to clasp different sized light bulbs by a sliding collar coupled to the clasping mechanism. The device also comprises a locking mechanism for allowing or preventing the outer tube and the inner tube from sliding relative to each other at any position Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 illustrates a segmented cross sectional view of the light bulb changer device for engaging a light bulb in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2a illustrates a cross sectional view of the light bulb changer device of the present invention below the locking mechanism.

Fig. 2b illustrates a cross sectional view of the light bulb changer device of the present invention in Fig. 2a along section B-B.

Fig. 3 illustrates a cross sectional view of the light bulb changer device of the present invention above the transferring mechanism.

Fig. 4 illustrates the light bulb changer device of the present invention engaging light bulbs in three different positions.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Fig. 1 shows a segmented cross sectional view of the light bulb changer device 100 for engaging a light bulb 99. Generally, the device 100 shown in Fig. 1 has a clasping mechanism 111 comprising several fingers 110 for clasping the light bulb 99, a head unit 112, a flexible arm 114, an outer tube 116, an inner tube 118 located within the outer tube 118 slidable along a longitudinal axis 98 which passes through the center of both tubes, and a turning grip 120 coupled to the inner tube 118. The specifics of each section will be discussed in detail below and in the additional drawings.

Fig. 2a illustrates a cross sectional view of the light bulb changer 100 below the locking mechanism 148. The inner tube 118 has an upper and lower end and is positioned within the outer tube 116 which also has an upper and lower end. The tubes are also positioned such that the upper ends of the tubes and the lower ends of the tubes correspond to each other respectively and are slidable with respect to each other along the same longitudinal axis 98. It must be noted, however, that although the preferred embodiment has one inner tube and one outer tube, more tubes may be coupled together along the longitudinal axis 98, as appropriate, to allow the user to reach light bulbs at varying distances.

The light bulb changer 100 in Fig. 2a has a lock notch 160 which prevents the inner tube 118 from sliding out of the outer tube 116. As shown in Fig. 2a, the lock notch 160 is located on the proximal end of the outer tube 116 and is positioned such that it does not allow the locking mechanism 148 to slide past the lock notch 160. The light bulb changer 100 also has a locking mechanism 148 which controls the ability of the tubes 116 and 118 to slide with respect to each other at any point along the longitudinal axis 98. In the preferred embodiment, the locking mechanism 148 comprises a tapered bushing 150 coupled to a lock sleeve 152 where the tapered bushing 150 has an end 158 that is attached to the upper end of the inner tube 118. Preferably, the tapered bushing 150 is threaded and tapered at its outer surface 154, and the lock sleeve 152 is also threaded and tapered along its inner surface 156.

Thus, the locking mechanism 148 is configured such that the threaded portion of the outer surface 154 of the tapered bushing 150 is registered with the threaded portion of the inner surface 156 of the lock sleeve 152. To lock the locking mechanism 148, the user turns the inner tube 118 to rotate the threaded portion 154 of the tapered bushing 150 upwards against the threaded portion 156 of the lock sleeve 152. The tapered shape of the tapered bushing 150 in its upward movement forces the lock sleeve 152 to expand about the longitudinal axis 98 and press against the inside of the outer tube 116. As a result, the inner tube 118 is prevented from sliding relative to any point on the outer tube 116 along the longitudinal axis 98.

The turning grip 120 is positioned around the lower end of the inner tube 118 and is coupled to a hollow rotating shaft 122, in which the rotating shaft 122 extends along the longitudinal axis 98 from the turning grip 120 to a transferring mechanism 128, illustrated in Fig. 3. The turning grip 120 rotates freely about the longitudinal axis 98 and operates the rotating shaft 122 about the longitudinal axis 98. Preferably, the rotating shaft 122 is retained within the lower end of the inner tube 118 by a grip bushing 126, which is pressed into the bottom of the inner tube 118 between the shaft 122 and the turning grip 120. The hollow rotating shaft 122 has an outer cylindrical shape and an inner square cavity for housing a rotating rod or member 124, as shown along cross section B-B in Fig. 2b. The rotating rod 124 is located within the rotating shaft 122 and extends along the longitudinal axis 98 to the transferring mechanism 128, illustrated in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 2b, the rotating rod 124 preferably has a square shaped cross section to correspond to the inside shape of the rotating shaft 122. However, it should be noted that the rotating rod 124 may have any other shape.

Thus, the rotating rod 124 rotates in the same direction as the rotating shaft 122 about the longitudinal axis 98.

Fig. 3 illustrates a cross sectional view of the light bulb changer 100 above the transferring mechanism 128. Preferably, the rotational motion of the rotating rod 124 is transferred to a flex cable 130 by a transferring mechanism 128. The transferring mechanism 128 is preferably located within a connector 134 which serves to connect the upper end of the outer tube 116 to the flexible arm 114. However, the transferring mechanism 128 can be located anywhere in the device 100. In the preferred embodiment, the transferring mechanism 128 is made of plastic cable bushing and is attached to the flex cable 130 by crimping metal ferrule around the flex cable 130. Also, the transferring mechanism 128 is attached to the rotational rod 124 by two set screws 132. Thus, the rotation of the rod 124 is transferred by the set screws 132 to the transferring mechanism 128. This, in turn, causes the transferring mechanism 128 to rotate with the rod 124. As a result, the rotation of the transferring mechanism 128 causes the flex cable 130 to rotate in agreement with the rod 124.

The flex cable 130 is preferably contained in a flexible shaft 115 within the flexible arm 114. However, it must be noted that the flexible shaft 115 is not required. The flexible arm 114 is made up of several individual links 136 connected end to end and movable relative to each other. Preferably, the links 136 are ball and socket joints coupled together to be movable and twistable in any direction. Also, the links 136 can hold a certain configuration solely by friction. Details concerning the flexible arm 114 may be found in United States Patent No. 5,572, 913 to Nasiell, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The flex cable 130 is also bendable at any angle and rotates when bent. Therefore, the flex cable 130 will rotate in agreement with the rod 124 at any angle, even when the flexible arm 114 is rotated 180 degrees to the inner and outer tubes (as shown in, Fig. 4).

The flexible arm 114 is preferably coupled to a head bushing 13 8, where one end of the head bushing 138 is positioned and freely rotatable inside the flexible arm 114. The other end of the head bushing 138 is threaded to a head unit 112. The flex cable 130 is coupled to the head unit 112 by a pair of set screws 132. The set screws 132 allow the head unit 112 to rotate in agreement with the flex cable 130. The head unit 112 is also coupled to a set of fingers 110, also referred to as a clasping mechanism 111, such that the rotation of the head unit 112 and the clasping mechanism 111 rotate in agreement with each other.

Preferably, the fingers 110 extend in an octagonal pattern with pads 139 on the interior surface of each finger 110, which aid in gripping the light bulb 99. Preferably, each pad 139 is set and attached to the interior of each finger 110 by an adhesive, such as glue.

Alternatively, any other appropriate means of attaching the pad 139 to the finger 110 are used. The fingers 110 are tensioned or spring urged to snugly fit over the light bulb 99 to screw or unscrew the light bulb 99 from its socket. The set of fingers 110 is also connected to a sliding collar 144. Specifically, each finger 110 in the clasping mechanism 111 has a protruding tab 140 set into a circular groove 142 around the sliding collar 144. The sliding collar 144 is positioned inside the head unit 112 and slides along the longitudinal axis 98 within the cavity 146 of the head unit 112. The sliding collar 144 slides in various positions along the head unit 112 by saw-tooth detents (not shown) on the head unit 112. Depending on the position of the sliding collar 144, the spacing between the fingers 110 increases or decreases to allow the clasping mechanism 111 to clasp different sized light bulbs 99.

Preferably, each finger is shaped such that a portion of the finger 110 is close to the longitudinal axis 98 near the sliding collar 144, and gradually extends in an outward direction, away from the longitudinal axis 98 to the area where the pad 139 is attached.

Further, each finger 110 is preferably made of an elastic material to allow the fingers 110 to bend toward or away from each other, depending on where the collar 144 is positioned. Thus, the user is able to adjust the fingers 110 to be far apart from each other and have a large distance between oppositely facing fingers 110 when the sliding collar 144 is in the upper position, as shown in Fig. 3. In contrast, the user is also able to adjust the fingers to be close together and have a smaller distance between oppositely facing fingers 110 when the collar 144 is slid to the lower position (not shown). This feature allows the user to adjust the clasping mechanism 111 mechanism to engage bulbs of different diameters and sizes from flood lights to Christmas bulbs.

In operation, as shown in Fig. 4, the user adjusts the fingers 110 to correspond to fit snugly around a light bulb 99 by moving the sliding collar 144 upwards or downwards on the head unit 112. The flexible arm 114 is then adjusted to the desired configuration to allow the clasping mechanism 111 or fingers 110 to be able to reach the light bulb 99 in any orientation, including hard to reach areas. The user then adjusts the length of the light bulb changer 100 by turning the inner tube 118 clockwise, thereby loosening the locking mechanism 148, and sliding the inner tube 118 within the outer tube 116 accordingly. Once the desired length is achieved, the user prevents the tubes from sliding in relation to each other by turning the inner tube 118 counter clockwise, thereby tightening the locking mechanism 148.

The user then positions the fingers 110 around the light bulb 99 and engages the light bulb 99. Once the light bulb 99 is engaged, the user turns the turning grip 120 counter- clockwise, causing the fingers 110 to rotate and removes the light bulb 99 from the socket.

Specifically, the turning grip 120 turns the rotating rod 124 via the rotating shaft 122. The rotation of the rotating rod 124 is transferred by the transferring mechanism 128 to the flex cable 130, which is within the flexible arm 114. The rotation of the flex cable 130 is then imparted to the clasping mechanism 111 and fingers 110 via the bushing mechanism 138 and head unit 112. Thus, a clockwise rotation of the turning grip 120 causes the fingers 110 to rotate clockwise in any orientation of the flexible arm 114. Likewise, a counterclockwise rotation of the turning grip 120 causes the fingers 110 to rotate counterclockwise in any orientation of the flexible arm 114.

The user is then able to change the light bulb 99 by loosening the locking mechanism 148 and sliding the inner tube 118 to shorten the overall length of the light bulb changer 100.

With the bulb 99 in reachable distance, the user can then remove the light bulb 99 from the fingers 110. Screwing in a light bulb 99 is done by the same method, except that the user turns the turning grip 120 counterclockwise.

The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of the principles of construction and operation of the invention. Such reference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modification s may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.