GB2374565A

GB2374565A - Hand tool

Info

Publication number: GB2374565A
Application number: GB0104896A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond John Burn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-02-28
Filing date: 2001-02-28
Publication date: 2002-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 2021-02-28
Also published as: GB2374565B; GB0104896D0

Abstract

A hand tool for use in handling or manipulating objects, particularly for use in inserting and removing light bulbs into and from lighting fittings, which comprises a circular suction pad (1) connected to a handle (2) and comprising a base wall (3) joined to a flexible side wall (4) which is of concertina form comprising two ring-shaped portions (4a,4b) joined together along their adjacent circumferential edges by a fold so that the side wall is collapsible in concertina fashion to permit the suction pad to be attached and detached from an object.

Description

HAND TOOL This invention relates to a hand tool for use in handling or manipulating objects.

The invention has been devised primarily with the aim of overcoming the difficulties of inserting and removing light bulbs into and from recessed sockets of lighting fittings mounted in ceilings. These difficulties arise because it is necessary to turn the light bulb and, if the lighting fitting has a bayonet connection, also to press the bulb inwardly.

Usually a person replacing a bulb has to stand on steps, a stool or other article, which can be dangerous particularly for elderly or infirm people, and it is difficult to grip the bulb. Tools have been proposed to enable bulbs to be inserted or removed by a person standing on the floor or ground beneath the lighting fittings but they are complicated and expensive.

A particular aim of the present invention is to provide a tool for this purpose which is simple and relatively inexpensive.

The invention is, however, not limited to tools for use in inserting and removing light bulbs into and from recessed sockets of lighting fittings. It is a general object of the invention to provide a hand tool which can be used for handling or manipulating any appropriate objects and which is simple and relatively inexpensive.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a hand tool for handling or manipulating objects which comprises a suction pad

connected or adapted for connection to a handle, the suction pad comprising a base wall joined to a resiliently flexible side wall which is of concertina form (as defined below).

The term"concertina form"means that the side wall of the suction pad comprises at least two portions joined by a fold or other flexible joint so that the side wall is collapsible in the manner of a concertina. Preferably the side wall consists of just two such interconnected portions although there could be three or more.

The idea is that in use, the suction pad is placed against a surface of an object required to be handled or manipulated and then depressed, thereby causing air to be expelled from inside the pad through the gap between the pad and the said surface, this effect being permitted by collapsing of the concertina form side wall of the pad. The object is then held attached to the suction pad by the suction created inside the pad and can be handled or manipulated by means of the tool.

For example, in the case of lighting fittings, a bulb can be inserted into a socket by attaching it to the suction pad of the tool and then manipulating the tool to offer up the bulb to the socket and insert it into the socket either by turning the bulb if the lighting fitting has a screw connection or by pressing the bulb inwardly and turning it if the fitting has a bayonet connection. To remove a bulb the suction pad is engaged in the same way with the outer end face of the bulb (which is the only part of the bulb which is exposed in the case of a recessed socket).

The suction pad can be easily detached from an object, for example a light bulb after insertion into or removal from a socket, by sliding it across the surface of the object or angularly displacing the suction pad relative to the surface so as to create an opening between the pad and the surface through which air can enter the pad. The concertina form of the side wall of the pad enables this to be done effectively and easily.

The suction pad is preferably circular in shape, the said portions of the side wall being in the form of concentric rings joined along their adjacent circumferential edges.

The suction pad preferably has a connector, for example a socket, for attaching it to a handle, for example a stick or pole. The handle may be of sufficient length to enable the suction pad to be engaged with an object from a remote location, for example to enable a person standing on the floor or ground to reach a light bulb mounted on or in a ceiling.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a hand tool according to the invention, and FIGURE 2 is an outer end view of the tool.

The hand tool shown in the drawings comprises a suction pad 1 connected to a handle 2. The suction pad 1 comprises a hollow circular body formed by a base wall 3 and a side wall 4, the body being open at

the upper end 5 as viewed in FIGURE 1. The side wall 4 comprises two ring-shaped portions 4a, 4b joined together along their adjacent circumferential edges by a fold 6 so that the side wall is collapsible in concertina fashion.

The suction pad 1 has a connector 7 in the form of a projecting cylindrical part formed at its outer end with an internally screw-threaded blind bore 8. This bore is intended to receive an externally screwthreaded spigot 9 projecting from the handle 2. This handle comprises a metal or wooden pole or stick which, depending on the intended use of the tool, may be reasonably short so that it can be grasped in the hand or relatively long so that the suction pad can be manipulated from a remote location.

The suction pad 1 and the connector 7 are formed in one piece of a suitable material, for example a plastics material, so that the side wall 4 of the pad is resiliently deformable.

In use, the suction pad is placed against an object required to be handled or manipulated so that the rim of the pad surrounding the open end 5 contacts a face of the object. The suction pad is then depressed so that the portions 4a, 4b of the side wall close up to one another in concertina fashion, as a result of which air is expelled from the suction pad through the gap between the pad and the said face of the object. The object is then held by the suction pad under the effect of the suction created inside the pad.

To release the object from the tool, the suction pad is either slid sideways across the face of the object or the handle is displaced angularly relative to the face so that a gap opens between the suction pad and the said face allowing air to enter the suction pad. The object and the tool can then be separated from one another.

Apart from being simple and inexpensive to produce, the tool has the advantage that one size of suction pad can be used for manipulating objects within a relatively wide range of sizes, for example the range of normal bulb sizes of domestic lighting, and it is not necessary to provide a series of suction pads of different sizes for this purpose. The tool is easy to use and can be utilised for handling a variety of different objects.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A hand tool for handling or manipulating objects which comprises a suction pad connected or adapted for connection to a handle, the suction pad comprising a base wall joined to a resiliently flexible side wall which is of concertina form comprising at least two portions connected together by a fold or other flexible joint so that the side wall is collapsible in the manner of a concertina.
2. A hand tool as claimed in Claim 1 in which the side wall of the suction pad consists of just two said interconnected portions.
3. A hand tool as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the suction pad is circular in shape, the said portions of the side wall being in the form of concentric rings joined along their adjacent circumferential edges.
4. A hand tool as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3 in which the suction pad has a connector, for example a socket for attaching it to a handle, for example a stick or pole.
5. A hand tool as claimed in Claim 4 which is provided with a said handle which is of sufficient length to enable the suction pad to be engaged with an object from a remote location, for example to enable a person standing on the floor or ground to reach a light bulb mounted on or in a ceiling.
6. A hand tool for handling or manipulating objects substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.