GB2449430A

GB2449430A - Illumination device for a cooking utensil or hand tool

Info

Publication number: GB2449430A
Application number: GB0709657A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Thomas Hoffecker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-05-19
Filing date: 2007-05-19
Publication date: 2008-11-26
Also published as: GB0709657D0

Abstract

An illumination device is disclosed including a body (21, figure 2), an electric light emitter (22), a power source (26) for the emitter; and a flexible fastening band (30) having two ends connectable together. The body of the device is attached to the band, and the band has two ends (34, 36) releasably fastenable to a hand held tool (16) such as a barbeque cooking implement.

Description

Illumination device for a cooking utensil or other hand tool

Background of the invention

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an illumination device for attaching to a cooking utensil or other hand tool.

Where a user manipulates an item being held, e.g. a cooking utensil, screw driver, electrical testing probes and the like, it is often necessary to have the other hand free for holding another item, e.g. a further cooking utensil or a can of beer, a screw head, or wires. In low light conditions, it is then not possible to hold a flashlight to illuminate an area of interest at the end of the item being held, if no hands are free.

Description of the prior art

This problem has been has been addressed in the past by the use of lights having their own supporting fixtures, e.g. sprung clamps to affix to a rigid point, or clamps for the same purpose. One disadvantage with such know arrangements is that the light supplied is in one place only. Such light is of little use if a hand tool is being moved around and there is a need for light to follow the hand tool.

When barbeques are used at night, present arrangements do not provide light directly at the food being manipulated, but rather only in one place, where the light is pre-directed. It is possible to adjust the light but that takes time.

Another disadvantage with present designs is that the light is permanently positioned close to the hot coals and so it will become hot. This can be dangerous when the user tries to adjust the light.

Whilst a powerful light could be used to illuminate the whole barbeque brightly, when outdoors, without a convenient mains power supply, batteries for such a light are exhausted quickly.

Tools incorporating built-in lighting are available commercially for example, some drills and screwdrivers have built-in lighting. However, such built-in lights have disadvantages in that they can be used only with one tool and so they cannot be swapped for use with alternate tools. When the tool wears out it must be discarded along with its integral light. In the case of cooking utensils, if a built -in light were employed, it would be difficult to wash the utensil, for example, in a dishwasher, unless an expensive seal system is used, and winter storage would necessitate removal of the batteries.

Summary of the invention

Embodiments of the invention address the problems mentioned above.

The invention consists in an illumination device comprising: a body; an electric light emitter; a source of power for said light emitter; and a flexible fastening band having two ends connectable together; the body housing said light emitter and said power source, the body being attached to the band, and the band extending from the body to form a portion releasably fastenable to a hand held tool when the two ends are fastened together.

In one embodiment said band has a loop in which the body is disposed, for attachment of the body to the band.

The body may have an axis along which light from the light emitter propagates in use.

It will be appreciated that the band may be substantially flat in cross section, that the loop may extend generally around the axis, and that the two ends may extend perpendicular to the axis.

Conveniently said two ends are fastenable by cooperable band end arrangements.

Said arrangements may comprise a hook and loop fastener pair.

The band may be a unitary plastics moulding.

The invention extends to an illumination device as aforementioned and further comprising a hand tool, the hand tool including a handle adjacent a near end, and including a distal end, the device being releasably fastened to the handle of the tool so as to provide light in use to the distal end.

The invention extends also to a cooking utensil comprising an elongate handle adjacent a near end, and comprising a distal end, the utensil including a releasable illumination device the illumination device providing light, in use, at the distal end.

Such a device as mentioned in the paragraph immediately above may comprise the features of the aforementioned illumination device.

The invention provides a method of cooking food on a barbeque in low light conditions, the method comprising the steps of: a) attaching to a cooking utensil a releaseable illumination device and causing the emission of light from the device; b) checking that the food cooking on the barbeque is properly cooked by means of illuminating food with light from the device, at or adjacent an end of the utensil.

Brief description of the drawings

By way of example, one embodiment is described below with reference to the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows an hand tool in the form of a cooking utensil having an illumination device.

Figure 2 shows an illumination device illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows the illumination device of Figure 2 in use.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

With reference to Figure 1 a barbeque 10 is shown having food 12 cooking thereon. A hand held tool, in this case a cooking implement 14 is shown for manipulating the food 12. The implement 14 has a handle 16 and an end 18 distant from the handle.

To aid cooking at night or other low ambient light conditions an illumination device 20 is releasably fastened to the implement. It will be noted that the illumination device 20 is positioned such that light 23 propagating therefrom falls in the vicinity of the end 18 of the implement, so that the food 12 can be inspected during cooking.

Figure 2 shows the device 20 in more detail. The device includes a body 21 which houses a light source 22, in this case a bright LED producing a white' light, an on-off switch 24 and a power source in the form of a battery 26. The colour of the light 23 is important because without a light which is close to the spectra of daylight then the colour of the food cannot accurately ascertained and therefore the degree of readiness of e.g. meat, cannot be judged accurately. The body is formed of plastics material, having an opening end for battery replacement.

Formed around the body 21 is a band 30 of flexible material, in this case plastics. The band 30 is joined at joint 32. Two arms 34 and 36 extend from the joint 32. Arms 34 and 36 have complementary hook and loop type fasteners 38 (e.g. Velcro TM) attached to their ends.

Figure 3 shows the device 20 in position attached to a handle 16. Hook and loop fasteners 38 are releasably fastened together around the handle to hold the device to the handle securely.

In this embodiment the band is a unitary plastics moulding having an opening which matches the size and shape of the body, and the two arms 34 and 36.

Whilst one embodiment has been described above, it will be apparent that modifications, equivalents, alternatives etc are possible within the spirit and scope of the claims.

In particular, whilst the invention has been described as for use with a cooking implement, it may be used with any hand tool which requires illumination at a specific location. The band may be formed of other flexible material such as webbing or leather and may be fastened to the tool/implement by means other than a hook and loop fastener e.g. a belt type buckle.

Claims

Claims 1. An illumination device comprising: a body; a light emitter; a

power source; and a flexible fastening band having two ends connectable together; the body housing the light emitter and the power source, the body being attached to the band, and the band extending from the body to form a portion releasably fastenable to a hand held tool when the two ends are fastened together.
2. An illumination device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said band has a loop in which the body is disposed, for attachment to the body.
3. An illumination device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the body has an axis along which light from the light emitter propagates in use.
4. An illumination device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the band is substantially flat, wherein the loop extends generally around the axis and wherein the two ends extend generally perpendicular to the axis.
An illumination device as claimed in claimi wherein said two ends are fastenable by cooperable band end arrangements.
6. An illumination device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said arrangements comprise a hook and loop fastener pair.
7. An illumination device as claimed in claimi wherein the band is a unitary plastics moulding.
8. An illumination device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a hand tool, the hand tool including a handle adjacent a near end, and including a distal end, the device being releasably fastened to the handle of the tool so as to provide light in use to the distal end.
9. An illumination device as claimed in claimi wherein in use light emitted from the light emitter has spectra approximating to natural light.
10. An illumination device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the body is cylindrical about the axis.
11. A hand held cooking utensil comprising an elongate handle adjacent a near end, and comprising a distal end, the utensil including also a releasable illumination device, the illumination device providing light, in use, at the distal end.
12. A cooking utensil as claimed in claim 11 wherein, the illumination device includes: a body; an electric light emitter; a power source for the light emitter; and a flexible fastening band having two ends connectable together; the body housing the light emitter and the power source, the body being attached to the band, and the band extending from the body to form a portion releasably fastenable to a hand held tool when the two ends are fastened together.
13. A method of cooking food on a barbeque in low light conditions, the method comprising the steps of: a) attaching to a cooking utensil a releaseable illumination device and causing the emission of light from the device; b) checking that the food cooking on the barbeque is properly cooked by means of illuminating food with light from the device, at or adjacent an end of the utensil.