US2456867A - Bed table - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 21, 1948. B DA COSTA I 21,456,867

BED TABLE Filed Jan. 26, 1946 Mmsmrzw,

lPatented Dec. 21', 17948A "UNITED `s'rA'rEs vPrirrsrl'r OFFICE Bartholomew da Costa, Long Island City, N. Application January 26, 1946, Serial No. 643,545

3 Claims. 1 I 'I hisinvention relates to bed tables or the like, although it may also be applied to other articles of furniture and in other ways than herein set forth, and the main object of the invention is the provision of a bed table having simple, inexpensive and efficient means for throwing a small but suflicient amount of illumination upon turning on of an electric switch, to enable a person to see sufciently well about the room without necessitating rising from the bed to turn on a wall switch or a lamp. Such illumination is sufficient for ordinary purposes While the person remains in the bed, for instance, to select a bottle of medicine or other container or article from the table, or to look for a handkerchief which has slipped from under the pillow, and for many other purposes. Moreover, such a moderate amount of illumination is insuiiicient to awaken another person who may also be occupying the room.

The above general as well as additional and more specific objects will become apparent in the following description, wherein character of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the drawings are intended for the purpose of illustration only, and that it is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the specific details of construction shown, excepting insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briey to the drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a bed table embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the drawer or compartment positioned immediately under the top panel of the table.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a bed table having the top panel thereof provided with a hole or opening I2 therethrough. A drawer I3 is slidably mounted in the table under the panel I I, having the bottom |4, the side Walls I5, the front and back walls I6 and I1, respectively.

Mounted on the drawer bottom or oor I4 is a base I8, and the same may be secured to the floor as by screws I9. The base I8 contains an upright bulb or lamp socket 20, adapted to receive a small powered lamp bulb 2| therein. A conical reflector' 22 is mounted on the base or socket, substantially as shown, surrounding the bulb 2|. The axis of the bulb and reflector is positioned so that it will be in alignment with the center of the panel hole I2 when the drawer is fully closed. The open end of the reflector is of greater diameter than that of the opening I2 so that in the event the drawer is nearly but not fully closed, as is frequently the case, a goodly portion of the illumination from the bulb and reflector will still pass through the opening I2, rather than a substantially diminished amount if the open end of the reflector were only of the same or of lesser diameter than that of the opening I2.

One or more dry cells 23 are mounted on the floor I4 of the drawer I3, and the cells may be separated from the remainder of the drawer com partment by a partition 24. A rotary snap switch 25 is mounted in the drawer wall i6, with the stem 21 thereof extending through this wall and terminating on the outside with a knurled knob 2B. The latter thus also serves as a drawer handle.

With the switch turned on, light from the bulb 2| passes through the hole I2 both directly from the bulb and by reflection and diffusion from the reflector, so that the hole serves as the source of a wide diffused illumination which sets up a suicient glow throughout the room to serve the purposes above-mentioned. The knob or button 26 can be easily reached. by the person in bed, as bed tables are conveniently placed next the bed, and the illumination is constantly at hand ready for use as and when desired.

The cost of manufacture and installation of the invention is obviously low, and the life and durability of the installation are high.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A table having a table panel, said panel having an opening therethrough, a drawer slidably mounted in said table under said panel, a base mounted in said drawer and so positioned as to lie under said opening when the drawer is closed, said base having a lamp socket so positioned thereon as to lie under said opening when said drawer is closed, said socket being adapted to have a lamp bulb mounted therein, a reflector surrounding said socket to reflect the light from said bulb upward, the greatest diameter of said reflector being larger than the diameter of said opening, and means for energizing said bulb.

2. A table having a table panel, said panel having an opening therethrough, a drawer` slidably mounted in said table under said panel, a base mounted in said drawer and so positioned as to lie under said opening when the drawer is closed, said base having a lamp socket so posi-` tioned thereon as to lie under said opening when said drawer is closed, said socket being adapted to have a lamp bulb mounted therein, an upright substantially conical reector surrounding said socket to reflect the light from said bulb upward, the diameter of the upper end of said reflector being greater than the diameter of said opening, and means for energizing said bulb.

3. A table having a table panel, said panel having an opening therethrough, a drawer slidably mounted in said table under said panel, a base mounted in said drawer and so positioned as to lie under said opening when the drawer is closed, said base having a lamp socket so positioned thereon as to lie under said opening when the drawer is closed, said socket being adapted to have a lamp bulb mounted therein, an upright substantially conical reflector surrounding said socket to reect the light from said bulb upward, the upper end of said reector having a diameter greater than the diameter of said opening, and means for energizing said bulb comprising a 4 e battery cell and an electric switch in series with said socket, said switch comprising a. housing secured against the inside of the front wall of said drawer and having an actuating stem ex- 5 tending through said wall, and a knob on said stem on the outside of said wall. said knob serving also as a handle for the drawer.

BARTHOLOMEW DA COSTA. 1 f.. REERENQES .CITED y v.The following references are of record in the *file of this patent:

w UNITED STATES PATENTS Numberv Name DateV 2,145,238 Falk Jari. 31, 1939 2,198,077 Curtis Apr. 23. 194D f FOREUN PATENTS zo Number Country Date France June 25,1934;

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