CFL CHANGER

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 CFL CHANGER

MAIN PROJECT REPORT

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of degree

of

Bachelor of Technology

in

Mechanical Engineering

Submitted by

AMIT JAISWAL (5808614)

Under the esteemed guidance of

DR. .........................,B.Tech, M.Tech.,Ph.D

Head of Department

Of

Mechanical Engineering

.................................. ENGINEERING COLLEGE

(Affiliated to ...................................... University)

2014-2015

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.NO. TOPIC PAGE

NO.
1 CANDIDATE’S DECLARTION 4
2 CERTIFICATE 5
3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 6
4 ROLE AND 7
RESPONSIBILITIES
5 PERSONAL ENGINEERING 8
ACTIVITY
6 ABSTRACT 9
7 INTRODUCTION 10
8 DESCRIPTION 11
9 SUMMARY OF THE 13
INVENTION
10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE 15
DRAWINGS
11 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF 19
THE INVENTION
12 ADVANTAGES 24
13 CONCLUSION 25
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 CANDIDATE’S DECLARTION

I hereby certify that the work which is being presented by Amit Jaiswal, Ajay
Singh Chauhan, Rajeev Kumar, Raman Kumar, Vijay Kumar in partial fulfillment
of requirement for the award of degree of B.Tech. in MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
submitted at KALPI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY under KURUKSHETRA
UNIVERSITY, KURUKSHETRA is an authentic record of my own work carried out
under the supervision of Er. Harish Kumar Sharma (HOD) and Er. Vikas Kunnar.

Project Member:

Amit Jaiswal [5808614]

Ajay Singh Chauhan [5808615]
Rajeev Kumar [5808608]
Raman Kumar [5808606]
Vijay Kumar [5808613]

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 CERTIFICATE

This is certify that the dissertation entitled “ CFL CHANGER ” by RAJEEV

KUSHWAHA, AMIT JAISWAL, SANDEEP ANAND SHARMA, MANISH KUMAR
TRIVEDI, PERVEZ KHAN,& DIVYANSH submitted to the Department of
mechanical engineering, Kalpi Institute Of Technology, Ambala in the partial
fulfillment of requirement for the award of Degree of Bachelor of Technology in
mechanical engineering is a record of bonafide work done by him under my
supervision and guidance during the session 2014-15. This work has not been
submitted to any other university or institute for the award of any degree or
diploma.

Head of department & project Guide

Mr.........................

Department of mechanical engineering

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all we would like to thank our project guide Mr. ......................
Assistant Professor, Mechanical engineering Department, Kurukshetra
University who has given valuable support during the course of our
project by clarifying our doubts and guiding us with her novel ideas.

We would like to thank Prof. .........................., Head of department,

mechanical engineering, Kurukshetra University.

We extend our sincere thanks to our Dean ....................................

Department of mechanical engineering for giving us this wonderful
opportunity to work in desired area of interest.

We extend our sincere thanks to all teaching staff of mechanical

engineering department, those who helped us in completing this
project successfully.

Lastly we also thank the people who directly or indirectly gave us

encouragement and support throughout the project.

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Role and Responsibilities

My roles and responsibilities includes:

 Prepare a requirement document to reach expectations of project and to

come up with functionalities which are needed to be implemented.
 Documentation of expected output for various aspects with accepted
margin error was also documented.
 To design overall system based on workflow requirements.
 Discussion with the project guide and Head of Department on ways to
improve the design and to optimize performance.
 Choosing suitable components and methods based on the configurations
availability and requirements.
 Testing and remedies.
 Recommendations

As a trainee mechanical engineer, I wanted to work on a project work

that would showcase my engineering knowledge. I got the opportunity
to work on CFL CHANGER. This project was very important as it
evaluated my skills and talents in my company.

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PERSONAL ENGINEERING ACTIVITY

As a mechanical engineer, before undertaking any task I checked the

feasibility of the project. In this project, my role is as team members.
This report provides an insight into the design and fabrication of a CFL
CHANGER.

I wanted to know more details of the project before commencing;

hence, I researched the topic thoroughly by referring to journals and
articles online. Additionally, I obtained more information by taking
references about the topic.

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 ABSTRACT

Devices for changing a light bulb (e.g., a compact fluorescent lamp or

CFL), especially for those installed in high places, are disclosed. The

device has a cylindrical tubular structure with one end opening to

accommodate a light bulb. In one embodiment, at least one flexible

thin arm with one end shaped to form a hook is pivot ably affixed to the

tubular structure. In another embodiment, a shaped insert is disposed

in the tubular structure to provide necessary friction force to hold the

light bulb in place during the changing process. The present invention is

suitable for changing various types of CFLs.

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INTRODUCTION
A device for changing a light bulb, the device comprising: a cylindrical tubular
structure having a top opening to form an enclosed cup to accommodate the light
bulb therein; and at least one flexible arm being pivotally attached to the
cylindrical tubular structure and rotatable sideways, the arm having a hooked
end, extended from an exterior of the cylindrical tubular structure, beyond the
top opening of the cylindrical tubular structure and inwards to reach a recess
portion of the light bulb, wherein the hooked end of the at least one flexible arm
snaps onto the recess portion of the light bulb when the light bulb is
accommodated to a certain depth of the cup, the at least one flexible arm is
pivotally rotated sideways to release the hooked end off the recess portion of the
light bulb so that the light bulb can be taken out of the enclosed cup.
A device for changing a light bulb with multiple tubes, the device comprising: a
cylindrical tubular structure having a top opening to form a cup; a shaped insert
removably disposed in the cup in the cylindrical tubular structure to
accommodate the light bulb and cause the light bulb to rotate when the
cylindrical tubular structure is caused to rotate, wherein the shaped insert is
made from a flexible material and has an internal space formed to roughly match
surface contours of the multiple tubes of the light bulb, inherent interference
between some flexibility of the shaped insert and the multiple tubes of the light
bulb provides a static friction for holding the light bulb; and at least one flexible
arm being pivotally attached to the cylindrical tubular structure, the arm having a
hooked end, extended from an exterior of the cylindrical tubular structure,
beyond the top opening of the cylindrical tubular structure and inwards to reach a
recess portion of the light bulb to hold up the light bulb.

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DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to mechanical devices for extracting and
installing electrical devices, and more particularly, relates to devices for changing
light bulbs.

2. Description of Related Art

As a way of reducing energy consumption, energy efficient compact fluorescent
lamps (CFLs) are being widely used to replace the traditional high energy
consumption incandescent light bulbs.

A typical CFL is constructed in two parts: a base housing the electronic ballast
circuits, and one or more gas-filled, phosphor-coated, sealed glass tube, or
compact fluorescent tubes (CFT), connected to the ballast circuit. The base of a
CFL is configured to fit into a light fixture outlet. When electricity is introduced,
the ballast circuit provides the required electrical conditions to turn on the CFL. In
general, CFLs are installed either by screwing into a light fixture or by inserting
into a detent socket.

While most incandescent bulbs have almost identical uniform spherical bulb
shapes, the shapes and contours of CFLs may be different significantly. The CFL
base may be in circular shape or a square with rounded corners; the glass of the

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CFL may be in spiral curls or in tubular form with multiple turns; the diameter and
the length of CFLs may also vary depending on the illumination flux, wattage and
application. All these variables increase the complexity of a CFL changer.

Lights are now being installed in many high places, for example, the ceiling of a
lobby. Installing or changing CFLs installed in high places is not as simple as
changing incandescent light bulbs. Because of the complex shapes and the
variations in their configurations, many CFLs cannot be installed using devices
designed for installing regular incandescent light bulbs, such as suction cups, or
tools with multiple prongs, or “fingers” for grapping a light bulb. Changing a CFL
requires extracting and reinserting the CFL into a socket. None of the existing light
bulb changing tools is sufficient to perform such a task. Scaffolds or high ladders
are usually required for workers to reach the CFL in high places in order to change
them manually.

To reduce the potential injury risks of working from an elevated platform or high
ladders, and to reduce the maintenance time, there is a definite need for a device
which can readily change lights (e.g., CFLs) installed in high places.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This section is for the purpose of summarizing some aspects of the present
invention and to briefly introduce some preferred embodiments. Simplifications
or omissions in this section as well as in the abstract or the title of this description
may be made to avoid obscuring the purpose of this section, the abstract and the
title. Such simplifications or omissions are not intended to limit the scope of the
present invention.

In general, the present invention pertains to a device for extracting and installing
specially formed light bulbs (e.g., CFLs), especially for those installed in high
places. According to one aspect of the present invention, the device comprises a
cylindrical tubular structure with its inside diameter large enough to
accommodate a desired light bulb. With at least one flexible arm extended
beyond the tubular structure and inwards to reach the light bulb, the device is
capable of extracting and installing a variety of light bulbs. According to another
aspect of the present invention, a shaped insert disposed in the tubular structure
to readily hold the glass part of a light bulb to screw the light bulb in or out of a
socket. A bore at the bottom of the device, when attached to a long or extendable
pole, allows the device to be used for changing light bulbs installed in high places.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the tubular structure is
rubberized or includes a rubber ring to be applied to the visible portion of a light
bulb. By the pressure and friction between the bulb and the rubber part in
contact, a user can turn the bulb in or out a light base (e.g., a socket).

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The present invention may be implemented in many forms including a method, a
system, an apparatus, or a part of a system. According to one embodiment, the
present invention is a device for changing a light bulb, the device comprising: a
cylindrical tubular structure having a top opening to accommodate the light bulb;
and at least one flexible arm, the arm having a hooked end, extended beyond the
cylindrical tubular structure and inwards, wherein the hooked end of the arm
snaps onto a recess portion of the light bulb when the light bulb is accommodated
to a certain depth.

According to another embodiment, the invention is a device for changing a light

bulb, the device comprising: a cylindrical tubular structure having a top opening;
and a shaped insert disposed in the cylindrical tubular structure to accommodate
the light bulb and cause the light bulb to rotate when the cylindrical tubular
structure is caused to rotate.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent upon examining the following detailed description of an embodiment
thereof, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will
become better understood with regard to the following description, appended
claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows a light bulb changer according to one embodiment of the invention;

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FIGS. 2A and 2B show a front view and a side view of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a light bulb changer according

to another embodiment of the invention;

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FIG. 3B shows a horizontal cross-sectional view of an exemplary shaped-insert.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention with

a flexible torsional spring.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description of the invention is presented largely in terms of

procedures, steps, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations
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that directly or indirectly resemble the operations of one or more mechanical
devices. These process descriptions and representations are typically used by
those skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to
others skilled in the art.

Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough

understanding of the present invention. However, it will become obvious to those
skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these
specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures,
components, and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid
unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present invention.

Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a

particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the
embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The
appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the
specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are
separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments.
Further, the order of blocks in process flowcharts or diagrams representing one or
more embodiments of the invention do not inherently indicate any particular
order nor imply any limitations in the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts
throughout the several views. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary light bulb changer 100
according to an embodiment of the invention. The changer 100 is provided to
grab a light bulb (e.g., a compact fluorescent lamp or CFL) to release it from a
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socket where the light bulb was previously installed. Without implying any
limitation to embodiments of the present invention, a CFL is used throughout the
description herein.

The changer 100 has a cylindrical tubular structure or cup 102 with one end
opened to accommodate a CFL. The other end of the tubular structure is closed
with a base plate having a bore near its center. An interlocking mechanism, for
example, threads, is provided in the bore to accept a pole 104. In general, the
diameter of the cup 102 is larger than that of a CFL. Two flexible arms 106 and
108, shaped to form a hook at one end, are extended beyond the cup 102 and
inwards to narrow down the diameter of the cup 102. As a result, the base of a
CFL can be reached by the two arms 106 and 108 when the CFL is being
accommodated in the cup 102.

Depending on implementation, the cup 102 may be made as a single piece or with
two retractable sections. FIG. 1 shows that the cup 102 includes two sections.
Thus the length of the cup 102 is extendable with two or more tubular sections to
accommodate different lengths of light bulbs. FIG. 1 shows that two arms 106 and
108 are attached to the tubular structure 102 on the other end. Those skilled in
the art can appreciate that the two arms 106 and 108 can be attached or affixed
to the cup 102 in many ways.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show respectively a front and a side view of the light bulb
changer 100 of FIG. 1. A cylindrical tubular structure 202 provided to
accommodate a CFL 204 has a top opening end with a first cylindrical wall 218
extended by a second cylindrical wall 212. These two cylindrical walls 212 and 218
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may be extendable or retractable to a desirable length if needed. Two arms 210 a
and 210 b have one end attached to the cylindrical tubular structure 202 by
mechanical screws 216 a and 216 b. It should be noted that any method that can
affix the flexible arms 210 a and 210 b and allow them to be pivotally moved if
needed may be used. The current invention is not limited to the mechanical
screws disclosed herein.

The other end of the arms 210 a and 210 b extended beyond the top opening of
the tubular structure 218 is bent into a sharp-turn “hook”, (e.g., “hooked-end”
220 a and 220 b). The length and the shape of the flexible arms 210 a and 210 b
are constructed such that when the device 100 slides over to retract a CFL 204,
the hooked-ends are capable of snapping back to catch the recess portion of the
CFL 204. It should also be noted that the number of the flexible arms is not
limited to two as disclosed herein. For example, any substantially evenly spaced
multiple arms are also workable. FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B illustrate that there are two
arms that can be used to snap onto the base of a light bulb. Those skilled in the
art can appreciate that the tabular structure may include a single arm, three or
more arms that shall work equally well to hold a light bulb. Optionally, a base
plate 214 is attached to an end opposite to the opening end of the tubular
structure 202.

To retract or remove a compact fluorescent tubes (CFT) bulb, a user may slide the
cup 102 of FIG. 1 over the CFT and push until the hooked-ends of the flexible arms
106 and 108 snap and catch the recessed portion of the CFT seat. A straight pull
from the pole causes the CFT seat to be separated from its base.

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FIG. 3A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the
invention. Disposed in the cylindrical tubular structure 202 is a shaped insert 310.
The shaped insert 310 is made of either a firm yet compliant material, such as
rubber or high density foam, and molded or fabricated into a shape that is
roughly matching the surface contours of a specific style of CFL 302, or a flexible
deformable material, which conforms dynamically to the surface contour of the
light bulb. During the removal or installation process, the interference between
the shaped insert 310 and the light bulb 304 provides a static friction for holding
the CFL 302. Illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B is a shaped insert for a four-tube
tubular-style CFL. FIG. 3B shows a horizontal cross-sectional view of the illustrated
shaped insert 310. Shaped inserts for other specific types of CFL, for example,
spiral curl CFL, can also be made for changing the respective types of CFLs. A bore
312 near the center of the base plate 214 is provided with suitable detent or
threads to receive a pole.

To use the device to change a CFL installed in high places, where the CFL has to be
screwed in or out, an operator first selects the device 100 with an appropriate
shaped-insert 310 that either matches or dynamically conforms to the contours of
the CFL, and then attaches an extended pole through the detent or the threads in
the bore 312. When the CFL is accommodated in the shaped-insert 310, the
operator may rotate the changer to screw the CFL in or out a socket.

In operation, the CFL is snuggly held by the shaped insert 310 as the device 100
slides over the CFL, and can be safely removed. In the case that a CFL is broken
during the removal or installation, because the CFL is enclosed by the tubular
structure 202 and the bottom plate 214, any fragments from the breakage will be

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securely contained within the device 100. The opacity of the wall of the device
100 also provides a good barrier in blocking out the light from the CFL before it
was removed, allowing the operator to see well during the CFL changing process.

To install a light bulb that requires insertion to a socket: away the hooked ends of
the flexible arms may be swung to clear the opening end of the device 100. A light
bulb to be installed is placed in the cup of the device 100. While aligning the
device 100 to the socket where the light bulb to be inserted, a user may push the
device 100, directly or indirectly from the attached pole,

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention for changing light bulbs
installed in a slant acute angle from the vertical position. The bore 312 at the
bottom plate 214 is fit with a stiff and bendable torsional spring 412, which is to
be coupled to a pole, or an extendable rod. The spring 412 provides some degree
of tolerance and allows the pole to turn or push/pull in an angle deviated from
the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical tubular structure 202. Therefore, light bulbs
installed in a slant angle may be changed through the same procedures as they
were in a vertical position.

While the present invention has been described with reference to specific
embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be
construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present
invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art
without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by
the appended claim. For example, the tubular structure is rubberized or includes
a rubber ring to be applied to the visible portion of a light bulb. By the pressure
and friction between the bulb and the rubber part in contact, a user can turn the

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bulb in or out a light base (e.g., a socket) by rotating the tubular structure via a
rod or extended holder. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined
by the appended claims rather than the forgoing description of embodiments.

ADVANTAGES

 High-access bulb changing made safer and easier.

 Light bulb changers and poles make it easier to change hard to reach light
bulbs without a ladder.
 Eliminate the need for dangerous ladders by using a light bulb changer with
an extendable pole.

CONCLUSION

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After completing the project, conclude that our project is simple in construction
and compact in size for use. Manufacturing of machine is easy and cost of the
machine is less.

REFERENCES
http://www.google.co.in/patents/US8806984

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