Holder for a flashlight

Abstract

This invention provides an elongated flexible member that is capable of being formed into a plurality of differing shapes so that it can be supported at a variety of locations and has retaining means for retaining it in a desired shape so that a holder connected to one end thereof can hold a flashlight at any desired position relative thereto.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for holding a flashlight at a desired location comprising: an elongated flexible member capable of being moved into a plurality of differing shapes.Iadd., the elongated flexible member comprising a plurality of interconnected segments.Iaddend.;   retaining means for retaining said elongated flexible member in a desired shape;   holding means connected to an end portion of said elongated flexible member for holding a flashlight at a desired location;   attachment means comprising a portion of said elongated flexible member itself for attaching said elongated flexible member on a fixed object; and wherein said attachment means comprise:   a central body section, a male end section .Iadd.at an end of the central body section and.Iaddend., an externally threaded end section .[.and.]. .Iadd.at another end of the central body section, the attachment means having .Iaddend.a longitudinal axis; and   said male end section having an outer surface having a configuration similar to that of .[.said.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.male end portion of .[.said.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.segment.   
     
     
       2. A device as in claim 1 and further comprising: connecting means for connecting said holding means to said end portion of said elongated flexible member to permit relative angular and rotational movement between said holding means and the remaining portion of said elongated flexible member.   
     
     
       3. A device as in claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises: a member having a generally arcuate cross-sectional configuration and a longitudinal axis; and   said member having an arcuate extent greater than 180 degrees and having spaced apart terminal end portions.   
     
     
       4. A device as in claim 3 wherein: said member being formed from a resilient material so that said terminal end portions may be spread apart as said flashlight is inserted therein and function to resile back and exert a resilient force on said flashlight to hold it at a desired location.   
     
     
       5. A device as in claim 4 wherein: .[.said elongated flexible member comprises a plurality of interconnected segments.]. .Iadd.the flashlight comprises a power source connected to an end of the elongated flexible member.Iaddend..   
     
     
       6. A device as in claim 5 wherein each of said segments comprises: a central body portion, a male end portion .Iadd.at an end of the central body portion, and .Iaddend.a female end portion .[.and.]. .Iadd.at the other end of the central body portion, each of the segments having .Iaddend.a longitudinal axis.   
     
     
       7. A device as in claim 6 wherein: said male end portion .Iadd.of a first interconnected segment .Iaddend.having an outer surface comprising a frustum of a sphere; and   said female end portion .Iadd.of a second interconnected segment .Iaddend.having an inner surface comprising a frustum of a sphere and dimensioned to receive said male end portion .Iadd.of the first interconnected segment .Iaddend.to permit relative movement between .Iadd.the .Iaddend.interconnected .Iadd.first and second .Iaddend.segments so that .[.their.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.longitudinal axes .Iadd.of the first and second segments .Iaddend.are either in or out of alignment and permit.[.s.]. unrestricted rotational movement therebetween.   
     
     
       8. A device as in claim 7 wherein said retaining means comprise: frictional forces between said outer and inner surfaces when said male end portion .Iadd.of the first .Iaddend.segment is within said female end portion .Iadd.of the second segment .Iaddend.to retain interconnected segments in the shape to which they have been moved.   
     
     
       9. A device as in claim 8 wherein: each or said segments is formed from a plastic material.   
     
     
       10. A device as in claim 1 wherein: said central body section having an outer surface configuration for receiving a tool for rotating said attachment means. .Iadd.   
     
     
       11.  A device for positioning a flashlight comprising: (a) an elongated flexible member capable of being formed into a plurality of differing shapes, wherein said elongated flexible member comprises a plurality of discrete rotatable interconnected segments, each of the discrete rotatable interconnected segments having a male end and a female end for connecting to an adjacent discrete rotatably interconnected segment, whereby the elongated flexible member is capable of being wrapped completely around a portion of an object for retaining said elongated flexible member in a desired position; and   (b) a flashlight engaging said elongated flexible member, wherein each discrete rotatable interconnected segment in said plurality of discrete rotatable interconnected segments has unrestricted rotational movement relative to an adjacent discrete rotatable interconnected segment and wherein the female end has a socket formed by a frustum of a sphere defined by an inner surface of the female end and an opening for receiving the male end of an adjacent rotatably interconnected segment, the opening having a perimeter and a plurality of points on the perimeter of the opening, wherein a plurality of lines connects all of the points on the perimeter of the opening with a center of the frustum of a sphere and all of the lines form a plurality of angles with a longitudinal axis of the female end, each of the plurality of angles having a magnitude, such that the magnitudes of all of the plurality of angles are substantially the same..Iaddend..Iadd.12. The device of claim 11, wherein each of said discrete rotatable interconnected segments comprises a central body portion, a male end portion at an end of the central body portion, and a female end portion at another end of the central body portion and each of the discrete rotatable interconnected segments has a longitudinal axis; and   (i) said male end portion of a first segment has an outer surface comprising a frustum of a sphere; and   (ii) said female end portion of a second segment, that is rotatably interconnected to the first segment, has an inner surface comprising a frustum of a sphere and dimensioned to receive said male end portion of the first segment to permit relative movement between the rotatably interconnected first and second segments so that the longitudinal axes of the first segment and the second segment are either in or out of alignment   
     
     
        and to permit rotational movement therebetween..Iaddend..Iadd.13.  The device of claim 11, wherein said elongated flexible member comprises retaining means for retaining said elongated flexible member in a desired shape to maintain said device in said desired position on said object..Iaddend..Iadd.14. The device of claim 13, wherein said desired shape is a loop and a portion of said object is contained within said loop..Iaddend..Iadd.15. A device for positioning a flashlight comprising: (a) an elongated flexible member capable of being wrapped completely around a portion of an object for retaining the elongated flexible member in a desired position, said elongated flexible member comprising a plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments wherein a first end of each of said plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments includes a female end portion having a longitudinal axis and a second end of each of said plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments includes a male end portion having a longitudinal axis, the female end portion being connected to the male end portion of an adjacent discrete, rotatably connected segment to permit relative movement between adjacent discrete, rotatably connected segments so that the longitudinal axes of connected female and male end portions of adjacent discrete, rotatably connected segments are either in or out of alignment; and   (b) a flashlight connected to said elongated flexible member, wherein said female end portion of each of the plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments has an inner surface comprising a frustum of a sphere wherein the frustum of a sphere has an opening sized to receive the male end portion of an adjacent discrete, rotatably connected segment and wherein substantially of the opening is contained in a common plane to provide each of the plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments with substantially identical degrees of movement in all directions relative to an adjacent discrete, rotatable connected segment..Iaddend..Iadd.16. A device for positioning a flashlight comprising:   (a) an elongated flexible member capable of being wrapped completely around a portion of an object for retaining the elongated flexible member in a desired position, said elongated flexible member comprising a plurality of discrete, rotatable connected segments wherein a first end of each of said plurality of discrete, rotatable connected segments includes a female end portion having a longitudinal axis and a second end of each of said plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments includes a male end portion having a longitudinal axis, the female end portion being connected to the male end portion of an adjacent discrete, rotatably connected segment to permit relative movement between adjacent discrete, rotatable connected segments so that the longitudinal axes of connected female and male end portions of adjacent discrete, rotatable connected segments are either in or out of alignment; and   (b) a flashlight connected to said elongated flexible member, wherein a first segment is rotatable relative to an adjacent segment to a plurality of differing positions and all of the positions to which the first segment is rotatable relative to the adjacent segment define a first set of positions and, in the first set of positions, the longitudinal axis of the first segment is offset by a plurality of angles relative to a longitudinal axis of the adjacent segment, each of the plurality of angles having a magnitude, and the magnitudes of the plurality of angles are substantially the same..Iaddend..Iadd.17. A device for positioning a flashlight comprising:   (a) an elongated flexible member capable of being wrapped completely around a portion of an object for retaining the elongated flexible member in a desired position, said elongated flexible member comprising a plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments wherein a first end of each of said plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments includes a female end portion having a longitudinal axis and a second end of each of said plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments includes a male end portion having a longitudinal axis, each of the female end portions in the plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments being connected to the male end portion of an adjacent discrete, rotatably connected segment to permit relative movement between adjacent discrete, rotatably connected segments so that the longitudinal axes of connected female and male end portions of adjacent discrete, rotatably connected segments are either in or out of alignment; and   (b) a flashlight connected to said elongated flexible member wherein each of said discrete, rotatably connected segments comprises a central body portion, said male end portion at one end of the central body portion and said female end portion at another end of the central body portion and wherein: (i) said male end portion of a first segment of said plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments has an outer surface comprising a frustum of a sphere; and   (ii) said female end portion of a second segment of said plurality of discrete, rotatably connected segments, the second segment being rotatably connected with the first segment, has an inner surface comprising a frustum of a sphere and dimensioned to receive said male end portion of the first segment to permit relative movement between the rotatably connected first and second segments so that the longitudinal axes of the male end portion of said first segment and the female end portion of the second segment are either in or out of alignment and to permit rotational movement therebetween..Iaddend..Iadd.18. The device of claim 17, wherein said elongated flexible member is formed into a shape comprising at least a portion of a loop..Iaddend..Iadd.19. The device of claim 17, wherein said elongated flexible member is formed into a shape comprising an open loop..Iaddend..Iadd.20. The device of claim 17, wherein said elongated flexible member comprises retaining means for retaining said elongated flexible member in a desired shape..Iaddend..Iadd.21. A method for holding a flashlight in a desired position comprising:     providing said flashlight with an elongated flexible member comprising a plurality of discrete, rotatably interconnected segments, each of said plurality of discrete, rotatably interconnected segments having a male end and a female end; and   wrapping at least a portion of said elongated flexible member around an object in order to retain said flashlight in a desired   
     
     
        position..Iaddend..Iadd.22.  The method of claim 21, wherein said wrapping step comprises: forming said at least a portion of said elongated flexible member into a loop around said object..Iaddend..Iadd.23. The method of claim 21, wherein after said wrapping step said elongated flexible member is in a desired shape and further comprising:   maintaining said elongated flexible member in said desired shape..Iaddend..Iadd.24. A method for using a flashlight positioning device comprising an elongated flexible member comprising a plurality of discrete, rotatably interconnected segments, each discrete, rotatably interconnected segment having a central body portion, a male end portion at a first end of the central body portion and a female end portion at a second end of the central body portion and operatively attached to a flashlight comprising wrapping at least a portion of said elongated flexible member around an object in order to retain said flashlight in a desired position..Iaddend..Iadd.25. The method of claim 24, wherein said wrapping step comprises:   forming said portion of said elongated flexible member into a loop, wherein   
     
     
        a portion of said object is contained within said loop..Iaddend..Iadd.26. The method of claim 24, wherein said object is at least one of a pipe, rod, and engine part..Iaddend..Iadd.27. The method of claim 24, wherein the female end portion of a first segment of the plurality of discrete, rotatably interconnected segments has an inner surface comprising a frustum of a sphere and dimensioned to receive the male end portion of an adjacent second segment of the plurality of discrete, rotatably interconnected segments to permit relative rotational movement between the first and second segments and after said wrapping step said elongated flexible member is in a desired shape and further comprising: maintaining said elongated flexible member in said desired shape..Iaddend..Iadd.28. A method for positioning a flashlight, comprising:   providing a flashlight engaged with an elongated flexible member which is capable of being formed into a plurality of differing shapes by means of a plurality of discrete, rotatably interconnected segments in the elongated flexible member with each of the plurality of discrete, rotatably interconnected segments having at least one of a male end and a female end for engaging one of a female end and male end respectively of an adjacent discrete, rotatable interconnected segment;   forming at least a portion of said elongated flexible member into a desired shape comprising a base for resting on a support surface and a generally vertically extending portion projecting upwardly from the base; and   retaining the at least a portion of said elongated flexible member in the desired shape..Iaddend..Iadd.29. The device of claim 17, wherein:   the flashlight comprises a power source connected to an end of the elongated flexible member..Iaddend..Iadd.30. The device of claim 17, wherein:   each of the plurality of discrete, rotatable connected segments comprises a passage extending therethrough..Iaddend.