The Illuminator
“Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.”
-Roy T. Bennett
The Light in the Heart
Our New Utility Patent is Approved
While applying for a design patent is a fairly simple process, applying for a utility patent is extremely difficult. Design focuses on ornamental or aesthetic aspects of an invention, and utility focuses on function. Our first utility patent has taken us three years to achieve, and we are thrilled to announce we have been granted approval!
Utility Patent Process
A utility patent is important because it protects the functional aspects of an invention. It also grants the inventor (in our case, Sean Mattingly) exclusive rights to make, use, and sell the invention for twenty years from the filing date. Filing for a utility patent involves an application with detailed descriptions and drawings, an examination process, often a number of rejections and revisions, and then finally, approval or denial.
An article on the PatentTrademarkBlog states “Based on this Yale statistical analysis of utility patent applications filed from 1996 to 2005, over 86.4% of utility patent applications received a first rejection.” The article also pointed out that if the invention makes it through to examination that “most patent examiners will reject a utility patent application three times before allowing it.” In short, it is extremely difficult to obtain a utility patent, and we’ve done it!
The Timeline
Our invention, the deployable-base light fixture, specific to our Bright Reach floor lamps, was introduced to the market in 2021. Realizing its uniqueness based upon customer feedback, we filed the utility patent with USPTO in December of 2022.
What Our Invention Does
The reason we created this deployable-base light fixture was ultimately to make people’s lives easier. It utilizes a unique hinge design that allows the lamp to be fully assembled, even during shipping. We designed a hinge that, once engaged, locks into place, deploys the base, and fully assembles the lamp with very little effort. See the video demonstration here.
Our hinge makes setup a breeze—it only takes a few seconds. We say the hardest part is plugging in the lamp!
Typical Floor Lamps vs. Our Bright Reach Floor Lamp
Floor lamps in general are awkward because of their length. When the customer gets their lamp, they’ve got to unbox it and attach the base to the pole, usually with long screws and an allen wrench.
For some people this is simply a pain, but for a majority of our users, they may have dexterity challenges, arthritis, or strength issues, making assembly impossible. This means they’re often relying on a friend or caregiver to help them assemble the base onto the lamp arm. The one complaint we’ve received time and again has been that floor lamps are too hard to assemble. We fixed that!
How This Invention Makes Your Life Easier
This new design allows the user to remain independent. The Bright Reach Lamp family is the brightest lamp on the market ensuring the best visual outcome available. Our lamps are 10,000lux measured at 11” from a tabletop. Our patented glare and swivel hinges, stepless dimming and three color modes, provide an excellent user experience every time.
Our Gratitude to You
As far as we know, we are the only company that makes a fully assembled floor lamp, regardless of its intended use. Ultimately, this design came out of listening to end users’ frustration with all floor lamps. Because we make and design our own products, we listen to customer feedback. We welcome complaints; it’s how we innovate and improve our products!
Thank you for your input and loyalty to Mattingly Low Vision.
See our new utility patent pending here!
Our Family Business
Julie, Sean, Bradley, and Andrew Mattingly
Our boys worked hard for Mattingly Low Vision over the summer. They helped with packing boxes, stocking, preparing products for our customers, and cleaning. Our business is truly a family business, and we believe in instilling a good work ethic in our children. We work together every day to illuminate your vision and your life.
Featured Product: Magnabrite
As you’re gearing up for the school year, check out our Magnabrite® products! Our Dome Magnifiers help you see details with ease.
We are the only company in the U.S. that makes these beautiful products in-house, and we can even engrave them for you! Just like us, Magnabrite® was a family-owned business when we acquired them in 2021.
Our Magnabrite® Dome Magnifiers are a great choice for:
- Students
- Your home office
- Corporate marketing
- Navigation and hobbies
- Timeless gifts for your loved one with low vision needs
It’s the tool you never knew you needed!
“It reminds me that functional things can be beautiful too.” -our customer, Kyler H.
Check Out Our New Mattingly Low Vision Website
Thank you to those of you who provided feedback on our new website! The new site includes:
- A more user-friendly interface
- Tabs linking to all of our divisions at the top of every page
- More product pictures than ever before
- Conveniently track orders and payments
- Continued live customer service by phone
You’ve Made it to the End: Call to Win! Did You Know…
Did you know that we have a CLVT (Certified Low Vision Therapist), Elena, on staff who provides free advice Monday - Friday? Call her today with your questions—she’s here to help you!
The first person to call Elena, say “Chihuahuas!”* and ask her a question wins a Starbucks gift card!
Call Elena today to win at: 888-642-0842 x1
*One of our employee perks is tickets for our staff all season long to the local El Paso Chihuahuas Triple A baseball games. And it’s a fun word to say!
Thank you for choosing us for your vision needs!
Mattingly Low Vision
Company Headquarters | 111 Rio Flor Place | El Paso, TX 79912
