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An installation and removal tool for light bulbs and similar items comprising modular and interchangeable attachment heads, a pole, an articulating joint, and an extraction head. Attachment heads comprise a gripping unit and a handle and are each configured to cooperate with one or more light bulb s

An installation and removal tool for light bulbs and similar items comprising modular and interchangeable attachment heads, a pole, an articulating joint, and an extraction head. Attachment heads comprise a gripping unit and a handle and are each configured to cooperate with one or more light bulb shapes and/or sizes and further comprises an adhesive system. Several embodiments of the gripping unit comprise a bulb cavity with an engagement surface and a release lip and an adhesive system mounted on the engagement surface such that an air channel is created surrounding the adhesive system. The adhesive system comprises pressure sensitive adhesive and preferably defines an opening in fluid communication with a bore defined by the handle to accommodate extended and oddly shaped bulbs. A protective liner that cooperates with the adhesive component to preserve the functionality of the adhesive when it is not in use.

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1. A light bulb installation and removal tool comprising: a. a handle comprising an outer surface, a proximal end, and a distal end and defining at least one hollow bore at its distal end; andb. a gripping unit comprising: i. a substantially circular bulb cavity fixedly attached to the handle at its

1. A light bulb installation and removal tool comprising: a. a handle comprising an outer surface, a proximal end, and a distal end and defining at least one hollow bore at its distal end; andb. a gripping unit comprising: i. a substantially circular bulb cavity fixedly attached to the handle at its distal end, wherein the bulb cavity comprises an engagement surface configured to cooperate with the distal end of a light bulb, a substantially continuous release lip surrounding the bulb cavity at its circumference and configured to cooperate with the distal end of a light bulb and to facilitate disengagement of the light bulb from the gripping unit, and a bulb cavity opening defined by the bulb cavity and in fluid communication with the hollow bore defined by the handle; andii. an adhesive system comprising a mounting component attached to the bulb cavity engagement surface, an adhesive component comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive and removably attached to the mounting component, and a release liner removably attached to the pressure sensitive adhesive of the adhesive component, wherein: 1. the adhesive system is configured to cover only a portion of the engagement surface such that an air channel is defined around the outer edge of the adhesive system by the engagement surface, release lip, and outer edge of the adhesive system;2. the adhesive component further defines a first opening, the mounting component further defines a second opening, and the first opening, the second opening, the bulb cavity opening, and the bore defined by the handle are all in fluid communication; and3. the size of the first opening defined by the adhesive component is smaller than the size of the second opening defined by the mounting component. 2. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 1 wherein the handle further comprises threads at its proximal end configured to cooperate with threads on one or more attachable components. 3. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 2 wherein the handle further comprises one or more grips fixedly attached to the outer surface of the handle. 4. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 2 wherein the threads at the proximal end of the handle are internal female threads configured to cooperate with external male threads on one or more attachable components and wherein the bore defined by the handle extends lengthwise along a central axis of the handle from its proximal end to its distal end. 5. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 1 wherein the adhesive system further comprises hook and loop closures configured to attach the adhesive component to the mounting component. 6. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 1 wherein the bore defined by the handle and the opening defined by the bulb cavity are each substantially centered along a central axis extending lengthwise from the proximal end to the distal end of the handle and wherein the bore defined by the handle is partially tapered near the distal end of the handle. 7. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 1 further comprising two extensions extending from the release lip of the bulb cavity and configured to cooperate with extended fluorescent light bulbs. 8. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 7 wherein the extensions taper inward toward a central axis of the handle and bulb cavity. 9. A light bulb installation and removal tool comprising: a. a handle comprising an outer surface, a proximal end, and a distal end and defining at least one hollow bore at its distal end, wherein the bore is substantially centered along a central axis of the handle and is partially tapered at the distal end of the handle; andb. a gripping unit comprising: i. a bulb cavity fixedly attached to the handle at its distal end, wherein the bulb cavity comprises an engagement surface configured to cooperate with light bulbs, a release lip surrounding the bulb cavity, and a bulb cavity opening defined by the bulb cavity and in fluid communication with the hollow bore defined by the handle; andii. an adhesive system comprising: 1. a first mounting component attached to the bulb cavity engagement surface comprising hook and loop closure components and defining a second opening; and2. a first adhesive component defining a first opening and comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive and hook and loop closure components and removably attached to the first mounting component with the cooperating hook and loop closure components;3. wherein the adhesive system is configured to cover only a portion of the engagement surface such that an air channel is defined around the outer edge of the adhesive system by the engagement surface, release lip, and outer edge of the adhesive system;4. wherein the first opening, the second opening, the bulb cavity opening, and the bore defined by the handle are all in fluid communication; and5. wherein the size of the first opening defined by the adhesive component is smaller than the size of the second opening defined by the mounting component. 10. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 9 further comprising a release liner removably attached to the pressure sensitive adhesive of the first adhesive component. 11. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 9 wherein the adhesive system further comprises: a. a spacer removably attached to the pressure sensitive adhesive of the first adhesive component;b. a second mounting component attached to the spacer comprising hook and loop closure components and defining a fourth opening;c. a second adhesive component defining a third opening and comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive and hook and loop closure components and removably attached to the second mounting component with the cooperating hook and loop closure components; andd. a release liner removably attached to the pressure sensitive adhesive of the adhesive component;e. wherein the first opening, the second opening, the third opening, the fourth opening, the bulb cavity opening, and the bore defined by the handle are all in fluid communication. 12. A light bulb installation and removal tool comprising: a. one or more attachment heads wherein each attachment head comprises: i. a handle comprising an outer surface, a proximal end comprising threads configured to cooperate with one or more attachable components, and a distal end defining at least one hollow bore substantially centered along the central axis of the handle; andii. a gripping unit comprising: 1. a bulb cavity fixedly attached to the handle at its distal end, wherein the bulb cavity comprises an engagement surface configured to cooperate with light bulbs, a release lip surrounding the bulb cavity, and a bulb cavity opening defined by the bulb cavity and in fluid communication with the hollow bore defined by the handle; and2. an adhesive system comprising a mounting component attached to the bulb cavity engagement surface, an adhesive component comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive and removably attached to the mounting component, and a release liner removably attached to the pressure sensitive adhesive of the adhesive component, wherein the adhesive system is configured to cover only a portion of the engagement surface such that an air channel is defined around the outer edge of the adhesive system by the engagement surface, release lip, and outer edge of the adhesive system; wherein the adhesive system further comprises hook and loop closures configured to attach the adhesive component to the mounting component; wherein the adhesive component further defines a first opening, wherein the mounting component further defines a second opening, and wherein the first opening, the second opening, the bulb cavity opening, and the bore defined by the handle are all in fluid communication; and wherein the size of the first opening defined by the adhesive component is smaller than the size of the second opening defined by the mounting component;b. a pole comprising a threaded end and configured to cooperate with the threads on the one or more attachment heads; andc. an articulating joint comprising a first threaded end configured to cooperate with the threads on the pole and a second threaded end configured to cooperate with the threads on the one or more attachment heads. 13. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 12 further comprising an extraction head comprising a threaded first end configured to cooperate with the threads on the pole and a second end comprising an expansion section configured to cooperate with components of a broken light bulb. 14. The light bulb installation and removal tool of claim 12 wherein there are two or more attachment heads and wherein at least one of the attachment heads further comprises two diametrically opposed extensions extending from the release lip of the bulb cavity and configured to cooperate with extended fluorescent light bulbs.