Architectural Light And Adjustment Means Therefor

Abstract

A recessed lighting fixture is provided with a frame adapted for adjustable mounting longitudinally on hanger bars, and a light-carrying can which can be adjusted axially with respect to the frame without using tools. Spring-biased gripping members are provided for both adjusting the position of the frame on the hanger bars and for permitting transverse adjustment of the can relative to the frame.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Recessed lighting fixtures are generally connected by an electrician to ceiling supports that must be located relatively precisely in relation to the aperture in the ceiling with which the fixture is to communicate. After the fixture is connected a trim ring is set in place to provide a neat-appearing joint at the lower end of the fixture.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a recessed type lighting fixture which has multiple degrees of adjustability relative to apertures in the ceiling.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a recessed-type lighting fixture including metal spring members for releasably gripping hanger bars used to support the fixture, so as to permit longitudinal positional adjustment of the fixture without use of tools.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a recessed-type lighting fixture in which a lamp housing can be selectively vertically adjusted with respect to the ceiling aperture without use of tools.

And another object of this invention is to provide a recessed-type, vertically adjustable, lighting fixture that permits vertical adjustment to positions on opposite sides of the ceiling level, and to provide a readily connectable skirt means for enclosing the portion of the lamp housing that extends below the ceiling, in order to achieve an attractive appearance.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a recessed-type lighting fixture with multiple degrees of adjustability for convenience in installation, and which is characterized by simplicity and effectiveness in operation and by inexpensiveness of construction.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and the illustrations in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, with portions broken away for illustrative purposes, showing a lighting fixture constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on a vertical section through the longitudinal axis of the fixture, but showing the light bulb in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof showing the arrangement of spring members that provide for adjustability;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, exploded top-plan view of portions of the lighting fixture illustrated in FIG. 3, to more clearly show the spring members;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 6--6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6a is an enlarged fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a portion of the spring that connects to the hanger bar, and is taken substantially along the line 6a--6a of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a portion of the lamp housing extending below the level of the ceiling and enclosed by supplemental skirt means provided in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the hanger members of the trim ring portion of the supplemental skirt means seen in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the lower right-hand portion of the skirt means and trim ring illustrated in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is an elevational view, with portions broken away for illustrative purposes, showing the fixture of FIG. 1 with the lamp housing in its partially extended position below the level of the ceiling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, a structural wall element, in this instance a ceiling 10, has positioned thereabove a plurality of elongated, parallel, mounting or hanger bars 12, which are supported from ceiling-support structure (not shown) and which support the lighting fixture. The lighting fixture includes a lower frame portion or mounting 14, as best seen in FIGS. 2-6, which has thereon a means for securement of the lighting fixture to the mounting bars 12. The lower frame portion 14 provides certain elements herein identified, and may conveniently be an aluminum die casting.

Frame portion 14 includes annular section 16 shaped to provide a depending ring 18 that surrounds an open center and having an outturned flange 20 at its upper end. A pair of spring-mounting means 22, that each includes a pair of elongated posts 24 and adjacent shorter posts 25, extend upwardly from diametrically opposite sides of the ring flange 20. At right angles to said diametric arrangement of means 22 is a junction box means 26 that includes a box base 28 spaced laterally of flange 20 by a pair of cantilever supports flanges 30 that are cast integral with section 16 and are appropriately rigidified and reinforced by transverse flanges 31 as shown.

Spring-biased, sheet-metal mounting means 32 carried on posts 24 are provided with outwardly-extending flanges 34 that are slotted to have an elongated hanger bar 12 extend therethrough. Although only one such means 32-34 is shown in FIG. 1, the diametrically arranged posts 24 are adapted to provide two such supports for connection to two parallel spaced hanger bars 12. It will thus be understood that the arrangement operates to locate flange 20 and the lower end of ring 18 in planes parallel to and spaced below hanger bars 12. Each support means 32-34 is defined by two sheet metal spring parts, as seen in exploded view, FIG. 4, and additional slot and screw adjustment means 35 are provided for vertical adjustment between the two sheet metal spring parts.

The hanger bars 12 are received through slots 40 defined on the pair of bar-gripping flanges 34 which are joined together to form a generally lazy-V shaped first spring member of sheet metal which, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4, secures through its bight, or mid-portion, to the bight of the second sheet metal part, namely bracket 42, by means of the slot and screw means 35 that provides for selective vertical adjustment. Slots 40 are located so that when out-turned flanges 34a defined at the ends of flanges 34 are manually squeezed and brought closer together against the natural bias of the spring member, the slots will be aligned and moved to an altitude to allow hanger bar 12 to be easily inserted through the slots and to disengage from frictional gripping of bar 12 when longitudinal adjustment along the parallel bars 12 is desired. When flanges 34a are released from such manual pressure, the flanges 34 in which slots 40 are defined will frictionally engage and grip hanger bars 12 to restrain sliding movement of the light fixture along the hanger bars 12.

In certain circumstances it may be desirable to use hanger bars in which the larger flat surface lies in a horizontal plane, in contrast to the vertically disposed arrangement of the hanger bars 12 as illustrated in FIG. 1. To this end, slots 40 are generally L-shaped (see FIG. 6a) so that they can receive support bars with their surfaces lying in either a horizontal plane or a vertical plane, or can receive bars having a cross-sectional configuration that may be L-shaped for greater strength and rigidity.

The second sheet metal part, bracket 42, is a one-piece stamping formed of spring steel and shaped as shown to provide post-encircling portions, with outstanding wings. Each wing includes a horizontal spring steel flange member 44 and a vertical flange portion 46, and each wing is spring biased radially inwardly toward a gripping engagement with a can-shaped housing. Each vertical flange 46 has a V-shaped protuberance 48 struck therefrom, as seen in FIGS. 3-5, for engagement with one of a plurality of axially spaced circumferential grooves 50 in the wall of a can-shaped housing or body 51. In FIGS. 1-6 the can 51 is shown spaced above ring 18 while in FIGS. 7 and 10 the can body 51 has a portion extending below ring 18. Each circumferential groove 50 has one or more apertures or locking slots 52 for receiving therethrough a portion of a protuberance 48, so as to prevent the can 51 from rotating relative to the protuberances, such as when a torque force is applied thereto when changing light bulbs with a screwing motion. The bracket 42 is shaped to provide curl portions 43 for encircling engagement with posts 24.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the bracket 42 is shaped to provide a central vertical channel track 42a of a size to slidingly receive channel-shaped bight 34b and to prevent skewing of member 34 relative to bracket 42. Transverse flanges 34c at the upper and lower edges of member 34 provide additional rigidity to bight 34b and to flanges 34. The slot and screw means 35 includes elongated slot 35a in channel track 42a and threaded aperture 35b in bight 34b for receiving the threaded stud of headed screw 35c.

While bracket 42 may be secured to posts 24 by a press fit of curls 43 onto posts 24, the posts could also be prepared for receiving snap ring retainers for engaging the edge of bracket 42 after assembly onto posts 24.

The shorter studs 25 on ring 16 are located to pass through enlarged apertures 54 in the horizontal flange members 44. This arrangement operates to limit movement of members 44 and protuberances 48 toward and away from can-shaped body 51 to prevent springing, or permanent set, of the parts.

A junction box 56 on the top of the can housing 51 provides a means for aiding in carrying, and effecting an electrical connection to, a light bulb 58 within the can as is well known in the art.

Located interiorly of frame ring 16 and of can 51 there is a baffle or reflector 60 with a circular lower edge as is well known in the art. The baffle may be in various shapes and of various material, but as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 it typically has a cylindrical body 60.

The can 51 can be raised or lowered with respect to frame ring portion 14 by pulling the spring steel members 44 outwardly to release protuberances 48 from their receiving grooves 50 and apertures 52 to allow the can 51 to move axially with respect to the frame 14. In the position shown in FIG. 1, can 51 is in its uppermost position wherein the bottom edge of can 51 is above the lowermost portion of frame 14. In its position of FIG. 7, can 51 has been extended downwardly to its lowermost position so that a major portion of the can extends below the lowermost portion of frame 14. In FIG. 10, can 51 is at an intermediate position relative to frame 14.

In order to provide an attractive appearance when the can 51 is lowered as in FIGS. 7 and 10, an attractive shield in the form of skirt means, generally 70, is used to enclose the portion of can 51 which extends below the frame 14. The skirt means 70 includes three angle-shaped hanger straps 72 and an outer decorative sleeve member 76, Each strap 72 has a long upright leg 72a and a short out-turned apertured flange 74. The straps 72 are equally spaced circumferentially of can 51, and each is secured thereto by a screw 73 whose threaded stem extends radially outwardly through the wall of can 51 and through leg 72a. The leg 72a is apertured at 72b, below the lower edge of can 51, to receive the out-turned securement hook of a trim ring.

The decorative sleeve member 76 has an outer upright cylindrical wall, and a lower inturned flange 78 with apertures therein for alignment with apertures in flanges 74. The length of the upright cylindrical wall is selected so as to locate flange 78 just below flanges 74 and to have the upper edge of sleeve member 76 located closely to the surface of the ceiling. Comparison of FIGS. 7 and 10 show how the axial length of sleeve member 76 may be required to be of varying length.

In a field installation, explosive blind rivets 80 or pop rivets as they are commonly known, are used to secure flange 78 to apertured flanges 74. Then a trim ring 82 is secured to cover the lower edge of the skirt means 70. The trim ring 82 includes out-turned flange 82a of a dimension to shield flange 78 and in-turned flange 82b that provides a shoulder for engaging the lower end of baffle 60 to support same in position as in FIG. 7. Ring 82 includes three equally-spaced upstanding suspension straps 84alocated in the plane of sleeve member 84, with out-turned hooks or lips 84b for entry into apertures 72b in straps 72.

With baffle 60 in the lowered position of FIG. 7, the cylindrical wall of said baffle lies closely adjacent the straps 84 and prevents inadvertent disengagement of hooks 84b from apertures 74b. In order to remove trim ring 82, the baffle 60 is pushed upwardly, into can 51 a distance sufficient to clear the upper edge of hooks 84b thus permitting manipulation to remove the hooks and the trim ring.

The same trim ring 82 may be used with frame ring 16 to support baffle 60 when the can 51 is in raised position as seen in FIG. 2.

It can be seen that a versatile and easy-to-install lighting fixture has been provided, in which the fixture is axially movable with respect to ceiling joists to which the fixture is connected. Further, the lighting fixture can be relamped or inspected above or below without the use of tools.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a lighting fixture of the type which is to be supported from spaced hanger bars, the improvement comprising, in combination: a mounting frame defining an open center portion and having diametrically located support means thereon adapted for securement to said hanger bars to support the mounting frame therefrom, a circularly cylindrical housing of smaller cross-sectional area than the area of the open center portion defined by the mounting frame, the housing having means for carrying a light bulb therein, connecting means for supporting the housing on the mounting frame at selected positions relative to the mounting frame, said connecting means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient members mounted on said frame that provide a plurality of inwardly directed protuberances; the housing having locating means comprising a plurality of annular recesses axially spaced along its outer surface for cooperating with said connecting means to permit manual selective axial positioning and rotative adjustment of the housing with respect to the mounting frame by releasable cooperative engagement of the plurality of protuberances with an annular recess.

2. A construction as in claim 1 further including means within said annular recesses for engaging said protuberances to restrain the housing from rotating relative to the connecting means.

3. In a lighting fixture of the type which is to be supported from spaced hanger bars, the improvement comprising, in combination: a mounting frame defining an open center portion and having diametrically located support means thereon adapted for securement to said hanger bars to support the mounting frame therefrom, a housing of smaller cross-sectional area than the area of the open center portion defined by the mounting frame, the housing having means for carrying a light bulb therein, connecting means for supporting the housing on the mounting frame; the housing having means axially spaced along its outer surface for cooperating with said connecting means to enable selective axial positioning of the housing with respect to the mounting frame; the support means comprising spring members each with a hanger bar-receiving aperture therethrough and biased to normally grip a hanger bar, but affording selective movement of the spring members against said bias to a position permitting relative sliding movement between the spring members and the hanger bars.

4. A construction as in claim 3 wherein each of said support means comprises a generally V-shaped metal spring member with each side of the V defining a slot therein for receiving a hanger bar adapted to extend through both slots of said support means, whereby manual movement of the sides of the V toward each other against the normal bias of the spring member will align the slots for unobstructed sliding entry therethrough of a hanger bar, and release of the sides of the V when the hanger bar is in the slots will enable the walls defining the slots to frictionally engage the hanger bar to provide a restraining force against relative sliding movement between the generally V-shaped spring member and the hanger bar.

5. A construction as in claim 3 wherein said housing is circularly cylindrical and said mounting frame is annular, said mounting frame having an inside diameter that is greater than the outside diameter of the cylindrical housing whereby said housing can move axially through said mounting frame.

6. A construction as in claim 3 wherein said connecting means and said support means comprise metal spring members, and vertical posts carried by the mounting frame for securing the metal spring members to the mounting frame.

7. A construction as in claim 4 wherein the slots are generally L-shaped to receive substantially flat bars with their surfaces lying in either a horizontal plane or a vertical plane or to receive bars having an L-shaped cross-sectional configuration.

8. A construction as in claim 5 further including cylindrical skirt means for enclosing the portion of the housing extending below the mounting frame, and means for supporting said skirt means from the housing.

9. In a lighting fixture of the type which is to be supported from spaced hanger bars, the improvement comprising, in combination, a mounting frame defining an open center portion and having diametrically located support means thereon adapted for securement to hanger bars to support the mounting frame therefrom, a housing for carrying a light bulb, means for connecting said mounting frame to the housing, each of said support means including at least one spring member with a hanger bar-receiving aperture therethrough and biased to frictionally grip the hanger bar extending therethrough, but affording selective movement of said spring member against said bias to a position that permits relative sliding movement between the spring member and the hanger bar, each of the support means including a generally V-shaped metal spring member with each side of the V defining a slot therein for receiving a hanger bar adapted to extend through the two slots of the two sides of the hanger bar-carrying means, whereby manual flexing of the sides of the V toward each other against the normal bias of the spring member will align the slots to permit sliding movement of the spring member relative to the hanger bar and release of the sides of the V with the hanger bar in the slots will enable the sides of the spring member to grip the hanger bar to prevent such sliding movement.

10. A construction as described in claim 9, wherein the slots are generally L-shaped to receive substantially flat bars with their surfaces lying in either a horizontal plane or a vertical plane or to receive bars having an L-shaped cross-sectional configuration.