Illumination – Light source and modifier – Adjustable or repositionable light source or light source...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-23
2001-02-27
Quach, Y. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light source and modifier
Adjustable or repositionable light source or light source...
C362S269000, C362S287000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193395
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to emergency unit lighting fixtures and particularly to lamp assemblies usable with such fixtures and which are both adjustable as to the direction in which light is directed and as to beam width.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Emergency unit lighting fixtures have long been known in the art and have long been required by code for illumination of egress pathways, doorways and the like for facilitating evacuation of a building, typically a commercial or industrial space within a building, during emergency conditions which usually are accompanied by failure of mains power supply resulting in loss of usual illumination sources. Emergency unit fixtures typically take the form of a housing within which an emergency power supply, usually batteries, and circuitry are disposed for driving one or more lamps mounted to the exterior of the housing. In most typical unit fixtures, a pair of lamps are mounted to the top of a unit housing with each lamp being directed forwardly and to the side of that side of the housing on which the lamp is mounted. Such unit figures are often referred to as “frog eyes” and typically do not include a “legend” as do exit signs, thereby allowing use of unit fixtures in locations inappropriate for an exit sign. Further, a unit fixture is intended to provide a usable amount of light, such as along a hallway or the like, to enable a person evacuating a space to follow a preferred pathway out of that space. As disclosed by Edstrom in U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,069, the external lamps of such unit fixtures provide illumination incident on desired surfaces so that a person evacuating the space within which an emergency exists will be able to see a pathway or an exit inter alia. Typical unit fixtures are disclosed by Heffner et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,725.
Emergency unit fixtures have primarily found use in commercial environments which have previously included industrial environments. However, in spite of prior usage of this type of lighting fixture in industrial environments, a need has continued to exist for improved emergency unit fixtures mountable virtually anywhere within an industrial environment and lamped with illumination sources having desirable characteristics. Further, a need exists in the art for emergency unit fixtures useful in industrial environments whereby light from appropriate lamping can be directed to a particular location within a wide range of possible locations within the industrial space proximate to the unit fixture. Still further, need has existed for control of a light beam emanating from lamping of an emergency unit fixture so that the beam can be adjusted between narrow and wide beam conformation. The present invention provides emergency unit fixtures capable of withstanding the abuse typically encountered in industrial environments, the unit fixtures being mountable to a variety of structure within the industrial environment and further being comprised of at least one lamp assembly movable relative to a housing of the fixture in a swiveling motion and further being movable along an internal track within the assembly to allow light emanating from the lamp assembly to be directed as desired to illuminate a particular area chosen for criticality in evacuation of the industrial space or for some reason of importance. The illuminating beam provided by the lamp assemblies of the invention can be adjusted between narrow beam and wide beam light distributions to provide flexibility in operation of the emergency unit fixtures so configured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an emergency lighting unit fixture particularly useful in industrial environments and which provides “unit” emergency lighting by the disposition of one or more lamp assemblies mountable to any one of a variety of unit fixture housings of different size and conformation. Lamping is mounted by a lamp holder capable of swiveling movement which allows movement of the lamp assemblies with a very substantial degree of freedom to facilitate illumination of particular areas proximate to the fixture. Internal track elements formed within each lamp assembly allows additional adjustment of the lamp assembly in order to direct light toward desired locations within a wide range of possible locations. The structure of at least certain of the elements forming each lamp assembly is spherically concentric thus yielding a compact profile which is attractive in appearance and is further functional due to volumetric efficiency inter alia.
Illumination provided by a preferred embodiment of the present lamp assemblies when in use with industrial emergency unit fixtures is flexible in its application to a desired area to be illuminated due to the ability of the present lamp assemblies to be adjusted between narrow and wide beam conformations. In essence, the beam emanating from each lamp assembly can be adjusted between narrow and wide beam in order to provide a desired type and intensity of lighting to an area which is to be illuminated. Adjustment of beam width is readily and rapidly accomplished by simple manual manipulation of an external bezel which also holds a lens and reflector to an assembly housing, the bezel being movable along sloped tracks formed integrally on exterior surfaces of the lamp housing and under spring pressure in order to adjust beam width. Accordingly, beam width can be adjusted as desired for a given illumination situation with a given lamp assembly on one unit fixture being differently adjusted from the adjustment of any other lamp assembly carried by said unit fixture. Between given limits of narrow and wide beam positions, the lamp assembly is essentially infinitely adjustable.
The emergency unit fixtures described herein as well as the adjustable lamp assemblies operable with said fixtures are preferably formed of polymeric material such as polycarbonate/ABS, thereby allowing molding of fixture housings with most of the structural elements necessary to produce the functions of the fixture being integrally formed with the housing, these molded structural elements and other structure contained within said housings being located within the housings in a manner whereby the structural elements combine to produce synergistic effects in addition to the primary functions of the structural elements, the fixtures being totally integrated as to structure and function as well as being substantially integral in construction. In particular, a variety of unit fixture housings of differing size and conformation can be formed with substantially circular openings of a size which will accept and receive for mounting within the opening a lamp assembly according to the invention, it thus being possible to configure the lamp assemblies in a consistent manner as to structure and function so that the lamp assembly can be employed with unit fixtures of differing sizes and structural design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,673, to Logan et al, describes lighting assemblies for use with a combination lighting unit/exit sign or with lighting unit fixtures wherein lamps are mounted by lampholders capable of swiveling and other motion to provide a substantial degree of freedom for lamping used with a “combination” fixture or with emergency unit fixtures. The lamp assemblies of this invention can be used with the “combination” fixture of this patent. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,673 is incorporated hereinto by reference.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a lamp assembly particularly intended for use with an industrial emergency unit fixture including fixtures of differing sizes and conformations, the lamp assembly of the invention being capable of movement relative to a housing of any one of said fixtures to facilitate illumination of a desired area in the vicinity of the unit fixture.
It is another object of the invention to provide a lamp assembly usable for producing illumination when in use with an emergency unit fixture, the lamp assembly being configured to provide flexib
Darnell Kenneth E.
NSI Enterprises Inc.
Quach Y.
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