Illumination – Housing – Recessed
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-20
2001-06-05
Quach, Y. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Housing
Recessed
C362S147000, C362S365000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241368
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electrical light fixture assembly which can be mounted within an opening of a panel, having a front surface and a back surface, in a wall or ceiling where such opening is blocked by a stud, pipe or other construction member typically in close proximity to the back surface of the panel. More particularly, this invention relates to an electrical light fixture assembly having a base and a side wall, the base and side wall having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the wall or ceiling panel in which it is mounted, and extending thru the base, at least one rotatable clamping arm for engaging the back surface of the wall or ceiling panel, the back surface of the panel being located in the substantially the same plane as the rearward facing surface of the base of the electrical light fixture assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To conveniently support an electrical fixture, such as a ceiling fan, electrical lighting fixture and the like, an electrical light fixture assembly that contains the electrical wiring, cables, etc. is necessary. Typically, the assembly is mounted in an opening of a wall or ceiling panel and secured in the opening by mounting screws attaching it to the exterior wall surface. In some cases the assembly is secured in the opening by screws attaching it to a stud or plate in the interior portion of the wall or ceiling. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,922 to Horsley.
More recently, electrical assemblies have been secured within the ceiling or wall openings via pivotal arms where one arm is mounted on a comer of each of the top and bottom end walls of the assembly diagonally opposite from each other. The electrical light fixture is then secured to the assembly by threading screws within bosses formed in the assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,525 to Bowden discloses an electrical outlet box having a pawl mounting assembly which includes a pawl clamping arm. According to this invention, the pawl clamping arm is adapted to be rotated between retracted and extended positions and to travel in a linear direction in the extended position into and out of clamping engagement with the interior side of the wall opening in which it is mounted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,359 to Schnell an electrical box is disclosed that may be mounted in a rectangular opening of a wall surface. The box has rotatable securing arms that after moving axially along screws can be brought into contact with the interior surface of the wall or ceiling panel, thereby preventing the box from being pulled or pushed from the opening.
Other prior art electrical light fixture assemblies are shown in the following U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,742 to Lein; U.S. Pat. No. 3,118,558 to Stuessel et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,764 to Saig; U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,204 to Liss; U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,874 to Finley et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,816 to Jorgensen et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,055 to Lewis; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,905 to Schnell et al.
However, none of the inventions disclosed above or elsewhere in the prior art provide an electrical light fixture assembly that can be easily used when the opening extending into and thru the ceiling or wall panel is partially or wholly blocked by a pipe, wall or ceiling stud or other component enclosed within the interior portion of the wall or ceiling.
Thus, a need in the electrical art exists to provide an improved electrical light fixture assembly which can be easily mounted in an opening of a wall or ceiling. This invention addresses the need in the art, along with other needs which will become apparent to those skilled in the art once in receipt of this disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide an electrical light fixture assembly which can be securely positioned within an opening of a panel such as a wall or ceiling panel.
A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical light fixture assembly which can be installed in a panel opening easily and quickly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrical light fixture assembly which is simple an inexpensive to manufacture and has few parts associated therewith.
The foregoing objects are basically attained by providing an electrical light fixture assembly for attachment to a mounting panel having a front surface, a back surface and an installation hole formed therethrough. The assembly comprises a housing including a base having a rearwardly facing surface and having at least one knockout disc formed therein and a sidewall extending forwardly of the base to define a hollow enclosure having a front opening. When the housing, i.e., the combination of the base and sidewall, is inserted into the installation opening, the rearwardly facing surface of the base of said housing is in substantially the same plane as, i.e., it is coplanar with the back surface of the mounting panel.
A plurality of tab members extend outwardly from the sidewall, the tab members being adjacent to the front opening of the hollow enclosure and engage the front surface of the mounting panel, thus limiting the entry of the housing through the installation hole of the panel.
A stop member is secured to the base for limiting the degree of rotation of an at least one clamp member. Typically the rotation of such clamp member is halted when it contacts the stop member when the clamp member is in a substantially perpendicular position to a line drawn tangentially to the base at the position where said base and said clamp member meet. A rotatable shaft member, accessible from the front of the housing, rotates the at least one clamp member which is secured to the rotatable shaft member that extends rearwardly of the rearward facing surface of the base.
When the rotatable shaft member is rotated, such rotation causes the at least one clamp member to also rotate and thus engage the back surface of the mounting panel, thereby securing the housing to the mounting panel. Continued rotation of the at least one clamp member is limited by the stop member, which prevents the at least one clamping member from further rotation which would disengage it from the back panel.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which taken together with the drawings disclose the preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4048491 (1977-09-01), Wessman
patent: 5931432 (1999-08-01), Herold et al.
patent: 5964523 (1999-10-01), Eversberg
Hammond Richard J.
Quach Y.
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