Illumination – Housing – With closure fastener
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-09
2001-08-21
Sember, Thomas M. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Housing
With closure fastener
C362S375000, C362S147000, C292S005000, C292S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276818
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a lighting unit, such as a luminaires The lighting unit has a frame with a door panel pivotally coupled thereto and a latch assembly for locking and unlocking the door panel. The latch assembly includes a safety mechanism that includes a cooperating safety spring latch and slide lock. Upon locking the luminaire housing, the slide lock engages the frame and the door panel of the luminaire housing opens to a safety position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A luminaire is a lighting unit commonly installed on a ceiling. Usually luminaire housings are formed of a host housing unit and a pivotally attached door with a lighting assembly and electrical components mounted onto the door. A new door is retro-fit to conform to existing housing units. These lighting assemblies are normally heavy, weighing around 40 lbs, making installation and maintenance of the luminaire hazardous.
Prior art luminaire housings include a host housing with an interior flange and a door coupled thereto by a hinge. The door includes a mounting bracket which engages the housing flange to lock and unlock the door. The mounting bracket includes a sliding member and a spring. The spring serves to catch the housing flange upon the door opening. The sliding member uses two screws to move the sliding member in engagement with the housing flange, to lock the door, and to move the sliding member out of engagement with the housing flange.
The latch of the prior art luminaire housing requires the use of at least two screws with the mounting bracket thus requiring the use of two hands when moving the sliding member in and out of engagement with the housing flange. Other problems with the prior art latches involve the sliding member of the mounting bracket skewing or turning with respect to the spring when one screw is removed, and specifically the sliding member and spring of the mounting bracket completely disassembling forcing the user to re-assemble the bracket to close the door to the housing upon removal of the screws.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a lurninaire housing that includes a latch that requires the use of only one screw permitting the use of only one hand and one step in locking and unlocking the door.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a luminaire housing that includes a latch with a slide lock and a safety spring that will not disassemble upon removal of the screw to prevent injury of an installer or repairer of the luminaire.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a luminaire housing having a latch with a slide lock and a safety latch where the slide lock cannot skew relative to the safety latch.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a luminaire housing with a door having a latch assembly that prevents injury from the door to a person installing or performing maintenance on the housing, particularly when installing a new door in an existing luminaire housing.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a luminaire housing assembly with a latch that remains locked even upon the inadvertent loosening of the screw.
The foregoing objects are basically attained by providing a luminaire housing including a frame having a securing member and a door panel releasably coupled thereto and movable between an open and closed position. The door panel has a fastener slot disposed therein. A latch assembly is disposed on the door panel for securing the door panel to the securing member of the frame. The latch assembly has a fastening member received in the fastener slot of the door panel for locking the door panel in said closed position, and a safety spring latch and slide lock. The safety spring latch has a top camming portion, an intermediate body portion extending therefrom and a guide leg member extending from the intermediate body portion and attached to the door panel. The slide lock has a rail hole slidably receiving the guide leg member of the safety spring latch and has an aperture for receiving the fastener member. The slide lock is movable between a locked position engaged with the securing member to lock the door panel in the closed position and a release position disengaged and spaced from the securing member to allow the door panel to move toward the open position and to allow the safety spring latch to engage the securing member.
By designing the latch assembly in this manner, it can be employed with various size door panels that can be retro-fit to accommodate existing host luminiare housings.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which taken in conjunction with annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2899542 (1959-08-01), De Mauro
patent: 2975271 (1961-03-01), Dvorak
patent: 3096029 (1963-07-01), Berge
patent: 3185835 (1965-05-01), Muller et al.
patent: 3281588 (1966-10-01), Spinetta
patent: 3530287 (1970-09-01), Husby
patent: 3654453 (1972-04-01), Jablonski
patent: 3720432 (1973-03-01), Chudler
patent: 3983387 (1976-09-01), Van Steenhoven et al.
patent: 4220986 (1980-09-01), Matteo et al.
patent: 4255781 (1981-03-01), Plemmons et al.
patent: 4791539 (1988-12-01), Ewing
patent: 5008792 (1991-04-01), Lietke et al.
patent: 5081569 (1992-01-01), Quiogue et al.
patent: 5440466 (1995-08-01), Belisle et al.
patent: 5727871 (1998-03-01), Kotloff
patent: 5803590 (1988-09-01), Wedell et al.
patent: 5927843 (1999-07-01), Haugaard et al.
patent: 5997158 (1999-12-01), Fischer et al.
patent: 6059424 (2000-05-01), Kotloff
patent: 6149280 (2000-11-01), Quiogue et al.
patent: 6168300 (2001-01-01), Fischer et al.
patent: 6182848 (2001-02-01), Wang
patent: 3841861 A1 (1989-07-01), None
patent: 2646890 A1 (1990-11-01), None
patent: 2704302 A1 (1994-10-01), None
LSI Industries Inc. Scottsdale Superkit Catalog, p. 8; 1998.
Sketch of LSI Industries Inc. Scottsdale Superkit Latch.
Advertisement for LSI Industries Inc. Scottsdale Superkit.
'Hubbell Incorporated
Alari Ali
Bicks Mark S.
Hoffman Tara L.
Sember Thomas M.
LandOfFree
Latch assembly for luminaire housing door does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Latch assembly for luminaire housing door, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Latch assembly for luminaire housing door will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2515785