LED test switch and mounting assembly

Electricity: measuring and testing – Electric lamp or discharge device – Electric lamp

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C315S086000, C200S314000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06522147

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to test switch and pilot light structures generally and particularly to a test switch/pilot light having a light emitting diode which is shorted by a switch, lamping of an emergency fluorescent lighting fixture or the like providing illumination at reduced levels, thereby to test visually the operational worthiness of an inverter unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fluorescent lighting fixtures of various description including such fixtures generally known as linear fixtures and downlighting fixtures can be provided with battery packs and associated circuitry which operate fluorescent lamping of the fixtures for a minimum period of time on interruption of normal power. Such devices are generally referred to as inverter units, battery/inverter units, or battery/charger board units and will be referred to herein as an inverter unit. Units with which the present test switch can be employed also include ballast load transfer devices and the like which do not include batteries. The present test switch can be used as a remote test switch with any number of emergency lighting fixtures. Present day inverter units often carry maintenance-free, high-temperature nickel-cadmium batteries within sealed housings formed of high impact polycarbonate polymers or steel. Such inverter units are described, for,.example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,202,608 and 5,814,971. Lithonia Lighting, a division of National Service Industries, Inc., of Atlanta, Ga., manufactures and markets inverter units of this type under the POWER SENTRY trademark for particular use with linear fluorescent fixtures and downlighting fluorescent fixtures and particularly such fixtures used in office and industrial environments. Linear fluorescent fixtures such as are manufactured by Lithonia Lighting are known under the designations OPTIMAX; 2PM3N, and GT/SP which identify respectively parabolic troffer fixtures and lensed troffer fixtures which are particularly configured to drive linear fluorescent lamping of the T12 or T8 type, for example. In downlighting fluorescent fixtures, inverter units typically operate compact fluorescent lamps of varying description via the agency of nickel-cadmium batteries permanently sealed within steel enclosures.
Test switches have long been used in lighting systems including emergency lighting function such that the condition and operational worthiness of inverter units can be quickly and conveniently determined. In normal operation, a visual signal is usually provided by a light emitting diode which gives off light once the unit is connected to power. Operation of a prior test switch in this environment causes the LED to be extinguished for as long as the test is underway. Prior test switches have included manually operable switch elements which allow inverter units to be tested by reference to a visual signal, such prior test switches having taken other structural configurations than those of the test switches of the present invention and have particularly been more costly to manufacture. In particular, prior test switches of this type have included LED's and switches in completely separate housings. Other prior test switches have included separate toggle switches and panel-mounted light emitting diodes with further inclusion of structure such as PCB-mounted dome switches with PCB-mounted light emitting diodes. Essentially all such prior devices use a dedicated switch such as a PCB-mounted dome switch to complete a circuit. A particular feature of the present test switches which yield substantial utility in manufacture and assembly is the provision of a switch housing which can essentially be unitarily formed from a polymeric material and which houses an LED and a contact which can be brought into engagement with leads of the LED to provide a visual signal evidenced by continuing lamp operation at reduced output to indicate proper inverter operation. The LED is actually shorted and goes out. The structure so envisioned can be rapidly assembled from a minimum of parts, the resulting structure being capable of remote disposition, for example, a few feet or so, from the inverter unit and lighting fixture so that testing is facilitated. The present invention therefore provides improved test switch assemblies which also include connector structure tied to the switch housing for mounting of the test switch to a portion of the lighting fixture. The assemblies of the present invention also provide structure capable of mounting into a variety of materials such as castings, sheet metal, plastic, etc., over a range of thicknesses with ease and rapidity. The invention thus contemplates improvement over the prior art by way of providing an inexpensive and compact structure having a minimum of parts and which is readily manufactured and assembled at minimum cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides embodiments of a test switch and mounting assembly which is particularly useful as a manual switch to determine the condition of an inverter unit used to, provide an emergency lighting capability in fluorescent lighting fixtures. In both linear and downlighting fluorescent lighting fixtures, an emergency capability is provided by means of a sealed inverter housing containing batteries capable of driving fluorescent lamping at a fractional output of full lumen rating to yield optimum, glare-free emergency illumination for a minimum period of time on interruption of normal AC mains power. Inverter units useful in such applications are manufactured and marketed by Lithonia Lighting, a division of National Service Industries, Inc., of Atlanta, Ga., certain examples of the inverter units manufactured by Lithonia being proprietary and being the subjects of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,202,608 and 5,814,971, the disclosures of which patents are incorporated hereinto by reference. Inverter units useful for providing an emergency lighting capability to both linear and downlighting fluorescent fixtures are marketed by Lithonia Lighting under the trademark designation of POWER SENTRY.
The batteries contained within inverter units must be capable of being tested periodically in order to ascertain the condition of the batteries, that is, to determine whether the batteries are sufficiently charged to possess the capability of driving lamping during an emergency occasioned by a power failure. Testing of associated inverter circuitry is also necessary. Embodiments of manually operable test switches configured according to the invention replace conventional test switches used in a similar manner to determine the operational worthiness of inverter units as has been described herein. The present test switches can be inexpensively manufactured relative to the cost of prior switches while retaining all capabilities of prior switches. In manufacture of the present switches, fewer parts are required and those parts can be individually manufactured at reduced cost. Assembly of the several component parts of the present test switches can be more rapidly accomplished in a typical manufacturing environment than those switches of the prior art which are replaced by the present test switches.
The present test switches are provided with polymeric housings, typically clear, “plastic” housings having opposing housing portions joined together along one edge for movement relative to each other in the manner of a “living hinge” such that the housing portions can be snapped together once internal switch components have been placed inside the housing. The housings of the present switches are further provided with a connector held to the housing by means of a connecting tie integrally formed of plastic material and molded with the housing and the connector simultaneously. Lengths of cable connect a light emitting diode disposed internally of any one of the several housings, exterior ends of the cable being electrically connected to a molded connector formed of plastic material, the molded connector having internally disposed electrical contacts which mate with contacts l

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