Illumination – Elongated source light unit or support – With means to position plural light sources colinearly
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-17
2001-10-09
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Elongated source light unit or support
With means to position plural light sources colinearly
C362S220000, C362S225000, C362S259000, C362S404000, C362S147000, C362S260000, C362S457000, C362S368000, C362S370000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299327
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to lighting arrangements, and more particularly to a lighting arrangement that employs selectably dismountable lighting fixtures that may be interconnected in a daisy-chain fashion, and yet be independently controllable and with the interconnecting wiring being managed to maintain a neat appearance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional lighting fixtures of the type that are used, for example, in furniture are configured and dimensioned for the particular application. Thus, small lighting fixtures are used to illuminate small spaces, and longer lighting fixtures are used for longer areas that need to be illuminated. It is a disadvantage of these known arrangements that once a lighting fixture is installed, it generally can not be displaced or otherwise reconfigured to accommodate the wishes of the user. There is a need, therefore, for a lighting system that permits the user to control the amplitude and arrangement of the illumination for his or her particular needs. Reconfiguration of the distribution of the light over a predetermined area to be illuminate can not generally be achieved with a single fixture.
It is often desired to discontinue illumination in a portion of the field to be illuminated. This generally can not be achieved by a single fixture that would illuminate the entire field. Known lighting arrangements that would use several, distributed fixtures typically provide for a single control for all such fixtures. Thus, all such lighting fixtures in the known arrangement are turned on and off simultaneously, or dimmed simultaneously. Efforts to effect control over each such lighting fixture independently of the others results in the need to install a separate power wire for each such fixture. In an installation where multiple lighting fixtures are employed, management of the power wires becomes a problem. There is a need, therefore, for a lighting system that permits each of a plurality of individual lighting fixtures to be controlled independently of the others while permitting management of the power wiring to maintain a neat appearance.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a lighting arrangement wherein individual lighting fixtures therein can readily be displaced to effect a desired distribution of lighting.
It is another object of this invention to provide a lighting arrangement that permits individual ones of the lighting fixtures therein to be controlled independently of one another by a user.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a lighting arrangement for premanufactured furniture wherein one or more lighting fixtures can readily be installed after shipment and delivery of the furniture at a remote location, without requiring the lighting fixtures to be shipped therewith.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a lighting fixture that provides a safe support for a high-output lamp, whereby the lamp is precluded from coming into contact with portions of the fixture that cannot withstand the operating temperatures achieved by the high-output lamp.
It is additionally an object of this invention to provide an electrical interconnection arrangement for a plurality of lighting fixtures wherein a daisy-chained electrical interconnection scheme can be implemented.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a mounting arrangement for a lighting fixture wherein a predetermined minimum space between the lighting fixture and a mounting surface is maintained.
It is also another object of this invention to provide a lighting arrangement for premanufactured furniture wherein one or more lighting fixtures can securely be held in place during shipment of the furniture.
It is yet an additional object of this invention to provide a mounting arrangement for a lighting system that permits multiple modes for mounting a lighting fixture onto a surface, including mounting onto steel furniture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this invention which provides, in a first apparatus aspect thereof, a lighting system for installation on a mounting surface. The lighting system is of the type having at least one lighting fixture having a housing with a lamp therein. The housing is provided with a roof and first and second exterior sides. In accordance with the invention, a first receiver portion is coupled to the first exterior side of the lighting fixture. The receiver portion defines a receiver aperture that extends along the first exterior side of the lighting fixture. There is additionally provided a coupler having a mounting portion for coupling with the mounting surface, and an engagement portion for engaging with the first receiver portion.
In one embodiment of the invention, the receiver portion is formed integrally with the housing. Additionally, the mounting portion and the engagement portion of the first coupler are also integrally formed. In a preferred embodiment, the first coupler is formed of a plastic material, whereby the engagement portion can be configured to be resiliently engageable with the first receiver portion.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the mounting portion is configured to form a spacer between the roof of the lighting fixture and the mounting surface. In one embodiment, the mounting portion of the first coupler extends over a portion of the roof of the lighting fixture, and has a thickness that corresponds to the desired spacing to be maintained between the roof of the lighting fixture and the mounting surface.
In a multiple fixture embodiment of the invention, there is provided a further lighting fixture, each of the lighting fixtures being provided with a first electrical connector for receiving electrical energy. Additionally, each of the lighting fixtures, in this embodiment, is provided with an electrical switch for controlling the delivery of electrical energy to the respectively associated lighting fixture. Thus, each such lighting fixture is independently controllable. In a further embodiment, each of the lighting fixtures is provided with a second electrical connector, thereby permitting the lighting fixtures to be electrically interconnected in a daisy-chain fashion.
In a further embodiment of this first aspect of the invention, the lighting fixture is provided with a high output lamp, such as a halogen lamp. The lamp is installed in a lamp socket, which preferably is of the type that can withstand elevated operating temperatures. The lamp socket is provided with a lamp support, such as a protruding shoulder, that supports the lamp in a predetermined orientation. The support for the high-output lamp prevents the lamp from sagging and thereby communicating with a portion of the lighting fixture, such as a translucent cover therefor, which would be damaged by the high operating temperature of the high-output lamp.
In a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a second receiver portion coupled to the second exterior side of the lighting fixture. The second receiver portion defines a receiver aperture that extends along the second exterior side of the lighting fixture. In this embodiment, there is additionally provided a second coupler having a mounting portion for coupling to the mounting surface and an engagement portion for engaging with the second receiver portion. The first and second couplers, preferably are identical to one another, so as to reduce manufacturing cost.
In a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a track mounting arrangement that is interposed between the mounting portion of the first and second couplers and the mounting surface. The first and second couplers are slidably displaceable along the track mounting arrangement. In a highly advantageous embodiment, the first and second couplers are each provided with a threaded aperture therethrough for accommodating respective threaded locking elements. The threaded locking elements engage with respective ones of the threaded apertures fo
Alavi Ali
Gaffin Richard A.
ITC, Inc.
Monsanto Raphael A.
O'Shea Sandra
LandOfFree
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