Illumination – With switch plate or socket
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-09
2004-10-26
Sember, Thomas M. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
With switch plate or socket
C362S147000, C362S260000, C362S276000, C362S365000, C439S239000, C439S893000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06808283
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the construction junction box, and more particularly to a sensitive lighting fixture constructed for replacing a junction box cover, a wall socket or a switch panel to incorporate with the metal made junction box to form a utility lighting device.
2. Description of Related Arts
Wall sockets are preinstalled on walls in every commercial and residential building to provide sources of electricity that the users can electrically connect electrical appliances thereto for electricity supply by plugging their electric plugs into the sockets. Generally, as shown in
FIG. 1
, electric wires A
1
are extended to the location of a wall socket B
1
where the electric wires A
1
are electrically connected with the terminals of the wall socket B
1
. Since electrical connections between the wires A
1
and wall socket B
1
must avoid hazardous environment such as moisture and dust, a metal made construction junction box A
2
was pre-installed in the wall C
1
by, for example, mounting to wall construction beam C
2
while the building was built, wherein the terminal end portions of the electrical wires A
1
are extended into the interior cavity of the construction junction box A
2
. To install the wall socket B
1
, it is merely mounted in front of the construction junction box A
2
, so that the electrical connection between the wires A
1
and the terminals of the wall socket B
1
are protected within the construction junction box A
2
from outside. Similarly, the wall mount switch panel D
1
is also constructed to be mounted in front of the construction junction box A
2
to protect its electrical connections.
However, due to the construction requirement of utilizing the construction junction boxes for wall sockets and switch panels construction, most of the buildings will provide as many construction junction boxes as possible so that the user, especially for the commercial owners of the buildings, can install switches or sockets based on their real need. However, when any construction junction box A
2
is not in use, that is no wall socket C
1
or switch panel D
1
is need to install to the construction junction box A
2
, a junction box cover E
1
is be used to cover the construction junction box A
2
from outside.
Also, when a wall socket B
1
is not in use, a plastic plug cover F
1
is suggested to be plugged into the wall socket B
1
in order to prevent the children from reaching the sockets or blocking liquid from entering the wall socket B
1
through the plug holes. However, such plug cover F
1
may only work for baby child at age three or less. To those wall sockets B
1
that are not normally in use, it is too simply for older kids to unplug the plug covers F
1
and play with those wall sockets B
1
. Therefore, to any wall socket that is not in use generally, it is recommended to replace the wall socket B
1
with the junction box cover E
1
for protection and keeping from reach of kids. For safety reason, it is nothing wrong to permanently cover a non-use construction junction box. However, for utility purpose, it is a waste of resources to do so.
On the other hand, night lighting fixtures are used both indoors and outdoors to light walkways, stairs, bathrooms, bedrooms, and other places, where a low level of illumination is desired for purposes of safety and convenience.
In general, outdoor fixtures are recessed within the wall structure and are connected to the normal electrical wiring system contained in homes, apartments and other buildings. These fixtures usually have an exposed face or plate provided with louvers or other similar openings through which the light passes to provide illumination. The balance of the fixture is recessed and concealed within the wall structure. The light is usually turned on and off manually or by a pre-set timer. Where photocells have been used, the photocell has been separate from the recessed fixture.
In the case of a manually operated fixture, conservation of light and electrical energy is dependent upon timely human intervention. A pre-set timer maintains the period pre-set for illumination and is not responsive to actual external ambient lighting conditions. Consequently, it is possible that the electrical light is turned on when illumination is not needed, and turned off when darkness prevails creating a hazard and risk to security.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,032 discloses an indoor night light which is generally not recessed and project outwardly from the wall, presenting a hazard to children and inconvenience. Outdoor light fixtures are sealed against the elements in many cases. Indoor lights are not sealed and are unsuited for outdoor use. U.S. Pat. No. 2, 857,371 discloses a recessed lighting fixture to be integrally installed to a hole made on a wall. It likes a wall lamp that the user needs to make a hole on the wall in precise dimension for screwing the recessed lighting fixture thereon. However, such lighting fixture is specifically designed for the building constructors to install to newly built structures. It is well known that, in the United States, the walls, which are supported by vertical and horizontal building frames, are generally made of cardboards, asbestos boards or plaster boards that are not firm and rigid enough to support the lighting fixture. To home users and property owners, they not only may not know how to make a right hole at a right position to fit the recessed lighting fixture as suggested by the '371 patent, but also can't even locate where are the vertical or horizontal building frames behind the walls for screwing the lighting fixture thereto, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
of the '371 patent. One more difficulty for home users is that it requires a great skill and also is a great hazard to connect and extend electrical wires behind the walls to electrically connect with the light bulbs of the lighting fixtures for power supply.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is a main objective of the present invention to provide a sensitive lighting fixture which is specifically designed to incorporate with the construction junction box built on wall, ceiling or floor to form a utility lighting device, wherein the sensitive lighting fixture is capable of replacing the not-in-use wall socket or switch panel to avoid unwanted hazard to the environment while providing an additional utility function such as night light, walkway indicator, and etc. In other words, by replacing a non-use wall socket with the sensitive lighting fixture while using the existing construction junction box can substantially prevent the children and pets from getting electric shocks at the non-use wall sockets.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a sensitive lighting fixture for construction junction box, wherein since the metal made existing construction junction box built on wall, ceiling or floor is used as an exterior housing of the sensitive lighting fixture, so that the sensitive lighting fixture of the present invention has no need to manufacture the metal case to enclose the electrical connections of the sensitive lighting fixture that reduces not only the manufacturing steps but also the product cost.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a sensitive lighting fixture for construction junction box, which is easy to install and the users have no need to worry about the electrical power source for the sensitive lighting fixture since the electric wires are already extended and provided inside the construction junction box.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a sensitive lighting fixture for construction junction box, which provides a recessed lighting fixture on wall without the need of drilling extra hole on wall and extending electric wires thereto from electric power source.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a sensitive lighting fixture for construction junction box, which provides a recessed night light having a wall flat surface to avoid any componen
Chan Raymond Y.
David and Raymond Patent Group
Negron Ismael
Sember Thomas M.
LandOfFree
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