Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-06
2003-03-04
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
C403S097000, C362S418000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06527466
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to swivel mounts used for positioning purposes and more specifically to swivel mounts used to position and secure electrical devices, such as a lighting fixture, in a desired location.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past it has been known to use swivel mounts to support electrical devices, such as lighting fixtures, at a desired position. These swivel mounts were often pole or panel mounted. Some operated by means of adjustable gearing that allowed the fixture to be moved and positioned as desired within a certain range. Others operated by means of friction between different surfaces. In any event, once the fixture was properly positioned, the swivel mount provided the support to maintain the fixture in place.
Over time, and due possibly to the heat generated by the electrical device, the swivel mount began to lose its ability to maintain the desired position against such external forces as gravity, weather or environmental changes. Thus the fixture began to droop thereby requiring re-adjustment.
One solution was to incorporate a bolt, nut, clamp or other tightening element to increase the frictional forces or the gearing inter-engagement of the swivel mount. However, by incorporating such an element, the ease at which the mount could be aligned or positioned decreased since now a tool was required to complete the task. Furthermore, the additional step and trouble of loosening and re-tightening this element became necessary.
These drawbacks became more apparent when two axis of movement were incorporated into swivel mounts. Thus, two such screws, nuts clamps or other tightening elements required manipulation before there could be movement of the swivel along the horizontal and the vertical axes. It often became the case that operators tightened one such element with respect to one axis before positioning the fixture with respect to the other axis. Thus, if further refinement of the fixture was required, the first element had to be re-adjusted which sometimes then necessitated the re-adjustment of the second element. Eventually, the operator was able to ‘zero-in’ on the desired position, but only after repeated loosening and tightening of the various element.
Ball and socket type of swivel mounts reduced the effort required of the operator since now only one tightening element need be addressed rather than the two generally required with gear-type swivel mounts. Nevertheless, the step of adjusting the fixture still necessitated the step of loosening and tightening the element before the fixture could be properly positioned.
Regardless of the type of swivel mount utilized, another issue that had to be addressed concerned the wires providing power to and control of the fixture so mounted. If the wires were to be run within or through the swivel mount, then this wiring often had to extend around internal obstacles thereby increasing the chance that it would be bent or kinked and thus create a hazard. Alternatively, if the wires were run external to the swivel mount to avoid such obstacles, then the exposed wiring became subject to all the elements and dangers associated with external wiring. Furthermore, the fact that wiring extended through or along the swivel mount at all often limited the range of movement permitted by the mount. Thus may be due to the fact that only so much ‘slack’ in the wiring was provided by the manufacturer or the wiring itself prevented the user from achieving the full range of movement made possible by the mount. Finally, the more complicated the wire run became to avoid the above shortcomings, the more costly it became to manufacture that particular device.
Also compounding the situation was the fact that the swivel mount itself was a small portion of the overall cost of the total fixture being adjusted. Thus, the manufacturing cost of this mount was kept as economical as possible with limited concern given to the frustration incurred by the operator in trying to align the fixture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a swivel mount designed to support a fixture (such as a lighting fixture) from a support. It is designed so that no tools or other devices are required to initially position the fixture in place or to re-position the fixture should a change in position be required. This swivel mount incorporates a first set of gear teeth for rotation about a first axis and a second set of gear teeth, for rotation about a second axis. The first and second axes being neither co-linear or parallel (but they are co-planar). Surrounding these sets of gear teeth is an outer body that is configured with first and second pawls for yieldable engagement with, respectively, these sets of gear teeth. A third member maintains engagement of these pawls with their respective gear teeth. This design does not require any tool or other device for initially positioning the fixture being supported at a desired location nor is any tool required for any subsequent re-positioning of the fixture.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2361853 (1944-10-01), Lundquist
patent: 3205522 (1965-09-01), Then
patent: 3533648 (1970-10-01), Thieberger
patent: 3778610 (1973-12-01), Wolf
patent: 4974139 (1990-11-01), Chin-Song
patent: 5132492 (1992-07-01), Wieder
patent: 5564852 (1996-10-01), Maxwell et al.
patent: 5605394 (1997-02-01), Chen
patent: 6079682 (2000-06-01), Olkkola
patent: 6161948 (2000-12-01), Hagen
patent: 6409411 (2002-06-01), Crorey
Blier David
Mirica Viorel
Pallai Laszlo
Browne Lynne H.
Cottingham John R.
Hoelter Michael L.
Thomas & Betts International Inc.
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