Mounting assembly of a light fixture

• US 10,132,477 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Winters, Philip Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ulanday, Meghan
• Application Number:
  US15/192,143
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 362612
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/02 of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters specially adapted for vehicle exteriors F21S41/00-F21S45/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/02 with provision for adjustment F21V17/04 - F21V17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/104 using feather joints, e.g. tongues and grooves, with or without friction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/166 the parts being subjected to torsion, e.g. spiral springs
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/04 Recessed bases
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/14 Adjustable mountings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/026 Fastening of transformers or ballasts
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package

Abstract

A mounting assembly includes a mounting plate that has a central aperture and a plurality of elongated slots disposed on opposite sides of the central aperture. The plurality of elongated slots are configured to flexibly mount a light fixture to junction boxes or recessed cans of different sizes. Further, the mounting assembly includes one or more torsion spring brackets to mount the light fixture in recessed cans. The one or more torsion spring brackets are configured to toollessly couple with the mounting plate via one or more of the plurality of elongated slots. Once the light fixture is mounted to a junction box or a recessed can, the mounting plate allows the light fixture to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise along one or more of the plurality of elongated slots. Furthermore, the mounting assembly includes spring clip brackets and mousetrap like spring clips to surface mount the light fixture.

Claims

1. A light fixture comprising:

a light module assembly;

a mounting plate that is coupled to the light module assembly and comprising;

a central aperture;

a first set of elongated slots disposed on one side of the central aperture; and

a second set of elongated slots disposed on an opposite side of the central aperture,

wherein each set of elongated slots include an inner pair of elongated slots and an outer pair of elongated slots, and wherein the inner pair of elongated slots are arranged closer to the central aperture than the outer pair of elongated slots; and

a torsion spring assembly comprising;

one or more torsion spring brackets, each torsion spring bracket configured to toollessly couple with the mounting plate via at least one of the two sets of elongated slots,

wherein the torsion spring assembly is configured to mount the light module assembly in a recessed can having a first diameter when the one or more torsion spring brackets are coupled to the mounting plate via the inner pair of elongated slots of the at least one of the two sets of elongated slots, and

wherein the torsion spring assembly is configured to mount the light module assembly in a recessed can having a second diameter when the one or more torsion spring brackets are coupled to the mounting plate via the outer pair of elongated slots of the at least one of the two sets of elongated slots.

2. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the light module assembly comprises:

a housing assembly that defines a cavity;

a plurality of LEDs coupled to one or more side walls of the housing assembly; and

a light guide disposed in the cavity and comprising an edge that is disposed adjacent the plurality of LEDs such that light from the plurality of LEDs enters the light guide through the edge and exits the light guide through a major surface of the light guide towards an area to be illuminated.

3. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the torsion spring assembly further comprises a torsion spring that is coupled to each of the one or more torsion spring brackets.

4. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein each elongated slot of the two sets of elongated slots has a substantially curved or semi-circular profile.

5. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the inner pair of elongated slots include a first installation slot and a second installation slot, wherein the outer pair of elongated slots include a third installation slot and a receiving slot, wherein the receiving slot is a blind slot, and wherein the first installation slot, the second installation slot, and the third installation slot are through slots.

6. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein each torsion spring bracket comprises:

a first planar portion comprising one or more torsion spring coupling features that are configured to securely retain a torsion spring;

a second planar portion that is substantially perpendicular to the first portion and extends from a lateral end of the first planar portion, wherein the second planar portion comprises;

a tongue feature extending out and downwards from the second planar portion in a plane that is below and substantially parallel to the second planar portion, and

one or more retention features disposed on a bottom surface of the second planar portion and adjacent a lateral end of the second planar portion that is away from the first planar portion; and

a support tab extending out from the lateral end of the first planar portion in the direction opposite to the second planar portion, wherein the support tab is substantially perpendicular to the first planar portion and is substantially parallel to the second planar portion.

7. The light fixture of claim 6, wherein to toollessly couple each torsion spring bracket with the mounting plate:

(a) the tongue feature of the torsion spring bracket is inserted through an elongated slot of the inner pair of elongated slots or the outer pair of elongated slots, and (b) the retention features are received in another elongated slot of the inner pair of elongated slots or the outer pair of elongated slots, respectively.

8. The light fixture of claim 7, wherein once the light module assembly is coupled to a recessed can via the torsion spring assembly, the light module assembly is rotatable in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about an axis that is normal to and passing through an approximate center of the light module assembly.

9. The light fixture of claim 8, wherein to rotate the light module assembly, the mounting plate is rotated along the elongated slot and about the tongue feature of a respective torsion spring bracket inserted through the elongated slot.

10. A light fixture comprising:

a light module assembly;

a mounting plate that is coupled to the light module assembly and comprising;

a central aperture;

a first set of elongated slots disposed on one side of the central aperture; and

a second set of elongated slots disposed on an opposite side of the central aperture,

wherein each set of elongated slots include an inner pair of elongated slots and an outer pair of elongated slots, and wherein the inner pair of elongated slots are arranged closer to the central aperture than the outer pair of elongated slots, and

wherein the inner pair of elongated slots is configured to mount the light module assembly to a junction box having a first diameter via one or more fasteners that pass through at least one elongated slot of the inner pair of elongated slots,

wherein the outer pair of elongated slots is configured to mount the light module assembly to a junction box having a second diameter via one or more fasteners that pass through at least one elongated slot of the outer pair of elongated slots, and

wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter.

11. The light fixture of claim 10, wherein the light module assembly comprises:

a housing assembly that defines a cavity;

a plurality of LEDs coupled to one or more side walls of the housing assembly;

a light guide disposed in the cavity and comprising an edge that is disposed adjacent the plurality of LEDs such that light from the plurality of LEDs enters the light guide through the edge and exits the light guide through a major surface of the light guide towards an area to be illuminated;

a top reflector panel disposed above the light guide; and

a lens disposed below the light guide.

12. The light fixture of claim 11, wherein the housing assembly comprises:

a top housing assembly that comprises a top surface and the one or more side walls extending substantially perpendicular to the top surface from a perimeter of the top surface,

wherein the top surface comprises one or more driver coupling apertures; and

a bottom housing assembly that is configured to couple to the top housing assembly such that they form the cavity.

13. The light fixture of claim 10, wherein each elongated slot of the two sets of elongated slots has a substantially curved or semi-circular profile.

14. The light fixture of claim 10, wherein the inner pair of elongated slots include a first installation slot and a second installation slot, wherein the outer pair of elongated slots include a third installation slot and a receiving slot, wherein the receiving slot is a blind slot, and wherein the first installation slot, the second installation slot, and the third installation slot are through slots.

15. The light fixture of claim 10, further comprising:

a driver assembly that is coupled to the housing assembly using one or more fasteners, wherein the driver assembly comprises;

a spring tab member having a planar base portion and a pair of arms, each arm extending from opposite ends of the planar base portion, wherein the spring tab member is coupled to a top surface of the housing assembly; and

a light emitting diode (LED) driver disposed on top of and coupled to the spring tab member.

16. The light fixture of claim 15, wherein the mounting plate is coupled to the housing assembly by snapping the mounting plate onto a top surface of the housing assembly using the spring tab member such that the driver and at least a portion of the pair of spring tab member arms pass through the central aperture of the mounting plate.

17. A light fixture comprising:

a surface mounting trim that comprises a base that has an inner perimeter that defines an aperture, an outer perimeter, and a side wall that is disposed between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter, wherein the side wall extends substantially perpendicular to the base, and wherein the side wall and at least a portion of the base of the surface mounting trim define a through cavity that extends from another aperture defined by a top edge of the side wall through the aperture defined by the inner perimeter of the base;

a light module assembly disposed in the through cavity; and

one or more spring clip brackets, wherein the one or more spring clip brackets are coupled to the side wall of the surface mounting trim such that at least a portion of the one or more spring clip brackets are disposed on the light module assembly while being coupled to the side wall of the surface mounting trim,

wherein each spring clip bracket is coupled to a mousetrap like spring clip that is configured to engage with a mounting surface to securely retain the light fixture when the light fixture is surface mounted to the mounting surface.

18. The light fixture of claim 17, wherein the light module assembly comprises:

a top housing member that comprises a top surface and one or more housing side walls extending substantially perpendicularly from a perimeter of the top surface;

a plurality of LEDs coupled to the one or more side walls of the top housing member; and

a light guide comprising an edge that is disposed adjacent the plurality of LEDs such that light from the plurality of LEDs enters the light guide through the edge and exits the light guide through a major surface of the light guide towards an area to be illuminated.

19. The light fixture of claim 17, wherein each spring clip bracket comprises:

a first planar portion comprising one or more clip receiver tabs to securely retain and couple the mousetrap like spring clip to the spring clip bracket;

a pair of feet that are substantially perpendicular to the first planar portion, wherein the pair of feet extend from opposite sides of a lateral edge of the first planar portion; and

a tail portion that is configured to couple the spring clip bracket to the surface mounting trim, wherein the tail portion comprises a clamp shaped end having axially aligned apertures.

20. The light fixture of claim 19:

wherein the side wall of the surface mounting trim includes one or more raised portions, each raised portion having a coupling aperture, and

wherein each spring clip bracket is coupled to the surface mounting trim by coupling the clamp shaped end of the respective spring clip bracket to the respective raised portion of the surface mounting trim using a fastener that is passed through the axially aligned apertures of the clamp shaped end of the spring clip bracket and the coupling aperture of the surface mounting trim.