Collars for light fixtures

• US 10,443,832 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Manahan, Joseph Michael, Scarlata, Andrew Francis, Treible, Jr., Daniel Robert, Crocker, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): St Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/830,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20180156438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 362362, 362365, 362374, 362375
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/015 Devices for covering joints between adjacent lighting devices; End coverings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/02 with provision for adjustment F21V17/04 - F21V17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/107 using hinge joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0015 Fastening arrangements intended to retain light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/002 Arrangements of cables or conductors inside a lighting device, e.g. means for guiding along parts of the housing or in a pivoting arm
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/12 Flameproof or explosion-proof arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/77 with essentially identical diverging planar fins or blades, e.g. with fan-like or star-like cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/773 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/12 using one transmitter and one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/002 Protection against seismic waves, thermal radiation or other disturbances, e.g. nuclear explosion; Arrangements for improving the power handling capability of an antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/06 : using refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens radome H01Q1/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 : Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 : in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 : by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 : by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 : by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission

Abstract

A light fixture can include a housing having at least one wall and a collar limiting feature disposed at a top end of the at least one wall. The light fixture can also include a collar disposed around the at least one wall, where the collar abuts against the collar limiting feature and is rotatable relative to the housing, where the collar includes a first cover coupling feature. The light fixture can further include a cover coupled to the collar, where the cover includes a first collar coupling feature, where the first collar coupling feature couples to the first cover coupling feature of the collar. The housing can be rotatable relative to the collar and the cover when the cover is decoupled from the collar, where the housing can be held in a fixed position relative to the collar and the cover when the cover is coupled to the collar.

Claims

1. A light fixture, comprising:

a housing comprising at least one wall that forms a cavity, wherein a top end of the at least one wall comprises a collar limiting feature; and

a collar disposed around the at least one wall of the housing, wherein the collar abuts against the collar limiting feature,

wherein the housing is freely rotatable relative to the collar while the collar is disposed around the at least one wall of the housing and retained by the collar limiting feature.

2. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the collar provides a compressive force against the housing relative to the cover when the cover and the collar are in the fully-closed position, wherein the compressive force creates a seal between the housing and the cover.

3. The light fixture of claim 2, wherein the housing, the collar, and the cover are located in a hazardous environment, wherein the compressive force is sufficient to meet applicable standards for the hazardous environment.

4. The light fixture of claim 2, wherein the top of the wall of the housing further comprises a channel disposed above the collar limiting feature, wherein a bottom side of the cover is disposed within the channel when the cover and the collar are in the fully-closed position.

5. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises at least one structure coupling feature that is configured to fixedly couple to a structure.

6. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises a second collar coupling feature, wherein the collar further comprises a second cover coupling feature, and wherein the second collar coupling feature of the cover couples to the second cover coupling feature of the collar.

7. The light fixture of claim 6, wherein the first collar coupling feature and the first cover coupling feature of the collar, when coupled to each other, form a hinge, and wherein the second collar coupling feature of the cover and the second cover coupling feature of the collar, when coupled to each other along with the first collar coupling feature and the first cover coupling feature being coupled to each other, prevent the cover from opening relative to the housing and keep the cover and the collar in the fully-closed position.

8. The light fixture of claim 7, wherein the first cover coupling feature of the collar is disposed at a substantially opposing end of the collar as the second cover coupling feature of the collar.

9. The light fixture of claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of electrical components disposed within the cavity of the housing, wherein the plurality of components is accessible to a user when the second collar coupling feature of the cover and the second cover coupling feature of the collar are decoupled from each other and when the cover is subsequently opened relative to the housing using the hinge.

10. The light fixture of claim 9, wherein the cover is opened relative to the housing when the cover is coupled to at least one structure and when the cover and the collar are not in the fully-closed position is at least partially decoupled from the collar.

11. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the collar, when viewed from above, is circular.

12. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the collar further comprises a first rotational limiting feature, wherein the housing further comprises a second rotational limiting feature, and wherein the first rotational limiting feature and the second rotational limiting feature engage to limit a range of rotation of the housing relative to the collar.

13. The light fixture of claim 1, further comprising:

a cover moveably coupled to the collar, wherein the cover comprises a first collar coupling feature, wherein the first collar coupling feature couples to a first cover coupling feature of the collar, wherein the cover and the collar have a fully-closed position with respect to each other, wherein the housing is freely rotatable relative to the collar and the cover when the cover and the collar are not in the fully-closed position while the collar is disposed around the at least one wall of the housing.

14. The light fixture of claim 13, wherein the housing is held in a fixed position relative to the collar and the cover when the cover and the collar are in the fully-closed position while the collar is disposed around the at least one wall of the housing and is retained by the collar limiting feature of the housing.

15. A collar for a light fixture, the collar comprising:

a body having a top surface, an inner surface, and a shape formed by the inner surface, wherein the shape is substantially the same as a shape of an outer surface of a housing of the light fixture adjacent to a collar limiting feature of the light fixture; and

wherein the body is configured to allow the housing of the light fixture to freely rotate with respect to the body when the body is disposed around the outer surface of the housing of the light fixture and when the body is retained by the collar limiting feature of the light fixture.

16. The collar of claim 15, further comprising:

a first cover coupling feature disposed at a first location on the body, wherein the first cover coupling feature is configured to moveably couple to a first collar coupling feature of a cover of the light fixture,

wherein the body is further configured to prevent the housing of the light fixture from rotating relative to the body when the first cover coupling feature is coupled to the first collar coupling feature of the cover in a fully-closed position with respect to each other, wherein the body is further configured to allow the housing of the light fixture to freely rotate relative to the body when the first cover coupling feature and the first collar coupling feature, when coupled to each other, are not in the fully-closed position.

17. The collar of claim 16, further comprising:

a second cover coupling feature disposed at a second location on the body, wherein the second cover coupling feature is configured to couple to a second collar coupling feature of the cover of the light fixture.

18. The collar of claim 17, wherein the body further comprises a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the first portion comprises a sleeve that is configured to be disposed against a collar limiting feature disposed at a top end of a housing of the light fixture, wherein the second portion comprises a ring disposed over the first portion, wherein the first cover coupling feature and the second cover coupling feature are disposed on the ring, wherein the sleeve and the ring freely rotate with respect to each other in the absence of a collar coupling feature that fixes a position of the sleeve and the ring relative to each other.

19. The collar of claim 15, wherein the body further comprises a first portion and a second portion coupled to each other, wherein the first portion comprises a first coupling feature and a second coupling feature, wherein the second portion comprises a third coupling feature and a fourth coupling feature, wherein the first coupling feature of the first portion is coupled to the third coupling feature of the second portion, and wherein the second coupling feature of the first portion is coupled to the fourth coupling feature of the second portion.

20. The collar of claim 15, wherein the first cover coupling feature forms part of a hinge.