Illumination assembly and adjustable direction mounting

• US 20030185014A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Gloisten, Jennifer L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,726,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/372
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/43 General lighting
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0038 Illumination systems for cabins as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• 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 19/001 the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/30 for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An illumination assembly includes a support bracket adapted for mounting on a support structure and a housing adjustably connected to the support bracket. A directional light source is mounted within the housing. A cam follower/locking mechanism connected to the support bracket and the housing angularly adjusts the housing to a selected position relative to the support bracket and locks the housing in the selected position. Also provided is an adjustable directional mounting for a directional light source.

Claims

1. An illumination assembly comprising:

(a) a support bracket adapted for mounting on a support structure;

(b) a housing adjustably connected to said support bracket;

(c) an electronic assembly mounted within said housing;

(d) a directional light source mounted on said electronic assembly; and

(e) a cam follower/locking mechanism connected to said support bracket and said housing for angularly adjusting the housing to a selected position relative to said support bracket and locking said housing in said selected position.

2. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 wherein said support bracket is made from an extruded plastic material and said directional light source comprises an LED light source.

3. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 wherein said electronic assembly comprises at least one elongated circuit board carrying said directional light source and said driving and thermal protection circuitry for said light source.

4. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 wherein said electronic assembly comprises at least two elongated circuit boards disposed over and parallel to each other, one of said boards carrying said directional light source and the other of said boards carrying driving and thermal protection circuitry for said directional light source.

5. The illumination assembly according to claim 4 further comprising:

(a) at least one soldered pin electrically connecting and maintaining a minimum spacing between said at least two elongated circuit boards; and

(b) a thermally conductive material between said at least two elongated circuit boards to keep the boards at a common temperature and to enhance said electronic assembly mechanically.

6. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said support bracket comprises a cradle and said housing comprises a tube received by said cradle defining an interior space; and

(b) said cam follower/locking mechanism extends through a bottom portion of said cradle into the interior space to apply force to rotate the housing.

7. The illumination assembly according to claim 6 further comprising at least two guides connected to said housing, said electronic assembly being adhesively mounted to said guides.

8. The illumination assembly according to claim 7 wherein each of said guides comprises a clip extending lengthwise along said tube and said tube comprises at least two tabs, a respective one of said tabs interlocking with a corresponding clip to secure said electronic assembly to said housing.

9. The illumination assembly according to claim 6 wherein:

(a) said support bracket comprises a plurality of circumferential slots adapted to receive a plurality of rivets to prevent longitudinal movement between said housing and said support bracket and

(b) said housing further comprises a longitudinally angled slot in a lower portion of said housing to permit said housing to rotate up to approximately 110 degrees around an axis of rotation parallel to the length of said support bracket upon application of force to said cam follower/locking mechanism.

10. The illumination assembly according to claim 9 wherein said cam follower/locking mechanism comprises a headed shaft, said headed shaft engaging said longitudinally angled slot, an indicator bracket extending around to a front portion of said support bracket, a knob having an interface surface interfacing with said indicator bracket and having a counter bore for receiving a rubber O-ring, a washer and a screw, said O-ring being disposed beneath said washer and said screw.

11. The illumination assembly according to claim 10 wherein said interface surface of said knob comprises at least two inclined portions and at least two planar portions, each planar portion having at least one indentation, and said indicator bracket comprises at least two raised protrusions, each raised protrusion corresponding to a respective indentation and adapted to rotationally travel along a respective inclined portion on said interface surface upon rotation of said knob relative to said indicator bracket and be received within said respective indentation.

12. The illumination assembly according to claim 10 wherein said support bracket has a flat front surface with markings indicating a series of light direction angles relative to a back mounting surface of said support bracket and said indicator bracket comprises a pointer riding along said flat front surface on said support bracket to provide a reading of the light direction angle.

13. The illumination assembly according to claim 12 wherein a portion of the longitudinally angled slot is varied so as to permit fine adjustment around a selected angular position.

14. An illumination assembly with an adjustable direction mounting, which comprises:

(a) a support bracket having a plurality of rivets;

(b) a cylindrical housing adjustably affixed to said support bracket, said housing having circumferential slots receiving said rivets and a longitudinally angled slot in a lower portion of said housing;

(c) a circuit board mounted within said housing;

(d) a series of LEDs mounted on said circuit board;

(e) a shaft disposed in said longitudinally angled slot for slidable movement relative to said support bracket; and

(f) means for securing said shaft in a selected fixed position.

15. An adjustable direction mounting for a directional light source comprising:

(a) a support bracket adapted for mounting on a support structure;

(b) a housing adjustably connected to said support bracket, said housing having a longitudinally angled slot in a lower portion of said housing;

(c) a shaft disposed in said longitudinally angled slot for slidable movement relative to said support bracket; and

(d) means for securing said shaft in a selected fixed position.