Underwater light

• US 3,949,213 A
• Filed: 02/11/1974
• Issued: 04/06/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hayward Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hayward Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Paitchell, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Fred L.
• Application Number:
  US05/441,197
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 240/26, 240/47, 174/51, 339/14 R, 339/14 L
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 45/02 the devices being intended to illuminate the way ahead or other areas of environments
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/04 Recessed bases
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/001 the elements being electrical wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/00 Safety devices structurally associated with lighting devices gas- tight or water-tight arrangements F21V31/00; in general F16P; protective circuit arrangements per se H02H7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 27/02 Cable inlets
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/56 using liquid coolants F21V29/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/58 characterised by the coolants
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools

Abstract

An underwater light is provided for use particularly with swimming pools, having fail-safe twin grounding connectors to prevent electrical grounding through the water in event of failure of one grounding connection.

Claims

1. An underwater light for a body of water for use with electrical and grounding connections that are totally immersed in water and having fail-safe twin grounding connections to prevent electric grounding through the water in event of failure of one grounding connection, comprising, in combination, a housing;

a water-tight receptacle in the housing;

an electric light within the receptacle;

water-tight non-electrically-conducting conduit means attached in a water-tight seal to the housing for entry of electrical and grounding line connections leading from an electric power source and ground outside the body of water to the electric light within the receptacle;

a first grounding connection attached to the inside of the receptacle for grounding attachment thereto of a first grounding line extending to a ground outside the body of water and entering the housing via the conduit means; and

a second grounding connection attached to the housing for grounding attachment of a second grounding line extending to a ground outside the body of water.

2. An underwater light in accordance with claim 1, in which the housing has at least one opening therethrough admitting water therewithin, and the receptacle is spaced from the housing in a manner to allow water entering the housing to bathe the receptacle and cool it.

3. An underwater light in accordance with claim 1, in combination with a swimming pool comprising water-retaining side walls and a bottom wall, the underwater light being installed in one of the walls thereof.

4. An underwater light for a body of water for use with electrical and grounding connections that are totally immersed in water and having fail-safe twin grounding connections to prevent electric grounding through the water in event of failure of one grounding connection, comprising, in combination, a housing;

an electric light within the housing in a receptacle;

non-electrically-conducting conduit means attached in a water-tight seal to the housing for entry of electrical and grounding line connections leading from an electric power source and ground outside the body of water;

electrical line connections extending through the conduit means from the electric power source to the electric light within the receptacle;

a first grounding connection attached to the inside of the receptacle for grounding attachment thereto of a first grounding line extending through the conduit means to a ground outside the body of water and entering the housing via the conduit means; and

a second grounding connection attached to the housing for grounding attachment of a second grounding line extending to a ground outside the body of water; and

an electrically-conducting grounding member attached to the housing and extending through the housing, and having an inner face on the inside of the housing; and

wherein the second grounding connection is attached to the inner face of the grounding member.

5. An underwater light in accordance with claim 4, having a third grounding connection attached to the electrically-conducting grounding member outside the housing.

6. An underwater light in accordance with claim 5, in which the grounding member is a boss and further includes an outer face outside the housing, a recess on each of the inner and outer faces thereof, and a locking member in each recess retaining a grounding line connection therein in electrically-conducting contact with the boss and the housing.

7. An underwater light in accordance with claim 6, in which each recess is a bore.

8. An underwater light in accordance with claim 4, in which the housing is a hemispherical shell.

9. An underwater light for a body of water for use with electrical and grounding connections that are totally immersed in water and having fail-safe twin grounding connections to prevent electric grounding through the water in event of failure of one grounding connection, comprising, in combination, a housing;

an electric light within the housing in a water-tight receptacle;

water-tight non-electrically-conducting conduit means attached in a water-tight seal to the housing for entry of electrical and grounding line connections leading from an electric power source and ground outside the body of water to the electric light within the housing, the housing having two apertures, with the conduit means attached to the housing at and extending through one aperture, and a grounding member attached to the housing at and extending through the other aperture;

a first grounding connection attached to the inside of the housing for grounding attachment thereto of a first grounding line extending to a ground outside the body of water and entering the housing via the conduit means, and a second grounding connection attached to the grounding member for grounding attachment of a second grounding line extending to a ground outside the body of water.

10. An underwater light in accordance with claim 9, in which the conduit member and the grounding member are each brazed to the housing.