Recessed light fixture

• US 4,238,815 A
• Filed: 06/29/1978
• Issued: 12/09/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edison Price Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Edison Price Incorporated
• Inventors: Price, Edison A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Application Number:
  US05/920,265
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 362/217, 362/218, 362/223, 362/225, 362/260, 362/297, 362/307, 362/325, 362/330, 362/342, 362/345, 362/346, 362/364, 362/365, 362/366, 362/367, 362/373, 362/404, 362/406
• US Class Current: 362/218
• 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 19/008 of straight tubular light sources, e.g. straight fluorescent tubes, soffit lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/02 with provision for adjustment, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes

Abstract

A recessed fluorescent light system includes a pair of saddle-shaped brackets having depending side legs resting on parallel bars of a hung ceiling structure, releasably locked thereto by bracket-carried lower spring latch members. A ballast and wire housing channel is coupled to the bracket top cross bars by bracket-mounted latch springs which also project through bracket transverse legs to define baffle assembly latch members. A horizontal plate reflector extends between and beyond the channel depending legs and is secured thereto. The plate includes depending longitudinal end flanges and inwardly spaced depending dimples. A light baffle assembly includes longitudinal upwardly and inwardly curved reflector plates terminating in horizontal flanges underlying and spaced from the side borders of the horizontal reflector by the dimples and spaced also from the depending flanges to delineate a sound attenuating tortuous elongated shallow air return passageway. The channel ends are closed by fluorescent bulb socket carrying depending side plates. The baffle assembly is releasably retained to the bracket by the baffle spring latch member engaging the upper flanges of the side baffle, and is connected at its upper corners by elongated bead chains to the bracket legs by way of the lower latch members. The sockets may be vertically adjustable.

Claims

1. A recessed light fixture comprising a transversely extending upper first reflector member having longitudinally extending side borders, a reflector assembly including a pair of longitudinally and vertically extending transversely spaced second reflector members terminating in transversely extending flanges, said first and second reflector members defining a lamp cavity having a light emitting opening, support means in said lamp cavity for supporting at least a lamp below said first reflector and between said second reflector members, means positioning said first and second reflector members with the flanges of said second reflector member located below and extending along the borders of said first reflector member and in spaced relationship to said first reflector member to define air flow passageways between said flanges and borders, said passageways having an entrance communicating with said lamp cavity and an exit communicating with the surrounding area, whereby air flows into said lamp cavity through said light emitting opening, around the lamp and through the passage from entrance to exit to be dissipated in the surrounding area.

2. The light fixture of claim 1 wherein said positioning means includes projections extending from one of the confronting faces of the borders of said first reflector members to the second reflector member flanges.

3. The light fixture of claim 1 wherein said first reflector member includes longitudinal flanges depending from the side edges of said first reflector member and spaced outwardly from the outer edge of the flanges of said second reflector member.

4. The light fixture of claim 1 comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced saddle shaped brackets each including a transversely extending cross member and depending side legs, means securing said first reflector member to said bracket cross member, and means releasably securing said first reflector member and said reflector assembly including latch springs secured to opposite sides of said bracket cross member, and having first end portions depending therefrom below said first reflector member and having inwardly extending shoulders engaging the underside of said second reflector member flanges.

5. The light fixture of claim 4 wherein each of said brackets cross members includes an upper medial cross arm, vertically extending side arms depending from the ends of said side arms and terminating in outwardly horizontally projecting members, and said first reflector securing means includes a longitudinally extending inverted channel shaped housing, means securing said housing in the space delineated by said bracket cross arms and depending side arms, and means securing said first reflector member to said housing.

6. The light fixture of claim 5 wherein said housing includes upper flanges and the means to secure said housing include second end portions of said reflector assembly latch springs opposite said first portions thereof projecting through said bracket cross member depending arms and having upwardly facing shoulders engaging said housing flanges.

7. The light fixture of claim 4 wherein said positioning means comprises bumps integrally formed with and depending from the side borders of said first reflector member and engaging the upper faces of said second reflector member flanges.

8. The light fixture of claim 4 including at least one elongated flexible member connected between a bracket depending side leg and said reflector assembly.

9. The light fixture of claim 4 wherein said second light reflectors are upwardly inwardly curved and terminate at their bottoms in outwardly directed flanges and said reflector assembly includes vertical baffles extending transversely between and secured to the lower portions of said second reflector members.

25. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein said positioning means includes projections extending downwardly from the flange of said first reflector member and bearing against the borders of said second reflector member, and spacing apart the flanges and borders.

26. The light fixture of claim 4, wherein said positioning means comprises a plurality of spaced bumpings integrally formed with and extending downwardly from the lower faces of the flanges of said first reflector member bearing against and spacing the side borders of said second reflector member.

10. A dropped ceiling recessed light fixture system including a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending beams, a plurality of longitudinally spaced saddle shaped brackets extending transversely between said beams and having an upper cross member disposed above said beams, and depending side legs with their lower portions engaging respective beams, means for releasably locking said side legs to said beams against upward movement relative thereto, a reflector assembly including longitudinally extending transversely spaced side reflector members and light baffles extending between and supported by the lower portions of said side reflector members, means mounted on the upper part of each of said brackets for releasably engaging the upper parts of said side baffles for releasably supporting said baffle assemblies in a raised position between said bracket side legs, and means for supporting a lamp between said baffles and bracket cross members.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each of said beams is of inverted T-shaped transverse cross-section, and includes a medial vertical leg with longitudinally spaced coupling openings and a bottom cross leg, and each bracket leg rests on the inner section of a respective beam cross leg and includes an outwardly offset vertically extending tongue projecting through a respective coupling opening.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the upper part of the vertical leg of each beam is transversely enlarged, and said means for releasably locking said side legs to said beams includes a spring member anchored at its upper portion to a respective leg and having an inwardly projecting upwardly directed shoulder at its lower portion resiliently urged into engagement with the underface of said beam medial leg enlarged portion.

13. The system of claim 12 including an upper longitudinally and transversely extending reflector member located proximate said bracket cross members, the upper edges of said side reflector member extending to proximate the borders of said upper reflector member.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said upper reflector member terminates in depending side flanges, and said side reflector members terminate at their tops in outwardly directed flanges parallel to and spaced below the side borders of said upper reflector member, and terminating inwardly of said depending side flanges.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein each of said bracket cross members includes a medial upper cross arm provided at its sides with depending side arm members from the outer ends of which depend said bracket side legs, and further comprising an inverted channel shaped housing extending between said brackets and located between said bracket depending side arms adjacent to said medial arms and means releasably locking said housing to said brackets.

16. The system of claim 15 including a transversely extending upper reflector member secured to the bottom of said housing and extending along the length thereof and having side borders proximate said bracket cross member outwardly directed side arms.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said upper reflector member terminates in depending side flanges and has depending projections along its side borders and said side reflector members are provided with upper transversely extending side flanges engaging said projections and spaced thereby from said side borders, said side flanges terminating short of said depending flanges.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said housing includes outer shoulders and said baffle supporting and housing locking means comprises an elongated spring member secured to each of said bracket cross members, outwardly directed side arms one end of each spring member defining said baffle assembly supporting means releasably resiliently engaging a respective side reflector member upper flange, and the other end of each spring member defining said housing locking means resiliently releasably engaging a respective housing shoulder.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said lamp supporting means comprises an end plate secured to and depending from each end of said housing, and a fluorescent lamp socket member mounted on each end plate below said housing.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein each of said sockets is vertically adjustable relative to said housing.

21. A recessed light fixture comprising a longitudinally extending reflector wall assembly including upper and side interior reflector faces delineating an interior space and a bottom opening, means defining a sound attenuating narrow elongated air flow passageway from said interior space to the exterior thereof through said wall assembly and extending along the length of said wall assembly, and means for supporting a lamp within said interior space.

22. The fixture of claim 21 wherein said passageway is tortuous transversely of the length thereof.

23. The fixture of claim 21 wherein said assembly comprises a top wall and longitudinally extending side walls, said side walls terminating at their tops in flanges confronting and substantially parallel to and spaced from the side borders of said top wall to define said passageway therewith.

24. The fixture of claim 23 wherein said top wall terminates in depending side flanges spaced from the outer edges of said side wall flanges.