Above ground low voltage underwater light

• US 4,503,489 A
• Filed: 04/04/1984
• Issued: 03/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Claude D.E. Facci, Peter C. Duerr
• Original Assignee: Claude D.E. Facci, Peter C. Duerr
• Inventors: Duerr, Peter C., De Facci, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Lechert, Jr., Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US06/596,658
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 362/101, 362/145, 362/147, 362/267, 362/306, 362/364, 362/365, 362/368
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/00 Lighting devices intended for fixed installation F21S9/00, F21S10/00 take precedence; using a string or strip of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools

Abstract

An underwater light (12) for above ground pools (10) includes a housing (28) sealed to the outer surface of the pool wall (24). An opening in the pool wall and liner (16) communicates with an opening in the front wall (28) of the housing, and a light transmitting cover assembly (70) is sealed to the pool liner (16) to cover this opening. The rear wall (34) of the housing is removable to provide access to a light unit mounting assembly including a base bracket (38) secured around a light (58) and biases the cushioning gasket into engagement with a pad mount (56). This facilitates removal and replacement as well as adjustment of the light (58) without interrupting pool operation.

Claims

1. An underwater light and above ground swimming pool combination having a pool wall extending above ground level and having an opening therein which extends therethrough between an outer and inner surface, comprising

a housing having a front wall with an opening therein which is not larger than the opening in said pool wall, said housing being mountable in cantilever fashion on the outer surface of said pool wall with the front wall thereof adjacent to said outer surface and the opening in said front wall communicating with the opening in said pool wall,

mounting means within said housing for mounting a light generating light assembly means to transmit light through said openings in said front wall and pool wall,

a light transmitting cover assembly mounted within said pool on said inner surface for sealingly closing said opening of the front wall of the housing with an edge of the pool wall defining said opening in the pool wall disposed therebetween, and

access means for providing access to the light assembly within said housing without demounting of said housing or cover assembly.

2. The underwater light assembly of claim 1, which includes first sealing means for sealing said light transmitting cover assembly to said inner surface and second sealing means extending around the openings in said pool and housing front walls to seal said housing to said outer surface.

3. The underwater light assembly of claim 2, wherein said pool wall includes an outer support wall for providing said outer surface and a pool liner inside said outer support wall for providing said inner surface, said underwater light assembly including fastening means for extending from said light transmitting cover to said housing through said liner and support wall for drawing said housing and light transmitting cover assembly together.

4. The underwater light assembly of claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes a spring seat means mounted on said housing to receive a light unit, a pad mount means spaced opposite said spring seat means and mounted on said housing to engage a light unit, said spring seat means operating to bias said light unit toward said pad mount means to tightly hold the light unit therebetween.

5. The underwater light assembly of claim 4, wherein said spring seat means retains said light unit while permitting movement of said light unit relative to said pad mount means.

6. The underwater light assembly of claim 5, wherein said mounting means includes a light unit being received by said spring seat means and operative to engage said pad mount means to retain said light unit within the housing.

7. The underwater light assembly of claim 6, wherein said light unit is connected to electrical power supply means operative to supply power thereto, said electrical power supply means including a step down transformer.

8. The underwater light assembly of claim 7, wherein said electrical power supply means includes timer means to control the time during which power is supplied to said light unit.

9. An underwater light assembly for use in illuminating above ground swimming pools comprising a housing having a front wall through which light can pass, a bottom wall, and sidewalls and a back wall extending between said top and bottom walls, spring seat means secured within said housing to said bottom wall to receive a light unit, a pad mount means mounted within said housing on said top wall opposite and in space relation to said spring seat means to engage a light unit, said spring seat means operating to bias a light unit, received therein against said pad mount means, and access means on said housing to provide access to said spring seat and pad mount means.

10. The underwater light assembly of claim 9, wherein said spring seat means includes a substantially "U" shaped unit having two spaced legs of spring material projecting upwardly in spaced relationship from a web section extending between said legs, said web section being secured to the bottom wall of said housing and each said leg terminating in an upper terminal edge, a notch formed in the upper terminal edge of each said leg, the notch in each leg being substantially aligned with the notch in the remaining leg.

11. The underwater light assembly of claim 10, wherein said lightbulb being received in the notch provided in each such leg and engaging said pad mount means to hold said light unit in place.

12. The underwater light assembly of claim 11, wherein said legs may be sprung outwardly to permit movement of said lightbulb relative to said pad mount means toward and away from said front wall while said lightbulb is retained in the notch in each such leg.

13. The underwater light assembly of claim 12, wherein said access means operates to permit attachment and removal of said back wall from said housing.

14. An underwater light assembly for use in illuminating above ground swimming pools having a pool wall extending above ground level which includes an inner and outer surface, comprising a housing means defining a compartment for receiving a light unit, said housing means having a pool engaging surface constructed in a manner to enable it to be positioned, in cantilever fashion, adjacent the outer surface of said pool wall, said pool engaging surface extending peripherally around a light transmitting opening formed in said housing means and opening into said compartment and access means spaced relative to said pool engaging surface so as to be located exteriorly of said pool wall when, in use, said pool engaging surface is positioned adjacent the outer surface of the pool, said access means including an access opening formed in said housing means and closure means operative to selectively open or close said access opening, mounting means secured to said housing within said compartment and operative to mount a light unit to direct light through said light transmitting opening, first gasket means having an opening therein, said first gasket means being adapted to extend between said pool engaging surface and the outer surface of the pool wall and to extend around said light transmitting opening to provide a watertight seal between said pool engaging surface and the outer surface of said pool wall, a light transmitting plate means having an inner surface and an outer surface and operative to transmit light passing through said light transmitting opening, the inner surface of said light transmitting plate means being adapted to be positioned adjacent the inner surface of said pool wall, second gasket means having an opening therein and being adapted to extend between the inner surface of said light transmitting plate means and the inner surface of said pool wall and to extend around the light transmitting opening in said housing means, said second gasket means operatig to provide a watertight seal between said inner surface of the pool wall and the inner surface of said light transmitting plate means, a face plate means having an opening therein, said face plate means extending around the light transmitting opening in said housing means, and a third gasket means having an opening therein and being adapted to extend between the face plate means and the outer surface of said light transmitting plate means and to extend around the light transmitting opening in said housing means, said third gasket means operating to provide a watertight seal between said faceplate means and said light transmitting plate means, and fastening means for sequentially securing said face plate means, third gasket means, light transmitting plate means and second gasket means to the inner surface of said pool wall and said first gasket means and housing means to the outer surface of the pool wall in an operative condition thereof, said access opening being openable by way of said closure means without removal of said securing means from its operative condition.

15. The underwater light assembly of claim 14 wherein said housing means includes a top wall, a bottom wall and sidewalls and a backwall extending between said top and bottom walls, said backwall forming the closure means for said access means and being removable from said housing means.

16. The underwater light assembly of claim 14 wherein spaced holes are formed peripherally to extend through said pool engaging surface, said light transmitting plate means, said third gasket means and said face plate means, said spaced holes adapted to align when said pool engaging surface, first gasket means, second gasket means, light transmitting plate means, third gasket means and face plate means are positioned on said pool wall, said fastening means being adapted to extend through said spaced holes to secure and seal said pool engaging surface, first gasket means, second gasket means, light transmitting plate means, third gasket means and face plate means together and to said pool wall, said second gasket means, light transmitting plate means, third gasket means and face plate means being formed by substantially flat units which when assembled, form a unit which lies flat against said pool wall inner surface with a minimal projection therefrom.

17. The underwater light assembly of claim 16 which includes template means for engagement with the outer surface of said pool wall, said template means including indicia corresponding to the position of said spaced holes and said light transmitting opening to locate and permit corresponding holes and a pool wall opening to be formed in said pool wall.

18. The underwater light assembly of claim 17 wherein said housing means includes a top wall, a bottom wall and sidewalls and a backwall extending between said top and bottom walls, said backwall forming the closure means for said access means and operating to provide access to said compartment, said mounting means being secured to at least the bottom wall of said housing within said compartment, and a light unit mounted in said mounting means.

19. The underwater light assembly of claim 18 which includes power supply means connected to provide power to said light unit, said power supply means including a power cord extending through an opening in said housing to said light unit, a step down transformer connected to supply power to said power cord, and timer means connected to control the time period during which power is provided to said light unit.

20. The underwater light assembly of claim 18 wherein said mounting means is operative to permit adjustment of the position of said light unit relative to said light transmitting opening to permit altering the direction of a light beam from said light unit.