Recessed lighting fixture

• US 5,057,979 A
• Filed: 12/12/1989
• Issued: 10/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Thomas Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Carson, Douglas W., Kusmar, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cole, Richard R.
• Application Number:
  US07/448,951
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 362/147, 362/148, 362/364, 362/365, 362/404, 362/74
• US Class Current: 362/147
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/048 Mounting arrangements for fastening lighting devices to false ceiling frameworks

Abstract

A recessed lighting fixture is molded in one piece, preferably of plastic, and includes a frame for holding a lamp housing as well as a junction box having a hinged lid. The frame and junction box define a planar vertical surface which is abutted against a joist and affixed thereto by nails extending through spaced nailways. Hangerways are also provided in the lighting fixture through which hanger bars are inserted for supporting the lighting fixture between two joists as an alternate way of supporting the fixture.

Claims

1. A support frame for holding a lamp housing of a recessed lighting fixture in a ceiling, comprising:

a molded recessed lighting frame member of a plastic material having an opening in which a lamp housing is mounted so that light from the lamp mounting is projected through said opening;

a molded junction box having at least one portion formed in one piece with said frame member, said at least one portion being of the plastic material; and

means for affixing said molded recessed lighting frame member abutting a lateral face of a joist in the ceiling, said means for affixing being commonly molded with said molded lighting frame member.

2. A support frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein said junction box is positioned relative to said opening in said frame member such that said junction box is accessible from through said opening.

3. A recessed lighting fixture for holding a lamp housing in a ceiling supported by joists, comprising:

a molded plastic frame defining a lamp aperture lying in a first plane and adapted to hold a lamp housing in said lamp aperture, said molded plastic frame having a joist abutting surface lying in a second plane and adapted to directly abut a lateral surface of a joist, said first and second planes being generally perpendicular to one another;

nailways molded integrally with said molded plastic frame on either side of said lamp aperture, said nailways being directed into said second plane and adapted to receive nails and the like extending into a joist abutting said joist abutting surface.

4. A recessed lighting fixture as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

hangerways extending through said frame on either side of said lamp aperture, said hangerways adapted to receive hanger bars for supporting said frame in a suspended position.

5. A recessed lighting fixture as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a junction box connected to said frame, said junction box including selectively openable openings for receiving electrical wiring, said junction box being comprised of a hinge connecting two relatively movable portions hinged together for selective opening and closing of said junction box.

6. A recessed lighting fixture as claimed in claim 5, wherein said junction box is positioned relative to said frame for free access from below when in a normal mounted position, a first of said two portions of said junction box being fixed relative to said frame and being open from below, a second of said two portions being a door hinged to close said first portion from below.

7. A recessed lighting fixture as claimed in claim 6, wherein said two parts of said junction box are hinged at a top of said junction box when mounted in a normal position.

8. A recessed lighting fixture for holding a lamp housing in a ceiling supported by joists, comprising:

a frame defining a lamp aperture lying in a first plane and adapted to hold a lamp housing in said lamp aperture, said frame having a joist abutting surface lying in a second plane and adapted to directly abut a lateral surface of a joist, said first and second planes being generally perpendicular to one another;

nailways on said frame on either side of said lamp aperture, said nailways being directed into said second plane and adapted to receive nails and the like extending into a joist abutting said second abutting surface;

hangerways extending through said frame on either side of said lamp aperture, said hangerways adapted to receive hanger bars for supporting said frame in a suspended position, said hangerways being shaped to accept hanger straps oriented either in a substantially horizontal plane or hanger straps oriented in a substantially vertical plane.

9. A recessed lighting fixture for holding a lamp housing above an aperture in a ceiling, comprising:

a housing mounting frame defining a frame aperture positionable above the aperture in the ceiling, said housing mounting frame lying generally in a first plane and adapted to accept a lamp housing;

a joist abutting flange connected to one side of said housing mounting frame, said joist abutting flange defining a joist abutting face lying in a plane generally perpendicular to said first plane of said housing mounting frame;

alignment tabs extending from said joist abutting flange and projecting beyond said joist abutting face, said alignment tabs lying in a plane generally parallel to said first plane of said housing mounting frame;

a first portion of a junction box connected to said joist abutting flange, said first portion being open at least at a bottom relative to a normal mounting position of said fixture; and

a second portion of said junction box connected by a hinge to said first portion, said second portion substantially closing said first portion when in a closed position.

10. A recessed lighting fixture as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a first fastening retainer at a first end of said joist abutting flange;

a second fastening retainer at an end of said junction box opposite said first end of said joist abutting flange, said first and second fastening retainers including nailways forming passageways for nails and the like, said nailways being positioned so that nails extending therethrough are at mutually different angles for securing said joist abutting face to a surface.

11. A recessed lighting fixture as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

first and second passageways extending through said housing mounting frame generally parallel to said first plane and adapted to accept hanger bars for supporting said fixture free of a joist.

12. A recessed lighting fixture as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first and second passageways are on either side of said frame aperture.

13. A recessed lighting fixture as claimed in claim 9, wherein said second portion of said junction box is hinged about an axis extending generally parallel to said first plane.

14. A recessed lighting fixture for holding a lamp holder in a ceiling opening, comprising:

a plaster frame formed of an open frame portion adapted to receive the lamp holder;

a ceiling joist engaging means integrally connected to said open frame portion, said ceiling joist engaging means defining an abutment surface for abutment against a side face of a ceiling joist;

aligning tabs extending beyond said planar surface at a lower edge of said plaster frame, said aligning tabs adapted for engaging a lower edge of the ceiling joist when said abutment surface is against the ceiling joist;

a junction box having a first portion integrally formed on said ceiling joist engaging means, said junction box including a door attached to said first portion by a hinge, said junction box being accessible from below when said door is hinged to an open position; and

fastening means for affixing said recessed lighting fixture to the ceiling joist.

15. A recessed lighting fixture for holding a lamp housing above and in registration with an opening in a ceiling, ceiling joists being above said ceiling, comprising:

a frame of a plastic material, said frame including a lip projecting into the opening in the ceiling and fastener receiving means for receiving fasteners extending between said frame and the lamp housing to hold the lamp housing in said frame;

first and second hangerways extending through said frame on either side of said frame and adapted to receive hanger straps for supporting said frame;

a first portion of a junction box formed of said plastic material and molded in one piece with said frame, said first portion including knock-outs for selective removal to form openings for electrical wiring, said first portion having a bottom opening at a lower surface and a side opening at least one side surface;

a second portion of said junction box selectively fastenable over said bottom opening and said side opening of said junction box;

a hinge connecting said first and second portions of said junction box to one another;

a joist abutting surface on said frame, said joist abutting surface being oriented in a plane generally at a right angle to said frame and being at one side of said frame;

orienting tabs extending from said plane of said joist abutting surface and being in a plane substantially parallel to said frame; and

nailways formed at either side of said frame, said nailways defining passageways directed into said plane of said joist abutting surface to accept nails and the like for fastening said fixture with said joist abutting surface abutting a joist.

16. A support frame for holding a lamp housing of a recessed lighting fixture, comprising:

a molded recessed lighting frame member of a plastic material having an opening in which a lamp housing is mounted so that light from the lamp mounting is projected through said opening;

a molded junction box having at least one portion formed in one piece with said frame member, said at least one portion being of the plastic material; and

a metal ground plate fastened to said molded junction box and adapted for connection to electrical ground leads, said ground plate being fastened to an electrical raceway carrying wiring to the lamp housing.

17. A recessed lighting support frame for holding a lamp housing, comprising:

a molded recessed lighting frame member of a plastic material having an opening in which a lamp housing is mounted so that light from the lamp mounting is projected through said opening; and

hangerways molded in one piece with said frame member and being disposed on either side of said opening, said hangerways adapted and constructed to receive hanger bars for supporting said frame member on said hanger bars.

18. A support frame for holding a lamp housing adjacent a joist or the like, comprising:

a molded frame member of a plastic material having an opening for receiving a lamp housing, said molded frame member lying predominantly in a first plane;

a joist abutting flange defining a generally planar surface in a plane generally perpendicular to said first plane, said joist abutting flange being molded in one piece with said frame member; and

means molded integrally with at least one of said frame member and said joist abutting flange for guiding a fastener into said first plane for affixing said planar surface of said joist abutting flange against a joist or the like for supporting said frame.

19. A plaster frame for lighting fixture for attachment to a building joist comprising a substantially L-shaped frame member molded in a singe piece from a molded plastic material with one leg of the L defining an arcuate opening for receipt of a lamp housing therethrough and the other leg defining at least one planer surface at a right angle to the plane of the arcuate opening for abutment against a joist to align the plane of the opening normal to a side of the joist, a junction box commonly molded as a part of said frame affixed to the said other leg and means for affixing fasteners for joining said frame to said joist, said means molded to said frame.