Ground supported lamp

• US 5,390,090 A
• Filed: 09/02/1992
• Issued: 02/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CAMCAR Intellectual Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Larry J. Nau
• Inventors: Nau, Larry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, Y MY QUACH
• Application Number:
  US07/939,140
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 362/145, 362/152, 362/153, 362/153.1, 362/267, 362/365, 362/289, 362/396, 404/11, 404/12, 404/16, 52/28, 52/306, 52/308, 40/564, 40/565
• US Class Current: 362/153
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/559 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/582 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/022 intended to be recessed in a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement or false floor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/04 Resilient mountings, e.g. shock absorbers shock absorbing devices of vehicle headlamp housings B60Q1/0491; in general F16F15/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/101 permanently, e.g. welding, gluing or riveting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/164 the parts being subjected to bending, e.g. snap joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/18 Latch-type fastening, e.g. with rotary action
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/04 Recessed bases
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/02 for roads, paths or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/109 of gardens

Abstract

A lamp in the shape of a brick and adapted for placement between bricks in a driveway or on roads, having an outer case, an electric bulb housing mounted in the case, a bulb socket supported on the bulb housing and a translucent lens formed of a high strength plastic mounted on the top of the bulb housing. In a preferred embodiment the unit comprised of the bulb housing and lens is removably mounted in the case by means of latching members, e.g. in the form of elongated screws attached to such unit and having lower threaded ends, and resilient blocks mounted adjacent the inside walls of the outer case and a threaded member, e.g. a nut, positioned in the resilient blocks for receiving the lower ends of the screws for locking or releasing such unit to remove same from the case replacing a bulb in the bulb socket or for cleaning the screws in combination with the resilient blocks permit expansion and contraction of the bulb housing-lens unit while in locked position. The bulb housing has an upper reflecting surface facing the lens. For installation between bricks, e.g. in a driveway, the lamp is inserted between adjacent bricks and mortar is placed in the space between the lamp and adjacent bricks. Holes for receiving outwardly protruding pins can be provided in the sides of the lamp case for embedment of such pins in the mortar between the lamp and adjacent bricks to lock the lamp in position between bricks.

Claims

1. A lamp for placement on a support surface which comprises:

an outer case having a top, sides and an interior, said outer case having a brick shape, and capable of insertion between bricks on said support surface, said lamp simulating a brick,

means forming an electric bulb housing supported in said outer case,

an electric bulb socket supported on said electric bulb housing,

a translucent lens supported on said electric bulb housing adjacent the top of said case, and closing the interior of said outer case,

means removably mounting said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens in said outer case, and

means in combination with said removably mounting means permitting expansion and contraction of said bulb housing and said translucent lens supported thereon in said outer case.

2. The lamp of claim 1, said means removably mounting said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens in said outer case and said means in combination with said removably mounting means permitting expansion and contraction of said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens supported thereon comprising releasable locking members connected to said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens, and resilient members mounted in said outer case, said releasable locking members being engagable with said resilient members for releasably locking said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens in position in said outer case, and said resilient members and removably mounting means permitting expansion and contraction of said bulb housing and said translucent lens thereon while in locked position in said outer case.

3. In combination between bricks on a vehicle support surface, a lamp as defined in claim 2.

4. The lamp of claim 1, said outer case having inside walls, said means removably mounting said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens thereon including rotatable hook pins having lower ends and mounted adjacent opposite ends of said translucent lens and said electric bulb housing and extending downwardly adjacent the inside walls of said outer case, and including a hook at the lower end of each of said rotatable hook pins, said means in combination with said mounting means permitting expansion and contraction of said bulb housing and said translucent lens supported thereon comprising resilient pads mounted on the inside walls of said outer case adjacent said hook pins, the hooks on said hook pins being engagable with said resilient pads for locking said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens in position in said outer case.

5. The lamp of claim 1, said outer case having inside walls, said means removably mounting said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens thereon including elongated screws having lower threaded ends and mounted adjacent opposite ends of said translucent lens and said electric bulb housing, and extending downwardly adjacent the inside walls of said outer case, said means in combination with said mounting means permitting expansion and contraction of said bulb housing and said translucent lens supported thereon comprising resilient blocks mounted adjacent the inside walls of said outer case, internally threaded members positioned in said resilient blocks for receiving the lower threaded ends of said screws for locking said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens in position in said outer case.

6. The lamp of claim 5, said resilient blocks each having a downwardly extending cavity, said elongated screws received in said cavities, said internally threaded members being nuts embedded in said resilient blocks adjacent the lower ends of said cavities.

7. The lamp of claim 5, said electric bulb housing having upper ends and said translucent lens having outer ends, the upper ends of said electric bulb housing being integrally connected to the outer ends of said translucent lens, said screws passing through holes in the outer ends of said translucent lens and the upper ends of said electric bulb housing, said screws each having a head at the upper end thereof for rotation of said screws to engage and disengage said screws from said internally threaded members, and retainer means on said screws for maintaining said screws connected to said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens when said screws are disengaged and pulled up from said internally threaded members.

8. The lamp of claim 5, said translucent lens having downwardly depending edge portions, said downwardly depending edge portions being integrally connected to said electric bulb housing, said outer case having upper end walls, the downwardly depending edge portions of said translucent lens being positioned around said upper end walls of said outer case.

9. A lamp in the shape of a brick and adapted for placement between bricks in a driveway or on roads, which comprises:

an outer rectangular case of substantially brick shape and having an interior, inside walls and end walls,

an electric bulb housing mounted in said case and having a top, and including a downwardly inclined support member, said support member having a lower end and an upwardly reflecting surface,

a translucent lens formed of a high strength plastic and disposed across and supported on the top of said bulb housing and closing the interior of said case,

a depending lip at the lower end of said support member,

an electric bulb socket mounted on said depending lip,

a flexible cap frictionally engaging the depending lip of said support member,

elongated screws having upper ends and lower threaded ends, the upper ends being connected to and passing through holes in the opposite ends of said lens and said electric bulb housing, said elongated screws extending downwardly adjacent the inside walls of said case,

downwardly extending resilient blocks positioned adjacent opposite end walls of said case, said blocks each having a downwardly extending cavity therein,

a nut positioned in each of said resilient blocks adjacent the lower ends of said cavities therein, for receiving the lower threaded ends of said screws for locking said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens in said outer case, said resilient blocks and said screws permitting expansion and contraction of said bulb housing and said translucent lens supported thereon while in locked position in said case, and

a retainer ring mounted on each of said screws above the threaded end for maintaining said screws connected to said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens when said screws are disengaged and pulled up from said nuts.

10. The lamp of claim 9, and including an electric light bulb in said electric bulb socket, electric rites connected to said electric bulb socket, said outer rectangular case having a bottom and means forming holes in the bottom of said outer rectangular case for passage of electric wires from said electric bulb socket externally of said case for connection to a power supply.

11. The lamp of claim 9, said translucent lens being formed of a polycarbonate resin.

12. The lamp of claim 9, and including holes in the sides of said outer rectangular case for insertion of protruding pins to maintain said lamp in position between bricks by insertion of mortar around the pins and in the space between the lamp and adjacent bricks.

13. In combination between bricks on a vehicle support surface, a lamp as defined in claim 9.

14. A lamp for placement on a support surface which comprises:

an outer case having a top, sides and interior, said outer case having a brick shape and capable of insertion between bricks on said support surface, said lamp simulating a brick,

means forming an electric bulb housing supported in said outer case,

an electric bulb socket supported on said electric bulb housing,

a translucent lens supported on said electric bulb housing adjacent the top of said outer case, and closing the interior of said outer case,

means removably mounting said electric bulb housing and said translucent lens in said outer case,

said means forming an electric bulb housing including a depending downwardly inclined support member having a lower end, said depending support member having a depending lip at the lower end thereof, and said electric bulb socket being centrally removably mounted on the depending lip of the lower end of said depending support member, said support member having an upwardly reflecting surface,

a flexible cap frictionally engaging the depending lip of said support member, said electric bulb socket mounted in said cap and,

said outer case having a bottom, and including at least one aperture in the bottom of said outer case for passage of electric wires from said bulb.

15. A lamp for placement on a support surface which comprises:

an outer case having a top, sides and an interior, said outer case having a brick shape and capable of insertion between bricks on said support surface, said lamp simulating a brick,

means forming a housing supported in said outer case,

lighting means supported on said housing;

a translucent lens supported on said housing adjacent the top of said case and closing the interior of said outer case,

means removably mounting said housing and said translucent lens in said outer case, and

means permitting expansion and contraction of said housing and said translucent lens in said outer case.

16. The lamp of claim 15, said lighting means comprising an electric bulb socket.