Ceiling mounted wallwash light fixture

• US 5,535,110 A
• Filed: 02/16/1995
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1995
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Ling, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basichas, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US08/389,403
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 362/297, 362/147, 362/148, 362/346, 362/347, 362/348, 362/349
• US Class Current: 362/297
• 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: F21S 8/04 intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures F21S8/02 takes precedence; details of ceiling bases F21V21/03
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0025 Combination of two or more reflectors for a single light source array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources F21V7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/09 with a combination of different curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/10 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/37 U-shaped

Abstract

A ceiling mounted, recessed, wallwash light fixture includes a reflector having an internal reflecting surface. A wallwash segment of that reflecting surface is defined by vertically adjacent reflecting faces each arranged so that an effective lowest point of brightness seen by the reflecting face is reflected along a line passing below an opposing portion of a bottom edge of the reflector. The wallwash segment can be defined by an insert attached to the reflecting surface.

Claims

1. A recessed, ceiling-mount wallwash light fixture for use with a lamp, comprising a reflector body including an internal reflector surface forming a cavity;

said reflector body having a lower edge defining a bottom opening of said cavity;

said reflector surface including a wallwash segment extending around less than the entire inside perimeter of said reflector surface, said wallwash segment forming a plurality of vertically adjacent reflecting faces oriented at respective inclinations with respect to vertical for reflecting light below an opposite portion of said edge, said wallwash segment being vertically stepped in that each reflecting face is separated from a vertically adjacent reflecting face by a circumferentially extending non-reflecting step-defining face which interconnects a top edge of a reflecting face with a bottom edge of another reflecting face disposed thereabove.

2. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting faces located adjacent a lower edge of said reflector have smaller heights than said reflecting faces located adjacent a upper end of said reflector.

3. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein said cavity has a circular cross-section.

4. The fixture according to claim 3, wherein each reflecting face is circumferentially continuous from one edge of said segment to a circumferentially spaced opposite edge thereof.

5. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting faces are straight as viewed in a cross-sectional plane containing said axis.

6. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting faces are formed on an insert attached to said body.

7. The fixture according to claim 6, wherein said insert is situated inside of said body.

8. The fixture according to claim 7, wherein said insert includes an outer surface engaged flush against an inside surface of said reflector body.

9. The fixture according to claim 6, wherein said insert comprises a stiff plate.

10. The fixture according to claim 6, wherein said insert comprises a film.

11. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting faces are formed on an insert engaged flush against an inside surface of said body, said insert comprising a stiff plate attached to said body by adhesive.

12. The fixture according to claim 6, wherein a lower edge of said insert substantially coincides with said lower edge of said body.

13. The fixture according to claim 6, wherein a lower edge of said insert extends downwardly past said lower edge of said body.

14. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting faces are of one-piece integral construction with said body.

15. The fixture according to claim 8, wherein said insert extends circumferentially for about one hundred twenty degrees.

16. The fixture according to claim 1 wherein said reflecting faces are generally vertical, and said step defining faces are generally horizontal.

17. A wallwash insert mountable in a reflector body of a recessed, ceiling-mount wallwash light fixture for reflecting light toward an adjacent vertical wall, said insert being curved and including outer and inner surfaces, said inner surface forming a plurality of vertically adjacent reflecting faces oriented at different angles with respect to vertical, said upper edge being of smaller radius than said lower edge, said wallwash insert being vertically stepped in that each reflecting face is separated from a vertically adjacent reflecting face by a circumferentially extending non-reflecting step-defining face which interconnects a top edge of a reflecting face with a bottom edge of another reflecting face disposed thereabove.

18. The insert according to claim 17, wherein said reflecting faces located adjacent said lower edge of said insert have smaller heights than said reflect faces located adjacent said upper edge of said insert.

19. The insert according to claim 17, wherein said insert extends for an angle of about one hundred twenty degrees.

20. The fixture according to claim 17 wherein said reflecting faces are generally vertical, and said step defining faces are generally horizontal.