Method for making a reflector for a luminaire

• US 5,568,680 A
• Filed: 01/26/1995
• Issued: 10/29/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Regent Acquistion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Regent Lighting Corporation (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Parker, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, David P.
• Application Number:
  US08/378,630
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 29/505, 29/513, 29/557, 72/335, 72/379.2, 428/577, 428/596, 362/341, 362/347, 362/349
• US Class Current: 29/557
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/883 reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/10 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12361 having aperture or cut

Abstract

This method for making a luminaire reflector comprises: (a) providing a sheet of metal having two generally parallel edges and a mid-plane extending perpendicular to said edges; (b) cutting from this sheet a blank that comprises (i) two primary portions, each in the shape of a trapezoid having a major base extending along one edge of the sheet, a minor base spaced from the major base, side edges extending between the ends of the major and minor bases, (ii) a junction portion interconnecting the minor bases, and (iii) end-paneling portions at opposite sides of the mid-plane, each of the end-paneling portions comprising a plurality of sections, one section joined to a side edge of one of the primary portions, another section joined to a side edge of the other primary portion and a third section joined to the junction portion. The method further comprises the additional steps of: (a) bending the blank into a U-shaped form wherein the primary portions constitute the arms of a trough-shaped reflector body, and the junction portion forms a bight joining the arms at one end of the arms, and (b) bending the blank at each of the side edges where an end paneling section is joined to a primary portion and where each of the third sections is joined to said junction portion so that the sections of end paneling at each side of the mid-plane meet to form an end wall of the reflector.

Claims

1. A method of making a luminaire reflector comprising a trough-shaped body adapted to receive a lamp and end walls at opposite ends of the trough-shaped body, the trough-shaped body comprising spaced-apart arms and a bight joining said arms at one end of the arms, the arms at their opposite ends defining an opening through which light from said lamp is projected by said reflector, the method comprising:

(a) providing a sheet of metal having two generally parallel edges and a mid-plane extending perpendicular to said edges,

(b) cutting from said sheet a blank that comprises (i) two primary portions each in the shape of a geometric figure having a major base extending along one of said edges of said sheet, a minor base spaced from said major base, and side edges extending between ends of said major and minor bases via generally convergent paths, (ii) a junction portion interconnecting said minor bases, and (iii) end-paneling portions at opposite sides of said mid-plane, each end-paneling portion comprising a plurality of spaced-apart sections, one joined to a side edge of one of said primary portions and another joined to a side edge of the other of said primary portions,

(c) bending said blank into a U-shaped form wherein said primary portions constitute the arms of said trough-shaped body of said reflector and said junction portion constitutes the bight of said body of the reflector, and

(d) bending said blank at each of said side edges where an end-paneling section is joined to a primary portion so that the sections of end paneling at each side of said mid-plane meet to form one of said end walls of said reflector, and in which;

(e) bending of the blank into said U-shaped form produces a rounded configuration of said bight, and

(f) each of said sections that form one of said end walls has a rounded edge that abuts said rounded bight when the blank is bent to form said trough-shaped body and said end walls, said rounded edges being spaced from said junction portion before the blank is bent.

2. A method of making a luminaire reflector comprising a trough-shaped body adapted to receive a lamp and end walls at opposite ends of the trough-shaped body, the trough-shaped body comprising spaced-apart arms and a bight joining said arms at one end of the arms, the arms at their opposite ends defining an opening through which light from said lamp is projected by said reflector, the method comprising:

(a) providing a sheet of metal having two generally parallel edges and a mid-plane extending perpendicular to said edges,

(b) cutting from said sheet a blank that comprises (i) two primary portions each in the shape of a geometric figure having a major base extending along one of such edges of said sheet, a minor base spaced from said major base, and side edges extending between ends of said major and minor bases via generally convergent paths, (ii) a junction portion interconnecting said minor bases, and (iii) end-paneling portions at opposite sides of said mid-plane, each end-paneling portion comprising a plurality of spaced-apart sections, one joined to a side edge of one of said primary portions and another joined to a side edge of the other of said primary portions,

(c) bending said blank into a U-shaped form wherein said primary portions constitute the arms of said trough-shaped body of said reflector and said junction portion constitutes the bight of said body of the reflector, and

(d) bending said blank at each of said side edges where an end-paneling section is joined to a primary portion so that the sections of end paneling at each side of said mid-plane meet to form one of said end walls of said reflector, and in which;

(e) the end-paneling portion of said blank that constitutes each end-wall of the reflector comprises three sections, a first one of which is joined to a side edge of one of said primary portions, a second one of which is joined to a side edge of the other of said primary portions, and a third one of which is joined to said junction portion of the blank,

(f) said blank is bent where said three sections are joined to said primary portions and said junction portion to cause said three sections to form a reflector end wall in which said third section is located between said first and second sections.

3. The method of claim 2 in which each of said geometric figures is in the general shape of a trapezoid.

4. The method of claim 2 in which said third section of each of said end-paneling portions contains a hole that is adapted to receive a lamp-receiving socket in said reflector.