Submersible light fixture

• US 5,842,771 A
• Filed: 11/03/1995
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pac-Fab Incorporated
• Original Assignee: American Poultry Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Pickle, Darrin Kurt, Burkitt, Garrett J. III, Thrasher, Laurence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/552,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 362/96, 362/101, 362/158, 362/145, 362/267, 362/387, 362/310, 362/364
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/024 intended to be recessed in a wall or like vertical structure, e.g. building facade
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/10 coming into action when lighting device is overloaded, e.g. thermal switch
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 27/00 Cable-stowing arrangements structurally associated with lighting devices, e.g. reels storing lengths of cable in general B65H; the lighting devices being vehicle headlamps F21S41/192; the lighting devices being vehicle lights F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/00 Protecting lighting devices from thermal damage; Cooling or heating arrangements specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting fixtures combined with outlets for air-treatment systems F24F13/078
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools

Abstract

A submersible light having an electrically nonconductive reflector and no other electrically conductive elements requiring grounding, a tough lens to withstand impacts from swimmers and features providing quick and easy serviceability. Because of these features, the light of the invention meets safety requirements allowing the light to be mounted less that 18 inches below the waterline, thereby allowing its placement in areas of pools that have been heretofore off limits to conventional lights. In addition, a cord holder about the external surface of the light'"'"'s housing and twist lock base and housing with a radial O-ring seal provide for quick and easy disassembly and re-installation of the light.

Claims

1. A lighting assembly for installation in a wall of a pool, the lighting assembly comprising:

a niche mounted in the wall, the niche having a bowl like shape extending around a horizontal axis and having a peripheral wall, an open front end facing into the poll and a closed end spaced rearwardly from the front end;

a generally cylindrical hollow light housing releasably connected to the niche extending concentrically within an interior of the niche, said light housing having a peripheral wall in spaced relation from said peripheral wall of said niche;

a lens mount extending across an open front end of said peripheral wall of the housing and connected thereto;

a plastic lens mounted in said lens mount;

an end cap releasably mounted in a rear end of said housing to said peripheral wall of the housing;

a light source positioned within said light housing;

an electrically conductive light socket mounted in said end cap;

and electric light releasably mounted in said light socket and having an electrically conductive reflector positioned to direct light through said lens; and

a two wire electric cord connected to said socket delivering electric power thereto and passing through said closed end of said niche and through said end cap;

said light housing, said lens, said lens mount, and said end cap all being made of electrically nonconductive material.

2. The lighting assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a transformer remotely located from the housing, said transformer having a voltage input isolated from a voltage output, the voltage output of the transformer coupled to said electric cord.

3. The lighting assembly of claim 2, wherein said transformer has a primary winding separated from a secondary winding.

4. The lighting assembly of claim 3, wherein said transformer has a low voltage output.

5. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing has a front flange and the end cap has a rear flange to hold said electric cord wrapped therebetween.

6. The lighting assembly of claim 5, wherein said rear flange has a cord catch to secure said wrapped electric cord to the housing.

7. The lighting assembly of claim 6, wherein said electric cord extends from said end cap at an angle to facilitate the wrapping of said cord about the housing.

8. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said rear flange has a cord catch to secure said wrapped electric cord to the housing.

9. The lighting assembly of claim 8, wherein said cord catch is a notch sized to snugly accept said electric cord therein.

10. The lighting assembly of claim 9, wherein said cord extends from said end cap at an angle to facilitate wrapping said cord about said housing.

11. The lighting assembly of claim 8, wherein said cord extends from said end cap at an angle to facilitate wrapping said cord about said housing.

12. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said electric cord extends from said end cap at an angle to facilitate wrapping said cord about said housing.

13. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing has a projection on its interior surface adjacent to its rear end, and wherein said end cap has a forward end, a rearward end, and a circumferential surface located therebetween, the circumferential surface defining a slot extending circumferentially around said base and curving longitudinally forwardly, the slot sized to engage the projection so that rotation of said base causes the projection to interferingly ride within the slot, so that said base is pulled longitudinally into the rear end of said housing.

14. The lighting assembly of claim 13, wherein a seal is located about said end cap, radially between said base and said housing.

15. The lighting assembly of claim 14, wherein the circumferential surface of said end cap further defines a small projection in said slot, the small projection sized to engage a detente in the projection on the interior surface of said housing, when the seal has fully engaged said housing.

16. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said reflector light diffuses light along a 10 to 40 degree arc of frustoconical space.

17. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein said reflector diffuses light along an approximately twenty degree arc of frustoconical space.

18. A method of installing a submersible lighting system within a structure intended to hold water, such as a pool, the structure of the type having a niche with a port sized to accept a power cord therethrough, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a transformer in a location away from the niche, the transformer having a voltage input isolated from a voltage output;

placing a submersible light within the niche, the submersible light made entirely of electrically nonconductive materials except for a conductive socket mounted within a housing of the submersible light and the power cord coupled to the conductive socket and extending from the light; and

placing the power cord through the port of the niche and coupling it to the voltage output of the transformer so that no ground wire need be connected to the submersible light.

19. A method of installing a submersible light into a niche located in a pool wall the light has a power cord and has an exterior surface with two longitudinally spaced flanges mounted thereon, the method comprising:

wrapping the power cord around the exterior surface and between the flanges;

locking the power cord into a notch on one of the flanges after said wrapping of the power cord about the exterior surface of the light;

inserting the light into the niche, the power cord held between the flanges on the light so as to not interfere with such insertion of the light; and

securing the light to the niche.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising mounting the power cord to the light so that it extends therefrom at an angle to facilitate the wrapping of the cord about the exterior surface of the light.

21. A lighting assembly for installation in a wall of a pool, the lighting assembly comprising:

a niche for mounting in the wall; and

a light including,

a housing having an open front portion and an open rear portion, wherein the housing is configured to mount to the niche,

a lens configured to mount to the open front portion, and

a base configured to mount to the open rear portion;

wherein the housing, lens, and base consist of nonconductive material.

22. The lighting assembly of claim 21 further comprises an electric cord for delivering electric power to the light.

23. The lighting assembly of claim 22, wherein the base includes a flange with a cord catch thereon for securing the electric cord.

24. The lighting assembly of claim 22, wherein the electric cord projects from the base at an angle that facilitates winding of the electric cord around the housing.

25. The lighting assembly of claim 21, wherein the housing includes an interior surface with a first projection formed thereon, the base includes an exterior surface with a slot formed therein for engaging the first projection, and wherein the first projection and the slot are configured to allow the base to twist on to the housing to releasably mount the base to the open rear portion.

26. The lighting assembly of claim 25, wherein the first projection includes a detente and the slot includes a second projection, and wherein the projection and the detente are configured to releasably engage when the base is twisted on to the housing.

27. A lighting assembly for installation in a wall of a pool, the lighting assembly comprising:

a niche for mounting in the wall; and

a light including,

a two wire electric cord for delivering electric power to the light;

a nonconductive housing having an open front portion and an open rear portion, wherein the housing is configured to mount to the niche, and the housing includes an interior surface with a projection formed thereon;

a nonconductive base including an exterior surface with a slot formed therein for engaging the first projection, and the projection and the slot are configured to allow the base to twist on to the housing to releasably mount the base to the open rear portion, and wherein the base includes a flange with a cord catch thereon for securing the electric cord, and the electric cord projects from the base at an angle that facilitates winding of the electric cord around the housing.