Drop down emergency lighting unit

• US 6,164,788 A
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Gemmell, Thomas, Madadi, Abi
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US09/184,452
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 362/20, 362/286, 362/288, 362/386
• US Class Current: 362/20
• 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 8/028 being retractable, i.e. having two fixed positions, one recessed, e.g. in a wall, floor or ceiling, and one extended when in use
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/04 Recessed bases
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames

Abstract

A drop down concealed emergency lighting unit includes a box-like housing for substantially flush mounting in a recess and a pivotally mounted door for closing the opening in the housing and upon which is mounted a lamp unit. A drive assembly moves the door between the open and closed positions and includes a DC motor on the housing with a drive gear which is operatively engageable with a driven gear on the door to move the door to the closed position. An electrical control circuit senses the absence of alternating current and effects disengagement of the gears to allow the door to move from the closed position to the open position, and senses the restoration of alternating current to effect reengagement of the gears to actuate the motor to move the door to the closed position.

Claims

1. A drop down concealed emergency lighting unit comprising:

(a) a housing for substantially flush mounting in a recess formed in a building surface, said housing providing an opening extending in a plane to be oriented adjacent and parallel to the building surface;

(b) a door for closing said opening;

(c) means pivotally mounting one end of said door on said housing for movement relative thereto between a first closed position overlying said opening and second open position in which said door extends substantially perpendicularly to said plane of said opening;

(d) a drive assembly for moving said door between said open position and said closed position including;

(i) a direct current drive motor mounted on said housing and having an output shaft;

(ii) a drive gear mounted on said output shaft;

(iii) a driven gear mounted on said door; and

(iv) means operatively engaging said drive and driven gears for movement of said door to the closed position and for maintaining said door in said closed position;

(e) a lamp unit powered by direct current; and

(f) an electrical control circuit adapted to be connected to sources of alternating current and of direct current and connected to said motor and said lamp unit, said circuit including a rectifier to convert alternating current to direct current for supply to said motor, said control circuit including means for sensing the absence of alternating current and effecting disengagement of said gear operatively engaging means, to allow said door to move from said closed position to said open position, said circuit also providing power to said lamp unit upon such absence of alternating current and movement of said door to said open position, said circuit include means for sensing the restoration of alternating current and acting to effect reengagement of said gear operatively engaging means and to supply direct current to said motor to move said door to said closed position, said control circuit further acting to terminate flow of direct current to said lamp upon movement of said door to said closed position.

2. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said gear operatively engaging means is provided by a drive gear having an untoothed sector in which said driven gear is released from engagement therewith.

3. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said rotation of said motor to effect movement of said door to said closed position causes said drive gear to move to a position adjacent said untoothed sector at which said drive and driven gears remain engaged to retain said door in said closed position.

4. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said drive gear has a toothed sector of a length sufficient to move said door to said closed position and an additional tooth to maintain engagement with said driven gear to retain said door in said closed position.

5. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said drive assembly includes an intermediate gear between said drive and driven gears.

6. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said control circuit, upon sensing the absence of alternating current, provides only a short pulse of power to said motor to effect rotation of said drive gear to the untoothed sector.

7. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein there is included biasing means acting upon said door to bias it to said open position.

8. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said unit includes a pair of lamp units.

9. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein there is included a support shaft fixedly supported on said door and upon which said driven gear is mounted, said shaft being pivotably supported in said housing.

10. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 9 wherein there is included a clutch drivingly mounted on said support shaft and through which said driven gear is drivingly engaged with said support shaft, said clutch being effective to disengage said driven gear from said support shaft in the event of forces acting upon said door to prevent said closing movement.

11. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein there is included a switch actuating by movement of said door to said open position to provide power to said lamp unit.

12. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein there is included a switch actuated upon movement of said door to said closed position to terminate operation of said motor and to discontinue flow of current to said lamp unit.

13. A drop down concealed emergency lighting unit comprising:

(a) a housing for substantially flush mounting in a recess formed in a building surface, said housing providing an opening extending in a plane to be oriented adjacent and parallel to the building surface;

(b) a door for closing said opening;

(c) means pivotally mounting one end of said door on said housing for movement relative thereto between a first closed position overlying said opening and second open position in which said door extends substantially perpendicularly to said plane of said opening;

(d) a drive assembly for moving said door between said open position and said closed position including;

(i) a direct current drive motor mounted on said housing and having an output shaft;

(ii) a drive gear mounted on said output shaft;

(iii) a driven gear mounted on said door;

(iv) an intermediate gear between said drive and driven gears;

(v) means operatively engaging said drive and driven gears for movement of said door to the closed position and for maintaining said door in said closed position, said means being provided by said drive gear having an untoothed sector in which said driven gear is released from engagement therewith;

(e) a support shaft fixedly supported on said door and upon which said driven gear is mounted, said shaft being pivotably supported in said housing.

(f) a lamp unit powered by direct current;

(g) biasing means acting upon said door to bias it to said open position; and

(h) an electrical control circuit adapted to be connected to sources of alternating current and of direct current and connected to said motor and said lamp unit, said circuit including a rectifier to convert alternating current to direct current for supply to said motor, said control circuit including means for sensing the absence of alternating current and effecting disengagement of said gear operatively engaging means, to allow said door to move from said closed position to said open position, said circuit also providing power to said lamp unit upon such absence of alternating current and movement of said door to said open position, said circuit include means for sensing the restoration of alternating current and acting to effect reengagement of said gear operatively engaging means and to supply direct current to said motor to move said door to said closed position, said control circuit further acting to terminate flow of direct current to said lamp upon movement of said door to said closed position.

14. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 13 wherein said rotation of said motor to effect movement of said door to said closed position causes said drive gear to move to a position adjacent said untoothed sector at which said drive and driven gears remain engaged to retain said door in said closed position.

15. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 13 wherein said drive gear has a toothed sector of a length sufficient to move said door to said closed position and an additional tooth to maintain engagement with said driven gear to retain said door in said closed position.

16. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 13 wherein said control circuit, upon sensing the absence of alternating current, provides only a short pulse of power to said motor to effect rotation of said drive gear to the untoothed sector.

17. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 13 wherein there is included a clutch drivingly mounted on said support shaft and through which said driven gear is drivingly engaged with said support shaft, said clutch being effective to disengage said driven gear from said support shaft in the event of forces acting upon said door to prevent said closing movement.

18. The emergency lighting unit in accordance with claim 13 wherein there is included a switch actuating by movement of said door to said open position to provide power to said lamp unit, and a switch actuated upon movement of said door to said closed position to terminate operation of said motor and to discontinue flow of current to said lamp unit.