Flexible lighting system and mounting arrangement

• US 6,186,645 B1
• Filed: 02/23/1999
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ITC Inc (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: ITC Inc (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Camarota, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUSAR, STEPHEN F
• Application Number:
  US09/256,619
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249, 362/240, 362/396, 362/806, 362/250
• US Class Current: 362/249.11
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 3/00 Devices or single parts for facilitating escape from buildings or the like, e.g. protection shields, protection screens; Portable devices for preventing smoke penetrating into distinct parts of buildings A62B1/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/22 flexible or deformable, e.g. into a curved shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/032 the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/005 for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors

Abstract

A flexible lighting system and method of making same. The flexible lighting system includes a flexible translucent rod and an attachment flange. Preferably, the outer casing and the attachment flange are integrally formed to facilitate installation. The flexible translucent rod includes an outer casing and a lighting core. The lighting core is disposed within an axial aperture defined by the outer casing and contains a series of lighting elements. In the preferred embodiment, a texture, such as axial grooves, is applied to a surface of the flexible translucent rod. This texture is applied to the outer surface of the lighting core or the inner surface of the outer casing to diffuse the light emitted by the discrete lighting elements, thereby providing an appearance similar to a solid bar of light. A mounting arrangement is provided for engaging the flexible translucent rod, or a coupler portion thereof, and is arranged to facilitate coupling of the flexible lighting system to a mounting surface. The mounting surface may be penetrable, such as ground soil, unhardened building material, or the like. The mounting arrangement includes, in such a penetrable surface application, an elongated web that penetrates the mounting surface. Security of the mounting is enhanced by a transverse flange disposed along the elongated web. In an arrangement where the flexible translucent rod has an attachment portion, a correspondingly configured mounting channel is provided, the mounting channel having a base portion that is provided with a mounting facility, such as an adhesive layer or apertures for fasteners.

Claims

1. A flexible lighting arrangement for attachment to a mounting surface, the flexible lighting arrangement comprising:

a plurality of lighting elements arranged in sequence along a predetermined lighting path, said lighting elements being electrically coupled to one another;

an elongated support arranged to surround said plurality of lighting elements along the predetermined lighting path, said elongated support having a predetermined cross-sectional configuration;

an attachment arrangement coupled to said elongated support for facilitating attachment of said elongated support with said plurality of lighting elements therein to the mounting surface; and

a first coupler having first and second elongated coupler members each having respective first and second portions, said respective first portions being fixed to said attachment arrangement whereby said respective second portion extend freely substantially transversely bilaterally therefrom.

2. The flexible lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein there is further provided

a second coupler configured cross-sectionally to accommodate therewithin said first and second elongated coupler members of said first coupler, said first and second couplers being configured to interengage with one another.

3. The flexible lighting arrangement of claim 2, wherein said first and second elongated coupler members form a T-shaped cross-sectional configuration, and said second coupler has a correspondingly C-shaped configuration for containing said first coupler.

4. The flexible lighting arrangement of claim 3, wherein said C-shaped second coupler comprises a base portion, a pair of distal wall portions extending transversely from said base portion, and a pair of inwardly directed flange portions extending from respective ones of said pair of distal wall portions.

5. The flexible lighting arrangement of claim 2, wherein said base portion is provided with an affixing arrangement for attaching said second coupler to the mounting surface.

6. The flexible lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein said cross-sectional configuration of said elongated support is substantially round.

7. The flexible lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the mounting surface is penetrable, and said attachment arrangement comprises a web portion configured to penetrate into the mounting surface to effect the attachment of said elongated support to the mounting surface.

8. The flexible lighting arrangement of claim 7, wherein said web portion of said attachment arrangement has attached thereto said first and second elongated coupler members arranged to extend freely and transversely therefrom for securing said web portion to the mounting surface.

9. The flexible lighting arrangement of claim 8, wherein said first and second elongated coupler members are angularly pitched with respect to said web portion to facilitate the penetration of the mounting surface.