Corner mounted illuminator

• US 6,283,616 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stair-Hold Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aboolhassan Zoroufy
• Inventors: Zoroufy, Aboolhassan
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US09/393,513
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 362/183, 362/190, 362/191, 362/192, 362/146, 362/147, 362/368, 362/362
• US Class Current: 362/368
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/163 Protecting means for edges or corners
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2011/1048 with lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/037 for mounting in a corner, i.e. between adjacent walls or wall and ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/037 the solar unit and the lighting unit being located within or on the same housing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/30 Lighting for domestic or personal use
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A corner accentuator or corner mounted illumination for providing illumination from the corner of two walls. The accentuator includes a light-illuminated reflector in the front side of a corner plate. The light has a DC power source that can provide power to the light even in when there is a power outage. The power source can be used in conjunction with a solar collector disposed in the front side of the corner plate which recharges the energy storage device.

Claims

1. A corner mounted illuminator for providing illumination from a corner, said illuminator comprising a unitary structure configured and dimensioned to fit in a corner, and said illuminator further comprising:

a. a non-translucent corner plate having a front side, a back side, a perimeter edge separating said front and back side, and a reflector aperture therethrough;

b. a reflector having a front reflective side, a back non-reflective side, and a light source aperture, said reflector being mounted within the reflector aperture to said corner plate;

c. a light source mounted within the light source aperture between the back side and the front side of the corner plate; and

d. an energy storage device electrically connected to said light source, and mounted proximate to the back side of said corner plate.

2. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 1 wherein said energy storage device is a rechargeable battery.

3. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 1 wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.

4. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 3 wherein said energy storage device is a rechargeable battery.

5. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 1, further comprising:

a. said corner plate having a solar collector recess in said front side; and

b. a solar collector disposed within said solar collector recess, said solar collector operatively connected to charge said energy storage device.

6. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 5 wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.

7. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 5 wherein said energy storage device is a rechargeable battery.

8. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 1 or 5 further comprising attachment means for securing said unitary structure to a corner.

9. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 8 wherein said energy storage device is a rechargeable battery.

10. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 8 wherein said attachment means includes at least one connection aperture through said corner plate for passing a fastener to secure the corner plate to a corner.

11. The corner mounted illuminator of claim 10 wherein said energy storage device is a rechargeable battery.

12. In a wall having opposite corners formed by the vertex of three mutually perpendicular walls, a lighting system comprising a pair of corner mounted illuminators, one of said pair disposed in one corner, and the other of said pair disposed in an opposite corner, said corner mounted illuminator comprising:

a. a non-translucent corner plate having a front side, a back side, a beveled perimeter edge therebetween, and a reflector aperture therethrough;

b. a reflector having a front reflective side, a back non-reflective side, and a light source aperture, said reflector being mounted within the reflector aperture;

c. a light source mounted within the light source aperture between the back side and the front side of the corner plate; and

d. an energy storage device proximate said back side of said corner plate, and proximate to and operatively connected to said light source.

13. The lighting system of claim 12 wherein the corner mounted illuminator further comprises:

a. the corner plate having a recess; and

b. a solar collector disposed within the recess, said solar collector operatively connected to charge said energy storage device.

14. A corner mounted illuminator, comprising:

a non-translucent triangular plate configured and dimensioned to fit in a corner, and having a front side, a back side, a perimeter edge therebetween, a reflector aperture therethrough and a recess in said front side;

a reflector having a front reflective side, a back non-reflective side, and a light source aperture, said reflector being mounted within the reflector aperture;

a light mounted within the light source aperture between the back side and the front side of the corner plate;

an energy storage device proximate said back side of said triangular plate, and proximate to and electrically connected to said light; and

a solar collector disposed within the recess of the triangular plate, said solar collector operatively connected to charge said energy storage device.

15. A corner mounted illuminator, comprising a non-translucent corner plate, a reflector, a light and a DC voltage source;

said corner plate having a front side, a back side, a perimeter edge separating said front and back side, and a reflector aperture;

said reflector having a front reflective side, a back non-reflective side, and a light source aperture, said reflector being mounted within the reflector aperture;

said light mounted within the light source aperture between the back side and the front side of the corner plate; and

said DC source proximate said back side of said corner plate, and proximate to and electrically connected to said light source.

16. A method of illuminating and defining the steps of a stairway, comprising:

securing to each corner of a step a corner mounted illuminator;

said corner mounted illuminator including;

a non-translucent corner plate having a front side, a back side, a perimeter edge separating said front and back side, and a reflector aperture therethrough;

said reflector having a front reflective side, a back non-reflective side, and a light source aperture, said reflector being mounted within the reflector aperture;

said light mounted within the light source aperture between the back side and the front side of the corner plate; and

said energy source proximate said back side of said corner plate, and proximate to and electrically connected to said light.

17. A corner mounted illuminator for providing illumination from a corner, said illuminator comprising a unitary structure configured and dimensioned to fit in a corner, and said illuminator further comprising:

a. a non-translucent corner plate having a front side, a back side, a perimeter edge separating said front and back side, and a reflector recess on the front side;

b. a reflector having a front reflective side, a back non-reflective side, and a light source aperture, said reflector being mounted within the reflector recess to said corner plate;

c. a light source mounted within the light source aperture; and

d. an energy storage device electrically connected to said light source, and mounted proximate to the back side of said corner plate.

18. A corner mounted illuminator for providing illumination from a corner, said illuminator comprising a unitary structure configured and dimensioned to fit in a corner, and said illuminator further comprising:

a. a non-translucent corner plate having a front side, a back side, a perimeter edge separating said front and back side, and a reflector recess on the front side;

b. a reflector having a front reflective side, a back non-reflective side, and a light source aperture, said reflector being mounted within the reflector recess to said corner plate;

c. a light source mounted within the light source aperture such that the light source is mounted within said corner plate as opposed to being mounted behind said corner plate; and

d. an energy storage device electrically connected to said light source, and mounted proximate to the back side of said corner plate.