Photocontrol receptacle

• US 7,637,766 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Howard Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Cook, Jason, Kauffman, Rick, Ballard, Gerald, Lee, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thanh-Tam T
• Application Number:
  US12/284,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 439/337, 439/673, 439/674, 439/954
• US Class Current: 439/337
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0214 Constructional arrangements for removing stray light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0266 Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a photometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of the measurement area; Position tracking; Photodetection involving different fields of view for a single detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0271 Housings; Attachments or accessories for photometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0403 Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements; Scanning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/954 Special orientation of electrical connector

Abstract

A receptacle assembly for a twist-lock photocontrol that is mounted on a luminaire housing. The assembly includes a receptacle and a spring clamp. The receptacle has a disc portion with a hub extending from the central portion of the back side, a perimeter side wall with a castellated bottom edge that engages stops on the luminaire housing. Three fingers extend from the back side of the disc and terminate at a lip edge. The spring clamp has a substantially flat, ring-shaped body that includes a top surface, an opening, an inner edge, an outer edge, and at least one pair of spring members. The receptacle is attached to a luminaire housing using the spring clamp. The orientation of the receptacle can be adjusted and can be locked into a stationary position without tools.

Claims

1. A receptacle assembly for receiving a twist-lock photocontrol comprising:

a receptacle comprising a disc portion having an exterior surface, a back side and a circumferential edge, a hub extending from the back side, a perimeter side wall extending from the back side of the circumferential edge to a bottom edge and a plurality of fingers extending from the back side between the hub and the perimeter side wall and terminating at an end; and

a spring clamp having a substantially flat, ring-shaped body comprising a top surface, an opening, an inner edge, an outer edge, and at least one pair of spring members,

wherein the receptacle is mounted in an opening in a luminaire housing and the orientation of the receptacle is adjustable without tools, and wherein the receptacle can be locked in a stationary position;

wherein the plurality of fingers are not connected to the hub.

2. The receptacle assembly according to claim 1, wherein each spring member in a pair is connected to the outer edge of the ring-shaped body and extends upwardly from the top surface and towards the other spring member in the pair.

3. The receptacle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fingers are flexible, and wherein the end of each finger has a lip edge extending towards the perimeter side wall.

4. The receptacle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle further comprises a tab connected to the perimeter side wall or the back side of the disc portion or both the perimeter side wall and the back side of the disc portion, and wherein the tab extends at least partially between the perimeter side wall and the hub.

5. The receptacle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom edge of the perimeter side wall is castellated and has a plurality of grooves, and wherein the grooves are adapted to engage one or more stops on the luminaire housing.

6. The receptacle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle has three fingers, wherein the three fingers are radially located around the hub and separated by substantially equal intervals.

7. The receptacle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the opening in the spring clamp is adapted to receive the plurality of fingers to secure the spring clamp to the receptacle.

8. The receptacle assembly according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of members extend inwardly from the inner edge of the spring clamp, and wherein the plurality of members engage the hub to secure the spring clamp to the receptacle.

9. The receptacle assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a rain collar disposed between the perimeter side wall and the hub.

10. A receptacle assembly for receiving a twist-lock photocontrol comprising:

a receptacle comprising a disc portion having an exterior surface, a back side and a circumferential edge, a hub extending from the back side and a perimeter side wall extending from the back side along the circumferential edge to a castellated bottom edge with a plurality of grooves, and wherein the grooves in the castellated bottom edge are adapted to engage one or more stops on the luminaire housing; and

a spring clamp having a substantially flat, ring-shaped body comprising a top surface, an opening, an inner edge, an outer edge, and at least one pair of spring members, and one or more members extending inwardly from the inner edge, wherein the one or more members is adapted to flexibly engage the hub and secure the spring clamp to the receptacle,

wherein the receptacle is mounted in an opening in a luminaire housing and the orientation of the receptacle is adjustable without tools, and wherein the receptacle can be locked in a stationary position;

wherein the receptacle further comprises a plurality of fingers extending from the back side between the hub and the perimeter side wall; and

wherein the plurality of fingers are not connected to the hub.

11. The receptacle assembly according to claim 10, wherein each spring member in a pair is connected to the outer edge of the ring-shaped body and extends upwardly from the top surface and towards the other spring member in the pair.

12. The receptacle assembly according to claim 10, wherein the receptacle further comprises a tab connected to the perimeter side wall or the back side of the disc portion or both the perimeter side wall and the back side of the disc portion, and wherein the tab extends at least partially between the perimeter side wall and the hub.

13. The receptacle assembly according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of fingers terminating at an end.

14. The receptacle assembly according to claim 13, wherein the receptacle has three fingers, and wherein the three fingers are radially located around the hub and separated by substantially equal intervals.

15. The receptacle assembly according to claim 10, wherein the spring members of the spring clamp compressively secure the receptacle assembly in a luminaire housing.

16. The receptacle assembly according to claim 10 further comprising a rain collar disposed between the perimeter side wall and the hub.

17. A receptacle assembly for receiving a twist-lock photocontrol comprising:

a receptacle comprising a disc portion having an exterior surface, a back side and a circumferential edge, a hub extending from the back side, a perimeter side wall extending from the back side along the circumferential edge to a castellated bottom edge with a plurality of grooves and three fingers extending from the back side between the hub and the perimeter side wall and terminating at a lip edge, wherein the fingers are radially located around the hub and separated by substantially equal intervals, and wherein the grooves in the castellated bottom edge are adapted to engage one or more stops on the luminaire housing; and

a spring clamp having a substantially flat, ring-shaped body comprising a top surface, an opening, an inner edge, an outer edge, and at least one pair of spring members, and wherein a plurality of members extend inwardly from the opening and is adapted to secure the spring clamp to the hub,

wherein the receptacle is attached to a luminaire housing and the orientation of the receptacle is adjustable without tools, and wherein the receptacle can be locked in a stationary position;

wherein the three fingers are not connected to the hub.

18. The receptacle assembly according to claim 17, wherein the receptacle further comprises a tab connected to the perimeter side wall or the back side of the disc portion or both the perimeter side wall and the back side of the disc portion, and wherein the tab extends at least partially between the perimeter side wall and the hub.

19. The receptacle assembly according to claim 18, wherein the spring members of the spring clamp compressively secure the receptacle assembly in a luminaire housing.

20. The receptacle assembly according to claim 18 further comprising a rain collar disposed between the perimeter side wall and the hub.