Recessed light fixture having integrally formed mounting tracks

• US 8,297,804 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Buse, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): CROWE, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US12/503,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20110013405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 362/364, 362/372, 362/147, 362/148, 362/285, 362/288, 362/365, 362/418, 362/419, 362/429, 362/430
• US Class Current: 362/364
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• 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: 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 19/02 with provision for adjustment, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/04 Recessed bases
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/14 Adjustable mountings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/34 Supporting elements displaceable along a guiding element telescopic mounting of lighting devices F21V21/22

Abstract

A recessed light fixture is provided with vertically extending mounting tracks integrally formed in opposed sidewalls of a light fixture housing. The mounting tracks have a continuous front face. The recessed light fixture also has a lamp support bar that extends between the mounting tracks and has at least one spring clip proximal each end thereof. Each at least one spring clip frictionally engages the front face of a corresponding of the mounting tracks, thereby allowing the lamp support bar to be temporarily affixed at a desired vertical orientation along the mounting tracks.

Claims

1. An adjustable recessed light fixture comprising:

a housing having housing sidewalk, a top, and a pan having a pan opening therethrough;

said housing sidewalk, said top, and said pan surrounding and defining a housing interior space;

a pair of vertically extending mounting tracks integrally formed in said housing sidewalk on opposite sides of said housing interior space and extending into said housing interior space, wherein each of said mounting tracks is formed of the same piece of material as its respective housing sidewall;

each of said mounting tracks having a continuous front face interiorly offset from the remainder of a corresponding one of said housing sidewalk;

a linearly extending lamp support bar having at least one spring clip proximal each end thereof;

said lamp support bar extending within said housing between said mounting tracks and being vertically adjustable along said mounting tracks;

wherein each said spring clip of said lamp support bar frictionally engages said continuous front face of a corresponding one of said mounting tracks, thereby allowing said lamp support bar to be temporarily affixed at a desired vertical orientation along said mounting tracks.

2. The adjustable light fixture of claim 1, wherein each said spring clip has an relatively smooth convex contact surface that frictionally engages said front face of a corresponding one of said mounting tracks.

3. The adjustable light fixture of claim 2, wherein said lamp support bar has a pair of vertically oriented protrusions on each end thereof extending longitudinally outward and away from the center of said lamp support bar, wherein each said pair of vertically oriented protrusions flank and are immediately adjacent a corresponding one of said mounting tracks, thereby maintaining said lamp support at a desired horizontal position within said housing.

4. The adjustable light fixture of claim 3, wherein said lamp support bar has a pair of vertically oriented flat faces proximal each end thereof flanking said relatively smooth convex contact surface of said at least one spring clip, and wherein each said pair of vertically oriented flat faces are immediately adjacent a corresponding front face of said mounting tracks.

5. The adjustable light fixture of claim 4, wherein each said front face of said mounting tracks is parallel to the remainder of a corresponding one of said housing sidewalk.

6. The adjustable light fixture of claim 3, further comprising a lamp head coupled to said lamp support bar;

said lamp head being hortizontally and vertically rotatable.

7. The adjustable light fixture of claim 6, wherein said lamp head is adjustable via said lamp support bar from a first position being completely within said housing interior space to a second position being completely outside said housing interior space.

8. The adjustable light fixture of claim 1, wherein each end of the lamp support bar is immediately adjacent the continuous front face of its corresponding mounting track.

9. An adjustable recessed light fixture, comprising:

a housing including a pan, a plurality of housing sidewalk, and a top collectively defining a housing interior;

said pan having an opening therethrough;

said plurality of housing sidewalk extending upwardly from said pan to said top;

at least one of said housing sidewalk having a junction box aperture provided therethrough;

a pair of vertically extending mounting tracks, each of said mounting tracks integrally formed in a single of two opposed housing sidewalk of said housing sidewalk, wherein each of said mounting tracks is formed of the same piece of material as its respective housing sidewall;

each of said mounting tracks having opposed mounting track sidewalls extending into said housing interior and a front face extending between said mounting track sidewalk;

each said front face being substantially perpendicular to said mounting sidewalk;

a linearly extending lamp support bar having at least one spring clip proximal each end thereof, each said spring clip having a relatively smooth contact surface;

said lamp support bar extending horizontally within said housing between said mounting tracks and being vertically adjustable along said mounting tracks;

wherein said contact surface of each said spring clip frictionally engages said front face of a corresponding one of said mounting tracks, thereby allowing said lamp support bar to be slidably respositioned along said mounting tracks;

wherein said lamp support bar is slidably respositionable along said mounting tracks to any desired non-fixed location.

10. The adjustable light fixture of claim 9, wherein said lamp support bar has a pair of vertically oriented relatively smooth flat faces on each end thereof flanking said relatively smooth contact surface of said at least one spring clip, and wherein each said pair of vertically oriented flat faces are immediately adjacent a corresponding said front face of said mounting tracks.

11. The adjustable light fixture of claim 10, wherein said flat faces on a single end of said lamp support bar are substantially planar with one another.

12. The adjustable light fixture of claim 11, wherein said lamp support bar has a pair of vertically oriented protrusions on each end thereof extending longitudinally outward and away from the center of said lamp support bar, wherein each said pair of vertically oriented protrusions flank and are immediately adjacent a corresponding one of said mounting tracks, thereby maintaining said lamp support at a desired horizontal position within said housing.

13. The adjustable light fixture of claim 12, wherein each said contact surface of each said spring clip is a convex surface.

14. The adjustable light fixture of claim 13, further comprising a lamp head coupled to said lamp support bar;

said lamp head being horizontally and vertically rotatable.

15. The adjustable light fixture of claim 14, wherein said lamp head is adjustable via said lamp support bar from a first position being completely within said housing interior to a second position being completely outside said housing interior.

16. An adjustable recessed light fixture comprising:

a housing having a top separated from a pan by housing sidewall structure;

said pan having a pan opening therethrough;

said housing sidewall structure, said top, and said pan surrounding and defining a housing interior space;

a pair of vertically extending mounting tracks integrally formed opposite one another in said sidewall structure of said housing and extending into said housing interior space, wherein each of said mounting tracks is formed of the same piece of material as its respective housing sidewall;

wherein each of said mounting tracks is formed of the same piece of material as its respective housing sidewall and thereby forms a corresponding channel on the outside of the housing;

each of said mounting tracks extending from immediately adjacent said top to immediately adjacent said pan and having a continuous front face offset interiorly into said housing by a pair of mounting track sidewalls;

a lamp height adjustment bracket having at least one spring clip on each end thereof and a vertically oriented pair of faces flanking each said at least one spring clip;

said lamp height adjustment bracket extending horizontally within said housing between said mounting tracks and being vertically adjustable along said mounting tracks;

wherein each said spring clip is relatively smooth and frictionally engages said front face of a corresponding one of said mounting tracks, thereby allowing said lamp height adjustment bracket to be temporarily affixed at a desired vertical orientation anywhere along said mounting tracks; and

wherein each said pair of faces are adjacent and substantially parallel with a corresponding said front face of said mounting tracks.

17. The adjustable light fixture of claim 16, wherein said lamp height adjustment bracket has a pair of vertically oriented protrusions on each end thereof extending longitudinally outward and away from the center of said lamp height adjustment bracket, wherein each said pair of vertically oriented protrusions flank and are immediately adjacent a corresponding one of said mounting tracks, thereby maintaining said lamp support at a desired horizontal position within said housing.

18. The adjustable light fixture of claim 17, wherein said vertically oriented pair of faces on a single end of said lamp height adjustment bracket are planar with one another.

19. The adjustable light fixture of claim 18, wherein each said spring clip includes a relatively smooth uninterrupted convex contact surface that frictionally engages said front face of a corresponding one of said mounting tracks.

20. The adjustable light fixture of claim 19, wherein said mounting track sidewalk are relatively smooth and uninterrupted.

21. The adjustable light fixture of claim 20, further comprising a lamp head coupled to said lamp height adjustment bracket, wherein said lamp head is adjustable via said lamp height adjustment bar from a first position being completely within said housing interior to a second position being completely outside said housing interior.