Sealed unibody-reflector luminaire

• US 8,511,850 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenall Manufacturing
• Original Assignee: Kenall Manufacturing
• Inventors: Hawkins, James W., Dahlen, Kevin S., Stolte, Brandon A., Wilson, Bradford T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANSON JR, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US13/106,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 362/217.05, 362/223, 362/225, 362/267, 362/364, 362/365
• US Class Current: 362/225
• 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: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/015 Devices for covering joints between adjacent lighting devices; End coverings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/164 the parts being subjected to bending, e.g. snap joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/005 with an elongated shape to cooperate with linear light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/04 Optical design
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

In a sealed recessed lighting fixture having a housing forming a ceiling-alignment plane and a light-emitting opening, at least one elongate lamp mounted to and within the housing and defining a fixture direction, at least one reflector surface parallel to the fixture direction, and a lens, the improvement wherein the at least one reflector surface is/are part(s) of a unibody-reflector assembly which includes: (a) two reflector sections terminating in longitudinal inner edges forming a gap therebetween; (b) a distal edge perimetrically along the light-emitting opening of the housing; (c) a seal between the distal edge and the housing at the opening; (d) two opposed substantially parallel endwalls each having a lens-engaging proximal edge; (e) the lens being an elongate shaped member terminating at opposite lens ends, the lens enveloping the at least one lamp and being of substantially constant cross-section along its length, whereby the unibody-reflector assembly is removable from the housing as a single unit to expose the lamp(s) in the housing for service.

Claims

1. In a sealed recessed lighting fixture having a housing forming a ceiling-alignment plane and a light-emitting opening, at least one elongate lamp mounted to and within the housing and defining a fixture direction, at least one reflector surface parallel to the fixture direction, and a lens, the improvement wherein the at least one reflector surface is/are part(s) of a unibody-reflector assembly which includes:

(a) two reflector sections terminating in longitudinal inner edges forming a gap therebetween;

(b) a distal edge perimetrically along the light-emitting opening of the housing;

(c) a seal between the distal edge and the housing at the opening;

(d) two opposed substantially parallel endwalls each having a lens-engaging proximal edge;

(e) the lens being an elongate shaped member terminating at opposite lens ends, the lens enveloping the at least one lamp and being of substantially constant cross-section along its length, whereby the unibody-reflector assembly is removable from the housing as a single unit to expose the lamp(s) in the housing for service.

2. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 1 further including a pair of endcaps each engaged with a respective one of the endwalls, each lens end being in sealed engagement with a respective one of the endcaps.

3. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein each lens end extends beyond a corresponding endwall.

4. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the proximal lens-engaging edges are complementary to the lens cross-section.

5. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the lens has an arcuate light-transmissive central portion facing the light-emitting opening and two longitudinal edge portions each in sealing engagement with a respective reflector section inner edge.

6. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the lens has an arcuate light-transmissive central portion facing the light-emitting opening, two inwardly-turned light-transmissive side portions therealong, and two longitudinal edge portions each in sealing engagement with a respective reflector section inner edge.

7. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 6 wherein the at least one lamp is a fluorescent tube substantially centered along the gap.

8. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 6 wherein the at least one lamp is a plurality of fluorescent tubes.

9. In a sealed recessed lighting fixture having a housing forming a ceiling-alignment plane and a light-emitting opening, at least one lamp mounted to and within the housing, at least one reflector surface of substantially constant cross-section along its length which defines a fixture direction, and a lens, the improvement wherein the at least one reflector surface is/are part(s) of a unibody-reflector assembly which includes:

(a) two reflector sections terminating in longitudinal inner edges forming a gap therebetween;

(b) a distal edge perimetrically along the light-emitting opening of the housing;

(c) a seal between the distal edge and the housing at the opening;

(d) two opposed substantially parallel endwalls each having a lens-engaging proximal edge;

(e) the lens being an elongate shaped member terminating at opposite lens ends, the lens enveloping the at least one lamp and being of substantially constant cross-section along its length, whereby the unibody-reflector assembly is removable from the housing as a single unit to expose the lamp(s) in the housing for service.

10. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 9 further including a pair of endcaps each engaged with a respective one of the endwalls, each lens end being in sealed engagement with a respective one of the endcaps.

11. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 10 wherein each lens end extends beyond a corresponding endwall.

12. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the proximal lens-engaging edges are complementary to the lens cross-section.

13. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the lens has an arcuate light-transmissive central portion facing the light-emitting opening, two inwardly-turned light-transmissive side portions therealong, and two longitudinal edge portions each in sealing engagement with a respective reflector section inner edge.

14. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the at least one lamp comprises at least one LED module.

15. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the at least one lamp is an elongate lamp parallel to the fixture direction.

16. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 15 wherein the at least one lamp is a fluorescent tube.

17. The recessed lighting fixture of claim 15 wherein the at least one lamp is a plurality of fluorescent tubes.