Pole mounted enclosures for luminaires

• US 8,845,152 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Butler, Doyle Scott, Anderson, Ormand Gilbert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAMLING, SEAN P
• Application Number:
  US13/246,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20130077327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 362/431
• US Class Current: 362/431
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/08 with a standard F21S6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/005 Measures against vandalism, stealing or tampering F21V15/02, F21V15/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/06 Bases for movable standing lamps; Fixing standards to the bases F21V21/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/023 Power supplies in a casing F21V23/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4973 Replacing of defective part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49817 with other than ancillary treating or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Enclosures for housing the electrical components of a luminaire at the base of a pole. In some embodiments, the enclosure is formed by two enclosure halves that are positioned around the base of the pole and mated together to form the enclosure.

Claims

1. An enclosure adapted to be positioned at a bottom of a pole that supports a luminaire distal the bottom of the pole, the enclosure comprising:

a first and second enclosure half removably coupled to define an enclosure pole aperture adapted to receive the pole, wherein the first enclosure half comprises at least one interior wall that defines a compartment; and

a power tray mounted on the first enclosure half and supporting at least one electrical component, wherein the power tray is removably mounted over the compartment of the first enclosure half to enclose the at least one electrical component within the compartment, the power tray further comprising a power-in connector for connection to power leads coming up the pole and a power-out connector for supplying power to a light source located within the luminaire.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the first and second enclosure halves are identical.

3. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the second enclosure half comprises at least one interior wall that defines a compartment and wherein a power tray is removably coupled over the compartment of the second enclosure half.

4. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the power tray is removably mounted over the compartment via rotatable clips.

5. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the power tray comprises a perimeter and a gasket provided around the perimeter of the power tray.

6. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second enclosure halves comprises a gasket segment proximate the enclosure pole aperture.

7. The enclosure of claim 6, wherein the gasket segments are adapted to prevent water from entering the enclosure through the enclosure pole aperture when the enclosure is positioned on the pole.

8. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising an adapter positioned within the enclosure pole aperture, wherein the enclosure pole aperture has a diameter and the adapter comprises an adapter pole aperture having a diameter less than the diameter of the enclosure pole aperture.

9. The enclosure of claim 8, wherein, in use, the adapter is adapted to be interposed between the pole and the enclosure.

10. The enclosure of claim 9, wherein the adapter comprises a first adapter half for engaging the first enclosure half and a second adapter half for engaging the second enclosure half.

11. The enclosure of claim 8, wherein the adapter comprises a gasket adapted to prevent water from entering the enclosure between the adapter and the pole.

12. A method of mounting an enclosure to the bottom of a pole having a base and supporting a luminaire distal the bottom of the pole, the enclosure comprising:

(i) a first and a second enclosure half removably coupled to define an enclosure pole aperture adapted to receive the pole, wherein the first enclosure half comprises at least one interior wall that defines a compartment; and

(ii) a power tray mounted on the first enclosure half and supporting at least one electrical component, wherein the power tray is removably mounted over the compartment of the first enclosure half to enclose the at least one electrical component within the compartment, the power tray further comprising a power-in connector for connection to power leads coming up the pole and a power-out connector for supplying power to a light source located within the luminaire,

the method comprising;

a. electrically connecting the light source to the power tray;

b. positioning the first enclosure half and the second enclosure half around the base of the pole; and

c. securing the first and second enclosure halves together.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein positioning the second enclosure half around the base of the pole comprises strapping the second enclosure half to the pole.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising positioning at least one adapter around the pole prior to positioning the first and second enclosure halves around the pole.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one adapter comprises a first adapter half and a second adapter half, wherein positioning the at least one adapter comprises attaching the first adapter half to the second adapter half to form a compression fit on the pole.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein positioning the first and second enclosure halves around the base of the pole comprises positioning the first enclosure half around the first adapter half and the second enclosure half around the second adapter half so that the at least one adapter is interposed between the pole and the enclosure at the enclosure pole aperture.

17. A method of servicing a luminaire comprising a pole having a base and a bottom, a luminaire mounted on the pole distal the bottom of the pole and having at least one light source, and an enclosure positioned at the bottom of the pole that houses at least one electrical component for powering the at least one light source, the enclosure comprising:

(i) two enclosures halves removably coupled to define an enclosure pole aperture adapted to receive the base of the pole, wherein at least one of the enclosure halves comprises at least one interior wall that defines a compartment; and

(ii) an existing power tray mounted on the first enclosure half and supporting the at least one electrical component, wherein the existing power tray is removably mounted over the compartment of the at least one enclosure half to enclose the at least one electrical component within the compartment, the existing power tray further comprising a power-in connector for connection to power leads coming up the pole and a power-out connector for supplying power to the at least one light source,

wherein the method comprises;

a. removing the at least one enclosure half;

b. removing the existing power tray from the at least one enclosure half; and

c. re-coupling the two enclosure halves around the base of the pole.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprises providing a new power tray and, after removing the existing power tray, removably mounting the new power tray over the compartment of the at least one enclosure half prior to re-coupling the two enclosure halves around the base of the pole.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising, after removing the existing power tray, replacing or servicing the at least one electrical component on the existing power tray and removably mounting the existing power tray over the compartment of the at least one enclosure half prior to re-coupling the two enclosure halves around the base of the pole.