The present disclosure is generally related to lighting units and more particularly is related to adjustable underwater light fixture adapters.
Aquatic lights are commonly used in swimming pools, spas, and other underwater installations to provide lighting to underwater environments. Typical swimming pool lights have a housing which contains a lighting unit, where the housing and lighting unit are positioned within a niche or sidewall cavity formed within the shell of the swimming pool. The swimming pool shell is often formed from reinforced concrete, such as shotcrete or gunite formed over rebar, but some swimming pool shells may be formed from fiberglass, plastics, metals, vinyl, or similar materials. For concrete-formed swimming pools, the niche is often defined by a tube of PVC pipe which is positioned through the wall during installation of the concrete. To power the lighting unit, a wired power supply is connected to an exterior power source and is run along an exterior of the swimming pool shell and through the shell to the niche, where the wired power supply can connect to the lighting unit.
For existing swimming pools, there is a desire by pool owners to upgrade the lighting system in the pool without fully renovating the pool itself. For instance, some existing pools have a simple lighting system which provides white light only and can either be turned on or off, whereas modern pool lighting is formed from LED-based lighting units which can be controlled to provide a large number of colors which are switchable in a variety of ways. Similarly, pool owners desire to have more control on the size, position, and direction of their pool lights.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, apparatuses, and related methods for an underwater light fixture adapter. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. A lighting unit has a housing with at least one light positioned within the housing. An adapter has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open interior portion, wherein at least a portion of the housing is positionable within the open interior portion. A connection system is formed between the adapter and the housing of the lighting unit, wherein the connection system secures the housing to the adapter. At least one pivot contact is formed on an exterior surface of the adapter, the at least one pivot contact having a curved surface, wherein the curved surface is contactable to an inner wall of a niche to allow the housing and adapter to pivot.
The present disclosure can also be viewed as providing an adapter apparatus for use with an underwater light fixture. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the apparatus, among others, can be implemented as follows. An adapter body has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open interior portion. A first portion of the adapter body has at least part of a connection system formed therein. A second portion of the adapter body has at least one pivot contact having a curved surface, wherein the curved surface is contactable to an inner wall of a niche to allow a housing of a light unit to pivot.
The present disclosure can also be viewed as providing an underwater light fixture adapter system for use with a swimming pool. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. A swimming pool has a niche formed in a sidewall thereof. A lighting unit has a housing with at least one light positioned within the housing. An adapter has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open interior portion, wherein at least a portion of the housing is positionable within the open interior portion. A connection system is formed between the adapter and the housing of the lighting unit, wherein the connection system secures the housing to the adapter. At least one pivot contact is formed on an exterior surface of the adapter, the at least one pivot contact having a curved surface. The curved surface contacts an inner wall of the niche to allow the housing and adapter to pivot relative to the niche.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
To improve over conventional lights and lighting units used in swimming pools, spas, and similar high-moisture environments, the present disclosure provides an underwater light fixture adapter system and an adapter for use with an underwater light fixture, among other technologies.
Relative to
As shown in
The adapter 50, as shown in
Along the body 32 of the housing 22 and on or along the adapter 50, one or more parts of a connection system 40 may be formed, positioned, or otherwise located. In one example, the connection system 40 includes a threaded male portion 42 on the body 32 of the housing 22 with a corresponding threaded female portion 44 positioned on the interior sidewall of the first portion 54 of the adapter 50. When the body 32 of the housing 22 is moved into the interior portion 52 of the adapter 50, the threaded male portion 42 and the threaded female portion 44 may contact, at which point the housing 22 may be rotated to thread the body 32 of the housing 22 to the adapter 50. This ensures that the lighting unit 20 is connected to the adapter 50. Other forms of connection systems 40 may also be used, including those without threaded connections. For instance, snap-fit, friction-fit, magnetic, adhesive, or other chemical, mechanical, or electromechanical connections may be used, all of which are considered within the scope of the present disclosure.
As shown,
Next, the system 10 is described relative to a swimming pool niche.
With reference to
As shown in the figures, the pivot contact 60 may be formed on an exterior surface of the adapter 50, where the pivot contact 60 includes a curved surface which is positioned to contact the inner surface 74 of the niche 70. The curved surface of the pivot contact 60 may have a gentle curvature which is continuous, such that contact between the curved surface and the inner surface of the niche are smooth and uninterrupted when the lighting unit 20 is tilted or pivoted relative to a central axis 72 of the niche 70. In other examples, the curved surface may have other shapes, such as non-continuous curvatures which allow for certain types of pivoting motion.
The outer diameter of the second portion 56 of the adapter 50 which has the pivot contacts 60 may be sized or toleranced to fit appropriately with the inner diameter of the niche 70. For example, as shown in
As shown in
It is noted that various designs may be used for the pivot contacts 60, including positioning them on extending tabs 58 which are biasable inwards. In one example, four such tabs 58 may be used, but any number of extending tabs can also be utilized. Additionally, instead of separate tabs 58, it may be possible to use one continuous section of the adapter 50 which is constructed from a material or materials which allow it to frictionally connect to the niche 70. For example, the use of rubberized materials or a lightweight plastic material which can be manipulated could be used to make contact between the adapter 50 and the niche 70.
It is noted that the contact between the pivot contact 60 and the inner surface 74 of the niche 70 may be along the entirety of the pivot contact surface 60, such as along the entirety (or substantially the entirety) of the circumference of the niche 70, or a portion of the circumference thereof. In one example, the curved surface of the pivot contact is curved in two dimensions, such that one dimension of curvature allows pivoting or tilting movement of the lighting unit 20 within the niche 70, while another dimension of curvature along a width of each tab 58, e.g., in the direction of the circumference of the adapter 50, provides for substantial contact between the curved surface and the niche 70. This substantial contact may mean allowing the lighting unit 20 to be pivoted in substantially any direction of the 360° opening of the niche 70.
The system 10 described relative to
When a lighting unit 20 and adapter 50 (
It is noted that the coupling 80 may include an annular flange 86 with a recess 88 formed therein, which is positioned within the concrete wall of the pool after construction. In particular, when the concrete is installed to build the pool, the concrete will encapsulate the rebar framework and encapsulate the pipework depicted in
Next,
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present disclosure and protected by the following claims.
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