Patent Application
20130194813
Recessed lighting is a popular design for light fixtures. A recessed light is a light fixture that is installed into a hollow opening in a ceiling. The housing for the fixture often takes the form of a canister, with one end housing the light socket and the other end being open and directed towards the floor or wall. A light bulb installed into the canister light will face towards the floor, and the canister housing will direct the light towards the floor.
Due to the nature of recessed lighting generally, and canister lights specifically, the ceiling must be altered to accommodate the fixture. Often, this includes removing a portion of the ceiling to form a hollow within which the fixture is disposed. When the design for lighting a room in which the canister light has been installed changes, removal of the canister light would reveal the hollow in the ceiling. Patching the hollow usually requires the service of a professional, increasing the cost of removing the fixture. Additionally, the time required to patch the hollow can be significant. Moreover, a patch applied to a ceiling a period of years after the installation of the original ceiling is often aesthetically displeasing. However, simply leaving the canister light is often undesirable for similar aesthetic reasons, potential electrical and fire hazards, as well as causing the loss of heated or cooled air through an opening to the ceiling. As such, there is a need for an apparatus capable of disguising or otherwise covering and concealing a recessed light fixture at a low cost, without the need for professionally-provided service, in a timely manner.
The present invention is a ceiling blank that covers the open surface of the recessed light fixture that is directed towards the floor or wall. The ceiling blank is comprised of a generally flat body member having at least one securing member attached thereto and an attachment apparatus for attaching the body member to the recessed light fixture. In one embodiment, the attachment apparatus includes at least one tension member associated with each securing member of the body member and a fixture fitting configured to engage with the securing member. In a further embodiment, the invention includes a plurality of securing members as well as a plurality of tension members. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the body member includes a scoring forming a frangible section of the body member. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, a surface of the generally flat section of the body member has a coating, the coating being optionally colored.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof
An embodiment of the invention is depicted in
In another embodiment, body member 102 further comprises a securing member 112 attached to one of the first surface 106 and the second surface, or both 108. The securing member 112 is attached to the first surface 106 or the second surface 108 by any suitable method providing a strong attachment not likely to fail due to building vibration, oxidation processes, including, for example, adhesives, welding, brazing, and soldering. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the securing member 112 is a v-bracket. However, any other bracket shape, such as c-brackets and u-brackets, as well as alternative securing members, such as hooks, magnets, threaded matings for a screw, and engaging couplings are included in the invention. In the present embodiment, securing member 112 is attached at about the center of first surface 106.
Each of the body member 102 and securing member 112 may optionally include a coating. The coating may be decorative and/or functional. For example, the coating material may have desirable corrosion properties, it may be water repellant, and it may be non-conductive. The coating may also have a desired color or pattern, texture, reflectivity, or acoustic properties.
Ceiling blank 100 further comprises an attachment apparatus 113. In the present embodiment, the attachment apparatus 113 comprises a tension member 114 and a fixture fitting 124. Tension member 114 is associated with securing member 112; each tension member 114 is associated with at least one securing member 112. Tension member 114 can be any device or structure configured to provide a tension force, such as a spring, a screw, and a length of elastic material such as rubber or rubber composites. Tension member 114 has a proximal end 116 comprising a proximal attachment member 118 and a distal end 120 comprising a distal attachment member 122. Proximal attachment member 118 of proximal end 116 is associated with securing member 112 and is an attachment means configured to engage with securing member 112. Such configurations can include hooks, eye-hooks, clasps, latches, screws, threaded matings for screws, and magnets, as well as any other attachment means that is not likely to fail under the tension force exerted by tension member 114. Distal attachment member 122 is also an attachment means configured into any of the aforementioned configurations. In the present embodiment, proximal attachment member 118 is configured as a hook and engages with the securing member 112. Tension member 114 has a longitudinal length 130 configured to simultaneously engage with both body member 102 and fixture fitting 124 and exert a tension force on both when deployed.
Attachment apparatus 113 further comprises a fixture fitting 124 comprising a proximal attachment member 126 and a distal attachment section 128. Proximal attachment member 126 is associated with a distal attachment member 126 of at least one tension member 114 and is an attachment means configured to engage with distal attachment member. Such attachment means include hooks, eye-hooks, clasps, latches, screws, and magnets, or any other suitable fastener not likely to fail when under the tension force exerted by tension member 114. In the present embodiment, proximal attachment member 126 is configured as an eye-hook and engages with distal attachment member 122, which is configured as a hook.
Distal attachment section 128 is configured to engage with a light socket external ceiling blank 100. In the present embodiment, distal attachment section 128 is threaded, configured to engage with a receiving coupling, such as a light socket. The receiving coupling may be a threaded aperture or an engaging coupling, such as a pin and socket coupling, a bi-pin coupling, or a bayonet coupling. In other embodiments, the distal attachment section 128 may be configured to attach to other points of attachment such as plumbing, HV/AC, nails, and screws. The threads used can be of any angle, lead, pitch, and start as is required to engage with a given light socket such as, but not by limitation, from E5 to E39. Other configurations of distal attachment section 128 include bi-pin, bayonet mount, and wedge base, as well as any other light socket.
Fixture fitting 124 is fabricated out of a non-conductive, electrically insulating material. Such materials include polymers, such as PVC and HDPE, as well as synthetic and non-synthetic rubbers.
A second embodiment is depicted in
As in the embodiment of
Ceiling blank 200 also comprises scoring 214 disposed within the body member 202. The scoring 214 is configured to define the boundary of a frangible section 216 of the body member 202. The scoring 214 enables the removal of the frangible section 216 by causing the body member 202 to break at the boundary of the frangible section 216 when an incidental force is exerted on the frangible section 216. The frangible section 216 may include any part of the body member 202. In some embodiments, the frangible section 216 will include the center of the body member 202, and may be centered about the center of body member 202. The frangible section 216 is configured to a circle, and may configured to be any shape, including a triangle, a square, a rectangle, or any other polygon. One or more securing members 204 may be partially or wholly within the boundary of the frangible section 216, or none may be within the boundary.
In
To deploy the ceiling blank, distal attachment section 312 is first engaged with the canister fixture light socket 315 by turning the distal attachment section 312 to mate with the canister fixture light socket 315. Once engaged, tension member 316 engages with fixture fitting 318 as described hereinabove. Longitudinal length 320 of the tension member 316 is configured to accommodate the longitudinal length of the canister light fixture 300 as well as to provide a sufficient tension force necessary to press body member 308 against the lower surface 303 of the canister light fixture 300. In further embodiments, the body member 308 may press against an exterior wall surface or the edge of a light fixture. When the tension force is exerted, body member 308 is pressed against the lower surface 303 of the canister light fixture 300, causing lip 310 to extend beyond the lower surface 303 of the canister light fixture 300, thereby completely covering the open end 302.
The embodiment as shown in
Frangible section 216 may be removed from body member 202 by pressing against frangible section 216. Scoring 214 will facilitate the detachment of frangible section 216 from body member 202 by reducing the force necessary to cause the body member 202 to break about the boundary of the frangible section 216. Once frangible section 216 is removed, a pendant fixture may optionally be hung in the canister light fixture. In further embodiments, cords and.or cables may be affixed to the body member 202. Furthermore, removal of frangible section 216 also facilitates removal of ceiling blank 200 by permitting easier access to tension members 206, securing members 204, and proximal attachment member 210.
While the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.
