Claims
- 1. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface including, a frame having a thickness, said frame including a retainer adapted for connection to a side of the interior structural surface, said frame having a holding aperture extending through the thickness, a locking aperture extending through the thickness in said frame and being spaced from the holding aperture, the improvement being a resilient unitary lock mounted in the holding aperture and movably mounted in the locking aperture, said lock having an elongated body, a head formed integral with the body and being connectable to a second side of the structural surface opposite to the first-mentioned surface, said head having a curl including a lip extending outwardly from said body, and said lock having a latch releasably engaging the frame to hold the lock in one position in connection to said second side for holding the frame in the mounting aperture.
- 2. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 1, including an ear formed integral with the body adjacent to the head, said ear being spaced from the lip of the curl a distance substantially equal to the thickness of an adjacent portion of the frame.
- 3. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 1, wherein said head includes a pad engageable with the second side of the interior structural surface.
- 4. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has a pair of substantially parallel edges, and an ear formed integral with one edge of the body and being positioned adjacent to the head.
- 5. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has a pair of substantially parallel edges, an ear formed integral with each edge of the body, each ear being spaced from the lip of the curl a distance substantially equal to the thickness of an adjacent portion of the frame.
- 6. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 1, including a flat portion between the body and the curl.
- 7. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has a pair of substantially parallel edges, an ear formed integral with one edge of the body, said ear having a sloped face engageable with the frame, said sloped face being spaced from the lip of the curl a distance substantially equal to the thickness of an adjacent portion of the frame.
- 8. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has a pair of substantially parallel edges, an upstanding ear formed integral with one edge of the body, said ear having a sloped face engageable with the frame, said sloped face being spaced from the lip of the curl a distance substantially equal to the thickness of an adjacent portion of the frame, and a pad formed integral with the curl and being engageable with the second side of the interior structural surface.
- 9. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has a pair of substantially parallel edges, a upstanding ear formed integral with each edge of the body, each ear being spaced from the lip of the curl a distance substantially equal to the thickness of an adjacent portion of the frame, a pad formed integral with the curl and being engageable with the second side of the interior structural surface, and a flat portion between the body and the curl.
- 10. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface including, a lighting fixture frame, said frame including a retainer adapted for connection to a side of the interior structural surface to restrict movement of the frame relative to the structural surface in one direction, said frame having a holding aperture, a locking aperture in said frame spaced from the holding aperture, the improvement comprising a lock mounted in the holding aperture and releasably lockable to the frame in the locking aperture, said lock being formed from a single resilient flat member, said lock including a post having a pillar, said pillar having a latch head opening, an offset formed integral with one end of the pillar, said offset movably mounted in the holding aperture, a leg formed integral with the offset and being engagable with the structural surface, and an arcuate retainer formed integral with the pillar, said arcuate retainer having a curved longitudinal resilient body having one end formed integral with an end of the pillar opposite the offset, said longitudinal body having a pair of parallel elongated edges, a head formed integral with an end of the longitudinal body opposite the end formed integral with the pillar, said head being engagable with a second side of the interior structural surface opposite to the first-mentioned side to hold the frame in the mounting aperture in interior structural surface, said head having a curl including a lip extending outwardly from said body, a latch formed integral with the longitudinal body, said latch having a cantilever resilient latch arm having one end formed integral with the longitudinal body, and a latch hook formed integral with the free end of the latch arm and being receptive of a portion of the frame in the locking aperture to hold the head against the interior structural surface, whereby pivoting of the pillar causes the arcuate retainer to extend outward from the frame for engagement of the head with the interior surface and the latch hook resiliently engages the frame at the locking aperture to lock the arcuate retainer into position.
- 11. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 10, including, an ear formed integral with one edge of the body, said ear being spaced from the lip of the curl a distance substantially equal to the thickness of an adjacent portion of the frame.
- 12. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 10, including, an ear formed integral with each elongated edge of the body, and each ear having a sloped face engageable with the frame, said sloped face being spaced from the lip of the curl a distance substantially equal to the thickness of an adjacent portion of the frame.
- 13. In a recessed electric lighting fixture adapted for installation in a mounting aperture in an interior structural surface as defined in claim 10, an upstanding ear formed integral with each elongated edge of the body, each ear having a sloped face engageable with the frame, each sloped face being spaced from the lip of the curl a distance substantially equal to the thickness of an adjacent portion of the frame, a pad formed integral with the curl and being engageable with the second side of the interior structural surface, and a flat portion between the body and the curl.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 08/840,920, filed Apr. 25, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,412 entitled, “Electric Lighting Fixture Lock”.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/840920 |
Apr 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/177071 |
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US |