Patent Grant
6848798
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to emergency lighting fixtures including illuminated signs and emergency lighting units and particularly relates to combinations of illuminated exit signs and the like with emergency lighting units to form fixtures having multiple emergency lighting functions in a single device.
2. Background of the Invention
Emergency lighting capability is mandated by building codes throughout most of the world for commercial buildings in particular. The most common type of emergency lighting is the exit sign which is also the most noticed due not only to its ubiquity but also due to the fact that most exit signs are constantly illuminated and are therefore readily seen. Exit signs are typically placed above doorways or in egress paths to indicate in a time of emergency the most efficient manner of exiting a building. Another common form of emergency lighting is generally referred to as an emergency lighting unit and typically operates two spaced lamps which are often referred to as “frog eyes.” Emergency lighting units operate only in the event of emergency and are intended to supply an acceptable degree of ambient illumination under emergency conditions, these conditions usually including loss of normal power. Since emergency conditions requiring the most immediate and effective use of both exit signs and emergency lighting units are normally associated with mains power loss, backup power is necessary for the continued operation of an exit sign and for start-up and continuing operation of an emergency lighting unit. This back-up power is provided by batteries, a typical exit sign having a battery and circuitry capable of switching to DC battery power from AC mains power on loss of AC power to the exit sign. An emergency lighting unit includes a battery and sensing circuitry which initiates operation of the battery on loss of normal building power, the lamps of the emergency lighting unit being then activated to provide emergency lighting. These two forms of emergency lighting, the exit sign and the emergency lighting unit, are placed in a building structure at locations requiring a particular function of each form. Certain situations require the use of both forms of emergency lighting in one location. Rather than use separate lighting fixtures in one particular location, common practice has been to use a “combination” exit sign and emergency lighting unit, this type of fixture being commonly referred to as an exit/unit combo. The “combo” has previously taken the form of an emergency lighting unit mounted to an exit sign, the emergency lighting unit most often being mounted along the top of the exit sign. In most instances, the exit sign and the emergency unit operate separately although certain functions can be shared between the exit sign and the unit by providing common circuitry such as would be useful to detect power line failure for switching the exit sign to DC battery power and for initiating operation of the emergency lighting unit. A particular exit/unit combo which has enjoyed substantial market acceptance is the QUANTUM Exit/Unit Combo manufactured by Lithonia Lighting, Inc. of Conyers, Ga., a wholly owned subsidiary of National Service Industries, Inc., of Atlanta, Ga., QUANTUM being a trademark of National Service Industries, Inc. The widespread use of the Lithonia Lighting combo has been brought about at least in part due to the reduced labor costs associated with installation of the Lithonia combo on site, the exit sign and the emergency lighting unit being factory assembled and prewired for shipment to a job site in a configuration allowing rapid and simultaneous final wiring of both the exit sign and the emergency lighting unit. Further, the Lithonia combo manufactured and marketed under the QUANTUM mark is comprised of a substantially all-plastic exit sign and a substantially all-plastic emergency lighting unit, thereby resulting in a combo product which is light in weight relative to previous combo products many of which included metal housings and parts which caused the products to be heavy and therefore more difficult to support especially in end mounted installations. The Lithonia QUANTUM combo could be rapidly and easily mounted at the top, back or ends with adequate support of the assembly being possible even when end mounted. Manufacture and maintenance of the Lithonia combo were facilitated by the virtual all-plastic structure of the Lithonia product which allows at least portions of the product to be positively and readily snap-fitted to each other. While the QUANTUM combo evidenced significant advantages in this art, the combination of two essentially different and distinct forms of emergency lighting into a single product with both the exit sign and the emergency lighting unit retaining its own housing inter alia such as would be employed in their separate use has caused combo products to continue being somewhat bulky in size and to be less attractive than most other forms of emergency lighting have become in recent years as the industry has devoted increased attention to the appearance of emergency lighting products generally.
Accordingly, the art has experienced a long-felt and continuing need for improvement of a combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit or combo product to the end that such products become a true integration of an exit sign and an emergency lighting unit capable of supporting the weights of batteries necessary for providing power to both sides of an exit sign as well as unit lamps including remote unit lamps. In addition to the need to support greater battery weights than previously necessary in exit signs alone, the need exists in a combo to support greater weight than is normally experienced with an exit sign per se so that a combo can be safely and positively mounted in wall or ceiling installations. The art has thus felt the need for the present combo invention which integrates the functions of an exit sign and an emergency lighting unit into a single housing with repositionable lamping elements mounted to exterior portions of the housing. The structure of the present exit/unit combo allows support of battery loads in tension rather than through the usual cantilevered support of loads disposed internally of a sign housing. The structure of the present combo housing provides support of such efficiency as to prevent warping or bowing of the housing over time, thereby providing substantially improved product quality along with substantially improved product appearance.
The exit/unit combo of the invention is provided with significant structural features useful not only with the combo but also with exit signs per se and with emergency lighting units per se as well as remote emergency lighting units. The present invention thus provides substantial improvement over the prior art by the provision of an integral and integrated exit/unit combo characterized by ease of assembly, installation and maintenance as well as by extraordinarily acceptable appearance.
The invention provides an emergency lighting fixture which combines the functions of an illuminated sign, particularly an exit sign, with an emergency lighting unit, the structural combination being integrated into a single housing which internally contains those structural elements necessary to produce the functions of the feature and which carries emergency lamping externally of the housing at multiple locations thereby providing extraordinary flexibility in use. The present combination of an exit sign and an emergency lighting unit or “exit/unit combo” is preferably formed of a polymeric material such as polycarbonate/ABS, thereby allowing molding of a fixture housing with most of the structural elements necessary to produce the functions of the fixture being integrally formed with the housing, these molded structural elements and other structure contained within the housing being located in the housing in a manner whereby the elements combine to produce synergistic effects in addition to the primary functions of the structural elements, the fixture being totally integrated as to structure and function as well as being substantially integral in construction. Formation of the fixture essentially from moldable material further allows integral formation of snap-fitting structural elements which not only provide easy snap fitting of facing plates to the housing to form the primary structural portion of the combo per se but also the integral formation of snap-fitting structure with bulb holders, battery mounting elements and option board storage elements inter; alia. Assembly of the fixture is therefore facilitated at least in part due to the reduced number of individual parts occasioned by the integral nature of the housing inter alia.
The housing of the present exit/unit combo fixture is configured to support battery weights inter alia which are typically greater than those battery weights encountered in conventional exit signs due to the need to operate exit lighting, unit lighting and even remote unit lighting with a single battery disposed within the housing. In order to accommodate greater battery weight and the weight of the fixture itself, the battery is centered with the housing disposed at a lower portion thereof, battery location couples with a central, vertical structural beam known as a “ladder” allows support of the battery inter alia in tension rather than in a cantilevered arrangement as has been previously employed in exit signs and the like. The structural features such as the ladder integrated with location of major weighting such as the weight of the battery actually allows use of a material such as plastic for formation of the fixture, the self-support provided by the structure itself preventing warping and bowing of the plastic exit/unit combo fixture over time such as would occur with a fixture having the weight of the exit/unit combo fixture if not provided with the integrated structural relationships of the invention. The dimensional stability of the present exit/unit combo fixture occurs due to the structural features of the fixture which maintain substantial portions of the fixture weight in tension.
The exit/unit combo fixture of the invention provides “unit” emergency lighting by the disposition of one or more emergency lamps mountable at different locations on the periphery of the fixture housing to accommodate differing lighting situations. The lamps are mounted by lamp holders fitted with swiveling concentric spherical structural elements which allow movement of the lamps with a degree of freedom not previously possible, the structure of the concentric spherical elements additionally yielding a compact profile which is not only attractive in appearance but functional due to the volumetric efficiency thus provided. The lamp holders of the invention are formed with torsion snap elements which fit into slots formed in peripheral edges of the housing, the slots receiving the snap elements of the lamp holders to positively mount the lamp holders in desired locations on the fixture. The particular snap element/slot arrangement of the invention allows rapid and ready mounting and dismounting of the lamp holders to and from the fixture housing with positive locking of the lamp holders to the housing once assembled. The lamp holders of the invention can be removed from the present fixture and mounted to remote slave mounting stations driven by the fixture with the snap elements of the lamp holder fitting into arranged slots of the slave station. Further, the lamp holder can be mounted to a station separate from the fixture with battery or other operation, the lamp holder being mounted to the station through use of the snap elements of the lamp holder in cooperation with slots formed in the station.
Various other features of the invention include structure for minimizing the “shadow” of the battery appearing through face plates of the exit/unit combo fixture; registration structure for mounting of a diffusion panel in a face plate of the fixtures; routing of wiring in association with the ladder support and in front of the battery with the use of slack in the wiring and structure for compartmentalization of electrical components within the interior of the fixture housing including snap-mounting of a capacitor inter alia. Many of the inventive features disclosed herein are useful in fixtures other than exit/unit combo fixtures and are disclosed for use in that variety of fixtures for which these features find utility. Use of these features is thus not limited to use in an exit/unit combo fixture.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an integral exit/unit combo fixture having the capabilities of an exit sign and of an emergency lighting unit integrated into a fixture formed with a single housing for containing a substantial portion of the structures and for mounting emergency unit lamps on the housing externally thereof and at repositionally distinct locations of the housing.
It is another object of the invention to provide an integral exit/unit combo fixture substantially moldable of a polymeric material to allow formation of substantial structural portions of the fixture with a fixture housing, the housing and associated face plates being rapidly fitted together with snap features, components of the fixture internally of the housing being snap-fitted to the housing for rapid assembly thereof, structure holding emergency lighting lamping further being rapidly snap-fitted to the housing at predetermined locations on the exterior of the housing.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an integral exit/unit combo fixture substantially moldable of a polymeric material with structural support features providing dimensional stability to the fixture thereby minimizing warping and bowing of the fixture over time in spite of substantial weight occasioned by the use of heavy batteries as well as the weight of the fixture itself, the fixture including internal support elements which mount battery weight as well as the weight of the fixture per se substantially in tension.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an integral exit/unit combo fixture having unit lighting provided by lamps mounted on exterior portions of the fixture by lamp holders mounted to the fixture by tension snap elements, each lamp being mounted by a swiveling double concentric structure which allows an extraordinary range of movement of the lamp and which allows formation of the unit lighting structure with a compact profile, the fixture requiring a reduced volume and vertical height for mounting of the fixture, the fixture being also mountable with the back of the fixture directly against a flat surface such as a wall.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent in light of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to
The combo fixture 10 is typically provided with one or more directional indicators 22 which are often referred to as “chevrons”, the indicators 22 preferably comprising snap-fitting chevron structures which can be rapidly and positively mounted into openings 23 formed on the face plate 16 without the requirement for gaining access into the interior of the housing 12. While various chevron structures can be utilized, a particularly suitable structure disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/327,487, filed Oct. 21, 1994, by Stephen T. Smith with the title “Direction Indicator Covers for Emergency Lighting System”, the patent application being assigned to the assignee of the present patent application, the disclosure of Ser. No. 08/327,487 being incorporated hereinto by reference. Depending upon the exigencies of a particular installation, at least one of the indicators 22 is mated into the corresponding opening 23 to prevent light generated interiorly of the housing 12 from passing through the opening 23. In certain installations wherein the combo fixture 10 may be placed directly over a doorway or the like, it is possible that both of the indicators 22 will be placed in the corresponding openings 23. Certain other installations may require that neither of the directional indicators 22 be mounted in the corresponding openings 23, such an installation signalling that a path of egress may exist to both sides of the combo fixture 10.
As will be described in more detail hereinafter, and with additional reference to
Continuing to refer to
While the structural features of the combo fixture 10 which have been generally referred to hereinabove will be described in greater detail hereinafter, it is necessary at this point to describe certain general concepts which underlie the defined structure as seen in the drawings. Prior art combination exit sign/emergency lighting unit fixtures have usually been formed at least partially of metal especially in situations where the weight of the entire fixture is supported essentially by a housing such as the housing 12 which contains within the interior thereof essentially all structure except for the unit lamp assemblies such as the assemblies 13. In such prior situations, batteries of substantial size have been necessary in order to provide power for the exit sign function as well as for the emergency unit function. Due to the substantial weight of the batteries and of the fixtures themselves, it has not been previously possible to support the weight of a combo fixture 10 when the fixture 10 has been effectively formed of “plastics” that is, polymeric materials, since a structurally all-plastic unit, until the present invention, would warp and bow over time even when formed of the strongest polymeric materials. If formed of plastic materials of lesser strength, a combination fixture usually deforms and is likely to break rather than merely deform. Therefore, the present invention provides a dimensionally stable combo unit 10 which does not warp or bow over time even though effectively formed completely of “plastic”, the combo fixture 10 being the first and only combo fixture formed of plastic wherein all batteries and other structural features are effectively contained and/or supported by a single housing such as the housing 12. While the combo fixture 10 could be formed of a material such as sheet metal, it is to be understood that a number of the advantages of the invention would be lost if the combo fixture 10 is so formed. In particular, the combo fixture 10 can be assembled from a relatively small number of individual parts especially since the frame 14 as will be more fully described hereinafter can be molded from a plastic material to produce a single part having a very large number of structural features integrally formed therewith. All structural features of the combo fixture 10 are formed of plastic and are molded. Certain parts such as the lamps 24 and 26 and the battery 30, for example, are not formed of plastic but are items which must be otherwise formed. However, these parts are not structural and have no function in support of the overall weight coupled with maintenance of the integrity of the combo fixture 10 per se. The function of the housing 12 as a single containing unit is further improved by the ability to snap-fit together virtually every combination of parts comprising the combo fixture 10. Formation of the combo fixture 10 substantially from plastic materials facilitates not only the essentially integral nature of the fixture 10 with fewer parts but also facilitates the snap-fitting together of the relatively few parts comprising the fixture 10. The essentially all-plastic single housing 12 in constructed as will be described hereinafter such that fixture weight can be supported without resort to metal structural features such as would be occasioned by battery weight inter alia in a combination exit sign/emergency unit fixture.
The structural strength of the present combo fixture 10 is provided even though the housing 12 is only slightly larger than the housings of most conventional exit signs.
A further general feature of the combo fixture 10 is occasioned by the cooperative relationship between the emergency lighting unit lamp assemblies 13 and the frame 14 of the housing 12. The assemblies 13 can be positioned on each end of the housing 12 as is seen in
Reference to
As is best seen in
Due to the complexity of the structural details of the combo fixture 10 and further in view of the independent nature of at least certain of the sub-systems comprising the fixture 10, the remaining disclosure is organized by subheadings which will allow for more ready access to information concerning the various structural features and sub-systems of said fixture 10.
As previously described, the housing 12 essentially comprises a container formed by the frame 14, the face plate 16 and the back plate 18. In those installations wherein both faces of the housing are visible and are intended to provide egress information, the back plate 18 is replaced by a plate which would be essentially identical to the face plate 16. The back plate 18 is used to enclose the housing 12 in those situations wherein the visible indicia 20 is only required on the “front” of the housing 12 and is provided by the face plate 16. The back plate 18 is particularly used in situations wherein the combo fixture 10 is installed directly against a J-box (not shown) mounted flushly in a vertical wall (not shown), the back plate 16 being then mounted directly to such a J-box (not shown) through use of conventional connections with the back plate 12 connecting to the frame 14 as will be described hereinafter.
Referring now to
Essentially all of the features of the combo fixture 10, with the exception of the lamp assemblies 13 or similar structure, are contained within the housing 12 and are supported by the frame 14. The lamp assemblies 13 are in essence also carried by the housing 12 but on exterior portions thereof. The weight of the combo fixture 10 due both to that structure located interiorly and exteriorly of said housing 12 is effectively supported in tension rather than by cantilever as is conventional in the prior art. The housing 12 and particularly the frame 14 is thus engineered in a manner particularly intended to support the weight of the fixture 10 in tension, thereby allowing the formation of the fixture 10 and particularly of the frame 14 essentially entirely of a “plastic” material such as polycarbonate/ABS. This ability to form the fixture 10 and particularly the frame 14 from plastic material then further allows the frame 14 to be molded integrally to thereby reduce the number of parts which must be formed and then assembled to produce the combo fixture 10. The construction and structure of the frame 14 as a single molded piece still further allows the carriage of heavy parts such as the battery 30 inter alia internally of the housing 12 and within the single housing 12. Formation of the combo fixture 10 and especially the integral frame 14 from a plastic material further facilitates the snap-together construction of the combo fixture 10, virtually all parts of the fixture 10 being snap-fitted together thereby yielding a total structure which can be readily and rapidly assembled.
The advantages thus enumerated which accrue from the structure of the frame 14 inter alia can be best appreciated by consideration of the frame 14 shown in
The frame 14 is seen to be provided on each end with a pattern of four slots 50 which are of a size and which are spaced apart in a rectangular form in the manner of the slots 42 discussed above relative to the mounting of one of the lamp assemblies 13 to the mounting base 40 to form a remote fixture. The top of the frame 14 is provided with two of the patterns of four slots 50. The slots 50 are formed in the frame 14; however, portions of the periphery of the plates 16, 18 face the slots 50 on assembly of said plates 16, 18 to the frame 14 and to render less conspicuous the slots 50 into which torsion snaps 52 are inserted to mount the lamp assemblies 13 (as well as the lamp assembly 36 to the top of the housing 12) to the housing 12. While not shown in
The canopy 13 referred to hereinabove can be used to mount the combo fixture 10 as will be described hereinafter and as is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/343,775, filed Nov. 22, 1994 as aforesaid, the disclosure of this application for patent being incorporated hereinto by reference.
Considering now the construction of the frame 14, reference is particularly made to
Interior canopy mounting housing 124 are respectively disposed centrally between the upper wall 58 and the interior wall 66 and between the side walls 62, 64 and the interior side walls 82, 84. Wiring guide clips 126 are disposed on either side of the uppermost mounting housing 124 to facilitate a desired location of wiring (not shown in
An electronics compartment 140 is located below the side table 88 and laterally of the battery compartment 122 while an options compartment 142 is located below the side table 90 and to the other side of the battery compartment 122. The respective compartments 140 and 142 are separated from the battery compartment 122 by means of respective vertical walls 144 and 146. The various structures integrally formed with the frame 14 and contained within the compartments 122, 140 and 142 will be described in detail hereinafter. Clips 148 disposed on opposite sides of the interior of the housing 12 extend respectively from the corner plates 68, 70 and are adapted to hold respective LED arrays 28 (see
As described above, the ladder 112 is provided as an integral portion of the frame 14 to provide support in tension for the entirety of the combo fixture 10 and particularly for the battery 30 held within the battery compartment 122 (or for any other battery held within the battery compartment 122). The ladder 112 is advantageously located within the interior of the housing 12 to provide tension support for the weight of the fixture 10 as well as for battery weight. It should be understood, however, that the ladder 112 could take other forms, such as a solid vertical member whether or not connected permanently to the angle 92 at the lower end thereof or to the interior wall 66 and the wall 58. The ladder 112 is formed of the stiles 114 and of the rungs 116 in order to provide openings 115 between the rungs through which wiring can be strung for management of the location of wiring within the interior of the housing 12. The openings 115 are also provided for reduction of material and for facilitating light movement within the interior of the housing 12. When the fixture 10 is back mounted, the openings 115 also serve to provide access for routing wiring (not shown) within the interior of the housing 12 as will be better appreciated hereinafter. The battery 30 is located centrally of the lower portion of the housing 12 so as to advantageously allow the ladder 112 to act in tension to support the weight of the battery 30. While the battery 30 is intended to be a conventional rechargeable lead-acid battery, it is possible to utilize lead-acid batteries of greater capacity with weights up to approximately 4 pounds when a greater amount of power is necessary for providing for a greater period of time and for that additional power necessary to operate slave units remote from the fixture 10 such as has been described above. It is also possible to utilize nickel-cadmium batteries of smaller size, the smaller Ni-Cd battery (not shown) being mounted within the interior of the battery compartment 122; the details of mounting of the Ni-Cd battery within the compartment 122 not being described herein. As aforesaid, the ladder 112 is provided with horizontal elongated tab elements 154 and 156, the elements 154 and 156 being preferably used for management of wiring (not shown) associated with the fire alarm interface 150. The ladder 112 is further provided with peg elements 152 disposed one each on either side of the ladder 112 and extending from each of the stiles 114 near the uppermost end of the ladder 112, the peg elements 152 acting to receive snap elements 158 and 160 located on the interior wall of the back plate 18 as will be described hereinafter, the snap elements 158 and 160 cooperating respectively with the peg elements 152 to facilitate mounting of the frame 14 to the back plate 18 when the back plate 18 is mounted directly to a J-box (not shown) mounted flushly in a wall surface.
As aforesaid, the battery compartment 122 is configured to house the battery 30 as well as a larger battery 162. It is to be understood, however, that only one of the batteries 30 and 162 would be utilized at any one given time. As can be seen in
When placed within the battery compartment 122 as is necessary for operation, the batteries 30 and 162 are of a sufficient height as to extend into the lower part of the indicia formed in the face plate 16. Due to this extension of the battery 30 and the battery 162 into the legend, it is possible that a shadowing affect is caused such that lower portions of the indicia are darker than upper portions of the indicia. The location of the lamps 24 within the interior of the housing 12 during normal operation and the location of the lamps 26 within the interior of the housing 12 during emergency operation provides light within the interior of the housing 12 which is reflected within said housing interior. This light is controlled in part by means of a reflective cover 172 attached to the top of the battery 30 (or the battery 162) with the lower edge of the reflective cover 172 extending downwardly to at least the level of the side tables 88 and 90 such that light is reflected outwardly of the lower portions of the indicia 20 on the face plate 16 to locally increase the amount of light passing through said indicia 20 at lower portions thereof. Provision of the reflective cover 172 thus acts to reduce the effect of the otherwise dark form of the battery 30 or the battery 162 so that the shadowing effect does not detract from the appearance and function of the indicia 20. Optionally, at least the upper portion of the batteries 30, 162 could be painted with a white paint or coated with a reflective material in order to provide a function similar to the function of the reflective cover 172. The reflective cover 172 can also be utilized as a pull tab for removal of the battery 30, 162 from the battery compartment 122. The ability to allow the upper portion of the battery 30, 162 to extend into the “legend” or indicia 20, allows the height of the housing 12 to be reduced so that the combo fixture 10 is more compact and exhibits a relatively lower profile.
It is to be seen that wiring extends from the electronics compartment 140 to the options compartment 142 as is seen in
Referring now to
The mounting of the DC emergency lamps 26 can thus be accomplished both rapidly and easily and within a minimum of parts not integrally formed with the frame 14.
As seen particularly in
Pairs of horizontal surfaces 200 and 202 mount respectively at lower portions of the compartment 142 and at upper portions thereof to form small interior spaces within the compartment 142 for placement of other options such as buzzers and the like. A pair of vertical stem walls 204 mounted in spaced relation to each other and under the lower plate 196 also act to form a space capable of storing an option board or a shrink-wrap option or the like.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The face plate 16 is also provided at its upper edge with a structural wall 260 which joins to corner elements 262 and 264 each having angled elements 266 and 268 respectively formed thereon, this structure cooperating with opposed structure on the frame 14 as described above to further strengthen the housing 12.
Referring to
The back plate 18 is formed at upper corners thereof with structural corner plates 280 and 282 each having angled elements 284 and 286 respectively formed thereon, the structure cooperating with opposed structure of the frame 14 as described above to further strengthen the housing 12.
Unit Lamp Mounting Arrangement
Referring now to
The lamp holder 284 comprises a stationary platform mounted to the frame 14 by insertion of the four torsion snaps 52 into any one of the patterns of four of the slots 50. The lamp holder 284 is thus quickly mountable to the frame 14 and readily removed from the frame. The lamp holder 284 preferably takes the form of front and rear angled surfaces which outwardly terminate at 298. Triangular lateral surfaces of the lamp holder 284 complete the shape of the lamp holder 284. It is to be understood that the lamp holder 284 can be otherwise shaped as long as at least one major surface is available for formation of the opening 286 therein. It is also to be understood that an opening such as the opening 286 could be formed in the other major surface of the lamp holder 284 so that additional lamping could be carried by the lamp holder 284 as seen generally in
The swivel plate 238 is provided with pairs of lands 300 placed about the periphery of said plate 288, three pairs of the lands 300 being adequate for support of the plate 288 within the opening 286 of the lamp holder 284. The lands 300 prevent the plate 288 from falling into the interior of the holder 284 and facilitate swiveling motion of the plate 289 within the opening 286. Cut-outs 302 are formed between two pair of the lands 300. Each of the cut-outs 302 has a U-shaped snap 304 located within the cut-out 302, the snaps 304 facilitating the snap-fitting of the plate 288 into the opening 286 of the lamp holder 2B4, movement of the plate 288 within the opening 286 being also thus facilitated. The third pair of the lands 300 is spaced equidistantly from the two pair of lands 300 having the cut-outs 302 formed therein, a T-shaped cut-out 306 being formed between the lands 300 of this third pair of lands. A prong 30B is formed immediately behind the cut-out 306, the prong 308 acting to hold the plate 288 within the opening 286 and to provide a stop function in concert with detent 309 located interiorly of the lamp holder 384. A guide track assembly 310 is formed centrally of the spherical swivel plate 288 and comprises a base 312 having spaced pairs of spaced track tangs 314 which surmount one each of a slat 316 in a pattern of the slots 316, the slot pattern being rectangular in conformation. An oval slot 318 is formed in the plate 288 centrally thereof and within the assembly 310, one each of a pair of apertures 320 being formed in the plate 288 on opposite sides of the oval slot 318 and between vertically related slots 316 of the pairs of slots 316. At least certain of the openings thus formed in the swivel plate 288 facilitate passage of wiring (not shown) from a bulb socket 297 into the interior of the lamp holder 284
The lamp housing 290 is formed as a spherical segment which is concentric with the spherical shape of the swivel plate 298 the spherically shaped rear walls of the lamp housing 290 being received into the concentrically formed spherical concavity of the swivel plate 288 to cause the assembled unit to exhibit a low profile. Flats 322 are formed parallel to each other at spaced edges of the lamp housing 290 with a perpendicularly disposed flat 324 being also formed at the edge of the lamp housing 290. An arcuate slot 326 formed centrally of the lamp housing 290 and extending from the flat 324 to the edge of the lamp housing 290 opposite the flat 324. An arcuate bridge 328 extends immediately below the slot 326 and is formed with a snap detent 330 therein immediately interiorly of the flat 324, the detent 330 having a spring capability ouch that the detent 330 snaps back to its original position after being biased inwardly of the housing 290 on fitting of the swivel plate 288 to the lamp housing 29D. The bridge 328 is further formed with a bulb base mount 332 near the end thereof opposite the detent 330. The mount 332 is formed of spaced track elements 334 with a depressable tongue 336 being disposed between the track elements 334. The bulb 296 is mounted by a socket base 338 having a plate 340 extending from the base 338 to fit under the track elements 334 and being held therebetween by the tongue 336 which is depressed downwardly on insertion of the plate 340 between the track elements 334 and which rebounds to bias against the plate 340 to maintain the base mount 332 and thus the bulb 296 in place. Track following edges 342 of the lamp housing 290 which define the slot 326 are received under the tangs 314 of the guide track assembly 310 on the swivel plate 228 to allow the lamp housing 290 to move in an arc relative to the swivel plate 288 essentially along a detent of that circle-like geometric shape defined by the periphery of the swivel plate 288. When the lamp housing 290 is fully received by the guide track assembly 310, the detent 330, which detent 330 is depressed as the lamp housing 290 is received by said guide track assembly 310, is released and springs back to engage a wall 344 of the assembly 310 to prevent disengagement of the lamp housing 290 from the swivel plate 288 without first depressing the detent 330.
A reflector 292 is received within the lamp housing 290, the reflector 292 comprising a plastic structure which is coated with a reflective layer 346. The reflector 292 is formed as a parabola of rotation which fits within the lamp housing 290 and is received within the housing 290. An opening 348 formed in the reflector 292 allows the bulb base mount 332 of the lamp housing 290 to extend therethrough to be exposed for its intended purpose. The periphery of the reflector 292 is shaped to fit the shape of the lamp housing with a flange 350 having a cut-out 352 being formed at the periphery of the reflector 292 adjacent the opening 348, the cut-out 352 receiving an end of the bridge 328 of the lamp housing 290. Portions of the flange 350 are received under a peripheral segment 354 formed on the lamp housing 290, the segment 354 being connected to that end of the bridge 328 received by the cut-out 352.
The lens 294 snap-fits onto the lamp housing 290, the periphery of the lens being shaped to fit the shape of the lamp housing. A flange 356 having a cut-out 358 is formed on one edge of the lens 294, the cut-out 358 receiving an end of the bridge 328 of the lamp housing 290. Portions of the flange 356 are received under the peripheral segment 354 of the lamp housing 290 to facilitate holding of the lens 294 to the lamp housing 290. A snap 360 formed in the lens 294 opposite the flange 356 snaps the lens 294 onto the lamp holder 290 in cooperation with a cut-out 362 formed in the reflector 292 and snap fingers 364 formed on the lamp holder 290 and received into the cut-out 362. The lens 294 can be “frosted” if desired to provide a more diffuse light.
The lamp assembly 13 is seen to mount to the frame 14 of the housing 12 by means of the torsion snap 52 fitting into the slots 50. Each of the torsion snaps 52 are essentially plow-shaped with a rounded shank 366 extending directly from the lamp holder 284, distal end 368 of the snap 52 tapering to a point and being outwardly angled medially of the shank 366. The torsion snaps 52 on insertion into the slots 50 actually act to pull the lamp holder 284 to the housing 12. When the snaps 52 are inserted into the slots 50, the snaps 52 are bent straight in order to fit into said slots 50. While the snaps 52 are formed of a plastic material, the snaps 52 are resistant to creeping. Even if the snaps 52 creep, the degree of creep will not be sufficient to cause the snaps 52 to creep to clearance, that is, the snaps 52 will not deform over time to allow the snaps 52 to straighten sufficiently to fall from the slots 50.
The concentrically spherical arrangement of the swivel plate 288 and the lamp housing 290 allow an optimized degree of freedom while allowing a low profile of the assembly 13. The assembly 13 is therefore compact volumetrically while being adjustable in position over a wide angular range. The degree of angular freedom is constrained by stop structure as described above which prevents wire breakage.
Referring now to
Particular embodiments of the invention have been described above in relation to illustrations of a preferred combo fixture 10 as provided in the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be embodied other than as is described and shown herein. The invention can particularly be used in the construction of emergency lighting fixtures other than combination exit sign/emergency unit fixtures. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the recitations of the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/703,322, filed Oct. 31, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,866, issued Dec. 31, 2002, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/132,814, filed Aug. 12, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,648, issued Nov. 7, 2000, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/561,956, filed Nov. 22, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,673, issued Aug. 25, 1998, by the same inventors and assigned to the same assignee, said prior applications being incorporated hereinto by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1469946 | Morrison | Oct 1923 | A |
| 5768814 | Kozek et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5797673 | Logan et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 6142648 | Logan et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6499866 | Logan et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09703322 | Oct 2000 | US |
| Child | 10302674 | US | |
| Parent | 09132814 | Aug 1998 | US |
| Child | 09703322 | US | |
| Parent | 08561956 | Nov 1995 | US |
| Child | 09132814 | US |
