Patent Application
20200191366
The present invention is directed to a lighting stake primarily for use with landscape lighting fixtures and mounting systems. More particularly, the lighting stake is designed for insertion into the ground and supporting a light fixture at or above ground level. In addition, the lighting stake has structural features that facilitate removal and replacement of the lighting stake without the need to cut exiting electrical connections.
Prior art lighting stakes typically include a rigid spike to fix the stake into the ground and a flat disk designed to be flush with ground level. Prior art lighting stakes are of such a design that connection of the same to a light fixture generally requires that the light fixture and ground stake be connected before running any electrical wires. A pass-through is usually provided through the center of the disk to allow electrical wires to be passed through from beneath the disk to above to disk. It is by this pass-through that a light fixture mounted on the prior art lighting stake is connected to an electrical source.
In such prior art stakes, the pass-through is a closed channel that require a free end of the electrical wires to be fed through the opening prior to making electrical connections. By the same token, if an existing lighting stake needs to be replaced because it is broken or the style is being replaced, the electrical connections need to be disconnected. Where the electrical connections is by an uninterrupted wire, such process more often than not requires cutting the wires and then rejoining the wires using wire connectors or similar structures. Such connections introduce possible points of failure, i.e., water intrusion, or a place for undesired voltage drop.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved lighting stake that facilitates installation and/or replacement of an existing lighting stake without the need for cutting or otherwise disconnecting electrical wires to a light fixture. A new ground stake should allow for repair and replacement of the ground stake without the need to cut or remove electrical connections. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.
The present invention is directed to a lighting stake having an elongated spike body with an upper end and a lower end, the lower end configured for insertion into a substrate. A base disk is affixed to the upper end of the spike body. A hollow central neck defines a passageway through the base disk and a part of upper end of the spike body. A slotted opening extends through the base disk and hollow central neck providing lateral access to the passageway.
The central neck preferably has an upper neck portion and a lower neck portion. The lower neck portion is treaded. A stem nipple may be removably affixed in the hollow central neck. The stem nipple is preferably configured to receive a stem body as on a light fixture. The lighting stake may also include a spacer collar removably disposed within the hollow central neck and coaxially disposed around the stem nipple. The spacer collar and stem nipple define an annular space there between configured to receive the stem body.
The spike body preferably has a plurality of ribs having a decreasing width from the upper end to a point at the lower end. Each of the plurality of ribs on the spike body comprises an offset proximate to the lower end that increases the width of each of the plurality of ribs before resuming the decreasing width.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
The present invention is directed to an improved lighting stake and mount. In the following detailed description, the improved lighting stake will be generally referred to by reference numeral 10.
The spike body 12 comprises two or more ribs 12a that provide a surface area against which earth or other substrate (not shown) can exert supporting forces. Preferably the spike body 12 comprises three to four ribs 12a to provide supporting forces in intersecting planes so as to provide the lighting stake 10 with greater stability. The ribs 12a may also include a notch or offset point 12b to provide a leverage surface to resist removal of the spike body 12 from the earth or other substrate holding the stake 10. The notch or offset point 12b acts to counter withdrawal of the spike body 12 from the earth.
As shown in
The stem nipple 24 preferably has an upper portion 24b designed for reception within a hollow collar 22a on the stem 22. The stem nipple 24 may include a shoulder 24c between the threaded base 24a and the upper portion 24b. The lower edge of the stem 22 preferably rests against this shoulder 24c. A spacer collar 26 may be disposed in the central neck 16 having an outer diameter approximately the same as the diameter of the central neck 16 such that the fit between the two is tight. The stem nipple 24 and spacer collar 26 are preferably hollow cylinders providing continuous passages through each.
In
At this point, as shown in
The inventive stake 10 provides a mechanism whereby the stake 10 can be repaired or replaced without having to cut or disconnect any electrical wires 28. If, over time, the stake 10 breaks or otherwise becomes unusable, the stake can be removed without cutting the wires 28 or otherwise breaking any electrical connections by reversing the assembly steps described above. Once the stem 22, stem nipple 24, and spacer collar 26 are removed from the central neck 16, the wires 28 can be removed from the pass-through opening 20 by passing through the slotted opening 18. Then the entire assembly can be connected to a replacement stake 10 that is not broken or otherwise unusable.
Although various embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
