This application is an original US Non-Provisional Patent Application and makes no claim to an earlier filing date.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention generally relates to the field of light fixtures, and more particularly to wall mounted sconces.
Wall sconce type light fixtures have long been used on the interior and exterior of buildings, homes and other structures as décor and to illuminate surrounding areas. Generally, these wall-mounted light fixtures attach to a supporting structure with wires used to power the light fixture routed from the electrical system of the structure, through the backside of the fixture to the lighting assembly held within, such as a socket assembly or LED assembly. To connect the fixture to the supporting structure, a wall plate fixedly connects to the supporting structure and the fixture is releasably attached to the wall plate. In most sconce designs, it is a desire to allow a portion of the fixture to detach and provide access to the lighting assembly housed within. Accordingly, there remains a desire to those in the art to provide an improved sconce type light fixture that allows for easier assembly and disassembly.
An example of a sconce type light fixture in the prior art includes the Tempo Industries LLC light fixture described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,322,533. The fixture in the '533 Patent includes hooks that hang over side tabs in a wall plate. In a similar fashion, the wall mount portion of the light fixture by Willison, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,334, includes a cover plate that interlocks with a wall plate by means of a channel configuration on the top of the fixture in addition to a bottom screw. Although both designs are satisfactory, there remains a desire for an improved fixture which can be more efficiently mounted to a supporting structuring and can accommodate differing lighting elements, such as a bulb or LED board, without necessarily changing the principal of operation of the fixture and how it is connected to the supporting structure.
The invention described herein is a light fixture housing a lighting assembly with a backplate that fixedly connects the supporting structure or via a mounting plate with a fastener and a cage that is releasably connected to the backplate. A bottom locking screw is preferably provided to lock the bottom edge of the cage to the bottom edge of the plate but the cage and backplate are otherwise connected by a tab that is releasably received within an aperture. Thus, the fixture does not require additional fasteners to connect the cage to the backplate wherein the tab and aperture can be integrated into the respective subparts as described herein.
In one aspect of the light fixture, the cage includes a roof and a frame with an open rear side. To assemble the fixture, the backplate is received within the open rear side and connected to the roof. In one embodiment, a tab is integrated into the underside of the roof and is received within an aperture in a ledge proximate to the top end of the backplate. Alternatively, an upwardly protruding tab may be connected to the front face of the backplate and received within an aperture in the roof.
In another aspect of the light fixture described herein, the downwardly protruding tab in the bottom surface of the roof may be combined with the upwardly protruding tab attached to the front face of the backplate such that multiple tabs extending in opposite directions are used to connect the cage to the backplate.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
The light fixture 10 includes a backplate 12 that may directly mount to the wall of a structure or which may mount to the structure through a wall plate. The fixture also includes a cage 14 having a frame 36 with a roof 38 and an open rear side 40 that receives the backplate. A lighting assembly 16 is connected to the front face of the backplate and is thereby housed within the interior of the cage when the unit is assembled. Various lighting assemblies may attach to the front face of the backplate with the corresponding wiring extending through apertures in the backplate and into the interior of the cage. Thus, the lighting assembly can be accessed by separating the cage from the backplate.
To connect the fixture to the supporting structure, the backplate connects either directly to the supporting structure, or to a mounting plate, on its rear face 24b with a mounting assembly 20 which may be limited to a single fastener, such as a screw extending through one of the apertures in the backplate and into the supporting structure, or a threaded nipple 20b which is received into a cross bar 20a as shown in
At least one ledge 26 with a ledge aperture 28 is provided proximate to the top end of the backplate and protrudes a ledge length from the backplate in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the backplate. In the preferred embodiment, a first ledge 26a and second ledge 26b rearwardly extend a ledge length (41, 42) along the top end of the backplate, extending and a third forward extending ledge 26c protrudes a third ledge length (43) from the front face of the backplate. As further explained below, a tab is subsequently received in each ledge aperture 28a, 28b and 28c and the cage and backplate are thereby releasably connected in an assembled configuration 44. Although the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings includes both a pair of rear ledges and a front ledge, it will be appreciated that a single rear ledge may be provided without departing from the invention described herein. Similarly, multiple forward ledges may also be integrated into the light fixture described herein. In the preferred embodiments shown in
The cage includes a frame covered by a roof with each having a rear perimeter edge 42 that surrounds an open rear side for receiving the backplate. The frame has an upper collar 64a that is attached to the periphery of the roof and a lower collar 64b beneath the upper collar. To connect the upper collar to the lower collar, side rails 64c extend therebetween and hold a lens 18 around the light assembly housed within the cage. The frame may also include a lower rear rail 64d which is secured to the bottom end of the backplate with a locking screw as explained below.
To secure the cage to the backplate with the locking screw 58, a bottom flange 62 is provided along the bottom end of the backplate and an aperture 90b within the flange aligns with a locking aperture 90a in the lower rear rail the frame. A user can then screw the locking screw into the aligned apertures when the cage and backplate are assembled to more securely lock the cage and backplate together 66. Although the flange in the preferred embodiment that is shown in the drawings protrudes rearward of the backplate, alternative embodiments may incorporate a flange that is forward of the backplate. In addition to the bottom flange extending from the bottom end of the backplate, sidewalls 52 may also extend from the corresponding side ends 50 of the backplate with the distance of the sidewalls (DW) and the bottom flange (DF) being equal to the length of the ledge extending from the rear face of the backplate.
The lens held within the cage is preferably formed into a shape 78 from an acrylic thermoplastic material as a single-piece, thin-walled shell. As shown in
The roof of the frame includes a top side 46a, bottom side 46b and periphery 46c along with the rear edge that forms the top edge of the rear opening of the frame. The periphery of the roof engages with the upper collar of the frame and is preferably molded therewith in a single unitary cage piece. Alternatively, the frame and roof may be separately formed and attached during manufacturing. The roof is a solid panel with the periphery having an identical geometry to the upper collar of the frame and although the roof is substantially planar in the preferred embodiment, it may be pitched or curved and is not necessarily flat.
In the preferred embodiment, a roof aperture 34 is offset from the rear edge of the roof for receiving an upwardly protruding tab 32 as further explained below. In addition, a downwardly protruding tab functions as a cage support tab 30 and protrudes a tab length (LLT) from the bottom side of the roof. The downwardly protruding cage support tab is subsequently received within a corresponding ledge aperture and the cage is hung from the backplate. The dimensions of the corresponding downward tab, ledge and aperture therein are not intended to be limiting and instead will be sized relative to one another such that the tab will reach the aperture and be received therein when the unit is assembled. Accordingly, when the ledge is spaced from the top end of the backplate, the tab will be longer than when the ledge is along the top end of the backplate and thereby more proximate to the underside of the roof.
Preferably, multiple downward tabs are formed into the bottom side of the roof and respectively mate with a pair of corresponding ledge apertures in one or more ledges protruding from the backplate, as shown in
When an aperture is provided in the roof and an upwardly protruding tab is used to secure the cage to the backplate, with or without a downwardly protruding tab, a ledge aperture aligns with the roof aperture and the upwardly protruding tab extends through each aperture and is secured on the top side of the roof. As shown in the exploded views of
As explained above, the upward and downward tabs are received in respective ledge apertures connected to the backplate and are sized such that the tabs mate within the respective apertures. As shown in the drawings, it is preferred that the downward protruding tabs are situated rearward of the backplate and the corresponding ledge is a rear ledge on the top end of the backplate. Conversely, a front ledge having a front ledge aperture aligns with the roof aperture and receives the upwardly protruding tab forward of the backplate. Although this configuration is preferred, it is not intended to be limiting and it will be appreciated that alternative embodiments could be provided that incorporate downwardly protruding tabs forward of the backplate. Similarly, upwardly protruding tabs may extend through a ledge aperture and a roof aperture that are rearward of the backplate. Regardless of the embodiment, the ledges and tabs need only be situated beneath the roof.
Although the upwardly protruding tab may be a simple post extending through the respective apertures that secures with a mounting ring as described above, the preferred embodiment integrates the tab with a control module 54 of the lighting assembly wherein a light sensor 56a is provided in the distal end of the tab above the top of the roof. In operation, the light sensor can detect a light level surrounding the light fixture to automatically turn the light assembly on and off. The light sensor in the distal end of the tab is operatively connected to a light control module at the proximal end of the tab which is subsequently connected to the lighting assembly. When the upwardly protruding tab is integrated with the lighting assembly, it is preferred that the corresponding ledge is situated forward of the backplate so that the entire lighting assembly is housed between the cage and the backplate.
In addition to the light sensor, the control module operatively connected to the lighting assembly may also include a motion sensor control 56b. As shown in
As indicated above, the backplate includes multiple apertures for connecting various lighting assemblies and is therefore not limited to a single lighting assembly type. Persons skilled in the art of light fixture design will appreciate that the apertures in the backplate can receive fasteners for securing the lighting assembly as well as receive the wiring used for traditional light sockets that hold different types of screw-in bulbs, such as incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts, and LED bulbs with AC-DC driver circuitry, as well as wiring bundles used with LED assemblies that do not require the traditional light socket.
The exploded fixtures in
In an alternative embodiment, the light assembly consists of a light emitting diode assembly with an LED board 72a that is connected to the backplate with a heat sink panel 72b situated between the LED board and front face of the backplate. As shown in
The rear face of the backplate may also include a finger block 96 proximate to the top end when no sidewalls are provided proximate to the top end of the backplate. As shown in
Persons having a skill in the art that various materials may be used to produce the various elements described herein without departing from the innovative aspects of the light fixture including molded and pressed plastics, such as polycarbonate, and metals, such as aluminum. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that various materials may be combined within the same fixture. For example, in fixtures with an LED lighting assembly the backplate can be made from a polycarbonate material which is protected by an aluminum heat sink. Alternatively for an incandescent version, the fixture could include an aluminum backplate with a finger block on the rear of the backwall and aluminum heat block between the upper and lower compartment as discussed above.
The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to persons who are skilled in the art. As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5309334 | Willison | May 1994 | A |
5722208 | Humphrey | Mar 1998 | A |
5775032 | Lacy | Jul 1998 | A |
9322533 | Pearson et al. | Apr 2016 | B1 |
9726338 | Fu | Aug 2017 | B1 |
10264654 | Chen | Apr 2019 | B2 |
10887958 | Fu | Jan 2021 | B1 |
20200386388 | Dyck | Dec 2020 | A1 |
20210131650 | Crawford | May 2021 | A1 |
20210332959 | Li | Oct 2021 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2509797 | Jul 2014 | GB |
Entry |
---|
Sunset Lighting F9927-31-2-4K Wall Fixture [online]. LightingandSupplies.com, Apr. 8, 2022. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL:https://lightingandsupplies.com/sunset-lighting-f9927-31-2-4k-wall-fixture-integrated-led-glass-frosted/>. |
Luminance One Light Lantern F7976-31 [online]. Luminance Brands, Apr. 8, 2022. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL: https://www.luminancebrands.com/outdoor/f7976-31.html>. |