The disclosure relates generally to a light fixture, and more particularly to a light fixture having a number of separate and distinct improvements including an angularly adjustable optic system.
Recessed lighting fixtures are often installed in ceilings to direct light down into a space. Such lighting fixtures can have the effect of making the associated space appear larger than it actually is. For example, recessed ceiling lighting fixtures can give the sense of a higher ceiling.
In ceiling applications, the fixtures and lighting elements are typically installed above the ceiling, and a reflector or other light-directing structure can extend through an opening in the ceiling to direct light down into the space. To provide a desired finish it is desirable that the reflector or other light-directing structure be installed flush with the ceiling. For new construction applications this may be relatively easily accomplished since ceiling thicknesses in new construction are standardized. For retrofit applications in older buildings or houses, however, ceiling thicknesses can vary widely.
Adjustable lighting fixtures have also been developed to allow the direction of a light cone to be selectively directed to a desired location within the space. Problems exist with such lighting fixtures however because tilting the light source often causes a portion of the light cone to be blocked by the opening in the ceiling, thus reducing the total amount of light directed to the space. In addition, tilting the light source also changes the distance between the light source and the opening formed in the ceiling. These problems become worse at larger tilt angles.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an adjustable lighting fixture that reduces or eliminates the degree to which the light cone is blocked by the opening in the ceiling, particularly at large tilt angles. Additionally, there is a need to provide such an adjustable lighting fixture having a relatively small footprint so the fixture and its associated components can be easily installed through existing openings in ceiling. There is further a need for a lighting fixture that can be easily incorporated into both new construction and remodeling applications.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to necessarily identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an adjustable lighting assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the lighting assembly includes a heat sink; a light source coupled to the heat sink; an adjustment module portion coupled to the heat sink, the adjustment module portion including a pivot core having a primary optic mounted thereto, the primary optic for directing light from the light source through the adjustment module; the adjustment module portion further comprising a collar spring mount having first and second brackets for slidably engaging the pivot core along a plurality of guide slots such that the pivot core moves horizontally with respect to the collar spring mount as the pivot core is tilted with respect to the collar spring mount; and a collar flange assembly that is coupleable within an opening in a ceiling.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an adjustment module for use with an adjustable lighting assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the adjustment module includes a pivot core having a primary optic mounted thereto, the primary optic for directing light from the light source through the adjustment module; a collar spring mount having first and second brackets for slidably engaging the pivot core along a plurality of guide slots such that the pivot core moves horizontally with respect to the collar spring mount as the pivot core is tilted with respect to the collar spring mount; and a collar flange assembly that is coupleable within an opening in a ceiling.
By way of example, a specific embodiment of the disclosed device will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The following disclosure is intended to provide exemplary embodiments of the disclosed system and method, and these exemplary embodiments should not be interpreted as limiting. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the steps and methods disclosed may easily be reordered and manipulated into many configurations, provided they are not mutually exclusive. As used herein, “a” and “an” may refer to a single or plurality of items and should not be interpreted as exclusively singular unless explicitly stated.
As will be disclosed herein, the adjustable lighting assembly includes a number of separate and independent features to improve the workability and/or to ease installation of the adjustable lighting assembly. For example, the disclosed adjustable lighting assembly employs adjustment features that, when the assembly is tilted to adjust a direction of the light cone, maintains the center of the light cone directed at the ceiling opening, thereby resulting in high efficiency light performance. The arrangement allows the adjustable lighting assembly to slide horizontally to maintain a center beam optic position at the ceiling opening for high efficiency light performance. This motion is guided via fasteners and/or pins that slide within a plurality of slots in a pair of guide brackets. Although the description will proceed in relation to a pair of guide brackets, it will be appreciated that the adjustable lighting assembly could include only a single guide bracket. In one embodiment, the slots each have unique geometry relative to one another and function together to triangulate a mounting position of the adjustable lighting assembly and to hold the entire adjustable lighting assembly at a precise angle. The slots are in the form of, or include, compound curves to provide desired assembly positions that will optimize light output. In addition, the compound curves of the slots seek to constrain or reduce the overall height of the assembly through its full range of its tilting motion. In one non-limiting example embodiment, a top slot is an “s”-shaped spline, a center slot is straight line for maintaining a horizontal transitional path, and a bottom slot is an arc that acts as sway bar keeping the optic centered at the ceiling opening.
In accordance with another feature, as the adjustable lighting assembly is tilted, to assume a desired lighting angle, a pivot core portion of the lighting fixture is adapted and configured to maintain its desired tilted position without the need for additional fastening elements to freeze the position of the module. For example, in one embodiment, as the adjustable lighting assembly is titled, to assume a desired lighting angle, a pivot core portion of the adjustable lighting assembly engages brackets made from spring steel that have a natural curve, and which undergo controlled deformation as they engage the core. This deformation causes a spring force to be applied against the core that holds the core in a desired tilted position without the need for additional fastening elements to freeze the position of the module. The curved guide brackets also allow the model geometry in to fit into and/or through a small pre-existing opening in the ceiling. The brackets also act as a counterbalance that supports the weight of the device's heatsink for easy adjustment. The brackets further act as sway bars that allow the device to slide smoothly along the guide brackets.
In accordance with another feature, the adjustable lighting assembly may also include a controlled axial rotation feature, which allows the adjustable lighting assembly to rotate about 360°. For example, in one embodiment, the controlled axial rotation feature includes a collar that is axially rotatable about 360° and is held in place by frictional detent surfaces.
In some embodiments the adjustable lighting assembly may also include a snap-in mount for engaging a primary optic. The optic mount can be constructed of plastic and can include an opening (e.g., a seam) that enables the mount to flex outward upon application of suitable force to allow the primary optic to be received therein. Thus, the optic mount can function as a living hinge that allows the primary optic to snap into features in the mount. The outside surfaces of the mount can be smooth, allowing the guide brackets to slide across the mount surface with reduced friction. Secondary snap features in the mount can also capture a secondary system optic. The mount can include additional features for receiving the tabs of an accessory holder to snap-engage the accessory holder to the mount. A front adjustment surface on the module allows for hand adjustment or tool adjustment of the module.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring to
The optic holder pivot core 20 may also include a second plurality of tabs 60, the second plurality of tabs 60 may be disposed adjacent to the plurality of tabs 54. The second plurality of tabs 60 may be used to engage corresponding surfaces 62 (
In one embodiment, the optic holder pivot core 20 is formed as a single piece molded polymer (e.g., plastic) construction, although the optic holder pivot core 20 may be formed from multiple pieces and/or different materials. To facilitate engagement of the primary optic 12 to the optic holder pivot core 20, the optic holder pivot core 20 may include at least one opening 70 (see
The optic holder pivot core 20 may also include a tilt adjustment feature 72 that allows a tool to be pressed against the tilt adjustment feature 72 to pivot the adjustable lighting assembly 1 by a desired amount after the adjustable lighting assembly 1 has been installed in a ceiling location. In the illustrated embodiment the tilt adjustment feature 72 includes a flange 74 having a recess for securely receiving a tool end so that a pivoting force can be applied to the optic holder pivot core 20 via the flange 74.
Referring to
In a non-limiting example embodiment, point P1 is located at X1, Y1; point P2 is located at X2, Y2; point P3 is located at X3, Y3; point P4 is located at X4, Y4; and point P5 is located at X5, Y5. In a non-limiting example embodiment, X1=0.23 in, Y1=1.55 in; X2=0.71 in, Y2=1.59 in; X3=1.23 in, Y3=1.61 in; X4=1.52 in, Y4=1.62 in; X5=1.76 in, Y5=1.64 in. It will be appreciated that other s-shaped spline arrangements can be used for the third guide slot 78A, in the addition to the illustrated embodiment.
It will be appreciated, that while the first and second pivot spring guide brackets 22A, 22B have been shown and described as including first guide slots 74A, 74B, second guide slots 76A, 76B, and third guide slots 78A, 78B, it is envisioned that the first and second pivot spring guide brackets 22A, 22B may include more or less guide slots including, for example, two, four, or more.
The described combination of guide slots allow a specific desired range of motion for the adjustable lighting assembly 1. As will be appreciated, a design including only two-slots would allow for free movement outside the specific desired range of motion. Two of the guide slots comprise paths that control tilt angle while the third guide slot prevents undesirable free movement of the assembly. The geometry and arrangement of the guide slots is independent of ceiling thickness, and specific guide slot geometries can be scaled for use in larger ceiling aperture applications.
The first guide slot 74A is configured to receive a fastener, pin, or the like (used interchangeably herein without the intent to limit) disposed in the fastener opening 44 disposed in a lower region 46A of the leg portion 32A of the module adjustment mounting bracket 18. It will be appreciated that although the design is described as having a fastener opening and a separate fastener, it is contemplated that the fasteners could be fixed and/or integral to the leg portions 32A. The second guide slot 76A is configured to receive a fastener disposed in the fastener opening 40 in the upper region 42A of the leg portion 32A of the module adjustment mounting bracket 18. The third guide slot 78A is configured to receive a fastener disposed in the fastener opening 38 in the upper region 42A of the leg portion 32A of the module adjustment mounting bracket 18.
As will be described in greater detail later, in use, the pivoting movement obtained using the first, second and third guide slots 74A, 76A, 78A, with each guide slot including a different configuration, minimizes changes in distance between the LED chip 8 and ceiling opening that can occur as the adjustable lighting assembly 1 is tilted. As will be appreciated, the primary optic 12 produces a beam of light, which in one non-limiting example embodiment has a conical shape. With a conical beam shape, the greater the distance from the LED chip 8 to the ceiling opening, the greater the size of the light cone. By minimizing changes in the distance between the LED chip 8 and the ceiling opening as the adjustable lighting assembly 1 is tilted, the amount of light through the opening is maximized.
As can be seen, in one embodiment, the pivot spring guide brackets 22A, 22B have a curved shape when viewed from above (i.e., they are curved about the y-axis). In some embodiments, the pivot spring guide brackets 22A, 22B are made from spring steel. The curved geometry of the brackets 22A, 22B is such that as the adjustable lighting assembly 1 pivots, the optic holder pivot core 20 moves laterally to engage the curved portions of the brackets 22A, 22B, forcing them apart. The spring force applied to the optic holder pivot core 20 acts as a detent tending to hold the adjustable lighting assembly 1 in the tilted position without the need for any further locking feature.
The first and second pivot plates 24A, B may each have anti-rotation features to prevent them from rotating and/or binding while the adjustable lighting assembly 1 is being tilted. In one embodiment, the anti-rotation features include first and second recesses 94A, 94B, 96A, 96B disposed at opposite ends of the plates 24A, 24B. The first and second recesses 94A, 94B, 96A, 96B interact with first and second projections 98A, 98B, 100A, 100B disposed on the optic holder pivot core 20 directly adjacent to the first and second openings 90A, 90B, 92A, 92B. That is, forces applied to the first and second pivot plates 24A, B during adjustment of the adjustable lighting assembly 1 can tend to rotate the pivot plates. Such rotational forces will cause the first and second recesses 94A, 94B, 96A, 96B to engage the first and second projections 98A, 98B, 100A, 100B, thus preventing actual rotation of the pivot plates.
In one embodiment, referring to
As will also be appreciated, the round collar flange assembly 114 can be used to accommodate round ceiling trim elements (via, for example, a series of interior recesses 115 which spring clips of the trim element can engage), while the square collar flange assembly 116 can be used to accommodate square ceiling trim elements (again, via, for example, a series of interior recesses 117 which spring clips of the trim element can engage). Each of the round and square collar flange assemblies 114, 116 has a circular coupling portion 118 for receiving the collar spring mount 26 therein. The round collar flange assembly 114 also has a round flange portion 114A, while the square collar flange assembly 116 has a square flange portion 116A for engaging associated trim elements. The circular coupling portion 118 has a circumferential groove 120 disposed on an inner surface 122 thereof for receiving the module mount retaining ring 28 to axially lock the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116 to the adjustable lighting assembly 1. Although axially locked, the adjustable lighting assembly 1 remains rotatable with respect to the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116.
In some embodiments, the adjustable lighting assembly 1 is selectively rotatable and provisionally lockable in any of a variety of desired rotational positions with respect to the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116. This feature allows the installer to adjust the direction in which light is projected from the adjustable lighting assembly 1, and to provisionally lock or hold the adjustable lighting assembly 1 in the desired position without the need for an additional locking element. In some embodiments, the provisional locking feature is facilitated by the discontinuities 112 in the module mount retaining ring 28 which, when installed, engage inner surfaces within the circumferential groove 120 of the circular coupling portion 118. The spring forces generated by the discontinuities 112 (when coupled within the groove 120) provide increased frictional engagement between the module mount retaining ring 28 and the inner surfaces of the circumferential groove 120. The frictional forces tend to inhibit rotational movement of the adjustable lighting assembly 1 with respect to the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116. The rotational position still can be adjusted by a user applying sufficient rotational force to overcome the frictional forces caused by the discontinuities 112. The disclosed arrangement thus provides a range of adjustable, and re-adjustable, rotational positioning of the adjustable lighting assembly 1 with respect to the ceiling.
As will be described in greater detail later, the round and square collar flange assemblies 114, 116 include features for coupling the round and square collar flange assemblies 114, 116 to a frame subassembly that itself is mounted in or on a ceiling.
Referring now to
As can be seen, as the adjustable lighting assembly 1 tilts, the heat sink 2 and the adjustment module portion 4 (and associated pieces) tilt, while the collar spring mount 26 remains stationary (since the collar spring mount 26 is coupled to a frame subassembly which itself is mounted to the ceiling). In addition, as the adjustable lighting assembly 1 tilts, the distance from the center of the primary optic 12 to the room side of the ceiling (138, see
Referring now to
In one embodiment, in connection with one feature of the present disclosure, first and second height adjustment assemblies 154, 156 are positioned on the plate portion 150 on opposite sides of the opening 152. As will be described in greater detail later, the first and second height adjustment assemblies 154, 156 are couplable to the circular coupling portion 118 of the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116 (depending on which one is installed) to apply an upward tension to the collar to ensure tight engagement with the ceiling.
As shown, a J-box assembly 158 is mounted adjacent an end of the plate portion 150. The J-box assembly 158 may contain electronics for conditioning line power and for transmitting the conditioned power, via wiring 159, to the LED chip 8 of the adjustable lighting assembly 1.
As mentioned,
The frame subassembly 148 may include a number of the same features as those of frame subassembly 146 of
As will be appreciate, a remodel J-box assembly 158 may be coupled to the plate portion 160 via a flexible cable assembly 168. The flexible cable assembly 168 may be coupled at one end 169 to the plate portion 160 and at an opposite end 171 to the J-box assembly 158. Although a cable assembly is shown for coupling the J-box assembly 158 to the plate portion 160, other connection arrangements can also be used, including clips or the like. The J-box assembly 158 may contain electronics for conditioning line power and for transmitting the conditioned power, via wiring 159, to the LED chip 8 of the adjustable lighting assembly 1.
Referring now to
As will be appreciated, the adjustable lighting assembly 1 may be installed in ceilings have a variety of ceiling thicknesses. For example, drywall/sheetrock ceiling typically have thicknesses of ½-inch or ⅝-inch, while double-layered drywall/sheetrock ceiling can have thicknesses of 1¼-inch. Regardless of the ceiling thickness, the adjustable lighting assembly 1 and any associated trim distance is consistent in order to maintain uniform illumination.
Referring to
Since the first and second height adjustment assemblies 154, 156 are mirror images of one another, the description will proceed with respect to the first height adjustment assembly 154. It will be appreciated, however, that the same description will apply to the second height adjustment assembly 156.
In general, the first height adjustment assembly 154 is a spring-loaded cable mounting system that applies a constant vertical tension to the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116 that pulls the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116 (depending on which one is being used) upward into engagement with the room-side surface of the associated ceiling. The first height adjustment assembly 154 is a low-profile arrangement which provides maximum clearance for the adjustable lighting assembly 1, regardless of rotational position or tilt angle.
As previously described, the first height adjustment assembly 154 is positionable on the plate portion 150 of the frame subassembly 146 or frame subassembly 148 adjacent to the opening 152 that receives the adjustable lighting assembly 1. The first height adjustment assembly 154 may include a spring assembly channel cover 184 couplable to the frame subassembly 146, 148. The first height adjustment assembly 154 also includes a pulley 176, a cable 178, a wire guide 180, and a collar attachment spring clip 182 for coupling to the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116.
The first height adjustment assembly 154 may also a spring tension retainer 186 selectively positionable within the spring assembly channel cover 184. In use, the spring tension retainer 186 is coupled to a first end 188 of a spring wire assembly 190. The spring wire assembly 190 can include the cable 178, a compression spring 192 coupled to a first end 194 of the cable 178, the wire guide 180 for coupling the adjustable lighting assembly 1 to the frame subassembly 146, 148, and the collar attachment spring clip 182 for coupling to a second end 196 of the cable engaging the round or square collar flange assembly 114, 116.
The spring assembly channel cover 184 may, at one end thereof, accommodate the pulley 176, which in one non-exclusive example embodiment is a roller bushing v-notch pulley. The pulley 176 may be oriented so that its rotational axis A-A is parallel with the vertical axis “y”. As can be seen, the compression spring 192 and first end 194 of the cable 178 are oriented substantially along the “x”-axis. The pulley 176 may engage a central portion 198 of the cable 178 to re-orient the cable to be oriented substantially parallel to the “z”-axis so that it is receivable through the wire guide 180 which is also oriented substantially parallel to the “z”-axis. Between the wire guide 180 and the collar attachment spring clip 182, the cable 178 is reoriented such that the second end 196 of the cable 178 is substantially parallel to the “y”-axis. Thus arranged, the cable 178 converts the horizontal (“x”-axis) tension force of the compression spring 192 to a vertical (“y”-axis) tension force that is applied to the round collar flange assembly 114, urging the adjustable lighting assembly 1 upward into engagement with the ceiling. Thus arranged, the first height adjustment assembly 154 biases the collar flange assembly adjacent to the room-side surface of the ceiling while minimizing the overall height of the height adjustment assemblies.
For example, the spring tension retainer 186 may be positioned in a first tensioning position, associated with a first end 206 of the groove 202, when the associated round collar flange assembly 118 is installed in a ceiling having a first thickness (e.g., 1-¼-inches). The spring tension retainer 186 may be positioned in a second tensioning position, associated with a first notch 208 disposed in the groove 202, when the associated round collar flange assembly 114 is installed in a ceiling having a second thickness (e.g., ⅝-inch) that is thinner than the first thickness. The spring tension retainer 186 may also be positioned in a third tensioning position, associated with a second notch 210 disposed in the groove 202, when the associated round collar flange assembly 118 is installed in a ceiling having a third thickness (e.g., ½-inch) that is thinner than the first and second thicknesses. As can be seen, a plurality of indicia 212, 214, 216 are marked on the side-surface 204 of the spring channel assembly cover 184, associated with the discrete positioning options for the spring tension retainer 186 (e.g., first end 206 of groove 202, first notch 208, second notch 210). The indicia enables a user to easily select a position for the spring tension retainer 186 based on the ceiling thickness encountered in a particular installation.
As can be seen, the optic offset distance “OD” (i.e., the distance between the LED chip 8 and the bottom surface of the ceiling 220, 224, 228 remains constant regardless of the thickness (FT, ST, TT) of the ceiling 218, 222, 226 in which the adjustable lighting assembly 1 is installed. Thus, the amount and quality of light emitted by the adjustable lighting assembly 1 to the room will be substantially the same regardless of the ceiling thickness.
Thus arranged, the tilt angle “α” can be adjusted from below the ceiling 172 by extending the tool end 232 through the opening 170 so that it engages the tilt adjustment feature 72. By applying an upward force to the tilt adjustment feature 72 via the tool end 232, a rotational force is applied to the optic holder pivot core 20 that causes the optic holder pivot core 20 to tilt with respect to the round collar flange assembly 114 and the ceiling 172. Tilting of the optic holder pivot core 20 is guided by the fasteners disposed in opening 44 sliding in respective first guide slots 74A, 74B, and by the first and second projections 86A, 86B; 88A, 88B sliding in the second and third guide slots 76A, 76B; 78A, 78B as previously described.
The indicia 234-244 can be employed to allow the user to adjust the adjustable lighting assembly 1 to one of a variety of predetermined tilt angles “α” associated with the indicia. In one non-limiting example embodiment, the indicia 234-244 are associated with tilt angles “α” of 0-degrees, 10-degrees, 20-degrees, 30-degrees, 40-degrees and 45-degrees, respectively). By aligning the fastener disposed in the first guide slot 74B with a particular indicia, a desired tilt angle “α” of the adjustable lighting assembly 1 can be easily achieved without the need for measurement tools. Thus arranged, the user can easily adjust multiple lighting assemblies 1 to the same angle.
The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilized for realizing the invention in diverse forms thereof
The present application is a continuation application of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/862,922, filed Apr. 30, 2020, entitled “Lighting Fixture Having an Adjustable Optic System,” which is a non-provisional of, and claims the benefit of the filing date of, and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/841,974, filed May 2, 2019, entitled “Lighting Fixture Having an Adjustable Optic System,” the entirety of each application is incorporated by reference herein.
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20220065412 A1 | Mar 2022 | US |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16862922 | Apr 2020 | US |
Child | 17523123 | US |