Patent Application
20250164098
The present disclosure relates generally to a suspended ceiling system and, more particularly, to a lighting system that couples to a suspended ceiling system.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Suspended ceilings are used in many locations. Providing a convenient lighting source for a suspended ceiling is important. Also, providing a clean aesthetic for a light assembly is also important. For suspended ceilings, lighting is typically assembled on site. Electricians and other tradesman spend a lot of time in the assembly of a ceiling and a light fixture. Junction boxes, network interfaces and other devices are typically individually assembled. This increases the overall cost of the project.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
The present disclosure provides a light fixture assembly that allows connection of the fixture directly to a ceiling system. The present system has a controlled fit and finish which is better than individually installed components. The system may also be conveniently scaled for providing various numbers of light assemblies.
In one aspect of the disclosure, a light fixture assembly includes an elongated tray comprising a base comprising a first side, a second side and a first opening therethrough. The elongated tray further includes a first longitudinally extending wall extending from the second side of the base and a second longitudinally extending wall extending from the second side of the base. The first longitudinally extending wall has a first coupler. The second longitudinally extending wall has a second coupler. The light fixture assembly has a light assembly and a coupling assembly coupling the light assembly to the tray. The coupling assembly is positioned around the opening and adjacent to the second side around the first opening. A baffle is coupled within the coupling assembly and comprises a lower edge coplanar and flush with the base.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a ceiling assembly includes a first cross member, a second cross member spaced apart from and parallel to the first cross member and a plurality of light fixtures. Each light fixture comprising a first elongated tray comprising a base comprising a first side, a second side and a first opening therethrough. The elongated tray further includes a first longitudinally extending wall extending from the second side of the base and a second longitudinally extending wall extending from the second side of the base. The first longitudinally extending wall has a first coupler. The second longitudinally extending wall has a second coupler. The light fixture assembly has a light assembly and a coupling assembly coupling the light assembly to the tray. The coupling assembly is positioned around the opening and adjacent to the second side around the first opening. A baffle is coupled within the coupling assembly.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to
Referring now also to
Another opening 28 may be formed in the base 23. Although the opening 28 is illustrated between two openings 24, the opening 28 may be located in various locations on the base 23. The opening 28 may be many sizes and shapes although round may be common. The opening 28 may be sized to have a component 28A therein or therethrough. The component 28A may be a sensor or another type of component such as but not limited to a wireless node, a smoke detector, fire detector, a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, an occupancy sensor, a light sensor and a temperature sensor.
The tray 22 has two longitudinally extending walls 30 that extend from the second side 23B of the base 23. The longitudinally walls 30 are coupled to the cross members 14 at a coupler 32. In this example, the four couplers 32 comprise a first wall 32A that extends outward or perpendicular, in this example, from the longitudinally extending walls 30. A second wall 32B extends outward or perpendicular in this example from the first wall 32A. In this example, the second wall 32B is parallel to the longitudinally extending wall 30. However, different angles may be set forth. In general, the longitudinally extending wall 30, the first wall 32A and the second wall 32B form a U-shaped channel. In the present example, the first wall 32A is positioned adjacent to the upright member 14B so that the entire tray 22 is supported between the two cross members 14.
A fastener 34 may extend into the second wall 32B through the upright member 14B of the cross member 14 and into the longitudinally extending wall 30. The fastener 34 may be one of a variety of types of fasteners including a nail, a bolt, a rivet or the like. The fastener 34 may be disposed within a fastener opening 36A in the second wall 32B and a fastener opening 36B within the longitudinally extending wall 30. The fastener 34 may be removable.
Referring now to
The tray 22 may also have one or more junction boxes 60 coupled thereto. In this example, two junction boxes 60 are coupled to the tray 22. The junction boxes 60 are used for making an electrical connection to the building. Wires from the building are received therein.
A driver box 62 is also coupled to the tray 22. In this example, the driver box 62 is mechanically coupled to the tray 22 through the junction box 60. The driver box 62 is used to house a driver for driving the light emitting diodes of the light assembly 40. Electrical connections are made between the driver in the driver box 62 and the wires in the junction box 60.
A shunt 64 may also be coupled to the tray 22. The shunt 64 may be coupled directly to the tray or to the junction box 60. The shunt 64 is described in greater detail below. The shunt 64 allows the power supplied to the light assembly 40 to be switched to a backup power source such as a battery or another alternate source such as generator power.
A wireless node or network interface 66 may act as a controller for controlling the various aspects of the light fixture assembly 20. That is, the network interface 66 may also act together with a controller for turning on and off one or both of the lights or dimming the lights in the light fixture assembly 20. It should be noted that both junction boxes 60 may include the network interface 66. One example of a network interface is an ATHENA®.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In
The clamp 52 is also fastened to the longitudinally extending walls by fasteners 72. The fasteners 72 may be screws, rivets, bolts or the like.
The baffles 26 have a seal 74 that is used for providing a friction fit and coupling the baffle to the trim piece 54.
Referring now also to
The clamp 52 has tabs 88 that align with the space 86 when assembled. In this example, two tabs 88 are positioned within each of the spaces 86. Although two tabs 88 are illustrated, one tab 88 or more than two tabs 88 may be provided.
The clamp 52 has a pair of flanges 90 that extend from a planar surface 92. The flanges 90 have openings 90A that are used for receiving the fasteners 72 as mentioned above. The flange 90, in this example, extends on a plane that is normal to or perpendicular to the planar surface 92.
The planar surface 92 also has flanges 94 in the opposite direction as the flanges 90. The flanges 94 may be sized to accommodate the trim piece 54 between the planar surface 92 and the base 23 of the tray 22. The flange 94, in this example, is perpendicular to the planar surface 92 in the opposite direction as the flange 90.
The trim piece 54, in this example, is formed as a ring. The trim piece 54 has a flange 110 that, when assembled, is positioned against the second side of the base 23 of the tray 22. The trim piece 54 has an outer wall 112. The outer wall 112 extends in a direction perpendicular to the flange 110. The outer wall 112, in this example, is a cylindrical wall.
In this example, the outer wall 112 has a plurality of extensions radially extending inward therefrom. The extensions 114 and 118 are used to support the support 50. The extension 114 has an opening 114A extending therethrough. The opening 114A is sized to receive the fastener 70 that extends through the channels 80 in the outer wall 82 of the support 50. The extension 118 has a pin 118A that extends in an axial direction toward the support 50. The pin 118A is received within a support groove 76 of the support 50. The extensions 114 and 118 have a surface that is flush with a top edge 120 of the trim piece 54. The top edge 120 is directly adjacent to the outer wall 82. The extension 116 has an opening 116A. A space 122 is disposed between the extension 114 and 116. The space 122 is sized to receive one of the tabs 88. Likewise, a space 124 is disposed between extensions 116 and 118 and is sized to receive one of the tabs 88.
During assembly, the clamp 52 is positioned so that tabs 88 align with the spaces 122, 124. The spaces 86 are positioned so that the channels 80 align with the openings 114A so that the fastener engages the opening 114A. The height of the extension 116 prevents the tabs 88 from rotating during assembly. The pin 118A aligns with the support groove 76 to prevent the support from rotating. The extension 116 may be used for various coupling purposes.
Referring now to
The baffle 26 may have a lens 130 that is retained to the baffle 26 by a lens retainer 132. One or more fasteners 134 may be used to hold the retainer 132 to the baffle 26 so the lens 130 is disposed therebetween.
A LED assembly 140 is spaced apart from an optically positioned adjacent to the lens 130. In a ray of LEDs 142 is positioned within the LED assembly 140. An optic 144 may be positioned at the optical outlet of the LED assembly 140 to direct light through the lens 130. The LED assembly 140 is thermally coupled to the heat sink 44. The LED assembly 140 and the heat sink 44 are coupled to the coupling mechanism 42. Arms 42A and 42B have guides 150A and 1500B that are used to guide the rotation of the heat sink 44 and the LED assembly 140 relative to the tray 22, baffle 26 and the lens 130. As mentioned above, the configuration of the coupling mechanism 42 may vary depending upon the various light conditions. Likewise, the baffle 26 and the corresponding opening 24 may also vary in size and shape. For example, although a round baffle and round shape is illustrated for all the components, square or rectangular baffles 26 may be used.
Referring not to
Referring now to
A backup power supply 712 is an optical feature and is illustrated in
The driver 718 is used to drive the light source 730. The light source 730, as described above, may be the LED assembly 140 that has an array of LEDs 142. In the simplest version, the primary power supply 710 may be directly coupled to the driver 718. In more complex versions using the shunt 717, either the backup power supply 712 or the primary power supply 710 may be communicated to either the controller 720 or the driver 718. The shunt 717 may have switch 719 for activating the shunt to switch between the primary power supply and the or the backup power supply. The switch 719 may also be used for testing the shunt.
In operating, the installation of the light fixture assembly to the suspended ceiling system 10 is made to be relatively quick and simple by the integrated couplers. All the components for quick assembly may be provided. For servicing, an adjacent tile of the suspended ceiling may be moved to access the components to be replaced. However, servicing may also take place by removing the baffle. The shunt can be reached by removing the light assembly and reaching through the opening 24.
Referring now to
Ceiling tiles 828 are suspended by one or more cross members 812, 812A, 812B and 812C. In this example, ceiling tiles 828 may be generally uniform in size. The bottom surface of the ceiling tiles may be coplanar with the first side of the base 832 of the light fixture assembly and also with the panel 822.
Referring now also to
The present system enables the preassembled light fixture assembly to be positioned efficiently in place during the configuration and building out of a room area. The light fixture assemblies 820 and the lower surface 832A thereof may be painted in a particular shade and or texture to match the surrounding ceiling tiles 828. To assemble the light fixture assemblies 820 in place, an electrician merely has to connect the wires to the light fixture assembly rather than the typically cumbersome and time consuming method for cutting holes in ceiling tiles and inserting the light portions therein.
Referring now to
By providing the light assemblies with preinstalled light fixtures therein, the look provides a sculptural cavity that is continuous with the ceiling opening from which light emanates. The custom look is not achievable without preinstalling the light fixture in the panel without extremely labor which is extremely expensive to perform at a job site. The field installation of the light assemblies of the present disclosure thus it improves and expediates the assembly process of a ceiling assembly.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 18/738,136 filed on Jun. 10, 2024. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/521,331, filed on Jun. 15, 2023. The entire disclosures of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63521331 | Jun 2023 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 18738136 | Jun 2024 | US |
| Child | 19027937 | US |
