Trim retention gravity inversion clip

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6168298
  • Patent Number
    6,168,298
  • Date Filed
    Friday, November 27, 1998
    26 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 2, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A clip formed of flat spring steel stock material and operable in association with a lamp housing mounting arrangement of a downlighting fixture to exert a force on a lighting trim through the lamp housing to retain the trim snugly against a ceiling about an opening in the ceiling through which at least lowermost portions of the lamp housing and/or trim extends, an environmental space beneath the opening being illuminated through the opening by lamping carried by the lamp housing. In the preferred embodiment, an adjustable, U-shaped mounting yoke is carried by a conventional downlighting pan with the bight of the yoke being disposed immediately over a socket cup mounted to an uppermost end of the lamp housing or reflector, the clip extending between spaced arms of the yoke and being attached to a central portion of the clip. Upward displacement of the lamp housing after attachment to the clip causes the clip to deform and bias the lamp housing and associated trim upwardly to hold annular flanged lowermost portions of the lamp housing or trim in place about the ceiling opening to prevent light leakage and to provide a pleasing appearance. Alternate embodiments include spring elements formed of bent wires as well as strap stock which are configured to exert a force on a lamp housing or trim to maintain the lamp housing or trim about a ceiling opening.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The invention relates generally to ceiling-recessed downlighting fixtures and particularly to trim retention clip and mounting arrangements intended to facilitate snug mounting of a trim about a ceiling opening.




2. Description of the Prior Art




Lighting fixtures and particularly recessed downlighting fixtures mountable above the ceiling to building structural elements or to a gridwork of a suspended ceiling are commonly employed in both residential and commercial lighting applications due in part to the applicability of such lighting to an extraordinary variety of lighting applications as well as to the efficiency of such lighting. A description of recessed lighting fixtures in particular and components of such fixtures can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,423, the disclosure of which is incorporated hereinto by reference. While U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,423 provides particular disclosure of a pan or support element used for supporting the components of a downlighting fixture in place above a ceiling, it is to be understood that supporting pan structures of varying design are available in the art and that the present invention can be utilized with such supporting pan structures to produce the advantages described herein. In particular, downlighting pans conventionally mount a lamp housing and a junction box above an opening in a ceiling through which light is to be directed into an environmental space beneath the ceiling for illumination thereof. Electrical wiring is usually passed through a conduit between the junction box and the lamp housing for connection to lamping which produces the light directed into the environmental space. It is to be understood that the lamp housing can comprise a reflector per se such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,050, the patent being assigned to the present assignee and being incorporated hereinto by reference. In this patent, the reflector itself also functions as a trim and as a lamp housing, a socket cup being mounted over an upper end of the reflector. Wiring from the junction box through the conduit connects to the socket cup to power lamping mounted within the reflector/lamp housing. An integral flange formed about an end of the lamp housing is intended to cover the ceiling opening and perimetric portions of the ceiling disposed about the opening. Similarly, a conventional can can be provided as the lamp housing either with or without reflector trim or finishing trim mounted within the interior of the can. In such situations, finishing trim is typically provided which has flange portions about a lowermost opening of the trim, the opening in the trim and an opening in the can being substantially coincidental. A flange formed about the trim opening covers the ceiling hole to prevent light leakage and to provide a pleasing appearance.




The prior art is replete with mounting arrangements including spring-like clips and the like which are intended to ensure that flanged lower portions of a lamp housing, reflector trim, finishing trim or the like are pulled into and held in snug engagement with the ceiling hole. However, component weight coupled with the eventual progress of time often causes such springs to function less than perfectly especially over time, the prior art thus feeling a long-standing need for a mounting arrangement which will positively hold a flanged lower end of a lamp housing, trim or the like in place against the force of gravity so that product performance is maintained over time. As an example, Caluori, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,414, describes a recessed lighting fixture having retaining clips which can be adjusted to secure a lamp housing in place about a ceiling opening. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,041, Slocum provides spring clips disposed about a lamp mounting can in a recessed lighting fixture, the spring clips being intended to support an exterior cylinder of a pair of cylinders within a ceiling hole, the interior cylinder then being positioned within the exterior ceiling, the cylinder mounting arrangement being intended to mount the fixture in place about the ceiling opening. Still further, Jones, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,148, describes a lamp-mounting can having a flange formed about a lowermost opening, the can being received into a ceiling opening such that the flange is flush with the surfaces of the ceiling about the opening. Jones then provides a pair of spring elements which are compressed and inserted through a pair of slots formed in walls of the housing, the springs bearing against the slot and the interior surface of the ceiling in order to hold the flanged can in a flush position with the ceiling opening. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,610, Lahti provides a mounting arrangement for a recessed electrical fixture wherein first and second spring supports and a locator plate are used to secure the spring supports to the fixture. Portions of the first and second spring supports bias against upper surfaces of a ceiling to maintain the fixture in position in an opening formed in the ceiling. While the prior art provides structure intended to produce a result essentially identical to the result provided by the present invention, it is to be noted that the prior art has experienced a long-felt need for a simple and inexpensive structure capable of mounting a recessed downlighting fixture above a ceiling hole to provide the functions herein described with a minimum of expense and with long-term reliability. The present invention in the several embodiments herein described provides structure for mounting a recessed lighting fixture in place above an opening in a ceiling to cause structure such as a flanged lamp housing or the like to be received into the opening such that a flange is pulled into engagement with ceiling portions about the opening to cover the opening.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The invention provides in embodiments explicitly described herein and implicitly disclosed mounting arrangements carried by a conventional supporting pan of a downlighting fixture to mount a lamp housing structure to the pan and to exert a force by means of a resilient clip and particularly a clip formed of flat spring steel stock on the lamp housing structure to cause the structure to be pulled inwardly or upwardly of a ceiling such that an annular flange forming the perimeter of an opening of the lamp housing structure as an example is pulled into engagement with perimetric portions of a ceiling surface adjacent the opening. Lighting trim which can take a variety of physical forms is thus caused to be pulled against the opening in a ceiling through which light is directed from a downlighting fixture, the resilient clip which forms the active portion of the lamp housing mounting arrangement acting to “invert” gravity in its action upon the lamp housing. The clip acts against the pull of gravity on the lamp housing to maintain the lamp housing in a desired position relative to the ceiling opening so that light leakage from perimetric portions of the opening about exterior surfaces of the lamp housing is prevented. The clip and mounting arrangements of the invention positively maintain a lamp housing or trim in place relative to the ceiling opening in order to provide a pleasing appearance.




The clip and mounting arrangement of the invention can be used with a variety of structure which will be described herein as “trim”, the term trim including a self-supported reflector such as is commonly provided with a socket cup or the like for mounting lamping, the lamping being disposed within the interior of the reflector. In such situations, the reflector is usually provided with a finishing flange located outwardly of the opening in the distal end of the reflector, the opening in the reflector essentially being disposed coplanar with or in proximity to the ceiling opening with the flange providing a finished appearance as is well known in the art. A self-supporting reflector as described can also be provided with a finishing trim which would be inserted into the opening or “mouth” of the reflector, the finishing trim having a flange operable according to well-known principles in the downlighting arts to cover a ceiling opening. Still further, lamping can be housed through use of a “can” with the can carrying a lamp socket and lamping within the interior thereof, such a can typically having a reflector trim or finishing trim inserted into the mouth of the can to provide reflecting surfaces for improvement of lighting performance and also to provide a finishing flange operable as are the flanges described above. As can readily be seen, a lamp housing can take a variety of forms within a downlighting fixture and the present clip and lamp housing arrangements can be configured to accommodate this variety of structure. It is further to be noted that downlighting fixtures of differing description can be configured to function with the clip and mounting arrangements of the invention. In particular, mounting pans other than conventional flat pans can be employed, such pans being described as aforesaid in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,423 or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,414, entitled “Thermoplastic Pan Assembly for Mounting Recessed Lighting Fixtures in Ceilings and the Like” the disclosure of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.




The mounting arrangements of the invention can take a variety of forms as can the clip employed to produce the “gravity inversion” function. In particular, the clip is preferably formed of flat spring steel stock material, and is formed in an unstressed state as an arcuate body member having reduced-in-width arms located one each on either end of the body member with angled tabs extending one each from each of the arms. A medial portion of the clip body member is attached to structure such as a lamp housing which either has a finishing flange formed integrally therewith or which carries a finishing trim having a finishing flange. The tabs on either end of the clip are then inserted into openings in a mounting structure such as can take the form of a yoke of substantially U-shaped cross section. The lamp housing attached to the medial portion of the clip is then moved into a mounting position within a ceiling opening with the clip therefore being inverted and deformed in shape, shoulders of the clip body member at those locations thereof from which the arms extend allowing only a certain freedom of movement of the clip relative to the mounting arrangement, the inverted clip exerting pressure against the yoke at the locations where the arms move relative to the yoke to exert a positive force upwardly on the lamp housing or “trim” in order to maintain the trim in proper relation to the ceiling and ceiling opening. In order to adjust the mounting arrangement, the yoke is carried for sliding movement by leg elements having scales which allow predetermined selection of the height of the mounting arrangement, the legs being mounted directly to the pan itself. Other clip structures include structure best formed of wire bent to a desired configuration.




Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide clip and mounting arrangements for downlighting trim which act to exert a force directly or indirectly on such trim to maintain a finishing flange of the trim in a covering relationship with a ceiling opening above which a downlighting fixture is mounted for illumination of an environmental space.




It is another object of the invention to provide a trim retention clip operable to “invert” gravity for exertion of a force on a trim having a finishing flange to maintain the trim in a desired relationship with a ceiling opening and to continuously exert a force on the trim against gravity for maintaining the trim and thus the finishing flange in a desired location.




It is a further object of the invention to provide mounting arrangements for a lamp housing and/or trim having a finishing flange and including a clip formed of flat spring steel carried for movement relative to the mounting arrangements by said arrangements and connecting directly or indirectly to a trim which can comprise a lamp housing having a finishing flange or a trim having a finishing flange and mounted to a lamp housing to which the clip is attached, the trim so mounted being drawn positively into a ceiling opening so that a finishing flange of the trim snugly engages about the ceiling opening to prevent light leakage and to provide a pleasing appearance.




Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent in light of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded view in perspective of a particular embodiment of the invention wherein the clip of the invention is used with particular mounting structure such as would be employed in the use of a self-supporting reflector having an integral finishing flange, the reflector mounting a socket cup and having lamping connected to the socket cup and being disposed essentially within the confines of the reflector;





FIG. 2

is a side elevational view in partial section of a fixture configured according to the invention and shown in an assembled configuration, the clip of the invention being shown in phantom in the unassembled configuration;





FIG. 3

is a front elevational view of the clip of the invention;





FIG. 4

is a side elevational view of the clip of the invention;





FIG. 5

is a side elevational view in partial section of an embodiment of the invention configured with the mounting arrangement of the invention disposed interiorly of a lamp housing which takes the form of a can;





FIG. 6

is an idealized perspective view of another embodiment of a clip structure which is formed of resilient wire and which includes pivotable central structure which can be connected to a socket cup or reflector of a lamp housing;





FIG. 7

is an idealized perspective view of yet another embodiment of the clip structure of the invention and having a general conformation similar to the clip structure shown in

FIG. 6

, the clip structure of

FIG. 7

being formed of resilient strapping material;





FIG. 8

is an idealized perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention wherein a mounting arrangement includes a clip structure formed of wire and having a central platform portion mountable to a socket cup or reflector of a lamp housing, ends of the clip snapping onto support structure mounted to a fixture pan;





FIG. 9

is an idealized perspective view of a mounting arrangement having a clip structure formed of a sinusoidal wire element connected at each end to wire structure which is preferably integrally formed with a wire frame pan; and,





FIG. 10

is an idealized perspective view illustrating a mounting arrangement having a clip formed of wire stock wherein a medial portion of the clip is attached to a socket cup or a reflector with ends of the clip being joined to a pan or similar support.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Referring now to the drawings and particularly to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, a downlighting fixture is seen generally at


10


to comprise a pan


12


and a lamp housing


16


of conventional design. The lamp housing


16


in this embodiment of the invention takes the form of a self-supporting reflector having a socket cup


18


mounted to an upper end thereof and terminating in a finishing flange


20


which forms an annulus about mouth


22


of the lamp housing


16


. Although not shown, the fixture


10


would include a junction box inter alia to provide necessary function to the fixture.





FIG. 2

illustrates the placement of the pan


12


immediately above an opening


24


formed in ceiling


26


of an environmental space. Attachment structure such as is well known in the art is utilized to mount the assembly in place relative to the opening


24


such that the mouth


22


of the lamp housing


16


communicates with the interior of the environmental space surmounted by the ceiling


26


. Light from lamping (not shown) mounted within the interior of the lamp housing


16


and provided with electrical power through the socket cup


18


from wiring (not shown) extending from a junction box (now shown) is directed through the mouth


22


of the housing


16


and thus into the interior of the environmental space surmounted by the ceiling


26


.




In order to prevent light leakage from the ceiling opening


24


and also to provide a pleasing appearance, it is desirable that the finishing flange


20


fit snuggly about the opening


24


in the ceiling


26


, it being necessary to accomplish this snug fit against the pull of gravity on the lamp housing


16


.




In order to mount the lamp housing


16


appropriately and to exert a continuing force on the housing


16


to cause a snug fit between the flange


20


and the opening


24


of the ceiling, a mounting arrangement shown generally at


28


is provided which includes a clip


30


, a yoke


32


and supporting legs


34


. Each of the supporting legs


34


is substantially L-shaped in conformation with a base plate


36


being disposed perpendicularly to a body plate


38


, lateral edges of the body plate


38


being turned inwardly to form a guideway


40


into which one of the legs


42


can be slidably received so that the yoke


32


can be moved vertically relative to the supporting legs


34


and thus the pan


12


. The supporting legs


34


are each mounted to the pan


12


by means of screws or the like. Each leg


42


of the yoke


32


is provided with a slot


44


which extends vertically and longitudinally along the leg


42


. A slot


46


is formed in each of the legs


42


above the slot


44


and near upper ends of the legs


42


. The yoke


32


is completed by the provision of a bight


48


which joins the legs


42


.




Scale plates


50


can be fitted on inner vertical wall surfaces of the supporting legs


34


so that the yoke


32


can be mounted at a desired location relative to the supporting legs


34


, screws


52


or similar fasteners being used to mount the yoke


32


through the respective slots


44


aligned with threaded apertures


54


formed near upper ends of the supporting legs


34


.




The yoke


32


can therefore be positioned above the plane of the pan


12


at a desired height. More importantly, the slots


46


formed in the respective legs


42


are positioned a desired height above the plane of the pan


12


. In a preferred embodiment, the slots


46


are essentially rectangular in shape and are disposed horizontally relative to the plane of the pan


12


.




Referring now to FIG.


1


and also to

FIGS. 3 and 4

, the clip


30


is seen to comprise a strap-like structural element which can be formed of flat spring steel stock material or similar material having resilience such that the clip


30


when properly mounted by the mounting arrangement


28


will exert a continuous force on the lamp housing


16


to cause proper seating of the finishing flange


20


about the opening


24


. The clip


30


comprises a main body portion


56


of a thickness of approximately 0.020 inch with a Rockwell hardness of C45 to C48. A preferred material is 302 full hard stainless steel. It is to be noted that the clip


30


can be deformed at least within certain limits and returned to the conformation shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

when at rest. The ends of the main body portion


56


terminate in angled straps


58


which bend from the plane of the main body portion


56


when the clip


30


is at rest. The respective ends of the straps


58


terminate with tabs


60


which bend from the straps


58


respectively at angles of approximately 90° from a line tangent to each strap


58


at the juncture thereof with the tabs


60


. The tabs


60


are typically about one-half inch in length with the clip


30


at rest being approximately 16 inches in length, each strap being approximately 3 inches in length. The width of the main body portion


56


is taken in preferred embodiments to be approximately one inch with the width of the straps


58


being approximately one-half inch. The radius of the straps


58


relative to a plane within which the main body portion


56


lies is approximately 4.2 inches. Corners of the main body portion


56


proximus to the juncture of the angled straps


58


thereto have radii of approximately 0.1 inch. An aperture


62


is formed medially of the main body portion


56


and receives a screw or similar fastener


64


therethrough to connect to the socket cup


18


as is best seen in FIG.


1


. The screw


64


can attach the clip


30


to the socket cup


18


, and thus the lamp housing


16


, either before or after the ends of the clip


30


are received into the slots


46


formed in the respective legs


42


of the yoke


32


. In a well-organized installation of the fixture


10


, the mounting arrangement


28


is first mounted to the pan


12


with the supporting legs


32


being attached to the pan


12


followed by mounting of the yoke


32


to the legs


34


at a desired location measured by the scale plates


50


, the screws


52


being used to positively connect the yoke


32


to the legs


34


. The screw


64


is then used to connect the clip


30


to the socket cup


18


and thus to the lamp housing


16


, this assembly being extended from beneath the ceiling


26


into the opening


24


with the tabs


60


of the clip


30


then being inserted one each into the slots


46


of the yoke


32


, the clip


30


staying in place until further assembly due to the fact that the tabs


60


are angled relative to the straps


58


. In this conformation, the clip


30


generally assumes the shape shown in FIG.


1


and also in phantom in FIG.


2


. The lamp housing


16


is then further inserted into the opening


24


to an engagement of the flange


20


with perimetric portions of the ceiling


26


about the opening


24


to seat the finishing flange


20


in a desired relation with the ceiling opening


24


. This insertion causes deformation of the clip


30


, thereby to cause each of the straps


58


to push through the respective slots


46


until further movement of the straps


58


within the slots are prevented by engagement of shoulder portions


66


of the main body portion


56


against interior wall portions of the yoke legs


42


on either side of the slots


46


. In other words, the width of the straps


58


are dimensioned along with the dimensions of the slots


46


to allow movement of the straps


58


through the slots


46


. However, the main body portion


56


of the clip


30


cannot move through the slots


46


due to the greater width of the main body portion


56


. The resilient clip


30


therefore biases against each of the legs


42


to exert an upwardly displacing force against the lamp housing


16


. The finishing flange


12


is thus continuously urged into a snug fit within the opening


24


and the ceiling


26


.




Although the clip


30


has been described hereinabove as being formed from resilient strap stock, it is to be understood that a similar clip (not shown) could be formed of wire stock with a wire similar to piano wire being formed in the shape of the perimeter of the clip


30


with a platform (not shown) being medially disposed of such a wire clip for attachment to a socket cup, reflector or lamp housing of other description. The ends of such a wire frame clip would function in essentially the same manner as corresponding structure of the clip


30


. Embodiments of the present clip structure which are described hereinafter have similarities to a wire frame clip configured essentially as described relative to modification of the clip


30


. It is further to be noted that the clip


30


and modifications thereof can be attached directly to a reflector or finishing trim even though

FIGS. 1 and 2

show such an attachment to a socket cup such as the socket cup


18


. Essentially, the clip


30


or modifications thereof require connection either directly or indirectly to structure on which a finishing flange such as the flange


20


is provided so that force can be exerted through such a connection to cause the flange


20


to be pulled tightly against a ceiling opening or the like as has been described herein.




Further note should be taken and reference made to

FIG. 5

wherein the clip


30


mounts at its ends through slot openings


70


formed in oppositely disposed side walls of a can


14


, the can


14


effectively acting as a frame functionally identical to the yoke


32


of

FIGS. 1 and 2

. In

FIG. 5

, the clip


30


attaches directly to a reflector


72


. It is to be understood that a socket or a socket cup such as the socket cup


18


of

FIGS. 1 and 2

could be employed in the structure of

FIG. 5

to provide intermediate connection between the clip


30


and the reflector


72


.





FIG. 6

is seen to provide an idealized view of a clip


80


formed of a wire such as music wire, the clip


80


being formed of two substantially arcuate body elements


82


pivotally connected at inner ends by means of a pivot platform


84


having an aperture


86


formed therein to receive a screw


88


for connection to a socket cup


90


or to a reflector or lamp housing trim or the like. The body elements


82


are pivotally connected at outer ends to respective platforms


92


which are connected directly to a pan structure which is not shown in the figure. The clip


80


through the resilient body elements


82


thus exerts an upward force on the socket cup


90


and the reflector/lamp housing/trim mounted by the socket cup


90


.





FIG. 7

is essentially identical to the structure seen in

FIG. 6

with the exception that the clip


100


is formed of two body elements


102


formed of resilient strap stock essentially identical to the material from which the clip


30


of

FIGS. 1 and 2

is formed. In the structures of

FIGS. 6 and 7

, the ends of the respective body elements


82


and


102


can pivot relative to a supporting pan structure or can be fixed relative thereto. Similarly, the clip


80


of FIG.


6


and the clip


100


of

FIG. 7

can be provided with structure which connects directly to structure such as the socket cup


90


but without pivoting of the respective body elements


82


and


102


relative to each other.




Referring now to

FIG. 8

, a clip


10


which can be formed of either wire stock or spring strap stock is seen to be provided with a platform


112


disposed medially of the clip


110


and having an aperture


114


formed therein for receipt of a screw


116


which connects the clip


110


to a socket cup


118


or the like. As seen in

FIG. 8

, the clip


110


is formed of wire stock but could be readily formed of resilient strap stock in which case the platform


112


could be integral with the clip. In either situation, ends of the clip


110


can be formed with an inward reverse portion


120


which terminates in a downward yoke


122


, the shape of the portion


120


and the yoke


122


fitting against and snapping into place on a channel bracket


124


connected to a supporting pan structure (not shown) at each end of the clip


110


.





FIG. 9

illustrates in idealized form the mounting of a clip


130


to a wire frame pan


132


which is similar in structure to that wire frame pan described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,423, only portions of the pan


132


being seen and wherein those visible portions are shaped to form integral bight brackets


134


on opposite sides of a ceiling opening. The clip


130


is preferably formed of a relatively heavy gauge resilient wire formed into a sinusoidal configuration and being attached at each end to one each of the bight brackets


134


. A mounting platform


138


attached to the clip


130


medially thereof and having an aperture


140


formed therein is thus connectable by means of a screw


142


to a socket cup


144


or directly to a reflector, trim or the like. The clip


130


could be formed of resilient strap stock material and connected to the brackets


134


at respective ends thereof. When formed of strap stock, the mounting platform


138


of

FIG. 9

could be formed integrally with the clip structure which would thus result. The clip


130


is best configured with a slight upward bow or arch preformed into the clip


130


.





FIG. 10

is seen to illustrate a wire clip


150


having a central portion formed into a loop


151


capable of receiving a screw


152


for connection to a socket cup


154


or the like. Ends of the clip


150


would also be formed into loops along horizontal feet


156


at the respective ends of the clip


150


so that screws (not shown) could be employed to attach the clip


150


to a pan support structure (not shown). Portions of the clip


150


on either side of loop


151


are arcuately formed in order to facilitate exertion of an upward force on the socket cup


154


and thus on a trim or the like mounted thereto.




It can thus be seen that mounting arrangements according to the invention can take a variety of forms including the form of wire frame elements connecting to a pan including wire frame pans, such wire frame elements mounting resilient clips formed of wire stock or strap stock which exert continuous forces on a lamp housing, a lamp-mounting can having trim mounted therein or on trim per se, the salient feature of the invention being a mounting arrangement capable of exerting continuous and uninterrupted forces on structure of a fixture to cause a finishing flange to seat snugly against a ceiling opening so as to retain the finishing flange in a desired relation to the ceiling opening. Accordingly, while the invention has been explicitly described in relation to particular, embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention can be practiced other than as is explicitly shown without departing from the scope of the invention as to defined by the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A mounting arrangement for a lighting fixture or the like having a support pan mounting a lamp housing connected to a finishing flange intended to be snugly engaged about an opening in a ceiling relative to which the fixture is mounted to direct light through the opening, comprising:a single resilient clip connected to the lamp housing, the clip having ends of a width less than the width of a central body portion of the clip to define shoulders, the clip being connected to the lamp housing at a location near an upper portion of the housing, respective ends of the clip being disposed on opposite sides of the housing; and, support means mounted to the pan for engaging the ends of the clip to allow movement between the ends of the clip and said support means, shoulders of the clip preventing relative movement between the clip and the support means when the lamp housing is positioned relative to the opening in the ceiling, the single resilient clip being adequate to locate and retain the finishing flange in a desired position relative to the opening.
  • 2. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein the clip has a tab element joined to the free end of each of the ends thereof, the tab elements being angled relative to the ends of the clip.
  • 3. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein the clip is formed of a piece of spring steel stock having a thickness of approximately 0.020 inch.
  • 4. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 and further comprising means carried by the support means for adjusting the height of locations of the support means engaging the ends of the clip above the support pan.
  • 5. The mounting arrangement of claim 4 wherein the adjusting means comprise at least one scale indicating height above the support pan.
  • 6. The mounting arrangement of claim 4 wherein the adjusting means comprises:vertically oriented supports each having a guideway and respectively mounted to the pan oppositely across the lamp housing; a yoke comprising the support means and having legs, each leg being received for sliding movement within the guideway of one of the supports; and, means carried by the yoke for fastening the yoke to the supports at a desired location of the legs of the yoke in the respective guideways of each of the supports.
  • 7. The mounting arrangement of claim 6 wherein each of the yoke legs has a vertical slot formed therein and each of the supports have an aperture formed therein, which apertures respectively align with the respective slots on movement of the yoke legs within the respective guideways, the fastening means comprising a screw received through the slot and into the aperture adjacent thereto to hold the yoke and supports at a desired location relative to each other.
  • 8. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein the support means comprises a can within which the mounting arrangement is substantially disposed, the can having openings formed therein to receive respective ends of the clip and to allow movement of the ends of the clip relative to the can.
  • 9. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein the lamp housing comprises a reflector, the clip being connected to the reflector.
  • 10. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein the lamp housing comprises a reflector having a socket connected thereto, the clip being directly connected to the socket.
  • 11. A resilient clip operable with a mounting arrangement of a lighting fixture having a support pan mounting a lamp housing connected to a finishing flange intended to be snuggly engaged about an opening in a ceiling relative to which the fixture is mounted to direct light through the opening, the mounting arrangement mounting to the pan, comprising:a single resilient clip having a central body portion and ends of a width less than the width of the central body portion to define shoulders, the central body portion being connected to an upper portion of the lamp housing, the respective ends of the clip being disposed on opposite sides of the housing, the ends of the clip further being engaged for relative movement with the mounting arrangement, connection of the clip to the lamp housing and movement of the ends of the clip relative to the mounting arrangement to abut the shoulders of the clip against said mounting arrangement causing the finishing flange to be positioned snugly against the ceiling opening and causing a continuous force to be exerted on the lamp housing and thus on the finishing flange to retain said flange in position, the single clip being adequate to locate and to retain the finishing flange in said position.
  • 12. The clip of claim 11 wherein the clip has a tab element joined to the free end of each of the ends thereof, the tab elements being angled relative to the ends of the clip.
  • 13. The clip of claim 11 wherein the clip is formed of a piece of spring steel stock having a thickness of approximately 0.020 inch.
  • 14. A mounting arrangement for a lighting fixture or the like having a support pan mounting a lamp housing connected to a finishing flange intended to be snugly engaged about an opening in a ceiling relative to which the fixture is mounted to direct light through the opening, comprising:a resilient clip connected to the lamp housing, the clip having ends of a width less than the width of a central body portion of the clip to define shoulders; support means surmounting the lamp housing and mounting to the pan for engaging the ends of the clip to allow movement between the ends of the clip and said support means, shoulders of the clip preventing relative movement between the clip and the support means when the lamp housing is positioned relative to the opening in the ceiling to locate the finishing flange in a desired position relative to the opening; and, means carried by the support means for adjusting the height of locations of the support means engaging the ends of the clip above the support pan, comprising vertically oriented supports each having a guideway and respectively mounted to the pan oppositely across the lamp housing, a yoke comprising the support means and having legs, each leg being received for sliding movement within the guideway of one of the supports, and, means carried by the yoke for fastening the yoke to the supports at a desired location of the legs of the yoke in the respective guideways of each of the supports.
  • 15. The mounting arrangement of claim 14 wherein the clip has a tab element joined to the free end of each of the ends thereof, the tab elements being angled relative to the ends of the clip.
  • 16. The mounting arrangement of claim 14 wherein the clip is formed of a piece of spring steel stock having a thickness of approximately 0.020 inch.
  • 17. The mounting arrangement of claim 14 wherein the adjusting means comprise at least one scale indicating height above the support pan.
  • 18. The mounting arrangement of claim 14 wherein each of the yoke legs has a vertical slot formed therein and each of the supports have an aperture formed therein, which apertures respectively align with the respective slots on movement of the yoke legs within the respective guideways, the fastening means comprising a screw received through the slot and into the aperture adjacent thereto to hold the yoke and supports at a desired location relative to each other.
  • 19. The mounting arrangement of claim 14 wherein the support means comprises a can within which the mounting arrangement is substantially disposed, the can having openings formed therein to receive respective ends of the clip and to allow movement of the ends of the clip relative to the can.
  • 20. The mounting arrangement of claim 14 wherein the lamp housing comprises a reflector, the clip being connected to the reflector.
  • 21. The mounting arrangement of claim 14 wherein the lamp housing comprises a reflector having a socket connected thereto, the clip being directly connected to the socket.
  • 22. A mounting arrangement for a lighting fixture or the like having a support pan mounting a lamp housing connected to a finishing flange intended to be snugly engaged about an opening in a ceiling relative to which the fixture is mounted to direct light through the opening, comprising:a single resilient clip connected to the lamp housing at a location near an upper portion of the housing, respective ends of the clip being disposed on opposite sides of the housing; support means mounted to the pan for engaging the ends of the clip to allow the clip to bias the lamp housing upwardly to engage the finishing flange about the opening in the ceiling to locate the finishing flange in a desired position relative to the opening the single clip being adequate to locate and to retain the finishing flange relative to the opening.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
3099404 Kaufman et al. Jul 1963
4760510 Lahti Jul 1988
5609414 Caluori Mar 1997
5707143 Hentz Jan 1998
5758959 Sieczkowski Jun 1998
5941625 Morand Aug 1999
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number Date Country
1304849 Aug 1962 FR
1558546 Jan 1964 FR