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The present invention relates generally to light fixtures, more particularly to troffer luminaires, and still more particularly to a retrofit kit capable of being used to repair, assemble, disassemble and replace the troffer component of a lay-in ceiling troffer luminaire.
The following description of the art related to the present invention refers to a number of references including publications and patents. Discussion of such references herein is given to provide a more complete background of the principles related to the present invention and is not to be construed as an admission that such references are necessarily prior art for patentability determination purposes.
A troffer light fixture is a quadrangular (square or rectangular) assembly generally comprising a housing (commonly known as tray) and a light source(s). Troffers are commonly installed in dropped ceiling systems, engineered ceilings, and other grid-type ceiling assemblies and are used both in the residential and commercial context. The housing typically comprises multiple walls; one top wall and four side walls and an opening. The housing also comprises mounted lamp sockets and electrical power receiving means (ballasts).
A typical troffer also comprises opening means engaged to the housing, the opening means further comprising a lens and being capable of opening toward the outside so as to facilitate the exchange of light sources.
Because of the popularity and shear number of troffer light fixtures already installed in millions of buildings, a system to retrofit existing troffers is highly desirable. In fact, many of the already-installed troffers are very difficult to retrofit and the prior art is scarce in terms of newly developed troffer systems that allow for quick, inexpensive and practical retrofitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,206,948 to Scribante, et al. (the “'948 patent”), discloses and claims a kit for retrofitting existing troffer light fixtures comprising a troffer housing. The '948 patent discloses a kit comprising an adaptor, bracket and door assembly. The kit disclosed and claimed in the '948 patent in effect comprises a connecting plate and a T-Shaped plate used to secure two sides of a lamp fixture, and a frame used to engage the connecting plate to the ceiling in such a way that a connecting plate is positioned via the T-shaped plate which is placed in such a configuration that it abuts the ceiling. The lamp fixture is then secured in place using fastening means placed on the sides of the lamp fixture and attached to holes pre-cut on the connecting plate. The '948 patent's assembly is installed in such a way that a gap is generated between the T-shaped plate and the connecting plate. The gap increases in size gradually when retrofitting the light fixture.
The system of the '948 patent presents inherent structural and functional problems: if the gap is too big then the connector can easily disengage from the frame and will get bigger gradually with the replacements of a light emitting diode (“LED”) retrofit kit. When the gap is excessively large, the connector can easily fall from the frame, thus creating a dangerous safety hazard which will result in the whole light fixture falling from the ceiling.
Troffer light fixtures are typically heavy. The weight of the troffer can place increasing structural stress on the fastening means of the '948 patent. That, combined with wear and tear, can result in the fastening means breaking and the fixture, or parts therein, disengaging from the ceiling. Therefore, the assembly, disassembly and retrofitting of troffer light fixtures in a safe, easy and expeditious manner is still a remaining problem in the light fixture industry.
The main objective of the invention embodied in the present application is to provide a retrofitting kit for a troffer light fixture that is easy to install, but that results in a secure, durable and strong assembly.
The troffer light fixture retrofitting kit embodied in the present application aims to solve the technical, practical and commercial problems set forth above by providing a retrofit kit for a lay-in troffer LED luminaire comprising two sets of connecting beams. The first set of connecting beams comprises two beams, arranged in a parallel orientation and each connecting beam further comprising a long wall, a short wall, each wall being perpendicular from the other, and at least one elongated edge depending from the short wall, pointing away from and parallel to the long wall. The second set of connecting beams also comprises two beams, arranged in a parallel orientation and each connecting beam further comprising a long wall, a short wall, each wall being perpendicular from the other, and at least one elongated edge depending from the short wall, pointing away from and parallel to the long wall, with each beam being oriented in a perpendicular manner with respect to each of the first set of beams. The frame of the ceiling comprises at least one supporting plate for supporting the elongated edges of the connecting beams, for example, the elongated edges of the first set of connecting beams and/or the elongated edges of the second set of connecting beams, wherein the first set of connecting beams and the second set of connecting beams are arranged around a light fixture. Each set of connecting beams are engaged to connected to each other by means of multiple coupling retainers and clamping hooks matched to form a quadrangular (rectangular or square) bracket capable of containing the troffer or refers to light fixture the present application describes and claims.
The preferred embodiment of the invention further comprises:
When compared with the prior art, the invention embodied in the present application presents several distinct advantages. For example, the first connecting beams is supported by the frame of the ceiling. One of the second connecting beams is then engaged to one the first connecting beams with the body being detachably fixed to one of the first connecting beams or to one of the second connecting beams through one of the fastening means. That structure results in a quadrangular body that encloses the rest of the components thus making the retrofitting kit safe and quick to assemble and disassemble and very convenient to replace.
The embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings, wherein:
Objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
Specifically, the detailed description below refers to left and right sides, as well as front and back sides, of the body having a rectangular cross section. The names and orientation of those elements are being used to enable persons familiar with the art to which this invention pertains to more clearly understand the technical solutions the present invention provides. It should be noted that any technical solutions offered in the descriptions herein are not intended to constitute a departure from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Instead, they are supposed to illustrate the most efficient manner to mutually replace the frame's left and right sides. The change of the front and back sides are illustrated by changing the viewing angle.
The following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention is provided given to illustrate the overall structure of the troffer luminaire LED retrofit kit of this invention.
In a first preferred embodiment, as shown in
The method to install the troffer retrofitting kit of the present invention comprises the following steps:
In a second embodiment of the retrofitting kit of the present invention, as shown in
In both the preferred embodiment and the second embodiment of the present invention, the frame 3 comprises a supporting plate 31 capable of supporting at least the three of the four sides of the elongated edge 211, excluding the side of the elongated edge 211 that points toward the body 1. Such structure is intended to secure the first connecting beams 21 in the frame 3 in a seamless and stable manner both in a transverse and longitudinal directions.
Alternatively, in both the preferred embodiment and the second embodiment of the present invention, the frame 3 comprises a supporting plate 31 capable of supporting the elongated edge 211. Such structure is intended to secure the first connecting beams 21 against the second connecting beams 22 in the frame 3 in a seamless and stable manner both in a transverse and longitudinal directions.
In yet a third alternative embodiment of the present invention as shown in
In a fourth alternative embodiment of the invention, the fastening means 5 comprises a bar 6 and a fixing base 7 connected to the body 1. The fixing base 7 comprises a guide portion 71 that in turn comprises a first guide hole 711 for the bar 6 to slide through. The fixing base 7 further comprises a retaining portion 72 arranged along the slide direction of the bar 6, and a springing means 73 is arranged between the bar 6 and the retaining portion 72. The bar 6 is provided with a first protrusion 61 having a radial area less than the bar 6 towards the connecting hole 4, and a radial area of the connecting hole 4 is between radial areas of the first protrusion 61 and the bar 6. The limitation of the radial area of the connecting hole 4 enables the bar 6 to not move outside of the bracket 2.
Both the third and fourth alternative embodiments of the present invention further comprise the following variations that then constitute fifth and sixth alternative embodiments of the invention.
In a fifth alternative embodiment of the invention, as shown in
In a sixth alternative embodiment of the invention, as shown in
The above embodiments are for purposes of illustration and description to the technical solutions of the present invention merely, but are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modification or equivalent replacement without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention shall all fall within the scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201610533453.X | Jul 2016 | CN | national |
201620714821.6 | Jul 2016 | CN | national |