Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
-- - 10644S0
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In manufacturing light fixtures it is essential to maintain
the artistic appearance of the product as well as its operational ~ -
capability. Each light fixture includes a number of mechanical
parts which are manufactured separately. Within the context of
the present technology it has been necessary to permanently fasten
the various parts of thè fixture together, by means of fastening
screws, or solder connections, or the like.
It has therefore been an accepted fact in this industry
that substantial labor costs must be paid for the work of fastening
the part~ of each fixture together, as the fixture i~ being
assembled. :, -
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention a releasable spring
means is utilized for fastening all the mechanical parts of a light
fixture together. The more time-consuming procedures required for
soldering the parts together, or for fastening them with screws,
`~ are eliminated.
According to the invention a bulb socket having spring means ~-
for releasably fastening the socket to a support, is utilized inconjunction with a metal pan or ba~e member, and a metal cup, to
provide a complete light fixture. Holes are formed through the
ba~e member and through the bottom wall of the cup, and the cup
and base member are placed in juxtaposition with the holes aligned.
The base end of the socket is then inserted within the holes, and
the expanding spring means aseociated with the socket is engaged
with the circumferential edges of the hole~ or openings so as to
hold all three of the parts together.
: ~F .,
- ", . . . . . .
4450
DRAWING SUMMARY
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a snap-together light
fixture ~n accordance with the invention;
FIGURE 2 i5 a cross-sectional elevation view taken on line
2-2 of Figure l;
FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation view taken on line 3-3 of
Figure 2;
FIGURE 4 is an exploded pe~spective view of the light
fixture of Figure l;
FIGURE 5 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of the
bulb soc~et and the cup before they are assembled together;
FIGURE 6 is an end view of the cup taken on line 6-6 of
Figure 5;
FIGURE 7 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of the
bulb socket and cup as they are being assembled;!
FIGURE 8 i9 a view like Figure 7 showing completion of the
assembly;
FIGURE 9 i8 a perspective view of a modified form of light
fixture in accordance with the invention;
FIGURE 10 i8 a cross-sectional elevation view taken on the
line 10-10 of Figure 9; and
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a triple-bulb fixture
: in accordance with the invention.
FIRST EMBODDMENT
Reference is now made to Figure 1-8, inclusive, of the
drawings which illustrate a first embodiment of the invention.
As best seen in Figur~ 2, fixture F in accordance with the
invention is adapted to be mounted upon a wall or ceiling W and
covering a junction box J. `Location of the junction box is indi-
1064450
.
cated in Figure 2, but the details of its construction which are
conventional and well-known are not shown. The major component -
parts of the light fixture F are a base member or pan B, a metal
cup C, a bulb socket s, and an ornamental plate o. A light bulb ~ ~
L, shown in Figure 2 in dotted lines, is ~hown in solid lines in ~ -
Figure 1.
In the fully assembled condition of light fixture F, and
with the light bulb L in place as shown in Figure 1, the bulb
socket S i8 hidden from view. However, the bulb socket S i8 the
10 central structural member of the entire fixture, and it will
therefore be described in some detail before proceeding to a de-
tailed description of the other parts
Reference i8 now made to Figures 2-5 and 7, 8 which il-
lustrate the bulb socket S. The bulb socket S includes a generally
cylindrical socket body 30, a pair of electrical terminals 40, 41,
,~ . .
and a spring steel strap 50. Terminals 40, 41 are shown only in
Figure 3. The~ socket body 30 has a b~lb-receiving end 31 which i8
open and in which internal threads 32 are formed. The other or
ba~e end 33 is substantially closed and has the terminals 40, 41
20 attached to it. For about half its length the socket body 30 ha9
a reduced external diameter portion 34 which terminates a~ the
ba~e end 33, thereby forming a circumferential shoulder 35 which
.
is about mid-way of the length of the ~ocket body.
Spring steel strap 50 is of generally U-shaped configuration
but with its leg~ 52, 53 being somewhat outwardly expanded. The
~ central or base portion of strap 50 extends acro~s the base end 33
- of ~ocket body 30 and i~ attached there by means of a central rivet
51. Therefore, the legs of the spring steel strap extend along
the sides of socket body 30 and toward the open end 31 thereof, but
3 -
.. . . , ~ ............................... .
, . . . . . . .
10~i44S0
terminating at about the position of the circumferential shoulder
35. The ends of the spring leg-~ 52, 53 are bent to form hook~ 54,
55, respectively, which open outward and whose longitudinal pO8 i-
tion coincides rather precisely with that of the circumferential
shoulder 35.
Wires 42, 43 are connected to the electrical terminals 40,
41J reBpectively. In the installed condition of the fixture, a~
shown in Figure 2, wire nuts N are used to attach the wires 42, 43
to respective leads emanating from junction box J.
The bulb socket S i~ a conventional product which has been
known and used prior to the present invention, and hence the
socket S does not, in and of itself, constitute the invention.
However, in accordance with the present invention the socket S,
and particularly the spring means 50 thereof, is utilized in a
novel manner for holding the various part~ of fixture F together,
in lieu of other fastening means.
.
The metal cup C i~ of g!~nerally cylindrical configuration
but with a bottom wall 20 extending transversely at one end
thereof. A concentric circular opening 21 i~ formed in the bottom
wall 20 (~ee Figure 6)- An opposed pair of rectangular cutouts 22,
; 23 are formed in the bottom wall20 as circumferential extensions
of the opening 21. The open end of cup C is outwardly flared.
In order to assemble the complete fixture F together it -~
is preferred to first a~semble the bulb socket S and metal cup C.
The progressive steps of the a~embly are ~hown in Figures 5, 7,
and 8, respectively. The reduced diameter portion 34 df socket
body 30 is in~erted into the open end 25 of cup C, and hence into
and through the circular opening 21 of bottom wall 20. In the
nearly assembled condition as shown in Figure 7 the circumferential
- 4 -
. ` . ~.
,
:
~ 0~ 4S0
shoulder 35 of socket body 30 ha~ not yet come into engagement
with the bottom wall 20 of cup C. The lateral extremities of the
spring legs 52, 53 occupy the deepe~t portions of the rectangular
cutout~ 22, 23, respectively, while the inner or back surfaces of
the hooks 54, 55 are very close to the circumferential shoulder 35.
The assembly is completed by applying force to the open end 31 of
socket body 30 in a direction towards the bottom wall 20 of cup C,
while holding the cup C in place. This force is indicated by
arrow 37 in Figure 7. The assembly is completed as shown in Figure
8, with hooks 54, 55 then engaging the cutouts 22, 23, and with
circumferential shoulder 35 engaging ~he inner surface of bottom
wall 20 of the cup C.
Base member or pan B has a generally flat front wall 10
F and a side wall 15. A circular opening 11 is formed in the wall
10 and has an opposed pair of rectangular cutouts 12, 13 formed
in its periphery. See Figure 4.~ A pair of small holes 16 are
al-o formed in the front wall 10, on opposite sides of the opening
11, and ~crews 17 are utilized in conjunction with~the holes 16
for attaching the base momber to the junction box J and hence sup-
porting it in a fixed position relative to wall or ceiling W.
The opening 11 and cutouts 12, 13 of base member B are of
~ precisely the same dimensions as the opening 21 and cutouts 22, 23
: of cup C. In the fully assembled state of fixture F (Figure 2)
the hooks 54, 55 engage cutouts 12, 13 as well as cutouts 22, 23,
re~pectively.
The plate 0 is a relatively thin plate which has no parti-
cular mechanical function and is used only for ornamental or de-
corative purposes. It has a circular opening 61 in which cutouts
62j 63 are formed. The opening 61-63 is also of precisely the
- 5 -
. ~, , .
-- 10~4~0
same dlmensions as the opening 21-23. Ornamental plate o is
positioned between cup C and base member B, and therefore in the
assembled condition of fixture F the spring hook 54 engages cut-
outs 12, 62, and 22 while spring hook 55 engages cutouts 13, 63, and
23.
While base member B as p~esently illustrated has a square
configu~ation, it may be circular or of such other shape a~ may
be desired. Ornamental plate O as presently illustrated is cir-
cular, but it may be square or of other desired configuration. In
the particular embodiment illustrated the diameter of plate O is
sufficient to cover the head of screws 17 90 that they are con-
cealed from view. ;
MODIFIED FORM
Re~erence is now made to Figures 9 and 10 illustratinga modified form of the invention. Fixture F' of Figures 9 and
10 i~ identical to fixture F, except that ornamental plate O i8 :
omitted, and the means for fastening base member B to walls W are
not specifically illustrated.
Figure 11 illu~trates an alternate form F'' of the light
fixture of the present invention. Base member B' may be of the
same height as base member B of the first embodiment, but three
times as wide, hence having the capacity for three bulb instal-
lations. A horizontal row of cans Cl, C2, C3 house the light
bulbs Ll, L2, L3, respectively. The internal details of construc-
tion, while not specifically shown, are the same as for the first
embodiment.
The invention has been described in considerable detail in
order to comply with the patent laws by providing a full public
disclosure of at least one of its forms. However, such detailed
- 6 -
~ .
o~so
description is not intended in any way to limit the broad
features or principles of the invention, or the scope of patent
monopoly to be granted.
