Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DS-3849
PANEL OE rLING AND LIG~T FIXTURE
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a light fixture for a
ceiling, and more specifically to a novel combination of
such light fixture with a suspended ceiling. Such suspended
ceiling ordinarily consists of hangers which position and
support carriers in a level plane and to these carriers panels
of several available profiles are a tached.
It has been the practice up to now to have light fixtures
1~ suspended below the ceiling since the supportive chains for the
carriers can pass through gaps bet:ween the ceiling panels.
However, the appearance of the ceiling is interrupted by bulky
fixtures for housing one or more lamps.
Another alternative has been to create rectangular
op~nings ~or rectangular fixtures in~hich case the bottom
o the fixtures are flush with or above the ceillng panels.
Random size fixtures might not match the,openings created
by removing one or more panels. Th~ fixtures suspended
from the structural ceiling above the panels, for several
reasons, may not fall in line with the openings made or left
in the suspended ceiling~ Such openings interrupt an
otherwise smooth ceiling and leave the impression that the
ceiling is unfinished. This is especially so when the lights
are turned off,
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to
provide a new light fixture and ceiling combination which will
overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention
to provide a ceiling with panels, in combination with a light
fixture and installation ~eaturesr which will not interrupt
the smooth appearance of a ceiling.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DR~WING
The invention is illustrated, by way of example r in the
attached drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective bottom view of the components of
a ceiling and light fixture combination according to the present
invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspectivetop view of the ceiling fixture
mGunted in the ceiling;
Fig. 3 i5 a partial perspective bottom view of a light
fixture and lens combination modified over that shown in
Pig. l;
Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective bottom views o~ modified
~luorescent bulb arrangements and support boxes therefor for
~e in the lighting fixture cei~ng combination o the invention;
Figs. 6 and 7 show ceiling panels and lenses modified over
those of Figs. l and 3;
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show details of le~ses usable in t~e
ceilings of Figs. 6 or 7; and
Fig. ll is a perspective view of a modified ceiling and ,;
lighting fixture combination.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED_EMBOD_MENTS
The suspended ceiling illustrated in Figures 1 and 2
comprise channels or carriers 10 suspended from a structural
ceiling of a building or the like, by chains, rods, wiresr or cables
12. Each channel 10 is pro~ided with groups of slots 14 receiving
therein ceiling panels 16 which are usually made of aluminum or
other metal and extend across one or more channels 10, as indicated
in Figure 2. The structure described so far is well-known in the
art.
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Accoxding to the present invention a lighting fixture is
provided which combines in a novel manner with the ceiling.
More specifically, a standard fluorescent tube 18 with socke~s
20 and a housing 22 for the balask and other necessary items,
is inserted in a box 24 having in one end or side thereof a hole 26
for electxical wires 28 providing electric power to the tube.
Box 24 is also provided with brackets 30 at each end. Each
bracket has oblong holes 3~ permitting vertical adjustment of a
horizontal plate 34 of the bracket relative to the housing 24.
In this manner the le~el of the box relative to the suspended
ceiling can be adjusted by loosening and tightening screws 36. rrhe
entire box 24 is fixed to carriers 10 by means of screws 38. It
is to be understood that the box can be adapted to different
available lengths of fluorescent tubes. Ordinarily a standard
~our-foo~ fluoresce~t tube i~ used. It i~ also understood that
several of such tubes may be combined end to end or next to each
other, as illustxated in Figs. 4 and 5. In Fig. 4 box 24a contains
two fluorescant tubes 18 in a row, while in Fig. 5, two rows of
two 1uorescent tubes 18 are arrange~ side by side. The ceiling
panel immediately below the light fixture, as for instance
the ceiling panel 4G in Figure 1, is made of plastic transparent
or translucent material, such as PVC, acrylic co polymer styrene
or polystyrene that is non-shattering and flame retardant, instead
of the aluminum panel 16 used throughout the remai~der of the
ceiling.
The box 24 and the lighting fixture 18, 20, ~2 axe both
painted white so as to reflect the majority of the light through
the lens and with its pro~iled end pieces no light is dissi~ated
above the ceili~g. It is, of course, understood that the lens
could be tinted to give a pink (waxm) light, or blue (cool)
light or green (restful) light.
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1The lens 40 matches the aluminum panels when the light is
turned off. The light fixture serves as a reflector fastened
to the suspended ceiling and transmits light only through the
panel directly below it. The closed ends of the box conform to
the shape of the panel.
The panels 16 and 40 do not have to have an essentially
flat bottom as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but may have different
shapes. Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment in which the panel
42 is essentially triangular. The end panel 44, of the box for ~;
lo the fluorescent tube ~s adapted accordingly.
While Figs. 1 to 3 show a lens madP of a plastic transparent
or ~ranslucent material which is plain throughout the present
invention contemplates the use of other such lenses. For example,
Fig. 6 shows an aluminum paneI 46 having as essentially
rectangular cut-out 48 and receiving therein~above cut-out 48 a
lens 50. Lens 50 comprises lonqitudinal and transverse ribs
52 and 54 respectively leaving openings 56 thereb~tween
(see also Fig. 8). Ribs 52 and 54 are wider at the top than at
the bottom and each wall confining an opening S6 has a highly
polished metallized finished surface to form a mirror. The lens is
made from virgin acrylic or polystyrene, with said metallized
surface covered by a clear lacquer.
In still another form shown in ~iguxe 7, a U-shaped metal panel
58 (such as aluminum) having two cut-outs 60 receives a lesn 61
over each opening. The lenses may have a glass-like
surface characteristic or may have those shown in Figure 9
or 10, i.e. a honey-comb like or some geometric profiled surface 64
or an irregular diffusing surface 66. Lenses 61, 62 and 6
are made from virgin acrylic, styrene, or polystyrene.
Fig. 11 shows in an exploded, perspective view a modified
ceiling and lighting ixture combinationO Instead of the
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1 essentially U-shaped channels shown in Fig. 2 the combination
shown in Fig. 11 has U-shaped channels 70 opening upwardly.
Ceiling panels 72 are suspended from ~he channels by fingers 74.
Each finger simultaneously supports a flange 76 of one panel
and flange 78 of an adjacent panel.
The panel below a lighting fixture is provided with a
cut-out 80 to be covered with a lens 82 of a material similar
to or like that of lenses 61, 62 or 68 shown in Figs. 7, 9,
and 10, respectively. In a manner similar to that described
above the lighting f~ture is mounted in a box 84 having brackets
86 to be supported on channels 70.
It is, of course, to be understood that the present
invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described
above but only by the scope of the appended ~laims.
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