Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TRIM AND LAMP SOCKET UNIT FOR
RECESSED LIGHTING FIXTURES
Backaround of the Invention
The present invention relates to recessed lighting
fixtures and, in particular, to the mounting of a lamp
socket to a trim of such a fixture.
In conventional recessed lighting fixtures, a
cylindrical housing is mounted within a ceiling, a trim or
reflector structure is mounted to the trim, and a lamp
socket unit is mounted to the trim.
It would be desirable to be able to mount the lamp
socket unit to the trim in a simple manner and also to be
able to mount the same type of lamp socket in different
trims.
It would also be desirable to provide a mounting
arrangement whereby it can be ensured that certain types of
lamp socket units, such as a conventional spring-clip type
lamp socket unit cannot be mounted to the trim.
Summary of the Invention
In a recessed lighting fixture including a trim,
the trim including a reflector portion and a generally
horizontally socket-mounting portion disposed at an upper
end of the reflector portion. The socket-mounting portion
has an aperture formed therein of a size suitable for
enabling a portion of a socket unit to pass therethrough.
The aperture includes a first slot extending outwardly
therefrom, and a second slot spaced from the aperture at a
location generally diametrically opposite the first slot.
The second slot includes a wide portion and a narrow
portion. The centers of the wide and narrow portions are
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substantially equally spaced from the first slot. The first
and second slots are located such that first and second
screws project upwardly from the socket unit positionable
within the first slot and the wide portion, respectively.
Then, the socket unit can be rotated about the first screw
as a fulcrum to enable the second screw to enter the narrow
portion before the screws are tightened down.
In another aspect of the invention, in a recessed
lighting fixture including a trim, said trim including a
reflector portion and a socket-mounting portion disposed at
an upper end of said reflector portion, said socket-mounting
portion having an aperture formed therein which is open to
an edge of said socket-mounting portion, and first and
second slots disposed on opposite sides of said aperture,
each of said slots having wide and narrow portions, said
slots being located such that first and second screws
projecting upwardly from said socket unit are positionable
within said wide portions of respective ones of said slots,
and then the socket extending outwardly therefrom, and a
second slot spaced from said aperture at a location
generally diametrically opposite said first slot, said
second slot including a wide portion and a narrow portion,
the centers of said wide and narrow portions being
substantially equally spaced from said first slot, said
first and second slots being located such that first and
second screws projecting upwardly from said socket unit are
positionable within said first slot and said wide portion,
respectively, and then the socket is movable to position
both screws in said narrow portions of respective ones of
said slots before said screws are tightened down.
The present invention also relates to a lamp
socket unit for attachment to a trim element of a recessed
lighting fixture. The lamp socket unit comprises a socket
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element for receiving a lamp, and a flange mounted to the
socket unit. The flange includes an upwardly generally
horizontal plate portion, two side plate portions projecting
downwardly from the upper plate portion, and two tabs
projecting generally horizontally from lower ends of the
side plate portions. Each of the tabs includes a hole for
receiving a mounting screw. The upper plate portion
includes two holes for receiving mounting screws.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The objects and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description of
preferred embodiments thereof in connection with the
accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like
elements, and in which:
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FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment
of a trim element according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 after a socket
unit according to the present invention has been installed
in the trim element;
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through
FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of a second type
of trim element according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 after the
socket unit according to the present invention has been
installed therein; and
FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through
FIG. 5.
Detailed Description of a Preferred
Embodiment of the Invention
Depicted in FIGS. 1-3 is a trim or reflector
member 10 which is to be mounted in a conventional
cylindrical housing (not shown). Examples of such
housings can be found in U.S. Patents No. 5,075,831
and No. 5,122,944, for example.
The trim member 10 includes a reflector
portion 11 and a socket mounting portion in the form of
an upper horizontal part 12 which is formed integrally
with the reflector portion 11. The upper part 12 has
a center aperture 14. The aperture is mainly circular,
with a radial inward projection 16 at one portion thereof.
A radial slot 18 is formed diametrically opposite the
projection.
Spaced from the projection is a keyslot 20 which
includes a narrow portion 22 and a wide portion 24 the
centers of which are spaced the same distance from the
slot 18. -
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A lamp socket unit 25 comprises a cylindrical
socket element 26 and a flange 28 attached thereto in any
suitable fashion, e.g., by screws, rivets or other
fasteners. The socket element 26 is conventional and is
adapted to threadedly receive a lamp L. The flange 28
includes an upper horizontal plate portion 30, two
downwardly dependent side plate portions 32, and two
horizontal tab portions 34 projecting outwardly from the
lower ends of respective side plate portions 32. Each tab
has a screw 36, 38 projecting upwardly from a threaded
hole formed therein.
The flange is sized so that the upper plate
portion 38 and the side plate portions 32 can pass
upwardly trough the aperture 14, with the tab portions 34
abutting the underside of the upper part 12 of the trim
element. The spacing between the screws 36, 38 is such
that the screw 36 can be inserted into the slot 18 while
the other screw 38 is inserted into the wide portion 24
of the keyslot 20. Then, the lamp socket can be rotated
about the screw 36 as a fulcrum (clockwise in FIG. 3) to
bring the screw 38 into the narrow portion 22. Then, by
screwing down the screws, the lamp socket will be securely
anchored in place.
Depicted in FIGS. 4-6 is another type of trim
element 50 which includes a reflector portion 52 and
a socket-mounting portion in the form of an inverted
U-shaped bracket or yoke 54. The yoke includes a top
plate portion 56, and two downwardly dependent side plate
portions 58 which are attached to the reflector 52, e.g.,
by rivets. The trim element 50 is attached to a
cylindrical housing in any conventional manner.
The top plate portion 56 includes a central
aperture 60 which includes an oblong portion 62 and
a slot 64 extending to an edge of the top plate portion.
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A pair of keyslots 64 are formed on opposite sides of the
central aperture 60, the keyslots 64 being identigal and
including narrow and wide portions 68, 70. The keyslots
are spaced equidistantly from the aperture 60.
5 The lamp socket 25 is shaped similar to the
one described earlier, except that the two screws 36, 38
protect upwardly from two threaded holes formed in the
upper plate portion 86. Those screws are spaced apart by
a distance enabling them to be inserted upwardly through
the wide portions 70 of the keyslots. Then, the lamp
socket can be shifted linearly horizontally to bring the
screws into the narrow portions of the keyslots. By then
tightening down on the screws, the lamp socket will be
firmly secured in place. Electrical wiring for the lamp
socket will extend through the apertures 60.
It will be appreciated that the same lamp socket
unit can be inserted into both types of trims, merely by
relocating the location of the screws. The manner of
installation is simple in each instance. Also, by making
2o the aperture 14 or 60 of such a size (i.e., too big or too
small), it can be ensured that certain socket units (e. g.,
socket units of the spring-clip type which may not have
been approved for use with these trim elements) cannot be
attached to the trim.
Although the present invention has been described
in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it will
be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions,
modifications, substitutions and deletions not
specifically described may be made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the
appended claims.
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
