Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
An adjustable light fixture.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a light
fixture which is recessed in a ceiling or wall and which
is adjustable for directing light at various angles of
illumination.
BACR(~ROOND OF THE INVENTION
There are various types of light fixtures which
are mounted in a ceiling or a wall and are adjustable to
illuminate a desired area of a room. Some are recessible
so that they may be moved in and out of their housing so
that the light bulb, once partially out of the housing,
may adopt various positions for a variety of
illumination. One such adjustable light fixture may be
found described in U.S. patent 4,232,361 issued November
4, 1980 to Kelsall. Another adjustable light fixture is
found described in U.S. patent No. 3,974,371 bearing an
issue date of August 10, 1976 in the name of Miles. The
light fixture described in the latter patent comprises
many components, such as a yoke member for supporting a
reflector and extensible mounting means that include
toggle levers, a pair of brackets and fastening members
resulting in a complex configuration due particularly to
the fact that the light fixture is vertically retractable
in and out the housing.
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OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to
provide a simple adjustable light fixture that is
permanently recessed in a ceiling or wall for directing
light at various angles, thus without the need to retract
the fixture out of the housing in order to provide
illumination.
This is achieved by providing a light fixture
which comprises:
a hollow elongated housing having an open end
and a closed end;
a first inverted-U shaped member having a top
portion rotatably mounted to the closed end of the
housing and a pair of downwardly extending leg portions
having lower extremities;
a second inverted-U shaped member mounted
within the top and leg portions of the first member; the
second member having a top portion and a pair of
downwardly extending leg portions pivotally mounted at
their respective lower extremities to the lower
extremities of the first member whereby the second member
may be pivoted about a horizontal axis to adopt various
positions relative thereto and within the first member;
a. light socket for receiving a light bulb
fixedly secured to the top portion of the second member;
pivot means in the top portion of the first
member allowing rotation of the first member relative to
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the housing about a vertical axis extending centrally
through the housing whereby the light socket may be
pivoted about the horizontal and vertical axes to provide
a light bulb with various angles of illumination; and
means for fixing the first member to the
housing after rotational adjustment of the first member
relative to the housing.
In one form of the invention, the light fixture
comprises friction means between the leg portions of the
first and second members to provide some resistance to
the pivotal movement of the second member relative to the
first member and also to assist in maintaining the second
member in position relative to the first member after a
pivotal movement.
Other objects and further scope of
applicability of the present invention will become
apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.
It should be understood, however, that this detailed
description, while indicating preferred embodiments of
the invention, is given by way of illustration only,
since various changes and modifications within the spirit
and scope of the invention will become apparent to those
skilled in the art.
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I~1 THE DRlhWINGB
Figure 1 is a partly sectional elevation of an
adjustable light fixture made in accordance with the
present invention and shown recessed in a ceiling or a
wall tile;
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken along
lines 2-2 of figure 1;
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along
lines 3-3 of figure 2; and
Figure 4 is an enlarged section of the
connection of the leg members.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to figure 1, there is shown an
adjustable light fixture, generally denoted 10, which is
shown mounted within an opening made in a ceiling or wall
tile 12. The fixture comprises a housing 14 which is
recessed relative to the tile and includes an open end 16
and a closed end 18. Within the housing 14 is an
electric light bulb 20 threadedly engaged into a socket
22 from which extends a pair of wires 24 passing through
an opening 26 to be receive in an elongated channel
member 28 and in a junction box 30; the latter is
adjustably mounted to the rear face of the ceiling tile
by means of an appropriate bracket assembly 34. The
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housing 14 has a flange portion 36 that bears against the
front face of the ceiling tile 12.
Referring to figure 2 , the light fixture
further includes a pair of inverted U-shaped members,
generally denoted 38 and 40.
The first inverted U-shaped member 38 has a top
part 42 which is mounted to contact the inner face of the
closed end 18 of the housing and is secured thereto by
means of a rivet 44 which enables the inverted U-shaped
member 38 to be rotated about a vertical axis extending
centrally of the housing through the rivet. The inverted
U-shaped member 38 also includes a pair of downwardly
extending legs 46 and 48 terminating adjacent the lower
part of the light bulb 20.
The second inverted U-shaped member 40 includes
a top portion 50 to which is fixedly secured the light
socket 22 by means of a screw 52. This second U-shaped
member also includes a pair of opposite downwardly
extending leg portions 54 and 56, the lower extremities
of which terminate adjacent the lower extremities of the
leg portions 46 and 48 of the U-shaped member 38. As can
be seen in figures 2 and 4, the lower extremities of the
leg portions 48 and 56 and of leg portions 40 and 46 are
connected by means of rivets 58 and 60, respectively, so
as to define a common horizontal axis about which the
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inverted U-shaped member 40 may pivot as well as the bulb
and socket assembly. In order to provide some resistance
to this pivotal movement and to maintain the pivoted
member in the desired pivoted position, a frictional
element 62 is provided between the inner faces of the two
extremities of the leg portions 48, 56; a similar
friction element 64 is provided between the leg portions
40 and 46 at their lower extremities. One preferred form
of such a friction element is a fiber washer.
Referring to figure 3, the top part 42 of the
first inverted U-shaped member has an arc-shaped slot 66
through which extends a tightening screw 68, which also
extends through a corresponding hole in the closed end 18
of the housing. Hence, by slightly unscrewing the screw
68, the inverted U-shaped member 38 may be rotated about
the vertical axis extending through the rivet 44 (as
indicated by arrow 70) to thereby provide various
positions as shown by the dotted lines in figure 3. Once
the desired position is obtained, screw 68 is tightened
and, thereafter, the light bulb with its socket and its
inverted U-shaped supporting member 40 may be pivoted
about the horizontal axis extending through the rivets 58
and 60 to provide various angular positions shown in
dotted lines of figure 1.
Therefore, both pivot axes (vertical and
horizontal) allow the light bulb to provide a variety of
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illumination angles. All angles are possible if the arc-
shaped slot 66 is at least 180°.
Although the invention has been described above
with respect with one specific form, it will be evident
to a person skilled in the art that it may be modified
and refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to
have it understood that the present invention should not
be limited in scope, except by the terms of the following
claims.
