IMPROVED STRUCTURE TWO-LEVEL CEILING LAMP FRAME JUNCTION BOX

BOITE DE CONNEXION DE CHASSIS DE PLAFONNIER A DEUX NIVEAUX A STRUCTURE AMELIOREE

English Abstract

An improved structure two-level ceiling lamp frame junction box comprised
of pendant fixtures having an upper peg-ended rod at their top ends that are
press
fitted into a ceiling mount and a lower plug-ended rod below that are socketed
into
a junction box. The junction box has a plurality of installed sockets, a
retaining
element is hinged to the two sides of each socket, and a flat spring is
fastened to the
top end of each socket to engage the lower plug-ended rods. A coil spring is
respectively hooked onto notched nibs at the top ends of each pair of
retaining
elements, which control the extension and retraction of the coil spring. The
upper
peg-ended rod of each pendant fixture has a ball end that is pushed through a
coupling spring an appropriate degree until the coupling spring rebounds and
clips
onto it, while the said lower plug-ended rod is tipped with a male fitting
that is
engaged by a snap-fit spring at the bottom face of the flat spring. As such,
the
upper peg-ended rods and the lower plug-ended rods are directly installed into
the
ceiling mount as well as the junction box and no additional fasteners or tools
are
required, thereby facilitating convenient assembly.

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A two-level ceiling lamp frame junction box comprised of a mount
fastened to a ceiling, a junction box extending under said mount, and pendant
fixtures inserted into the sides of said mount and said junction box,
said junction box having sockets fitted through openings and a ring nut
fastened onto a section of each of said sockets extending outside said
junction box
to secure said sockets against an interior side of said junction box; each of
said
sockets having clevis tabs extending therefrom for the mounting of a pair of
retaining elements; and a flat spring fastened to a top end of each of said
socket to
engage a lower plug-ended rod;
wherein each of said retaining elements are hinged to the said socket and
having two extremities of a coil spring hooked onto notched nibs at top ends
of
each of said pair of retaining elements such that when the said coil spring is
in a
normal state, said notched nibs are under nominal tension such that said
retaining
elements are drawn slightly inside bores of said sockets; and
wherein each of said pendant fixture consists of an upper peg-ended rod at
its top end that is press fitted into the said mount, said lower plug-ended
rod below
that being socketed into an interior section of said junction box, wherein
each of
said upper peg-ended rods has a ball end that is pushed through a coupling
spring
an appropriate degree until said coupling spring rebounds and clips thereon;
each of
said lower plug-ended rods being tipped with a male fitting that is engaged by
a
pawl end at a bottom face of said flat spring.
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2. The junction box of Claim 1, wherein said mount accommodates
installation of said pendant fixtures and said coupling springs, each having
two
inward closured appendages that provide for clipping said upper peg-ended rods
into place following insertion.
3. The junction box of Claim 1, wherein each of said retaining elements
is hinged to said socket by inserting a pin through said socket and pivot hole
of said
retaining element.
4. The junction box of Claim 1, wherein said flat spring fastened to each
of said sockets is fabricated by bending a front extremity upward into a pawl
end.
5. The junction box of Claim 4, wherein said flat spring is an angled
shape with a clinch end that engages a catch hole at a top end of said lower
plug-
ended rod.
6. A two-level ceiling lamp frame junction box comprised of a mount
fastened to a ceiling, a junction box extending under said mount, and pendant
fixtures inserted into the sides of said mount and said junction box,
said junction box having sockets fitted through openings and a ring nut
fastened onto a section of each of said sockets extending outside said
junction box
to secure said sockets against an interior side of said junction box; each of
said
sockets having clevis tabs extending therefrom for the mounting of a pair of
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retaining elements; and a flat spring fastened to a top end of each of said
socket to
engage a lower plug-ended rod, and a return spring,
wherein said retaining element and the return spring are pivotably
conjoined by a pin to each of said clevis tabs at two sides of said sockets;
each of
said retaining elements having a curvature along its other end that provides
for a
seating section against which said return spring is postured, said return
spring
having an exerting end projecting outward from its center portion that rests
against
said seating section to thereby provide for the positioning of said lower plug-
ended
rods, each of said lower plug-ended rod having a catch hole formed in a top
surface
and two tip sides, said catch holes being engaged by said clinch end of the
flat
spring and free ends of said retaining elements,
wherein each of said pendant fixture consists of an upper peg-ended rod at
its top end that is press fitted into the said mount, said lower plug-ended
rod below
that being socketed into an interior section of said junction box, wherein
each of
said upper peg-ended rods has a ball end that is pushed through a coupling
spring
an appropriate degree until said coupling spring rebounds and clips thereon;
each of
said lower plug-ended rods being tipped with a male fitting that is engaged by
a
pawl end at a bottom face of said flat spring.
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Description

CA 02366628 2002-01-03
Improved Structure Two-level Ceiling Lamp Frame Junction Box
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention herein relates to user-assembled lighting products, specifically
an improved structure two-level ceiling lamp frame junction box in which a
junction box has a plurality of installed sockets, a retaining element is
hinged to the
two sides of each socket, and a flat spring is fastened to the top end of each
socket
to engage lower plug-ended rods. Additionally, the upper peg-ended rods have
ball
ends that are pushed through coupling springs an appropriate degree until the
coupling springs rebound and clip onto them, while the said lower plug-ended
rods
are tipped with male fittings that are engaged by pawl ends at the bottom face
of the
flat springs. As such, the upper peg-ended rods and the lower plug-ended rods
are
directly installed into the junction box and no additional fasteners or tools
are
required, thereby facilitating convenient assembly.
2) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Conventional junction boxes and their insertion rod structures designed for
utilization with wall lamps, table lamps, and floor lamps all require screws
and nuts
for assembly; however, the use of such fasteners for assembly and installation
not
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CA 02366628 2002-01-03
only subjects finished products to damage, but also requires tools (such as
wrenches
and screwdrivers, etc.). Furthermore, it is easy to abrade the power cord and
expose
the wires, resulting in electrical shock hazards and since this involves a
troublesome ordeal that does not facilitate do-it-yourself assembly and
installation
by users, manufacturers must first perfect the arrangement of the junction box
and
the insertion rods before marketing, while also solving the problem of
excessive
shipping dimensions and other factors that increase.costs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an exploded drawing of the invention herein.
Figure 1-A is a partial cross-sectional drawing of FIG. 1 as viewed from the
perspective of line A-A.
Figure 2-A is a cross-sectional drawing of the upper peg-ended rod in the
normal state.
Figure 2-B is a cross-sectional drawing of the upper peg-ended rod during
insertion.
Figure 2-C is a cross-sectional drawing of the upper peg-ended rod after
insertion.
Figure 3-A is a cross-sectional drawing of the lower plug ended rod in the
normal state.
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CA 02366628 2002-01-03
- _ ~
Figure 3-B is a cross-sectional drawing of the lower plug-ended rod during
insertion.
Figure 3-C is a cross-sectional drawing of the lower plug-ended rod after
insertion.
Figure 4 is an exploded drawing of an another embodiment of the invention
herein.
Figure 5-A is a cross-sectional drawing of the other embodiment of the
invention herein in the normal state.
Figure 5-B is a cross-sectional drawing of the other embodiment of the
invention herein during insertion.
Figure 5-C is a cross-sectional drawing of the other embodiment of the
invention herein after insertion.
Figure 6 is an isometric drawing of a ceiling lamp based on the invention
herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the structural arrangement of the present
invention, the invention herein is comprised of a mount 1 fastened to a
ceiling, a
junction box 2 below the mount 1, and pendant fixtures 3 inserted into the
sides of
the mount 1 and the junction box 2, of which:
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CA 02366628 2002-01-03
The said mount 1 accommodates the installation of the pendant fixtures 3
and coupling springs 12 having two inward closured appendages provide for
clipping its upper peg-ended rods 31 into position following insertion.
The said junction box 2 has sockets 4 fitted through openings 21 and,
furthermore, a ring nut 42 is fastened onto the section of each socket 4
extending
outside the junction box 2 to secure the sockets 4 against the interior side
of the
junction box 2; each socket 4 has clevis tabs 43. extending from each of its
two
sides for the mounting of retaining elements 5; and a flat spring 44 is
fastened to the
top end of each socket 4 to engage a lower plug-ended rod 32 and, furthermore,
the
front extremity of each flat spring 44 is bent upward into a snap-fit spring
321.
Each said retaining element 5 is hinged to the socket 4 by a pin P inserted
through the socket 4 and pivot hole 521 of the retaining element 5;
furthermore, the
two extremities of a coil spring 6 are respectively hooked onto the notched
nibs 51
at top end of each pair of retaining elements 5 and when the coil spring 6 is
in the
normal state, the notched nibs 51 are under nominal tension such that the
retaining
elements 5 are drawn slightly inside the bores 41 of the sockets 4.
Each said pendant fixture 3 consists of an upper peg-ended rod 31 at its top
end that is press fitted into the mount 1and a lower plug-ended rod 32 below
that
is socketed into the interior section of the junction box 2, wherein each
upper peg-
ended rod 31 has a ball end 311 that is pushed through the coupling spring 12
an
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CA 02366628 2002-01-03
appropriate degree until the coupling spring 12 rebounds and clips onto it (as
shown
in FIG. 2-A, FIG. 2-B, and FIG. 2-C); and each said lower plug-ended rod 32 is
tipped with a male fitting that is engaged by the pawl end 441 at the bottom
face of
the flat spring 44 (as shown in FIG. 1-A).
Referring to FIG. 3, the coil springs 6 pull the paired retaining elements 5
together such that they extend slightly into the bores 41 during the normal
state of
the junction box 2 (as shown in FIG. 1-A); when the lower plug-ended rods 32
are
inserted into the sockets 4, the lower plug-ended rods 32 push against the
retaining
elements 5 an appropriate degree and stretch the coil springs 6 hooked to the
top
ends of the retaining elements 5 (as shown in FIG. 1-B); after the lower plug-
ended
rods 32 are fully inserted, the lower plug-ended rods 32 are engaged at the
bottom
end of the flat spring 44 and, furthermore, since the coil springs 6 return to
their
original position, the retaining elements 5 clamp inward onto the lower plug-
ended
rods 32 such that the pendant fixture 3 is tightly anchored onto the junction
box 2
(as shown in FIG. 1-C).
Referring to FIG. 4, the drawing of another embodiment of the invention
herein, each of the said sockets 4 have fastened to their top surfaces a flat
spring 44
of an angled shape and, furthermore, with a clinch end 442 extending into a
cutaway 45 in the upper extent of the socket 4; a retainiag element 46 and a
return
spring 47 are pivotably conjoined by pin P1 to each of the clevis tabs 43 at
the two
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CA 02366628 2006-05-01
sides of the sockets 4; each said retaining element 46 has a curvature along
its
other end that provides for a seating section 461 against which the return
spring 47
is postured; furthermore, the return spring 47 has an exerting end 471
projecting
outward from its center portion that rests against the seating section 4 such
that in
its normal state, the free ends 462 of the retaining elements 46 are pushed by
the
return spring 47 into the access slots 431 of the sockets 4.
The said lower plug-ended rod 32 has a catch hole 322 respectively formed
in the top surface and two sides of its tip and, furthermore, the catch holes
322 are
respectively engaged by the clinch end 442 of the flat spring 44 and the free
ends
462 of the retaining elements 46.
Regarding the operation of the invention herein, referring to FIG. 5, when
the said junction box is in the normal state, the retaining elements 46 of the
sockets
4 are pushed by the return spring 47 such that they project slightly into the
bores
(as shown in FIG. 5-A); as the lower plug-ended rods 32 are inserted into the
sockets 4 , the two sides at the tip of the lower plug-ended rods 32 push the
retainer element 46 free ends 462 outward an appropriate degree and the top
surfaces of their tips move against the clinch end 442 of the flat spring 44
(as
shown in FIG. 5-B); after the lower plug-ended rods 32 are fully inserted, the
catch
holes 322 at their top ends are engaged by the flat spring 44 clinch ends 442,
while
the catch holes 322 at their two sides are engaged by the retainer element 46
free
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CA 02366628 2006-05-01
ends 462 extending into the bores; furthermore, the return springs 47 position
the
free ends 462 of the said retainer elements 46 and maintains them against the
sockets 4 (as shown in FIG. 5-C).
Referring to FIG. 6, the drawing of a ceiling lamp based on of the invention
herein, the said pendant fixtures 3A are three identical structures and,
furthermore,
the top ends are press fitted into the mount 1 and the bottom ends are
socketed into
the junction box 2 to complete the assembly; the bottom extremity of each
pendant
fixture 3A is curved upward to provide for mounting a decorative light fitting
T to
form an attractive and fashionable two-level ceiling lamp structure.
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Representative Drawing