AU684881B2

AU684881B2 - Light fitting

Info

Publication number: AU684881B2
Application number: AU13513/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Anthony Delamare
Original assignee: Larimda Holdings Ltd T A L
Current assignee: LARIMDA HOLDINGS Ltd (T/A LOMBARD MANUFACTURING)
Priority date: 1993-09-30
Filing date: 1995-03-01
Publication date: 1998-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2014-09-20
Also published as: AU1351395A; AU678037B2; AU7306794A

Description

~Re4B~U~sB~-a~u c- L- P/:00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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55* 5s *5 4* Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention title: LARIMDA HOLDINGS LIMITED PETER ANTHONY DELAMARE JOHN R.G. GARDNER PO BOX 443 MUDGEERABA QLD 4213 LIGHT FITTING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it know to me:pt IP~SI~R -2- TITLE: LIGHT FITTING FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to light fittings and particularly but not necessarily exclusively to light fittings of the type that may be inserted into a surface and within which the lamp assembly may be swivelled so as to point in various directions. These fittings are of the so called 'eye-ball' type. Such fittings are generally but not necessarily always set into the surface of a ceiling or the like and comprise a lamp holder having a substantially spherical outer surface which is seated so that it can be swivelled to direct the beam of the light in a desired direction.

BACKGROUND

In modern constructions it is often convenient to set light fittings into a ceiling, mounting them in apertures cut into the ceiling board. This enables the fittings to be mounted flush with the ceiling so that they do not obstruct the surface thereof and any heat generated by the lamps may be dissipated in the space above or behind the ceiling.

S"It will be understood that such a fitting must in practice be designed so that it can be installed and subsequently periodically removed (for maintenance purposes, for "example) from below or in front of the ceiling since in most circumstances the operator has no access to the space behind the ceiling. This has in the past proved somewhat difficult and has had the results that such fittings are difficult to remove after installation and that they are often not seated as securely as might be desired.

In this specification the term 'ceiling' will be used to refer to any part of a building which has a surface into which a light fitting is set. The term can thus include, in particular, an overhead ceiling, a wall and also a floor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there is provided a light fitting comprising mounting means on which a lamp can be mounted and which can be seated in an aperture in a ceiling element, the mounting means comprising at least one locking member which is 6919AUCS.295/JW/1v I I L' Lls I LIL-91 I -3mounted on a support so that it can pivot to a retracted position in which it can pass through the aperture when the mounting means is being inserted in the aperture and so that when the mounting means has been inserted in the aperture, the locking member can pivot from the retracted position to a working position in which it engages a rear face of the ceiling element and thereby holds the mounting means seated in the aperture.

The invention has particular but not necessarily exclusive application to a light fitting in which the mounting means comprises a first mounting member on which the lamp can be mounted, and a second mounting member which can be seated in the aperture and which carries the first mounting member, the support being located on the second mounting member, the first mounting member being demountable from the second mounting member while the second mounting member remains seated in the aperture.

"In one form of the invention biasing means is provided for urging the locking member into engagement with the rear face of the ceiling element.

According to one aspect of the invention the biasing means comprises a torsion spring, one end of which engages the support and an opposite end of which engages the locking member.

Advantageously the locking member is mounted on the support by means of a retaining element having an axis about which the locking member is arranged to pivot, and biasing means is provided for urging the locking member to pivot about the retaining element into engagement with the rear face of the ceiling element.

According to another aspect of the invention the biasing means comprises a torsion spring mounted over the retaining element, one end of the torsion spring engaging the support and an opposite end of the torsion spring engaging the locking member.

In one form of the invention the torsion spring is coiled around the retaining element, said one end of the torsion spring comprising a straight portion which engages the support, means being provided for releasing the straight portion from engagement with the support.

6919AUCS.295/Jl iv -~paL~ dkll ~llsRBn~--~6- -4- Advantageously the torsion spring is located in an aperture formed in the support through which aperture a probe can be inserted to engage the straight portion of the torsion spring, and the means for releasing the straight portion from engagement with the support comprises a passage formed in the support through which the straight portion can pass when it is moved into alignment with the passage by the probe.

In an alternative form of the invention, the torsion spring is coiled around the retaining element and is located in an aperture formed in the locking member through which aperture a probe can be inserted to engage the straight portion of the torsion spring, said opposite end of the torsion spring comprising a straight portion which engages the o oe locking member, and a passage is formed in the locking member through which the straight portion can pass when it is moved into alignment with the passage by the probe to thereby release the straight portion from engagement with the locking member.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a cross sectional elevation of an 'eyeball' type light fitting assembly; •Figure 2 is a cross sectional elevation of an outer ring being part of the assembly shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of part of the outer ring; Figure 4 is a cross sectional elevation of an inner ring also being part of the assembly shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view on Arrow A in Figure 1, showing an arrangement for retaining the outer ring in place; Figure 6 is an elevation of a shoe for mounting a shade on the inner ring.

Figure 7 is a view, similar to Figure 5, of a mudified arrangement for retaining 6919AUCS.2951 W/ iv L- -h -I ~a~dBW ~11~1 1 18111111- 1 the outer ring in place.

In this description the vertical,,.downwards-facing, orientation is assumed although this invention may be adapted for installation in any orientation.

In the drawings there is shown a light fitting assembly 10 for mounting in an aperture cut in a ceiling 12 or the like. The assembly 10 comprises a lamp holding assembly including a shade 14 carrying a socket 16 for receiving a lamp 18; a first mounting member in the form of an inner ring 20 on which the lamp holding assembly is mounted; and a second mounting member in the form of an outer ring 22 on which the inner ring is mounted.

The socket 16 and the lamp 18 are conventional, commercially available components 15 and need not be described in detail. The socket includes terminals to which wires are connected for supplying electric power to the lamp.

S.

In the present case the shade 14 is of sheet metal spun to form a spherical shape. By virtue of this shape the shade, when mounted, as will be described, in the inner ring can be swivelled in two orthogonal directions so that the beam from the lamp can be i" directed where desired. This is a well known characteristic of 'eyeball' fittings and need not be described in detail here.

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The inner ring 20 is an annulus which is also spun from sheet metal. It comprises a cylindrical skirt 24 with a wide flange 26 projecting radially outwardly from the outer end thereof and a narrow lip 28 projecting radially inwardly from the inner end thereof.

An annular protuberance 30 is formed in the skirt 24 at a position approximately one third of the distance from the flange 26 to the lip 28. The protuberance projects outwardly from the centre of the inner ring The shade is mounted in the inner ring 20 by means of a pair of substantially identical shoes 32 which are mouldings of a low friction plastics material. Each shoe comprises a generally flat, rectangular body 34 having along its upper edge a lip 38 which, in use, projects away from the centre of the fitting. The lip 38 incorporates a recess 40 which receives the lip 28 of the inner ring, the body 34 has a second lip 42 along its lower edge. This lip also projects, in use, away from the centre of the fitting and bears on the 6919AUCS.295/JW/iv ll ~arPlplllIIP"~ ~ar "e~L1411PI~La~% ~b Ils~gD -6inner face of the skirt 24. A spigot 44 is formed at the centre of the body. The spigot projects through a hole 46 in the shade towards the centre of the fitting. There are thus two holes 46 in the shade. They are located diametrically opposite one another on a line which is perpendicular to the axis X of the lamp.

The shoes are flexible so that, when fitted in the narrow space between the shade and the inner ring, they can take up the curvature thereof By virtue of the engagement of the lip 28 in the recess 40, the shoes are retained on the inner ring. The shade can pivot about the spigots 44 and rotate in the inner ring about the central axis thereof, the shoes sliding along the lip 28 in the process. Due to the location of the holes 46 on a diameter of the shade and the spherical shape of the shade, the clearance between the shade and the inner ring remains constant.

15 The outer ring 22 comprises a cylindrical skirt 48 with a flange 50 projecting radially outwardly from the outer end thereof. The sizes of the skirts 24, 48 of the two rings are selected so that the skirt 24 can fit comfortably into the skirt 48 with a small clearance between the inner face of the skirt 48 and the outer limit of the protuberance 30. There are however three dimples 52 formed in the skirt 48, located at equal distances apart.

These dimples project inwardly so that, when the skirt 22 is inserted into the skirt 48 the protuberance 30 engages the dimples. The skirt 48 is sufficiently elastic to yield and thus enable the protuberance to ride over the dimples which snap back into place behind the protuberance once it has passed. The dimples are positioned so that the protuberance has just passed them when the flange 26 of the inner ring comes up against the flange 50 of the outer ring. The inner ring can thus be clipped into and out of its working position in the outer ring by this arrangement.

The outer ring is provided with two diametrically opposed lugs 54 spot welded to the skirt 24 and projecting away ftom the flange 26. Each lug has a central aperture 56 which is spanned by a split pin 58 mounted in recesses 60 pressed out of the body of the lug on either side of the aperture. A toggle 62 is pivotably mounted on the split pin. A spring 64 is mounted over the split pin and urges the toggle to pivot downwardly on the split pin. To mount the outer ring in the ceiling 12, the toggles are pivoted against the action of the springs 64 until they both project vertically upwardly. They are held in this position while the outer ring is inserted, toggles and skirt, first through the aperture in the ceiling. When the toggles are released they bear down on the upper surface of the 6919AUCS.295/JWIiv I Ir Dl~e~ s~i~laP ceiling, drawing the flange 50 snugly against the lower surface of the ceiling. Thereafter the wires for providing power to the fitting are pulled through the aperture and connected to the terminals of.the socket 16 after the latter has been mounted on the shade and making sure that the shade has already been mounted on the inner ring. Once the connections are made the whole shade assembly, comprising the shade, socket and inner ring, is clipped into the outer ring.

This convenient method of mounting and demounting shade assembly from the ceiling is a substantial advantage of the invention.

g "The spring 64 which provides the pressure on each of the toggles is, in the example shown, a helical torsion spring wound around the pin 58 with one straight end :pressing against the toggle 62 and the other straight end 72 pressing against a 15 cross-piece 74 of the lug spanning the aperture 56. In the example shown in Figure 7, oo*: this construction is modified. Here, the cross-piece 74' of the lug 54' is provided with a short cut-out 76 and a long cut-out 78. The short cut-out acts as a seat to hold the end 72' of the spring 64' in position on the cross-piece 74'. The long cut-out 78 is long S:enough so that the straight end 72' of the spring 64' is able to pass therethrough. This can be achieved by inserting a probe such as a screw driver of the like through the *0 St aperture in the ceiling and through the aperture 56' in the lug, the end 72' being lifted against the force of the spring out of its seat on the cross-piece and into alignment with the long cut-out 78. This releases the toggle from the spring action and it is able to pivot freely to, and remain in, the vertical position 66 for facili ting insertion and removal of the outer ring 22 into and out of the aperture in the ceiling.

It is not intended that the scope of a patent granted in pursuance of the application of which this specification forms a part should exclude modifications and/or improvements to the embodiments described and/or illustrated which are within the scope of the invention or be limited by such matter further than is necessary to distinguish the invention from the prior art.

6919AUCS,295/JW1iv II I ~lil g~P~Bgi~B~

Claims

1. A light fitting which can be seated in an aperture in a ceiling element said light fitting comprising mounting means on which a lamp can be mounted and the mounting means comprising at least one locking member which is mounted on a support so that it can pivot to a retracted position in which it can pass through the aperture when the mounting means is being inserted in the aperture and so that, when the mounting means has been inserted in the aperture, the locking member can pivot from the *....retracted position to a working position in which it engages the ceiling element and thereby holds o the mounting means seated in the aperture.

2. A light fitting according to claim i, in which the mounting means comprises a first mounting member on which the lamp can be mounted, and a second mounting member which can be seated in the aperture and which carries the first mounting 20 member, the support being located on the second mounting member, the first mounting member being demountable from the second mounting member while the second mounting member remains seated in the aperture.

3. A light fitting according to claim 1 or claim 2, aP ar IIICr P rr_ in which biasing means is provided for urging the locking member into engagement with a rear face of the ceiling element.

4. A light fitting according to claim 3, in which the biasing means comprises a torsion spring, one end of which engages the support and an opposite end of which engages the locking member.

A light fitting according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the locking member is mounted on the 10 support by means of a retaining element having an :axis about which the locking member is arranged to pivot, and biasing means is provided for urging the locking member to pivot about the retaining element into engagement with a rear face of the 15 ceiling element. ii "e~araB~~ I .9-

6. A light fitting according to claim 5, in which the biasing means comprises a torsion spring mounted over the retaining element, one end of the torsion spring engaging the support and an opposite end of the torsion spring engaging the locking member.

7. A light fitting according to claim 6, in which the torsion spring is coiled around the retaining element, said one end of the torsion spring comprising a straight portion which engages the support, means being provided for releasing the straight portion from engagement with the support.

8. A light fitting according to claim 7, in which the torsion spring is located in an aperture 15 formed in the support through which aperture a probe can be inserted to engage the straight portion of the torsion spring, and the means for releasing the straight portion from engagement with the support comprises a passage formed in the support through which the straight portion can pass when it is moved into alignment with the passage by the probe.

9. A light fitting according to claim 6, in which the torsion spring is coiled around the retaining element and iocated in an aperture formed in the locking member through which aperture a probe can be inserted to engage the straight portion of the torsion 25 spring, said opposite end of the torsion spring comprising a straight portion which engages the locking member, and a passage is formed in the locking member through which the straight portion can pass when it is moved into alignment with the passage by the probe to thereby release the straight portion from engagement with the locking member. A light fitting substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this first day of March 1995 LARIMDA HOLDINGS LIMITED trading as LOMBARD MANUFACTURING B OUR rTENT ATTORNEY JOHN Rd. GARDNER 6919AUCS.295/iNWlv b JCCI~ Ib~ll~~ae~u ABSTRACT A light fitting (10) for seating in an aperture in a ceiling (12) and including a lamp mounting comprising toggles (62) which can pivot between a retracted position for passing through the aperture and which after insertion into the aperture are pivoted by torsion springs (64) to a working position in which they engage the rear face of the ceiling (12) to hold the mounting seated in the ceiling i ,aperture. The lamp mounting comprises a first mounting ring (20) which supports a lamp holder (16) and a second mounting ring (22) which carries lugs (54) on which the S" toggles (62) are mounted. The first mounting ring (20) is demountable from the second mounting ring (22) while the aecond mounting ring (22) remains seated in the aperture in the ceiling (12). 00 00 S 0 I IP