GB2047869A

GB2047869A - Light Fitting

Info

Publication number: GB2047869A
Application number: GB7914815A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1979-04-27
Filing date: 1979-04-27
Publication date: 1980-12-03

Abstract

A light fitting for mounting in an aperture in a panel has a flange 2 which abuts against the front surface of the panel when the fitting is inserted and two extendable arms 3, 4, at an acute angle to the plane of the flange, each arm having a fixed part and moveable part slideable relative to the fixed part, the free ends 12 of the moveable parts engaging the rear surface of the panel when the arms are extended after insertion of the fitting into the panel. The arms are secured in their extended positions by clamping screws 11 operable from within the fitting, to hold the fitting securely in the panel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Light Fitting The present invention relates to a light fitting for mounting in an aperture in a panel.

Such fittings are commonly used to provide recessed or semi-recessed lighting in suspended ceilings where the fitting is inserted into an aperture in the ceiling panel and is held in place by a clamp arrangement gripping the panel adjacent the aperture, The clamp arrangement has to accommodate a range of thickness of the ceiling panel and often has to be accessible from outside the ceiling space whilst not being visible when the fitting is in use. In known types of fitting this has made it difficult to get a consistently secure, stable mounting of the fitting.

According to the present invention a light fitting for mounting in an aperture in a panel includes a body portion, a planar flange protruding outwardly from the body portion, two or more extendable arms carried on the body portion at an acute angle to the plane of the flange, each arm having a free end which in a retracted position of the arm does not protrude beyond the periphery of the flange and in an extended position of the arm is spaced further from the body portion and nearer to the plane of the flange than in the retracted position, and means for securing the arms in their extended position.

When the arms are in their retracted position the fitting can be inserted into a suitable aperture in a panel with the flange abutting the front surface of the panel and can be held therein by moving each arm to an extended position in which the free end engages the rear surface of the panel and by then securing the arms in their extended positions. This provides a secure mounting over a range of panel thickness and the movement of the arms away from the body portion improves the stability of the mounting.

Preferably, each extendable arm comprises a fixed part attached to the body portion and a movable part, the moveable part being slideable relative to the fixed part between the retracted and extended positions, and the means for securing each arm in an extended position may advantageously be a screw which clamps the fixed part against the moveable part, the screw being operable from within the fitting.

A light fitting constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the light fitting; and Figure 2 is a cross-section of the fitting in Figure 1, taken along line Il-Il.

Referring to the drawings, the light fitting is made of sheet metal and has a hollow cylindrical body portion 1 with an integral planar flange 2 formed on one end, the sides of the body portion 1 being corrugated. Carried on the end of the body portion opposite to the flange are two extendable arms 3, 4 which support a cover plate 5 and an insulated lamp holder 6. Each extendable arm is at an acute angle to the plane of the flange 2 (approx. 750) and comprises a fixed part 7 and a moveable part 8 (slideable relative to the fixed part). The two fixed parts 7 have guide slots 9 and are formed from a single strip of bent metal welded to the body portion 1 at its ends.Each moveable part 8 has a tang 10 struck out from it at one end, which tang engages in the adjacent guide slot 9, a tapped hole carrying a screw 11 passing through the same guide slot 9, and a free end 12 perpendicular to the plane of the flange 2. Each free end is wider than the rest of the moveable part and has teeth 13 on its edge to assist in gripping to a panel surface.

In a retracted position, each arm 3, 4 has its moveable part 8 lying against its fixed part 7 with the free end 1 2 adjacent the end of the body part 1 remote from the flange 2, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and in solid lines in Figure 2. In this position the free end does not protrude beyond the periphery of the flange, thus allowing the fitting to be inserted into an aperture in a panel, for example a suspended ceiling panel, smaller than the flange so that the flange abuts the front surface of the panel adjacent the periphery of the aperture.

Once inserted into the aperture, the arms can be moved to an extended position in which each arm has its moveable part lying with its free end 12 spaced further from the body portion and nearer to the plane of the flange than in the retracted position, as shown in solid lines in Figure 1 and in dotted lines in Figure 2. This is done by sliding each moveable part relative to its fixed part until the free ends engage the rear surface of the panel. The arms are secured in this position by tightening the screws 11 on the inside of the fitting. These screws clamp the fixed and moveable parts together, the tangs 10 in the guide slots 9 preventing relative rotation of the parts. This provides a secure mounting of the fitting, the panel being gripped between the flange and the free ends of the arms.

The movement of the extendable arms away from the body portion when moved to their extended positions gives an improved stability over known designs and the widened free ends of the arms with their gripping teeth also helps in giving a secure and stable mounting of the fitting.

Since the extendable arms can be operated from inside the fitting and the screws for securing the arms are also on the inside of the fitting, the mounting procedure can be easily carried out even where access to the space behind the panel is restricted.

The sliding action of the extendable arms allows for panels of differing thickness.

Claims

1. A light fitting, for mounting in an aperture in a panel, including a body portion, a planar flange protruding outwardly from the body portion, two

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Light Fitting The present invention relates to a light fitting for mounting in an aperture in a panel. Such fittings are commonly used to provide recessed or semi-recessed lighting in suspended ceilings where the fitting is inserted into an aperture in the ceiling panel and is held in place by a clamp arrangement gripping the panel adjacent the aperture, The clamp arrangement has to accommodate a range of thickness of the ceiling panel and often has to be accessible from outside the ceiling space whilst not being visible when the fitting is in use. In known types of fitting this has made it difficult to get a consistently secure, stable mounting of the fitting. According to the present invention a light fitting for mounting in an aperture in a panel includes a body portion, a planar flange protruding outwardly from the body portion, two or more extendable arms carried on the body portion at an acute angle to the plane of the flange, each arm having a free end which in a retracted position of the arm does not protrude beyond the periphery of the flange and in an extended position of the arm is spaced further from the body portion and nearer to the plane of the flange than in the retracted position, and means for securing the arms in their extended position. When the arms are in their retracted position the fitting can be inserted into a suitable aperture in a panel with the flange abutting the front surface of the panel and can be held therein by moving each arm to an extended position in which the free end engages the rear surface of the panel and by then securing the arms in their extended positions. This provides a secure mounting over a range of panel thickness and the movement of the arms away from the body portion improves the stability of the mounting. Preferably, each extendable arm comprises a fixed part attached to the body portion and a movable part, the moveable part being slideable relative to the fixed part between the retracted and extended positions, and the means for securing each arm in an extended position may advantageously be a screw which clamps the fixed part against the moveable part, the screw being operable from within the fitting. A light fitting constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the light fitting; and Figure 2 is a cross-section of the fitting in Figure 1, taken along line Il-Il. Referring to the drawings, the light fitting is made of sheet metal and has a hollow cylindrical body portion 1 with an integral planar flange 2 formed on one end, the sides of the body portion 1 being corrugated. Carried on the end of the body portion opposite to the flange are two extendable arms 3, 4 which support a cover plate 5 and an insulated lamp holder 6. Each extendable arm is at an acute angle to the plane of the flange 2 (approx. 750) and comprises a fixed part 7 and a moveable part 8 (slideable relative to the fixed part). The two fixed parts 7 have guide slots 9 and are formed from a single strip of bent metal welded to the body portion 1 at its ends.Each moveable part 8 has a tang 10 struck out from it at one end, which tang engages in the adjacent guide slot 9, a tapped hole carrying a screw 11 passing through the same guide slot 9, and a free end 12 perpendicular to the plane of the flange 2. Each free end is wider than the rest of the moveable part and has teeth 13 on its edge to assist in gripping to a panel surface. In a retracted position, each arm 3, 4 has its moveable part 8 lying against its fixed part 7 with the free end 1 2 adjacent the end of the body part 1 remote from the flange 2, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and in solid lines in Figure 2. In this position the free end does not protrude beyond the periphery of the flange, thus allowing the fitting to be inserted into an aperture in a panel, for example a suspended ceiling panel, smaller than the flange so that the flange abuts the front surface of the panel adjacent the periphery of the aperture. Once inserted into the aperture, the arms can be moved to an extended position in which each arm has its moveable part lying with its free end 12 spaced further from the body portion and nearer to the plane of the flange than in the retracted position, as shown in solid lines in Figure 1 and in dotted lines in Figure 2. This is done by sliding each moveable part relative to its fixed part until the free ends engage the rear surface of the panel. The arms are secured in this position by tightening the screws 11 on the inside of the fitting. These screws clamp the fixed and moveable parts together, the tangs 10 in the guide slots 9 preventing relative rotation of the parts. This provides a secure mounting of the fitting, the panel being gripped between the flange and the free ends of the arms. The movement of the extendable arms away from the body portion when moved to their extended positions gives an improved stability over known designs and the widened free ends of the arms with their gripping teeth also helps in giving a secure and stable mounting of the fitting. Since the extendable arms can be operated from inside the fitting and the screws for securing the arms are also on the inside of the fitting, the mounting procedure can be easily carried out even where access to the space behind the panel is restricted. The sliding action of the extendable arms allows for panels of differing thickness. Claims

1. A light fitting, for mounting in an aperture in a panel, including a body portion, a planar flange protruding outwardly from the body portion, two or more extendable arms carried on the body portion at an acute angle to the plane of the flange, each arm having a free end which in a retracted position of the arm does not protrude beyond the periphery of the flange and in an extended position of the arm is spaced further from the body portion and nearer to the plane of the flange than in the retracted position, and means for securing the arms in their extended posit;ons.

2. A light fitting according to Claim 1 , wherein each extendable arm comprises a fixed part attached to the body portion and a moveable part, the moveable part being slideable relative to the fixed part between the retracted and extended positions.

3. A light fitting according to Claim 2, wherein the means for securing each arm in an extended position is a screw which clamps the fixed part against the moveable part, the screw being operable from within the fitting.

4. A light fitting according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the moveable part of each arm is guided by a tang on one part of the arm engaged in a slot on the other part of the arm.

5. A light fitting according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the fixed parts of the extendable arms support a lamp holder.

6. A light fitting according to any preceding claim, wherein the free end of each extendable arm is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the flange when in the extended position.

7. A light fitting according to any preceding claim, wherein the free end of each extendable arm has teeth at its edge to engage a panel when in use.

8. A light fitting substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.