US3069541A

US3069541A - Lighting fixture

Info

Publication number: US3069541A
Application number: US60831A
Authority: US
Inventors: Max M Thomsen; Ernest G Johnson
Original assignee: SYIVANIA ELECTRIC PRODUCTS Inc
Current assignee: SYIVANIA ELECTRIC PRODUCTS Inc
Priority date: 1960-10-06
Filing date: 1960-10-06
Publication date: 1962-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1979-12-18

Description

Dec. 18, 1962 M. M. THOMSEN ETAL 3,0 9,

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Oct. 6, 1960 \-i k i I 38 MAX M. THOMSEN ERNESTG. JOHNSON INVENTORS BY C ATTORN Y Unite rates area 541 HGH'EHNG FEXTURE Max M. Thomsen, Moundsviiie, W. Va, and Ernest G. Johnson, St. Clairsviiie, Ohio, assignors to Syivania Eiectric Products Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 6, 196%, Ser. No. 66,831 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 24t)147) This invention relates to the manufacture of lighting fixtures and more particularly to the manufacture of lighting fixtures for elongated, linear light sources, such as fluorescent lamps for example.

In the manufacture of lighting fixtures of this general nature, it has been the practice to provide many types of these fixtures with various light-shielding means. In connection therewith, a number of different devices have been employed to secure the light-shielding means to the reflector of the fixture. Usually no gerat difiiculty has been encountered with these devices insofar as their ability to hold the light-shielding means in position is concerned. However, it is also quite desirable that these devices have other characteristics. For example, they should be readily accessible and easy to manipulate, preferably without the use of working tools. Another important feature which they should include is means for supporting the light-shielding means in an open position with respect to the reflector. This last-mentioned feature is of considerable importance because the reflector and the light-shielding means should be cleaned periodically.

In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple in construction and easy to manipulate.

Another object is to provide a device which requires no working tools, such as screwdrivers and the like, for its operation.

A further object is to provide a unitary device which includes hinging means for pivotally supporting the lightshielding means from the reflector as well as means for securing the light-shielding means to the reflector.

These and other objects, advantages and features are attained, in accordance with the principles of this invention, by a hingedatch device. The hinge portion of this device is pivotally mounted on the lightshielding means itself or on the frame which supports it. The hinge portion is aiso provided with means for effecting an interlocking with the lower longitudinal edge of the reflector. The latch portion overlies a lateral shelf formed in the reflector and is normally in frictional engagement therewith, thus securing the reflector in interlocked relationship with respect to the hinge portion thereof.

in the accompanying drawing, FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of a fluorescent lighting fixture with the light-shielding means secured to the reflector thereof by the hinge-latch device of this invention, the light-shielding means also being shown in phantom in the open position.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary detail on an enlarged scale of the hinge-latch device and the fixture members with which it is associated.

FIGURE 3 is a respective view of the hinge-latch device.

Referring now to the drawing, particularly FIGURE 1 thereof, the fixture illustrated therein comprises a chassis it) having a trough-like reflector 12 attached thereto and depending therefrom. A pair of fluorescent lamps 14 are shown in phantom to indicate the relative position of the lamps within the reflector. A light-shielding panel '16, attached to a substantially rectangular frame 13, is disposed across the open end of the trough-like reflector 12 and this frame-panel assembly is supported in this position by the hinge-latch device of this invention.

Referring now to FEGURE 3, the hinge-latch device, identified generally by the reference number 22, comprises a bifurcated hinge 26 and a resilient latch 28 attached to the base portion of the hinge 26 at 34] and extending between the legs thereof. The legs of the bifurcated hinge 26 are provided with slots 32 and holes 34, the function and purpose of which will be described below.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 2, particularly FIG- URE 2, the substantially rectangular frame 18 which supports the light-shielding panel 16 is provided with a laterally extending hook 20. Preferably, there are four of these hooks, two on each longitudinal side, each hook being located near a corner of the substantially rectangular frame. A hinge-latch device 22 of FIGURE 3 is pivotally mounted on each of the hooks 2% by a pin 24 which extends through the eye of the hook and through the holes 34 in the legs of the bifurcated hinge 26.

Each ofthe longitudinal sides of the reflector 12 with which the hinge-latch device 22 is associated is provided with a laterally extending shelf 36 from which a lip 38 defining a longitudinal edge of the reflector depends. The lip 38 lies within the slots 32 in the legs of the bifurcated hinge 25 and the resilient latch 28 overlies the shelf 36 and is in frictional engagement therewith. Thus the hinge-latch device 22, pivotally mounted on the book 20 projecting laterally from the frame 18, is securely retained in position with respect to the reflector 12 by mechanical interlocking of the lip 33 of the reflector with the bifurcated hinge 26 and by frictional engagement of the resilient latch 28 with the shelf 36 of the reflector.

Both the initial assembling of the light-shielding means and the reflector as well as the displacement of the former from its normal position with respect to the latter for cleaning of both and other maintenance operations may be readily effected by one operator and without the need for working tools. Disengagement of these two fixture components along one side of the fixture may be effected by simply raising the resilient latch 28 of each of the two hingelatch devices 22 from frictional engagement with the shelf 36 of the reflector and then rotating the two hinge-latch devices clockwise as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2 about their respective pivot pins 24. During this rotational movement the bifurcated hinge 26 of each of the devices 22 will move out of interlocking relationship with respect to the lip 38 of the reflector, thus permitting the light-shielding assembly to swing away from this longitudinal edge of the reflector while being pivotally supported by the hinge-latch devices along the other longitudinal edge of the reflector as shown in FIGURE 1.

Return of the light-shielding assembly to its normally closed position may be effected quite readily by one operator by merely swinging the light-shielding assembly counterclockwise from the phantom to the full position as shown in FIGURE 1. As the hinge-latch device approaches the longitudinal edge of the reflector to which it is to be secured, the bifurcated hinge 26 moves into interlocking engagement with the lip 38 of the reflector and the resilient latch 28 snaps over onto the shelf 36 of the reflector.

What we claim is:

in a lighting fixture, the combination of: an elongated, substantially rectangular, trough-like reflector, each of the longitudinal sides of said reflector having a laterally extending shelf and a lip depending from said shelf and defining a longitudinal edge of said reflector; a substantially rectangular light-shielding panel disposed across the open end of said trough-like reflector; at least two hooks extending laterally from each longitudinal side of said panel; and a fastening device piovtally mounted on each of said hooks and in securing engagement with said reflector, each of said fastening devices comprising a bifurcated hinge having a slot cut in each of the legs thereof and a resilient latch attached at one end thereof to the 3 4 base member of said hinge and extending between the 2,873,471 Swanson F b- 17, 1959 legs thereof,- the lip of said reflector interlocking-with 2,997,321 Bobrick Aug. 22, 1961 the slots in the legs of said bifurcated hinge and the said 3,004,147 Lessner et a1 Oct. 10, 1961 resilient latch overlying and being in frictional engagement with said shelf of said reflector. 5 FOREIGN PATENTS References Qited in the file of this patent 628,739 Great m Sept- 1949 670,709 Great Britain 1952 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,279,595 Phillips Apr. 14, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES 2,736,588 Lindholm Feb. 28, 1956 10 German application 1,669,289, printed Nov. 19, 1959, 2,797,312 Fletcher June 25, 1957 KLll/Gl/U'Z.