Abstract:
A floodlight fixture includes a base, a reflector assembly, an aiming mechanism coupled between the base and the reflector assembly, and a relamping mechanism coupled between the base and the reflector assembly. The aiming mechanism permits movement of the reflector assembly relative to the base to aim the reflector assembly and includes a locking mechanism used to fix a configuration of the aiming mechanism. The relamping mechanism permits movement of the reflector assembly between an aimed position and a relamping position without manipulating the locking mechanism to affect the configuration of the aiming mechanism.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to relamping a light fixture. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Floodlights may be used to illuminate a large area, such as a sports field. The floodlights typically are mounted in an array and attached to a cage that is then elevated and mounted on a pole or lighting stand. Each floodlight then is aimed at a position on the field to provide desired total illumination of the field. The cage has a walkway behind the floodlights for use by service personnel in accessing the lights. 
     To relamp a conventional floodlight from the walkway behind the array, a service person may reach around the array to access the lamp. This offers considerable risk of falling, or of dropping the lamp. 
     As an alternative, the service person may turn the floodlight away from the field to access the lamp, replace the lamp, and return the floodlight back to being aimed at the field. This procedure risks losing the desired aiming of the floodlight once it is returned to being aimed at the field. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,933 describes one attempt to solve this problem by using a flat positioning plate against which the floodlight abuts when in the aimed position. The plate has an arcuate slot through which a screw extends to secure the plate to a bracket. This screw is loosened when initially aiming the floodlight so that the plate can be moved to accommodate the desired aiming of the floodlight. Once the floodlight is properly aimed and bolted in place, the screw is tightened to secure the plate in place. Thereafter, the floodlight may be relamped by loosening the bolts and moving the floodlight to a relamping position. The floodlight is then returned to its aimed position by moving the floodlight until it contacts the positioning plate. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one general aspect, a floodlight fixture includes a base, a reflector assembly, an aiming mechanism coupled between the base and the reflector assembly, and a relamping mechanism coupled between the base and the reflector assembly. The aiming mechanism permits movement of the reflector assembly relative to the base to aim the reflector assembly and includes a locking mechanism used to fix a configuration of the aiming mechanism. The relamping mechanism permits movement of the reflector assembly between an aimed position and a relamping position without manipulating the locking mechanism to affect the configuration of the aiming mechanism. 
     Embodiments may include one or more of the following features. For example, the relamping mechanism of the floodlight fixture may include at least one hinge plate and at least one mounting guide that includes a plate having a stop ledge perpendicular to the plate, a first end of the hinge plate being rotatably connected to the mounting guide. A second end of the hinge plate may be rotatably connected to the reflector assembly by an aiming bolt. 
     The mounting guide may be connected to a first end of an arm with a second end of the arm connected to the base so that the position of the arm relative to the base is fixed. The relamping mechanism may further include a second hinge plate connected to a second mounting guide, with the second mounting guide being connected to a first end of a second arm and a second end of the second arm being connected to the base. 
     The mounting guide may further include a pair of brackets mounted perpendicularly to the plate and positioned on a side opposite from the stop ledge and the brackets may surround a portion of the arm. The mounting guide may be connected to the hinge plate and arm by a lamping bolt that is loosenable to permit moving the reflector assembly between the aimed position and the relamping position. The bracket may be configured to fix the position of the mounting guide relative to the arm. 
     The hinge plate may rest against the stop ledge in the aiming position. The relamping mechanism may be configured to permit the rotation of the hinge plate in one direction when the hinge plate rests against the stop ledge. The position of the reflector assembly relative to the hinge plate may be the same in the aiming position and the relamping position. The reflector assembly may include a reflector and the aiming mechanism, and the aiming mechanism may include at least one socket. The aiming mechanism may further include an aiming sight including a slot and a tab mounted on the socket. The locking mechanism may include at least one aiming bolt and the aiming bolt may pass from a second end of the hinge plate into the socket. 
     In another general aspect, a method of changing a lamp in a floodlight fixture includes providing a floodlight fixture, moving the reflector assembly from the aiming position to the relamping position, changing the lamp, and returning the reflector assembly to the aiming position. The floodlight fixture includes a base, a reflector assembly, an aiming mechanism coupled between the base and the reflector assembly, and a relamping mechanism coupled between the base and the reflector assembly. The aiming mechanism permits movement of the reflector assembly relative to the base to aim the reflector assembly and includes a locking mechanism to fix a configuration of the aiming mechanism. The relamping mechanism permits movement of the reflector assembly between an aimed position and a relamping position without manipulating the locking mechanism to affect the configuration of the aiming mechanism. The position of each hinge plate relative to the reflector assembly in the aiming position is the same after lamping as it was before lamping. 
     The floodlight fixture provides considerable advantages, such as the ability to relamp without losing the aiming of the floodlight fixture or reaching around the array of floodlights, thereby reducing the risk that the service person may drop the lamp or fall from the cage. In addition, relamping is accomplished without manipulating the fixture&#39;s aiming bolts, which eliminates any chance of affecting aiming as a result of relamping. 
     Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description, including the drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floodlight fixture in an aimed position. 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the fixture of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the fixture of FIG. 1 in which the aiming position has been changed. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 are side and top views of an arm of the fixture of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of a mounting guide of the fixture of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a socket of the fixture of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the socket of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fixture of FIG. 1 in a relamping position. 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 are side and rear views of the fixture of FIG. 1 in a second relamping position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a sports floodlight fixture  100  in an aiming position includes a reflector  105  having a face  107 , a pair of connection sockets  110 , a pair of hinge plates  115 , a pair of arms  120 , a pair of mounting guides  123 , and an aiming base  125 . The base  125  is rotatable about an axis of a connection bolt  127  (FIG. 2) to permit aiming of the reflector relative to that axis. The base includes an angle indicator  129  for use in monitoring the rotational position of the base  125 . 
     The arms  120  extend from the base  125 . The mounting guides  123  are secured to ends of the arms  120 . The hinge plates  115  are rotatably connected to the ends of the arms  120 . The mounting guides  123  ensure that the hinge plates  115  may be positioned in a fixed, known configuration relative to the arms  120 . 
     The connection sockets  110  are coaxial, extend from the reflector, and are rotatably mounted to the hinge plates  115  by a pair of aiming bolts  130 . The orientation of the reflector  105  relative to the hinge plates  115  (and the arms  120 ) can be varied by loosening the aiming bolts  130 , which pass through the hinge plates into the sockets  110 . The position of the reflector  105  is varied to permit aiming of the reflector at a target, such as an area of a sports field. 
     An aiming sight  135  is positioned on one of the sockets and is used to aim the reflector. The aiming sight includes a slot  140  and a tab  145 . To aim the reflector at a particular location, the user rotates the reflector  105  while looking at a particular location until the tab  145  visually fits within the slot  140  while the user is looking at the particular location. The user then tightens the aiming bolts  130  to fix the aim of the floodlight. 
     Referring also to FIG. 3, the reflector  105  may be aimed to be directed at a different location than that at which the reflector was aimed in FIGS. 1 and 2 by loosening bolts  130 . Again, once the floodlight&#39;s aiming is at the desired location, bolts  130  are tightened to fix the aim. 
     Referring also to FIGS. 4 and 5, the arms  120  are mounted to the aiming base  125  with a pair of bolts  150  that pass through a pair of channels  155  in first ends  157  of the arms  120 . The arms  120  rest against a pair of ledges  160  on the base  125 . The ledges prevent the arms from rotating relative to the aiming base  125 , thereby assuring that the position of arms  120  will remain constant and not affect the aiming of the reflector  105 . Each arm  120  also has a second channel  165  at a second end  167  of the arm. A mounting guide  123  is mounted to the second end  167  of an arm  120  by a lamping bolt  170  that extends through the channel  165 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6, a mounting guide  123  includes a stop ledge  173  on one side and a pair of brackets  175  on the other side. The brackets  175  slide over and fit around the second end  167  of an arm  120  when the mounting guide  123  is mounted on the arm  120 . Lamping bolt  170  passes through a channel  180  in mounting guide  123 . The brackets  175  ensure that the position of the mounting guide  123  relative to the arm  120  is constant. The stop ledge  173  ensures that the hinge plate  115  may be moved to a fixed, known position relative to the arm  120  (with the hinge plate abutting the stop ledge) when the fixture is in an aimed position. The hinge plates  115  can be used to move the reflector  105  relative to the arms  120  between an aimed position and a relamping position by loosening the lamping bolts  170  and rotating the reflector about an axis YY passing between the lamping bolts  170 . 
     The aiming base permits rotation of the floodlight fixture  100  about an axis perpendicular to the axis YY of the fastening bolts  170  (i.e., the axis of the connection bolt  127 ). Thus, the combination of the aiming provided by the aiming base  125  and the rotatable mounting of the sockets  110  to the hinge plates  115  provides aiming in the horizontal and vertical directions. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a socket  110  includes a first opening  200  surrounded at a first end  205  by a flange  210 . The flange  210  has, for example, five mounting holes  215  for mounting the socket  110  to the reflector  105 . When mounted, the flange  210  is flush with the reflector  105 . A gasket, not shown, may be placed between the flange  210  and the reflector  105  to provide a close fit between the socket  110  and reflector. The socket  110  also includes an opening  220  at a second end  225  for receiving an aiming bolt  130 . 
     Referring to FIG. 9, the reflector  105  may be repositioned from the aiming position to a relamping position that is approximately 90 degrees from the aiming position. In this position, the face  107  may be accessed from the rear side of fixture  100  to replace a lamp. To reposition the reflector  105 , the lamping bolts  170  are loosened and reflector  105  is rotated about axis YY. After the lamp is replaced, the reflector  105  is returned to the aiming position by rotating the reflector in the opposite direction from which it had been previously rotated until hinge plates  115  rest against stop ledges  173  of mounting guides  123 . Bolts  170  then are tightened to secure reflector in place. 
     In the method of relamping described above, obtaining a repeatable, desired aiming of the floodlight fixture  100  is ensured because the aiming is controlled by the attachment of hinge plates  115  to sockets  110  with aiming bolts  130  and the attachment of arms  120  to aiming base  125  with bolts  150 , neither of which is varied during relamping. The interaction between the hinge plates  115  and the stop ledges  173  ensures that the reflector  105  returns to the aimed position after relamping. 
     Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, aiming base  125  may have a relamping stop  300  against which the reflector  105  sits during relamping. The stop  300  protects the aiming base  125  and reflector  105  from damage when the reflector is being moved to the relamping position.