Abstract:
An illuminated garment holder includes at least one support member having a free end which is adapted to be secured to a wall or ceiling. The opposite end includes a connecting joint on which an elongated light fixture is rotatably mounted in a generally horizontal position. The light fixture includes a fluorescent bulb or the like, and a translucent lens through which light from the bulb is transmitted to the exterior of the fixture. The fixture can be rotated to any of the number of positions and locked in place to direct the light as desired. The fixture is dimensioned to support clothing hangers for garment displays.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to lighting fixtures, and more in particular, to a lighting fixture which is adapted to be used as a garment hanger and display. 
   2. Background of the Invention 
   Department stores and clothing stores commonly utilize stand alone or wall supported display systems or racks upon which clothing being offered for sale is displayed on conventional garment hangers or the like. In order to make the displays as attractive as possible, complex accent lighting schemes are designed to focus on the garments in a display. Such arrangements are not only complex and relatively expensive, but need to be revised each time a particular display or display rack is moved. Most typically, the displays or display racks themselves are simply pole-like structures which are supported on a floor stand, or from wall or ceiling support structures. Such display stands are offered for sale, for example, by ALU Spa of Italy, and are shown at that company&#39;s website www.alu.com. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a clothing display rack having an integrated illumination system. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an illuminated clothing display rack, which is relatively inexpensive in construction, and economical to manufacture. 
   A further object of the present invention is to provide an illuminated display rack for clothing in which the effects of the illumination can be varied. 
   A further object of the present invention is to provide an illuminated display rack which can be easily adjusted. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an illuminated garment display rack is provided that includes a central generally cylindrical elongated light fixture whose diameter is selected to be such that a garment hanger can be conveniently placed on it. The light fixture has an internal source of light, such as a fluorescent bulb, and a translucent lens mounted thereon through which light from the source is projected. The lens extends across an arc of the cylindrical fixture of less than 180°. 
   The light fixture is rotatably mounted on one or more support arms which can be secured to a wall or ceiling. The rotatable mounting allows the direction in which the light is projected through the lens to be varied, i.e. directed either upwardly towards the ceiling, rearwardly towards the wall, or downwardly towards the garments hanging on the fixture, or anywhere in between. The position of the light fixture can be adjusted without disassembling the fixture, except for temporary removal of the lens. 
   The above, and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view from below of an illuminated garment holder constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view from above of another embodiment of an illuminated garment holder, in this case having a single end support; 
       FIG. 2A  is a partial view, similar to  FIG. 2 , of yet another embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an elbow joint used in the device of the invention; 
       FIG. 3A  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , but of an elbow joint used in the embodiment of FIG.  2 A. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view from another angle of the elbow joint shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view, with parts broken away, of the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  of  FIG. 5 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a plan view, similar to  FIG. 6 , of another embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to  FIG. 1  thereof, an illuminated garment holder  10  is illustrated. The garment holder of this embodiment of the invention includes a pair of generally cylindrical hollow support members  12 ,  14 , which have opposed ends  16 ,  18 , respectively. These support members are adapted to be secured at their ends  16  in conventional support structure  20 , which will support the elements  12 ,  14  horizontally from a wall or vertically from a ceiling. These structures may consist of collars  17  into which the ends  16  of the elements  12  and  14  are inserted to be held in place by set screws or the like. The support structures  20  in turn are mounted on the wall or ceiling in any convenient manner. 
   The illuminated garment holder  10  includes an integrated light fixture  22  supported between the ends  18  of the support elements  12 ,  14 . The light fixture  22  is generally cylindrical in shape, as illustrated for example in  FIG. 6 , and includes an extruded aluminum generally hollow housing  24  and a transparent lens  26 . As seen in  FIG. 6 , housing  24  includes an internal surface  28  having cylindrical channel structures  30  formed therein, and a pair of support bars  32 . A fluorescent light bulb  34  is supported in a conventional manner at its ends on conventional end connectors  36  which in turn are mounted on the bars  32  in any convenient and known manner. 
   As seen in  FIG. 5 , light fixture  22  has opposed end portions  42 , which are closed by circular end plates  44 . These end plates are secured to housing  24  by a pair of screws (not seen in the drawing) which are threaded through holes in the plates into the channels  31  of the channel structure  30  formed in the housing. As a result, the ends of the fixture  22  are relatively flat in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof. 
   Light fixture  22  is connected to support members  14 ,  12  by connector elements  46 , which are also referred to herein as connectors or elbows. These connector elements are illustrated in greater detail in  FIGS. 3 and 4  of the drawings. As seen therein, connectors  46  are generally L-shaped elbows having a first leg  48  and an angularly related leg  50 , located at a 90° angle to each other. Leg  50  has a flat face or end  52  formed thereon at its end, along with a longitudinal threaded bore  54  extending along its longitudinal axis. Flat face or end  52  has a diameter essentially identical to the diameter of the light fixture  22 , and is positioned against plate  44  in the assembled condition of the device. 
   The leg  48  of elbow  46  is formed of two semi-cylindrical clamp elements or legs  55 , seen most clearly in  FIG. 4 , as an integral part of the elbow in a molded aluminum construct or the like. As also seen in  FIG. 4 , these elements are spaced from one another by a slot  56 , and their effective diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the light fixture  22  and the internal diameter of support elements  12 ,  14 , so that a peripheral lip  58  is formed on the elbow whose width is approximately the same as the cylindrical wall thickness of the support elements  12 ,  14 . One of the legs  55  has a threaded opening  60  formed therein, while the other leg has an abutment  62  formed on its inner face in direct alignment with opening  60 . 
   In order to secure the light fixture to support members  12 ,  14 , legs  48  of the elbows  46  are inserted into the ends  18  of support members  12 ,  14 . These support members have openings  64  formed on their inner sides, as seen in  FIG. 5 , through which a set screw  66  (only one of which is seen in  FIG. 5 ) is threadedly engaged into the opening  60 . By threading the screw to its full depth, the inner end  68  thereof engages the opposed abutment  62  in the leg  55 , and causes the two legs  55  to be spread apart into tight friction engagement with the inner surface  70  of support members  12  or  14 . As a result, the elbow is secured tightly to the support member. 
   Light fixture  22  is secured to the other legs  50  of elbows  46  by a hex nipple  72 . A hex nipple is a known mechanical device which consists essentially of a hollow threaded shank  74  (see  FIG. 5 ) and a hexagonal head  76  which has an opening therein communicating with the hollow bore in the shank. 
   With the lens of the light fixture removed, the light fixture is positioned between the ends  52  of the two elbows, and the hex nipple positioned through a central opening formed in the cover plate  44  into threaded engagement with the threaded bore  54  on the leg  50  of each of the elbows. Once the two hex nipples shown in  FIG. 5  are threadedly engaged, the light fixture can be rotated through 360° into the desired position so that the opening on which the lens is placed can be directed upwardly, laterally, or downwardly. When the desired position is established, the hex nipples are tightened down and the rotatable light fixture is secured in place. Of course, if it is desired to change the angle at which light is directed, it is a simple matter to slightly loosen the hex nipples, rotate housing  24  to the new position and tighten them again. 
   As also seen in  FIG. 5 , threaded bore  54  communicates with an extension of the bore  78  formed in the leg  48  of the elbow. Thus, the two bores  54 ,  78  form a wireway or passage for the power supply wiring to the light fixture. 
   In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 , power is supplied through wires extending through the wall and support member  20 , through the leg  14 , the bores  78 ,  54 , into the light fixture. There the power wires are connected in any convenient manner to the electrical support and contacts  36  for the fluorescent bulb  34 . 
   In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a plug-in arrangement  80  for the power supply is provided. As seen therein, this power supply includes a ballast  82  with an outlet wire  84  extending through a hole  86  in leg  12 , whereby the wire can pass through the support member  12  and the bores  78 ,  54  to supply current to the lamp. 
   In the embodiment  10 ′ of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a single lamp support leg  12 ′ is provided mounted by the structure  20  to the wall or the ceiling of a room. Leg  12 ′ is also connected to an elbow  46  as described above, of identical construction to that shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Lamp fixture  22 ′ is also of identical construction, and secured at one end  42  thereof, to elbow  46 . The other end, as illustrated in the drawing, is unsupported, and simply closed by an end plate  44 . Again, the light fixture  22 ′ has a diameter sufficient to support a garment hanger in the garment display. 
   In the embodiment  10 ″ of  FIG. 2A  a single joint between a support  12  and light fixture  18  is shown which is suitable for use with either the embodiment of  FIG. 1  or FIG.  2 . In this case the end  121  of the support member  12  (opposite the end  121 ′ that is supported on a wall or the like) is cut at a 45° angle. The adjacent end  24 ′ of housing  24  is cylindrical and also cut at a 45° to mate with the 45° angle end of member  12 . These two ends respectively receive the legs  50 ′,  48 ′ of an elbow  46 ′. These legs are identical to each other and to leg  48  described above with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , except that they are generally uniform in diameter to fit entirely in the ends  12 ′ and  24 ′ of support  12  and housing  24 . They are secured to the ends  12 ′,  24 ′ by set screws as described above, which force legs  55  apart. As a result, the elbow is entirely concealed, as seen in FIG.  2 A. 
   In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 7 , lighting fixture  22  is identical to the fixture as previously described, except in this case one end  90  thereof, including the end plate  32 , is secured directly to a wall to extend therefrom, for example, by bolts through the end plate  44  into the wall (not shown). 
   A ballast  92  is provided in an electrical supply line  94  which is connected through a portion of the housing  24  to provide current to the bulb  34  therein. The opposite end of the fixture  22 , i.e. the right end as seen in  FIG. 7 , has a threaded extension  96  on its end plate  44 . An end cap  98  of greater diameter than housing  24  is threadedly engaged on that extension, to form a stop for garment hangers supported on the fixture. 
   Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention.