Abstract:
A directionally adjustable pool light includes a lamp assembly having a body encircled by a collar. The collar includes a conical portion and the body partially defines a spherical space. The body has posts along an axis running centrally through the spherical space and is held against the conical portion by the posts. Rotating an adjusting screw accessible through the collar causes the body to rotate. A pivoting frame and adjustment nut couple the adjusting screw to the body, with the frame sliding relative to the body. LEDs are located substantially centrally in the spherical space, a trim cover is located over the collar, and a removable diffuser over the LEDs is surrounded by the collar.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Submersed lighting is known in the art, including light assemblies for installation in swimming pools and hot tubs. These light assemblies typically include a waterproofed light source, such as incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs, or an LED array, sealed in a housing and installed in an enclosure below the water line. In pool and hot tub installations, the enclosure is typically embedded in a wall or floor, including flush mounted in the plaster walls of a pool. Since the enclosures are permanently installed, other than dislodging the housing to change a malfunctioning unit, these apparatus and their associated luminance are fixed in place. 
         [0002]    An improvement in the art allows directional customization, wherein the luminance angle can be changed and set by a user according to preference. Thus, submersed lighting apparatus have been developed to alter the lamp housing angle relative to a pool wall or floor. Such apparatus can include a customized slanted fastening ring or rings under the housing that change its mounting angle, a disfavored design requiring disassembly of the apparatus, which is difficult under water. Another known method of changing an illumination angle is to provide threaded rods and clamping discs around a housing. Loosening the rods separates the clamping disks, allowing a user to tilt the housing before re-tightening the rods to secure it in place. This method is also disfavored, requiring at least partial disassembly of the unit and relying on a user&#39;s grasp to change the lamp angle which can be inaccurate, and requires touching powered components of the unit under water. 
         [0003]    Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide an underwater light apparatus, including a light for a pool or hot tub, which is permanently installed but can be adjusted according to preference. Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable pool light that can be adjusted without disassembly. Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable pool light that can be accurately adjusted in different directions using a single control. Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable pool light that remains substantially flush with a pool wall even when adjusted Another object of the invention is to provide an easily adjustable pool light with luminance that can be color customized according to user preference without disassembly. These and other objects of the invention are more fully discussed in the following summary, description and claims. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In one embodiment, a directionally adjustable pool light for embedding in a swimming pool surface includes a lamp assembly with a body encircled by a collar. The collar has a conical portion, and the body at least partially defines a spherical space. The body also has posts on an axis running through the spherical space. The body is held against the conical portion by the posts. An adjusting screw accessible through the collar is coupled to the body, and rotating the adjusting screw causes the body to rotate relative to the collar. 
         [0005]    In this embodiment the pool light may also include a housing for receiving the lamp assembly. The posts are preferably disposed in linear opposition to each other on the body, and the axis extends centrally through the spherical space. A frame may couple the adjusting screw to the body, such that rotating the adjusting screw rotates the body about the axis, and the body preferably defines the spherical space at a location adjacent the body&#39;s contact with the conical portion. 
         [0006]    The pool light may include one or more LEDs disposed substantially centrally in the spherical space, and may include a frame that slidably engages the body such that the adjusting screw moves the frame relative to the collar. An adjustment nut may be pivotally coupled to the frame slidably engaging the body, such that the adjusting screw moves the adjustment nut relative to the collar. To present an attractive appearance, a trim cover is placed over the collar, and a removable diffuser is surrounded by the collar. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment, a directionally adjustable pool light for installing in a pool&#39;s surface includes a lamp assembly and a housing for receiving the lamp assembly. The lamp assembly has a body and a collar for coupling the lamp assembly to the housing, the collar having a conical portion. The body also at least partially defines a spherical space with opposing posts along an axis extending centrally through the spherical space. The body is held against the conical portion by the posts and an adjusting screw, accessible through the collar, is coupled to a frame. The frame is coupled to the body so that rotating the adjusting screw causes the body to rotate about the axis relative to the collar. 
         [0008]    In this embodiment, the body preferably defines the spherical space adjacent the body&#39;s contact with the conical portion. The pool light may have one or more LEDs disposed substantially centrally in the spherical space. In this embodiment, the frame may slidably engage the body such that the adjusting screw moves the frame relative to the collar. Preferably an adjustment nut is pivotally coupled to the frame, which slidably engages the body, and the adjusting screw moves the adjustment nut relative to the collar. A trim cover is placed over the collar, and a removable diffuser is surrounded by the collar to provide an attractive appearance. 
         [0009]    In yet another embodiment, a directionally adjustable pool light includes a lamp assembly having a body and a collar. The collar includes a conical portion encircling the body, and the body defines a sphere which is in contact with the collar and rotates about an axis running centrally through the sphere. A frame, which couples the body to the collar rotates normal to the axis and an adjusting screw is held in the collar and coupled to the frame, so that rotating the adjusting screw causes the body to rotate about the axis relative to the collar. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an adjustable pool light installed in a conventional pool lamp housing; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of the pool light; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a section view of the pool light with a centrally aimed lamp body; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates a section view of the pool light with the lamp body aimed downward; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates a section view of the pool light with the lamp body aimed upward; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  illustrates a section view of the pool light showing the lamp body connected to a sliding rail of a frame; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate an electrical connector of the pool light with a connector nut in a disengaged and an engaged position, respectively. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 1  an adjustable pool light  10  comprises an adjustable lamp assembly  12  mounted in a standard pool light housing  14 . The housing  14  includes a flange  16  for affixing it to a pool wall (not shown) during construction, preferably before plastering. The housing  14  also includes a conduit port  18  for coupling to an electrical supply (not shown). When the pool light  10  is installed, the lamp assembly  12  is retained by the housing  14 , and a collar  20  of the lamp assembly  12  is covered by a trim cover  22  to provide a decorative appearance. In one exemplary embodiment, to create a smooth uniform appearance, the trim cover  22  may engage the collar  20  with low profile clips  24  that ‘snap’ the trim cover  22  in place on the collar  20 . 
         [0018]    The lamp assembly  12  includes a diffuser  26  attached or coupled to a lamp base or lamp body (body)  28  ( FIGS. 2-6 ). The body  28  is nested in and retained by the collar  20 . The diffuser  26  may blur and scatter light to help prevent illumination hot spots. A tilt adjustment control  30  allows users to change the angle of the diffuser  26  (i.e., the body  28 ) relative to the collar  20  and trim cover  22  to customize the direction of pool illumination according to user preference. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , components of the lamp assembly  12  are shown. Nested in the collar  20  and surrounded by the trim cover  22 , the diffuser  26  covers LEDs  34  on a printed circuit board (PCB)  32  retained against the body  28 . The LEDs  34  on the PCB  32  supply illumination and are preferably high-output LEDs  34 . PCB screws  36  secure the PCB  32  to the body  28  in the illustrated embodiment, although any effective attachment method is contemplated. To prevent water from reaching the PCB  32  and LEDs  34 , lamp gaskets  38 , including, for example, multiple o-ring type lamp gaskets  38  are disposed between the diffuser  26  and body  28 . 
         [0020]    A set of electric terminals  40  (pins in the illustrated embodiment) in the body  28  connect the PCB  32  to a powered connector  42  with complimentary sockets  44 . The connector  42  preferably includes a keyed profile  46  for ease of installation. Like the diffuser  26  and body  28 , connector gaskets  48  including, for example, multiple o-ring type connector gaskets  48  prevent water intrusion when the connector  42  is plugged and secured in the body  28 . For a more secure connection, a connector nut  50  holds the connector  42  against the body  28  in a threaded engagement. The connector  42  receives power through a cable  52  that preferably includes a molded strain relief  54 . 
         [0021]    The body  28  includes fins  56  to reduce material volume and weight, and may operate as heat sinks, dissipating any excess heat from the LEDs  34 . Opposing posts  58  on the body  28  engage a cowl portion  60  of the collar  20 , the cowl portion  60  having slots  62  for accommodating the posts.  58 . The cowl portion  60  is sized smaller than the body  28  to prevent the body  28  from passing through the collar  20  and to maintain the posts  58  in position in the slots  62 . Fastener seats  64  are provided on the collar  20 , for securing it to the housing  14 , and are obscured by the trim cover  22 . In one embodiment, when the body  28  is pressed into the collar  20  with appropriate pressure, the cowl portion  60  deforms slightly, allowing the posts  58  to snap into the slots  62 . With the posts  58  anchored in the slots  62  and the body  28  engaged by the cowl portion  60 , the body  28  is confined to back-and-forth movement about a central axis  66  defined by the posts  58 . 
         [0022]    Lamp assembly  12  movement about the central axis  66  is governed by an adjustment screw  68  in the adjustment control  30 , extending through the collar  20 . The adjustment screw  68  is retained relative to the collar  20  by a plug  70  in the collar  20 . The adjustment screw  68  travels through the plug  70  to engage an adjustment nut  72  having a threaded insert  74 . The adjustment nut  72  moves back-and-forth as the adjustment screw  68  turns, and includes a screw retainer  76  to prevent the adjustment nut  72  from disengaging the adjustment screw  68 . 
         [0023]    The adjustment nut  72  is hingedly coupled to a frame  78  by a hinge pin  80 . The frame  78  includes rails  82  that slidably engage the body  28 . When the adjustment screw  68  is rotated, the plug  70  holds its position relative to the collar  20  and the adjustment nut  72  is urged forward or backward along the adjustment screw  68 , causing an accompanying movement of the frame  78  and rails  82 , and corresponding rotation of the body  28  about the central axis  66   
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , the pool light  10  is shown in various stages of adjustment.  FIG. 3  shows the pool light  10  aimed straight forward (i.e., similar to conventional pool lights). In this position the adjustment nut  72  is disposed midway along the adjustment screw  68  and the rails  82  are substantially vertical. The body  28  defines a portion of a spherical space  84  where it engages the cowl portion  60 , with the LEDs  34  disposed near the middle of the spherical space  84  and the spherical space  84  is centered on the posts  58  along the central axis  66 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  shows the pool light  10  adjusted to point downward. In this configuration the adjustment screw  68  has been rotated, urging the threaded insert  74  and adjustment nut  72  toward the collar  20  where they meet the plug  70  which stops them from travelling further. The adjustment nut  72  pulls the top of the frame  78 , rotating the frame  78  on the hinge pin  80 . As the frame  78  rotates relative to the adjustment nut  72  the rails  82  deflect and change the orientation of the body  28 , in the illustrated embodiment a maximum of ten degrees downward. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  shows the pool light  10  adjusted to point upward. In this configuration the adjustment screw  68  has been rotated in the reverse direction, urging the threaded insert  74  and adjustment nut  72  away from the collar  20  until they meet the screw retainer  76  which stops them from travelling further. The adjustment nut  72  pushes the top of the frame  78 , rotating the frame  78  on the hinge pin  80 . As the frame  78  rotates relative to the adjustment nut  72 , the rails  82  deflect and change the orientation of the body  28 , in the illustrated embodiment a maximum of ten degrees upward. Because the posts  58  bisect the spherical space  84  and the LEDs  34  are clustered near the center of the spherical space  84 , the body  28  rotates in the collar  20  changing the orientation of the LEDs  34  without changing their position in the pool light  10 , thereby providing an attractive and aesthetically pleasing ocular-like tilting movement. 
         [0027]      FIG. 6  shows a cross section of the pool light  10  along the central axis  66 . The rails  82  are held in a sliding arrangement in the body  28  by channels  86  formed in the fins  56 . Since the rails  82  are out of alignment with the central axis  66 , the channels  86  allow the rails  82  to slide up and down as they rotate the body  28 . In this view the fasteners  88  for affixing the collar  20  to the housing  14  are also shown. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  show the sliding nature of the connector nut  50  when the cable  52  is disconnected ( FIG. 7A ) and connected ( FIG. 7B ). The connector nut  50  urges the connector gaskets  48  into the body  28  for a water-proof connection with the connector  42 . Preferably, the strain relief  54  serves as a stop for the connector nut  50 , preventing it from sliding down the cable  52  when disconnected from the body  28 . 
         [0029]    The pool light  10  apparatus having been shown and described, its method of use will now be discussed. 
         [0030]    To install the pool light  10 , a user first anchors the housing  14  in the pool wall (or pool bottom) prior to plastering by securing the flange  16  against a mounting surface (not shown). The electrical supply is attached to the conduit port  18 , with the cable  52  terminating in the connector  42 . The connector  42  is inserted into the body  28  to connect the electric terminals  40 , and the connector nut  50  is tightened to drive the connector gaskets  48  into the body  28  to form a water-tight connection. Any excess cable  52  is pushed into the housing  14  and the collar  20  is connected to the housing  14  by installing fasteners  88  in the fastener seats  64 . The trim cover  22  is then attached over the collar  20  around the diffuser  26 . The pool light  10  is then connected to a power supply for operation. 
         [0031]    To adjust the pool light  10 , a user inserts a tool (not shown) such as a screwdriver or Allen key in the tilt adjustment control  30  on the collar  20 . The tool travels through the tilt adjustment control  30  until it engages the adjustment screw  68 . By rotating the adjustment screw  68  in one direction, it acts on the threaded insert  74 , pulling the adjustment nut  72  toward the collar  20 . As the adjustment nut  72  moves toward the collar  20 , the hinge pin  80  translates linear movement into rotational movement of the frame  78 . As the frame  78  rotates, the rails  82  urge the body  28  into rotational movement. With the posts  58  secured in the slots  62 , the body  28  moves about the central axis  66 , aiming it (i.e., the LEDs  34 ) in an increasingly downward direction. The rails  82  slide relative to the body  28  in the channels  86 , thereby avoiding binding as they rotate the body  28 . When the adjustment nut  72  reaches the plug  70 , the pool light  10  has reached is maximum downward angle, in one embodiment ten degrees from an un-tilted position. The pool light  10  can remain in the downward adjusted configuration indefinitely, or changed according to preference. Because the diffuser  26  is disposed on the body  28  forward of the conical portion  60  of the collar  20 , the diffuser  26  can be easily removed and replaced with a diffuser  26  of a different color. 
         [0032]    To counter-adjust the pool light  10 , the user re-inserts the tool and rotates the adjustment screw  68  in the opposite direction. The adjustment screw  68  urges the threaded insert  74  and adjustment nut  72  away from the collar  20 . The hinge pin  80  translates linear movement of the adjustment nut  72  into rotational movement of the frame  78 . As the frame  78  rotates, the rails  82  urge the body  28  back toward an un-tilted position, and with continued rotation of the adjustment screw  68 , into a new position tilted in the opposite direction (i.e., upward). During this process the body  28  continues rotating on the posts  58  along the central axis  66 , and the rails  82  slide through the channels  86  as necessary. When the adjustment nut  72  reaches the screw retainer  76 , the pool light  10  has reached its maximum upward angle, in one embodiment ten degrees from an un-tilted position. The pool light  10  can also remain in an upward adjusted configuration indefinitely, or changed according to preference. 
         [0033]    The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the Invention is sufficient in detail to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is understood, however, that the detail of the preferred embodiment presented is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, in as much as equivalents thereof and other modifications which come within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification.