Abstract:
A lighting fixture employing a cover or lens, preferably of flat glass or plastic. A slidable or pivotal retaining clip is provided for either opposite corners or for each corner of the cover. Each clip acts to hold the cover lens without the need for a surround frame. The retainer clips are slidable or pivotal between a hold position clamping the lens to the fixture body and a release position in which the fixture is freed of the retaining or clamping action of the clip. In the release position, the clip is held on the face of the fixture by holding stops on the fixture body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Lighting fixtures generally include a body faced with a lens or glass cover surrounded by a frame. Suitable retention means are provided on the fixture body to grip the frame and hold the cover in place. Over center linkages or latches are frequently used to snap and hold the cover frame against the fixture body. By operating the linkage to its open condition, the cover or lens may be opened or removed for replacement or to enable access to the fixture interior for replacement of the fixture lamp or other components. 
     Other fixtures employ a hinge at one end of the cover frame and a latch at the opposite end to enable opening and closure of the fixture cover or lens. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a lighting fixture having a frameless lens or refractor covering the fixture opening. To provide such a fixture which can be readily opened, we provide clips holding the cover along its rectangular edge surfaces. The clips in one form may be individually pivotal between a closed position holding the cover in a closed position and a released position in which the clip is free of engagement with the cover. In another form, each clip is individually slidable between the cover engaging position and an engagement free position, the clips being held on the fixture body in the engagement free position. Either two clips on the opposite corners of the housing or four clips at each corner are used. 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved fixture closure apparatus which is adapted for use with a frameless glass or clear plastic cover. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved closure for a lighting fixture which employs spring action clips for holding the cover or closure in a closed position and which allows the cover to be opened when desired. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to provide a floodlight in which a rectangular front lens is tightly yet removably held to the housing by the use of two clamping members at opposite corners of the lens. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view in elevation of a lighting fixture employing my invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view in elevation, partially broken away to show the interior thereof, of the fixture of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial view in section taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view in elevation of a typical clip as shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom view in elevation of the clip of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a right side view of the clip of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a rear view of the clip of FIG. 6; and 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view seen from the rear thereof of a clip showing a second embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In FIG. 1, we show a lighting fixture 10 of a generally known type, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,540, issued Aug. 27, 1974. In such a lighting fixture, there is an enclosing housing 12 which may be of suitably efficient heat transfer material such as cast aluminum or the like. The housing 12 has an essentially rectangular front face 14 from which the housing curves away to a curvilinear concave rear wall 16. Adjacent the rear wall 16 on the inside is a concave reflector 18 which is suitably affixed to the rear wall. The fixture as shown is a high intensity quartz floodlight. At the lateral sides of the housing within the fixture, there are two spaced apart sockets 20 for holding the respective ends of the high intensity lamp 22, the lamp being generally tubular with connectors 24 mating with the sockets at both lateral ends. 
     At the front face of the fixture, the stationary housing 12 defines the lamp opening with a planar peripheral rim 30. The rim 30 has a peripheral raised edge 32 as continuation of the wall of the housing leading outwardly to a channel recess 34 which in turn terminates in an upturned flange 36. The upturned flange 36 preferably extends through the midportion of the sides and terminates adjacent the corners of the housing, leaving a gap at each corner of the housing between the otherwise continuous flanges 36. 
     For enclosing the rectangular front face opening 14, a glass lens 40 of at least 1/8&#34; thickness with rounded corners 42 is employed. A rigid clear plastic lens could also be used. No frame is required for the lens due to the use of the closure construction shown herein. The lens is sized to cover the housing front opening and is slightly smaller in area than the front area circumscribed by the flange 36 on top, bottom and sides. 
     In FIG. 1 there can be seen through the flat translucent lens 40, the raised continuous rim 32 defining the extent of the walls of the fixture and the front opening. In FIGS. 2 and 3 there can be seen an outward channel recess 34 which carries a spongy resilient pressure sensitive gasket 44 of rectangular cross section. The gasket acts to cushion the edges of the lens and space the lens away from the raised rim. Thus, the thickness of the gasket 44 even when compressed must be greater than the height of the raised rim. 
     The outer flange 36 extends on all four sides of the housing and as mentioned is recessed at the corners of the housing. The flange acts as a limit stop to prevent movement of the lens away from the housing opening. Along the top edge, the flange 36 has an outwardly directed border 46 along the intermediate area thereof (see FIGS. 1 and 3). 
     Each flange 36 has an inwardly directed projection 48 at one end, there being four such projections 48 as seen best in FIG. 1. 
     To support the lens 40 on the front of the housing, four clips 50 are employed. A sample of one of these clips 50 is shown in detail in FIGS. 4-7. Each clip 50 is adapted to ride on the flange 36 of the housing as shown in FIG. 1. Each clip 50 is essentially S-shaped (FIG. 6) and has a mounting portion adapted to ride on the flange and a depending lens holding finger. 
     The clip 50 of FIGS. 4-7 is formed of material such as spring tempered stainless steel. In section, the clip has a rolled edge 52 seen in cross section (FIG. 6) as a section of cylindrical tube. The clip 50 further extends annularly through a flatted back support section 54 to a recurved section 56 which extends along approximately one half of the length of the clip. The innermost edge of the recurved section 56 is deflected inwardly at corner tip 58, for reasons which will be explained subsequently. 
     Adjacent the recurved section 56, the clip has an extending finger 60 with an upturned outer edge surface 62, a contact line 64 being defined at the juncture of the finger body 66 and the upturned edge surface 62. 
     A clip 50 is mounted on the housing flange 36 with one clip on each flange. As mounted on the flange (see FIG. 3) the rolled edge 52 rests on the backside 70 of the flange with the flatted back 54 resting along the outside of the flange height. The recurved section 56 rests inside the flange terminating in the channel recess 34 adjacent the gasket 44. The finger 60 rests in the plane of the lens outer surface 72. The clip 50 is slidable from a lens retaining position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 to a lens release position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1. With the clip in the lens retaining position, the clip is inward of the corner of the housing with the finger overlying the corner of the lens. By sliding the clip outwardly, the clip finger may be positined out of contact with the rounded corner 42 of the lens defining the lens release position, enabling removal of the lens. 
     The projection 48 on the outer edge of the flange 36 serves as a stop to impede and prevent further outward movement of the clip by engaging the inturned tip 58 of the recurved section. In this way, a clip once mounted on the housing flange is slidable to the extent allowed by the flange projection and therefore cannot fall off or readily be removed from the housing. The spring tension of the clip holds the lens tightly in place by its engagement with the lens outer surface 72 with the clip in the retaining position. Four such clips 50 are provided, each being individually slidable between the release position and the lens retaining position. 
     In FIG. 8, we show an alternative type of clip 80 in which the clip has a rivet opening 82 to enable the clip to be riveted to the housing. The clip of FIG. 8 has much the same shape as the clip of FIGS. 3-7 including lens gripping finger 84 a recurved position, a flat flange resting section 88 and an outer flat or rolled edge 90. The clip 80 of FIG. 8 is pivoted between its lens retaining position and a release position angularly disposed to release the engagement with the lens. Four clips would again be provided one adjacent each corner, each clip mounted by a rivet through a suitable opening in the flange wall. 
     We have found that where the cover lens is glass of suitable thickness, we can hold the glass lens sufficiently tight using only two clips. The rigidity of the glass lens combined with the resilience of the gasket 44 produce a fluid tight seal for the lamp housing and sufficient holding force for the glass cover. Preferably the clips slidable on horizontal edges of the cover lens are used. The lower clip prevents the cover lens from sliding down under the effect of gravity with the flanges providing limit stops to prevent the lens from falling off the housing in the event of unforseen external conditions. 
     We note that a suitable gasket for use with the two clip arrangements is one of medium hard silicone sponge gasket material. The glass lens used for the two clip arrangements may be of 1/8&#34; thickness. A suitable spring clip nay be 26 gauge spring tempered stainless steel. These materials are also suitale for use with the four clip arrangement described.