Pin light assembly

A pin light assembly with specialized elastomeric grommet and cylindrical pin attached to the light lens for installation into the substrate of a spa wall that overcomes minimum outer diameter light limitations found in the prior art elastomeric grommet installation systems wherein the elastomeric grommet portion of the pin light assembly receives the LED light thereby eliminating the need for a tube to receive the LED and have a separate elastomeric grommet installed outside of the light lens tube. Optional features include retaining features such as a barb around the cylindrical pin or a retaining flange with undercut at the termination of the cylindrical pin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The field of this invention relates generally to the field of pin light assemblies for use in portable spas, and more particularly toward an improved single LED light employing an elastomeric grommet seal.

Description of the Prior Art

Portable spas are popular means for providing relaxation and recovery from exertion to the body. Portable spas are often employed after dark in which case lights are employed inside of the spa to illuminate the spa for the occupants. In a typical scenario, pin lights, i.e., single LED light assemblies are often employed for this purpose. In a typical assembly, there is a relatively small light lens that is illuminated by the single LED light source. A transparent or translucent light lens creates a finished appearance for such LED lighting.

The front face of the light lens can be of varying design and can have any number of patterns. The light lens doubles as a flange and has a cylindrical tube extruded from the back side of the lens with an inner diameter large enough to accommodate a single LED light within the tube in which the pin light is housed. The outer diameter of the cylindrical tube could be smooth to accept an elastomeric grommet or it could be threaded for use with a nut. The benefit for using an elastomeric grommet for installation, rather than a nut, is that the elastomeric grommet can be installed more quickly, which reduces labor costs and speeds up production.

The elastomeric grommet seal is formed by radial compression within a hole in the spa substrate caused by a tube diameter of the light lens being larger than the inner diameter of the elastomeric grommet, which forces the elastomeric grommet to compress tightly against the inner diameter of the hole. A significant negative point when the elastomeric grommet is employed in the standard single LED pin light assembly is that the elastomeric grommet outer diameter requires a larger flange and outer diameter of the light lens than is required by the nut style assembly. The larger flange is required because of the fixed size of the LED coupled with the minimum thickness of the light lens tube surrounding the LED. Further, the thickness of the elastomeric grommet surrounding the light lens tube needs to be large enough for the flange to overlap hole in the substrate, i.e., the spa wall because the hole must accommodate the elastomeric grommet, light lens tube and LED with the hole inner diameter. This limits the viability of employing an elastomeric grommet seal, because of the desired effect of having a small pin point of light.

It is the object of the instant invention to provide an improved assembly that overcomes other shortcomings of the prior art.

It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a smaller surface area of the pin of the light lens which is easier to install into the elastomeric grommet than the standard light lens with a cylindrical tube that is larger than the LED that is installed within the tube. In the instant invention, the surface area of the pin is greatly reduced when compared to the surface are of the cylinder. Another object of the invention is to provide the option for a small perimeter or small diameter light lens as possible in an improved elastomeric grommet installation system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The basic embodiment of the present invention teaches a pin light assembly for installation into a substrate having an aesthetic side and a wiring side comprising: a cylindrical elastomeric grommet with an outer diameter nearly the same as the diameter of a hole in said substrate said elastomeric grommet further comprising: a front end with an elastomeric grommet flange, said elastomeric grommet flange having a diameter slightly larger than said hole; a second end having a chamfer for easy installation into said hole; a first longitudinal opening proximate said flange; a second longitudinal opening proximate said chamfer; wherein said cylindrical elastomeric grommet is pre-installed in said hole; an LED light for placement inside of said second longitudinal opening; a cylindrical pin, said cylindrical pin further comprising: a top portion; a bottom portion; said top portion having a pin flange with a diameter larger than said elastomeric grommet flange wherein said pin flange rests atop said elastomeric grommet flange when installed wherein said pin flange also functions as a light lens from said top portion when said LED light is installed and actuated wherein the light lens may have various esthetic perimeter shapes outside the diameter of the pin flange; and said bottom portion terminating in a securing member that affixes said pin inside of said first longitudinal opening in said elastomeric grommet wherein compression from said pin against said elastomeric grommet within said hole retains said elastomeric grommet and said lens in said substrate.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that a retaining barb is affixed to said bottom portion of said cylindrical pin wherein said retaining barb extends outward from said bottom portion along the circumference of said bottom portion.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that a terminating flange with undercut is affixed to said bottom portion of said cylindrical pin.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that said LED light is secured in said second longitudinal opening via compression of said elastomeric grommet against said LED through said longitudinal opening that is configured to have a slightly smaller diameter than said LED light.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that said LED light is secured in said second longitudinal opening with a nut.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that a mass of material is separating said first and second longitudinal openings wherein the elastomeric grommet material should be transparent or translucent to transmit the light from the LED, through the mass in the elastomeric grommet, to the light lens for viewing the light from the esthetic side of the substrate.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that there is an interconnected opening between said first longitudinal opening and said second longitudinal opening wherein the elastomeric grommet material may be opaque to transmit the light from the LED, through the interconnected opening in the elastomeric grommet to the light lens for viewing the light from the esthetic side of the substrate. The elastomeric grommet material may alternately be transparent or translucent to transmit the light from the LED, through the interconnected opening in the elastomeric grommet as well as through the grommet material, to the light lens for viewing the light from the esthetic side of the substrate.

An alternate embodiment of the instant invention provides for a pin light assembly for installation into a substrate having an aesthetic side and a wiring side comprising: a cylindrical elastomeric grommet with an outer diameter nearly the same as the diameter of a hole in said substrate said elastomeric grommet further comprising: a front end with an elastomeric grommet flange, said elastomeric grommet flange having a diameter slightly larger than said hole; a second end having a chamfer for easy installation into said hole; a longitudinal opening in the interior of said elastomeric grommet; wherein said cylindrical elastomeric grommet is pre-installed in said hole; an LED light for placement inside of said longitudinal opening wherein compression from said pin against said elastomeric grommet within said hole retains said elastomeric grommet and said lens in said substrate.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that said elastomeric grommet flange is positioned on said aesthetic side of said substrate.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that said elastomeric grommet flange is positioned on said wiring side of said substrate.

The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning to the drawings, the preferred embodiment is illustrated and described by reference characters that denote similar elements throughout the several views of the instant invention.

The instant invention discloses and improved pin light assembly10that overcomes the minimum outer diameter light lens limitation of the elastomeric grommet version of the prior art by using the elastomeric grommet12of the instant invention as the receiving component for an LED light14. This eliminates the need for the light lens to have a tube to receive the LED and have an elastomeric grommet installed outside of the light lens tube.

In order to compress the elastomeric grommet12to create the radial seal, a cylindrical pin16is employed on the back side38of the light lens18in place of the tube commonly used. When the light lens18is pressed into the elastomeric grommet12with the elastomeric grommet12having been preinstalled into a hole20in the spa wall22, the pin16forces the elastomeric grommet12inner diameter24away from the common axis26and creates the predetermined compression28of the elastomeric grommet12within the spa wall22hole20.

Once the elastomeric grommet12is secured in place with the light lens18, the LED14can be installed into the back34of the elastomeric grommet12in the second inner opening/tube46. The LED14can be secured in place with a boot or a nut, which is customary, or the LED14can be held in place using an undersized inner diameter hole30in the second inner opening/tube46of the elastomeric grommet12. The undersized elastomeric grommet tube46creates enough resistance to hold the LED14in place.

The pin point lighting system10of the instant invention employs an elastomeric grommet12that seals the light lens18within a hole20in the spa substrate22. The light lens18has a cylindrical pin16extruded from the back side38of the light lens18along a common longitudinal axis26with the elastomeric grommet12and LED light source14. The pin16fits within the inner diameter24of the elastomeric grommet12and provides compression28against the elastomeric grommet12to create a water tight seal against the inner diameter bore of hole20in the spa wall22.

The elastomeric grommet12has a flange32on the front side36that is larger in diameter than the spa substrate22hole20diameter. The flange32rests against the water side of the spa substrate22and prevents the elastomeric grommet12from pressing through the hole20during installation of the light lens18. The elastomeric grommet12has a cylinder close to the diameter of the receiving hole20in the spa wall22, starting from the front side36grommet12flange32at the water side of the spa wall22and extending through the substrate22hole20and terminating beyond the opposing, non-water side40of the spa wall22having enough length to accommodate the LED light source14and light lens18.

The outer diameter of the back side34of the elastomeric grommet12has a chamfer44which helps with aligning the elastomeric grommet12within the hole20for ease of installation. The elastomeric grommet12has a second inner opening/ tube46around the common longitudinal axis26that extends from the back side34of the elastomeric grommet12to a central region48of the elastomeric grommet12. The back side tube46receives the LED light source14. A first inner opening/tube50extends from the front side36of the elastomeric grommet12around the common longitudinal axis26and terminates in the central region48of the elastomeric grommet12, leaving a solid portion52of material that separates the second inner opening/tube46from the first inner opening/tube50, which prevents water from leaking through the interior of the elastomeric grommet12.

The first side tube50on the front end of the elastomeric grommet12receives the pin16of the light lens18. The design can be augmented with optional retaining features54A,54B as seen in first alternate embodiment10A inFIG. 3and second alternate embodiment10B inFIG. 4. These retaining features54A,54B are added to the light lens18cylindrical pin16to help retain the pin16inside of the elastomeric grommet12. In the first alternate embodiment10A, a barb54A is added to the pin16circumferentially to help hold it in place inside of the first opening tube50inside of the elastomeric grommet12. The second alternate embodiment10B inFIG. 4utilizes a flange54B at the end of the pin16with an undercut58that holds the flange54B inside of the first opening tube50toward the terminating end60of the first front side opening/tube50.

FIG. 8shows an alternate embodiment wherein there is no mass of material54C between the two longitudinal openings46,50. In this embodiment, there is an interconnected opening between said first longitudinal opening and said second longitudinal opening wherein the elastomeric grommet material may be opaque to transmit the light from the LED, through the interconnected opening in the elastomeric grommet to the light lens for viewing the light from the esthetic side of the substrate. The elastomeric grommet material may alternately be transparent or translucent to transmit the light from the LED, through the interconnected opening in the elastomeric grommet as well as through the grommet material, to the light lens for viewing the light from the esthetic side of the substrate.

It is to be understood that the instant invention is not applicable solely for walls inside of spas or pools or even where water tightness is necessarily required. The instant invention provides a means of installation of an elastomeric grommet with LED light for aesthetic purposes wherein there is one side where the LED is visible, dubbed the aesthetic side and one side where the wiring is found, dubbed the wiring side. Only radial compression of the elastomeric grommet within the hole into which it is to be fitted fixes the assembly of the LED light to the substrate. As such, the cylindrical pin light component can be omitted entirely and the LED placed directly inside the elastomeric grommet as illustrated inFIGS. 5-7.

In these alternate embodiments the cylindrical pin light is omitted entirely and the LED is used to create the compression within the hole. This omits the first longitudinal opening found in the first embodiment and extends the second longitudinal opening up toward the elastomeric grommet flange. The flange side of the elastomeric grommet acts as a lens for the LED. InFIG. 5the assembly110includes an elastomeric grommet112with a flange132which sits on the wiring side40of the substrate22. The LED114is itself the pin116with the lens118being found on the aesthetic side of the elastomeric grommet112. InFIGS. 6 and 7, two different versions of the same embodiment210,310are shown, the difference between the two being the profile height of the lens portion218,318of the elastomeric grommet212,312. In this version, the LED214,314acts as the pin216,316like inFIG. 5, but the elastomeric grommet212,312has a flange232,332on the aesthetic side of the substrate22.

The discussion included in this patent is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible and alternatives are implicit. Also, this discussion may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. These changes still fall within the scope of this invention.