Passenger reading light

An orientable passenger reading light is provided for vehicles having a two-part removable bezel arrangement. The lower part of the bezel is freely rotatable to disguise the method of relamping by requiring correct manipulation of the upper bezel part to allow release and removal of the bezel arrangement. A continuously adjustable ball and socket arrangement permits varying the orientation of the light over a wide range such as a 25 degree spherical zone. A simplified locking mechanism may be engaged in any position without tools, to prevent adjustment by passengers. When the locking mechanism is disengaged, enough friction is provided to maintain the orientation despite environment vibration.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to adjustable reading lamps and like lighting 
fixtures, particularly for passengers in vehicles. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Mass transit vehicles, such as airplanes, buses and railway trains 
customarily include overhead lighting fixtures, each individual to single 
passenger seat or small group of seats, which are desirably adjustable as 
to orientation for the convenience of the user. 
An object of the present invention is to provide a readily orientable 
reading lamp useful for passenger lighting in vehicles. 
A further object is to provide a reading lamp fixture which may be 
adjustable by a passenger or alternatively may be locked in fixed 
position. 
Another object is to provide a reading lamp fixture for vehicles or the 
like which inhibits access by the general public to the lamps in those 
fixtures. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An orientable passenger reading light is provided for vehicles having a 
two-part removable bezel arrangement. The lower part of the bezel is 
freely rotatable to disguise the method of relamping by requiring correct 
manipulation of the upper bezel part to allow release and removal of the 
bezel arrangement. A continuously adjustable ball and socket arrangement 
permits varying the orientation of the light over a wide range such as a 
25 degree spherical zone. A simplified locking mechanism may be engaged in 
any position, without tools, to prevent adjustment by passengers. When the 
locking mechanism is disengaged, enough friction is provided to maintain 
the orientation despite environment vibration. 
Arrangements are provided for permitting the lamp housing to be oriented 
over a wide range of orientations within a generally conical 
configuration, while allowing the lamp housing to retain an orientation to 
which it has been adjusted. Alternatively or additionally means are also 
provided for locking the lamp housing in a fixed orientation or for 
confining the range of orientations to a single plane.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The present reading light comprises a stationary casing 11 adapted to be 
secured to a bulkhead or overhead panel 13 on which the reading light of 
the invention is to be mounted in appropriate position relative to a 
passenger. Casing 11 is in the form of a portion of a sphere, which is 
substantially a hemisphere with its "polar" region open. It has a flange 
15 at its open end and a threaded section 17 adjacent thereto. The reading 
light is adapted to be mounted on the panel 13 which has an opening sized 
to accept the reading light, with the flange 15 abutting the panel 13. A 
nut 19 may engage the threaded section 17 to clamp the casing 11 to the 
panel 13 between the flange 15 and the nut 19. The casing 11 is thus fixed 
to the vehicle. 
Slidably engaged within casing 11 is a lamp housing 21 having a generally 
spherically shaped lower portion 23 mating inside casing 11 and a 
generally cylindrical lamp housing extension 25 extending through the 
upper central opening in the casing 11. The extension 25 supports a holder 
37a for an electrical contact 27 for contacting the center terminal 30 of 
a conventional lamp 29, and also supports a holder 37b for a second 
electrical contact 31 for contacting the side or shell terminal 31 of lamp 
29. Sockets 37a and 37b are positioned between respective pairs of legs 41 
and 43 formed on a lamp housing cap 35. The lamp housing extension 25 is 
generally cylindrical in shape and may have a conventional L-shaped 
internal channel 33 (seen in FIG. 1) cooperating with a projection 34 on 
the lamp 29 to provide a bayonet-type connection between the lamp 29 and 
the lamp housing extension 25. Lamp housing cap 35 is joined to the lamp 
housing extension 25 as by means of side legs 35a which snap under ledges 
38 inside grooves 40 formed in the sides of the lamp housing extension 25. 
Thus, the lamp housing 21, its extension 25 and the cap 35 form a unitary 
assembly. 
A reflector formed of a molded shell with a highly light-reflecting inner 
coating 73 may be secured to a portion of the lamp housing extension 25 
extending within the spherical lower section 23, as seen in FIG. 1. 
Surrounding the lamp housing extension 25 is a lock actuator 49 having a 
central cylindrical body 51 and a pair of radially projecting locking arms 
53. Between the lock actuator 49 and the stationary casing 11 is molded 
pressure cap 45 having a generally spherical shape with its inner surfaces 
congruent to the outer spherical surface of casing 11. As seen in FIG. 6, 
the lamp housing extension 25 while generally cylindrical in form has two 
regions 75 which extend outwardly beyond the remainder. These regions 75 
also are positioned between the leg pairs 41, 43 of the lamp housing 
extension cap 35 so that the lamp housing extension 25 and extension cap 
35 when assembled form essentially a cylindrical surface about which is 
placed the cylindrical body 51 of the lock actuator 49. 
Cap 45 has a central opening 47 and a part-cylindrical extension 48 which 
surrounds the cylindrical body 51 of the lock actuator 49 and has cut away 
areas which accommodate the locking arms 53. The cut-away areas of cap 45 
have two cylindrical camming surfaces 55 extending upward from the 
spherical surface of cap 45. Each camming surface 55 cooperates with a 
respective one of the two locking arms 53. Each camming surface 55 has a 
raised cam portion 57 joined to a depressed cam portion 59 by a ramp cam 
portion 61. Since, as seen in FIG. 1, the lock actuator 49 is prevented 
from upward movement by cap 35, when the locking arms 53 are rotated from 
the depressed cam portion 59 over the ramp 61 to the raised portion 57 of 
the camming surfaces 55, the cap 45 will be moved downward toward the 
stationary casing 11. 
In between cap 59 and stationary casing 11 is a layer 63 of resilient 
friction-providing material, such as silicone rubber. Layer 53 may be 
formed as a lining for cap 45, or may be a separate shell adhered to cap 
45 or to stationary casing 11, or floating between them. It serves to 
prevent relative movement between cap 45 and casing 11 when those two 
members are urged together. Accordingly, when the locking arms are moved 
to the raised portions 57 of the camming surfaces 55, cap 45 and layer 63 
are pressed against the casing 11 to hold the housing assembly including 
lamp housing 21 in its then assumed position relative to the stationary 
casing 11. By rotating the locking arms away from the raised cam portion 
57 to the depressed cam portion 59 (by rotation through an angle 
illustratively of 70 degrees) the cap 45 and friction layer 63 are 
released from pressed contact with casing 11, permitting the lamp housing 
21 and its connected assembly to be pivoted within the spherical 
stationary casing 11, and within the confines of the opening 27, so as to 
adjust the orientation of the lamp housing to direct light where desired. 
To permit the housing assembly to remain in an adjusted position when the 
locking arms 53 are in unlocked position, cap 45 is provided with 
spring-biased buttons 65 which pass through corresponding openings 67 in 
friction layer 63 to provide sufficient friction against the stationary 
casing 11 to retain the light housing in any rotated position while still 
permitting adjustment. FIG. 5 shows in greater detail one of the 
spring-biased buttons 65 which extends downward through an opening 67 in 
the friction layer 63 to bear against the stationary casing 11. As shown 
in FIG. 3, several button assemblies 65 are preferably distributed around 
that axis of the structure, in an outer ring 65a and an inner ring 65b of 
buttons, so that the buttons will be operative against the stationary 
casing 11 regardless of the extent of tilt of the lamp housing assembly 
with respect to the stationary casing 11. This creates sufficient friction 
between the cap 45 and the stationary casing 11 to retain the orientation 
of the lamp housing 21 where it has been adjusted, even when the locking 
assembly is disengaged. 
In this way, with the locking arms in the disengaged position, the housing 
assembly may be rotated (as by a passenger in an aircraft) to a desired 
orientation for comfort and convenience. However, if it is desired to 
retain the housing assembly in a fixed orientation relative to the 
stationary casing 11 and the panel 13, the lock actuator arms 53 would be 
rotated to engage the raised portion 57 of the camming surface 55 to 
prevent rotation of the housing assembly, to clamp cap 45 to the casing 
11. The lamp housing extension 25 may also be provided with protuberances 
103 cooperating with a protuberance 105 on the inner end of one locking 
arm 53 to provide a detent arrangement permitting tactile recognition of 
the positioning of the locking arm 53 in either its extreme locked 
position shown in FIG. 3 or its unlocked position when the lock actuator 
49 has been rotated to engage the locking arms 53 onto the lower or 
depressed portions of the camming surface 55. 
It will be understood that suitable wires, not shown, connect the contact 
terminals 27, 31 to a source of electrical power for energizing lamp 29. 
Although the light housing may be oriented in various directions, it is 
desirable to avoid turning it through several turns, as this may injure 
the wires connected to the terminals 27, 31. For this purpose an 
anti-rotation projection is formed within casing 11 as shown at 69 in FIG. 
6, and a matching groove 71 is formed in the exterior of the lamp housing 
21 so that the housing 21 may be restrained to tilting it with respect to 
stationary casing 11 in the plane of the groove 71. However, the housing 
may also be pivoted about projection 69, no matter where projection 69 is 
within groove 71. In this way the light housing may be oriented to direct 
light anywhere within a solid angle permitted by movement of lamp housing 
extension 25 within the top opening 70 of casing 11, without twisting the 
wires connected to terminals 27, 31. By making casing 11 slightly 
flexible, the projection 69 and groove 71 may serve merely as a detent for 
a preferred tilting of the lamp housing 21, while still permitting 
adjustment of the orientation of the lamp housing 21 as may be desired. 
As thus far described, the invention provides a reading lamp suitable for 
mounting in a panel over a passenger's seat in an airplane or other 
vehicle. The lamp may be oriented in any desired direction (within a solid 
angle of up to about 25.degree. on either side of the casing axis) by 
grasping the lower rim of the lamp housing 21 to adjust the direction of 
light, provided the locking arms 53 are disengaged from the raised 
portions 57 of the camming surfaces 55. Alternatively, by rotating the 
locking arms 53 up the ramps 61 of the camming surfaces 55 onto the raised 
portions 57 of camming surfaces, the orientation of the housing assembly 
may be locked into a fixed position and adjustment by passengers is thus 
prevented, where not desired. 
The housing assembly is therefore a unitary arrangement of the lamp housing 
21 with its extension 25, the contact holders 37a, 37b, with contacts 31, 
27 and the extension cap 35 which holds and retains the lock actuator 49 
and molded cap 45 within a limited axial movement of the latter with 
friction layer 63. 
A special bezel arrangement is provided to permit authorized access to the 
lamp 29 while inhibiting such access from unauthorized persons. An upper 
bezel ring 81 of generally cylindrical configuration is provided with a 
ledge 83 extending therearound so that the bezel has a smaller diameter 
portion 83 above a larger diameter portion 85. The small diameter portion 
83 is designed to fit snugly within the lower opening of the lamp housing 
lower section 23 as seen in FIG. 1. Extending upwardly from the smaller 
diameter portion 83 of the upper bezel ring 81 are a plurality 
(illustratively three in number) of arms 86 with hook-like projections 87. 
Formed within the inner surface of the housing 23 (which surface may have 
a cylindrical shape) are recesses 89 for receiving the projections 87, 
each recess 89 corresponding to one of the hook-like projections 87. Each 
recess 89 is provided with a shoulder or ledge which engages a hook 
portion 87 of an arm 86 to resist withdrawal of the bezel from the housing 
23. Each recess 89 as shown in FIG. 2 merges into the inner surface of the 
housing 23 by a sloping recess wall, so that rotation of the bezel ring 81 
will cause the respective projections 87 to be flexed inwardly by the 
camming action of the sloping wall regions of the recesses 89. Once the 
projections 87 are disengaged from their respective recesses 89, the bezel 
81 and its assembly may be slid downwardly to remove the bezel, permitting 
relamping of the lamps where needed. 
To inhibit this rotating actuation and removal of the bezel, the upper 
bezel is provided with a groove or ledge 91 on its inner surface. A lower 
bezel ring 93 is provided with a plurality of upwardly extending tabs 95 
formed with hook-shaped tips 97 as seen in FIG. 6. The lower bezel ring 
contains an inwardly directed shoulder or ledge 98 on which rests a lens 
or light diffuser 99, which may be retained in position by a cylinder 101 
frictionally engaging or cemented to the inner surface of the lower bezel 
ring 93. The tabs 95 are sufficiently flexible so that the lower bezel 
ring 93 may be pushed into the upper bezel ring to have the hooks 97 
engage the groove or shoulder 91, which presents removal of ring 93. The 
lower bezel ring 93 is then freely rotatable relative to the upper ring 
81. A passenger grasping the bezel ring 93 (as for adjustment of the light 
direction) would find that the lower bezel ring 93 rotates freely in his 
hand, so that it is not unhooked and cannot be removed. Only by rotating 
the upper bezel ring 91 until the hooks 83 are released from the recesses 
89 can the bezel assembly be removed. Thus, both accidental and 
intentional removal of the bezel assembly is inhibited. As seen in FIG. 1, 
the upper bezel ring has only a very small region projecting below the 
light housing 23 which may be grasped for rotating the upper bezel ring to 
disengage the bezel assembly. 
The exposed portion 103 of the lower bezel ring may be reduced in length in 
an axial direction so that the lower bezel ring 93 engages the lower edge 
of the housing 23. In such case grasping the lower bezel ring 93 and 
squeezing it may be designed to provide sufficient frictional engagement 
between the lower bezel ring 93 and the upper bezel ring to permit 
rotating the upper bezel ring for disengagement. This will further inhibit 
removal of the bezel assembly by unauthorized persons, who will be unaware 
of the need for such squeezing. 
It will be understood that the present arrangement affords a simple 
construction for both fabrication and assembly. Each of the components may 
be readily molded of plastic material having suitable strength, rigidity 
and/or flexibility as required, although preferably the locking actuator 
is made of metal for additional strength and wear resistance. Assembly is 
simple, since the lower bezel ring 93 assembled with the lens or diffuser 
is merely snapped into the upper bezel ting, and the bezel assembly then 
snapped into the housing 23. Upon inserting the housing into the opening 
of the stationary casing 11, the friction layer 63 and the cap 45 are slid 
over the lamp housing extension together with the locking actuator. The 
contact holders 37, 39 are then positioned and the extension cap 31 is 
snapped into place to hold the housing assembly together while permitting 
the locking movement of the lock actuator and the friction cap 45. For 
simplicity of molding, the inner surface of the housing 23 may be made 
cylindrical to permit ready withdrawal from the mold and forming of the 
appropriate recesses. 
It will be understood that the foregoing description is illustrative only, 
and variations may be made within the ordinary skill of the art without 
departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the 
appended claims.