Latch assembly for removably securing electrical component tray in light fixture housing

A latch assembly for removably securing an elongated electrical component tray in the housing of a light fixture comprises a bracket member having spaced side walls from which support members extend, respectively, in opposing relation toward the housing interior. A first one of the support members includes a plurality of alternately offset fingers between which a first end of the tray is received. A flat spring member mounted on the opposite bracket wall, transverse the second support member, defines a slotted aperture through which the second one of the mounting members extends. The spring member includes a cam surface for engagement by the second end of the tray to urge the spring away, permitting the tray end to be moved past the cam surface and be received in the slotted aperture for retaining the second end of the tray on the second support member. Release of the tray requires manual movement of the spring member for removal of the second end of the tray from within the slotted aperture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to a light fixture of the type wherein the 
electrical components are mounted on a removable tray and more 
particularly to a latching arrangement for quickly installing and removing 
such tray from the fixture housing. 
With the advent of light fixtures of the type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,019,044 issued Apr. 19, 1977, in the names of J. P. Kelly et al., and 
assigned to the same assignee as the instant invention, which include a 
removable tray on which the lamp ballast and lamp socket are mounted, easy 
replacement of the electrical components of the fixture is made possible. 
In such a light fixture, however, the tray is conventionally secured in 
the housing by means of screws or the like fasteners. While these 
fasteners serve to satisfactorily mount the component tray in position in 
the fixture housing, in some cases, such as, for example, where the light 
fixture is mounted in a location which is not easily accessible, it may 
become difficult for a repairman to change the tray, especially while he 
is supported on a ladder or similar structure. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide in 
a light fixture wherein the electrical components are mounted on a 
removable tray, an improved releasable latch assembly for removably 
securing the tray in the housing. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a latch assembly 
of the above-described type which is simple in design, efficient in 
operation and relatively inexpensive to fabricate. 
Briefly, a preferred embodiment of the latch assembly according to the 
invention includes a bracket member mounted in the light fixture housing. 
A pair of mounting or support members extend in opposing relation from 
opposite side walls of the bracket in the housing interior. A first one of 
the members includes a plurality of finger portions alternately offset 
from each other for receipt of a first end of the component tray 
therebetween. A flat spring member is mounted on the opposite side wall of 
the bracket. The spring member defines a slotted aperture through which 
the second one of the mounting members extends. The spring member which is 
biased toward the first one of the mounting members, includes a cam 
surface contoured for engagement by a tongue portion formed at the 
opposite end of the tray, whereby the spring member is urged against the 
biasing force to permit the tongue portion to be received in the slotted 
aperture in engagement with the second one of the mounting members. Once 
the tongue portion is moved past the cam surface and received in the 
aperture, the flat spring member returns to its normal position to retain 
the tray in place on the opposing mounting members. 
In a preferred embodiment the component tray takes the form of a U-shaped 
channel member with the bight portion extending the length thereof. When 
the tray is positioned on the mounting members, the first and second legs 
of the U are located on opposite sides of the first mounting member to 
limit the lateral movement of the tray with respect thereto. The opposite 
end of the tray defines cutouts on opposite sides of the tongue portion in 
which edges formed on the spring member are received to limit the lateral 
movement of the tray at the second mounting member. 
Removal of the tray requires the spring member to be moved manually against 
the biasing force thereof to first remove the second end of the tray from 
within the slotted aperture. Thereafter the opposite end of the tray is 
removed from between the offset finger portion so that the tray can be 
lifted from engagement with the mounting members. Fold-away handles on the 
tray member aid in the removal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail wherein like numerals have 
been employed through the various views to designate similar components, 
there is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a light fixture designated generally by 
the numeral 10 including an outer housing 12 formed of a suitable 
material, such as, for example, aluminum and a hingedly mounted glass 
cover forming the front wall thereof. The housing interior is divided into 
two compartments, 14, 16. An appropriate optical assembly 18 is mounted in 
compartment 14. The optical assembly includes reflective walls such as 20 
for reflecting light emitted by a lamp 22 (FIG. 1) positioned adjacent 
thereto. The lamp 22 can be of any suitable type, but when the light 
fixture is employed as a floodlight, the lamp is preferably of a high 
intensity discharge type. 
An electrical component mounting tray 24 is mounted in compartment 16 of 
the housing. The tray is formed of a generally U-shaped channel member of 
a predetermined length having legs 28, 30 and an elongated bight 32 (see 
FIG. 3). In the particular embodiment shown, all of the electrical 
components for the light fixture are mounted on the outer surface of the 
bight of the mounting tray 24. The components include a ballast, such as 
an auto transformer 34, a capacitor 36, suitable wiring 38 terminating in 
a connector 39 and lamp socket 40 mounted on the tray by means of a 
suitable bracket 42 (FIG. 4). 
Lamp 22, FIG. 1, is received in the socket 40 after the component tray is 
in place in compartment 16 of the housing. The lamp, as can be seen, would 
have to be removed in order to insert or remove the electrical component 
mounting tray 24 in compartment 16 of the housing. Once the tray is in 
position in the housing, the base of the lamp 22 is passed through 
aperture 44 (FIG. 2) in the optical assembly 18 for receipt in the socket 
40. 
On the inner surface of bight 32 of the U-shaped channel member of tray 24, 
there is provided a pair of handles 46, 48, used to hold the tray when 
inserting or removing it from compartment 16 of the light fixture housing. 
The handles are pivotal so that they can be moved into an overlying, 
stored position with respect to the bight 32 of the tray after the tray is 
positioned in the housing. Handle 46 is shown in such position in the 
drawings. 
A latch assembly 50 according to the invention is provided to removably 
secure the component tray 16 in the light fixture housing. The latch 
assembly 50 includes a bracket 51 formed of sheet metal, fastened by 
screws, such as 53, 55, 57 and 59 to an edge or lip 61 formed on and 
extending about the front opening of the housing. A first mounting or 
support member 52 extends inwardly of the housing from a fixed side wall 
63 of the bracket. In the case of the rectangular shaped housing as shown 
the side wall 63 of bracket 51 extends substantially parallel to the side 
wall 54 of the housing. The support member includes a plurality of spaced 
fingers 56 alternately offset from each other to receive a first end 58 of 
the bight portion of tray 16 therebetween (see FIGS. 2 and 3). When end 58 
of the tray is received on support member 52, the legs of the U-shaped 
tray are located on opposite sides thereof (FIG. 2) to limit the lateral 
movement of the tray with respect to the support member 52. 
A second support member 60 extends inwardly of the housing from an opposite 
side wall 65 of the bracket. Bracket side wall 65 is in the embodiment of 
the light fixture housing shown, positioned in substantially parallel 
alignment with respect to the opposite housing wall 62. The support member 
60 extends in opposing relation to support member 52. The distance between 
support members 52, 60 is slightly less than the length of bight 32 of 
tray 24. A spring member 64 is also mounted on the bracket side wall 65 
and extends therealong. The spring member includes a slotted aperture 66 
through which the second support member 60 extends (FIG. 3). The support 
member 60 includes cut-outs 68, 70 (FIG. 3) for receipt of edges 72, 74 
formed on the spring member. The spring member includes a contoured or 
curved cam surface 72, the function of which will be described 
hereinafter. The support and spring member combination (60, 64) serve to 
secure end 78 of the tray on support member 60. 
End 78 of the tray includes a tongue portion 80 which is received in 
slotted aperture 66 of the spring member and is held thereby on support 
member 60, to retain the component tray in compartment 16 of the housing. 
To mount component tray 24 in position in compartment 16 of the light 
fixture housing, the tray is held in the operator's hands by the two 
pivotal handles 46, 48 and maneuvered to insert the electrical components 
mounted on bight 32 into the housing compartment. End 58 of the tray is 
received between offset fingers 56 of the support member 52. Thereafter, 
the opposite end 78 of the tray is swung about toward the cam surface 76 
of the spring member 64. The tongue portion 80 is received between edges 
72, 74 of the spring member and is forced against the cam surface 76, 
urging the spring member away from end 78 of the tray. The movement of the 
spring member is illustrated in solid and dashed lines in FIG. 4 of the 
drawings. End 78 of the tray cams over the surface 76 until the tongue 
portion 80 is aligned with slotted aperture 66 in the spring member. At 
that time, the spring member is urged by the biasing force thereof toward 
end 78 of tray 24 to capture tongue portion 80 in the slotted aperture. 
End 78 of the tray at this time engages support member 60. 
As can be seen in the drawings, a pair of cut-outs 84, 86 are defined in 
bight 32 of the tray 24 on opposite sides of tongue portion 80. The 
cut-outs are spaced from each other to receive edges 72, 74 of the spring 
member, thereby limiting the lateral or sidewise movement of end 78 of the 
tray on support member 60. 
Once the tray 24 is latched into position in the housing compartment 16, 
connector portion 39 extending from tray 24 and connector portion 41 
extending from the light fixture housing to a source of power (not shown) 
are joined to power the components on the tray. Thereafter, a lamp 22 is 
inserted into aperture 44 in the optical assembly 18 and screwed into 
socket 40 on the tray. 
To remove the tray from the housing for the purpose of changing electrical 
components, etc., the lamp 22 is first unscrewed from socket 40. Next, the 
connectors 39, 41 are separated. Thereafter, handle 48 is held in one hand 
by the operator and the other hand is used to move spring member 64 
against the biasing force thereof away from end 78 and tongue 80 of the 
tray (see FIG. 2). When the spring member has been moved sufficiently to 
permit tongue portion 80 to be released from slotted aperture 66 in the 
spring member, end 78 of the tray can be swung from the housing. 
Thereafter, the right hand (as seen in the drawings) is used to hold 
bracket 48 while the left hand grips the bracket 46. End 58 of the tray is 
lifted away from fingers 56 of the support member 52 and the tray is 
removed from housing compartment 16. 
As can be seen from the above description, the latching assembly according 
to the invention provides a relatively simple yet efficient means of 
removably securing the electrical component tray of the light fixture in 
the housing compartment. No screws or fasteners are required and as such 
no special tools are needed to remove or replace the electrical component 
tray. 
While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and 
described, it should be understood that the invention is not limited 
thereto since many modifications may be made. It is therefore contemplated 
to cover by the present application any and all such modifications as fall 
within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.