Abstract:
A ceiling blank configured to cover recessed canister lighting fixtures. A body member covers the open end of the fixture while an attachment apparatus secures the body member against the open end of the fixture. The attachment apparatus includes a fixture fitting that engages with a threaded aperture, such as a light socket, and a tension member provides tension force between the fixture fitting and the body member, forcing the body member against the open end of the fixture.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Recessed lighting is a popular design for light fixtures. A recessed light is a light fixture that is installed into a hollow opening in a ceiling. The housing for the fixture often takes the form of a canister, with one end housing the light socket and the other end being open and directed towards the floor or wall. A light bulb installed into the canister light will face towards the floor, and the canister housing will direct the light towards the floor. 
         [0002]    Due to the nature of recessed lighting generally, and canister lights specifically, the ceiling must be altered to accommodate the fixture. Often, this includes removing a portion of the ceiling to form a hollow within which the fixture is disposed. When the design for lighting a room in which the canister light has been installed changes, removal of the canister light would reveal the hollow in the ceiling. Patching the hollow usually requires the service of a professional, increasing the cost of removing the fixture. Additionally, the time required to patch the hollow can be significant. Moreover, a patch applied to a ceiling a period of years after the installation of the original ceiling is often aesthetically displeasing. However, simply leaving the canister light is often undesirable for similar aesthetic reasons, potential electrical and fire hazards, as well as causing the loss of heated or cooled air through an opening to the ceiling. As such, there is a need for an apparatus capable of disguising or otherwise covering and concealing a recessed light fixture at a low cost, without the need for professionally-provided service, in a timely manner. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is a ceiling blank that covers the open surface of the recessed light fixture that is directed towards the floor or wall. The ceiling blank is comprised of a generally flat body member having at least one securing member attached thereto and an attachment apparatus for attaching the body member to the recessed light fixture. In one embodiment, the attachment apparatus includes at least one tension member associated with each securing member of the body member and a fixture fitting configured to engage with the securing member. In a further embodiment, the invention includes a plurality of securing members as well as a plurality of tension members. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the body member includes a scoring forming a frangible section of the body member. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, a surface of the generally flat section of the body member has a coating, the coating being optionally colored. 
         [0004]    The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIG. 1  when deployed in a canister light fixture. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0008]    An embodiment of the invention is depicted in  FIG. 1 . In that embodiment, the ceiling blank  100  comprises a generally flat body member  102 . The body member  102  can comprise a first surface  106  and a second surface  108  (see  FIG. 3 ) opposite the first surface. Body member  102  can be configured into any generally flat shape, such as a circle, ellipse, triangle, square, rectangle, or any other polygon. Moreover, the diameter or center-to-edge distance of body member can be selectively configured. For example, but not by limitation, a circular body member can have a diameter of about 1 inch to about 12 inches, such that some embodiments include a circular body member having a diameter of about 2 inches, about 3 inches, about 4 inches, about 5 inches, about 6 inches, about 7 inches, about 8 inches, about 9 inches, about 10 inches, or about 11 inches. The body member  102  can further comprise a lip  110  about the perimeter of the body member  102 . The body member  102  may be fabricated from a metal, such as aluminum, iron, steel, stainless steel, bronze, brass, copper, nickel, tin, or alloys thereof. The body member can also be fabricated from a polymer, such as polypropylene, melamine formaldehyde, polyurethane, and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, as well as all other suitable polymers exhibiting substantial rigidity. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, body member  102  further comprises a securing member  112  attached to one of the first surface  106  and the second surface, or both  108 . The securing member  112  is attached to the first surface  106  or the second surface  108  by any suitable method providing a strong attachment not likely to fail due to building vibration, oxidation processes, including, for example, adhesives, welding, brazing, and soldering. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the securing member  112  is a v-bracket. However, any other bracket shape, such as c-brackets and u-brackets, as well as alternative securing members, such as hooks, magnets, threaded matings for a screw, and engaging couplings are included in the invention. In the present embodiment, securing member  112  is attached at about the center of first surface  106 . 
         [0010]    Each of the body member  102  and securing member  112  may optionally include a coating. The coating may be decorative and/or functional. For example, the coating material may have desirable corrosion properties, it may be water repellant, and it may be non-conductive. The coating may also have a desired color or pattern, texture, reflectivity, or acoustic properties. 
         [0011]    Ceiling blank  100  further comprises an attachment apparatus  113 . In the present embodiment, the attachment apparatus  113  comprises a tension member  114  and a fixture fitting  124 . Tension member  114  is associated with securing member  112 ; each tension member  114  is associated with at least one securing member  112 . Tension member  114  can be any device or structure configured to provide a tension force, such as a spring, a screw, and a length of elastic material such as rubber or rubber composites. Tension member  114  has a proximal end  116  comprising a proximal attachment member  118  and a distal end  120  comprising a distal attachment member  122 . Proximal attachment member  118  of proximal end  116  is associated with securing member  112  and is an attachment means configured to engage with securing member  112 . Such configurations can include hooks, eye-hooks, clasps, latches, screws, threaded matings for screws, and magnets, as well as any other attachment means that is not likely to fail under the tension force exerted by tension member  114 . Distal attachment member  122  is also an attachment means configured into any of the aforementioned configurations. In the present embodiment, proximal attachment member  118  is configured as a hook and engages with the securing member  112 . Tension member  114  has a longitudinal length  130  configured to simultaneously engage with both body member  102  and fixture fitting  124  and exert a tension force on both when deployed. 
         [0012]    Attachment apparatus  113  further comprises a fixture fitting  124  comprising a proximal attachment member  126  and a distal attachment section  128 . Proximal attachment member  126  is associated with a distal attachment member  126  of at least one tension member  114  and is an attachment means configured to engage with distal attachment member. Such attachment means include hooks, eye-hooks, clasps, latches, screws, and magnets, or any other suitable fastener not likely to fail when under the tension force exerted by tension member  114 . In the present embodiment, proximal attachment member  126  is configured as an eye-hook and engages with distal attachment member  122 , which is configured as a hook. 
         [0013]    Distal attachment section  128  is configured to engage with a light socket external ceiling blank  100 . In the present embodiment, distal attachment section  128  is threaded, configured to engage with a receiving coupling, such as a light socket. The receiving coupling may be a threaded aperture or an engaging coupling, such as a pin and socket coupling, a bi-pin coupling, or a bayonet coupling. In other embodiments, the distal attachment section  128  may be configured to attach to other points of attachment such as plumbing, HV/AC, nails, and screws. The threads used can be of any angle, lead, pitch, and start as is required to engage with a given light socket such as, but not by limitation, from E5 to E39. Other configurations of distal attachment section  128  include bi-pin, bayonet mount, and wedge base, as well as any other light socket. 
         [0014]    Fixture fitting  124  is fabricated out of a non-conductive, electrically insulating material. Such materials include polymers, such as PVC and HDPE, as well as synthetic and non-synthetic rubbers. 
         [0015]    A second embodiment is depicted in  FIG. 2 . The ceiling blank  200  comprises a generally flat body member  202  as in  FIG. 1 , having first and second surfaces as well as a lip about the perimeter of the body member  202 . However, ceiling blank  200  comprises more than one securing member; in this embodiment, there are four securing members  204 . The invention includes any number of securing members  204 . The securing members  204  are attached to one of the first or second surfaces, or both, co-circularly about the center of the body member  202 , such that each is the same radial distance away from the center of the body member  202 . In other embodiments, the securing members  204  can be distributed according to any other pattern or randomly. Associated with each of the securing members  204  is a tension member  206  identical to the tension member  114  of  FIG. 1 . Each of the tension members  206  is engaged with its associated securing member  204 . 
         [0016]    As in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , ceiling blank  200  includes a fixture fitting  208  including a proximal attachment member  210  and a distal fitting section  212 . In the present embodiment, proximal attachment member  210  and distal fitting section  212  are the same as in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . However, in this embodiment, proximal attachment member  210  is associated with more than one tension member  206 ; it is associated and engaged with each of the four tension members  206 . Although the tension members  206  engage with fixture fitting  208  via a single proximal attachment member  210 , fixture fitting  208  can be configured to have two or more proximal attachment members  210 , each associated with one or more tension members  208 . 
         [0017]    Ceiling blank  200  also comprises scoring  214  disposed within the body member  202 . The scoring  214  is configured to define the boundary of a frangible section  216  of the body member  202 . The scoring  214  enables the removal of the frangible section  216  by causing the body member  202  to break at the boundary of the frangible section  216  when an incidental force is exerted on the frangible section  216 . The frangible section  216  may include any part of the body member  202 . In some embodiments, the frangible section  216  will include the center of the body member  202 , and may be centered about the center of body member  202 . The frangible section  216  is configured to a circle, and may configured to be any shape, including a triangle, a square, a rectangle, or any other polygon. One or more securing members  204  may be partially or wholly within the boundary of the frangible section  216 , or none may be within the boundary. 
       EXAMPLE 1 
       [0018]    In  FIG. 3 , the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  is employed in covering a standard canister light fixture. A canister light fixture  300  comprises a hollow cylinder with an open end  302  having a lower surface  303  and a closed end  304  opposite the open end, with a light socket  306  disposed on the inside surface of the closed end  304 , extending in the direction of the open end  302 . Body member  308  is configured as a circle, conforming to the open end  302  of the canister light fixture  300 . The diameter of body member  308  depends on the size of the open end of the canister fixture; body member  308  has a diameter greater than the open end of the canister, so as to cover the open end  302 . When the diameter of body member  308  is greater than the diameter of the open end  302 , the lip  310  of the body member  308  abuts the lower surface  303  of the open end  302 . In alternative embodiments, body member  308  may be so configured as to only partially cover the open end  302  of the canister light fixture  300 . Additionally, distal attachment section  312  is configured to have threads  314 , so as to mate with the canister fixture light socket  315 . 
         [0019]    To deploy the ceiling blank, distal attachment section  312  is first engaged with the canister fixture light socket  315  by turning the distal attachment section  312  to mate with the canister fixture light socket  315 . Once engaged, tension member  316  engages with fixture fitting  318  as described hereinabove. Longitudinal length  320  of the tension member  316  is configured to accommodate the longitudinal length of the canister light fixture  300  as well as to provide a sufficient tension force necessary to press body member  308  against the lower surface  303  of the canister light fixture  300 . In further embodiments, the body member  308  may press against an exterior wall surface or the edge of a light fixture. When the tension force is exerted, body member  308  is pressed against the lower surface  303  of the canister light fixture  300 , causing lip  310  to extend beyond the lower surface  303  of the canister light fixture  300 , thereby completely covering the open end  302 . 
       EXAMPLE 2 
       [0020]    The embodiment as shown in  FIG. 2  can also be employed in covering a standard canister light fixture. The deployment of the embodiment of the invention as depicted in  FIG. 2  is essentially the same as in Example  1 , with the exceptions of the multiple securing members, multiple tension members, and the presence of the scoring. Once fixture fitting  208  has engaged with the light socket of the canister fixture, each of the tension members  206  may be engaged with its associated securing member  204  and then the proximal attachment member  210 . Finally, body member  202  may be positioned so as to cover the open end of the canister fixture, and tension members  206  can impart a tension force on body member  102 , thereby forcing body member against the lip of the open end of the canister fixture, thereby covering the open end. 
         [0021]    Frangible section  216  may be removed from body member  202  by pressing against frangible section  216 . Scoring  214  will facilitate the detachment of frangible section  216  from body member  202  by reducing the force necessary to cause the body member  202  to break about the boundary of the frangible section  216 . Once frangible section  216  is removed, a pendant fixture may optionally be hung in the canister light fixture. In further embodiments, cords and.or cables may be affixed to the body member  202 . Furthermore, removal of frangible section  216  also facilitates removal of ceiling blank  200  by permitting easier access to tension members  206 , securing members  204 , and proximal attachment member  210 . 
         [0022]    While the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.