Abstract:
A recessed light liner assembly according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a hollow body and an annular flange. The hollow body is configured to fit within the recessed light to prevent airflow through the recessed light, the body having an open bottom, a closed top, and a sidewall extending between the open bottom and the closed top. The annular flange is connected to the body and extends around the open bottom of the body.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/666072, filed on Jun. 29, 2012. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to recessed lights, and more particularly, to liners for significantly reducing airflow through a recessed light and to methods for installing the liners. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. 
         [0004]    A recessed light is a light fixture that is installed into an opening in a ceiling. When the recessed light is installed, the recessed light provides the appearance of light shining from a hole in the ceiling. The light is concentrated in a downward direction as a broad floodlight or a narrow spotlight. 
         [0005]    A recessed light includes housing and trim. The housing can be mounted between ceiling joists. Alternatively, the housing can be mounted directly to the ceiling, which may occur when the recessed light is retrofitted to an existing ceiling. The housing contains a lamp holder for holding a light bulb and providing electricity to the light bulb. The trim is typically a ring that fits within the opening in the ceiling and extends around the light bulb to hide the housing. 
         [0006]    Air may leak through a recessed light between a conditioned space of a building and an unconditioned space of the building, especially if the recessed light is older. Older recessed lights are typically very porous, and newer lights typically provide a better seal or barrier. However, even some newer, inexpensive recessed lights may not be sealed well. 
         [0007]    Liners have been developed that can be retrofitted in a recessed light to prevent airflow through the recessed light. However, these liners require mounting hardware such as screws and brackets, and are therefore costly and difficult to install. Therefore, a need exists for a liner that has a simple design and is easy to install. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. 
         [0009]    A recessed light liner assembly according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a hollow body and an annular flange. The hollow body is configured to fit within the recessed light to prevent airflow through the recessed light, the body having an open bottom, a closed top, and a sidewall extending between the open bottom and the closed top. The annular flange is connected to the body and extending around the open bottom of the body. 
         [0010]    In one aspect, the recessed light liner assembly also includes a flange sealing gasket. The flange sealing gasket is configured to attach the flange to an underside surface of a ceiling to secure the body within the recessed light. The flange sealing gasket is also configured to provide a seal between the flange and the underside surface of the ceiling. In another aspect, the closed top of the body defines a punch-out portion configured to be punched through without using a cutting tool. 
         [0011]    The present disclosure further provides a method for installing a liner into a recessed light, where the recessed light includes housing and trim, and the liner includes a body and a flange. The method includes disassembling the trim from the housing and inserting the liner into the housing. The method also includes passing a light bulb socket through the body of the liner, attaching the flange of the liner to an underside surface of a ceiling, and reassembling the trim to the housing. 
         [0012]    Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a liner assembly according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the liner assembly of  FIG. 1  illustrating the interior of the liner assembly; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a sectioned perspective view of a portion of the liner assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a sectioned perspective view of a portion of the liner assembly of  FIG. 1  illustrating a punch-out for wiring and/or a light socket; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the liner assembly of  FIG. 1  illustrating a collapsible portion fully unfolded; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the liner assembly of  FIG. 1  illustrating the collapsible portion fully collapsed; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a method of installing the liner assembly of  FIG. 1  according to the principles of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
       [0021]    Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a liner assembly  10  is configured to be installed into a recessed light to significantly reduce airflow through the recessed light. The liner assembly  10  includes a hollow body  12  having a sidewall  13  extending between a closed top  14  and an open bottom  16 , an annular flange  18  extending around the open bottom  16 , a flange sealing gasket  20 , and body sealing gaskets  22 . The body  12  and the flange  18  can be unitarily formed from a material that is suitable for the operating conditions to which the liner assembly  10  is exposed such as a high temperature resistant material. For example, the body  12  and the flange  18  can be integrally, injection molded from liquid silicon rubber using dual cavity molds. Alternatively, the body  12  and the flange  18  can be integrally formed from a nylon polymer membrane using vacuum forming. 
         [0024]    The flange sealing gasket  20  is configured to attach the flange  18  to an underside surface of a ceiling when the body  12  of the liner assembly  10  is inserted into a recessed light. In this regard, the flange sealing gasket  20  can be coated with an adhesive so that one side of the flange sealing gasket  20  adheres to the flange  18  while the other side of the flange sealing gasket  20  adheres to the ceiling. In addition, the flange sealing gasket  20  is configured to seal the interface between the flange  18  and the ceiling. To this end, the flange sealing gasket  20  can be formed from a high temperature resistant butyl rubber or similar material. 
         [0025]    With additional reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the sidewall  13  of the body  12  can include a first portion  24 , a second portion  26 , and a collapsible portion  28  disposed between the first and second portions  24 ,  26 . The collapsible portion  28  is configured to be collapsed or unfolded to adjust a height H of the liner assembly  10  to fit the liner assembly  10  within recessed lights of various depths. In addition, the collapsible portion  28  can be collapsed to reduce the space required for the liner assembly  10  during shipping, storage, and retail display. The collapsible portion  28  is partially collapsed in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and the collapsible portion  28  is fully unfolded in  FIG. 3 . Thus, the height H of the liner assembly  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is less than the height H of the liner assembly  10  as shown in  FIG. 3 . When the collapsible portion  28  is fully unfolded as shown in  FIG. 3 , the body  12  has a frustum conical shape. 
         [0026]    The body  12  can be formed to include a punch-out portion  30  for passing wiring and a light bulb socket through the liner assembly  10 . The pass through portion  30  can be defined in the closed top  14 . In addition, the body  12  can be formed to include one or more punch-out portions  32  for passing trim mounting hardware, such as coil springs, through the liner assembly  10 . Some recessed lights may include mounting tabs that are formed as part of the recessed light can or housing, and coil springs or spring fingers may couple the recessed light trim to the mounting tabs. For these recessed lights, the mounting tabs can be passed through the punch-out portions  32 . The pass through portions  32  can be defined in the collapsible portion  28 , as shown, or in another portion of the body  12  such as the first or second portions  24 ,  26 . 
         [0027]    The punch-out portions  30 ,  32  are configured to be punched through using, for example, a blunt object, and without using a cutting tool. In this regard, the punch-out portions  30 ,  32  can be perforated, can have a reduced thickness relative to the remainder of the body  12 , and/or can have a line-shaped or cross-shaped profile. In various implementations, the body  12  may not be formed to include the punch-out portions  30 ,  32 , and a cutting tool may be used to create one or more slits in the body  12  to pass objects through the body  12 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , one of the sealing gaskets  22  can be placed on the exterior surface of the punch-out portion  30  after the wiring and the light-bulb socket have been passed through the punch-out portion  30 . Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 2 , one of the sealing gaskets  22  can be placed on the interior surface of the punch-out portion  32  after the trim mounting hardware has been passed through the punch-out portion  32 . Alternatively, the sealing gaskets  22  can be placed on the interior surface of the punch-out portion  30  and/or on the exterior surface of the punch-out portion  32 . 
         [0029]    The body sealing gaskets  22  are configured to seal the punch-out  portions  30 ,  32  after the punch-out portions  30 ,  32  are punched out and objects are passed though the punch-out portions  30 ,  32 . In this regard, the body sealing gasket  22  can be formed from a high temperature resistant butyl, and can define a slit  34  designed to receive objects that are passed through the punch-out portions  30 ,  32 . At least one side of each of the body sealing gaskets  22  can be coated with an adhesive so that the body sealing gaskets  22  adhere to the punch-out portions  30 ,  32 . 
         [0030]    With additional reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the interior surface of the body  12  can define a first groove  36 , and the exterior surface of the body  12  can define a second groove  38 . The first groove  36  is disposed between the first portion  24  and the collapsible portion  28 , and the second groove  38  is disposed between the collapsible portion  28  and the second portion  26 . The first and second grooves  36 ,  38  are configured to act as living hinges as the collapsible portion  28  is collapsed. In this regard, the first and second grooves  36 ,  38  can have a reduced thickness relative to the remainder of the body  12 . In addition, the cross-sections of the first and second grooves can be V-shaped. 
         [0031]    To adjust the height of the liner assembly  10 , a downward force may be applied to the closed top  14  of the body  12  as the flange  18  is supported. As the downward force is applied, the first portion  24  of the body  12  moves downward relative to the second portion  26  of the body  12 . In addition, the collapsible portion  28  rolls inward on itself in a direction A, as shown in  FIG. 3 , and the collapsible portion  28  becomes tapered inward from its lower end to its upper end, as shown in  FIG. 1 . If sufficient force is applied, the collapsible portion  28  continues to rotate in the direction A until the collapsible portion  28  is sandwiched between the exterior surface of the first portion  24  and the interior surface of the second portion  26 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . At that point, the collapsible portion  28  is fully collapsed, and the height H of the liner assembly  10  is at its minimum. 
         [0032]    In various implementations, the recessed light  100  may include a plurality of collapsible portions. For example, the recessed light may include 3, 6, 9, or more collapsible portions. The collapsible portions may collapse together in a telescoping manner. As discussed above, the body  12  may taper inward at an angle from its lower end to its upper end when the collapsible portions are fully unfolded. This angle may be increased as the number of collapsible portions is increased. 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a recessed light  100  is shown mounted between two ceiling joists  102 . The recessed light  100  includes a housing  104  and a trim ring  106 . The housing  104  includes wiring  108  and a light bulb socket (not shown) that hold a light bulb  110  within the housing  104  and supply power to the light bulb  110 . The trim ring  106  may be fixed to the housing  104  using trim mounting hardware such as coil springs (not shown) that bias the trim ring  106  against an underside surface  112  of a ceiling  114 . 
         [0034]    To install the liner assembly  10 , power supplied to the recessed light  100  may be interrupted at a circuit breaker (not shown). Then, the light bulb  110  and the trim ring  106  may be removed from the recessed light  100 . In some cases, it may be necessary to detach the light bulb socket and wiring from the trim ring  106  in order to fully disassemble the trim ring  106  from the housing  104 . 
         [0035]    Next, the punch-out portion  30  in the closed top  14  of the liner assembly  10  may be punched through. Then, the liner assembly  10  may be positioned below the housing  104 , and the light socket and associated wiring may be pulled through the punch-out portion  30 . The size of the punch-out portion  30  can be just large enough to pull the light socket through the body  12 . Alternatively, depending on the material of the body  12 , the size of the punch-out portion  30  can be smaller than the light socket since the material may stretch. For example, the body  12  may stretch if the body  12  is formed from liquid silicon rubber having a durometer within a certain range, but the body  12  may not stretch if the body  12  is formed from nylon using vacuum forming. As discussed above, instead of forming the body  12  to define the punch-out portion  30 , one or more slits may be cut in the closed top  14  of the body  12  and the sidewall  13  of the body  12 . The slits may be cut at points that approximate where the wiring  108  and the trim mounting hardware enter the housing  104 . 
         [0036]    Once the light socket and wiring is pulled through the punch-out portion  30 , one of the body sealing gaskets  22  may be attached to the punch-out portion  30  and the liner assembly  10  may be inserted into the recessed light  100 . The locations of the punch-out portions  32  required to attach the trim ring  106  to the housing  104  may then be determined, and those punch-out portions  32  may be punched through. If the body  12  is formed without the punch-out portions  32 , any slits or perforations required to attach the trim ring  106  to the housing  104  may be marked. The slits may then be cut to accommodate mounting hardware for the trim ring  106 . The height of the liner assembly  10  may be decreased as needed by compressing the collapsible portion  28  of the body  12 . 
         [0037]    The punch-out portions  32  may then be pushed over the trim mounting hardware if needed, and the body sealing gaskets  22  can be attached to the punch-out portions  32 . Backing material may then be pulled off the flange sealing gasket  20 , and the flange sealing gasket  20  can be pressed firmly against the underside surface  112  of the ceiling  114 . The trim ring  106  may then be reassembled to the housing  104 , and the light bulb  110  can be reinstalled in the recessed light  100 . Power may then be supplied to the recessed light  100 , and operation of the light bulb  110  can be verified. 
         [0038]    The liner assembly  10  is configured to be mounted within the recessed light  100  without using mounting hardware such as brackets and/or fasteners. Since the body  12  and the flange  18  can be formed from a relatively lightweight material such as polymer, the flange sealing gasket  20  is sufficient to attach the flange  18  to the underside surface  112  of the ceiling  114  to secure the body  12  within the recessed light  100 . In addition, although the body  12  can be formed from a flexible material such as polymer, the body  12  is sufficiently stiff to maintain its shape once adjusted to a desired height. In this regard, the first and second grooves  36  and  38  can act as stiffening ribs that stiffen the body  12 . 
         [0039]    Before installing the liner assembly  10 , one may determine whether a particular light fixture allows excessive air movement between conditioned and unconditioned spaces within a building. In one example, a fixture that has a leak rate of greater than 2 cubic feet per minute at 75 pascals of pressure may be deemed ‘leaky’. A measurement may be performed during a home energy audit. A typical audit includes depressurizing a home using a blower door or existing fans inside the home that draw air through building envelope perforations such as recessed light fixtures. Once a particular recessed light is determined to be ‘leaky’, as indicated by excessive air movement coming from the fixture, the liner assembly  10  may be installed using the method described above. 
         [0040]    The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.