Abstract:
First and second modules carrying LED circuit boards are interconnected by an interconnection mechanism which enables the modules to both pivot and move linearly with respect to one another such that the distance and angle between the modules may each be varied.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/812,059, filed Apr. 15, 2013, entitled “Adjustable Length Articulated Led Light Fixtures,” the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The subject disclosure relates to lighting fixtures and more particularly to smaller scale articulated LED light fixtures installable as a series of interconnected articulated lighting units or modules and having a length adjustment feature. 
     2. Related Art 
     Various decorative and/or accent linear lighting apparatus such as rope light, incandescent lighting, and festoon lighting have been in use for some time. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following is a summary description of an illustrative articulated modular LED lighting fixture embodiment. It is provided as a preface to assist those skilled in the art to more rapidly assimilate the detailed design discussion which ensues and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the claims which are appended hereto in order to particularly point out the invention. 
     According to one embodiment, an illustrative modular light fixture apparatus may comprise a plurality of modules, each module having a base component and a cover component. In an illustrative embodiment, a first base component is provided having respectively oppositely disposed vertical side walls with a horizontal rail projecting from a respective inner surface of each side wall. A horizontally extending interconnection component is pivotally connected to a second adjacent base component and is configured to slidably mate with the respective horizontal rails of the first base component such that the interconnection component may move horizontally in and out with respect to the second base component to thereby vary the distance between the first and second base components. 
     A cover component carrying an LED circuit board is mountable on each base component, and has first and second depending vertical surfaces at one end thereof, which come into abutment with vertically extending tabs positioned on sidewalls of the interconnection component to thereby limit the range of relative movement between the first and second base components. 
     According to an illustrative embodiment, each module thus has the ability to pivot, for example, up to 90 degrees with respect to an adjacent module, and also has the ability to move linearly toward and away from an adjacent module, for example, by a distance of one-half inch so as to vary the linear space between the adjacent modules. The ability to vary the spacing between interconnected modules permits accommodating out-of-tolerance curves and bends in an array of interconnected modules and also permits adjusting the overall length of runs, while still controlling light distribution so as to avoid scalloping while still providing uniformity of illumination. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the components of first and second adjacent interconnected LED light modules according to an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a side sectional view of first and second interconnected LED light modules; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a module interconnection mechanism according to an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 4 . is a fragmentary perspective view further illustrating the interconnection mechanism of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of two interconnected modules according to an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the underside of a cover component according to an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is an end sectional view of an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is an end perspective view further illustrating a portion of the interconnection mechanism of the illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is an end perspective view of a base component of a module according to an illustrative embodiment; and 
         FIG. 10  is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating an end closure component according to an illustrative embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an illustrative modular light fixture apparatus may comprise a plurality of modules  11 , each module having a base component  13  and a cover component  15 . In one embodiment, each base  13  and each cover  15  of each module  11  may be identically shaped and fabricated of the same material. The base  13  may be constructed, for example of a zinc alloy such as ZAMAK 3 or other suitable materials. 
     In an illustrative embodiment, the base  13  has a lower channel of U-shaped cross-section of a first width W 1 , which supports an upper channel of rectangular cross-section and of a width W 2  greater than the first width W 1 . The cover  15  is generally rectangular, and in one embodiment, may be dimensioned to rest on horizontal ledges, e.g.  16 , formed just below the upper horizontal edges  18  of the base  13 . The cover  13  further has a semi-cylindrical cap  118  of a first radius R 1  formed at a nose or front end thereof. The cover  13  receives and mounts a generally rectangular circuit board  20  carrying one or more LED&#39;s  22  and positioned within a lens or cover  24 . 
     An interconnection mechanism or component  26  is positioned beneath an inner end  125  of the right-most base component  13  of  FIG. 1 . The interconnection component  26  includes a generally cylindrical pivoting interconnection portion or component  28  and an interconnecting tongue portion or component  19 . In one illustrative embodiment, the tongue  19  and cylindrical portion  28  are formed as single unitary component, for example, formed of die-cast aluminum, a zinc alloy such as ZAMAK 3, plastic, or other material. The cylindrical portion  28  has a cylindrical male projection or boss  30  formed on its floor  32 . In the illustrative embodiment, the boss  30  is concentrically positioned with respect to the outer cylindrical wall  34 . 
     Each base  13  has an extended plug  36  formed at its inner end  125 , which includes a through hole therein for receiving a screw  38 . The screw  38  threads into the boss  30  of the cylindrical portion  28  of the interconnection mechanism  28  so as to pivotally mount the base  13  with respect to the interconnection component or mechanism  26 . In one embodiment, the depth of insertion of the screw  38  is controlled to enable such pivotal movement. The semi-cylindrical cap  118  of the cover  15  may have the same radius R 1  ( FIG. 4 ) as the outer wall  34  of the cylindrical portion  28  and may be positioned such that its contoured vertical outer surface mates flush with the vertical outer wall  34  and at the same time covers the extended plug  36 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , to give a clean appearance to the assembled unit or module  11 . 
     As may be further seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the tongue  19  has a rectangular floor  21  and respective vertical sides  23 ,  25 . First and second vertical side rails  27 ,  29 , are formed at an upper edge  31 ,  33  of each of the side rails  23 ,  25 , and respective upwardly projecting rectangular tabs  35 ,  37  are formed at an end of each of the side rails  27 ,  29 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the inner end  40  of the adjacent left-most base component  13  and the tongue  19  are designed such that the tongue  19  slidingly mates with the end  40  of the left-most base component  13 , such that the tongue  19  may move or slide horizontally into the left-most base  13  in the direction of the arrow  14  to a point where the tongue  19  is largely concealed and such that the semi-circular cap end  118  of the cover  15  lies adjacent the end  40  of the adjacent base  13 , for example, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Similarly, the tongue  19  may slide horizontally out of the left-most base  13  in the direction of the arrow  16  of  FIG. 3  to separate the units or modules  11  and extend their overall length. 
     The extent to which the tongue  19  can slide or move out of the base  13  in the direction of the arrow  16  is limited by the vertically extending tabs  35 ,  37 , whose vertical front edges  43 ,  45  are positioned to abut respective vertical depending surfaces  47 ,  49  ( FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6 ) formed at an inner end  46  of the cover  15 . In one embodiment, the tabs  35 ,  37  are positioned and dimensioned such that the tongue  19  may be extended to an extent providing an additional ½ inch of overall length to that of the two modules  11 . In that position, in one illustrative embodiment, a cover cap  50  ( FIG. 1 ) may be mounted over the rails  27 ,  29  to conceal them, thereby providing a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. In one embodiment, when the tongue  19  slides into the adjacent base component  13 , the cover cap  50  slides into the base component  13  with it, as further illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
     In an illustrative embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , to facilitate the in and out sliding movement of the tongue  19 , respective rails  51 ,  53  are formed on the respective interior surfaces of the lower vertical walls  55 ,  57  of the base  13 . Respective grooves  59 ,  61  are formed on opposite sides of the tongue  19  and are shaped and dimensioned to slidingly mate with or slidingly engage the rails  51 ,  53  such that the tongue  19  may slide into and out of the base  13 . In another embodiment, grooves could be formed in the base sidewalls and rails on the tongue sidewalls to enable sliding movement. Various other constructions could be used to achieve the desired sliding extension and retraction of the tongue in various embodiments. Once extended to the desired amount, the modules  11  or mounting brackets attached to the modules  11  may be screwed or otherwise fastened into place to maintain the desired spacing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment each cover  15  may be provided with angled screw insertion holes  101  at opposite ends thereof. These holes  101  are positioned such that screws  103  may be inserted therein and then screwed in so as to bite into surfaces  105  of the housing or base component  13  as shown in  FIG. 7  to pull the base  13  and cover  15  components tightly together so as to facilitate heat transfer and thermal management. In one embodiment, this screw insertion technique also insures proper alignment of the base  13  with respect to the cover  15  since the cover  15  will “pop out” if the screws  103  are not properly angled during insertion. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , an end plug  63  having a generally flat rectangular back surface  65  may be provided with side flanges  67 ,  69  suitably grooved to mate with respective side rails  70 ,  71  on the base  13 , such that the plug  63  may slide in to close an open end of a base component  13  which constitutes the base component  13  of the last module  11  in an interconnected string of articulated modules  11 . 
     At an opposite end of an interconnected string of modules  11 , an end component  72  ( FIG. 1 ) may be provided. This component  72  has a cylindrically shaped portion  73  constructed like portion  28  of the interconnection member  26 , so as to flushly and conformably mate with the end cap  118  of the last or end cover component  15 . In one embodiment, the end component  72  also has an extension portion, or channel  75  of u-shaped cross-section which may receive an electrical power cable held in place by an end cap  77  and screw  79 . While  FIG. 1  illustrates two modules  11  pivotally interconnected together, it will be appreciated that three or more modules  11  may be interconnected or strung together in the manner disclosed herein above. 
     In one embodiment, each module  11  may have a length ( FIG. 5 ) of 5.98 inches, or roughly 6 inches, and a height ( FIG. 7 ) of 1.04 inches, or roughly one inch. Such dimensions may of course be different in different embodiments. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.