Patent Publication Number: US-6655813-B1

Title: Multi-function luminaire

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to lighting fixtures and particularly to a recessed light fixture utilizing miniature optics together with opposing reflectors, a movable bulb, and a movable prism with lens. 
     2. Description of Relevant Art 
     Current light fixtures are often installed in ceilings to provide room illumination. When such fixtures are flush-mounted, they can lend an undesirable appearance of a ceiling filled with holes. Additionally, current fixtures often emanate undesirable light from integral reflectors when viewed from directly below, or otherwise directly on-axis with a projected beam of light. Current light fixtures are undesirably bulky in appearance when used in conjunction with modern room furnishings and appliances, which are chosen for a minimalist appearance in room decor. This is true even when such fixtures are flush-mounted, and in such cases, it is especially true for their reflector apertures. Thus, there is a need for a light fixture which is compact in size, uses miniature components to minimize the appearance of a reflector aperture, can be mounted in a ceiling, wall, or floor, offers an adjustable output light beam, shields the eyes of room occupants from reflector reflections, and is simple and easy to install and adjust. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to minimize the appearance of a reflector aperture of a light fixture. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a light fixture having miniature optics. 
     It is even another object of the present invention to provide a light fixture having an adjustable light output. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a light fixture having a fixed reflector with opposing first and second reflector surfaces and a moveable prism in order to adjust the output light beam from a narrow to a wide light pattern. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a light fixture having a fixed reflector with opposing first and second reflector surfaces, a moveable prism, a moveable bulb, and which can be utilized in ceilings as a downlight, on walls as a wall washer, on floors, or a framing projector. 
     More particularly, this invention relates to a recessed light fixture utilizing miniature optics together with a fixed reflector with opposing first and second reflector surfaces, a moveable prism having one or more diverging lenses, and a moveable bulb. The prism and bulb are moved independently, sequentially or simultaneously, in order to adjust an output beam of light ranging in width. In addition, the reflector is attached joined to the fixture, and the prism moves inside an end of the reflector in order to focus light into the prism. Likewise, the bulb is slidably mounted within a mounting bracket, so as to move nearer or farther from its proximity to the prism, as desired, in order to further achieve a preselected and desired range of focus. The adjustability feature of the prism allows the fixture to be utilized in applications including a downlight, a wall washer, a framing projector, or the like. In order to eliminate glare from within the fixture and particularly from the reflector, an aperture shield is affixed which adjustably covers a preselected portion of the aperture. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A better understanding of the invention will be had upon reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recessed light fixture utilizing miniature optics of the present invention with selected features shown in phantom lines; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a recessed light fixture utilizing miniature optics of the present invention and including relevant details of the reflector and prism; and, 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another recessed light fixture utilizing miniature optics of the present invention with selected portions cut-away. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a recessed light fixture  10  includes a housing  12 , preferably substantially cylindrical in shape, having a cap  14  rotatably affixed to,an upper edge  16  thereof. A cover plate  18  is affixed to a lower edge  20  of the housing  12 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, a remote-mounted junction box and transformer  22  and associated flexible conduit wiring  24  are affixed to the cap  14  in order to supply electric current suitable to power a bulb  26  which is mounted within the housing  12 . 
     With further reference to FIG. 2, light from bulb  26  is focused by use of a reflector  28  and a prism  36 . The prism  36  includes at least one diverging lens  38 . The reflector  28  has a first end  30  and a second end  32  and is affixed within the housing  12 . One or more prism slots  33  are formed in the second end  32  to receive corresponding prism lugs  50  of the prism  36  which is adjustably affixed in the second end  32  along the axis depicted by line A—A. The reflector  28  includes opposing first and second reflector surfaces  60  and  62  with opposed first and second ends  30  and  32 , respectively, which are substantially square in side profile view. A substantially parabolic or curve geometric profile is preselected for the reflector surfaces  60  and  62  of the reflector  28  in order to provide a desired range of focus of light emitted from the fixture  10  as the prism  36  is moved within the second end  32  of the fixture  10 . The first end  30  is oriented underneath the cap  14  and surrounds a bulb upper portion  34  of the bulb  26 . The bulb  26  is slidably mounted within a mounting bracket  37  in order to achieve even further adjustability of the pattern of light. The second end  30  is oriented just above the cover plate  18  and directly below the bulb  26 . 
     Slots  40  are formed along the housing  14  as desired in order to allow heat to radiate away from the fixture  10  when in use. 
     An aperture  42  is formed along a central area of the cover plate  18  in order to allow light to radiate from the fixture  10 . As desired, a rotational cap  44  is adjustably mounted and positioned within the aperture  42  in order to (1) direct a beam of light, and (2) shield light from striking preselected areas within a room or surface to be illuminated. The rotational cap  44  is rotated both vertically and horizontally as desired as depicted by lines B—B and C—C. 
     A preferred fixture  10  has an aperture  42  of a preselected size to accommodate bulbs  26  of varying diameters. And, the cover plate  18  is sized greater than the diameter of housing  12 . Additionally, a preferred fixture  10  is modular in that, as desired, cover plates  18  are provided in differing preselected shapes and sizes and rotational caps  44  are provided or omitted as desired. As discussed above, the prism  36  is adjustably positioned within the fixture  10  and the bulb  26  is adjustably positioned within the mounting bracket  37 . Thus, the bulb  26  is thereby also adjustably positioned relative to the housing  12  and cap  14 . Preferably, preselected reflector  28  geometry allows the beam of light to be narrowest when the prism  36  and bulb  26  are in a position nearest to one another. Likewise, the beam of light is widest when the prism  36  and the bulb  26  are farthest away from one another. The reflector  28  is fixedly joined to the housing  12 , and only the prism  36  and bulb  26  move in order to focus light into the prism  36 . By use of fixtures  10  of the present invention, a beam of light is focused in width, as desired, from less than 1° to 180° degrees. This feature allows great versatility in mounting and use of fixtures  10  of the present invention. 
     The surfaces  60  and  62  of the preferred reflector  28  are high specular vacuum silver metalized. The prism  36  is clear or colored, as desired, in order to provide for decorative lighting. A preferred bulb  26  is a point-source bulb of halogen or tungsten-halogen and includes bulbs such as a 35-watt T-5 or T6 or smaller metal halide and 12-volt capsule LV or the like. Such miniaturized bulbs  26  act as a point-source beam of light for ease of focusing. Such bulbs  26  also aid in keeping the perceived size of the fixture down to an acceptable range to ensure consumer acceptance in decor and modern lighting situations. 
     The housing is preferably sheet-metal steel of a heat resistance black finish, and the cover plate  18  is preferably steel and in colors to include white or black; all as desired to match room decor. 
     In installation, the fixture  10  is mounted, as desired, in a variety of ways. An opening  52  of correspondingly diameter to the housing  12  is formed in a preselected mounting surface  54 . The fixture  10  is then inserted into the opening  52  and retained in position by at least one hinged retaining tab  56  which is pivotably mounted in the housing  12 . Springs (not shown) or mere bending of the hinged retaining tab  56  are used as desired in order to ensure that the fixture  10  does not slip out of the opening  52 . As an aid to wiring and final installation, the cap  14  is affixed to the housing  12  by a twist-lock means such as helical threads (not shown), camming action, or the like. 
     When used as a ceiling down light, the fixture is oriented so that the beam of light illuminates a preselected area beneath the fixture  10 . As discussed above, the prism  36  and bulb  26  are moved to focus the beam of light in a range from collimated to wide. As desired, the rotational cap  44  is fitted to provide more direction in the aiming of the beam of light. Likewise, the fixture  10  may be mounted in a floor to achieve similar benefits of illumination from a ground level. 
     When used as a wall washer, the use of the rotational cap  44  is desired in order to wash a wall with reflected light without a room occupant being subjected to objectionable direct illumination from within the fixture  10 . 
     An alternative embodiment of a fixture  10  of the present invention is provided for use as a frame projector, as shown in FIG.  3 . The fixture  10  is placed into a ceiling, floor or wall at a preselected distance in order to illuminate an object such as, for example, a painting, a poster, a print, or the like. When so used, it is desired to provide light only out to a perimeter of the object to be illuminated and not onto surfaces adjacent thereto. The framing projector fixture  10  of FIG. 3 shares the structure and features of light beam adjustability with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and  2 . Movement of the prism  36  and bulb  26  narrows the light beam. Baffles  51  are additionally provided in order to change a round light pattern to other geographic configurations, such as, for example, a square, a rectangle, an irregular polygonal shape, or the like. These other configurations are obtained by adjustment by the user in order to size the configuration or pattern to illuminate only the object to be illuminated and not the adjacent surfaces, as described above. The baffles  51  are movable and provided in four adjustably overlapping pieces, as shown in FIG. 3, or in a form similar to that of known photography camera irises (not shown). The physical location of the baffles  51  is preferably between the bulb  26  and the prism  36 . The rotational cap  44  is again used as desired in order to illuminate the object to be illuminated without spreading the beam of light out to adjacent wall surfaces. 
     The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom for modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.