Patent Publication Number: US-9903572-B2

Title: Suspendable light fixture

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/878,383 filed Oct. 8, 2015, entitled SUSPENDABLE LIGHT FIXTURE and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/061,504, filed Oct. 8, 2014, entitled SUSPENDED LIGHT FIXTURE WITH A CONCEALABLE LIGHT SOURCE the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     n/a 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a suspendable light fixture. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Current suspended light sources, such as holiday and pendant lights, do not provide for independent movement of each light source and do not conceal part of the light source. Thus, current suspended light sources do not provide for independent positioning of each light with respect to each other light along the wire that the lights are attached and also do not provide ways of reflecting and or diffusing the lights to provide for different lighting effects. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention advantageously provides a suspendable light fixture. The light fixture includes a housing including a light reflective material. The housing defines an aperture proximate the center of the housing configured to receive a light source. The housing further defines at least two pairs of through holes; a first channel extending between the a first pair of the at least two pairs of through holes and a second channel extending between the second pair of the at least two pairs of through holes, the first channel and the second channel collectively defining a pathway entirely through the housing; the first and second channels each being curvilinear; an at least two substantially arcuate grooves. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a suspendable light fixture including a light source constructed in accordance with the principles of the present application; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the suspendable light fixture shown in  FIG. 1  with wires extending through the fixture; 
         FIG. 3  is a top cross-sectional view of the suspendable light fixture shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the suspendable light fixture shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a left side view of the suspendable light fixture shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a right side view of the suspendable light fixture shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the suspendable light fixture shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a back view of the suspendable light fixture shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As used here, relational terms, such as “first” and “second,” “top” and “bottom,” “front and rear,” and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements. 
     Referring now to the drawings in which like reference designators refer to like elements, there is shown in  FIGS. 1-7  an exemplary suspendable light fixture constructed in accordance with the principles of the present application and designated generally “ 10 .” The fixture  10  may include a housing  12  configured to reflect and diffuse light emitted from a light source  14  configured to be at least one of retained or suspended within the housing  12 . In an exemplary configuration the housing  12  is substantially toroidal in shape and defines an aperture  16  configured to receive the light source  14 . Other shapes are contemplated for the shape of the housing  12  to provide for a particular light reflection or refraction pattern. In one configuration, the housing  12  may define a thickness in the range of 0.25 in to 2 in and a diameter in the range of 2 in to 12 in. The housing  12  may be composed of plastic, chrome, brass, bronze, resin, or other materials, such as ceramics, glass, wax (for casting), wood, any material that is formable into a prescribed shape or metals. 
     The light source  14  may be sized to be friction fit within the aperture  16 . Alternately, the light source  14  may be sized to be threaded within the aperture  16 . For example, the housing  12  may be composed of a flexible material, for example, polyurethane, such that the light source  14  may be push on the portion of the housing  12  defining the aperture  16  to removeably secure the light source within the housing  12 . In other configuration, the housing  12  is a plastic such as polycarbonate and the light source  14  is made from a resilient material, such that the light source  14  may flex as it is inserted within the aperture  16 . In the configuration shown in  FIG. 1 , the light source  14  is a substantially cylindrical structure, although any shape is contemplated for the light source  14 . The light source  14  may include an array of LED diodes, incandescent filaments, halogens, or fluorescent light sources disposed within the cylindrical structure, either within the wall that defines the light source or within the interior of the substantially cylindrical structure. The light source  14  is further configured to either extend a distance away from the housing  12  from either or both the top and bottom of the housing  12  or may be substantially planar with the housing  12 . 
     The housing  12  may include a plurality of through holes  18  that define respective channels  20  through the housing  12 . The through holes  18  and their respective channels  20  define a pathway for insertion of one of more suspension elements  22 , for example, a wire or fiber optic cable, to which the housing  12  is slideably affixed. In one configuration, six through holes  18  are provided on each side of the housing  12 , which define three curvilinear channels  20  there through. The configuration of the through holes  18  and the channels  20  may be symmetric such that the suspension elements  22  may be readily fed through the channels  20 . In an exemplary configuration, at least one of the one or more suspension elements  22  may pass through a respective channel  20 , into the aperture  16 , through the light source  14  and out through the respective channel  20  on the opposite side of the housing  12 . Such a configuration may allow for affixation of the light source  14  within the aperture  16 . At least one of the one or more suspension elements  22  may further be configured to provide power to the light source  14 . For example, at least one of the suspension elements  22  may be fiber optic cable configured to connect to a power source. One or more of the suspension elements  22  may be configured to electrically couple to the light source  14  when advanced through the light source  14 . Alternatively, the housing  12  may include a battery disposed within configured to provide power to the light source  14 . It may include a solar powered rechargeable battery to power the light source. It may include a wireless charger to power a low voltage light source. 
     The housing  12  may include one or more reflectors  24  and/or diffuser  26  defined by the housing  12  and/or disposed on the housing  12 . For example, the housing  12  may be coated or otherwise composed with a light reflective material, either entirely reflective such a mirrored surface or partially reflective, such that the shape of the housing  12  provides for particular light distribution patterns. In particular, in one configuration, the housing  12  may define an oblong shape such that the cross-sectional thickness of the housing  12  proximate its center is larger than the cross-sectional thickness towards the perimeter of the housing  12 . The oblong shape may provide for particular light distribution as light is emitted from the light source  14 . In other configurations, the thickness of the housing  12  may be less toward the center and larger toward the perimeter. 
     In some configurations, the housing  12  may define a plurality of grooves  28  defined between the aperture  16  and the perimeter of the housing  12 . For example, a pair of arcuate grooves  32 , one on each side of the housing  12  may be included. The grooves  28  may be configured to reflect light emitted from the light sources upward and/or downward through the housing  12 . The length and number of each of the grooves  28  may vary depending on the desire light distribution. For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , two symmetric grooves  28  are included defining an arcuate configuration. Moreover, two other smaller groves  28  are included disposed between the arcuate grooves  28 . 
     The housing may further includes one or more ridges  32  and valleys  34  that extend above and below the housing  12 . For example, the ridges  32  may be positioned adjacent a corresponding groove  28  and/or valley  34  such that a portion of the light emitted from the light source  14  may be reflected out through the groove  28  and reflected away from the housing  12  off of the ridge  32 . These ridges may correspond in height and depth to the desired reflection/refraction effect. These ridges may vary in number and location based on the desired reflection/refraction effect. 
     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.