Patent Publication Number: US-11378257-B2

Title: Low-profile niche for underwater pool/spa lights

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/727,030 filed on Jun. 1, 2015 (now issued U.S. Pat. No. 10,941,920), which is a continuation application of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/573,708 filed on Oct. 3, 2012 (now issued U.S. Pat. No. 9,046,247), the entire disclosures of which are both expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a niche for an underwater light, and more specifically to a low-profile niche for underwater pool/spa lights. 
     Related Art 
     Light niches used for gunite pools are conventionally deep bowls that require a steel rebar cage and considerable gunite surrounding the niche to reinforce the concrete bordering the void created in the wall. Both the cage and the extra gunite add considerable expense to the installation of these light niches. Additionally, these niches generally include metal components for capturing the niche, as well as metal components for bonding and ground of the niche, and a subsequent bond and/or ground of the light in the niche by virtue of the electrical connectivity of metal components in the light and niche. These components add expense to the niche due to the material used, as well as the necessity for bonding or grounding (which requires additional labor). 
     Further, underwater lights typically have a specific installation orientation, wherein the light “top” is installed at the 12:00 position and the niche “top” is also installed at the 12:00 position. This specific orientation forces the conduit exit of the niche (e.g., for electrical cabling of the light) to always be oriented at the same position relative to the “top” of the light, thus limiting the versatility of installation and preventing installation of the niche at different orientations relative to the “top” of the light. In doing so, a conduit trench must always be provided extending from the “top” of the niche and the light to accommodate the conduit exit. Moreover, if a niche incorrectly installed at a position other than the 12:00 position, the light will also be oriented at a position other than the 12:00 position, since the light does not rotate with respect to the niche. This can lead to visually unpleasing results. 
     Still further, existing niches do not provide a quick and convenient way for allowing secure installation of a light into a niche without using tools, such as screwdrivers or other tools. As such, not only must installers know how to properly install underwater lights into niches, but they must also carry tools with them into a pool or spa to install such lights. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a niche for a pool or spa light. In one embodiment, the niche includes a back wall having an aperture for receiving a power cable, a side wall, a plurality of mounting ribs, and a groove. The side wall is attached at one end about the periphery of the back wall, and a plurality of mounting ribs are attached to an inner surface of the side wall. The groove is formed in at least one of the plurality of mounting ribs, and receives a locking mechanism of a pool or a spa light for locking the pool or spa light in position with respect to the niche. The light can be quickly and conveniently installed into the niche without requiring the use of tools, using a simple “twist-and-lock” motion to lock the light into place in the niche. The light is attached to the niche by a locking mechanism on the light that is configured to engage the plurality of mounting ribs. The locking mechanism includes a body connected to the light, a stopper configured to engage the plurality of mounting ribs, and a flexible arm including a first end connected to the body and a second end connected to an engagement head. The engagement head contacts the plurality of mounting ribs and flexes the flexible arm when the light is rotated in the niche, such that the engagement head passes over the groove and releasably engages the mounting rib. 
     In another embodiment, a niche for a pool or spa light includes a body and a rotatable hub which includes a plurality of mounting ribs attached to the inner surface of the side wall of the hub, for receiving a pool or spa light and locking the light into position within the hub using a “twist-and-lock” motion. The body includes a back wall having an aperture for receiving a power cable and a threaded aperture for receiving a screw, and a side wall attached at one end about the periphery of the back wall. The hub includes a back wall having an aperture for receiving a screw, such that the hub is rotatable about the screw. A groove is formed in at least one of the plurality of mounting ribs for receiving a locking mechanism of a pool or a spa light, for locking the pool or spa light in position with respect to the niche. The screw is insertable through the aperture of the hub and is received by a threaded aperture of the body to secure the hub to the body. The hub can be rotated with respect to the niche so that the light can be oriented to the 12:00 (upright) position, regardless of the angle at which the niche is installed in a pool or a spa. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing features of the invention will be apparent from the following Detailed Description of the Invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of the low-profile niche of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 1B  is a front perspective view of an underwater pool or spa light configured to connect to the niche of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  is a side exploded view of the niche of  FIG. 1A  and the light of  FIG. 1B ; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the niche of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the low-profile niche of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the low-profile niche taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the low-profile niche of  FIG. 1  with a light secured thereto; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the low-profile niche and light combination of  FIG. 5 , taken at a plane parallel to the rear wall of the niche and at a point along the sidewall looking toward the rear housing of the light; 
         FIG. 7  is a semi-exploded, perspective view showing another embodiment of the low-profile niche of the present disclosure, which includes a rotatable hub; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the low-profile niche of  FIG. 7 , showing the conduit hub of the niche mounted at the 12:00 position; and 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of the low-profile niche of  FIG. 7 , showing the conduit hub of the niche mounted at a position 10° clockwise from the 12:00 position and the hub rotated to correct (compensate) for the 10° position of the niche. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure relates to a low-profile niche for underwater pool/spa lights, as discussed in detail below in connection with  FIGS. 1A-9 . 
       FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a low-profile niche according to the present disclosure. The low-profile niche  10  includes a body  12 , a plurality of mounting ribs  14 , a plurality of niche mounting brackets  16 , and an angled conduit hub  18 . The body  12  includes a rear wall  20 , a side wall  22 , and a radial flange  24 . The rear wall  20  is connected to the side wall  22  to form a low-profile compartment that houses an underwater pool or spa light when it is connected to the niche  10 . The side wall  22  generally has a lower depth when compared to standard underwater light niches, so that the entire niche  10  can be installed in the wall of a pool or spa so that the rear wall  20  does not protrude through the plane or planes created by the steel rebar grid of a pool or spa. The mounting brackets  16  can be tied to the rebar grid of the pool or spa to secure the niche  10  to the pool or spa rebar grid, and then concrete (gunite) can be sprayed on the rebar grid after the niche  10  is installed. 
     The rear wall  20  includes a conduit aperture  26  that provides access to the angled conduit hub  18  mounted to the exterior of the rear wall  20 . The conduit aperture  26  allows for a power/control cable of a light to extend through the rear wall  20  and into the angled conduit hub  18 . The angled conduit hub  18  is generally provided at a 45° angle, and may be connected to a conduit pipe having a 45° bend. As such, the conduit of the light may bend a full 90° and run parallel to the face of the niche installation. The angled conduit hub  18  may be a separate piece that is attached/mounted to the exterior of the rear wall  20 , or, alternatively, may be a formed as a part of the body  12  extending from the rear wall  20 . The low profile side wall  22 , along with the angled conduit hub  18 , allows the conduit to travel away from the niche  10  parallel to the plane of the rear wall  20 . A cord seal could be provided in the conduit hub  18  to prevent ingress of water through the hub  18 . 
     The plurality of niche mounting brackets  16  extend from the body  12  so that the body  12  can be mounted to the pool wall. The mounting brackets  16  may be connected to the body  12 , or may be formed as a part of the body  12 . Four mounting brackets  16  are illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , however, any desired number of brackets can be provided. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1A-6 , the radial flange  24  extends radially from a forward portion of the side wall  22 . The radial flange  24  provides a surface on the niche  10  for gunite to adhere to when patching the pool wall during installation of the niche  10 . It is noted that the niche  10  can be formed entirely from a non-conductive material, such as plastic. With specific reference to  FIG. 1C , it can be seen that, when the niche  10  is attached to a rebar grid  17  of a pool or a spa (prior to spraying gunite to form the pool or spa walls and other surfaces), the conduit hub  18  of the light extends past the rebar grid  17 , but the remainder of the niche  10  does not. Advantageously, such a configuration obviates the need for a pool/spa contractor to shape or re-work the rebar around the niche  10 , as is required with conventional niches. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 3-5 , the light mounting ribs  14  are mounted on the inner surface of the side wall  22 , and on the rear wall  20 . The mounting ribs  14  include a lateral groove  27  extending a predefined depth into the mounting ribs  14  and across each mounting rib  14 . The lateral grooves  27  allow a light to be mounted to the niche  10 , as discussed in greater detail below. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1B, 1C, 5, and 6 , the light  28  generally includes a front housing portion  30  and a rear housing portion  32 . The front housing portion  30  includes a lens  34 , an interlocking member  36 , and a radial flange or bezel  38 . The rear housing portion  32  includes a rear wall  40  and an interlocking member  42 . The interlocking member  36  of the front housing portion  30  interlocks with the interlocking member  42  of the rear wall  40  so that the front housing portion  30  and the rear housing portion  32  can be interconnected in a water-tight arrangement. A sealing material may be disposed between the interlocking members  36 ,  42  so that the light  28  is sealed. The radial flange  38  extends radially from front housing  30  and is provided so that when the light  28  is placed in the niche  10 , it contacts a front face of the side wall  22 . The light  28  further includes a locking mechanism  44  attached to the exterior of the rear wall  40  of the rear housing  32 , and four locking tabs  45  extending radially from the rear wall  40  located at approximately equidistant positions along the circumference of the rear wall  40 . The locking mechanism  44  includes a body  46 , a bendable tab  48 , and a stopper  50 . The bendable tab  48  includes a flexure arm  52  and an engagement head  54 . The body  46  is secured to the rear wall  40  of the rear housing  32 . The flexure arm  52  is connected to, and extends from, the body  46  generally along the circumference of the rear housing  32  such that the flexure arm can be flexed radially with respect to the rear housing  32 , e.g., toward the center of the rear housing  32  and radially outwardly. The engagement head  54  is at the end of the flexure arm  52  opposite the end connected to the body  46 . The engagement head  54  includes a flat face  56  and a slanted face  58 . The height of the flexure arm  52  is less than the height of the lateral grooves  27 , and the engagement head  54  slides along the lateral grooves  27 . The stopper  50  extends radially from the end of the flexure arm  52 , opposite the engagement head  54 . The space between the stopper  50  and the flat face  56  of the engagement head  54  is slightly greater than the width of the mounting ribs  14 , so that the mounting rib can be locked in position in the space between the stopper  50  and the flat face  56 . 
     Once the light  28  is inserted into the niche  10 , a user can rotate the light  28  clockwise such that the slanted face  58  of the engagement head  54  contacts the lateral groove  27  of one of the mounting ribs  14 . This contact causes the flexure arm  52  to bend inward, allowing the light  28  to continue to be rotated clockwise with the engagement head  54 , traversing the lateral groove  27 . Once the engagement head  54  has traveled completely across the lateral groove  27 , such that the flat face  56  has passed the lateral groove  27 , the stopper  50  contacts a first sidewall of the mounting rib  14  and the flexure arm  52  returns to its unbiased position. In this position, the light  28  can no longer be rotated clockwise because of the stopper  50 , and it cannot be rotated counter-clockwise because of the flat face  56  of the engagement head  54  contacting or being adjacent to a second sidewall of the mounting rib  14 . Additionally, the light  28  cannot be pulled out of the niche  10  because the locking tabs  45  are seated in the lateral grooves  27 . 
     The light  28  may include a hole or slot  60  disposed in and extending through the radial flange  38  of the light  28 , to permit a pin or screwdriver to be inserted therein and to bend the flexure arm  52  radially inwardly so that the light  28  can be rotated counter-clockwise and the flexure arm  52 , and the locking tabs  45 , can be rotated out of the lateral grooves  27  without the flat face  56  of the engagement head  54  locking against the sidewall of the mounting rib  14 . This allows the light  28  to be removed from the niche  10 . As can be seen with reference to  FIG. 1B , a trim plate  61  (or, bezel) could be provided on the light  28 , to provide a pleasing aesthetic effect for the light. Moreover, the plate  61  functions to cover the apertures  60  in the flange  38 , to prevent against undesired removal of the light  28  from the niche  10 . However, slots  63  are provided on the plate  61  to allow insertion of a tool (e.g., a flat-blades screwdriver) to remove the plate  61 , so that access can be gained to the apertures  60 , to allow removal of the light  28 . 
     Allowing the flexure arm  52  to lock with any one of the mounting ribs  14  allows a user flexibility in how the niche  10  is mounted to the pool wall. More specifically, a user may desire the niche  10  to mounted be to the pool wall such that the conduit aperture  26  and the angled conduit hub  18  are located at the 3:00 position, allowing the lighting conduit to travel away from the niche  10  parallel to the plane of the rear wall  20 , thus alleviating the need for conduit trenches to be dug. However, the user may nonetheless wish for the “top” of the light  28  to be at the 12:00 position. In a standard niche, a user may have limited options for mounting the light to the niche. However, the niche  10  of  FIGS. 1-6  allows a user to position the niche  10  as desired and then insert the light  28  so that it is locked in the desired orientation. 
     As mentioned above, the niche  10  of  FIGS. 1-6  may be made entirely of a non-metallic components that do not conduct electricity. As such, the niche  10  does not require additional bonding to a pool wall and grounding. Further, the niche  10  may be constructed entirely of components that include no “dead metal” components, e.g., components that include a metal that has no means of electrical connectivity to other metal components, or no means of bonding or grounding. 
       FIGS. 7-9  illustrate another embodiment of the low-profile niche, which includes a rotatable and adjustable hub. The low-profile niche  110  is similar in structure to the niche  10  of  FIGS. 1-6 , with the exception that it does not include the mounting ribs  14  as internal structures to the niche. As such, the niche  110  functions nearly identical to the niche  10  of  FIGS. 1-6 , except the light cannot mount directly to the niche  110 . Instead, the niche  110  includes a body  111  and a rotatable mounting hub  200  for mounting in the body  111  of the niche  110 . The mounting hub  200  includes a central portion  202 , four arms  204  disposed equidistantly about the central portion  202 , a rim  206 , and four light mounting ribs  208 . The arms  204  are spaced by openings  205  and include a rear wall portion  210  and a side wall portion  212 , wherein the rear wall portion  210  extends from the central portion  202  and the side wall portion  212  extends perpendicularly from the rear wall portion  210  to the rim  206 . The rotatable mounting hub  200  is generally sized to fit the niche body  111  such that, when inserted, the face of the rim  206  is approximately coplanar with the front face of the niche body  111 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the light mounting ribs  208  are mounted to the interior of the side wall portion  212  and the rear wall portion  210  of each arm  204 . The mounting ribs  208  include a lateral groove  214  extending a predefined depth into the mounting ribs  208  and across the entirety of each mounting rib  208 . The lateral grooves  214  allow a light to be mounted to the hub  200 , as discussed above in connection with the mounting ribs  14  and lateral grooves  27  of  FIGS. 1-6 . 
     The hub  200  further includes a central aperture  216  and first and second windows  218 ,  220 . The niche body  111  similarly includes a threaded central aperture  112 . Furthermore, the niche body  111  includes a rotation guide  114  disposed rotationally about the central aperture  112  on the interior surface of a rear wall  116  of the niche body  111 . As such, when the hub  200  is placed in the niche body  111 , a screw  224  can be inserted through the central aperture  216  and into the threaded central aperture  222  so that the hub  200  can be secured to the niche body  111  when the screw  224  is adequately threaded into the threaded central aperture  222 . When the hub  200  is secured to the niche body  111  the rotation guide  114  is viewable through either the first or second window  218 ,  220  of the hub  200 , with the angle of the hub  200  being visible. Accordingly, a user may loosen the screw  224  so that the hub  200  can be rotated to a different angle, which may be determined by the user based upon the rotation guide  114 . 
     As discussed above with regard to the light  28  of  FIGS. 1-6 , the light  28  can be attached to the hub  200  in an identical fashion. As such, a user would first secure the hub  200  to the niche body  111  at a desired angle, and then insert the light  28  and rotate it clockwise to lock the light  28  to the mounting ribs  208 . The light conduit would extend through one of the openings  205 , through the conduit aperture  118 , into the angled conduit hub  120 , and to a controller. 
     The niche body  111  and hub  200  of  FIGS. 7-9  allows a user to adjust an underwater light to the proper orientation, or a desired orientation, where the niche body  111  is installed in the pool wall at an undesirable orientation. For example, there may be a situation where a user desires the niche  110  to be mounted to the pool wall such that the “top” of the pool light, e.g., the 12:00 position, is at the true 12:00 position when mounted with the niche body  111 , but the niche body  111  has been mounted to the wall at an angle 10° clockwise from the 12:00 position. In such a situation, conventional niches prohibit the user from installing the light at the 12:00 position. However, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the niche body  111  and hub  200  of  FIGS. 7-9  allows a user to rotate the hub  200  counter-clockwise 10° to compensate for this “skew” of the body  111 . As such, the user can secure the hub  200  to the niche body  111  at the compensated angle so that the light can be mounted with the “top” at the 12:00 position. 
     Alternatively, a user may desire for the niche  110  to mounted to the pool wall such that the conduit aperture  118  and the angled conduit hub  120  are located at the 3:00 position, allowing the lighting conduit to travel away from the niche body  111  parallel to the plane of the rear wall  116 , thus alleviating the need for conduit trenches to be dug. However, the user may nonetheless wish for the “top” of the light  28  to be at the 12:00 position. In a standard niche, a user may be limited. However, the niche body  111  of  FIGS. 7-9  allows a user to position the niche body  111 , insert and position the hub  120  to the desired orientation for the light, and then insert the light  28  so that it is locked in the desired orientation. The hub  120  allows for greater variety in niche  110  mounting orientations. 
     The niche  110  of  FIGS. 7-9  may be made entirely of a non-metallic components that do not conduct electricity. As such, the niche  110  would not require additional bonding to a pool wall and would not require grounding. Furthermore, the niche  110  may be constructed entirely of components that include no “dead metal” components, e.g., components that include a metal that has no means of electrical connectivity to other metal components, or no means of bonding or grounding. Further, it should be understood that the niche  10  of  FIGS. 1-6  or the hub  200  of  FIGS. 7-9  can have more or less than four mounting ribs  14 ,  208 . For example, it may have three mounting ribs that are positioned at 120° from each another. 
     Having thus described the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the foregoing description is not intended to limit the spirit or scope thereof. It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications, including those discussed above, are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.