Patent Abstract:
Adjacent housings of a light fixture each mount a lamp. A rigid, hollow fitting extends between adjacent housings. The fitting&#39;s outside diameter is small enough relative to openings in the housings that receive the connector that adjacent housings can pivot, rotate and move longitudinally and pivot on the connectors. Electric wiring passes through the connectors between the housings.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is a light fixture of the type that conforms to is mounting location. 
     2. General Background and State of the Art 
     Fluorescent lamps of present fixtures are arranged linearly. Thus, the lamps are side-by-side or end-to-end. Some fixtures use curved lamps, but the lamps are designed to allow a single lamp to extend along the sides of a fixture and have the sides interconnected. 
     Belfer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,139 (1993), is an example of a light fixture in which the lamps mount end-to-end. Belfer mounts each u-shaped lamp on a ramp or at an angle so that part of one lamp is above the socket of the adjacent lamp. This arrangement is said to decrease or eliminate shadows above the sockets. Therefore, the light is said to be more even. The lamps in Belfer are aligned in a straight line. Applicant has discovered that allowing the lamps to be other than aligned may be desirable. 
     Flexible light fixtures with flexible parts do exist. The flexible parts are usually resilient and often resist staying in an angled orientation. Examples include Belfer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,460 (1995), which teaches a lighting fixture with several support sections. Each carries a fluorescent lamp. Adjacent edges of adjacent support sections attach together through a flexible connection. Nagano, U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,816 (1995) teaches a fixture having multiple housings. Short sections of flexible electrical conduit fixed to adjacent housings attach adjacent housings together. The flexible conduit permits bending of adjacent housing. These partially flexible fixtures normally do not permit extensive lateral changes of the position of the lamps. The teachings of the prior art discussed above are incorporated by reference. 
     INVENTION SUMMARY 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a lighting fixture in which the user can position the lamps closer and farther apart so that the lamps can be spaced evenly along a given length. For example, assume that one wants illumination to emanate from five lamps behind a six foot wide panel or sconce. Unless the fixture providing the illumination were six feet long with evenly-spaced lamps, the lighting would not be even. Any shorter fixture mounted in the center of the panel would leave darker regions at the ends, and larger fixtures would not fit. 
     The previous example assumed that the lamps would be in a straight line. Many architectural features are curved, angled to the horizontal or vertical. Mounting straight fixtures in such settings also leaves uneven lighting in places. Therefore, another object of the present invention is to allow the lamps to be mounted at angles to each other so that they can conform more closely with the shape of their panel or wall. Moreover, a related object is to have the ability to adjust the angles quickly and have the lamps remain in the set position after they are adjusted. 
     Another object of the present invention is to allow the lamps to be mounted at different attitudes and to be adjusted to those angles quickly. The lamps of prior art fixtures all direct light in the same direction, e.g., upward or horizontally. For some uses, one may want one lamp to project most of its light upward while an adjacent lamp projects most of its light horizontally or at an angle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of parts of an exemplary embodiment of two adjacent housings of the present invention with a connector attaching them together. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the connection of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The exemplary embodiments 10, 30 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the fixture of the present invention includes at least two housings. Each exemplary embodiment has six housings. Fixture  10  has housings  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20  and  22 , and fixture  30  has housings  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40  and  42 . Each fixture is elongated in the “L” dimension (FIG. 1) (The L 1  dimension in FIG.  2 ). The total fixture length varies depending on the number of housings, the spacing and angles between them and their length L or L 1 . In the exemplary embodiment, length L is 11 in (28 cm), and length L 1  is 8 in (20 cm) (metric measurements are approximate and rounded). The length is a matter of choice and relates to the lengths of lamps such as lamp  50 . 
     Referring to housings  16  and  18  by way of their being representative of other housings, the housings are hollow (see FIG. 3) and rectangular. Formed of sheet steel, the housing could be aluminum or plastic, metal is preferred to act as electrical ground. The metal is bent to form a rectangular box. The housings have side walls  60  and  62  and a base  64 . End walls  66  and  68  are bent upward from the base to form the ends. Small amounts of material may be removed where the bending will occur. The end walls are bent inward to form small platforms  74  (FIG.  3 ). The side walls and base may have a small hole or holes to receive fasteners for attaching the housing to walls, panels or other building parts. 
     Each end wall has an opening  70  and  72  (FIG.  3 ), which may be closed by a knockout or breakaway cap (not shown). As is well known, a blow to the breakaway cap pushes it into the housing where it is removed. The knockout openings in the exemplary embodiment are ⅞ in (17 mm) in diameter, which is standard. 
     The bent metal that forms the base, side walls, end walls and platforms does not form the top wall of the housing in the exemplary embodiment. Instead, an elongated cap  76  forms the top of the housing in the exemplary embodiment. Cap  76  has a top surface  78  and two bent walls  80  (the drawings show only one). The side walls  60  and  62  fit within the bent walls  80  of the cap so that the cap closes the top of the housing. 
     The top cap also is removable from the rest of the housing to allow access into the housing. In the exemplary embodiment, sheet metal screws  82  and  84  (FIGS. 1-3) extend through the top surface  78  and into the platforms. The screws secure the top cap to the rest of the housing. Removing the screws allows one to remove the top cap. The cap could be partially removable or have a door to permit access into the housing. Likewise, access to the housing can be through another wall. 
     Each housing has a lamp fitting to which one can mount a lamp. The exemplary embodiment uses U-shaped fluorescent lamps  50 . Sylvania DULUX® L compact fluorescent lamps are acceptable. The wattage varies for each application. Though the exemplary embodiment uses fluorescent tubes, other types of lamps are acceptable. 
     A lamp fitting mounts on the top of the end cap. The exemplary fitting  100  (FIG. 1) is compatible with the chosen lamp. It has a plastic female member  102  and female conductors that receive the conductors and the plastic end cap  92  of lamp  50 . The female member  102  in FIG. 1 has flanges (not shown). Rivets or other fasteners through the flanges secure the fitting to the top surface  78  of top cap  76 . A flexible, plastic lamp support  104  attaches at the end of the top cap  76  away from the lamp fitting. In the exemplary embodiment, the lamp support has an upward-facing U-shaped grip. The sides of the grip are spaced apart slightly less than the width of lamp  50 . The top of each grip is spaced slightly less than the bottom of the grip. Pushing the lamp into the grip spreads the flexible sides of the grip slightly. The lamp rests at the bottom of the grip, and the top sides of the grip come toward each other to secure the lamp in the grip. The previously mentioned Nagano patent discloses a similar lamp support. The lamp support has an extension below the grip that is press fit through an opening in the top cap. Other fasteners or even adhesive could secure the lamp support  104  to the housing. 
     As FIG. 1 shows, lamps  50  are parallel to the top surface of the end cap. In FIG. 2, however, the lamps  50  are at an angle to the end cap, i.e., end  106  of lamp  50  is spaced farther from and end  108  is spaced closer to the top surface  78  of the housing. That allows the lamps to overlap. See the lamps on housings  32  and  34  (FIG.  2 ). 
     A bent metal plate  110  attaches to the female member and to the top surface  78  of top cap  76  (FIG.  2 ). In the exemplary embodiment, rivets (not shown) secure the plate  110  to the top cap. Screws secure the female member to the plate. The same lamp support  104  that the embodiment in FIG. 1 uses attaches to the top of the bent metal plate  110 . An opening in the top of the bent metal plate receives a downward-facing extension to secure lamp support  104  to the plate. 
     The housings attach together as follows. As discussed above, each housing has an opening  70  and  72  in one or both end walls  66  and  68 . The breakaway caps in the left end wall of housings  12  and  32  and the right end wall of housings  22  and  42  would not be removed. Consequently, those housings would have only one opening. 
     An elongated connector extends through the openings on adjacent housings. The connector  120  of the exemplary embodiment has a central, cylindrical section  122  (FIGS. 3 and 4) and a pair of end flanges  124  and  126 . The connector is hollow with a central bore  128  extending through the connector. Electrical conductors  130  pass through the bore between the housings. 
     The connector has two parts, sleeve  132  and bolt  134 . The inside of the sleeve has internal threads  136  that engage the external threads  138  of the bolt. The outside diameter of the sleeve is ¾ in (19 mm). That leaves enough of a space between the outside of the sleeve and the inside of the ⅞ in inside diameter openings  70  and  72  that the housings can move longitudinally, rotate and pivot with respect to the connector. The thin walls of the housing offer little interference with connector-to-bolt pivoting. In fact, the space between the outside of the connector and the inside of the opening allows the housings to be angled enough such that the edges of adjacent housings contact each other. The contact limits the angle. This degree of pivoting is referred to as “substantial.” If the connector is approximately the same diameter as the opening such that pivoting is not expected, some pivoting still takes place. That is not substantial pivoting. 
     The flanges  124  and  126  have 1¼ in (32 mm) diameters in the exemplary embodiment. Therefore, they cannot fit through openings  70  and  72 . 
     The housings are generally rigid. In the exemplary embodiment, the connectors are metal of thick enough walls to be rigid. Some resiliency may be acceptable. If the connector is plastic, for example, one may be able to deform the sleeve somewhat, but the sleeve will return to its original shape. Similarly, one may be able to deform the flanges somewhat. The parts are not purposely flexible, and the sleeve and bolt are not designed to bend to change the angle of adjacent housings. 
     Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the mounting of the connectors in the opening allows the housings to move longitudinally, rotate and pivot with respect to each other. Accordingly, housings  18  and  20 , which face upward (from the page) are at an angle to each other on the plane of the drawing. Housing  16  is rotated 90° relative to housing  18 . Top faces  78  of housings  12  and  14  also are angled to each other on the plane of the drawing. One can change the angles of the housings and the amount of rotation of adjacent housings simultaneously to obtain a desired fixture and lamp positioning. 
     Housing spacing also is variable. The length of the connector is 1½ in (38 mm) and about 1¼ in (32 mm) between the inside of the flanges  124  and  126 . Therefore, the housings can be spaced between 1½ in apart or if the housings are aligned, the housings can be in contact. Maximum and minimum distances change if the housings are angled. Thus, FIG. 2 shows that housings  36  and  38  are spaced farther apart than housings  34  and  36 . 
     Changing the angle and spacing may also affect whether the ends  106  of lamps  50  are over the fittings  100 . Compare the lamps on housings  32  and  34  with those on housings  40  and  42 . Of course, the lamps on housings  36  and  38  have no overlap because the housings are rotated relative to each other. 
     By changing the angles, the housings and illumination from the lamps on the housings can approximate the shape of the panel or wall on or behind which the fixture mounts. Similarly, by rotating the housings relative to each other, light from the lamps can project upward, sideways and at angles to each other. Changing the spacing of the housing can space the lamps evenly along a given length. 
     To assemble the fixtures, top surfaces  76  are removed from adjacent housings (assuming the top surfaces are already attached). The breakaway caps are removed to form openings  70  and  72 . Sleeve  132  is inserted through opening  72 , and nut  134  is inserted at or through opening  70 . The sleeve and nut then are screwed together. Hand tightening normally is sufficient. The remaining fixtures are attached together in the same way. Then, the fixture is wired, and the top surfaces are returned to the housing and fastened in place by screws  82  and  84 . 
     While the specification describes particular embodiments of the present invention, those of ordinary skill can devise variations of the present invention without departing from the inventive concept.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5