Patent Abstract:
A lighting fixture for mounting from a suspensory surface, such as a ceiling, wall, or the like, includes a counterweight for balancing or equalizing the weight in the fixture resulting from a ballast being positioned within the frame of the fixture. The weight of the frame is adjusted to equalization relative to the ballast for proper alignment during mounting of the lighting fixture.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    (1) Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention pertains to a lighting fixture mountable from a suspensory surface.  
           [0003]    (2) Brief Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Light fixtures, such as incandescent, fluorescent, and the like, are well known to those skilled in the art. Such fixtures normally contain one or more bulbs and can be mounted in the fixture for any number of commercial, industrial and home applications. Many such lighting fixtures find particular application when mounted in or from a ceiling or a structure including T-bar assemblies extending from or mounted just below the ceiling. However, such fixtures may also be positioned from, along on or in a wall, floor, table, or the like, all hereinafter referred to as “suspensory surfaces”.  
           [0005]    Typically, these lighting fixtures, including those generally described above, contain a “ballast” including a housing therefore. The ballast is the electrical component mechanism, which may contain transducers and the like for receipt of electrical current and transmission thereof in converted voltage and the like through the connector and to the fluorescent or other bulb for actuation purposes. The ballast assembly is typically positioned on one side of a framework and may be assembled within the framework as a component during manufacture or partially of completely provided as necessary during assembly and/or mounting of the lighting fixture to accommodate special features and needs. Often times, the configuration of the ballast and housing within the frame work causes difficulty in correctly mounting the lighting fixture relative to suspensory surfaces, especially when using pendant wires and the like. Since the ballast assembly is located on only one side of the frame in atypical configuration, it is difficult for the fixture to be mounted such that it is in exact horizontal alignment with the suspensory surface, such as a ceiling.. Typically, one side or the other will be off horizontal or vertical alignment to some extent.  
           [0006]    The present invention addresses the problems set forth above.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The lighting fixture is provided for mounting from a suspensory surface, such as through use of pendant wires, or the like. The lighting fixture includes means for mounting the fixture from the ceiling. A frame having side members is carried by the mounting means. A series of bulb receiving sockets are mounted within the frame. Ballast means in a housing are placed within one side member of the frame and in electric actuatable communication with the sockets. A selectively operable counterbalance means is carried on another of the side members for moving the center of gravity in the fixture to counter the weight of the ballast means during mounting of the fixture relative to the suspensory surface. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the lighting fixture and pendant wires for affixation to a ceiling (not shown).  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a view looking down upon the counterweight system of FIG. 1.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a side view similar to that of FIG. 2.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration showing the counterweight configuration.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 and constitutes a blow-up of portions of the counterweight system shown in FIG. 4.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]    Now referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a fixture  100  extending from pendant wires  101   a  and  101   b . Pendant wire  101   a  has upper connecting end  101   c  for affixation through or to the ceiling (not shown). Likewise, pendant wire  101   b  has companion end  101   d , for like purpose. Pendant wire  101   a  has an opposed end  101   e  for affixation, such as by threads, or the like, through the upper most surface and end plate member  106  of the fixture  100 . Likewise, pendant wire  101   b  has lower end  101   f  secured to the end plate  105 . The series of fluorescent bulb sockets  107  and  108  are provided in the end plate  106 , and companion sockets (not shown) are provided in end plate  105  for receipt of first and second fluorescent bulbs  106   a  and  106   b , respectively.  
         [0014]    The fixture  100  also has a parallel side member  103  secured to each end plate  105 ,  106  and an opposing parallel side member  104  also secured at each end thereof to the plates  105 ,  106 . A ballast housing  109  is placed in or on the parallel side member  103 , opposing or facing parallel side member  104 . The parallel side members  103 ,  104  and the end plates  105  and  106  provide the frame  102  of the fixture  100 .  
         [0015]    Now with reference to FIG. 4, which may be a wire way cover for electrical wire carried in the fixture  100 , or which may simply be the interface of the parallel side member  104 , contains an elongated moveable counter weight assembly attached to  112 . Mounting plate  112  has counterweight  113  attached to it by weld, screws or the like  115 . Specific shape of  113  is not important.  113  may be scrap metal from other factory process. Adjustment wheel  110  may have gear teeth as shown,  110 A or be smooth and is attached to adjustment screw  111  which extends through a treaded hole in mounting plate  112 . The wheel  110  is controlled by turning clockwise or counter-clockwise by a human operator&#39;s thumb, or the like.  
         [0016]    Now with reference to FIG. 4, parallel side member  104 , which may be a wire way cover for electrical wire carried in the fixture  100 , or which may simply be the interface of the parallel side member  104 , contains and elongated moveable counterweight  112  exposed between the parallel side member  104   a , and a mounting plate  113  secured to the side member  104   a  by weld, screws, or the like  115 . The wheel  110  may have an etched surface or the like or controlled application ofthe adjuster  110  by a surface of a human operator&#39;s thumb, or the like.  
       Operation  
       [0017]    When it is desired to secure the fixture of pendant wires or the like to the ceiling, the ballast  109  is properly configured with the appropriate electronics. Pendant wires  101   a  and  101   b  are secured at one end  101   e  and  101   f  to the respective end plates  106  and  105  of the frame  102 . The other end of the connecting pendants  101   c  and  101   d  of the wires  101   a  and  101   b  are secured to or through the ceiling configuration by the human installer. At this juncture, the fluorescent bulbs  106   a  and  106   b  may be installed, if not previously installed into the fixture  100 . Thereafter, the human operator may rotate the adjuster wheel  110  clockwise or counter-clockwise to initiate the assessment of the center of gravity of the fixture  100 . As the adjuster wheel  110  is rotated, the control screw  111  will transmit this rotational movement to correspondently move counterweight  112  relative to the mounting plate  113 . The mounting plate  112  may be moved, if necessary relative to the counter weight  113 , by removing and replacement of the securing pins  115 .  
         [0018]    Thereafter, the human operator may rotate the adjuster wheel  100  clockwise or counter-clockwise to initiate the assessment of the center of gravity of the fixture  100 . As the adjuster wheel  110  is rotated, the control screw  111  will transmit this rotational movement to correspondently move the counterweight assembly  112  relative to  104 A.  
         [0019]    Although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail, it should be understood that this is by illustration only that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure. Accordingly, modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5