Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6142648?dq=7,403,220
Timestamp: 2015-03-29 06:10:11
Document Index: 139494012

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.2', 'art.3', 'art.6', 'art.8', 'art.9', 'art.10', 'art.67', 'art.68', 'art.69', 'art.70', 'art.71', 'art.79', 'art.82', 'art.88', 'art.89', 'art.90', 'art.93', 'art.94', 'art.96', 'art.97', 'art.124', 'art.125', 'art.126', 'art.127', 'art.128', 'art.129', 'art.130', 'art.131', 'art.132', 'art.133', 'art.134', 'art.135', 'art.136', 'art.137', 'art.138', 'art.139', 'art.140', 'art.141', 'art.142', 'art.143', 'art.144', 'art.145', 'art.146', 'art.147', 'art.148', 'art.149', 'art.150', 'art.151', 'art.152', 'art.153', 'art.154', 'art.155', 'art.156', 'art.157', 'art.159', 'art.161']

Patent US6142648 - Emergency lighting unit/exit sign combination - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn emergency lighting fixture combining the functions of an illuminated sign such as an exit sign and an emergency lighting unit integrated into one housing onto which one or more emergency lights can be mounted at predetermined locations of the housing, the combined emergency lighting structure providing...http://www.google.com/patents/US6142648?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6142648 - Emergency lighting unit/exit sign combinationAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6142648 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/132,814Publication dateNov 7, 2000Filing dateAug 12, 1998Priority dateNov 22, 1995Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2184940A1, CA2184940C, US5797673Publication number09132814, 132814, US 6142648 A, US 6142648A, US-A-6142648, US6142648 A, US6142648AInventorsMark Campbell Logan, Andrew Edward Masters, Edwin Lewis HullOriginal AssigneeNsi Enterprises, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (28), Non-Patent Citations (162), Referenced by (21), Classifications (15), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetEmergency lighting unit/exit sign combination
US 6142648 AAbstract
1. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit comprising a housing capable of supporting the weight of the combination, the housing being formed of a plastic material, at least one emergency lighting unit assembly mountable directly to the housing exteriorly thereof for providing a unit emergency lighting function, and means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the housing supports the weight of the combination substantially in tension.
3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the at least one emergency lighting unit assembly is removably mountable to an exit sign portion of the combination, the combination comprising a single housing, said exit sign portion comprising the housing.
4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the single housing bears the weight of the combination to support the combination.
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the housing supports the weight of the combination substantially in tension.
6. The combination of claim 3 wherein the means for mounting the emergency lighting unit assembly to the combination comprises means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto, means carried by the swiveling means for providing a track, means mountable for movement on the track and for providing a support, reflective means carried by the support, a lamp carried by the assembly and lens means mountable to the support, the assembly having a range of motion allowing light from the lamp to be directed in a multiplicity of directions.
7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the mounting means is formed with an aperture therein for receiving the means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto, the assembly thereby having a low profile relative to the mounting means.
8. The combination of claim 3 wherein the means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing comprises means for snap-fitting the assembly to the housing to positively mount the assembly to the housing and for snap-demounting the assembly from the housing.
9. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit comprising a housing, an emergency lighting unit assembly mountable to said housing exteriorly thereof, the emergency lighting unit assembly comprising means for mounting the assembly to the housing, means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto, means carried by the swiveling means for providing a track, means mountable for movement on the track and for providing a support, reflective means carried by the support, a lamp carried by the assembly and lens means mountable to the support, the mounting means being formed with an aperture into which at least portions of the means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto are received, the assembly having a low profile and a range of motion allowing light from the lamp to be directed in a multiplicity of directions.
10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the several means are formed of a plastic material and snap-fit together.
11. The combination of claim 9 wherein the swiveling means and the support means are formed of spherical segments mounted concentrically within each other to form a low profile, the aperture in the mounting means being circular for receiving at least portions of the means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto into said aperture.
12. The combination of claim 9 and further comprising means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing.
13. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit having at least one emergency lighting unit assembly mountable to an exit sign portion of the combination, the combination comprising a single housing and wherein the emergency lighting unit assembly is mounted to the housing exteriorly of the housing and means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing.
14. The combination of claim 13 wherein the means for removably mounting the emergency lighting unit assembly to the combination comprises means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto, means carried by the swiveling means for providing a track, means mountable for movement on the track and for providing a support, reflective means carried by the support, a lamp carried by the assembly and lens means mountable to the support, the assembly having a range of motion allowing light from the lamp to be directed in a multiplicity of directions.
15. The combination of claim 14 wherein the mounting means is formed with an aperture therein for receiving the swiveling means, thereby forming a low profile.
16. The combination of claim 14 wherein the several means are formed of a plastic material and snap-fit together.
17. The combination of claim 14 wherein the swiveling means and the support means are formed of spherical segments mounted concentrically with each other to form a low profile.
18. The combination of claim 17 wherein the mounting means is formed with a circular aperture into which at least portions of the spherical segments are received in order to form a low profile.
19. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit having at least one emergency lighting unit assembly mountable to an exit sign portion of the combination, the combination comprising a single housing and wherein the emergency lighting unit assembly is mounted to the housing exteriorly of the housing, means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing and means for supporting the weight of the combination substantially in tension.
20. The combination of claim 19 wherein the housing is substantially formed of a plastic material, the single housing bearing the weight of the combination to support the combination.
21. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture comprising:(a) a housing comprising a plurality of mounting locations adapted for mounting an emergency lighting assembly to the housing, each mounting location comprising a plurality of openings adapted to receive and engage a plurality of corresponding projections on the emergency lighting assembly; (b) at least one emergency lighting assembly mounted to the housing at one mounting location and repositionable to another mounting location to vary the emergency lighting configuration on the housing; (c) an exit sign on at least one side of the housing; (d) wherein the remaining components of the combination are contained inside the housing and the housing bears the weight of the combination to support the combination. 22. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 21 wherein the assembly comprises a pair of emergency lighting assemblies mounted to the housing and repositionable to different mounting locations to vary the emergency lighting configuration on the housing.
23. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 21 wherein the housing and assembly are made of plastic.
24. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 21 wherein the housing further comprises integral compartments for housing electrical circuitry associated with the combination inside the interior of the housing.
25. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 27 wherein the housing comprises means for removably mounting the assembly to the combination, means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto, means carried by the swiveling means for providing a track, means mountable for movement on the track and for providing a support, reflective means carried by the support, a lamp carried by the support and lens means mountable to the support, the assembly having a range of motion allowing light from the lamp to be directed in a multiplicity of directions.
26. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 25 wherein the several means are comprised of plastic and snap-fit together.
27. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 21 wherein projections on the emergency lighting assembly comprise torsion snap elements angled to positively engage the opening into which the projection is received and engaged when the unit is mounted onto the housing.
28. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit having circuitry components comprising at least one battery, interior lamping producing exit sign function, and circuitry elements forming at least one circuit with the at least one battery and the interior lamping, the combination comprising:a housing formed of a plastic material; support means mounted by the housing for carrying at least major portions of the circuitry components, the support means being formed of a plastic material; and, at least one emergency lighting unit assembly mountable directly to the housing exteriorly thereof for providing a unit emergency lighting function. 29. The combination of claim 28 wherein the housing comprises the support means.
30. The combination of claim 28 wherein the support means is integrally formed with the housing.
31. The combination of claim 30 wherein the housing is capable of supporting the weight of the combination.
32. The combination of claim 28 and further comprising means for removably mounting the emergency lighting unit assembly to the housing exteriorly of the housing.
33. The combination of claim 32 wherein the means for removably mounting the emergency lighting unit assembly to the housing comprises means for snap-fitting the assembly to the housing to positively mount the assembly to the housing.
34. The combination of claim 33 wherein the snap-fitting means comprise projections carried by the assembly, the projections comprising torsion snap elements angled to positively engage respective openings formed in the housing into which the projections are received and engaged when the assembly is mounted onto the housing.
35. The combination of claim 32 wherein the means for removably mounting the emergency lighting unit assembly to the housing comprises means for snap-fitting the assembly to the housing to positively mount the assembly to the housing and for snap-demounting the assembly from the housing.
36. The combination of claim 35 wherein the snap-fitting means comprise projections carried by the assembly, the projections comprising torsion snap elements angled to positively engage openings formed in the housing into which the projections are received and engaged when the assembly is mounted onto the housing.
37. The combination of claim 32 wherein the means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing comprises snap elements having portions thereof receivable into respective openings formed in the housing and engaged therein when the assembly is mounted onto the housing.
38. The combination of claim 32 wherein the means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing comprises snap elements having portions thereof receivable into or displaceable from respective openings formed in the exit sign portion of the housing and engaged therein or disengaged therefrom when the assembly is mounted onto or removed from the housing.
39. The combination of claim 28 wherein the housing supports the weight of the combination substantially in tension.
40. The combination of claim 28 wherein the housing comprises a single unitary structure and bears the weight of the combination to support the combination.
41. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit fixture having circuitry components comprising at least one battery, interior lamping producing exit sign function, and circuitry elements forming at least one circuit with the at least one battery and the interior lamping, the combination comprising:a housing to which at least major portions of the circuitry components are directly mounted, the housing being formed of a plastic material and being capable of supporting the weight of the combination; and, at least one emergency lighting unit assembly mountable directly to the housing exteriorly thereof for providing a unit emergency lighting function. 42. The combination of claim 41 wherein the assembly is mounted to an exit sign portion of the housing.
43. The combination of claim 41 wherein the housing supports the weight of the combination substantially in tension.
44. The combination of claim 41 and further comprising means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing.
45. The combination of claim 44 wherein the means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing comprises snap elements having portions thereof receivable into or displaceable from respective openings formed in the housing and engaged therein or disengaged therefrom when the assembly is mounted onto or removed from the housing.
46. The combination of claim 41 wherein the housing comprises means for removably mounting the assembly to the combination, means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto, means carried by the swiveling means for providing a track, means mountable for movement on the track and for providing a support, reflective means carried by the support, a lamp carried by the support and lens means mountable to the support, the assembly having a range of motion allowing light from the lamp to be directed in a multiplicity of directions.
47. The combination of claim 46 wherein the several means are comprised of plastic and snap-fit together.
48. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit comprising a housing, the housing having at least one battery, at least one lamp, and associated circuitry mounted interiorly thereof, the housing being capable of supporting the weight of the combination and being formed of a plastic material, means for mounting and supporting the battery, lamp and circuitry within the housing, said mounting and support means being formed of a plastic material, at least one emergency lighting unit assembly mountable to an exit sign portion of the combination, the combination comprising a single housing and wherein the emergency lighting unit assembly is mountable to the housing exteriorly of the housing.
49. The combination of claim 48 wherein the support means is integrally formed with the housing.
50. The combination of claim 48 wherein the housing comprises the support means.
51. The combination of claim 49 wherein the housing supports the weight of the combination substantially in tension.
52. The combination of claim 49 and further comprising means for mounting the emergency lighting unit assembly to the combination, means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto, means carried by the swiveling means for providing a track, means mountable for movement on the track and for providing a support, reflective means carried by the support, a lamp carried by the assembly and lens means mountable to the support, the assembly having a range of motion allowing light from the lamp to be directed in a multiplicity of directions.
53. The combination of claim 52 wherein the mounting means is formed with an aperture therein for receiving the means mountable to the mounting means for swiveling motion relative thereto, the assembly thereby having a low profile relative to the mounting means.
54. The combination of claim 49 and further comprising means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing.
55. The combination of claim 54 wherein the means for removably mounting the emergency lighting unit assembly to the housing comprises means for snap-fitting the assembly to the housing to positively mount the assembly to the housing.
56. The combination of claim 55 wherein the snap-fitting means comprise projections carried by the assembly, the projections comprising torsion snap elements angled to positively engage respective openings formed in the housing into which the projections are received and engaged when the assembly is mounted onto the housing.
57. The combination of claim 55 wherein the means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing comprises snap elements having portions thereof receivable into or displaceable from respective openings formed in the housing and engaged therein or disengaged therefrom when the assembly is mounted onto or removed from the housing.
58. The combination of claim 55 wherein the means for removably mounting the emergency lighting unit assembly to the housing comprises means for snap-fitting the assembly to the housing to positively mount the assembly to the housing and for snap-demounting the assembly from the housing.
59. The combination of claim 58 wherein the snap-fitting means comprise projections carried by the assembly, the projections comprising torsion snap elements angled to positively engage openings formed in the housing into which the projections are received and engaged when the assembly is mounted onto the housing.
60. The combination of claim 55 wherein the means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing comprises snap elements having portions thereof receivable into openings formed in the housing and engaged therein when the assembly is mounted onto the housing.
61. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting unit having at least one emergency lighting unit assembly mountable to an exit sign portion of the combination, the combination having at least one battery, at least one lamp and circuitry associated therewith, means for mounting and supporting the battery and at least major portions of the circuitry, the combination comprising a single housing and wherein the emergency lighting unit assembly is mounted to the housing exteriorly of the housing, the housing and the mounting and supporting means being integrally formed, and means for removably mounting the assembly to the housing.
62. A combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture, comprising:(a) a plastic housing comprising:(i) a frame having an inside, an outside, a front and a back, (ii) a removable face plate having indicia mounted to the front of the frame, and (iii) a removable back plate mounted to the back of the frame, (b) at least one light emitting component inside the frame for illuminating the indicia, (c) at least one emergency lighting assembly mounted on the outside of the frame, and (d) at least one battery and associated circuitry mounted inside and supported by the frame for supplying power to the light emitting component and the emergency lighting assembly during a power failure. 63. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 62, wherein the emergency lighting assembly is repositionable to another mounting location on the frame.
64. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 62, wherein the at least one emergency lighting assembly comprises a pair of emergency lighting assemblies mounted on the outside of the frame.
65. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 64, wherein each of the assemblies are repositionable to different mounting locations on the frame to vary the emergency lighting configuration.
66. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 62, further comprising structure for mounting the electrical circuitry integrally formed with and inside the frame.
67. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 62, further comprising a canopy for attachment to the frame for mounting the fixture.
68. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 62, wherein the front and back plates each attach to the frame with snap-fitting connections.
69. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 62, wherein the frame further comprises an integrally formed vertical support member inside the frame.
70. The combination exit sign and emergency lighting fixture of claim 62, wherein the back plate has indicia and the at least one light emitting component is positioned within the frame simultaneously to illuminate both the front plate indicia and the back plate indicia.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/561,956, filed Nov. 22, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,773, by the same inventors and assigned to the same assignee, said prior application being incorporated hereinto by reference.
Emergency lighting capability is mandated by building codes throughout most of the world for commercial buildings in particular The most common type of emergency lighting is the exit sign which is also the most noticed due not only to its ubiquity but also due to the fact that most exit signs are constantly illuminated and are therefore readily seen. Exit signs are typically placed above doorways or in egress paths to indicate in a time of emergency the most efficient manner of exiting a building. Another common form of emergency lighting is generally referred to as an emergency lighting unit and typically operates two spaced lamps which are often referred to as "frog eyes". Emergency lighting units operate only in the event of emergency and are intended to supply an acceptable degree of ambient illumination under emergency conditions, these conditions usually including loss of normal power. Since emergency conditions requiring the most immediate and effective use of both exit signs and emergency lighting units are normally associated with mains power loss, backup power is necessary for the continued operation of an exit sign and for start-up and continuing operation of an emergency lighting unit. This back-up power is provided by batteries, a typical exit sign having a battery and circuitry capable of switching to DC battery power from AC mains power on loss of AC power to the exit sign. An emergency lighting unit includes a battery and sensing circuitry which initiates operation of the battery on loss of normal building power, the lamps of the emergency lighting unit being then activated to provide emergency lighting. These two forms of emergency lighting, the exit sign and the emergency lighting unit, are placed in a building structure at locations requiring a particular function of each form. Certain situations require the use of both forms of emergency lighting in one location. Rather than use separate lighting fixtures in one particular location, common practice has been to use a "combination" exit sign and emergency lighting unit, this type of fixture being commonly referred to as an exit/unit combo. The "combo" has previously taken the form of an emergency lighting unit mounted to an exit sign, the emergency lighting unit most often being mounted along the top of the exit sign. In most instances, the exit sign and the emergency unit operate separately although certain functions can be shared between the exit sign and the unit by providing common circuitry such as would be useful to detect power line failure for switching the exit sign to DC battery power and for initiating operation of the emergency lighting unit. A particular exit/unit combo which has enjoyed substantial market acceptance is the QUANTUM Exit/Unit Combo manufactured by Lithonia Lighting, Inc. of Conyers, Ga., a wholly owned subsidiary of National Service Industries, Inc., of Atlanta, Ga., QUANTUM being a trademark of National Service Industries, Inc. The widespread use of the Lithonia Lighting combo has been brought about at least in part due to the reduced labor costs associated with installation of the Lithonia combo on site, the exit sign and the emergency lighting unit being factory assembled and prewired for shipment to a job site in a configuration allowing rapid and simultaneous final wiring of both the exit sign and the emergency lighting unit. Further, the Lithonia combo manufactured and marketed under the QUANTUM mark is comprised of a substantially all-plastic exit sign and a substantially all-plastic emergency lighting unit, thereby resulting in a combo product which is light in weight relative to previous combo products many of which included metal housings and parts which caused the products to be heavy and therefore more difficult to support especially in end mounted installations, The Lithonia QUANTUM combo could be rapidly and easily mounted at the top, back or ends with adequate support of the assembly being possible even when end mounted. Manufacture and maintenance of the Lithonia combo were facilitated by the virtual all-plastic structure of the Lithonia product which allows at least portions of the product to be positively and readily snap-fitted to each other. While the QUANTUM combo evidenced significant advantages in this art, the combination of two essentially different and distinct forms of emergency lighting into a single product with both the exit sign and the emergency lighting unit retaining its own housing inter alia such as would be employed in their separate use has caused combo products to continue being somewhat bulky in size and to be less attractive than most other forms of emergency lighting have become in recent years as the industry has devoted increased attention to the appearance of emergency lighting products generally.
The exit/unit combo fixture of the invention provides "unit" emergency lighting by the disposition of one or more emergency lamps mountable at different locations on the periphery of the fixture housing to accommodate differing lighting situations. The lamps are mounted by lamp holders fitted with swiveling concentric spherical structural elements which allow movement of the lamps with a degree of freedom not previously possible, the structure of the concentric spherical elements additionally yielding a compact profile which is not only attractive in appearance but functional due to the volumetric efficiency thus provided. The lamp holders of the invention are formed with torsion snap elements which fit into slots formed in peripheral edges of the housing, the slots receiving the snap elements of the lamp holders to positively mount the lamp holders in desired locations on the fixture. The particular snap element/slot arrangement of the invention allows rapid and ready mounting and dismounting of the lamp holders to and from the fixture housing with positive locking of the lamp holders to the housing once assembled. The lamp holders of the invention can be removed from the present fixture and mounted to remote slave mounting stations driven by the fixture with the snap elements of the lamp holder fitting into arranged slots of the slave station, Further, the lamp holder can be mounted to a station separate from the fixture with battery or other operation, the lamp holder being mounted to the station through use of the snap elements of the lamp holder in cooperation with slots formed in the station.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are views of the back of the invention intended for wall mounting of the fixtures;
FIGS. 17A-E are elevational vie of the frame of the invention;
FIGS. 19A and 19B are detailed vies of battery compartment having a relatively small lead-acid battery mounted therein;
FIGS. 20A and 20B are detailed views of the battery component having a relatively larger lead-acid battery mounted therein;
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a combination exit sign/emergency unit fixture is seen at 10 to be comprised of a housing 12 and two emergency lighting unit lamp assemblies 13. The fixture 10 will generally be referred to herein as the combo fixture 10 or merely as the fixture 10. The housing 12 is essentially formed from frame 14 and face plate 16 as well as back plate 18. In certain embodiments of the invention, the back plate 18 can be essentially identical to the face plate 16, such a combo fixture 10 within constituting a double-faced fixture having indicia 20 on both faces thereof-such as can occur in top and end mounted installations. In a direct wall-mounted installation, the back plate 18 is necessary in order for the combo fixture 10 to be mounted directly to a wall as will be described hereinafter.
The combo fixture 10 is typically provided with one or more directional indicators 22 which are often referred to as "chevrons", the indicators 22 preferably comprising snap-fitting chevron structures which can be rapidly and positively mounted into openings 23 formed on the face plate 16 without the requirement for gaining access into the interior of the housing 12. While various chevron structures can be utilized, a particularly suitable structure is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/327,487, filed Oct. 21, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,163 by Stephen T. Smith with the title "Direction Indicator Covers for Emergency Lighting System", the patent application being assigned to the assignee of the present patent application, the disclosure of Ser. No. 08/327,487, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,163, being incorporated hereinto by reference. Depending upon the exigencies of a particular installation, at least one of the indicators 22 is mated into the corresponding opening 23 to prevent light generated interiorly of the housing 12 from passing through the opening 23. In certain installations wherein the combo fixture 10 may be placed directly over a doorway or the like, it is possible that both of the indicators 22 will be placed in the corresponding openings 23. Certain other installations may require that neither of the directional indicators 22 be mounted in the corresponding openings 23, such an installation signalling that a path of egress may exist to both sides of the combo fixture 10.
Continuing to refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as to FIGS. 3 through 5 and 8, a canopy 32 is employed to mount the combo fixture 10 to a J-box (not shown) so that the fixture 10 is positively mounted either to the ceiling or to a wall of an environmental space within which the fixture 10 operates. As is seen in FIGS. 17B, C and D, openings 34 are provided in the frame 14 at least centrally of an upper edge of the housing 12. Openings 34 can similarly be provided on side edges of the housing 12 for end mounting of the fixture 10 such as can occur with the structure of FIGS. 6 and 7, that is, when one of the ends of the fixture 10 is available for end mounting. It is preferred that the combo fixture 10 be mounted either from the top or from the back as will be described in detail hereinafter and as is particularly shown relative to a top mount in FIGS. 1 and 2 inter alia. While various canopy structures can be utilized including a number of canopies which are conventional in the art, it is preferred to use the canopy described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/343,775, filed Nov. 22, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,251, by Gary S. Andre, Andrew E. Masters and Stephen P. Smith and entitled "Emergency Lighting Connections", Ser. No. 08/343,775, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,251 being assigned to the assignee of the present application. While the canopy 32 and corresponding structure such as the openings 34 in the frame 14 inter alia which are present in the combo fixture 10 can be identical to that corresponding structure disclosed in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 08/327,487, it is to be understood that the canopy of the co-pending application for patent is only one of a number of canopy structures usable to fasten the combo fixture 10 to a J-box (not shown). In essence, mounting of the canopy 32 or any other canopy to such a J-box (not shown) is conventional in the art and further discussion of same is not believed necessary to an understanding of the present disclosure.
While the structural features of the combo fixture 10 which have been generally referred to hereinabove will be described in greater detail hereinafter, it is necessary at this point to describe certain general concepts which underlie the defined structure as seen in the drawings. Prior art combination exit sign/emergency lighting unit fixtures have usually been formed at least partially of metal especially in situations where the weight of the entire fixture is supported essentially by a housing such as the housing 12 which contains within the interior thereof essentially all structure except for the unit lamp assemblies such as the assemblies 13. In such prior situations, batteries of substantial size have been necessary in order to provide power for the exit sign function as well as for the emergency unit function. Due to the substantial weight of the batteries and of the fixtures themselves, it has not been previously possible to support the weight of a combo fixture 10 when the fixture 10 has been effectively formed of "plastics" that is, polymeric materials, since a structurally all-plastic unit, until the present invention, would warp and bow over time even when formed of the strongest polymeric materials. If formed of plastic materials of lesser strength, a combination fixture usually deforms and is likely to break rather than merely deform. Therefore, the present invention provides a dimensionally stable combo unit 10 which does not warp or bow over time even though effectively formed completely of "plastic", the combo fixture 10 being the first and only combo fixture formed of plastic wherein all batteries and other structural features are effectively contained and/or supported by a single housing such as the housing 12. While the combo fixture 10 could be formed of a material such as sheet metal, it is to be understood that a number of the advantages of the invention would be lost if the combo fixture 10 is so formed. In particular, the combo fixture 10 can be assembled from a relatively small number of individual parts especially since the frame 14 as will be more fully described hereinafter can be molded from a plastic material to produce a single part having a very large number of structural features integrally formed therewith. All structural features of the combo fixture 10 are formed of plastic and are molded. Certain parts such as the lamps 24 and 26 and the battery 30, for example, are not formed of plastic but are items which must be otherwise formed. However, these parts are not structural and have no function in support of the overall weight coupled with maintenance of the integrity of the combo fixture 10 per se. The function of the housing 12 as a single containing unit is further improved by the ability to snap-fit together virtually every combination of parts comprising the combo fixture 10. Formation of the combo fixture 10 substantially from plastic materials facilitates not only the essentially integral nature of the fixture 10 with fewer parts but also facilitates the snap-fitting together of the relatively few parts comprising the fixture 10. The essentially all-plastic single housing 12 is constructed as will be described hereinafter such that fixture weight can be supported without resort to metal structural features such as would be occasioned by battery weight inter alia in a combination exit sign/emergency unit fixture.
Due to the complexity of the structural details of the combo fixture 10 and further in view of the independent nature of at least certain of the sub-systems comprising the fixture 10, the remaining disclosure is organized by subheadings which will allow for more ready access to information concerning the various structural features and sub-systems of said fixture 10.
The advantages thus enumerated which accrue from the structure of the frame 14 inter alia can be best appreciated by consideration of the frame 14 shown in FIG. 17A inter alia. FIG. 17A illustrates the one-piece frame 14 without mounting of other portions of the fixture 10 thereto. FIGS. 17B through 17E illustrate the frame 14 with the plates 16, 18 mounted thereto as illustration of the enclosed housing 12. Prior to a discussion of the interior structure of the frame 14, those features best seen exteriorly of the fixture 10 will be described.
The canopy 13 referred to hereinabove can be used to mount the combo fixture 10 as will be described hereinafter and as is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/343,775, filed Nov. 22, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,251 as aforesaid, the disclosure of this application for patent being incorporated hereinto by reference.
Considering now the construction of the frame 14, reference is particularly made to FIG. 17A wherein upper and lower walls 58 and 60 are integrally formed with side walls 62 and 64, said walls defining the periphery of the frame 14 and thus of the housing 12. An upper interior wall 66 extends parallel to the upper wall 58 and terminates at respective ends in corner plates 68 and 70, the plates 68 and 70 each having side-mounted upper and lower angled elements 72 and 74 which have open-ended slots 76 which are capable of receiving wiring (not shown in FIG. 17A) for holding said wiring in place within the interior of the housing 12. The plates 68 and 70 respectively define spaces 78, 80 within which wiring, wire nuts, plugs and the like (not shown) can be disposed. The plates 68, 70 along with the angled elements 72 and 74 provide strengthening of the frame 14 even in the absence of the interior wall 66. Coupling of the interior wall 66 with the plates 68, 70 and angled elements 72, 74, respectively, and further with interior side walls 82 and 84 provides a high degree of stiffness and rigidity to the frame 14. The side walls 82 and 84 connect at respective ends to a lateral platform 86 comprised of horizontally disposed side tables 88 and 90 which connect to a central mounting angle 92 which is surmounted by central support webs 94 and 96 which further connect to side webs 96 and 98 respectively through upper vertical walls 100 and 102. The side webs 96 and 98 respectively connect to end webs 104 and 106 through triangular normally related supports 108 and 110, the end webs 104 and 106 respectively connecting to lowermost ends of the side walls 82 and 84, thereby providing a continual interior structural web which is centrally bisected by a vertical ladder 112 formed of spaced vertical stiles 114 having horizontal rungs 116 regularly disposed along the stiles 114. Openings between the rungs can be utilized for management of wiring within the interior of the housing 12 and particularly relative to options available with the combo fixture 10. At the lower end of the ladder 112, the support webs 94 bend 90� to form ladder connection walls 118 which join to respective ends of the stiles 114. A bottom ladder plate 120 completes connection of the stiles 114, the plate 120, the lower ends of the stiles 114, the walls 118, and the support webs 94 by connecting to and being integrally formed with top portions of the angle 92. The top end of the ladder 112 joins integrally with the upper interior wall 66 and the upper wall 5B, thereby providing a tensioned support structure internally of the housing 12 which acts to support the weight of the combo fixture 10 substantially in tension rather than cantilevered as in prior exit signs and sign-like fixtures. The weight of the battery 30 located within battery compartment 122 is particularly seen to be mounted in tension by the ladder 112 inter alia due also in part to the placement of the battery 30 (and any other battery) centrally of the interior of the housing 12 and along the lower portion thereof.
Interior canopy mounting-housing 124 are respectively disposed centrally between the upper wall 58 and the interior wall 66 and between the side walls 62, 64 and the interior side walls 82, 84. Wiring guide clips 126 are disposed on either side of the uppermost mounting housing 124 to facilitate a desired location of wiring (not shown in FIG. 17A) along upper portions of the housing 12. Substantially conventional mounting elements 128 each releasably hold lamp bases 130 and associated non-emergency AC bulbs 132, the mounting elements 128 also being integrally formed with the frame 14. Mounting bases 134 capable of holding lamp sockets 136 and associated DC emergency bulbs 138 are integrally formed on respective portions of the support webs 94, the location of the bulbs 138 acting to produce light at locations above the battery compartment 122 so that light can be directed about the upper portions of the battery 30 (or other battery) to reduce the shadowing effect of the battery 30 within the indicia 20 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
An electronics compartment 140 is located below the side table 88 and laterally of the battery compartment 122 while an options compartment 142 is located below the side table 90 and to the other side of the battery compartment 122. The respective compartments 140 and 142 are separated from the battery compartment 122 by means of respective vertical walls 144 and 146. The various structures integrally formed with the frame 14 and contained within the compartments 122, 140 and 142 will be described in detail hereinafter. Clips 148 disposed on opposite sides of the interior of the housing 12 extend respectively from the corner plates 68, 70 and are adapted to hold respective LED arrays 28 (sec FIG. 13) within the interior of the housing 12. The structures described above and which can be seen in FIG. 17A are integrally formed with the frame 14 by molding of a plastic material. In essence, the entire structure seen in FIG. 17A is a single unitary structure comprising the frame 14 and molded with said frame 14 are openings provided as a means for reducing the amount of plastic necessary for molding thereof.
Tension Support and Weight Management Arrangements As described above, the ladder 112 is provided as an integral portion of the frame 14 to provide support in tension for the entirety of the combo fixture 10 and particularly for the battery 30 held within the battery compartment 122 (or for any other battery held within the battery compartment 122). The ladder 112 is advantageously located within the interior of the housing 12 to provide tension support for the weight of the fixture 10 as well as for battery weight. It should be understood, however, that the ladder 112 could take other forms, such as a solid vertical member whether or not connected permanently to the angle 92 at the lower end thereof or to the interior wall 66 and the wall 58. The ladder 112 is formed of the stiles 114 and of the rungs 116 in order to provide openings 115 between the rungs through which wiring can be strung for management of the location of wiring within the interior of the housing 12. The openings 115 are also provided for reduction of material and for facilitating light movement within the interior of the housing 12. When the fixture 10 is back mounted, the openings 115 also serve to provide access for routing wiring (not shown) within the interior of the housing 12 as will be better appreciated hereinafter. The battery 30 is located centrally of the lower portion of the housing 12 so as to advantageously allow the ladder 112 to act in tension to support the weight of the battery 30. While the battery 30 is intended to be a conventional rechargeable lead-acid battery, it is possible to utilize lead-acid batteries of greater capacity with weights up to approximately 4 pounds when a greater amount of power is necessary for providing for a greater period of time and for that additional power necessary to operate slave units remote from the fixture 10 such as has been described above. It is also possible to utilize nickel-cadmium batteries of smaller size, the smaller Ni--Cd battery (not shown) being mounted within the interior of the battery compartment 122, the details of mounting of the Ni--Cd battery within the compartment 122 not being described herein. As aforesaid, the ladder 112 is provided with horizontal elongated tab elements 154 and 156, the elements 154 and 156 being preferably used for management of wiring (not shown) associated with the fire alarm interface 150. The ladder 112 is further provided with peg elements 152 disposed one each on either side of the ladder 112 and extending from each of the stiles 114 near the uppermost end of the ladder 112, the peg elements 152 acting to receive snap elements 158 and 160 located on the interior wall of the back plate 18 as will be described hereinafter, the snap elements 158 and 160 cooperating respectively with the peg elements 152 to facilitate mounting of the frame 14 to the back plate 18 when the back plate 18 is mounted directly to a J-box (not shown) mounted flushly in a wall surface.
As aforesaid, the battery compartment 122 is configured to house the battery 30 as well as a larger battery 162. It is to be understood, however, that only one of the batteries 30 and 162 would be utilized at any one given time. As can be seen in FIG. 17A inter alia, the battery compartment 122 is formed centrally of the lower portion of the combo fixture 10 and is provided with snap fingers 164 on inner surfaces of the walls 144 and 146, the snap fingers 164 extending from said wall surfaces at a lesser height forwardly of the compartment 122 and terminating at a greater height interiorly of the compartment 122 such that the battery 30 can slide over the snap fingers 164 and into a position of essentially against a back wall 166 of the battery compartment 122. It is to be seen that the battery compartment 122 is provided with a top wall 168 having tabs 170 extending downwardly therefrom at the outermost end of said top wall 168 so that the larger battery 162 can be slipped into place under the tabs 170 and into a position abutting the back wall 166 and held by the tabs 170 in order to hold the larger battery 162 in place. Accordingly, the battery compartment 122 is provided with structure capable of holding batteries of at least two different sizes within said compartment 122 by snap-fitting arrangements.
It is to be seen that wiring extends from the electronics compartment 140 to the options compartment 142 as is seen in FIG. 9, this wiring 174 is caused to be slack in front of the battery compartment 122 so that insertion of one of the batteries 30, 162 into the battery compartment 122 does not engage the wiring 174 and pull said wiring into the battery compartment 122,
Referring now to FIGS. 21A and 21B, as well as to FIG. 17A inter alia, one of the mounting bases 134 intended for mounting one of the DC bulbs 138 is now described, a description of one of the DC emergency lamps 26 sufficing for a description of both. The bulb 138 is snapped into the lamp socket 136 to be structurally held thereby and to electrically connect with the lamp socket 136 to power provided in an emergency situation by the battery 30, 162 inter alia. The lamp socket 136 is formed of a rectangular collar 176 open at one end to receive the bulb 138, electrical contacts (not shown) being located within the interior of the collar 176. The collar 176 terminates at the end opposite the bulb 138 in a reduced lower base portion, the lamp socket 136 snap-fitting into one of the mounting bases 134. The lamp base 134 is formed of two basic upper elements 180 each having walls 182 which are perpendicular to each other, rear walls 182 extending toward each other but not contacting at the rear of the base 134. Snap tabs 184 extend from the facing walls 182 toward each other at the upper end of the base 134, the heights of the walls 182 being essentially equal to the height of the collar 176. A pair of lateral snaps 186 extend from the rear of the base 134 below the walls 182 and receive the lower base portion 178 therebetween when the lamp socket 136 is snap-fitted into the mounting base 134. The collar 176 of the lamp socket 136 is partially enclosed by the walls 182 with the sanp tabs 184 abutting against upper edges of the collar 176 to prevent dislodgement of said socket 136 in an upward direction. The discontinuity provided by the lack of contact between the rear walls 182 thereby allows upper portions of the mounting base 134 to expand on insertion of the lamp socket 136 thereinto. Snap mounting of the lamp socket 136 to the mounting base 134 therefore occurs. The lateral snaps 186 prevent dislodgement of the lamp socket 136 forwardly of the mounting base 134, the snaps 186 fitting against the reduced lower base portion 178 so that the lamp socket 136 is positively retained within the mounting base 134.
Referring now to FIG. 22, inter alia, the electronics compartment 140 is seen to be provided with a space for snap-mounting of a capacitor 206 therewithin, upper and lower housing walls 208 and 210 extending interiorly of the compartment 140 to form a housing space for the capacitor 206. A flexible snap element 212 mounted to back wall 214 and formed in a slot between side walls 216 and 218 which are also mounted to the back wall 214. The snap element 212 is provided with fingers 220 which abut the capacitor 206 and in combination with fixed snap tabs 222 formed on interior wall surfaces of the frame 14 act to positively hold the capacitor 206 within the compartment 140. A charger board 224 is snap-fitted within the compartment 140 by tabs 226, the board 224 having an LED indicator 228 extending therefrom through an aperture 230 formed in the frame 14, the aperture 230 being best seen in FIG. 17E. The flapper switch 56 seen in FIG. 17A is seen in FIG. 22 to engage a test circuit seen as a block diagram in FIG. 28,. The electronics compartment 140 is covered by means of a shaped cover 234 formed preferably of a fiberboard material known as fish paper. The cover 234 form fits over the opening in the compartment 140 to prevent accidental intrusion into the compartment 140.
Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, the back panel 18 is seen to be formed with knock outs 270, 272 and 274 as well as with a center channel knock out 276. The knock out 276 is, removed when the back panel 18 is to be used to directly mount the combo fixture 10 to a wall (not shown). A J-box (not shown) in a wall is fitted with a bracket (not shown) as is conventional and the appropriate knock out 270, 272 or 274 corresponding to the size of the J-box is knocked out by removing the plastic flashing within ovals 278 associated with a particular ring of the knock outs. The back plate 18 is then mounted to the J-box and bracket (not shown). The frame 14 is then mounted to the back plate 18 with peg elements 152 being received within apertures 155 formed in the snap elements 158 and 160 extending from the inner face of the back plate 18. Housing 12 is thus snap-fitted to the back plate 18 to mount substantial portions of the weight of the combo fixture 10 in tension. Angled ramps 161 and 163 provide lead-ins to engage the peg elements 152 in the apertures 155.
Referring now to FIGS. 24 and 25, one of the emergency lighting unit lamp assemblies 13 is seen to comprise a lamp holder 284 having an opening 286 formed in at least one major face thereof, an arcuate swivel plate 288 having the general shape of a spherical segment and being receivable within the opening 286 and snap-fitted thereinto for swiveling motion in said opening 286, a lamp housing 290 which snap-fits onto the swivel plate 288 for movement relative to said plate 288, a parabolic reflector 292 and a lens 294. A bulb 296 preferably comprising a T5 wedge base incandescent lamp manufactured by the General Electric Corporation is mounted to the lamp housing 290 and is activated on failure of AC line voltage and driven by DC power supplied by the battery 30, the battery 162 or a Ni--Cd battery as aforesaid. The structure of one of the assemblies 13 sufficies for description of any other one of the assemblies 13 since the assemblies are essentially identical.
The swivel plate 288 is provided with pairs of lands 300 placed about the periphery of said plate 288, three pairs of the lands 300 being adequate for support of the plate 288 within the opening 286 of the lamp holder 284. The lands 300 prevent the plate 288 from falling into the interior of the holder 284 and facilitate swiveling motion of the plate 288 within the opening 286. Cut-outs 302 are formed between two pair of the lands 300. Each of the cut-outs 302 has a U-shaped snap 304 located within the cut-out 302, the snaps 304 facilitating the snap-fitting of the plate 288 into the opening 286 of the lamp holder 284, movement of the plate 288 within the opening 286 being also thus facilitated. The third pair of the lands 300 is spaced equidistantly from the two pair of lands 300 having the cut-outs 302 formed therein, a T-shaped cut-out 306 being formed between the lands 300 of this third pair of lands. A prong 308 is formed immediately behind the cut-out 306, the prong 308 acting to hold the plate 288 within the opening 286 and to provide a stop function in concert with detent 309 located interiorly of the lamp holder 384. A guide track assembly 310 is formed centrally of the spherical swivel plate 288 and comprises a base 312 having spaced pairs of spaced track tangs 314 which surmount one each of a slat 316 in a pattern of the slots 316, the slot pattern being rectangular in conformation. An oval slot 318 is formed in the plate 288 centrally thereof and within the assembly 310, one each of a pair of apertures 320 being formed in the plate 288 on opposite sides of the oval slot 318 and between vertically related slots 316 of the pairs of slots 316. At least certain of the openings thus formed in the swivel plate 288 facilitate passage of wiring (not shown) from a bulb socket 297 into the interior of the lamp holder 284.
A reflector 292 is received within the lamp housing 290, the reflector 292 comprising a plastic structure which is coated with a reflective layer 346. The reflector 292 is formed as a parabola of rotation which fits within the lamp housing 290 and is received within the housing 290. An opening 349 formed in the reflector 292 allows the bulb base mount 332 of the lamp housing 290 to extend therethrough to be exposed for its intended purpose. The periphery of the reflector 292 is shaped to fit the shape of the lamp housing with a flange 350 having a cut-out 352 being formed at the periphery of the reflector 292 adjacent the opening 348, the cut-out 352 receiving an end of the bridge 328 of the lamp housing 290. Portions of the flange 350 are received under a peripheral segment 354 formed on the lamp housing 290, the segment 354 being connected to that end of the bridge 328 received by the cut-out 352.
The lens 294 snap-fits onto the lamp housing 290, the periphery of the lens being shaped to fit the shape of the lamp housing. A flange 356 having a cut-out 358 is formed on one edge of the lens 294, the cut-out 358 receiving an end of the bridge 328 of the lamp housing 290. Portions of the flange 356 are received under the peripheral segment 354 of the lamp housing 290 to facilitate holding of the lens 294 to the lamp housing 290. A snap 360. formed in the lens 294 opposite the flange 356 snaps the lens 294 onto the lamp holder 290 in cooperation with a cut-out 362 formed in the reflector 292 and snap fingers 364 formed on the lamp holder 290 and received into the cut-out 362. The lens 294 can be "frosted" if desired to provide a more diffuse light.
Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 28, the circuitry employed in the incandescent embodiment of the invention is shown. The circuit is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/519,804, filed Aug. 28, 1995, by James C. Johnson, and entitled Emergency Lighting Battery Charging Circuit, the pending application for patent being assigned to the assignee of the present application for patent. The disclosure of Ser. No. 08/519,804 is incorporated hereinto by reference. FIG. 28 comprises a wiring diagram which particularly shows the use of a single pole battery connector 370 used with a lead-acid battery such as the battery 30. When the Ni--Cd battery is used as seen in FIG. 28, a polarized battery connector 372 is utilized. FIG. 13 illustrates mounting of the LED arrays 28 on opposite sides of the housing 12. The arrays 28 provide non-emergency lighting of the indicia 20 on AC mains power. When the arrays 28 are used, the AC lamps 24 are eliminated.
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INDUSTRIALE COMMERCIALE IMMOBILIARE BOCCARA S.p.A.Emergency sign with signal of selfwinding type for roads, construction site signals and the like* Cited by examinerNon-Patent CitationsReference1"Contractor's Choice Emergency Lighting Unit", Model CC-2, Sure-Lites--admitted prior art.2"Finally, 5-Minute Installation at an Affordable Price", Emergency Lighting News, Lithonia Lighting Publication--admitted prior art.3"Model UMB EX Fluorescent Exit", Sure-Lites, Apr. 1985.4"Sales Update", Halo Sure-Lites, Aug. 31, 1993.5"Series Exit Combination", AtLite Lighting Equipment Inc.--admitted prior art.6"Sure-Lights Emergency Lighting", UMB-EX Model, 1984.7"Universal Standard Exits Double PL Fluorescent Self-Powered Lead Calcium Battery" PLX Series Brochure, Sure-Lites--admitted prior art.8 *AtLite Lighting Equipment Series LCNY8 Exit Sign/Emergency Light Product brochure admitted prior art.9AtLite Lighting Equipment Series LCNY8 Exit Sign/Emergency Light Product brochure--admitted prior art.10Brochure "Spectrum Series--Emergency Exit," Lithonia Emergency Systems (1987).11 *Brochure Spectrum Series Emergency Exit, Lithonia Emergency Systems (1987).12Brochure, "6 Volt Combination Emergency Light/Exit Sign--Series ED," Elan Lighting Products Division of Altus Corporation (Apr. 1982).13Brochure, "6 Volt Self-Powered Economy Exit Light--Series EP," Elan Lighting Products Division of Altus Corporation (Apr. 1982).14Brochure, "AS/AP Incandescent Series," Lithonia Emergency Lighting, p. 24, (1984).15Brochure, "Chloride . . . 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(Jun. 1990).19Brochure, "ES/EP Premium Exits," Lithonia, p. 52 (1980).20Brochure, "Excalibur� Series," Dual-Lite, (undated).21Brochure, "Excite� Series" Dual-Lite, (Mar. 1988).22Brochure, "Exit-Series--Plastic Face," Lithonia Lighting, p. 64 (1971).23Brochure, "EZ-Snap� Series," Dual-Lite, (Sep. 1990).24Brochure, "Fail-Safe Exit Sign," Lithonia Lighting (1971).25Brochure, "FAS/FAP Fluorescent Series," Lithonia Emergency Lighting, p. 25, (undated).26Brochure, "Fluorescent Emergency Light Power Pack--CFP Series," Chloride Systems, pp. 11-18, (undated).27Brochure, "Installation Instructions Titan Series," (Circa 1989).28Brochure, "Introducing the New QM-EL Quantum Emergency Exit Sign," Lithonia Lighting (1992).29Brochure, "Introducing the Quantum Difference," Lithonia Emergency Systems (1989).30Brochure, "Kast Exits--Stencil or Plastic Face," Incandescent Catalog, Lithonia Lighting, Inc. p. 26 (1965).31Brochure, "Open the Door to a Spectrum� of Opportunity," Lithonia Emergency Systems, (1987).32Brochure, "Single and Dual Lamp Fluorescent AC and Emergency Universal Mounting Exit Signs," pp. 27-28, (undated).33Brochure, "Spectrum Series--Contemporary Injection Molded Emergency Exit Signs," Lithonia Emergency Systems (1987).34Brochure, "Standard and AC-DC Exit Signs--Series WX & BX," Elan Lighting Products Division of Altus Corporation (Sep. 1982).35Brochure, "The New Siltron UX Series--Extruded Aluminum Scaled Maintenance-Free Nickel Cadmium Batteries," Siltron Illumination, Inc. (undated).36Brochure, "Universal Module Exit Signs--XU Series, AC or AC/DC," Teledyne Big Beam, (Aug. 1990).37Brochure, "Universal Module Exit Signs--XU Series, AC or AC/DC," Teledyne Big Beam, (Mar. 1989).38Brochure, "Your Choice of Exit Signs Can Make a World of Difference," Lithonia Lighting (1993).39 *Brochure, 6 Volt Combination Emergency Light/Exit Sign Series ED, Elan Lighting Products Division of Altus Corporation (Apr. 1982).40 *Brochure, 6 Volt Self Powered Economy Exit Light Series EP, Elan Lighting Products Division of Altus Corporation (Apr. 1982).41 *Brochure, AS/AP Incandescent Series, Lithonia Emergency Lighting, p. 24, (1984).42 *Brochure, Chloride . . . 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(undated).63 *Brochure, Universal Module Exit Signs XU Series, AC or AC/DC, Teledyne Big Beam, (Aug. 1990).64 *Brochure, Universal Module Exit Signs XU Series, AC or AC/DC, Teledyne Big Beam, (Mar. 1989).65 *Brochure, Your Choice of Exit Signs Can Make a World of Difference, Lithonia Lighting (1993).66 *CC Series Catalog Sheet, Sure Lites depicted structure admitted prior art.67CC Series Catalog Sheet, Sure-Lites--depicted structure admitted prior art.68 *Contractor s Choice Emergency Lighting Unit , Model CC 2, Sure Lites admitted prior art.69 *CU Series Catalog Sheet, Sure Lites admitted prior art.70CU Series Catalog Sheet, Sure-Lites--admitted prior art.71Drawing, "L.A. Swivel Male," (Jul. 7, 1986).72Drawing, "Pin, Locking, Pedestal Swivel," (Mar. 30, 1989).73Drawing, "Swivel, Lamp Par 36," (Oct. 5, 1993).74 *Drawing, L.A. Swivel Male, (Jul. 7, 1986).75 *Drawing, Pin, Locking, Pedestal Swivel, (Mar. 30, 1989).76 *Drawing, Swivel, Lamp Par 36, (Oct. 5, 1993).77 *Dual Lite EXquisiTe RG Series product brochure 1988.78 *Dual Lite Metropolitan NYHX Series product brochure admitted prior art.79 *Dual Lite Metropolitan XYHX Series instructions for operation and installation Nov. 1989.80Dual-Lite EXquisiTe RG Series product brochure--1988.81Dual-Lite Metropolitan NYHX Series product brochure--admitted prior art.82Dual-Lite Metropolitan XYHX Series instructions for operation and installation--Nov. 1989.83 *Elan Lighting Product Series ED Combination Emergency Light/Exit Sign product brochure 1987.84Elan Lighting Product Series ED Combination Emergency Light/Exit Sign product brochure--1987.85 *Emergi Lite Series EXPK SOX/STX NEMA 4X Mini Systems Weatherproof, Corrosion Resistant Emergency Exit/Lighting System product brochure 1992.86Emergi-Lite Series EXPK-SOX/STX NEMA 4X Mini Systems Weatherproof, Corrosion-Resistant Emergency Exit/Lighting System product brochure--1992.87 *Exitronix LED Emergency Exit sign with Emergency Lights product brochure admitted prior art.88Exitronix LED Emergency Exit sign with Emergency Lights product brochure--admitted prior art.89 *Finally, 5 Minute Installation at an Affordable Price , Emergency Lighting News, Lithonia Lighting Publication admitted prior art.90Installation Instructions and Supplement, "Quantum� Series--Model M 120/277 Exit Signs," Lithonia Emergency Systems, (undated).91 *Installation Instructions and Supplement, Quantum Series Model M 120/277 Exit Signs, Lithonia Emergency Systems, (undated).92 *Installation Instructions for CC 2 Emergency Lighting Fixtures, Sure Lites depicted structure admitted prior art.93Installation Instructions for CC-2 Emergency Lighting Fixtures, Sure-Lites--depicted structure admitted prior art.94 *Installation Instructions for LQM 120/277 Exit Signs, Lithonia Emergency Systems.95 *Installation Instructions for QM EL Emergency Exit Signs, Lithonia Emergency Systems admitted prior art.96Installation Instructions for QM-EL Emergency Exit Signs, Lithonia Emergency Systems--admitted prior art.97Installation Instructions, "Dual-Lite EZ-SNAP� Exit Signs," (Jan. 1994).98Installation Instructions, "EZ-Snap LED Exit Signs," Dual-Lite (Jul. 1994).99Installation Instructions, "QM-EL Emergency Exit Signs," Lithonia Emergency Systems (undated).100Installation Instructions, "Spectrum Series Model MS/MP 120/277 Exit Signs," Lithonia Emergency Systems (Jul. 28, 1986).101 *Installation Instructions, Dual Lite EZ SNAP Exit Signs, (Jan. 1994).102 *Installation Instructions, EZ Snap LED Exit Signs, Dual Lite (Jul. 1994).103 *Installation Instructions, QM EL Emergency Exit Signs, Lithonia Emergency Systems (undated).104 *Installation Instructions, Spectrum Series Model MS/MP 120/277 Exit Signs, Lithonia Emergency Systems (Jul. 28, 1986).105Linn, Charles A I A, "From Frog Eyes on a Lunch Box' to Subtle, Quality Emergency Fixtures," Lighting Update, Facilities Design & Management, p. 47 (undated).106 *Linn, Charles A I A, From Frog Eyes on a Lunch Box to Subtle, Quality Emergency Fixtures, Lighting Update, Facilities Design & Management , p. 47 (undated).107 *Lithonia Quantum QM EL Exit sign specification sheet, Lithonia Lighting, 1992, REV Nov. 1994.108 *Model UMB EX Fluorescent Exit , Sure Lites, Apr. 1985.109One page of photographs, (Cam Attachment (Long)) shown in Drawing, "Pin, Locking, Pedestal Swivel," (Mar. 30, 1989) and Brochure, Installation Instructions Titan Series (Circa 1989), listed below.110 *One page of photographs, (Cam Attachment (Long)) shown in Drawing, Pin, Locking, Pedestal Swivel, (Mar. 30, 1989) and Brochure, Installation Instructions Titan Series (Circa 1989), listed below.111One page of photographs, canopy housing shown in Brochure, "Introducing the Quantum Difference," Lithonia Emergency Systems (1989) listed below.112 *One page of photographs, canopy housing shown in Brochure, Introducing the Quantum Difference, Lithonia Emergency Systems (1989) listed below.113One page of photographs, conaopy/backplate shown in Brochure, "Dual-Lite Excite� Simply Beautiful," Dual-Lite, Inc. (Jul. 1980) listed below.114 *One page of photographs, conaopy/backplate shown in Brochure, Dual Lite Excite Simply Beautiful, Dual Lite, Inc. (Jul. 1980) listed below.115One page of photographs, Lithonia Lighting Systems Emergency Exit Sign as shown in Brochure, "Spectrum Series--Emergency Exit," Lithonia Emergency Systems (1987) listed below.116 *One page of photographs, Lithonia Lighting Systems Emergency Exit Sign as shown in Brochure, Spectrum Series Emergency Exit, Lithonia Emergency Systems (1987) listed below.117One page of photographs, Lithonia Lighting Systems Emergency Exit Sign with Chevrons as shown in Brochure, "Introducing the New QM-EL Quantum Emergency Exit Sign," Lithonia Lighting (1992) listed below (Chevron Sign).118 *One page of photographs, Lithonia Lighting Systems Emergency Exit Sign with Chevrons as shown in Brochure, Introducing the New QM EL Quantum Emergency Exit Sign, Lithonia Lighting (1992) listed below (Chevron Sign).119 *One page of photographs, Model KSR LED EZ Snap Series Exit Sign, Dual Lite (Oct. 26, 1994) ( Dual Lite Sign ) as shown in Installation Instructions, E Snap LED Exit Signs, Dual Lite (Jul. 1994) listed below.120One page of photographs, Model KSR-LED EZ Snap Series Exit Sign, Dual Lite (Oct. 26, 1994) ("Dual Lite Sign") as shown in Installation Instructions, E Snap LED Exit Signs, Dual-Lite (Jul. 1994) listed below.121 *Pathway NEMA 4X LED Exit sign product brochure Oct. 1995.122Pathway NEMA 4X LED Exit sign product brochure--Oct. 1995.123 *Photograph No. 20 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.124Photograph No. 20 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.125 *Photograph No. 21 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.126Photograph No. 21 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.127 *Photograph No. 22 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.128Photograph No. 22 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.129 *Photograph No. 23 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.130Photograph No. 23 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.131 *Photograph No. 24 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.132Photograph No. 24 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.133 *Photograph No. 25 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.134Photograph No. 25 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.135 *Photograph No. 26 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.136Photograph No. 26 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.137 *Photograph No. 27 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.138Photograph No. 27 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.139 *Photograph No. 28 depicting the Emergi Lite EXPK Series Product admitted prior art.140Photograph No. 28 depicting the Emergi-Lite EXPK Series Product--admitted prior art.141 *Photograph No. 31 depicting the Elan EEDA unit admitted prior art.142Photograph No. 31 depicting the Elan EEDA unit--admitted prior art.143 *Photograph No. 32 depicting the Elan EEDA unit admitted prior art.144Photograph No. 32 depicting the Elan EEDA unit--admitted prior art.145 *Photograph No. 33 depicting the Elan EEDA unit admitted prior art.146Photograph No. 33 depicting the Elan EEDA unit--admitted prior art.147 *Photograph No. 34 depicting the Elan EEDA unit admitted prior art.148Photograph No. 34 depicting the Elan EEDA unit--admitted prior art.149 *Photograph No. 35 depicting the Elan EEDA unit admitted prior art.150Photograph No. 35 depicting the Elan EEDA unit--admitted prior art.151 *Photograph No. 36 depicting the Elan EEDA unit admitted prior art.152Photograph No. 36 depicting the Elan EEDA unit--admitted prior art.153 *Photograph No. 37 depicting the Elan EEDA unit admitted prior art.154Photograph No. 37 depicting the Elan EEDA unit--admitted prior art.155 *Prescolite Emergency System NEX Series exit sign product brochure admitted prior art.156Prescolite Emergency System NEX Series exit sign product brochure--admitted prior art.157 *Sales Update , Halo Sure Lites, Aug. 31, 1993.158 *Series Exit Combination , AtLite Lighting Equipment Inc. admitted prior art.159 *Sure Lights Emergency Lighting , UMB EX Model, 1984.160 *Universal Standard Exits Double PL Fluorescent Self Powered Lead Calcium Battery PLX Series Brochure, Sure Lites admitted prior art.161 *YorkLite Designer Exit Light product brochure 1989.162YorkLite Designer Exit Light product brochure--1989.* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS6309085 *Apr 26, 2000Oct 30, 2001Best Lighting Products, Inc.Lamp support for emergency light fixtureUS6472994 *May 23, 2000Oct 29, 2002Reed TatorEmergency guidance systemUS6499866 *Oct 31, 2000Dec 31, 2002Acuity Brands, Inc.Emergency lighting unit/exit sign combinationUS6539657May 9, 2001Apr 1, 2003Genlyte Thomas Group LlcUniversal edge-lit exit signUS6606808Mar 22, 2001Aug 19, 2003Best Lighting Products, Inc.Exit sign with rotatable lighting headsUS6741324Aug 21, 2002May 25, 2004Il KimLow profile combination exit and emergency lighting system having downwardly shining lightsUS6824295Nov 5, 2002Nov 30, 2004Astralite, Inc.Emergency lighting deviceUS6848798 *Nov 19, 2002Feb 1, 2005Acuity Brands, Inc.Emergency lighting unit/exit sign combinationUS7047679Oct 28, 2002May 23, 2006L. L. Culmat, L.P.Molded sign facing plateUS7114840Jan 23, 2004Oct 3, 2006Douglas HamrickExit sign illuminated by selective color LEDsUS7152715Feb 5, 2004Dec 26, 2006Thyssen Elevator Capital Corp.Snap-fit elevator hall fixture assembliesUS7182487Jul 23, 2003Feb 27, 2007Acuity Brands, Inc.Housings for interchangeable optical assembliesUS7296908Jun 3, 2005Nov 20, 2007Abl Ip Holding LlcHousing with releasable front and back portions with electrical connection meansUS7350327Jan 22, 2004Apr 1, 2008Abl Ip Holding, LlcMounting devices for exit signs and other fixturesUS7520072May 9, 2007Apr 21, 2009William YuExit signs with and without emergency lightingUS7800511Mar 7, 2007Sep 21, 2010Living Space International, Inc.Emergency lighting systemUS8296977 *Apr 28, 2011Oct 30, 2012Sung-Keun LeeEmergency-light indicatorUS8770770 *Dec 31, 2010Jul 8, 2014Larry N. ShowLight assemblyUS20110163672 *Dec 31, 2010Jul 7, 2011Shew Larry NLight assemblyUS20120174448 *Apr 28, 2011Jul 12, 2012Je Woo Corporation, Ltd.Emergency-light indicatorUS20130187470 *Jan 20, 2012Jul 25, 2013Alex HuangEmergency Lighting with Charging Indicator Circuitry* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification362/234, 362/812, 40/570, 362/647, 362/370, 362/249.02International ClassificationG09F13/00, G09F13/04Cooperative ClassificationG08B7/062, Y10S362/812, G09F13/00, G09F2013/0459, G09F13/04, G09F2013/0454European ClassificationG09F13/04Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionApr 11, 2012FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 12Aug 21, 2009ASAssignmentOwner name: ABL IP HOLDING, LLC, GEORGIAFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ACUITY BRANDS, INC;REEL/FRAME:023127/0378Effective date: 20070926Owner name: ABL IP HOLDING, LLC,GEORGIAFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ACUITY BRANDS, INC;REEL/FRAME:23127/378Apr 25, 2008FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Apr 22, 2004FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Mar 22, 2002ASAssignmentOwner name: ACUITY BRANDS, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS L & C SPINCFree format text: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT;ASSIGNOR:NSI ENTERPRISES, INC. (NOW KNOWN AS NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC.);REEL/FRAME:012506/0907Effective date: 20020228Free format text: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT;ASSIGNOR:NSI ENTERPRISES, INC. (NOW KNOWN AS NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC.) /AR;REEL/FRAME:012506/0907Aug 12, 1998ASAssignmentOwner name: NSI ENTERPRISES, INC., GEORGIAFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LOGAN, MARK C.;MASTERS, ANDREW EDWARD;HULL, EDWIN LEWIS;REEL/FRAME:009391/0229;SIGNING DATES FROM 19980807 TO 19980810RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services