Patent ID: 6929389

Claim:
A lighting fixture frame and mounting panel apparatus comprising: a fixture frame including an upper edge, a lower edge, and a vertically oriented interior wall circumscribing a central opening and a panel path; a plurality of stop pads formed in the vicinity of the upper edge and projecting inwardly from the interior wall into the panel path, the pads being formed with respective lower surfaces that collectively define a first horizontal plane; the interior wall including a plurality of resilient legs formed with respective teeth projecting inwardly into the panel path having respective upwardly facing support surfaces collectively configured to define a second horizontal plane spaced apart from the first horizontal plane to define a horizontal panel slot therebetween; and a fixture panel complementally contoured and dimensioned for slidable receipt through the central opening and advancement along the panel path to engage the respective teeth to deflect the teeth clear of the path and to further engage the stop pads and clear the teeth such that the teeth are urged back into the panel path and disposed below the panel.