Patent ID: 6918680

Claim:
In combination with a building including an eave with a soffit having lookout rafters and a soffit panel mounted on the underside of said lookout rafters, the improvement of a lighting system adapted for mounting in said soffit, which includes: a longitudinally-extending, downwardly-open opening formed in said soffit and including notches formed in said lookout rafters; a housing adapted for mounting in said opening at least partly in said lookout rafter notches and including inner, outer and upper housing walls forming a downwardly-open receiver; multiple mechanical fasteners extending through said housing walls and into said soffit rafters for mounting said system in said eave; a longitudinally-extending output subassembly including a raceway with a wiring passageway, multiple lights mounted on said raceway, a wiring harness extending through said passageway and connected to said lights; a hinge connected to the housing and the raceway, said hinge defining a longitudinally-extending pivotal axis located in proximity to said soffit panel; said output subassembly being pivotable about said pivotal axis between a retracted/stored position substantially within said housing receiver and an extended/display position extending downwardly from said housing with said output component exposed; and a control subsystem including a motor operably connected to said output subassembly and adapted for extending and retracting same, said control subsystem including a microprocessor programmable to automatically operate said motor and multiple inputs adapted for sensing predetermined conditions for extending and retracting said output subassembly and selectively illuminating said lights.