Couplers for light fixtures

Abstract

A kit for joining together at least a pair of light fixture segments at a joint interface therebetween to form a light fixture assembly, comprises at least a pair of complementary coupling units, each coupling unit configured to be located in an operative position in one of said light fixture segments to join the other coupling unit at the joint interface defined by complementary abutment surfaces on said light fixture segments, at least one of the complementary coupling units being configured to be adjustably located in the operative position to displace another of the coupling units along a designated travel path toward a limit position, wherein the joining of the light fixture segments at the joint interface occurs in advance of the other coupling unit reaching the limit position.

Claims

1. A junction device for coupling with at least one adjacent housing section of a light fixture housing to form a light fixture housing assembly, the junction device comprising at least one first boundary, the at least one first boundary including at least one male portion, or at least one female portion or part thereof, wherein each of the male portion or the female portion or part thereof is interoperable, respectively, with at least one female portion, or at least one male portion, on a corresponding at least one adjacent housing section, to enable the female portion of the junction device or the at least one adjacent housing section to receive, respectively, the male portion of the at least one adjacent housing section or the junction device, wherein each of the male portion and the female portion is configured to receive a locking latch, to latch together the female portion and the male portion, thereby to form the light fixture housing assembly.

2. The junction device of claim 1, wherein the female portion includes a channel portion defining a pathway to receive the male portion.

3. The junction device of claim 1, wherein the male portion includes at least one latch passage therein to receive the locking latch.

4. The junction of claim 3, wherein the locking latch is adjustably mounted on the female portion and moveable relative to and engageable with a surface adjacent the latch passage.

5. A light fixture housing assembly, comprising at least two light fixture housing sections configured to form an end-to-end engagement, and at least one instance of the junction device as defined in claim 1.

6. A light fixture housing assembly, comprising one or more light fixture housing sections and at least one instance of the junction device as defined in claim 1.

7. A junction device for coupling with at least one adjacent housing section of a light fixture housing to form a light fixture housing assembly, the junction device comprising at least one first boundary, the at least one first boundary including at least one male portion or part thereof, or at least one female portion or part thereof, a junction body, having a first closed section and a second open section, with a cover removably attachable to the second open end section , wherein each of the male portion or the female portion is interoperable, respectively, with at least one female portion, or at least one male portion, on a corresponding at least one adjacent housing section, to enable the female portion of the junction device or the at least one adjacent housing section to receive, respectively, the male portion of the at least one adjacent housing section or the junction device, wherein each of the male portion and the female portion is configured to receive a locking latch, to latch together the female portion and the male portion, thereby to form the light fixture housing assembly.

8. The junction device of claim 7, further comprising a central passage to receive a fastener for securing the junction device to a centrally disposed web in a corresponding housing section forming a mounting region for the junction device thereon.

9. The junction device of coupler of claim 8, wherein the channel portion is configured to cooperate with the centrally disposed web, so that the centrally disposed web borders the pathway.

10. A method of assembling a light fixture housing assembly, comprising: a. providing one or more light fixture housing sections, each with an end region configured to form one or more coupling interfaces with one or more junction devices as defined in claim 1; b. securing each of the light fixture housing sections with at least one of the junction devices, by engaging an exposed male portion on one or more of the light fixture housing sections and the junction device, with a receptive female portion, or part thereof, on a corresponding one or more of the housing sections and the junction device; and c. deploying a locking latch associated with the male portion, or the female portion in each corresponding junction interface, to secure together the male portion and the female portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be provided, by way of examples only, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of adjacent sections of an exemplary light fixture housing assembly;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the light fixture housing assembly of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective assembly view of one section of FIG. 1;

(5) FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views of a pair of couplers in the light fixture assembly of FIG. 1, in isolation, in successive operative positions.

(6) FIGS. 6 and 7 are plan views according to FIGS. 4 and 5;

(7) FIGS. 8 and 9 are end views taken on arrows 8 and 9 of FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 10 is an end view, according to FIG. 8, of another exemplified light fixture housing assembly;

(9) FIGS. 11 and 12 are side views of alternatives to the portions shown in FIGS. 4 and 5

(10) FIGS. 13a to 13d are top, side and perspective views of a first junction for a light fixture assembly;

(11) FIGS. 14a to 14d are top, side and perspective views of a second junction for a light fixture assembly;

(12) FIGS. 15a to 15d are top, side and perspective views of a third junction for a light fixture assembly;

(13) FIGS. 16a to 16d are top, side and perspective views of a fourth junction for a light fixture assembly;

(14) FIGS. 17a to 17d are top, side and perspective views of a first junction for a light fixture assembly;

(15) FIGS. 18a to 18d are top, side and perspective views of a first junction for a light fixture assembly;

(16) FIG. 19 is a schematic side view of another junction for a light fixture assembly;

(17) FIGS. 20 to 22 are perspective views of light fixture installations;

(18) FIGS. 23a to 23d are top perspective, bottom perspective, side and plan views of a light fixture segment;

(19) FIGS. 24a to 24d are top perspective, bottom perspective, side, and plan views of another light fixture segment;

(20) FIGS. 25a to 25e are top perspective, bottom perspective, side, side and plan views of another light fixture segment; and

(21) FIGS. 26a to 26e are top perspective, bottom perspective, side, side and plan views of another light fixture segment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(22) It should be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical, mechanical or other connections or couplings. The terms upper, lower, and vertical are intended for operative context only and are not necessarily intended to limit the invention only to those configurations or orientations. Furthermore, and as described in subsequent paragraphs, the specific mechanical and/or other configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify embodiments of the invention. However, other alternative mechanical and/or other configurations are possible which are considered to be within the teachings of the instant disclosure.

(23) FIGS. 1 and 2 show, in an exemplary embodiment, a group of two adjacent housing sections 10, 12 which are to be assembled to form a light fixture housing assembly 13 at a joint interface 13a. Each of a pair of couplers 14 is installed in a corresponding housing section 10, 12. Referring to FIG. 3, each coupler 14 has a first boundary 16 including first coupling unit in the form of a male portion 18 and a second boundary 20 including a second coupling unit in the form of a female portion 22. As will be described, the male and female portions 18 and 22 are interoperable when the coupler 14 is used in groups of at least two, to enable the female portion 22, of a first of the couplers secured in the housing section 10, to receive the male portion 18 of a second of the couplers secured in the adjacent housing section 12. A locking latch 24 is provided to latch together the male portion 18 of one of the couplers with the female portion 22 of the other coupler, thereby to form the assembled light fixture housing 13. In this case, the locking latch 24, together with the male and female portions 18, 22 are contained in or on the coupler 14.

(24) The female portion 22 includes a channel portion 28 formed by a pair of side walls 30 and a top wall 32 to define a pathway 34 to receive the male portion 18 of another coupler 14. Thus, the female portion 22 may be considered, in this example, to form three sides of the pathway 34. The female portion 22 also has a periphery 36 which may provide a designated landmark, for installing the coupler 14 on the housing section 10 as shown in FIG. 1, as discussed below.

(25) The coupler 14 further comprises a central passage 38 to receive a fastener 40 for securing the coupler 14 to a centrally disposed web 46 in the corresponding housing section 10 forming a mounting region 48 for the coupler 14 thereon. In this case, the web 46 extends between a pair of upright wall sections 50, 52. The web 46 provides a surface 54 with a recess 56 formed therein to receive the fastener 40. Thus, the channel portion 28 is configured to cooperate with the centrally disposed web 46, at the surface 54, so that the web 46 also borders the pathway 34. In this case, as seen in FIG. 4, the coupler 14 has a surface 42 which engages the surface 54, while an alignment projection 44 projects from the surface 42, also to extend into the recess 56, to further align the coupler thereon.

(26) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the housing sections 10, 12 have corresponding end faces 58, 60 which engage one another at the joint interface 13a.

(27) Thus, in this exemplary embodiment, both the projection 44 and the fastener 40 penetrate the recess 56, though in other cases, the coupler 14 may be secured to the web 46 in other ways, such as without the need for the projection 44, and/or by way of other fasteners extending from the web 46 and through the surface 42, as examples. Still further, extruded engaging sections may be provided in the walls of the housing sections to receive and anchor the coupler 14, with or without fasteners. Adhesives and other bonding techniques may also, in some cases, be deployed to secure the coupler 14 to the corresponding housing section.

(28) Referring to FIG. 3, the male portion 18 includes a latch passage 60. The locking latch 24 is adjustably mounted on the female portion 22 and moveable relative to and engageable with the latch passage 60 to secure the male portion 18 with the female portion 22. In this case, the locking latch 24 has a central portion 64 with a passage 65 (FIG. 4) which receives a fastener 66 which in turn is threadably engaged with a passage 31 in a shoulder region 33 on the top wall 32 to adjust the position of a pair of legs 68 (FIG. 3) depending from the central portion 64.

(29) The legs 68 have inclined contact edge regions 70 which are configured to engage a complementary edge region 72 bordering the latch passage 60 on the male portion 18. The legs 68 each extend through a corresponding window 74 and moveable, under the action of the fastener 66, to travel between an un-interrupting position (as seen on the left hand side as viewed in FIG. 5) and an interrupting position (as seen on the right hand side as viewed in FIG. 5) relative to the pathway 34.

(30) Also mounted on the top wall 32 is an upstanding alignment wall 37, which may be provided, for example, to provide a guard for the latch member 24.

(31) The function of the locking latch 24 may, in some exemplary embodiments be provided by or with different structures, such as other movable structures which engage different structures between the male and female portions, or parts thereof and/or providing a locking or latching bias in other ways beyond the use of the fastener 40, such as by the use of springs, magnets, levers, clamps, spring clips, and the like.

(32) Thus, referring to FIG. 5, when the male portion 18 is present in the pathway 34 and the contact edge region 72 is in a position to engage the contact edge region 70, such movement toward the interrupting position engages the respective contact edge regions 70 and 72. Their complementary angles further cause the male portion 18 to be drawn into the pathway 34 (arrow A) to a designated engaged or assembled position, dictated by the positions of the contact edge regions 70, 72 when the locking latch 24 has been delivered to its fully engaged position (arrow B), as may be determined by the relative positions of the central portion 64 and the shoulder 33, or when the fastener 66 has been turned to a designated tight configuration, or other designated condition.

(33) In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, both couplers 14 are provided with locking latches 24. In other situations, those units of the coupler 14 that are in the first mode, that is they are to be secured to function as male portions, may be thus provided without the locking latches 24, since such locking latches 24 will be redundant (and thus not included on the left hand coupler in FIGS. 11 and 12).

(34) FIG. 5 shows an exemplary configuration in which the left hand coupler 14 (in the first mode) is shown to have reached a limit position relative to the right hand coupler 14 (in the second mode) by the corresponding abutment limit surfaces 73a, 73b in contact, thus preventing any further movement of the left hand coupler toward the right hand coupler, in the direction of arrow A. However, as will be described, the right hand coupler 14 (in the second mode) may be configured when positioned in the housing section 10, so that the joint interface 13a is established in advance of (or before) reaching such limit position.

(35) The coupler 14 in the second mode may thus be installed in the housing section at substantially any location along an operative distance from the corresponding end face 58, such as shown by arrow C of FIG. 3, owing to, in this example, the recess 56 extending away from the end face 58 and configured to threadably engage fastener 40 within a designated distance from the end face 58, without the need for a precise location for the coupler 14. This enables the coupler 14 to be positioned (as shown schematically in dashed lines) on the web 46 at a position relative to the end face 58, using the landmark as a guide, so that periphery 36 of the coupler is effectively misaligned with (or inwardly offset relative to) the end face 58, as shown by dimension E. This misalignment or inward offset has the effect of extending the limit position beyond the point at which the end faces 58 and 60 meet to complete the joint interface 13a, which would thus occur before the abutment limit surfaces 73a, 73b on the couplers 14 make contact. This has the benefit of allowing an assembler to make a sighting of the landmark periphery 36, for example, with the end face 58 and provide a notional inward offset. In this case, the landmark periphery 36 is convenient since it may be relatively easy for the assembler to discern that an outward offset (i.e. the landmark periphery 36 being outside relative to the end face 58) or a flush alignment of the landmark periphery and the end face 58 may result in the joint interface not being substantially firmly established with sufficient compressive forces between the end faces 58 and 60, whereas an inward offset within a relatively straightforward range, for example in the order of from about 0.4 mm to about 1.5 mm (though other spacings, such as larger spacings may also be useful in some cases) may provide a firmly established joint interface.

(36) In some exemplary embodiments, the coupler 14 in the second mode may be secured in position while the other coupler 14 in the first mode may be adjustably positioned in the manner discussed above. For instance, the female portion may be provided with an interior latch surface against which a latching male member may engage and then draw the housing segments together at the joint interface.

(37) Referring to FIG. 3, the channel portion 28, in this case, is three sided, though it may be formed in other configurations. For instance, it may be four sided to form a self-contained pathway 34. Alternatively, the pathway 34 may be provided by a top wall 32 without the side walls 30, whose function may otherwise be provided by upstanding walls or other supporting structures, such as those shown at 76 in FIG. 10, which may be formed integrally with, or provided in, the corresponding housing section, to be adjacent the surface 54, to provide sufficient height for entry of the male portion 18 into the pathway 34.

(38) As can be seen in FIG. 8, the surface 54 is positioned, and the walls 30 are so dimensioned, that the resulting pathway 34 has a central line 78 which corresponds with a corresponding central line 80 of the male portion 18 (as seen in FIG. 9) and is symmetrical with the upper and lower boundaries 10a, 10b, 12a and 12b of the sections 10, 12, which allows the sections 10, 12 to be assembled in two possible configurations based on the reversing ability afforded by the configurations of the housing sections, relative to each corresponding surface 54. Of course, the same reversing ability may be utilized in cases where the upper and lower boundaries may desirably be aligned, or for that matter misaligned, with the respective boundaries of the neighboring sections. Thus, in some exemplary embodiments, the coupler 14 provides a dual function, as at least part of a male portion (in a first mode) or a female portion (in a second mode), or a part thereof, in a joint interface of a light fixture housing assembly. Thus, as viewed in FIG. 8, the upper and lower regions of the housing sections 10 and 12 may include optic (or light emitting) modules, such as LED arrays and the like, as illustrated schematically at 18a or non-optic (or non-light emitting) modules such as wiring, power supplies including ballasts and the like , as illustrated schematically at 18b.

(39) Thus, in some exemplary embodiments, the light fixture housing assembly 13 may be formed using the two housing sections 10, 12 and the coupler 14 (or parts thereof) in groups of two or in multiples thereof, with a pair of couplers 14 (or parts thereof) for each interface between a pair of end regions on the housing sections to be joined. The light fixture housing assembly 13 may be assembled with other housing sections or, for that matter, other light fixture assemblies, where each interconnection involves a pair of the couplers 14. Thus, the coupler 14, in some exemplary embodiments, may serve as a universal or interoperable coupling attachment unit which may be arranged in two configurations, one as a male portion (in a first mode) to extend into the pathway of an adjacent light fixture assembly or housing section, or as a female portion in the alternative configuration (in a second mode), either to provide the pathway, or to cooperate with the corresponding housing section or light fixture assembly to provide the pathway to receive a male portion of an adjacent housing section or light fixture assembly.

(40) Thus, in use, one of the couplers 14 may be installed on the housing section 12 in a first mode with an enabled male portion, as shown in FIG. 1, that is with the male portion extending from the housing section 12. To do so, the coupler 14 is oriented with the channel portion 28 oriented so that the pathway 34 is open to the surface 54 and the passage 38 aligned with the recess 56 the fastener 40 to installed therein. Similarly, a second of the couplers 14 may be installed on the housing section 10 in a second mode with an enabled female portion, as shown in FIG. 1, that is with the female portion in a receptive configuration in the housing section 10, and placed in similar fashion with the channel portion 28 oriented so that the pathway is open to the surface 54 and the passage 38 aligned with the recess 56 for the fastener 40 to be installed therein and, if desired, the inward offset according to arrow E. The housing sections thus are aligned and the male enabled male portion 18 is passed into the enabled female portion 22 as shown by the sequential views in FIGS. 4 and 5.

(41) The coupler may also be used in different configurations, with different angles, and may be seen in FIGS. 11 and 12. In FIG. 11, the male portion 18 is at right angles to the female portion 22, while in FIG. 12, the male portion 18 is angularly adjustable relative to the female portion 22.

(42) In some exemplary embodiments, the couplers may provide female and male portions, as shown above, or parts thereof as coupling units, which are nonetheless complementary for coupling as discussed herein to form the joint interface. The male and female portions (or parts thereof) may be provided on different couplers, or integrated in different groups of modular units for assembling a modular light fixture, such as direct-indirect light fixture. In the latter case, the light fixture may have light fixture segments with optics on one side only, but which may be assembled either in a direct configuration (with the optics facing toward a target lighting location) or in an indirect configuration (with the optics facing away from the target lighting location, in which case the light is reflected off neighboring walls and ceilings etc. back to the target lighting location). Thus, the light fixture segments may be assembled in many different combinations such as, in but one example, with them in alternating direct and indirect configurations, as discussed below with respect to FIGS. 20, 21 and 22.

(43) In some exemplary embodiments, the light fixture segments may include housings to locate the optics or be the optics themselves, or be junctions for joining other light fixture segments. Exemplary embodiments of junctions are shown in FIGS. 13a to 18d, and include a linear junction 86 (FIGS. 13a to 13d), an angular junction 88 (FIGS. 14a to 14d) a T junction 90 (FIGS. 15a to 15d), an X junction 92 (FIGS. 16a to 16d), a Y junction 94 (FIGS. 17a to 17d), and an L junction 96 (FIGS. 18a to 18d), among other possible junctions. In these cases, the junctions include two or more coupling units, in these example as male portions as shown at 18, but may instead include one or more other forms of coupling units as describe therein, or different forms of coupling units on each junction, which extend outwardly from or are enabled in a junction body 98 having a first closed section 98a, a second opposite open section 98b and side walls 98c therebetween. A cover 98d is removably attached to the body to close the junction body, by way of fasteners shown at 98e. Located centrally in the cover is an anchor 98f to receive a cable end 98g, in order to suspend the junction body 98, and hence a modular light fixture assembly utilizing it, as a pendent light fixture. The first closed end section 98a is opposite the cover 98d to present, with corresponding exposed side walls 98c when installed, clean surfaces to the eye which may be configured to complement the adjacent light fixture segments.

(44) In some exemplary embodiments, the light fixture segment may be an anchor segment, such as shown schematically at 100 in FIG. 19, with a coupling unit, in this example as a male portion, but may alternatively include other forms of coupling units as described herein, and which may be configured to anchor the assembled modular light fixture directly or indirectly to a wall or ceiling or some other installation location. In this case, one or more of the coupling units may thus be integrated into with the anchor segment.

(45) FIGS. 23a to 23d, FIGS. 24a to 24d, FIGS. 25a to 25e and FIGS. 26a to 26f show top perspective, bottom perspective, side or plan views of a number of exemplary embodiments showing light fixture segments 106 to 112, in different configurations and may show elements of one or more ornamental designs or variants thereof for such light fixture segments, as well as stippled and/or solid lines showing one or more indefinite dimensions such as depth (or thickness) or width of the designs or variants shown. Further, for those views not shown, they are considered to be identical (though in some cases they may be reversed) to the corresponding views shown. Further, these figures may show elements in stippled lines that may not form part of the designs or variants thereof. Further, elements of such designs or variants thereof may also include such stippled lines in solid lines in some exemplary embodiments, or include features or elements from other exemplary embodiments described or shown herein, and which may include one or more of the junctions such as those illustrated above at 86, 88, 90, 92, 94 and 96, in some exemplary embodiments, and/or light fixture housings or other segments, portions as described herein, or the like.

(46) In some exemplary embodiments, the couplers may be provided in a kit for joining together at least a pair of light fixture segments, such as the housing sections 10 and 12 as examples, or other light fixture segments, at a joint interface between them to form a light fixture assembly. The kit may comprise at least a pair of complementary coupling units, each configured to be located in an operative position in one of the light fixture segments to join the other coupling unit at the joint interface defined by complementary abutment surfaces on the light fixture segments. At least one of the coupling units may thus be configured to be adjustably located in the operative position to displace the other of the coupling units along a designated travel path toward a limit position, so that joining of the light fixture segments at the joint interface may occur in advance of the other coupling unit reaches the limit position.

(47) If desired, the limit position may be associated with a designated landmark, such as a visible landmark, on one of the coupler units, such as periphery 36.

(48) In some exemplary embodiments, at least one coupling unit may be a drive coupling unit and the other coupling unit may be a follower coupling unit, wherein the drive coupling unit includes the landmark, and the operative position for the drive coupling unit may be selectable along a position path with the landmark visually misaligned relative to the corresponding abutment surface.

(49) In some exemplary embodiments, the drive coupling may thus include at least one female portion or a part thereof and the follower coupling may include at least one male portion or a part thereof. Alternatively, the male and female portions or their respective parts thereof, may be deployed respectively on the drive and follower coupling units.

(50) In some exemplary embodiments, the drive coupling unit may include an actuator element which is responsive to an actuation force to engage and displace the follower coupling unit, wherein the actuator element may include a threaded fastener, clamp, lever or other actuation force delivery analogue thereof.

(51) In some exemplary embodiments, the kit may include one or more of the light fixture segments, which may be selected from one or more of a first group of segments with one or more light sources, and a second group of segments without one or more light sources. The second group may include segments configured to join together segments of the first group to one another or directly or indirectly to a wall or ceiling, for example. The second group may include at least two coupling units, each for joining another one of the other coupling units at one of a corresponding at least two respective joint interfaces.

(52) Thus, at least a pair of light fixture segments may be assembled together at a joint interface to form a light fixture assembly, by first providing at least a pair of complementary coupling units. Next, at least one of the coupling units may be located in an operative position in one of the light fixture segments, with at least one other of the coupling units positioned in the other of the coupling units. At least one of the coupling units may then be actuated to draw the at least one other coupling unit along a designated travel path toward a limit position to form the joint interface.

(53) Exemplified light fixture installations are shown in FIGS. 19 to 21, where adjacent light fixture segments are joined in different configurations housing segments, making use of different junctions and alternating direct and indirect configurations identified for example at 102, 104 respectively.

(54) Thus, in some exemplary embodiments, a coupler unit may be provided for coupling together adjacent sections of a pair of articles at a coupling interface therebetween to form a coupled assembly, for mounting relative to a wall or ceiling, and configured to be used in units of two to form the coupling interface therebetween. In this case, the coupler unit may comprise at least first one end with a coupling projection formed therein. The coupler unit may be operable in a first mode to enable the coupling projection, and at least opposite one second end with a coupling receiver formed therein. The coupler unit may be operable in a second mode to enable the coupling receiver to receive an instance of the enabled projection on an adjacent coupler unit in the first mode. Thus, each coupler may be configured to be installed in a corresponding one of the articles, with the enabled coupling projection received by the enabled coupling receiver and latched in position therewith to form the coupling interface.

(55) While exemplary embodiments of a coupler are disclosed herein with reference to light fixtures and/or light fixture housings, such couplings may be used in other coupling interfaces, such as other ceiling or wall mounted decorative units or the like.

(56) While exemplary embodiments of a coupler have single male or female portions which are interoperable, further exemplary embodiments may include a plurality of one or more of the male and female portions or portions thereof.

(57) While the present disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is not so limited. To the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements, as will be readily appreciated by the person of ordinary skill in the art.