US 6979108 B1
An adaptor kit or system for use with conventional can light fixtures to adapt the can light fixture for use as a hanger assembly for ceiling fans, for example, includes a spider plate that is hung onto the can height adjustment screws and a mounting plate to which a cross-bar or other mounting hardware is attached. Adjustment screws are adjusted to control the distance between the spider plate and the mounting plate.
1. An adaptor kit for converting a can light of the type having an opening into an interior portion thereof defined by interior surfaces, the kit adapting the can light to accept auxiliary fixtures such as a ceiling fan, a hanging lamp, a flush-mounted lamp, the adaptor kit comprising:
a spider plate dimensioned for insertion into the interior portion of the can light and having at least three leg portions extending generally outwardly of a central area thereof;
a bracket mounted on each of said legs and positionally adjustable thereon at a selected position relative to the central area of the spider plate, said bracket having a portion thereof facing an interior surface of the can light for engagement therewith; and
means associated with each bracket for securing its bracket in a selected position relative to its leg and for defining a plane spaced from the spider plate.
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16. An adaptor kit for converting a can light of the type having an opening into an interior portion thereof defined by interior surfaces, the kit adapting the can light to accept auxiliary fixtures such as a ceiling fan, a hanging lamp, a flush-mounted lamp, the adaptor kit comprising:
a support plate dimensioned for insertion into the interior portion of the can light;
at least three brackets mounted on the periphery of the support plate and spaced-apart from one another and each positionally adjustable thereon at a selected position relative to the central area of the support plate, said bracket having a portion thereof facing an interior surface of the can light for engagement therewith; and
means associated with each bracket for securing its bracket in a selected position relative to the support plate and for defining a plane spaced from the support plate.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/412,851 filed Sep. 24, 2002 by the applicant herein.
The present invention relates to an adaptor or conversion kit or system for use with “can light” or “can fixture” assemblies to adapt the can light for other uses, including, for example, use as a hanger for a ceiling fan, a depending or hanging lamp, or a flush-mount lamp.
The present invention relates to recessed ceiling lighting fixtures of the type that are located within or recessed within a ceiling. A light bulb or lamp is located within the housing and is positioned so that the lowermost point of the lamp is somewhat above, flush with, or slightly below the ceiling. Lighting fixtures of this type, also known as “can lights” or “can fixtures,” are well known in both new construction and in retrofit situations due, in part, to the unobtrusive nature of the fixtures themselves and of their desirable illumination pattern.
A representative example of a “can light” assembly of the type used in new construction is shown in side elevation view in
The can 16 is typically formed from thin-walled metal, such as aluminum, that is pressed into shape, and includes a cylindrical can body 24 and a dome-shaped cap 26; in some designs the can 16 is formed as a 1-piece component. The can 16 is designed to be moved or adjusted vertically (i.e., along the up/down axis) throughout a limited range of motion in its frame 12. As shown in
As also shown in
In a normal or typical installation, a lamp (not shown) is threaded into the socket 32 to provide illumination. In the case of the present invention and as shown in
Can light fixtures of the type described above are in common usage and perform their lighting function as intended. However and because can light fixtures are “single function” devices, they lack a certain flexibility for use in related functions, such as a support for a ceiling fan, a support for a hanging or suspended lamp or lamp fixture, and a support for a flush-mounted ceiling lamp.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention, among others, to provide an adaptor kit or system for use with conventional can light fixtures to adapt the can light fixture for use as a hanger assembly for ceiling fans, to adapt the can light fixture for use as a hanger for hanging or suspended lamps, including chandeliers, and to adapt the can light assembly for other types of non-recessed lamps, including flush-mounted lamps.
In accordance with these objects, and others, the present invention provides an adaptor kit for can light fixtures having an adaptor plate designed to engage with and be mounted upon the can-height adjustment screws. The adaptor plate includes adjustable spacer posts, typically in the form of threaded screws, that position a second plate relative to the adaptor plate. A threaded tube extends between the second plate and the adaptor plate to mechanically connect the two plates and serve as a conduit for electrical wires. The second plate is adapted to accept a cross-bar, or other mounting hardware, from a ceiling fan, a hanging lamp, or a flush-mounted lamp that can then be mounted to the adaptor kit to thus increase the utility and usefulness of can light fixtures.
The present invention advantageously provides an adaptor kit system for use with can light assemblies to increase the usefulness of those assemblies.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference characters.
An adaptor kit system for use with can light fixtures of the type shown in
As shown in the underside view of
Each of the legs 104, 106, and 108 includes an internally threaded hole (unnumbered) that accepts an adjustment screw 110, a locking nut 112 associated with each adjustment screw 110, and a bracket 114 that is held in place against the spider plate 102. As shown in
Each bracket 114 is preferably formed from a rectangular sheet-steel strip having a major axis along the length of the strip with the downwardly extending portion formed by bending the strip along a minor axis line formed at an angle α (
As shown in
As shown in
The adaptor kit 100 includes a mounting plate 124 (
The adaptor kit system is installed in the can 16 as shown in
The wing nuts 112 are loosened so that the brackets 114 can slide freely. Thereafter, the spider plate 102 and its attached brackets 114 are positioned within the interior of the can 16 and the heads of the can-height adjustment screws 30 passed through the slots 118 to “hang” the spider plate 102 on the can-height adjustment screws 30. In some cases, the original equipment screws may be too short and, in those cases, the installer can substitute longer screws for the original-equipment screws.
As best shown in
Once the brackets 114 are in place and their respective screws 30 tightened and the spider plate 102 “centered” in place, the adjustment screws 110 are adjusted to establish the distance “D” (
Once the spider plate 102 is installed in place, the mounting plate 124 is threaded onto the pipe 120 until the mounting plate 124 “bottoms” against or contacts the heads of the various adjustment screws 110; thereafter the mounting plate 124 is locked into position with a threaded sleeve 126 (or equivalent nut) to thus hold the mounting plate 124 in the plane defined by the heads of the adjustment screws 110.
The electrical wires W1 and W2 (
With the mounting plate 124 secured in position, the cross-bar CB (shown in generic broken-line illustration in
The “offset” embodiment described above is the preferred form of the invention because of the clearance dimension δ that facilitates access by an appropriate screw or nut driver; however, other variants are suitable. For example and as shown in
As shown in
The present invention advantageously provides an adaptor kit system for use with can light assemblies to increase the usefulness of those assemblies by allowing the installation of various devices, including ceiling fans, hanging lamps, and/or flush-mount lamps or similar devices. While the preferred embodiments have been shown with a spider plate configuration, a spider plate equivalent can include an entirely circular plate having the brackets attached at equi-spaced positions about the periphery of the circular plate.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various changes and modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as determined in the appended claims and their legal equivalent.