Hanging lighting fixture for retrofitting to recessed ceiling lights

A hanging lighting fixture for mounting to an electrically grounded housing of a recessed ceiling light affixed within a hole in a ceiling to a building structure with an attached light bulb socket electrically connected to a building electrical system for threadably receiving a light bulb, comprising:

• a cover plate adapted to mount to at least one of the ceiling and the housing of a size and shape sufficient to completely cover the housing and the hole to provide a finished look thereto;
• a light assembly which includes at least one light bulb socket adapted for threadably receiving the light bulb and connecting to said cover plate, an electrical cord having a pair of insulated electrical wires, said electrical cord having a top end which extends through a cord mounting hole of said cover plate that is electrically connected to said screw plug and mechanically connected to said cover plate using a cord coupling and a bottom end electrically and mechanically connected to said light bulb socket of the hanging lighting fixture, a heat shield through which said bottom end of said electrical cord passes that is mechanically connected thereto in which said light bulb socket of the hanging lighting fixture is mounted, and a lamp shade operatively connectable to the bottom end of said electrical cord;
• a screw plug adapted to threadably engage the light bulb socket of the recessed ceiling light which is electrically connected to said light bulb socket of the hanging lighting fixture through said insulated electrical wires;
• and
• wherein said cover plate mounts to the ceiling using at least a pair of screws that extend through respective ceiling mounting holes thereof disposed radially outwardly of the hole in the ceiling into respective screw anchors press-fit into respective bores of the ceiling, the hanging lighting fixture allowing easy and quick changeover of the recessed ceiling light to the hanging lighting fixture without rewiring by screwing said screw plug into the bulb socket and mounting said cover plate to the housing.

A method of changeover of a recessed ceiling light to a hanging lighting fixture without necessitating rewiring, comprising the steps of:

• providing a recessed ceiling light which includes an electrically grounded housing attached within a hole in a ceiling to a building structure with an attached light bulb socket electrically connected to a building electrical system for threadably receiving a light bulb;
• providing a hanging lighting fixture which includes a cover plate of a size and shape sufficient to completely cover the housing and the hole in a mounting position to provide a finished look thereto and adapted to mount to the ceiling using at least a pair of screws that extend through respective ceiling mounting holes thereof disposed radially outwardly of the hole in the ceiling and respective screw anchors, at least one light bulb socket adapted for threadably receiving the light bulb and connected to the cover plate, and a screw plug adapted to threadably engage the light bulb socket of the recessed ceiling light which is electrically connected to the light bulb socket of the hanging lighting fixture through a pair of electrical conductors;
• drilling at least two bores into the ceiling that align with the ceiling mounting holes of the cover plate in the mounting position;
• tapping the screw anchors into respective of the bores in the ceiling;
• threading the screw plug into the light bulb socket;
• and
• mounting cover plate to the ceiling by placing the screws through respective of the ceiling mounting holes of the cover plate and screwing them into the screw anchors.

A method of changeover of a recessed ceiling light to a hanging lighting fixture without necessitating rewiring, comprising the steps of:

• providing a recessed ceiling light which includes an electrically grounded housing attached within a hole in a ceiling to a building structure with an attached light bulb socket electrically connected to a building electrical system for threadably receiving a light bulb, and a support ring which connects to the housing to support a transparent lens;
• providing a hanging lighting fixture which includes a cover plate of a size and shape sufficient to completely cover the housing and the hole in a mounting position to provide a finished look thereto and adapted to mount to the ceiling using at least a pair of screws that extend through respective ceiling mounting holes thereof disposed radially outwardly of the hole in the ceiling and respective screw anchors, a light assembly which includes at least one light bulb socket adapted for threadably receiving the light bulb and connected to the cover plate, a screw plug adapted to threadably engage the light bulb socket of the recessed ceiling light which is electrically connected to the light bulb socket of the hanging lighting fixture through an electrical cord having a pair of electrical conductors with a top end that extends through a cord mounting hole of the cover plate electrically connected to the screw plug and mechanically connected to the cover plate using an adjustable cord coupling and a bottom end electrically and mechanically connected to the light bulb socket thereof, and a lamp shade;
• removing the support ring to release and remove the transparent lens from the housing of the recessed ceiling light;
• drilling at least two bores into the ceiling that align with the ceiling mounting holes of the cover plate in the mounting position;
• tapping the screw anchors into respective of the bores in the ceiling;
• threading the screw plug into the light bulb socket;
• operably connecting the lamp shade to the bottom end of the electrical cord;
• mounting cover plate to the ceiling by placing the screws through respective of the ceiling mounting holes of the cover plate and screwing them into the screw anchors;
• and
• adjusting a hanging length of the light assembly using the cord coupling and storing an unneeded length of the electrical cord within the housing.