Lighting quick disconnect devices

A device for connecting an electrical fixture with an electrical signal, the device including

• a socket including a socket body having a plurality of ring shaped internal cavities therein;
• an electrically conductive contact terminal disposed within each of a plurality of the cavities for establishing an electrical connection between an electrical signal and the socket;
• a bore formed within the socket and including a narrowed portion;
• a plug attachable to the fixture the plug having a body including a plurality of electrical terminals accessible from an exterior of the body;
• the plug having a plurality of ring shaped electrical contacts each mateably passable through a ring shaped internal cavity of the socket and engageable with a contact terminal within the socket to establish a circuit between the electrical fixture and the electrical signal;
• the fixture electrically connectible to the plurality of ring shaped electrical contacts of the plug by connecting one or more wires of the fixture each to one of the plurality of electrical terminals of the plug;
• a spindle connected to the plug and insertable into the bore of the socket;
• a pin slideable within the spindle;
• one or more channels extending through the spindle;
• one or more retaining balls each disposed within one of the one or more channels;
• the pin cooperative with the retaining balls and channels to
• slide within the spindle to a latch position to push the one or more retaining balls radially outwards within their respective channels to engage the narrowed portion of the socket bore to retain the spindle within the socket bore, and
• slide within the spindle to an unlatched position to not push the one or more retaining balls radially outwards within their respective channels to thereby enable release of the spindle from within the socket bore;
• the device further comprising:
• a housing enclosing portions of the plug;
• a plurality of LEDs disposed peripherally about the housing;
• and
• a lens covering the plurality of LEDs.

A method of communicating information with light, comprising:

• providing
• a device for connecting an electrical fixture to an electrical socket of the type including a socket body having an internal cavity which contains one or more electrically conductive and concentric ring-shaped contact terminals which are electrically connected to an electrical power supply wiring, the device including
• a plug rigidly fixed to the fixture and insertable into the socket, the plug having one or more male connectors electrically connected to the fixture and mateable with the one or more contact terminals within the socket to establish a circuit between the electrical fixture and the electrical power wiring;
• and
• a releasable latch carried on the combination of the plug and the socket for releasably mounting the fixture on the support, the device comprising:
• a housing containing an electronic circuit, the housing sized to contain a portion of the plug, the housing defining an exterior perimeter;
• and
• a light source connected to the electronic circuit, the light source positioned to emit light circumferentially about the exterior perimeter;
• the light source controllable by the electronic circuit to emit light at a selected color of a plurality of colors;
• and
• using the electronic circuit to sense a condition in the area proximate the device and controlling at least one of the color, intensity, and timing of the light source using the electronic circuit to communicate the sensed condition.