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AssigneeNSI Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsPhilip Dean Wright, Mark E. Jennings, Bryan Scott Steele
Estimating the term…
A universal housing can assembly used as a component of a recessed downlight fixture and which can be utilized in both insulation contact (I.C.) and non-insulation contact (non-I.C.) applications. The preferred housing can is deep drawn of aluminum or other suitable materials and is configured to operate at or below thermal standards for I.C. applications and also for non-I.C. applications. The housing can assemblies formed according to the invention utilize thermal protective devices positioned within the assemblies to shut the fixture off or "cycle" the fixture in the event that predetermined thermal conditions are exceeded in either an I.C. or a non-I.C. application. According to the invention, a single can assembly can be used as and marked as both I.C. and non-I.C. housing cans.
A downlight fixture having a pan support, a junction box and a can mounting a first lamp having a first preferred wattage for an insulation contact installation, the can mounting a second lamp having a second preferred wattage for a non-insulation contact installation, the fixture being useable in both insulation contact installations and non-insulation contact installations when respectively employing the first and second lamps of said first and second preferred wattages, means carried by the can for operating the fixture in either an insulation contact installation or a non-insulation contact installation at said respective preferred wattages, said means comprising a thermal protection device mounted on a surface of the can for sensing the existence of a first temperature when the fixture is used in an insulation contact installation and a second temperature when the fixture is used in a non-insulation contact installation, the can being formed of a material and having a volume causing surfaces of the can to maintain a temperature not to exceed the first temperature in an insulation contact installation and not to exceed the second temperature in a non-insulation contact installation when in use with the respective lamps of the respective preferred wattages.
A can forming a lamp housing in a downlight fixture, the can being used in a fixture in both insulation contact and non-insulation contact installations, the can having a thermal protection means mounted thereon for indicating the existence of a first temperature on a surface of the can when the fixture is used in an insulation contact installation and a second temperature on a surface of the can when the fixture is used in a non-insulation contact installation when the fixture is in use with lamping of predetermined wattages in said insulation contact and non-insulation contact installations.
A method for producing a can forming a lamp housing in a downlight fixture, the can being used in a fixture in both insulation contact and non-insulation contact installations, comprising the steps of:
In a downlight fixture having a can mounting a first lamp having a wattage of a value less than or equal to a first preferred wattage for use in an insulation contact installation, the can mounting a second lamp having a wattage of a value less than or equal to a second preferred wattage for use in a non-insulation contact installation, the fixture being usable in both insulation contact installations and non-insulation contact installations when respectively employing the first and second lamps of said first and second preferred wattages, means carried by the can for operating the fixture in an insulation contact installation at or below the first preferred wattage of the first lamp and in a non-insulation contact installation at or below the second preferred wattage of the second lamp.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.