Housing for suspendable assembly
AssigneeLitecontrol Corporation
InventorsRobert F. Thomas, Jeremy W. Yon, Michael F. Danahy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides an improvement in suspendable structures and assemblies such as linear lighting fixtures/luminaires that are intended to be suspended from ceilings or other such structures. The housings of the assemblies are designed to include at least one structural member with prestressing in at least along a major longitudinal axis over at least a portion of the length of the member. Once the structural member is incorporated into the housing and overall assembly, the housing and/or assembly is substantially planar and uniform once the assembly is suspended, making the assembly both stronger and more aesthetically appealing. Other embodiments showing extensions to the invention are also disclosed.
Claims20
A suspendable assembly comprising:
- a) a luminaire having a first axis and a second orthogonal axis, said first and second axes defining a plane;
- b) at least one suspension point disposed proximate thereto;
- and
- c) a prestressed structural member for maintaining said plane substantially planar when said luminaire is suspended from said at least one suspension point.
A method of maintaining a suspendable luminaire substantially parallel to a reference plane external thereto, the steps comprising:
- a) providing a luminaire having a first axis and an orthogonal second axis defining a plane, and comprising a prestressed component exerting an offsetting force upon said luminaire, said offsetting force being substantially equal to and opposite to a gravitational force acting on said luminaire in said plane;
- and
- b) suspending said luminaire from at least one suspension point disposed on said luminaire;
- wherein said plane is maintained substantially parallel to said external reference plane.
A housing for a suspendable assembly comprising a structural member, at least a portion of said structural member having a first prestressed shape when said housing is in a pre-loaded state, and a second prestressed shape when said housing is in a loaded state.
A suspendable assembly comprising:
- a) a housing further comprising a structural member having prestressing along at least a portion thereof in at least a first axis;
- and
- b) at least one suspension point;
- wherein after said suspendable assembly is suspended from said at least one suspension point, at least one chosen from the group:
- said housing and said suspendable assembly, is substantially planar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.