Low voltage light construction

{
  "publication_number": "US5695279A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Low voltage light construction",
  "abstract": "A low-voltage light construction created by tube construction elements made up of male and female embodiments of electrically insulated metal tubes or metal rods and metal tubes. The male embodiment is connected to a low-voltage energy source by two circuit extensions, whereas one extension is electrically connected to the inner rod and the other extension is electrically connected to the outer tube. The construction provides simple assembly possibilities and enables numerous arrangements using a variable amount of connecting tube elements which are pushed together by manual pressure. The tube sections are set symmetrically to the illuminants and can be rotated around their axes. The illuminants are set in two pin circuits, which are connected to a pair of electrically conducting bars. These are held to the metal tube elements by round headed nuts. This makes it possible to rotate the illuminants on two additional axes. Each illuminant can thus be rotated independently around three axes, providing multi-directional lighting capability depending on the user's preference.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A low-voltage lighting assembly powered by a low-voltage power supply providing an illuminant with various illumination positions, said illuminant having a first contact terminal and a second contact terminal, said light assembly comprising: a plurality of cylindrical members joined end to end in axial alignment; said cylindrical members having a conductive surface; a current carrier enclosed within said cylindrical members for carrying an electrical current, an insulation layer for insulating said current carrier from said conductive surface of said cylindrical members; a rotary joint defined between adjacent cylindrical members providing said adjacent cylindrical members with rotational movement around a central axis; a first electrical extension termination port formed within said conductive surface and said insulation layer of certain cylindrical members exposing a portion of said current carrier; a second electrical extension termination port formed within said conductive surface of certain cylindrical members disposed opposite from said first electrical extension termination port; an electrical extension element having a first transverse leg pivotally received by said first electrical extension termination port and a second transverse leg pivotally received by said second electrical extension termination port providing said extension element with a second rotational axis with respect to said certain cylindrical member; said first transverse leg having a first end in electrical connection with said current carrier and a distill end for electrically carrying said first contact terminal of said illuminant; said second transverse leg having a first end for contacting said conductive surface and a distill end for electrically carrying said second contact terminal of said illuminant; whereby said illuminant is electrically carried by said plurality of cylindrical members and said extension element and maybe rotated about a first axis around said cylindrical member and around a second axis defined by the plane where said extension element is received by said certain of said cylindrical members.",
    "2. The light assembly of claim 1 wherein said current carrier includes a first transverse leg channel formed within said current carrier for carrying said first transverse leg in electrical connection with said current carrier.",
    "3. The light assembly of claim 2 wherein said first transverse leg channel includes threaded grooves, said first transverse leg carrying a first threaded pin for being received by said threaded first transverse leg channel for pivotally mounting said first transverse leg with said first transverse leg channel.",
    "4. The light assembly of claim 3 wherein said second extension termination port includes threaded grooves, said second transverse leg of said electrical extension element carrying a second threaded pin, said second threaded pin being received by said threaded second termination port for pivotally mounting said second transverse leg with said second termination port.",
    "5. The light assembly of 4 including a first and second insulation casing wrapped along a general length of said first and second threaded pins, said casings for abutting said surface of said cylindrical members for enabling said second threaded pin to be in contact with said conductive surface and said first threaded pin to be received within said first transverse leg channel.",
    "6. The light assembly of claim 1 wherein a certain of said cylindrical members includes a first shoulder formed by said surface, said shoulder being received within an adjacent cylindrical member for defining said rotary joint.",
    "7. The light assembly of claim 1 wherein a certain of said cylindrical member has an angle cut and an adjacent cylindrical member has a similar angle cut so that both members may fit together forming a right angle.",
    "8. A low voltage lighting assembly powered by a low-voltage power supply providing an illuminant with various illumination positions, said illuminant having a first contact terminal and a second contact terminal, said lighting assembly comprising: a. a lighting support member including: (i) a first cylindrical lighting support element having a first conductive surface; (ii) a first current carrier enclosed within said first cylindrical lighting support element for carrying an electrical current from said low-voltage power supply to said illuminant; (iii) a first insulation layer for insulating said first current carrier from said first conductive surface of said first cylindrical lighting support element; (iv) a first extension termination port formed within said first conductive surface and first insulation layer exposing a portion of said first current carrier; (v) a second extension termination port formed within said first conductive surface disposed opposite from said first termination port; (vi) a second cylindrical lighting support element having a second conductive surface; (vii) a second current carrier enclosed within said second cylindrical lighting support element for carrying an electrical current from said low-voltage power supply to said illuminant, (viii) a second insulation layer for insulating said second current carrier from said second conductive surface of said second cylindrical lighting support element; (ix) said second cylindrical lighting support element being matingly received in axial alignment by said first cylindrical lighting support element for contacting said first current carrier with said second current carrier and contacting said first conductive surface with said second conductive surface for carrying an electrical current from said low-voltage power supply to said illuminant; (x) a rotary joint defined between said first and second cylindrical lighting support elements providing said first and second cylindrical lighting support elements with rotational movement with respect to each other around a central axis; b. an illuminant extension member including: (i) a first electrical circuit extension member having a first end and a distal end, said first end carried by said first extension termination port of said first cylindrical lighting support member for being electrically connected with said first current carrier; (ii) a second electrical circuit extension member having a first end and a distal end, said first end carried by said second extension termination port of said first cylindrical lighting support member for being carried by said surface of said first cylindrical lighting support member; c. an illuminant carrier including: (i) a first illuminant carrier member having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally received by said distal end of said first electrical circuit extension member, said second end for receiving said first contact terminal of said illuminant; a second illuminant carrier member having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally received by said distal end of said second electrical circuit extension member, said second end for receiving said second contact terminal of said illuminant; said first and second illuminant carrier members being pivotable around said distal ends of said illuminant extension member for pivoting said illuminant around a second axis defined by the plane where said illuminant carrier is received by said illuminant extension member.",
    "9. A light assembly of claim 8 wherein said second cylindrical lighting support element extends beyond said second current carrier defining a first current carrier receptacle for receiving said first current carrier, said first current carrier extending beyond the periphery of said first cylindrical lighting support element for being received within said first current carrier receptacle for contacting said second current carrier, and said first conductive surface of said first cylindrical lighting support element contacting said second conductive surface of said second cylindrical lighting support element when said first current carrier contacts said second current carrier.",
    "10. The light assembly of claim 9 including a centered holder for attachment to said lighting support member for holding said light support member with a structure.",
    "11. The light assembly of claim 10 wherein said lighting support member is set symmetrically to said illuminant.",
    "12. The lighting assembly of claim 10 wherein said holder includes a third cylindrical lighting support element having a third conductive surface and a third current carrier, said lighting support member including a holder receptacle formed within a certain of said first or second cylindrical lighting support elements for receiving said third current carrier in electrical connection with either said first or second current carrier and said third conductive surface being in contact with either said first or second conductive surface.",
    "13. A low-voltage lighting assembly powered by a low-voltage power supply providing an illuminant with various illumination positions, said illuminant having a first contact terminal and a second contact terminal, said light assembly comprising: a plurality of cylindrical members joined end to end in axial alignment; said cylindrical members having a conductive surface; a current carrier enclosed within said cylindrical members for carrying an electrical current; an insulation layer for insulating said current carrier from said conductive surface of said cylindrical members; a rotary joint defined between adjacent cylindrical members providing said adjacent cylindrical members with rotational movement around a central axis; a first electrical extension termination port formed within said conductive surface and said insulation layer of certain cylindrical members exposing a portion of said current carrier; a second electrical extension termination port formed within said conductive surface of certain cylindrical members disposed opposite from said first electrical extension termination port; an electrical extension element having a first transverse leg pivotally received by said first electrical extension termination port and a second transverse leg pivotally received by said second electrical extension termination port providing said extension element with a second rotational axis with respect to said certain cylindrical member; said first transverse leg having a first end and distal end, said first end for being in electrical connection with said current carrier; said second transverse leg having a first end and a distal end, said first end for contacting said conductive surface; a first illuminant carrier member having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally received by said distal end of said first transverse leg, said second end for receiving said first contact terminal of said illuminant; a second illuminant carrier member having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally received by said second end of said second transverse leg, said second end for receiving a second contact terminal of said illuminant; said first and second illuminant carrier members being pivotable around said first and second transverse legs for rotating said illuminant around a third axis; so that said illuminant may be variably positioned with respect to three separate axes."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/238,760 filed on May 5, 1994, now abandoned.\n\n1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe invention relates to a low-voltage light construction with two electric circuits connected to a low-voltage energy source leading to at least one pair of parallel bars; these conduct electricity to at least one illuminant with a low-voltage bulb and are held to a metal tube. The illuminant can be rotated by an axis around the bars and the bars can be rotated by an axis around the metal tube which is generally positioned vertically in relation to the axes of the bars.\n\n2. Description of the Prior Art\n\nA similar arrangement is known under DE 36 20 920 C2. Also known are low-voltage constructions which have two circuits isolated from each other and are mounted e.g. to a ceiling. Between these there are two further circuits to which illuminants are electrically connected to one of both circuits mechanically or electrically (See catalog titled \"Grafik Design, Konzeption: R. Pieconka--Iserlohn, Dez. 1988\"). A catalog by the firm \"Solken-Leuchten\" shows a low-voltage current track system designed for halogen lamps which enables two tracks to be attached at variable lengths. The track system is based on a grid of tubes each at a length of around one meter which can be shortened individually with a saw. With the use of variating angular connecting pieces angle constructions between 90° and 45° or S-curves are possible. For vertical constructions other variating angular connecting pieces or a connection with a 90° angle are available.",
  "cpc": [
    "F21S 6/006",
    "F21S 2/00",
    "F21S 8/04",
    "F21V 21/002",
    "F21V 21/108",
    "F21V 21/116",
    "F21V 21/12",
    "F21V 21/28",
    "F21V 21/30"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F21S 2/00",
    "F21S 6/00",
    "F21S 8/04",
    "F21V 21/10",
    "F21V 21/108",
    "F21V 21/116",
    "F21V 21/28",
    "F21V 21/30"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Ferdinand Sonnleitner",
    "Susan Elizabeth Zimmer"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1995-06-26",
  "publication_date": "1997-12-09",
  "grant_date": "1997-12-09",
  "priority_date": "1993-05-14",
  "application_number": "US-49471395-A",
  "family_id": "6893310",
  "cited_by_count": 95,
  "citations": [
    "US3748463A",
    "US4525773A",
    "DE3620920A1",
    "US4802074A",
    "US5049081A",
    "US5077647A",
    "US4858092A",
    "US5034865A",
    "US5091834A"
  ]
}