Roof Beam Flood Lighting System and Method

This invention relates to an improved roof beam flood light system wherein the lighting pattern along a roof segment is unique and the method of assembly of the lighting system and beam is also unique.

Tastefully lighting a roof depends on the requirements of lighting for the particular enterprise that is located within the building under the roof. In restaurant businesses, the lighting of the roof is important insofar as it calls attention to the restaurant. However, the lighting must be tasteful and fitting with the desired ambience of the restaurant. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a means for lighting a roof where the light rays have a pattern that not only calls attention to the building but also the light ray pattern creates an ambience that is advantageous for a business establishment such as a restaurant.

In dealing with a plurality of restaurants for which roof beam flood lights are desired, one limiting factor is that the lighting system must be easily transported, installed and maintained.

In order to obtain the most advantageous type of lighting on a roof, the invention selectively lights segments between beams on a roof. Thus, while roof beams of this type have been lit before, it has not been done by projecting light rays out the side of the beams to cover the mansard of a roof between the roof beams and thereby create an ambience that is desired from the standpoint of design and appearance. With such a technique, the flood light position on the roof is important. The most optimum illumination occurs when the roof segments being illuminated are completely covered with light and there is minimum scalloping. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a lighting system where the location of the flood lights project light rays out of the side of roof beams and this creates the most effective illumination of the roof segments.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a lighting system illustrating the improved lighting distribution over a segment of the roof;

FIG. 2 illustrates a recycled roof beam that has the ballast and lamp portion shown as being part of a retrofitted portion;

FIG. 2a is an assembly drawing of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view illustrating a hingedly associated beam showing how it is associated with the roof;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing how the wiring assembly in the hingedly associated beam is connected with the lamp as well as the ballast assembly;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how the hingedly associated beam is assembled with the roof line by means of first anchoring the lower portion of the beam on the facia of the roof and thereafter rotating the lower section, intermediate section and ballast section into their operative positions;

FIG. 5a is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of FIG. 5 showing two hinge portions 75 and illustrating how they are mirror imaged and attached together by a hinge pin 75a at the valley portion of the roof;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how the roof beam, while in its protective wrapping and banding, is shipped and then placed on the roof and has its lower section attached to the facia bracket on the roof so that it can then be unwrapped and moved to the positions as shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view of an end frame attached to the lower section of the roof beam;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along a plane passing through the line 8--8 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a pictorial view of an existing roof beam illustrating the location the beam is to be cut and thereafter attached to a retrofitted portion;

FIG. 10 is a broken off, side elevational view of a lower section of the beam;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11--11 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a hinge portion attached at the valley of the roof between the ends of the beam's lower and intermediate sections;

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a front view of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the line 15--15 in FIG. 14 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of FIG. 14 taken along line 16--16 in FIG. 14 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 17 shows a plurality of roof beams illuminating a roof with several roof segments in accordance with the invention.

The overall view of the flood lighting system and how the light rays are distributed is best shown and explained in FIG. 1 wherein a roof segment 20 is shown and has a light distribution pattern represented by lines based on the rays of illumination provided by a pair of lamps 24 which, when illuminated, have the light reflected therefrom by reflectors (now shown) through the lenses 26 at the side of the roof beams 31 and 60. The lines 28 represent that portion of the light beams where the lighting distribution has not been intensified by light rays directed toward each other from an adjacent beam of the roof segment. On the other hand, the cross-hatch lines 30 show the lighting distribution that has been intensified by having two selectively disposed light beams illuminating the roof segment by directed light rays toward an adjacent roof beam through the lenses 26 at the side of the beams.

As can be seen from the roof segment 20, there are a pair of beams 31 that run along the contour of the roof, as generally illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the beams 31 are shown as having three portions: a retrofitted portion 32, which includes the lamp and the ballast 29, an intermediate beam portion 35a and 36a and a parapet portion 39. With the exception of the retrofitted portion 32, the beams 31 without the improved lighting system have existed prior to this invention. To provide lamps for segment lighting in accordance with this invention in them, a portion thereof is removed and a retrofit portion 32 is fastened thereto. The retrofit portion 32, as seen from FIGS. 2 and 4, includes a lens 26 on each side thereof with a ballast portion 29, located on the bottom thereof and electrically connected to the lamp 24 to provide energy for the lamp. The ballast portion can optionally be located in the parapet portion. However, for this application, the present location is preferred. The flood lamp 24 is preferably a 250 watt metal halide bulb and is positioned at the lenses 26 to obtain the most efficient distribution of light. As seen from FIG. 1, the light rays are directed from the side of a roof beam toward an adjacent beam and over the roof mansard.

As seen from FIGS. 10 and 11, the lenses 26 are associated with the beams 31 at each side thereof by means of the fasteners 43 and have a gasket 47 interposed between the lenses 26 and the inside of the beam 31.

An adjustable roof bracket 51 is shown on the retrofit portion 32 so that the retrofit portion can be mounted to the facia 49 of the roof segment 20 by means of a fastener (not shown). In order to have the flood lamps 24 energized, the ballast 29 is connected to the lamp 24 and its socket (not shown) in the conventional manner and by flexible conduit wires (not shown). These are strung through the roof beam and through the parapet portion 39 to make the electrical connection on the inside of the house covered by the roof segment. The conduit wires are sealed from the outside elements and the retrofit portion 32 is fastened to the existing beam 31 by means of the captive studs 52 extending from the retrofit portion 32 and being received by the end plate 55 which is fastened onto the roof beam 31 after removing a portion in length thereof that corresponds to the length of the retrofit portion 32. The retrofit portion 32 is then held together with the rest of the beam 31.

While any means of permanently fastening the retrofit portion 32 to the remainder of the beam can be applied, the captive studs 52 are received by the beam 31 and fastened by hex nuts (not shown) whereby when it is necessary to remove the ballast and lamp portion from the roof for service, this can be done easily by loosening the fasteners. Thus, the retrofit portion 32 can be removed from the rest of the roof segment, and it can be very easily disassembled from the beam by means of loosening the roof bracket 51 as well as undoing the screws and nuts that hold the retrofit portion together with the beam. A plurality of beams on a roof and the lighting system shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with this invention are illustrated in FIG. 1.

As seen from FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, a beam 60 has been provided that is essentially constructed and similarly configured to the beam 31 but includes a lower section 63, hingedly associated with an intermediate section 65 and a hingedly fastened parapet section 70. By being hingedly fastened as described, it can be seen from FIGS. 3, 5 and 6 that the beam 60 can be wrapped in a protective wrapping and banding 68 and shipped on site in packages as shown in FIG. 6: with the lower section 63 thereof laid on the roof and associated with the facia by means of a facia bracket 69 being fastened to the lower end. Thereafter the intermediate and parapet sections 65, 70, respectively, can be rotated as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 5 so that eventually the parapet section 70 can be associated with the roof parapet 70a of a roof segment. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the parapet section 70 has a ballast unit 67 mounted therein which can be of any conventional design for purposes of giving power to the lamp 54 by means of a wire assembly of conduit wires 73, shown in FIG. 4. This wire assembly is similar to the type that was described in connection with the beam 31 with the retrofitted portion 32.

As seen from FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the beam 60 is hingedly associated with its lower section 63 on the bottom and the intermediate and parapet sections above it so that it can be easily installed on a roof by removing the wrapping of the bundle as will be described.

When the beam 60 is shipped, it is wrapped up and bound into a bundle as seen in FIG. 6 with the lower section 63 in the bottom of the bundle and the intermediate section over said lower section. As seen in FIG. 6, the lower section 63 is initially attached to the facia and roof with the facia bracket 69 while still in this bundle. Thereafter, the package is unwrapped and the intermediate section 65 is rotated into place to enable the parapet section 70 to be rotated and respectively put into its installation position as seen in FIG. 5.

This feature of the beam fulfills the objects of installation as well as convenience and handling. The end portion 75 and its mirror image are attached between the sections 63 and 65 at the valley portion 77 of the roof so that the proper angle of the beams is attained to enable the beams to follow the contour of the roof mansard.

The hinge portion 75 is shown in FIGS. 12 through 16, with the flange portions 79 that fit into the beam and are secured by the beam with fasteners (not shown). The sheets 78 extend from the flange portions 79 and allow two hinge portions 75 to be assembled together by the hing pin 75A at the valley portion 77 of the roof when turned and positioned so that they are mirror imaged with respect to one another and the flanged portions are attached in between the ends of the intermediate section and the lower section of the beam 60. The hinge portions 75 are fastened to make up the spacing means that form the angle between the sections 65 and 63 in order that the beam 60 is positioned on the roof line. As seen from FIG. 4, the wire assembly of conduit wires 73 can be connected to the lamp socket 80 and allowed to extend through each of the beam sections and end plates 75 whereby the conduits can be connected to the inside of the building through the parapet 70a.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from viewing the claims.