Abstrict An overhead lighted exit sign and mounting includes a substantially
rectangular box shaped sign housing with an electric light therein.
A substantially cylindrically shaped two part hollow hinge is mounted
on the top wall of the housing with one part fixed to the housing.
The second part of the hinge is secured to a plate adapted to be
secured to an overhead electrical box. Apertures are formed in the
top wall of the housing, the two parts of the hinge and the plate
to allow electrical wires to pass from the electrical box to the
electric light within the sign without being exposed. The hinge
allows the sign to pivot out of the way in the event that it is
struck by an object being carried therebelow without the sign being
broken from its support or otherwise being damaged.
Claims I claim:
1. An overhead lighted sign and mounting comprising: a substantially
rectangular box shaped sign having a top wall with an aperture therein,
an electrically operated illuminating means within said sign and
an electrical wire passing through said aperture into the interior
of said sign for connection to said illuminating means; a substantially
cylindrically shaped hollow hinge comprised of a first cylindrical
member and a second cylindrical member secured together in axial
alignment so as to pivot relative to each other, each of said first
and second cylindrical members having an aperture in a wall thereof
passing from the outside to the interior of said member; said first
cylindrical member being fixedly secured to said top wall with said
wire passing through said aperture in said wall of said first member
into the interior thereof; a plate adapted to be secured to an overhead
electrical box, said plate having an aperture therein for said wire
to pass through, and said second cylindrical member being fixedly
secured to said plate with said wire passing through said aperture
in said wall of said second member from the interior thereof to
the exterior and through said aperture in said plate for connection
to said electrical box.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed toward an exit sign and, more
particularly, toward a lighted overhead exit sign which is mounted
in such a way so as to pivot out of the way if struck to avoid being
broken.
Exit signs are widely used in numerous public buildings in order
to identify exits and guide patrons to those exits in the event
that it is necessary to leave a building because of a fire or other
emergency. Frequently these exit signs are illuminated so that they
will be visible in the dark in the event that power is interrupted
to the building's lighting system. The illuminated exit signs normally
have an auxiliary power source separate and apart from the main
power source feeding the building's lights. In fact, this is mandated
by code in most jurisdictions.
Many illuminated exit signs are mounted flush against a wall in
the vicinity of the exit and are frequently visible from a significant
distance. However, in hotels, office buildings and the like which
may have long corridors, a single exit sign located in the vicinity
of an exit may not be visible from remote locations at the other
end of a corridor. In such situations, it is common to mount overhead
illuminated exit signs at various positions along the length of
the corridor.
Conventionally, illuminated exit signs that are mounted overhead
are first rigidly mounted to a mounting plate or the like which,
in turn, is secured to an electrical box secured to or within the
ceiling of the corridor. Such arrangements are shown, for example,
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2994148; 3931689 and 4561203. If the ceiling
is relatively high, the illuminated exit signs are of a sufficient
height above the ground so as not to interfere with the movement
of people, equipment or the like through the corridor. Unfortunately,
in many situations, the exit signs can be easily broken, thereby
increasing the cost of repair and maintenance thereof and, obviously,
decreasing the safety factor of their ability to guide patrons to
an exit.
One type of establishment where overhead lighted exit signs are
frequently damaged is in a hotel, motel or the like. Hotels, for
example, normally have corridors with standard ceilings of approximately
seven to eight feet. An exit sign mounted to the ceiling might then
extend downwardly to a height of six to seven feet. Housekeeping
is frequently moving mattresses or other pieces of furniture through
the corridors to places where they are needed. It is not uncommon
for a mattress that is being moved on a cart or dolly or the like
to strike the overhead exit sign, breaking the same or ripping the
sign from its ceiling mount.
While it is recognized that overhead signs have been proposed in
the past that are capable of pivoting such as shown in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 735946 and 5664749 these are not illuminated signs and,
therefore, are not faced with the problem of providing electrical
power to the signs disclosed therein while still allowing them to
pivot. There is, therefore, a need in the art for an overhead lighted
exit sign that can pivot out of the way if struck rather than becoming
damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies
of the prior art discussed above. It is an object of the present
invention to provide a lighted overhead exit sign which is, mounted
in such a way so as to pivot out of the way if struck to avoid being
broken.
It is another object of the invention to provide a pivotable overhead
lighted sign that is wired to an electrical box without the wires
being exposed.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an overhead
lighted sign that is not easily damaged to thereby increase safety
and convenience while reducing repair and maintenance costs.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features
and advantages of the present invention, there is provided an overhead
lighted exit sign and mounting that includes a substantially rectangular
box shaped sign housing with an electric light therein. A substantially
cylindrically shaped two part hollow hinge is mounted on the top
wall of the housing with one part fixed to the housing. The second
part of the hinge is fixed to a plate adapted to be secured to an
overhead electrical box. Apertures are formed in the top wall of
the housing, in each of the two parts of the hinge and in the plate
to allow electrical wires to pass from the electrical box to the
electric light within the sign without being exposed. The hinge
allows the sign to pivot out of the way in the event that it is
struck by an object being carried therebelow without the sign being
broken from its support or otherwise damaged.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be
readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred
embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in
the accompanying drawings one form which is presently preferred;
it being understood that the invention is not intended to be limited
to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lighted overhead exit sign
of the present invention pivotally mounted to a ceiling;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view showing the details of the upper
portion of the sign mounting;
FIG. 4 is a partial exploded view showing the details of the lower
portion of the sign mounting;
FIG. 5 is an end view of the invention illustrating the pivotal
movement of the sign, and
FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sign of the present
invention taken through the line 6--6 of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference
numerals have been used throughout the various figures to designate
like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 an overhead lighted exit
sign and pivot mount constructed in accordance with the principles
of the present invention and designated generally as 10. The sign
and mount 10 are shown secured to a ceiling 12 that may be in the
corridor of a hotel or the like.
The overhead lighted exit sign and pivot mount 10 of the invention
are comprised essentially of a sign 14 and the pivot mount comprised
of a hinge 16 and a plate 18. The sign 14 is of a conventional construction
of substantially rectangular box shape having a top wall 20 side
walls 22 and 24 and a bottom wall 26. The front and back faces of
the sign 14 include translucent lenses 28 and 30 with the word EXIT
printed thereon. Within the body or interior of the sign 14 is an
electric light 31 which can be an incandescent light, a fluorescent
light or substantially any other type of illuminating means known
in the art.
Secured to the top wall 20 of the sign 14 is a first half 16a of
the cylindrically-shaped hollow hinge member 16. As shown most clearly
in FIGS. 4 and 6 hinge half 16a is secured to the top wall 20 through
the use of screws 32 that pass through apertures 34 and 36 in the
top wall 20 and in the cylindrical wall of the hinge half 16a. The
top wall 20 of the sign 14 also includes an aperture 38 therein
through which electrical wires 40 may pass into the interior of
the sign. A similar aperture 42 is formed in the outer wall of the
first cylindrically-shaped hinge half 16a so that the electrical
wires 40 can pass into the interior thereof as shown best in FIG.
6.
The second hinge half 16b is similarly secured to the plate 18
through the use of screws 44 that pass through aperture 46 in the
plate 18 and are screwed into the opening 48 in the hinge half 16b.
Further apertures 50 and 52 are formed in the plate 18 and hinge
half 16b respectively to allow the electrical wires 40 to pass therethrough.
As best seen in FIG. 6 the first and second hollow hinge halves
16a and 16b are secured together in pivotal or rotational fashion.
This is accomplished by the second hinge half 16b having a reduced
forward portion 54 with a raised annular ring 56 attached thereto
that is adapted to snap into a cooperating annular recess 58 in
the first hinge half 16a. As a result, the two hinge halves are
concentrically arranged and cannot be easily separated in the axial
direction. However, they are free to pivot with respect to each
other as shown in FIG. 5.
With the overhead lighted exit sign and pivot mount 10 assembled
in the manner described above, the plate 18 can then be secured
to the electrical box 60 mounted in the ceiling 12. This is done
in a conventional manner utilizing screws 62 that pass through aperture
64 in the plate 18 and are screwed into the screw holes 66 in the
electrical box 60.
In its normal position, the exit sign 14 extends vertically downwardly
and is essentially 90.degree. from the ceiling 12. In the event
that it is pushed or bumped from the front or back, it is capable
of pivoting upwardly in order to move out of the way. As shown best
in FIG. 5 the sign 14 is capable of moving in either direction
through an arc of substantially 180.degree.. That is, it can move
so as to be substantially parallel to the ceiling on either side
of the hinge 16. Thus, rather than break off and become damaged,
the sign 14 will merely pivot out of the way in the event that it
is bumped.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without
departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and accordingly,
reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the
foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.
By way of example and not limitation, although the invention has
been described in connection with an exit sign, it should be understood
that the invention applies equally to substantially any overhead
lighted sign that may be subject to being struck. |