Patents Assigned to Ruud Lighting, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6783265
    Abstract: An overhead industrial light fixture suspended by a hook from a support assembly having a suspension stabilizer that engages the hook and is attached to the support assembly. The suspension stabilizer has two slots sized to receive and frictionally hold the upward and downward portions of the hook individually. A method for stabilizing the orientation of a suspended overhead industrial light fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Haugaard, Kurt Wilcox
  • Patent number: 6693507
    Abstract: A unitary bracket particularly suited for mounting a thermal protector to a ballast for an electrical lighting fixture. The unitary bracket has a holding-face portion with opposite edges and a mounting end, edge portions on the opposite edges angled toward the electrical device, and a mounting-end portion on the mounting end and extending toward the electrical device, the mounting-end portion having a mounting tab for engagement with the electrical device, the portions being configured and dimensioned to sandwich the thermal protector against the electrical device when the mounting-end portion is secured thereto. An improved thermally-protected ballast includes the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Haugaard, Wayne P. Guillien, Theodore O. Sokoly
  • Patent number: 6640517
    Abstract: A pole mounting system mountable on a footing and used for supporting vertical structures. The system includes a pole having a lower end terminating in a lower edge, a base plate having an opening, and ears attached transversely to the base plate adjacent to the opening. The pole is secured within the opening in the base plate to allow the base plate to provide improved structural support. The ears are vertically aligned with the pole and are welded to the pole along their upper edges. The lower edge of the pole is also welded to the base plate. The ears can be integrally formed from the base plate in a process whereby, first, interconnected slots are cut into the base plate such that the slots define the ears, and second, the ears are bent upward so that the ears can received the pole. No additional supports or weld pieces are necessary, so that the improved mounting system may provide sufficient support with two pieces, the pole and the base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventor: James Mitchell
  • Patent number: 6601975
    Abstract: An overhead light fixture including a housing with top and bottom walls and sidewalls forming a substantially enclosed space, power-related components and a lamp-mounting socket. The housing is in two pieces—a top member forming the top wall and downwardly-extending sidewall portions and a bottom member forming the bottom wall and upwardly-extending sidewall portions to complete the sidewalls. The top-member sidewall portions preferably form endwalls terminating in flanges engaged with the bottom wall. Preferably, the top member includes a central top-wall portion and lateral top-wall portions below and on opposite sides of the central portion. The lateral top-wall portions have side flanges engaging the sidewall portions of the bottom member. The top and bottom members are preferably bent sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Haugaard, Kurt Wilcox
  • Patent number: 6467927
    Abstract: An overhead industrial light fixture of the type including a housing, power-related components and a lamp-mounting socket. The housing has top and bottom walls and sidewalls together forming a substantially enclosed space, and the bottom wall defines a socket location. The bottom wall includes a plurality of downward projections around the socket location, and a reflector is secured to the housing by attachment at the downward projections, creating an air flow gap for cooling purposes between the reflector and the housing. In some preferred embodiments, the bottom wall defines a socket window, and the socket is in the enclosed space with its lamp-receiving end aligned with the socket window. In some preferred embodiments, the bottom wall is formed of sheet metal and the projections are stampings therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Haugaard, Kurt Wilcox
  • Patent number: 6394869
    Abstract: A method for making an overhead light fixture includes forming top and bottom housing members, the top member having a horizontal top wall with fastener-receptors therein and an inside surface, and the bottom member being engageable with the top member, placing the top member on a work support structure in inverted orientation, placing each of the power-related components on the top-wall inside surface, securing the power-related components to the inside surface by engagement of fasteners in a common direction with a set of the top-wall fastener-receptors, placing the bottom member on the top member in inverted orientation and securing them together securing the bottom member to the top member, and removing the fixture from the support structure. Unidirectional fastener attachment is used for the securing steps in assembly, including with respect to attachment of a socket mount, and with respect to attachment of the top and bottom housing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Haugaard, Kurt Wilcox
  • Patent number: 6390655
    Abstract: An overhead light fixture including a housing with a top wall, power-related components, a lamp-mounting socket, and usually a reflector. The top wall defines a pair of side-by-side hanger-member apertures, and a hanger member extends through a chosen aperture in a chosen orientation, thus providing multiple positions for the hanger vis-a-vis the housing to accommodate different centers of gravity as determined by the particular choice and positioning of power-related and other components within and on the housing. Preferably, the apertures are slots and the hanger member is a flat plate with right-angle bends. A junction box with another pair of hanger-member apertures gives more mounting options, as does differing hangers. The invention also includes a top wall with a hanger-member aperture between a pair of securing devices, such as a fastener apertures, allowing attachment of the hanger member to the housing in a selected one of two orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Haugaard, Kurt Wilcox
  • Patent number: 6379027
    Abstract: A light-generating and beam-establishing device including a cage having first and second cage members, having a wall defining a light opening surrounded by an annular washer-engaging surface, a pair of light-gathering/directing elements in end-to-end relationship at inlet ends and having outlet ends each of which is aligned with one of the washer-engaging surfaces, a lamp between the inlet ends, and a spring washer between and engaging the outlet end of each of the light-gathering/directing elements and the corresponding washer-engaging surfaces. The cage members are secured together with the light-gathering/directing elements and spring washers sandwiched therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Haugaard, Craig Raleigh
  • Patent number: 6231214
    Abstract: A recessed canopy light having a main body positionable above an opening in a canopy sheet, a rim member in contact with the lower surface of the canopy sheet such that the sheet is sandwiched between the main body and the rim member, a lens frame below the rim member and hinged thereto, each hinge including a first member secured to the rim member and having an upwardly-open substantially semi-cylindrical female portion with an outer edge spaced below the canopy sheet by a first distance and a second member secured to the lens frame and having a truncated-cylindrical male portion engaged in the female portion, the male portion having a flat therealong such that the vertical dimension of the male portion varies between a full diameter much greater than the first distance and a truncated diameter which is at most slightly greater than the first distance, such that the male portion is non-removable from the female portion except when the lens frame is pivoted to a fully-open position beyond a vertical hanging p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric J. Haugaard
  • Patent number: 5988833
    Abstract: A floodlight has a housing and a housing support coupled to the housing. In the improvement, the support includes a strut extending along a strut axis and having a distal end and a pivot member at a proximal end. The pivot member is mounted for movement about an axis of rotation and has a boundary spaced from the axis of rotation by a first dimension. The housing includes a housing surface proximate the axis of rotation and spaced therefrom by a second dimension less than the first dimension. The housing includes a recess therealong and when the strut is folded against the housing, the strut is received in the recess. A group of floodlight components comprises a main housing and two or more differently-shaped center housings. The attachment portions of the center housings are sized and configured to be interchangeably received at the main housing forward opening. The group thereby accommodates any one of several different lamps, e.g., PAR 20, PAR 30 and/or PAR 38.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Giese, Eric J. Haugaard, Donald Wandler
  • Patent number: 5927843
    Abstract: A canopy light has a housing with a lower portion terminating in an opening, and also has a reflector in the housing. In the improvement, the lower housing portion includes a pair of spaced mounting members and the reflector includes a mounting lip affixed below the mounting members. The reflector body extends above the mounting members and is dimensioned to permit the reflector to be removed downwardly through the housing opening. A ballast assembly is above the reflector and is mounted on ballast supports inside the housing. The ballast assembly platform and the ballast supports are configured so that the ballast assembly can be lifted upwardly away from the supports (preferably without having to remove or loosen any fasteners) and then lowered downwardly through the housing opening. A new method for servicing a ballast assembly using access only through the housing opening (i.e., without having to gain access to the top of the housing) is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Haugaard, Richard L. Nachtigall, Alan J. Ruud
  • Patent number: 5887966
    Abstract: An in-ground lighting apparatus has an enclosure for placement below the surface of the earth and a lamp is mounted for adjustable positioning in the housing. In the improvement, the lamp base and lamp are supported by two pivot-mounted brackets. The brackets are spaced from the lamp rim and provide lamp-grasping clearance between them for easy re-lamping. And the brackets permit the lamp to be adjusted to direct light anywhere within a cone-shaped 360.degree. envelope. The lamp is supported solely by its base. In a particular embodiment configured for use with HID lamps, the lamp and ballast assembly are constructed as an "integrated" unit which is easily lifted from the enclosure for service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay M. Eissner, Eric J. Haugaard
  • Patent number: 5820255
    Abstract: A lighting-fixture support pole includes an interior cavity and a hand-hole opening having a length and a width. The improvement comprises a mounting plate having an interior surface and a sealing member compressed between such surface and the pole. The sealing member has an aperture therethrough with dimensions about equal to the length and width, respectively, of the hand-hole opening. A termination box extends from the mounting plate into the cavity and a receptacle is on the exterior surface of the mounting plate. The improved support pole permits a customer to opt for a blank plate or for a plate-mounted receptacle to close the opening. No opening other than the hand-hole opening need be provided in the pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: James S. Carrington, Donald Wandler
  • Patent number: D500885
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Haugaard, Kurt S. Wilcox, Robert D. Giese
  • Patent number: D385053
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Haugaard, Alan J. Ruud, Robert Giese, Kent Solberg, Cory Ternberg
  • Patent number: D386275
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Haugaard, Alan J. Ruud, Robert Giese, Kent Solberg, Cory Ternberg
  • Patent number: D399581
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Giese, Eric J. Haugaard
  • Patent number: D399583
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Giese, Eric J. Haugaard
  • Patent number: D399584
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Giese, Eric J. Haugaard
  • Patent number: D399585
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Ruud Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Giese, Eric J. Haugaard