Light fixture with tiltable sealed light source

Abstract

A light fixture can include a light housing and a light cartridge. The light cartridge can be configured to releasably and/or electrically connect to a portion of the light housing. In some embodiments, the light cartridge includes a collar movably connected to the cartridge and configured to rotate with respect to the cartridge. Rotation of the collar can facilitate attachment and/or release of the cartridge from the light housing. In some cases, the cartridge includes a releasable driver, one or more lenses, one or more beam reflectors, one or more diffusers, and/or other electrical and optical components.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A light assembly fixture comprising:
 an outer housing having including:
 a first end configured to be positioned at or below a ground level or wall surface when the outer housing is installed; and  
 a second end opposite different from the first end;, the second end including an outer housing axis extending through away from the first and second ends of the outer housing end; 
 
 a tilt assembly including an adjustment; and  
 ana hermetically sealed inner housing assembly havingincluding:
 a first end;   a second end different from the first end and including a lens; and    an inner housing body extending between the first and second ends of the inner housing assembly and forming a hermetic seal with the second end;   a light cartridge positioned within the inner housing body and having a lighting element including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit light through the lens of the second end of the inner housing assembly; and,    a tilt assembly connected to the inner housing body and having a user input portion configured to receive user input,wherein the tilt assembly includes an outside portion accessible and adjustable by a user from outside the hermetically sealed inner housing, and an inside portion responsive to the outside portion, the tilt assembly collectively configured to tilt the one or more light cartridgeemitting diodes (LEDs) between a first tilt position and a second tilt position different from the first tilt position with respect to the outer housing axis upon receipt of the user input without breaking the hermetic seal unsealing the inner housing.   
 
     
     
       2. The light assembly fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the second end comprising a lens assembly, the lens assembly forming the of the hermetically sealed inner housing forms a hermetic seal with the inner housing body. 
     
     
       3. The light assembly fixture of  claim 2 , wherein the lens assembly comprises further comprising:
 a lens frame configured to connect to the second end of the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly; 
 a lens positioned between the lens frame and the second end of the inner housing assembly when the lens frame is connected to the second end of the inner housing assembly; and 
 a seal positioned between the lens and the second end of the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly when the lens frame is connected to the second end of the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly and forming the hermetic seal. 
 
     
     
       4. The light assembly fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the tilt assembly comprises:
 an adjusting shaft with a first end and a second end, the user input outside portion positioned on the first end of the adjusting shaft; and 
 a collar adjustably connected to the adjusting shaft; 
 wherein the collar is configured to move toward and away from the second end of the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly in response to the user input to the user input outside portion. 
 
     
     
       5. The light assembly fixture of  claim 4 , wherein the tilting tilt assembly further comprises a bracket, the bracket being connected to the light cartridge and having at least one rail, and wherein the collar is slidably connected to the at least one rail. 
     
     
       6. The light assembly fixture of  claim 4 , wherein the first end of the adjusting shaft is accessible from outside of the hermetically shaped inner housing assembly when the lens assembly is connected to the second end of the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly, and wherein the second end of the adjusting shaft is positioned inside the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly when the lens assembly is connected to the second end of the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly. 
     
     
       7. The light assembly fixture of  claim 4 , wherein the adjusting shaft includes a threaded portion between the first and second ends of the adjusting shaft, and wherein the collar includes a threaded aperture connected to the threaded portion of the adjusting shaft. 
     
     
       8. The light assembly fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly is configured to transition between a first position and a second position without breaking the hermetic seal. 
     
     
       9. The light assembly fixture of  claim 1 , further comprising a pivot frame disposed within the hermetically sealed inner housing assembly and configured to receive the light cartridge, the pivot frame comprising a sleeve portion and at least one tilting member extending from the sleeve portion. 
     
     
       10. The light assembly fixture of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one tilting member comprises an arcuate surface, wherein the hermetically sealed inner housing body comprises at least one tilting pocket configured to receive the at least one tilting member, wherein the at least one tilting body has an arcuate surface configured to engage the arcuate surface of the at least one tilting member, and wherein the at least one tilting member is configured to rotate within the tilting pocket between a first tilt position and a second tilt position. 
     
     
       11. The light assembly fixture of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one tilting member is configured to rotate within the tilting pocket about a tilt axis, and wherein the tilt axis is non-parallel to the outer housing axis. 
     
     
       12. The light assembly fixture of  claim 11 , wherein the tilt axis is substantially perpendicular to the outer housing axis. 
     
     
       13. The light assembly fixture of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one tilting member comprises a first stop wall and a second stop wall, and wherein the first stop wall is configured to limit rotation of the tilting member with respect to the tilting pocket in a first direction and the second stop wall is configured to limit rotation of the tilting member with respect to the tilting pocket in a second direction. 
     
     
       14. The light assembly fixture of  claim 13 , further comprising at least one pivot frame retainer connected to the hermetically sealed inner housing body, wherein the first stop wall is configured to abut the at least one pivot frame retainer when the at least one tilting member is in the first tilt position, and wherein the second stop wall is configured to abut the at least one pivot frame retainer when the at least one tilting member is in the second tilt position. 
     
     
       15. The light assembly fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the hermetically sealed inner housing body comprises a tilt housing, and wherein the tilt assembly is positioned at least partially within the tilt housing. 
     
     
       16. A method of assembling a light assembly fixture, the method comprising:
 inserting an inner housing assembly into an open end of an outer housing having an outer housing axis, the inner housing assembly being hermetically sealed and having an inner housing body and a light cartridge disposed therein including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), the one or more light cartridge emitting diodes (LEDs) being configured to direct light through a lens of the inner housing assembly; and 
 tilting the one or more light cartridge emitting diodes (LEDs) with respect to the outer housing axis without moving the inner housing body lens and without breaking the hermetic seal of the inner housing assembly. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 rotating the inner housing assembly about the outer housing with respect to the outer housing after inserting the inner housing assembly through the open end of the outer housing and without breaking the hermetic seal of the inner housing assembly. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising manually actuating a user input portion of a tilt assembly within the inner housing assembly to tilt the one or more light cartridge emitting diodes (LEDs) with respect to the inner housing body lens without breaking the hermetic seal of the inner housing assembly. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising removing the inner housing assembly from the outer housing and inserting a second inner housing assembly without breaking the hermetic seal of the inner housing assembly or a hermetic seal of the second inner housing assembly. 
     
     
       20. A light assembly fixture comprising:
 an outer housing having including:
 a first end; 
 a second end opposite different from the first end; 
 an outer housing axis extending through away from the first and second ends of the outer housing end; 
 
 ana hermetically sealed inner housing assembly having:
 a first end; 
 a second end different from the first end and including a lens; 
 an inner housing body extending between the first and second ends of the inner housing assembly and containing a light cartridge, the light cartridge having a lighting element including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit light through the second end of the inner housing assembly lens; 
 a lens connected to the second end of the inner housing assembly; and 
 a tilt member supported by the hermetically sealed inner housing body and having:  
 a user input portion configured to receive user input, the tilt member being configured to tilt the one or more light cartridge emitting diodes (LEDs) between at least a first position and a second position with respect to the outer housing axis upon receipt of the user input and without moving the inner housing body lens and without breaking the hermetic seal of the inner housing. 
 
 
     
     
       21. An in-ground light comprising:
 an outer housing including:
 an upper end configured to be positioned at or below a ground level or surface when the outer housing is installed; 
 a lower end; and 
 an outer housing axis extending through one or both of the upper end and the lower end; and 
   a hermetically sealed inner housing sized to be inserted in the outer housing and having:
 a first end; 
 a second end different from the first end and including a lens; and 
 a light cartridge including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit light through the lens; 
   wherein the one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) is configured to be tilted between at least a first position and a second position with respect to the outer housing axis without moving the lens and without breaking the hermetic seal of the inner housing.    
     
     
       22. The in-ground light of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) is further configured to be manually rotated about the outer housing axis without breaking the hermetic seal of the inner housing.  
     
     
       23. The in-ground light of  claim 21 , further comprising a user input portion accessible from the second end of the hermetically sealed inner housing when the hermetically sealed inner housing is inserted in the outer housing, the user input portion being configured to cause the hermetically sealed inner housing to move between the first position and the second position.  
     
     
       24. The in-ground light of  claim 21 , further comprising a tilt-transmitting portion, the tilt-transmitting portion moving the hermetically sealed inner housing between the first position and the second position.  
     
     
       25. The in-ground light of  claim 23 , further comprising a bracket having one or more elongated slots, the one or more elongated slots being configured to slidingly engage relative to the tilt-transmitting portion.  
     
     
       26. An in-ground light comprising:
 a hermetically sealed light mount including a window and a light cartridge, the light cartridge including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit light through the window;   an unsealed casing having an upper end configured to be positioned at or below a ground level or surface when installed in-ground, the unsealed casing including an axis extending away from the upper end, the unsealed casing being sized to receive the hermetically sealed light mount; and   a tilt member including a user input portion configured to receive user input, the user input portion being accessible from the upper end of the unsealed casing, the tilt member being configured to tilt the one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) between at least a first position and a second position with respect to the axis upon application of the user input and without moving the window and without breaking the hermetic seal of the light mount.    
     
     
       27. The in-ground light of  claim 26 , wherein the hermetically sealed light mount is further configured to be manually rotated about the axis without breaking the hermetic seal of the light mount.  
     
     
       28. The in-ground light of  claim 26 , wherein the window comprises transparent or translucent material.  
     
     
       29. The in-ground light of  claim 26 , wherein the window comprises a lens.