Landscape Light Mounting System with Pivot Ball Orientation Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional landscape lighting systems face challenges in maintaining a vertical orientation of the lighting fixture due to misaligned or shifting ground stakes, often caused by obstructions or ground movement from freezing and thawing.
Innovation Solution
A landscape lighting system incorporating a pivot mechanism between the ground stake and the lighting fixture, allowing for adjustable orientation using a retainer cap and pivot ball with set screws, enabling the lighting fixture to be secured and re-oriented vertically irrespective of the ground stake's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ground stake is driven into the ground to support the lighting fixture, then the lighting fixture can be mounted and supported, but the ground stake may become misaligned or shifted due to obstructions or ground movement, causing the lighting fixture to lose vertical orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by introducing a pivot mechanism that allows the lighting fixture to rotate and adjust its orientation. The fixture is mounted on a pivot ball within a retainer cap, enabling it to dynamically adjust from a non-vertical orientation (when the ground stake is misaligned) to a vertical orientation, or to be repositioned if the ground stake shifts due to ground movement or obstructions.
2Ease of operation
If the ground stake is positioned vertically to ensure proper lighting fixture orientation, then the lighting fixture maintains correct orientation, but obstructions beneath the ground surface may prevent vertical positioning, requiring relocation to a less desirable location
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing a retainer cap as a mediating component between the ground stake and the lighting fixture. The retainer cap contains a pivot ball that receives the fixture's mounting post, allowing the fixture to pivot independently of the ground stake's orientation. This intermediary structure enables easy orientation adjustment without requiring complex realignment procedures or relocation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the lighting fixture is mounted directly to the ground stake, then the mounting structure is simple, but the fixture cannot be re-oriented if the ground stake moves due to freezing and thawing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by creating a movable mounting connection through the pivot mechanism. The lighting fixture is mounted on a pivot ball within the retainer cap, allowing it to dynamically adjust its orientation. This dynamic connection enables re-orientation capability while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing and assembly processes, as the pivot mechanism consists of basic mechanical components.
Data Source
AI summary
A landscape lighting mounting system has an orientation adjustment feature between the support shaft and the ground stake on which the lighting fixture is mounted. The ground stake has a vertical threaded opening into which the threaded shaft of a pivot ball can be mounted. The shaft of the lighting fixture has a retainer cap mounted on the lower distal end. The retainer cap is mounted onto the pivot ball and secured thereto with set screws which tightly engage the pivot ball after the shaft of the lighting fixture has been oriented into a selected orientation. Re-positioning the lighting fixture only requires the loosening of the set screws to re-orient the lighting fixture before retightening the set screws. The fixture wire for the landscape lighting fixture can pass through slots in the retainer cap or through the pivot ball and a slot in the top of the ground stake.