1. A retrofitting kit for retrofitting an existing troffer light fixture having a troffer housing, comprising:
at least one of an adapter bracket and a retainer configured to engage at least one of the existing troffer light fixture and a T-bar of a ceiling system; and
a door assembly configured to be held in the ceiling system by the at least one of the adapter bracket and the retainer, the door assembly including:
a lens;
a housing configured to hold the lens, the housing including one or more sidewalls disposed around a periphery of the lens, wherein the one or more sidewalls extend upward, away from the lens to define a cavity; and
a plurality of LEDs having primary light axes extending inward into the cavity, the plurality of LEDs coupled to the one or more sidewalls and positioned to illuminate the lens from behind with a uniform distribution of light when engaged, wherein the plurality of LEDs are disposed around at least a portion of the periphery of the housing thereby providing a low-profile lighting arrangement configured to fit within a space above the ceiling system.
2. The retrofitting kit of claim 1, wherein the lens extends in a generally horizontal direction and the one or more sidewalls extend in a generally vertical direction, wherein the plurality of LEDs are positioned such that the primary light axes thereof extend generally orthogonal to the one or more sidewalls such that light emitted by the plurality of LEDs is reflected by at least one of the housing and a reflector before passing through the lens.
3. The retrofitting kit of claim 2, wherein the retainer is defined by a portion of the housing, wherein the housing has a width that is larger than the width of an opening defined by T-bars of the ceiling system such that engagement between the housing and the T-bars of the ceiling system holds the door assembly in place.
4. The retrofitting kit of claim 3, further comprising an enclosure configured to contain electronics therein, wherein the enclosure is disposed within the cavity thereby reducing the height of the door assembly.
5. The retrofitting kit of claim 4, wherein the housing of the door assembly includes a top panel that defines a portion of the cavity, wherein the enclosure is positioned between the top panel and the lens.
6. The retrofitting kit of claim 3, wherein the lens includes an arcuate portion coupled to the housing with one or more supports, wherein the lens is inset into the cavity.
7. The retrofitting kit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of LEDs are positioned such that the primary light axes thereof are directed toward at least one of the housing and a reflector such that light emitted by the plurality of LEDs is reflected before passing through the lens.
8. The retrofitting kit of claim 1, wherein the primary light axes of the plurality of LEDs are directed toward the lens thereby exposing the lens to a uniform distribution of light.
9. The retrofitting kit of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises four sidewalls positioned in a rectangular arrangement, wherein the plurality of LEDs are coupled to each of the four sidewalls.
10. The retrofitting kit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of LEDs are positioned in a linear array.
11. A light fixture, comprising:
a retainer configured to engage a T-bar of a ceiling system; and
a door assembly configured to be held in the ceiling system by the retainer, the door assembly including:
a lens;
a housing configured to hold the lens, the housing including one or more sidewalls disposed around a periphery of the lens, wherein the one or more sidewalls extend upward, away from the lens to define a cavity; and
a plurality of LEDs having primary light axes extending inward into the cavity, the plurality of LEDs coupled to the one or more sidewalls and positioned to illuminate the lens from behind with a uniform distribution of light when engaged, wherein the plurality of LEDs are disposed around at least a portion of the periphery of the housing thereby providing a low-profile lighting arrangement configured to fit within a space above the ceiling system.
12. The light fixture of claim 11, wherein the lens extends in a generally horizontal direction and the one or more sidewalls extend in a generally vertical direction, wherein the plurality of LEDs are positioned such that the primary light axes thereof extend generally orthogonal to the one or more sidewalls such that light emitted by the plurality of LEDs is reflected by at least one of the housing and a reflector before passing through the lens.
13. The light fixture of claim 12, wherein the retainer is defined by a portion of the housing, wherein the housing has a width that is larger than the width of an opening defined by T-bars of the ceiling system such that engagement between the housing and the T-bars of the ceiling system holds the door assembly in place.
14. The light fixture of claim 13, further comprising an enclosure configured to contain electronics therein, wherein the enclosure is disposed within the cavity thereby reducing the height of the door assembly.
15. The light fixture of claim 14, wherein the housing of the door assembly includes a top panel that defines a portion of the cavity, wherein the enclosure is positioned between the top panel and the lens.
16. The light fixture of claim 13, wherein the lens includes an arcuate portion coupled to the housing with one or more supports, wherein the lens is inset into the cavity.
17. The light fixture of claim 11, wherein the plurality of LEDs are positioned such that the primary light axes thereof are directed toward at least one of the housing and a reflector such that light emitted by the plurality of LEDs is reflected before passing through the lens.
18. The light fixture of claim 11, wherein the primary light axes of the plurality of LEDs are directed toward the lens to expose the lens to a uniform distribution of light.
19. The light fixture of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises four sidewalls positioned in a rectangular arrangement, wherein the plurality of LEDs are coupled to each of the four sidewalls.
20. A method for retrofitting an existing troffer light fixture using a door assembly, comprising:
removing a door of the existing troffer light fixture;
disconnecting wiring from a power source to the existing troffer light fixture;
wiring the door assembly to the wiring from the power source; and
installing the door assembly within a ceiling system with which the existing troffer light fixture is associated, wherein installing the door assembly includes inserting a housing of the door assembly through an opening in the ceiling system and thereafter lowering the housing such that a retainer of the door assembly engages a T-bar of the ceiling system, wherein the door assembly includes a plurality of LEDs coupled to one or more sidewalls of the housing.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus having at least one first hollow element for conducting a fluid and having a connection piece which has a deformable snap-in element having a latching surface which contacts an abutment surface connected to a second hollow element in a connection state, wherein the latching surface and the abutment surface are configured as sealing surfaces which permanently exert axial pressure against each other in the connection state to establish axial sealing, wherein the snap-in element is a radially widenable snap-in ring which can be radially outwardly beaded over other parts of the connection piece, wherein the connection piece has a weakening of a wall of the connection piece in an axially bounded region, wherein the weakening is configured as an inwardly or outwardly facing peripheral groove in the wall of the connection piece, wherein the groove of the connection piece is configured for beading over the snap-in ring at the groove, wherein a wall thickness of the connection piece at the groove is less than a wall thickness of the snap-in ring.
2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the snap-in ring can be elastically widened by material elasticity.
3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the snap-in ring is made peripherally non-slit.
4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the snap-in ring is stabilized in the beaded over position.
5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the snap-in ring, at least at one point of the snap-in ring, has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the connection piece at the groove to stabilize the snap-in ring in the beaded over position.
6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connection piece is cylindrical and has at both ends a respective radially widenable snap-in ring which cooperates with a respective abutment surface at a respective hollow element.
7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the connection piece is formed in one piece with the first hollow element or is connected thereto by adhesive bonding or welding.
8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first or second hollow element is made as a blood vessel connection piece having a radially outwardly projecting connection flange at its end opposite the snap-in element.
9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the connection flange has a convex connection surface.
10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein the connection surface extends in a straight manner in a first direction and has a round, in particular partly circular, cross-section in a second direction corresponding to an outer contour of a blood vessel.
11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, claim 9, or claim 10, wherein the blood vessel connection piece has a conical sealing surface at its end opposite the connection flange.
12. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the blood vessel connection piece has a spherically surfaced sealing surface at its end opposite the connection flange, wherein the abutment surface is a portion of the spherical sealing surface, wherein the latching surface of the snap-in ring is a portion of a hollow spherical sealing surface, wherein the spherical sealing surface cooperates with the hollow spherical sealing surface in the connection state to allow for tilting a first longitudinal axis of the first hollow element relative to a second longitudinal axis of the second hollow element to vary a tilting angle between the first and second longitudinal axes.
13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the snap-in ring is smaller than the inner diameter of the connection piece at the groove.
14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the connection piece at the groove is less than a minimum wall thickness of the snap-in ring.
15. A method of connecting a first hollow element for conducting a fluid with a second hollow element, the first hollow element comprising a connection piece which has a deformable snap-in element, the snap-in element configured as a radially widenable snap-in ring having a latching surface to contact an abutment surface of the second hollow element in a connection state, wherein the connection piece has a weakening of a wall of the connection piece in an axially bounded region, wherein the weakening is configured as an inwardly or outwardly facing peripheral groove in the wall of the connection piece, and a wall thickness of the connection piece at the groove is less than a wall thickness of the snap-in ring, wherein the latching surface and the abutment surface are configured as sealing surfaces which permanently exert axial pressure against each other in the connection state to establish axial sealing, the method comprising the steps of: radially widening the snap-in element and beading the snap-in element radially outwardly over other parts of the connection piece at the groove of the connection piece, and stabilizing the snap-in ring in the beaded over position.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first or second hollow element is made as a blood vessel connection piece having a radially outwardly projecting connection flange at its end opposite the snap-in element, wherein the blood vessel connection piece has a spherically surfaced sealing surface at its end opposite the connection flange, wherein the abutment surface is a portion of the spherical sealing surface, wherein the latching surface of the snap-in ring is a portion of a hollow spherical sealing surface, wherein the spherical sealing surface cooperates with the hollow spherical sealing surface in the connection state to allow for pivoting tilting a first longitudinal axis of the first hollow element relative to a second longitudinal axis of the second hollow element to vary a tilting angle between the first and second longitudinal axes, the method further including the step of varying the tilting angle between the first and second longitudinal axis of the first and second hollow elements, by tilting the first longitudinal axis of the first hollow element relative to the second longitudinal axis of the second hollow element.