JP7541821B2 - Recessed lighting fixture installation aid, recessed lighting fixture installation mechanism - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a mounting aid for a recessed lighting fixture and a mounting mechanism for a recessed lighting fixture.

A recessed lighting fixture that is embedded in the ceiling of a bathroom is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a mounting auxiliary plate for mounting a downlight fixture in a mounting hole in a ceiling material and a mounting structure for the fixture. This mounting auxiliary plate is used to hold the fixture body in the mounting hole in the ceiling material. The mounting auxiliary plate has a through hole in the center through which the fixture body can be inserted. The fixture body has multiple mounting springs and an outer flange. With the mounting springs folded, the fixture body is inserted into the mounting hole and the through hole of the mounting auxiliary plate located on the back side of the ceiling material. In this state, the multiple mounting springs open and hold the fixture body on the inner edge of the through hole. The fixture body is fixed to the mounting hole with the ceiling material sandwiched between the outer flange and the mounting auxiliary plate.

JP 2009-140650 A

The inventors have come to the following realization regarding downlight mounting structures. There is a need to replace existing downlights in bathroom ceilings with new ones. However, the space above the ceiling is narrow and workers may not be able to enter and perform the work. In such cases, the replacement work is carried out from the outside of the bathroom. Existing downlights come in a variety of sizes, and correspondingly, the mounting holes in the ceiling come in a variety of sizes. For this reason, the structure of Patent Document 1 requires the preparation of various sizes of auxiliary mounting plates to match the sizes of the existing mounting holes.

For example, when installing a downlight with an outer diameter of φ75, if the mounting hole has three sizes, such as φ100, φ125, and φ150, it is necessary to prepare three types of mounting support plates to match each size. If multiple types of mounting support plates are prepared, a separate mold must be used for each size, and inventory must be managed by size, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost. This issue can arise not only in existing bathroom ceilings, but also in mounting structures that are installed in locations other than the bathroom ceiling or in newly constructed locations.

Based on the above, the inventors have discovered that the mounting structure described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of being able to accommodate multiple sizes of mounting holes.

This disclosure was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technique for mounting recessed lighting fixtures to mounting holes of various sizes.

In order to solve the above problem, the mounting aid of one embodiment of the present disclosure has a surrounding portion that surrounds the main body of the recessed lighting fixture, and multiple fitting portions that differ from each other in size in the planar direction.

Any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of this disclosure between methods, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of this disclosure.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a first example of use of the mounting mechanism for a recessed lighting fixture of the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 shows a first stage of the installation process. FIG. 13 shows a second stage of the mounting process. FIG. 11 shows a third stage of the mounting process. FIG. 11 shows a fourth stage of the mounting process. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a second usage example. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a third example of use. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a modified mounting mechanism.

The following describes the embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modified examples, the same (including equivalent) components and parts are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations are omitted where appropriate. The dimensions of the parts in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Some parts that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted in each drawing.

Note that terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. These terms do not limit the configuration of the present disclosure. The following embodiments are provided as examples to aid in understanding the contents of the present disclosure, and do not limit the configuration of the present disclosure.

[Embodiment]
The mounting aid 10 and the mounting mechanism 100 of the recessed lighting device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, as shown in Fig. 1, the direction along the central axis La of the surrounding part 12 of the mounting aid 10 described later is sometimes referred to as the up-down direction, the direction perpendicular to the central axis La is sometimes referred to as the radial direction, and the direction along the plane perpendicular to the central axis La is sometimes referred to as the planar direction. Such directional notations do not limit the configuration of the mounting mechanism 100, and the mounting mechanism 100 can be used in any position.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting aid 10 is used in a mounting mechanism 100 for mounting the fixture body 42 of the recessed lighting fixture 40 to a mounting hole 52 in a ceiling material 50 in a bathroom. Hereinafter, the indoor side of the ceiling material 50 is referred to as the "ceiling front side" and the opposite side to the ceiling front side is referred to as the "ceiling back side". The mounting hole 52 in this example is a circular through hole formed in the plate-shaped ceiling material 50. The inner diameter of the mounting hole 52 in this example has three variations: 100 mm, 125 mm, and 150 mm. FIG. 1 shows the case where the inner diameter is 100 mm. The mounting mechanism 100 of this embodiment includes the mounting aid 10, a storage section 20, and a holding section 30.

In the following, an example in which the mounting mechanism 100 is used in a mounting hole 52 with an inner diameter of 100 mm will be referred to as a first use example, an example in which the mounting mechanism 100 is used in a mounting hole 52 with an inner diameter of 125 mm will be referred to as a second use example, and an example in which the mounting mechanism 100 is used in a mounting hole 52 with an inner diameter of 150 mm will be referred to as a third use example. First, the first use example will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

The mounting aid 10 is a plate-shaped member that is provided on the ceiling underside of the ceiling material 50 and faces the flange portion 24 of the storage unit 20 in the vertical direction across the ceiling material 50. The mounting aid 10 has a surrounding portion 12 that surrounds the device body 42 via the tubular portion 22 of the storage unit 20, and a fitting portion 16 that fits into the mounting hole 52. The storage unit 20 has a tubular portion 22 that surrounds the device body 42 and a flange portion 24 that extends radially outward from the tubular portion 22. The tubular portion 22 extends from the ceiling surface side to the ceiling underside, and the flange portion 24 is disposed on the ceiling surface side. The holding portion 30 holds the storage unit 20 so that it does not fall off. In this example, the holding portion 30 is disposed on the ceiling underside, and the upper portion of the holding portion 30 engages with the upper outer periphery of the storage unit 20 and the lower portion of the holding portion 30 is placed on the upper portion of the mounting aid 10, functioning as a retainer for the storage unit 20.

The mounting aid 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. The mounting aid 10 of this embodiment has a hollow disk shape with a portion of the circumference missing as a whole. The mounting aid 10 has an encircling portion 12, a base 14, a plurality of fitting portions 16, and a rib 18. In this example, the base 14 and the rib 18 are integrally formed of a resin material or the like. The base 14 has a hollow plate shape that supports the rib 18. The rib 18 protrudes from the base 14 in the vertical direction to ensure the strength of the mounting aid 10. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rib 18 includes seven radial ribs 18c that extend radially and circumferential ribs 18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, and 18h that extend in the circumferential direction. The rib 18d is arranged on the innermost circumference, and the ribs 18e, 18f, 18g, and 18h are arranged on the outer periphery in this order.

For convenience, the surface having the circumferential ribs 18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, and 18h as shown in FIG. 2 is referred to as the first surface 10a. As shown in FIG. 3, the surface having the circumferential ribs 18d, 18e, and 18h but not having the ribs 18f and 18g is referred to as the second surface 10b. In the first use example, the attachment aid 10 is used with the first surface 10a facing upward and the second surface 10b facing downward. The seven radial ribs 18c are arranged in the circumferential direction at intervals of approximately 45°. The radial ribs 18c are connected to each of the circumferential ribs 18d-18h between the circumferential ribs 18d and 18h. The surrounding portion 12 is an inner peripheral wall that surrounds the tubular portion 22 of the storage portion 20, and is provided on the circumferential rib 18d.

As shown in FIG. 1, circumferential rib 18g protrudes further than circumferential rib 18h. Circumferential rib 18f protrudes further than circumferential rib 18g. Circumferential rib 18e protrudes by approximately the same amount as circumferential rib 18f. Circumferential rib 18d protrudes less than circumferential rib 18e. In other words, circumferential ribs 18d-18h are arranged in a stepped pattern.

In this embodiment, the multiple fitting portions 16 include first, second, and third fitting portions 16a, 16b, and 16c, which are different from each other in the size of the mounting hole 52 suitable for fitting. In other words, the multiple fitting portions 16 are different from each other in the size in the surface direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the first, second, and third fitting portions 16a, 16b, and 16c of this embodiment are arranged vertically along the central axis La. In the example of FIG. 1, the first fitting portion 16a protrudes downward and fits into the mounting hole 52, and the second and third fitting portions 16b and 16c protrude upward. In other words, the second and third fitting portions 16b and 16c protrude in a direction away from the first surface 10a, and the first fitting portion 16a protrudes in a direction away from the second surface 10b. The second fitting portion 16b protrudes more than the third fitting portion 16c. The second and third fitting portions 16b and 16c are arranged in a stepped manner.

The first fitting portion 16a is the outer peripheral wall of the circumferential rib 18e and has a diameter suitable for fitting with a mounting hole 52 having an inner diameter of 100 mm. The second fitting portion 16b is the outer peripheral wall of the circumferential rib 18f and has a diameter suitable for fitting with a mounting hole 52 having an inner diameter of 125 mm. The third fitting portion 16c is the outer peripheral wall of the circumferential rib 18g and has a diameter suitable for fitting with a mounting hole 52 having an inner diameter of 150 mm. Therefore, the outer diameter of the second fitting portion 16b is smaller than the outer diameter of the third fitting portion 16c and larger than the outer diameter of the first fitting portion 16a. Because the fitting portion 16 and the mounting hole 52 are fitted together, they can be easily fitted and removed, and no excessive gap is formed between them.

The mounting aid 10 has a maximum outer diameter larger than the maximum inner diameter of the mounting hole 52 (150 mm in this case), and is configured to be able to pass through a mounting hole 52 with a minimum inner diameter (100 mm in this case) from the ceiling surface side to the ceiling back side. For this reason, the mounting aid 10 of this embodiment has an approximately C-shape with a portion of the ring missing in the circumferential direction, and the entire device can pass through the mounting hole 52 by passing through the missing portion. The shape of the missing portion can be determined by at least one of simulation and experiment.

The storage section 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 as well. As described above, the storage section 20 stores the fixture body 42 and covers the mounting hole 52 from the ceiling surface side, improving the aesthetic appearance of the ceiling surface side. The storage section 20 has a tubular section 22 and a flange section 24. The flange section 24 protrudes radially outward from near the lower end of the tubular section 22. In this example, the tubular section 22 and the flange section 24 are integrally formed from a resin material or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tube portion 22 is a generally hollow cylindrical portion that surrounds the central axis La and surrounds the instrument body 42. The lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the tube portion 22 is fitted into the surrounding portion 12, and a male thread 22s is provided from the middle to the upper portion.

The inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 22 accommodates the tool body 42 and has a tool fixing portion that engages with the tool body 42. The tool fixing portion will be described later. The tubular portion 22 is disposed between the attachment aid 10 and the tool body 42 in the radial direction.

The flange portion 24 is disposed on the opposite side of the mounting aid 10 across the ceiling material 50. The flange portion 24 is a hollow disk-shaped portion surrounding the central axis La in a plan view, and covers the mounting hole 52. For this reason, the flange portion 24 has an outer diameter larger than the maximum inner diameter of the mounting hole 52 (150 mm in this case). A circumferential convex portion 24g protruding upward is formed on the outer portion of the upper surface of the flange portion 24. The circumferential convex portion 24g of the flange portion 24 overlaps with the circumferential rib 18h of the mounting aid 10 in a plan view. In other words, the radial range of the circumferential convex portion 24g overlaps with the radial range of the circumferential rib 18h. As shown in FIG. 1, the circumferential convex portion 24g is configured to sandwich the ceiling material 50 between the circumferential rib 18h and the flange portion 24g. The outer diameter of the flange portion 24 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the mounting aid 10.

A hollow circular seal 24h is attached to the upper surface of the circumferential convex portion 24g. The seal 24h is made of a material that is more flexible than the flange portion 24, and adheres closely to the ceiling material 50, filling any gaps. The seal 24h can be made of a known sealing material.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper surface of the flange portion 24 is provided with an inner circumferential side protrusion 24e and radial ribs 24f that are integrally formed with the flange portion 24. The inner circumferential side protrusion 24e is a circumferential protrusion that protrudes upward around the base of the tube portion 22. The inner circumferential side protrusion 24e improves the strength of the base of the tube portion 22. The radial ribs 24f are connected to the inner circumferential side protrusion 24e and the circumferential protrusion 24g. In this example, six radial ribs 24f are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The holding portion 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 as well. As described above, the holding portion 30 holds the accommodating portion 20 so as to prevent it from falling out of the mounting hole 52. The holding portion 30 has an annular portion 32, a flange portion 34, an extension portion 36, and a tool receiving portion 38. In this example, the annular portion 32, the flange portion 34, the extension portion 36, and the tool receiving portion 38 are integrally formed from a resin material or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the annular portion 32 is a generally hollow cylindrical portion that surrounds the central axis La and surrounds the lower portion of the tubular portion 22 of the storage portion 20. The inner peripheral surface of the annular portion 32 fits into the tubular portion 22, and a female thread 32s is provided in the fitting region.

The flange 34 extends radially outward from near the lower end of the annular portion 32. The flange 34 is a hollow disk-shaped portion that surrounds the central axis La in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 1, when attached, the flange 34 fits into the inner periphery of the circumferential rib 18e, and the lower surface of the flange 34 abuts against the upper surface of the circumferential rib 18d. To increase the strength of the annular portion 32 and the flange 34, vertical ribs 32j extending up and down are provided on the side surface of the annular portion 32. In this example, four vertical ribs 32j are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The extension portion 36 is a rod-shaped portion that extends upward from the annular portion 32 and supports the tool receiving portion 38. In this example, four extension portions 36 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. To increase the strength of the extension portions 36, each extension portion 36 is provided with a vertical rib 36j that extends vertically.

The tool receiving portion 38 is a portion that receives a rotational torque from a tool (not shown) that passes inside the tube portion 22. The tool receiving portion 38 in FIG. 5 is provided at the tip of the extension portion 36 and has a hook shape that protrudes radially inward from the extension portion 36.

For example, a tool having an openable claw is passed through the inside of the tube portion 22 with the claw closed, and the claw is opened to engage with the tool receiving portion 38. In this state, the tool is rotated around the central axis La to rotate the holding portion 30 via the tool receiving portion 38. As the holding portion 30 rotates, the female thread 32s engages with the male thread 22s, and the holding portion 30 moves downward until the flange portion 34 abuts against the circumferential rib 18d. As the circumferential rib 18d is pushed downward by the flange portion 34, the circumferential rib 18h of the mounting aid 10 is brought into close contact with the upper surface of the ceiling material 50. At this time, the flange portion 24 of the storage portion 20 is pulled upward and comes into close contact with the lower surface of the ceiling material 50. In this state, the ceiling material 50 is clamped between the flange portion 24 and the mounting aid 10. In this way, the mounting aid 10 and the flange portion 24 are in close contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the ceiling material 50, so that the mounting mechanism 100 is firmly fixed to the ceiling material 50.

The lighting fixture 40 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. When the lighting fixture 40 is attached, it emits illumination light downward. The lighting fixture 40 in Fig. 6 includes a fixture body 42 and a control circuit (not shown) that controls the operation of the fixture body 42. The fixture body 42 has a body portion 42b and a fixture flange portion 42f. The body portion 42b is a substantially cylindrical portion that surrounds the central axis La, and houses a light-emitting portion (not shown) such as an LED inside. The fixture flange portion 42f protrudes radially outward. The fixture flange portion 42f is a disc-shaped portion that surrounds the central axis La in a plan view. The fixture flange portion 42f is fixed to the lower end portion of the body portion 42b.

As shown in FIG. 6, an O-ring 42d is provided on the upper surface of the appliance flange 42f, surrounding the base of the body 42b. The O-ring 42d is made of a material that is more flexible than the appliance flange 42f, and fits closely to the appliance flange 42f and the housing 20, filling the gap between them. A cable 42c extends from the upper part of the body 42b. The cable 42c supplies power from the control circuit to the appliance body 42.

A second engagement portion 42p that engages with the first engagement portion 22p of the storage portion 20 is formed on the lower side surface of the body portion 42b. In this example, the second engagement portions 42p are circumferential grooves that extend in the circumferential direction, and three of them are provided at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each second engagement portion 42p is provided with a guide groove 42g that extends upward from the end of the second engagement portion 42p. The upper side of the guide groove 42g is open.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first engagement portion 22p is a protrusion that protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 22, and three of them are provided at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. When the instrument body 42 is attached, the instrument body 42 is inserted from the lower side of the tubular portion 22 with the circumferential position of the guide groove 42g coinciding with the position of the first engagement portion 22p. When the second engagement portion 42p rises to the position of the first engagement portion 22p, the instrument body 42 is rotated clockwise so that the first engagement portion 22p engages with the groove of the second engagement portion 42p, and the instrument body 42 is fixed to the storage portion 20. The engagement is released by rotating the instrument body 42 counterclockwise, and the instrument body 42 can be removed from the storage portion 20.

8 to 11, an example of a mounting process for mounting the mounting aid 10 will be described. This process is performed from the ceiling surface side through the mounting hole 52.
(1) First, remove the existing lighting fixture from the mounting hole 52.
(2) Place the holding portion 30 on the ceiling side through the mounting hole 52. Next, move the mounting aid 10 to the ceiling side through the mounting hole 52, and adjust the position of the mounting aid 10 so that the first fitting portion 16a fits into the mounting hole 52 (see FIG. 8).
(3) The tubular portion 22 of the storage portion 20 is inserted into the surrounding portion 12 of the mounting aid 10 from below (see FIG. 9).

(4) Insert your hand into the ceiling space through the tubular portion 22 and place the holding portion 30 over the tubular portion 22 .
(5) With the tool engaged with the tool receiving portion 38, rotate the holding portion 30 until the flange portion 34 abuts against the circumferential rib 18d (see FIG. 10). In this state, the ceiling material 50 is clamped between the flange portion 24 and the mounting aid 10.
(6) The end of the cable 42c is connected through the tube portion 22 to the control circuit on the underside of the ceiling.
(7) The tool body 42 is inserted from the bottom of the tube portion 22 and rotated to fix the tool body 42 to the storage portion 20 (see FIG. 11). When the tool body 42 is fixed, this attachment process is completed. This process is merely an example and may be changed as necessary.

Next, referring to Figs. 12 and 13, a second and third use example in which the mounting mechanism 100 is used in mounting holes 52 with inner diameters of 125 mm and 150 mm will be described. Figs. 12 and 13 correspond to Fig. 1 and show the mounting aid 10, the ceiling material 50, and the storage section 20. In the first use example, the mounting aid 10 is used with the first surface 10a facing upward and the second surface 10b facing downward. In the second and third use examples, the mounting aid 10 is used with the second surface 10b facing upward and the first surface 10a facing downward. As shown in Fig. 12, in the second use example, the second fitting portion 16b fits into the mounting hole 52 with an inner diameter of 125 mm. As shown in Fig. 13, in the third use example, the third fitting portion 16c fits into the mounting hole 52 with an inner diameter of 150 mm.

As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the circumferential ribs 18d and 18e are approximately symmetrical in the vertical direction, so even if the attachment aid 10 is used in the opposite direction, the storage section 20 and the holding section 30 can be attached in the same positional relationship. The second and third use examples function in the same way as the first use example.

The features of the mounting aid 10 and mounting mechanism 100 for the recessed lighting fixture configured in this manner are described below.

The mounting aid 10 has a surrounding portion 12 that surrounds the fixture body 42 and multiple fitting portions 16 that differ in size in the planar direction, so that the lighting fixture 40 can be mounted in multiple types of mounting holes 52 that differ in size.

In the mounting aid 10, the multiple fitting portions 16 are arranged in stages, so that each stage can fit mounting holes 52 of different sizes.

The mounting mechanism 100 includes a mounting aid 10 and a flange portion 24 that is disposed on the opposite side of the ceiling material 50, so that the mounting aid 10 and the flange portion 24 are in close contact with both sides of the ceiling material 50.

In the mounting mechanism 100, the flange portion 24 is held to the ceiling material 50 by threading the male thread 22s on the tubular portion 22 with the female thread 32s on the annular portion 32, so that the mounting aid 10 and the flange portion 24 are firmly attached to the ceiling material 50. Even if the thickness of the ceiling material 50 differs and the distance between the mounting aid 10 and the flange portion 24 changes, this can be accommodated by adjusting the threaded position of the screw portion.

In the mounting mechanism 100, the multiple fitting portions 16 include second and third fitting portions 16b, 16c that protrude in a direction away from the first surface 10a, and a first fitting portion 16a that protrudes in a direction away from the second surface 10b, so there are many types of mounting holes 52 that can be accommodated.

In the mounting mechanism 100, the multiple fittings 16 are spigot-fitted into mounting holes 52 of a predetermined size in the ceiling material 50, so that excessive play is not formed between them, improving the positional accuracy of each other.

The above describes the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail. All of the above-mentioned embodiments merely show illustrative examples of the present disclosure. The contents of the embodiments do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure, and many design changes are possible, such as changing, adding, or deleting components. In the above-mentioned embodiments, the contents for which such design changes are possible are described with the notation "in the embodiment" or "in the embodiment". Design changes to contents without such notation are permitted.

[Modification]
The following describes the modified example, in which explanations that overlap with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the explanation will focus on configurations that differ from the embodiment.

In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the female thread 32s is screwed into the male thread 22s, thereby holding the flange portion 24 in the mounting aid 10. This is not intended to be limiting. For example, the flange portion 24 may be held in the mounting aid 10 by the elastic force of an elastic body such as a biasing member.

The modified example in FIG. 14 includes a biasing member 28 that extends from the flange portion 24 through the encircling portion 12. The flange portion 24 is held in place by the biasing member 28 exerting a biasing force toward the mounting aid 10. As shown in FIG. 14, the storage portion 20 includes multiple biasing members 28 that extend upward from the tube portion 22.

In this example, the biasing member 28 is a leaf-shaped spring. Two biasing members 28 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In a free state, the extension end 28s of the biasing member 28 is deployed radially outward from the encircling portion 12 of the mounting aid 10 (shown as 28s-1). As shown by the dashed lines, the extension end 28s can be folded radially inward from the encircling portion 12 by applying force (shown as 28s-2). In a closed state, the extension end 28s can pass through the encircling portion 12 and be deployed on the ceiling side (shown as 28s-3). In this state, the storage section 20 is fixed to the mounting hole 52 with the ceiling material 50 sandwiched between the flange portion 24 and the mounting aid 10.

In the state shown in FIG. 14, the flange portion 24 is held in the mounting aid 10 by the restoring force of the biasing member 28. Three or more biasing members 28 may be provided, and may have a shape different from that shown in FIG. 14. According to this modification, the flange portion 24 can be biased toward the mounting aid 10 by the biasing member 28. Since the flange portion 24 is fixed by the biasing member 28, the flange portion 24 can be easily attached and removed. This improves the ease of installation of the recessed lighting fixture.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the mounting aid 10 has a C-shape has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The mounting aid 10 may have a configuration other than a C-shape as long as it can pass through the mounting hole 52. For example, the mounting aid 10 may be configured so that it can be disassembled into multiple pieces that can pass through the mounting hole 52. In this case, the pieces can be assembled after passing through the mounting hole 52. The mounting aid 10 may be configured so that it can be folded into a shape that can pass through the mounting hole 52. In this case, the mounting aid 10 can be unfolded after passing through the mounting hole 52.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the number of fitting portions 16 is three is shown. The number of fitting portions 16 may be two, or may be four or more.

In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the fitting portion 16 is provided on the outer periphery of a circumferential rib. The fitting portion 16 may also be provided on the outer periphery of an annular step in which the space between the ribs is filled.

In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the mounting aid 10 and the mounting mechanism 100 are installed on the bathroom ceiling. The mounting aid 10 and the mounting mechanism 100 may also be installed on a ceiling other than the bathroom ceiling.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the number of extension portions 36 of the holding portion 30 is four is shown. The number of extension portions 36 may be three or less, or five or more.

In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the tool receiving portion 38 has a hook shape that protrudes radially from the extension portion 36. The tool receiving portion may have a shape other than a hook shape.

In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the tool body 42 is fixed to the housing 20 by engaging the protrusion of the first engagement portion 22p into the groove of the second engagement portion 42p. This is not limiting. For example, the first engagement portion may be a groove, and the second engagement portion may be a protrusion that can engage with the groove.

Each of the above-mentioned modified examples provides the same effects and advantages as the embodiment.

Any combination of the above-described embodiments and variations is also useful as an embodiment.

Hatching in the drawings does not limit the material of the hatched objects.

The present disclosure has been described above through the embodiments. Various changes and modifications of the present disclosure are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the applicant recognizes that all such changes and modifications within the scope of this disclosure are encompassed in the appended claims.

10 Mounting aid, 10a First surface, 10b Second surface, 12 Encircling portion, 16 Fitting portion, 20 Storage portion, 22 Tube portion, 22s Male thread, 24 Flange portion, 30 Holding portion, 32 Annular portion, 32s Female thread, 38 Tool receiving portion, 40 Lighting fixture, 42 Fixture body, 50 Ceiling material, 52 Mounting hole.

Claims (7)

An enclosure portion that surrounds a main body of the recessed lighting fixture;
A plurality of fitting portions having different sizes when viewed in an axial direction along a central axis of the surrounding portion;
having
The plurality of fitting portions have a circumferential outer circumferential surface along a circumference surrounding the central axis,
The outer circumferential surface is shaped to fit into the inside of a mounting hole which is a circular through hole ,
The plurality of fitting portions have different sizes when viewed in the axial direction, and thus the sizes of the mounting holes suitable for fitting are different from each other. This is an auxiliary mounting tool for a recessed lighting fixture. An enclosure portion that surrounds a main body of the recessed lighting fixture;
A plurality of fitting portions having different sizes when viewed in an axial direction along a central axis of the surrounding portion;
having
The plurality of fitting portions have a circumferential outer circumferential surface along a circumference surrounding the central axis,
The outer circumferential surface is shaped to fit into the inside of a mounting hole which is a circular through hole ,
An installation aid for a recessed lighting fixture, in which the multiple fitting portions are arranged in a stepped manner. The mounting aid according to any one of claims 1 and 2,
A flange portion that is disposed on the opposite side of the ceiling material from the mounting aid;
A mounting mechanism for a recessed lighting fixture comprising: a tubular portion that passes through the mounting hole of the ceiling material and has one end fixed to the flange portion;
An annular portion surrounding the cylindrical portion,
The mounting mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the flange portion is held on the ceiling material by a male thread provided on the cylindrical portion and a female thread provided on the annular portion being screwed together. a biasing member extending from the flange portion;
The mounting mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the flange portion is held on the ceiling material by the biasing member exerting a biasing force toward the mounting aid. The attachment mechanism according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the multiple engagement parts include an engagement part that protrudes in a direction away from one surface and an engagement part that protrudes in a direction away from the other surface. The mounting mechanism according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the multiple fittings are fitted in mounting holes of a predetermined size in the ceiling material.

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