Locking spring and hinge for cover of lighting fixture

Claim 1

In a light fixture comprising a generally rectangular housing including a top wall and a front wall depending from a forward edge of said top wall, illuminating means, and means securing said illuminating means within said housing, a light-transmitting cover including a principal panel generally paralleling the top wall of said housing and a front panel extending normally to said principal panel and toward said top wall of said housing, said front panel being complementary to the front wall of said housing to form an extension thereof, hinge means pivotally securing said cover to said housing, whereby said cover is selectably shiftable between a first, locked position in which said cover is horizontally disposed to bridge and close said housing and a second position in which said cover is suspended to hang vertically from said housing to expose the interior of said housing and to permit access thereto, and cover locking means for maintaining said cover in a position to close said housing and to cover said illuminating means, said locking means comprising a horizontal web connected to and directed forwardly of said front panel, and a cooperating rearwardly directed tab extending from said front wall, said web and said tab being adapted to overlie one another in overlapping engagement; the improvement wherein said hinge means includes: pin means above said principal panel of said cover and attached thereto, said pin means extending longitudinally of said fixture, a spring band strap secured at its upper end to said housing and depending therefrom, said strap terminating at its lower end in pin-securing flange means adapted supportingly to carry said pin means, and wherein said spring band strap is biased forwardly resiliently to urge said web of said cover into locking engagement with said tab of said housing, said cover being shiftable rearwardly to overcome the bias of said strap to effect disengagement of said web from said tab, thereby to permit said cover to pivot downwardly to an open position to provide access to the interior of said housing.