Outdoor lighting fixture using U-shaped fluorescent lamp

Claim 1

A fluorescent lighting fixture for outdoor use comprising: a cylindrical housing made entirely of polyvinyl chloride and having an upper end, a lower end and generally concentric inner and outer walls, said housing having an annular ring projecting from its inner wall, a fluorescent lamp assembly consisting of a U-shaped fluorescent lamp, a socket for said lamp, a circular base supporting said socket having upper and lower edges and having an outer diameter slightly less than the diameter of the inner wall of said housing, and a 120 volt transformer mounted on said base, the lower edge of said assembly's base being mounted on the annular ring of said housing, a bushing made entirely of polyvinyl chloride affixed to the lower end of said housing and having an axial hole through said housing, a retaining ring having an upper face and a lower face with an outer diameter slightly less than the diameter of the inner wall of said housing mounted within said housing and resting on the upper edge of the assembly's base. a closed-ended tubular transparent diffuser having a diameter somewhat less than the diameter of the inner wall of said housing resting on the upper face of said retaining ring, and a pair of flexible O-rings each having an outer diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the inner wall of the housing and an inner diameter slightly less than the diameter of the outerface of said tubular diffuser, each of said O-rings encircling said tubular diffuser and located within said housing for removably securing said diffuser to said housing.