A
light fixture,
light fitting, or
luminaire is an electrical device used to create artificial light and/or illumination, by use of an
electric lampA lamp is a replaceable component such as an incandescent light bulb, which is designed to produce light from electricity. These components usually have a base of ceramic, metal, glass or plastic, which makes an electrical connection in the socket of a light fixture. This connection may be made...
. All light fixtures have a fixture body, a light socket to hold the lamp and allow for its replacement—which may also have a switch to operate the fixture, and also require an
electrical connectionAn electrical connection between discrete points allows the flow of electrons . A pair of connections is needed for a circuit.Between points with a low voltage difference, direct current can be controlled by a switch...
to a power source, often by using electrical connectors (e.g. plugs) with portable fixtures. Light fixtures may also have other features, such as
reflectorA mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
s for directing the light, an
apertureIn optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
(with or without a
lensA lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens consists of a single optical element...
), an outer shell or housing for lamp alignment and protection, and an
electrical ballastAn electrical ballast is a device intended to limit the amount of current in an electric circuit. A familiar and widely used example is the inductive ballast used in fluorescent lamps, to limit the current through the tube, which would otherwise rise to destructive levels due to the tube's...
and/or
power supplyA power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy...
. A wide variety of special light fixtures are created for use in the
automotive lightingThe lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted or integrated to the front, sides, rear, and in some cases the top of the motor vehicle...
industry,
aerospaceAerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
, marine and
medicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
.
The use of the word "lamp" to describe light fixtures is common slang for an all-in-one luminary unit, usually
portablePortable may refer to:* Portable building, a manufactured structure that is built off site and moved in upon completion of site and utility work...
"fixtures" such as a
table lamp or
desk lamp (in contrast to a true fixture, which is fixed in place with screws or some other semi-permanent attachment). In
technical terminologyTechnical terminology is the specialized vocabulary of any field, not just technical fields. The same is true of the synonyms technical terms, terms of art, shop talk and words of art, which do not necessarily refer to technology or art...
, a lamp is the light source, what is typically called the light bulb. (See
Lamp (electrical component)A lamp is a replaceable component such as an incandescent light bulb, which is designed to produce light from electricity. These components usually have a base of ceramic, metal, glass or plastic, which makes an electrical connection in the socket of a light fixture. This connection may be made...
.)
Light fixtures are classified by how the fixture is installed, the light function or lamp type.
Light fixture is US usage; in British English it is called a light fitting. However, luminaire is the
International Electrotechnical CommissionThe International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
(IEC) terminology for technical use.
History
- Fixture manufacturing began soon after production of the incandescent light bulb. When practical uses of fluorescent lighting were realized after 1939, the three (3) leading companies to produce various fixtures were Lightolier
Lightolier is a company that manufactures and sells a wide array of lighting fixtures. It was founded in 1904 by Bernhard Blitzer under the name of New York Gas and Appliance Co. When electric lighting started to be more widely accepted, the name was changed to Lightolier, a contraction of the...
, Artcraft Fluorescent Lighting CorporationArtcraft Fluorescent Lighting Corporation was one of the three most influential business forces in fluorescent lighting fixture development and production in the United States from the commercial introduction of the fluorescent lamp at the 1939 World's Fair....
, and Globe Lighting in the United States.
Free-standing or portable
- Table lamp fixtures, standard lamp fixtures, and office task light luminaires.
- Balanced-arm lamp is a spot light with an adjustable arm such as anglepoise
The Anglepoise lamp is a balanced-arm lamp designed in 1932 by British designer George Carwardine.-History and development:Carwardine was a car designer and was, at the time he invented the Anglepoise lamp, a freelance design consultant specialising in vehicle suspension systems...
or Luxo L1.
- Gooseneck lamp
A Gooseneck lamp is a type of light fixture in which a lamp is attached to a flexible, adjustable shaft to allow the user to position the light source without moving the fixture or item to be illuminated. Gooseneck lamps are often used to position a light for reading, or in industry, to provide...
- Nightlight
A nightlight is a small light fixture, often electrical, placed for comfort or convenience in dark areas or areas that become dark at certain times, such as in an emergency...
Fixed
- Recessed light
A recessed light or downlight is a light fixture that is installed into a hollow opening in a ceiling...
— the protective housing is concealed behind a ceiling or wall, leaving only the fixture itself exposed. The ceiling-mounted version is often called a downlight.
- "Cans" with a variety of lamps — this term is jargon for inexpensive downlighting products that are recessed into the ceiling, or sometimes for uplights placed on the floor. The name comes from the shape of the housing. The term "pot lights" is often used in Canada and parts of the US.
- Troffer light — recessed fluorescent lights (the word comes from the combination of trough and coffer).
- Cove light — recessed into the ceiling in a long box against a wall.
- Torch lamp, torchière
A torchiere , or torch lamp, is a lamp with a tall stand of wood or metal. Originally, torchieres were candelabra, usually with two or three lights...
, or floor lamp.
- Surface-mounted light — the finished housing is exposed, not flush with surface
- Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
- Pendant light
A pendant light, sometimes called a drop or suspender, is a lone light fixture that hangs from the ceiling usually suspended by a cord, chain, or metal rod. Pendant lights are often used in multiples, hung in a straight line over kitchen countertops and dinette sets or sometimes in bathrooms. ...
— suspended from the ceiling with a chain or pipe
- Sconce
A sconce is a type of light fixture affixed to a wall in such a way that it uses only the wall for support, and the light is usually directed upwards. It does not have a base on the ground...
— provide up or down lights; can be used to illuminate artwork, architectural details; commonly used in hallways and/or as an alternative to overhead lighting.
- Track lighting
Track lighting is a method of lighting where light fixtures are attached anywhere on a continuous track device which contains electrical conductors. This is as opposed to the routing of electrical wiring to individual light positions. Tracks can be mounted to ceilings or walls, lengthwise down...
fixture — individual fixtures ("track heads") can be positioned anywhere along the track, which provides electric power.
- Under-cabinet light — mounted below kitchen wall cabinets
- Emergency lighting or exit
Exit may refer to:* Door* Portal , an opening in the walls of a structure* Emergency exit* Overwing exit, a type of emergency exit on an airplane* Exit ramp, a feature of a road interchange-Computing:...
light — connected to a battery backup or to an electric circuit that has emergency powerEmergency power systems are a type of system, which may include lighting, generators, fuel cells and other apparatus, to provide backup power resources in a crisis or when regular systems fail. They find uses in a wide variety of settings from residential homes to hospitals, scientific...
if the mains power fails
- High- and low-bay lighting — typically used for general lighting for industrial buildings and often big-box store
A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store...
s
- Strip lights or industrial lighting — often long lines of fluorescent lamps used in a warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
or factoryA factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
- Outdoor lighting and landscape lighting — used to illuminate walkways, parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
s, roadways, building exteriors and architectural details, gardenA garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s, and parkA park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s, .
- Pole
-General:*Poles, people originating from inbitating or inhabiting the country of Poland*Pole -Fictional:*Jill Pole, a fictional character from C. S...
- or stanchionA stanchion is an upright bar or post, often providing support for some other object.* An architectural term applied to the upright iron bars in windows that pass through the eyes of the saddle bars or horizontal irons to steady the leadlight. A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often...
-mounted — for landscape, roadways, and parking lots
- Pathway lighting — typically mounted in the ground at low levels for illuminating walkways
- Bollard
A bollard is a short vertical post. Originally it meant a post used on a ship or a quay, principally for mooring. The word now also describes a variety of structures to control or direct road traffic, such as posts arranged in a line to obstruct the passage of motor vehicles...
— A type of architectural outdoor lighting that is a short, upright ground-mounted unit typically used to provide cutoff type illumination for egress lighting, to light walkways, steps, or other pathways.
- Sign light — used to light building signs or walls
- Street light pole
- Street light
A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or walkway, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night. Modern lamps may also have light-sensitive photocells to turn them on at dusk, off at dawn, or activate...
- Yard light
A yard light or garden lantern is a free standing exterior light fixture in gardens and landscaped settings. They are usually illuminated by electricity, but occasionally natural gas., usually placed near an outdoor path or driveway to provide visibility in dark areas or areas that become dark at...
- Garden lights - line and low voltage, and solar.
- Solar lamp
A solar lamp is a portable light fixture composed of a LED lamp, a photovoltaic solar panel, and a rechargeable battery.Outdoor lamps are used for lawn and garden decorations. Indoor solar lamps are also used for general illumination .Solar lights are used for decoration, and come in a wide variety...
Special-purpose lights
- Accent light — Any directional light which highlights an object or attracts attention to a particular area
- Background light
The background light is used to illuminate the background area of a set. The background light will also provide separation between the subject and the background. In the standard 4-point lighting setup, the background light is placed last and is usually placed directly behind the subject and...
— for use in video productionVideo production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
- Blacklight
- Flood light
- Safelight
A safelight is a light source suitable for use in a photographic darkroom. It provides illumination only from parts of the visible spectrum to which the photographic material in use is nearly or completely insensitive.- Design :...
(for use in a darkroomA darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
)
- Safety lamp
A safety lamp is any of several types of lamp, which are designed to be safe to use in coal mines. These lamps are designed to operate in air that may contain coal dust, methane, or firedamp, all of which are potentially flammable or explosive...
(for use in coal mines)
- Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
(for military and advertising use)
- Security lighting
In the field of physical security, security lighting is often used as a preventative and corrective measure against intrusions or other criminal activity on a physical piece of property. Security lighting may be provided to aid in the detection of intruders, to deter intruders, or in some cases...
- Step light
- Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
- Theatrical
- Stage lighting instrument
Stage lighting instruments are used in stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions, concerts, and other performances taking place in live performance venues. They are also used to light television studios and sound stages.Many stagecraft terms vary between the United States and the United...
- Intelligent lighting
Intelligent lighting refers to stage lighting that has automated or mechanical abilities beyond those of traditional, stationary illumination. Although the most advanced intelligent lights can produce extraordinarily complex effects, the intelligence lies with the programmer of the show rather...
- Followspot
A followspot, sometimes known as a spot light, is a powerful stage lighting instrument which projects a bright beam of light onto a performance space. Followspots are controlled by a spotlight operator who follows actors around the stage...
- Wallwasher
Wallwashing is a popular name for a lighting design technique for illumination of large surfaces. It is mainly used with contemporary architecture; in public cultural buildings, museums and galleries; and in landscape lighting....