Mounting devices for securing light fixtures to landscape walls

1. A mounting system for securing a light fixture to a wall comprising:

a mounting device including

a flat plate having a top planar surface and a bottom planar surface,

an elongated slot extending between said top and bottom planar surfaces and along an edge of said flat plate, and

a storage compartment defining an enclosed area underlying said bottom planar surface of said flat plate, wherein said bottom planar surface of said flat plate extends outside of said storage compartment, and wherein said top planar surface of said flat plate defines the upper-most surface of said mounting device;

said wall including a mortar layer having a top surface, wherein said mounting device is embedded in said mortar layer so that said top planar surface of said flat plate is coplanar with said top surface of said mortar layer and so that said storage compartment of said mounting device is below said top surface of said mortar layer.

2. The mounting system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a light fixture having a securing flange projecting therefrom that is insertable into said elongated slot for securing said light fixture to said mounting device.

3. The mounting system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said light fixture comprises electrical wiring insertable into said enclosed area of said storage compartment.

4. The mounting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said flat plate comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, and said top and bottom planar surfaces extend between said leading and trailing edges, wherein said elongated slot extends along said leading edge of said flat plate, and wherein said storage compartment extends between said leading and trailing edges of said flat plate.

5. The mounting system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said flat plate has first and second lateral edges extending between said leading and trailing edges, said leading and trailing edges defining the width of said flat plate and said first and second lateral edges defining the length of said flat plate, wherein said bottom planar surface extends along the length of said flat plate to at least one of said first and second lateral edges of said flat plate, and wherein said storage compartment is located adjacent one of said first and second lateral edges of said flat plate.

6. The mounting system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said storage compartment has a front opening extending along said leading edge of said flat plate and a rear opening extending along said trailing edge of said flat plate, and wherein said system further comprises a peelable, adhesive label covering said front opening of said storage compartment and at least a portion of said elongated slot.

7. The mounting system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said storage compartment includes a bottom wall that opposes said bottom planar surface and a pair of opposing side walls that extend from said bottom wall to said bottom planar surface for defining said enclosed area of said storage compartment.

8. The mounting system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said bottom wall of said storage compartment is parallel with said top and bottom planar surfaces of said flat plate and said pair of opposing sidewalls of said storage compartment are perpendicular to said top and bottom planar surfaces of said flat plate.

9. The mounting system as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a conduit adapter coupled with said storage compartment, said conduit adapter having at least one opening aligned with said rear opening of said storage compartment.

10. The mounting system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said conduit adapter comprises:

a support plate having an inner face and an outer face;

a plug projecting from said inner face of said support plate, said plug having an outer perimeter that closely matches an inner perimeter of said rear opening of said storage compartment for forming a frictional engagement between said plug and said rear opening, wherein said at least one opening passes through said support plate and said plug.

11. The mounting system as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising a conduit coupled with said at least one opening, wherein said conduit has a central opening adapted to receive electrical wiring connectable with said light fixture.

12. The mounting system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said at least one opening in said conduit adapter comprises two or more openings extending through said support plate and said plug, and wherein each of said conduit adapters has a conduit coupled therewith.

13. The mounting said as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said elongated slot formed in said flat plate has a length of about 4-8 inches and a width of about 0.030-0.050 inches.

14. The mounting system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said securing flange projecting from said light fixture has a thickness that closely matches the width of said elongated slot for forming a friction fit when said securing flange is inserted into said elongated slot, and wherein said light fixture has a flat back side that closes said front opening of said storage compartment when said securing flange is fully inserted into said elongated slot of said mounting device.

15. A mounting system for securing a light fixture to a landscape wall comprising:

a mounting device comprising

a flat plate having a leading edge a trailing edge, and top and bottom planar surfaces extending between said leading and trailing edges,

an elongated slot formed in said flat plate, said elongated slot extending between said top and bottom planar surfaces and along said leading edge of said flat plate,

a storage compartment underlying said flat plate, said storage compartment defining an enclosed area extending between said leading and trailing edges of said flat plate, wherein said storage compartment has a front opening extending along said leading edge of said flat plate and a rear opening extending along said trailing edge of said flat plate, wherein said bottom planar surface of said flat plate extends outside of said storage compartment, and wherein said top planar surface of said flat plate defines the upper-most surface of said mounting device;

a conduit adapter coupled with said storage compartment, said conduit adapter having at least one opening aligned with said rear opening of said storage compartment for providing access to said enclosed area of said storage compartment; and

a conduit coupled with said at least one opening, wherein said conduit has a central opening adapted to receive electrical wiring;

said landscape wall including a mortar layer having a top surface, wherein said mounting device is embedded in said mortar layer so that said top planar surface of said flat plate is coplanar with said top surface of said mortar layer and so that said storage compartment of said mounting device is below said top surface of said mortar layer.

16. The mounting system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said storage compartment includes a bottom wall that opposes said bottom planar surface of said flat plate and a pair of opposing side walls that extend from said bottom wall to said bottom planar surface of said flat plate for defining said enclosed area of said storage compartment, and wherein said bottom wall of said storage compartment is bifurcated into a first part and a second part with an elongated gap extending between said first and second parts.

17. The mounting system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said landscape wall comprises a top row of blocks and said mounting device overlies said top row of blocks.

18. The mounting system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said mortar layer overlies said top row of blocks.

19. The mounting system as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of mounting devices embedded within said mortar layer and spaced from one another along a length of said landscape wall.

20. The mounting system as claimed in claim 19 , further comprising light fixtures secured to each of said mounting devices, each said light fixture having a securing flange inserted into one of said elongated slots and electrical wiring packed into one of said enclosed areas, wherein each said light fixture has a flat back side that closes said front opening of said storage compartment when said securing flange is fully inserted into said elongated slot of said mounting device.

21. A mounting system for securing a light fixture to a wall comprising:

a mounting device including

a flat plate having a top planar surface and a bottom planar surface,

an elongated slot extending between said top and bottom planar surfaces and along an edge of said flat plate, and

a storage compartment defining an enclosed area underlying said bottom planar surface of said flat plate, wherein said storage compartment includes a bottom wall that opposes said bottom planar surface and a pair of opposing side walls that extend from said bottom wall to said bottom planar surface for defining said enclosed area of said storage compartment, said bottom wall of said storage compartment being bifurcated into a first part and a second part with an elongated gap extending between said first and second parts, and wherein said bottom planar surface of said flat plate extends outside of said storage compartment.

22. The mounting system as claimed in claim 21 , further comprising a mortar layer having a top surface overlying a row of blocks of said wall, wherein said mounting device is embedded in said mortar layer so that said top planar surface of said flat plate is coplanar with said top planar surface of said mortar layer and so that said storage compartment of said mounting device is below said top surface of said mortar layer.