ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMBER

• US 3,746,080 A
• Filed: 04/07/1971
• Issued: 07/17/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roy E. Mallory
• Original Assignee: Roy E. Mallory
• Inventors: Mallory, Roy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sukalo, Charles
• Application Number:
  US05/131,879
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 165/19,20,21,22,60,64
• US Class Current: 165/229
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/249 Lighting means with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/00 Air-conditioning systems or apparatus not covered by F24F1/00 or F24F3/00 , e.g. using solar heat or combined with household units such as an oven or water heater
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

An environmental chamber wherein conditions of temperature, humidity, and daylight are simulated to most nearly approximate conditions found in nature. The chamber uses an Xenon lamp as a light source to closely simulate natural sunlight. Within the chamber, light from the Xenon lamp is changeably filtered so as to produce light conditions that nearly approximate the varying sun conditions which exist throughout a typical normal day at a particular location. Temperature and humidity are controlled by air conditioning and heating systems that are programmed to produce atmospheric conditions within the chamber in simulation of actual environmental conditions.

Claims

1. An environmental chamber comprising an enclosure having a top;

a bottom;

end walls interconnecting said top and said bottom;

side walls interconnecting said top, bottom, and end walls;

a light generating source producing light having a spectrum closely approaching that of natural daylight positioned close to and beneath the top;

circuit means connecting said light generating source to a source of electricity filter means below the light generating means and above the bottom;

means for positioning said filter means to stretch substatnially between the end and side walls;

air conditioning means having mEans for circulating air through the chamber above and below the filter means, means for heating the circulated air, means for cooling the circulated air, and means for adding moisture to the air; and

means, including a control panel on the chamber for establishing air temperature, and humidity in the chamber.

2. An environmental chamber as in claim 1, wherein the filter means comprises a rolled screen of partially opaque material.

3. An environmental chamber as in claim 2, wherein the means for positioning the screen comprises a spring-type reel on which the screen is wound, a take-up reel at least one cable connecting an end of the screen and the take-up reel and a reversible motor arranged to reversibly drive the take-up reel.

4. An environmental chamber as in claim 3, wherein the filter means comprises a plurality of filters of different degrees opaqueness;

and the means for positioning said filter means comprises programming means to selectively position the filters whereby the lgiht spectrum at the side of the filters opposite the light generating source can be varied as necessary to coorrespond to natural daylight spectrum.

5. An environmental chamber as in claim 4, wherein the plurality of filters are continuously connected to form the roller screen.

6. An environmental chamber as in claim 4, wherein at least some of the filters are arranged to be stretched in layers beneath the Xenon lamp.

7. An environmental chamber as in claim 1, wherein the light generating source is an Xenon lamp.

8. An environmental chamber as in claim 7, further including means for continuously circulating a coolant around the Xenon lamp.

9. An environmental chamber as in claim 1, wherein the filter means comprises a plurality of filters of different degrees opaqueness;

and the means for positioning said filter means comrpises programming means to selectively position the filters whereby the light spectrum at the side of the filters opposite the light generating source can be varied as necessary to correspond to natural daylight spectrum.