Adjustable lamp

• US 4,337,506 A
• Filed: 02/01/1980
• Issued: 06/29/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James I. Terada
• Original Assignee: James I. Terada
• Inventors: Terada, James I.
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DONALD P
• Application Number:
  US06/117,646
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 362/139, 362/142, 362/143, 362/296, 362/307, 362/410, 362/417, 362/298, 362/346
• US Class Current: 362/142
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/002 Table lamps, e.g. for ambient lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/005 with a lamp housing maintained at a distance from the floor or ground via a support, e.g. standing lamp for ambient lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/02 with provision for adjustment F21V17/04 - F21V17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting

Abstract

An adjustable floor or table lamp has a diffuser globe surrounding a light source for providing general diffuse light in a room, and an adjustable reflector above the diffuser for reflecting a portion of the light and thereby intensifying the light in a reading area. The diffuser may be open at its top for directing brighter light to the reflector and thus to the reading area. The reflector may be a two-sided mirror, with one side planar and the other non-planar, with the mirror mounted on a horizontal pivot axis over the diffuser and light source. In other embodiments an adjustable lamp includes multiple mirrors receiving light from a single source and reflecting it in concentrated beams in different directions. A small mirror may be positioned between a larger mirror and the light source, or the mirror closer to the source may be partially transmissive, or both mirrors may be together in a compound gimbaled apparatus, with the mirrors separately adjustable. In any event, the mirrors preferably are mounted for adjustment along two rotational axes so that any desired position can be attained.

Claims

1. A split-beam lighting apparatus for concentrating light from a single source in a plurality of localized areas, comprising:

a frame;

a single light source capable of providing a substantially unidirectional beam of light, supported on the frame,

a plurality of reflecting mirrors positioned in the path of said unidirectional beam of light, with means supporting the mirrors on the frame;

means associated with the mirrors for dividing the light among the mirrors; and

means associated with each of the mirrors for enabling adjustment of the angular orientations of the mirrors to reflect light in a separately selectable direction, to selected localized areas.

2. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a base to which the light source is affixed and a pair of generally parallel support posts extending perpendicularly from the base, and wherein the means supporting the mirrors on the frame includes means connected to the support posts for providing separate adjustment of the distance of each mirror from the light source.

3. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for providing separate adjustment comprises, for each mirror, a transverse support member extending between the support posts, each end of the transverse support member including a slidable adjustment sleeve positioned over the adjacent support post, with the mirrors connected to the transverse support members.

4. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 2, including at each mirror a gimbal ring pivotally mounting the mirror for rotation about one axis and a pair of slidable adjustment sleeves pivotally mounting the gimbal ring about an axis perpendicular to the one axis, said sleeves being positioned over the support posts of the frame and including position locking means, serving as said means for providing separate adjustment of the mirrors.

5. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for enabling adjustment of the angular orientations of the mirrors includes means for pivoting each of the mirrors about two perpendicular rotational axes.

6. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first of the mirrors is shaped generally annularly with a central opening, and a second mirror is smaller and positioned within the opening, and pivotally supported by the first mirror so that the two mirrors are separately adjustable.

7. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first of said mirrors is closest to the light source and smaller than the width of the concentrated light beam, and a second mirror is more distant and larger than the first mirror, so that light passing by the first mirror is reflected by the second.

8. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second mirror is concave, to concentrate the ring or light passing by the first mirror.

9. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mirrors are arranged in succession and the mirror most distant from the light source is the only fully reflective mirror, the others being partially light-transmissive.

10. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light source and mirrors are supported within a housing comprising a portion of the frame and adapted for mounting with the concentrated light beam from the source oriented horizontally, with an open bottom on the housing, and including a pair of parallel support track members of said frame extending horizontally through and affixed to the housing, with the mirrors pivotally connected to the support track members.

11. The split-beam lighting apparatus of claim 10, further including, at each mirror, means enabling angular adjustment about multiple axes.