High-intensity light source for a fiber optics illumination system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A light source for a light conduit illumination system, comprising:
- (a) a housing having sidewalls and a top and a bottom;
(b) a high-intensity lamp mounted within said housing;
(c) at least one light conduit having two ends, one said end being a light-receiving end, the other said end being a transmitting end, said light-receiving end being disposed within said housing on a line-of-sight with said lamp;
(d) a concave light focusing reflector disposed adjacent said light source along said line-of-sight such that said lamp is between said light-receiving end of said light conduit and said lamp, for focusing the light from said light source at a focal point remote from said light source, with said light-receiving end of said light conduit being disposed near said focal point;
(e) a light-transmitting envelope enclosing said light-receiving end of said light conduit secured within said housing, and means for sealing said light-transmitting envelope, thereby preventing deterioration of said light conduit due to chemical reactions with air; and
(f) a fan disposed between said lamp and said light-receiving end of said light conduit, said fan positioned to blow directly on said light-receiving end of said light conduit, and means for driving said fan.
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Abstract
A system comprising a high-intensity lamp, a focusing reflector for directing focused light into a light conduit (fiber optic), a rotating fan between the lamp and the light conduit is disclosed. The system may include a cooling duct that the fan blows through and an air inlet in the housing. Further embodiments may include a color wheel or rotating shutter. The system can use either glass or plastic light conduits.
93 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A light source for a light conduit illumination system, comprising:
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(a) a housing having sidewalls and a top and a bottom; (b) a high-intensity lamp mounted within said housing; (c) at least one light conduit having two ends, one said end being a light-receiving end, the other said end being a transmitting end, said light-receiving end being disposed within said housing on a line-of-sight with said lamp; (d) a concave light focusing reflector disposed adjacent said light source along said line-of-sight such that said lamp is between said light-receiving end of said light conduit and said lamp, for focusing the light from said light source at a focal point remote from said light source, with said light-receiving end of said light conduit being disposed near said focal point; (e) a light-transmitting envelope enclosing said light-receiving end of said light conduit secured within said housing, and means for sealing said light-transmitting envelope, thereby preventing deterioration of said light conduit due to chemical reactions with air; and (f) a fan disposed between said lamp and said light-receiving end of said light conduit, said fan positioned to blow directly on said light-receiving end of said light conduit, and means for driving said fan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A light source for a light conduit illumination system, comprising:
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(a) a housing having sidewalls and a top and and a bottom, and further including a housing air inlet in one said sidewall; (b) a high intensity lamp mounted within said housing; (c) at least one light conduit having two ends, one said end being a light-receiving end, the other said end being a light-transmitting end, said light-receiving end being disposed within said housing on a line-of-sight with said lamp; (d) a means for focusing light from said light source along said line-of-sight and directing the focused light toward said light-receiving end of said light conduit; (e) a light-transmitting envelope enclosing said light-receiving end of said light conduit secured within said housing, and means for sealing said light-transmitting envelope, thereby reducing deterioration of said light conduit due to chemical reactions with air; (f) a fan disposed between said lamp and said light-receiving end of said light conduit, said fan being positioned to blow directly onto said envelope, and means for driving said fan; (g) a cooling duct within said housing, said cooling duct including a cooling duct air inlet disposed adjacent said fan so that said fan blows directly into said cooling duct air inlet, and said cooling duct terminating in an exhaust port in one said sidewall of said housing, said cooling duct further comprising an elbow intermediate said cooling duct air inlet and said exhaust port. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A light source for a light conduit illumination system, comprising:
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(a) a housing having sidewalls and a top and a bottom; (b) a light source mounted within said housing; (c) at least one light conduit having two ends, one said end being a light-receiving end, and the other said end being a light-transmitting end, said light-receiving end being disposed within said housing on a line-of-sight with said light source; (d) cooling means for cooling said light-receiving end of said at least one light conduit, said cooling means being mounted in said housing and disposed between said light source and said light-receiving end of said at least one said light conduit; (e) said cooling means further comprising a fan and a means for driving the fan; (f) a cooling duct having a cooling duct air inlet disposed adjacent said fan, said fan being positioned to blow into said cooling duct, and an exhaust outlet, for exhausting air from said housing; (g) an air inlet in a sidewall of said housing, for admitting ambient air from outside said housing as said fan blows air out of said housing through said cooling duct; and (h) said cooling duct further comprising an elbow having substantially a ninety degree bend disposed intermediate said cooling means and said exhaust outlet, and said cooling duct tapering from said elbow to said exhaust outlet. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A light source for a light conduit illumination system, comprising:
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(a) a housing having sidewalls and a top and a bottom; (b) a light source mounted within said housing; (c) at least one light conduit having two ends, said one end being a light-receiving end, and the other said end being a light-transmitting end, said light-receiving end being disposed within said housing on a line-of-sight with said light source; (d) cooling means for cooling said light-receiving end of said at least one light conduit, said cooling means being mounted in said housing and disposed between said light source and said light-receiving end of at least one said light conduit; (e) a cooling duct having a cooling air inlet disposed adjacent said cooling means, and terminating in an exhaust port in a sidewall of said housing, said cooling means being disposed to move air into said cooling air inlet and through said cooling duct; (f) an air inlet in a sidewall of said housing, for admitting ambient air from outside said housing as said cooling means blows air out of said housing through said cooling duct; and (g) said cooling duct further comprising an elbow disposed intermediate said cooling duct air inlet and said exhaust port, and said cooling duct tapering from said elbow to said exhaust port. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A light source for a light conduit illumination system, comprising:
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(a) a housing having sidewalls and a top and a bottom; (b) a light source mounted within said housing; (c) at least one light conduit having two ends, one said end being a light-receiving end, and the other said end being a light-transmitting end, said light-receiving end being disposed within said housing on a line-of-sight with said light source and displaced therefrom such that a gap is created between said light source and said light-receiving end of said at least one light conduit; (d) cooling means for cooling the light-receiving end of said at least one light conduit, said cooling means further comprising an axial flow propeller-type impeller having a plurality of vanes extending radially therefrom and at a selected pitch, said impeller positioned relative to said gap between said source of light and the light-receiving end of said at least one light conduit such that when the impeller is rotated the radially extending vanes are transported through the gap and intercept the light being directed along the path from the light source to the light-receiving end of said at least one light conduit; and (e) means for driving said impeller. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification