Remote control, moveable lighting system

• US 4,712,167 A
• Filed: 06/30/1986
• Issued: 12/08/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mycro-Group Company
• Original Assignee: Mycro-Group Company
• Inventors: Gordin, Myron K., Drost, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Larry
• Application Number:
  US06/880,187
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 362/233, 362/61, 362/66, 362/67, 362/85
• US Class Current: 362/233
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/245 Searchlights, e.g. adjustable from within the vehicle adjustable headlights B60Q1/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/30 Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 14/04 carried on wheeled supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/15 specially adapted for power operation, e.g. by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/22 telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/10 Outdoor lighting

Abstract

A mobile, variable effect lighting device including a mobile base platform to which is mounted an adjustably positionable and extendable boom. A lighting array frame having one or more luminaire assembly units is hingeably mounted to the outer end of the boom. Each luminaire assembly unit, in turn, is individually vertically and horizontally adjustable. Appropriate motor or power mechanisms are operably connected to the luminaire assembly units, the lighting array frame, and the boom to allow automatic and remote adjustability and operation of these components. A control circuitry is operatively connected to the luminaire assembly units and the motor or power mechanisms and has a control unit by which a remote operator can control operation of luminaire assembly units, and their orientation with respect to a target area.

Claims

1. A self-powered, mobile, controllable, and variable effect lighting device for high power, high intensity large scale lighting applications comprising:

a mobile base platform which is moveably positionable along the ground;

a boom mounted upon said base platform and having an outer end which is adjustably swivelable, tiltable, collapsible and extendable with respect to said base platform;

a lighting array frame adjustably mounted to said outer end of said boom, said lighting array frame being independently tiltable in addition to being orientational according to the adjustable positioning of said boom;

at least one luminaire assembly unit, each producing a lightbeam and being adjustably mounted to said lighting array frame, each said luminaire assembly unit being independently pannable and tiltable in addition to being orientational according to the adjustable positioning of said boom;

luminaire mounting means connected between each said luminaire assembly unit and said lighting array frame for adjustably mounting each said luminaire assembly unit to said lighting array frame to allow independent panning and tilting of each luminaire assembly unit;

actuator means operatively associated with said luminaire mounting means and said lighting array frame for causing adjustable panning and tilting of each said luminaire assembly unit with respect to said lighting array frame;

first motor means operatively associated with the said lighting array frame for causing the adjustable movement of said lighting array frame with respect to said boom;

second motor means operatively associated with each said luminaire assembly unit for allowing selective adjustment of the width of said corresponding light beam;

power means operatively associated with said boom for causing adjustable movement of said boom with respect to said base platform;

generator means on said mobile base platform for producing different electrical power levels, including sufficient electrical power to operate the high power, high intensity large scale lighting of each said luminaire assembly unit, and for producing sufficient electrical lower-levels of power for other elements of the lighting device, and for auxiliary devices;

control circuitry mounted to said base platform for supplying operating power from said generator means to each said luminaire assembly unit, actuator means, first and second motor means, and power means;

ballast means secured to said mobile base platform to provide ballast between said generator means and each of said luminaire assembly unit;

switching means operatively connected between said generator means and said ballast means to provide switching for the high electrical power for each said high intensity, large scale lighting luminaire assembly unit, said switching means being controlled by signals from said control circuitry; and

control means associated with and in operative communication with said control circuitry for allowing control of the beam of orientation of each luminaire assembly unit and of the vertical and horizontal positioning of said lighting array frame, said control means including first and second manual control panels, said first control panel being positioned on said mobile base platform and operatively connected by electrical conduits to said control circuitry, said second control panel being operatively connected to said control circuitry and being manually moveable to a location away from said mobile base platform.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said mobile base platform comprises a self-locomoting truck.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said boom is collapsible to a size which can be carried on said mobile base platform.

4. The device of claim 1 including a plurality of luminaire assembly units.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said luminaire mounting means is hingeably adjustable to allow adjustment of each luminaire assembly unit.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said actuator means comprises a first linear panning actuator for adjusting said luminaire assembly unit horizontally, and a second linear tilting actuator for adjusting said luminaire assembly unit vertically.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said luminaire assembly units further comprise a luminaire fixture, a lamp and a reflector, said lamp being adjustably mounted to said luminaire fixture and being movable with respect to said reflector in response to said second motor means so that the width of the beam of said luminaire assembly unit can be narrowed or widened.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said mobile base platform further comprises all ballast means for said luminaire assembly units, all power sources, and all switching controls so that said device is mobile, self-contained, and self-powered.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said mobile base platform further comprises auxiliary power supplies for producing auxiliary power.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said control means is operatively connected to said control circuitry on said mobile base platform.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said second control panel is operatively connected by extendable wires to said control circuitry mounted on said mobile base platform, said second control panel being moveable to a remote location according to the length of said wires.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said control means further includes a third control panel comprising a portable radio signal transmitter which communicates control signals with a radio signal receiver positioned and operatively connected to said control circuitry on said base platform.

13. The device of claim 1 further comprising a beam altering rack which can be operatively mounted to said lighting array frame in front of any said luminaire assembly unit, said light altering rack having properties for altering the light beam emanating from said luminaire assembly unit.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said light altering rack diffuses said beam.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein said light altering rack alters the color of said beam.

16. A method of providing self-powered, moveable, controllable, variable lighting, high power, high intensity large scale lighting applications for target areas such as for movie sets and the like comprising:

moving a moveable base including an adjustably positionable swivelable, tiltable, collapsible and extendable boom with and adjustably positionable lighting array frame having a plurality of adjustably positionable luminaire assembly units mounted thereon to a desired position relative to said target area said luminaire assembly units being independently pannable and tiltable in addition to being orientational according to adjustable positioning of the lighting array frame and the boom;

adjusting said boom to a desired position relative to said target area;

orienting said lighting array frame to a desired position relative to said target area by remote control at a position remote from said lighting array frame;

orienting at least one of said luminaire assembly units as desired with respect to said target area by remote control at a position remote from said luminaire assembly unit;

generating electrical power from a generator means positioned on said moveable base to deliver sufficiently high power to operate each said luminaire assembly unit and to deliver sufficient power to various other power levels for use by electrical activators and motors to adjustably position said boom, lighting array frame, and each luminaire assembly unit to desired orientations;

producing a light beam for each utilized luminaire assembly unit according to desire with respect to said target area by remote control at a position remote from said luminaire assembly unit; and

adjusting the beam characteristics or orientation of any said luminaire assembly unit, the position of said lighting array frame or boom, or the position of said moveable base with respect to said target area to achieve the desired lighting characteristics at said target area by remote control at a position remote from any said luminaire assembly unit, said lighting array frame, and said boom.