Portable cockpit light assembly

• US 5,031,080 A
• Filed: 05/24/1990
• Issued: 07/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gulton Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gulton Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Stawitzky, James K., Sharp, Stephen A., Aikens, Wallace R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cole, Richard R.
• Application Number:
  US07/528,971
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 362/284, 362/282, 362/293, 362/187, 362/208, 362/322, 362/324, 362/18, 362/62
• US Class Current: 362/471
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/04 for filtering out infrared radiation dichroic reflectors F21V7/22; using liquid-filled chambers F21V9/12
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/083 for portable lighting devices

Abstract

A portable incandescent light assembly having a selectably interposable filter is disclosed. The light assembly is particularly applicable to night vision situations for airplane pilots. The light assembly comprises a housing in which a light source and a filter for filtering out infra-red light are located. The light assembly further comprises a mechanism for rotating the filter within the housing between a filtering position in which the filter is disposed across a light output axis and a non-filtering position in which the filter is disposed parallel to the light output axis.

Claims

1. A filterable light assembly comprising:

a housing member,

a light source in said housing member for producing light along a path,

an actuator member slidable with respect to said housing member,

a filter carrier mounted for translatory movement together with said actuator member relative to said light source, for blocking a predetermined portion of light from said source,

said filter carrier being pivotable relative to said actuator member between a first position transverse to said light path to block light from said light source and a second position substantially parallel to said path to allow substantially full passage of light from said light source, and

cooperating means on said housing and said filter carrier responsive to said movement of said actuator member for causing said filter carrier to pivot between said first and second positions.

2. A light assembly as in claim 1 where said cooperating means comprises a pivot pin on said filter carrier, an aperture in said housing and an aperture in said actuator member, said pin passing through both said apertures.

3. A light assembly as in claim 2 wherein said cooperating means comprises a bell crank arrangement on said filter carrier.

4. A light assembly as in claim 1 wherein said cooperating means comprises a bell crank arrangement on said filter carrier.

5. A light assembly as in claim 4 wherein said bell crank arrangement comprises a first pair of pins on one side of said filter carrier and a second pair of pins on the other side of said carrier, the line joining said first pair of pins being substantially perpendicular to the line forming the second pair of pins.

6. A light assembly as in claim 5 further comprising apertures in said housing through which said pins extend, said apertures having edges cooperable with said pins to cause said filter carrier to pass in response to movement of said actuator member between a first carrier position transverse to the path of light emitted from said light source to a second carrier position substantially parallel with said path.

7. A light assembly as in claim 1 wherein

said housing has a first aperture on one side thereof and a second aperture on the other side thereof,

said filter carrier has a pivot pin extending outwardly through each of said apertures,

said filter carrier also having a first cam pin, adjacent to but axially spaced from one of said pivot pins and also has a second cam pin adjacent to but peripherally spaced from the other of said pivot pins.

8. A light assembly as in claim 7 wherein said first aperture has an edge cooperable with one of said cam pins to cause said filter carrier to pivot through a first angle about said pivot pins upon translation of said actuator member and said carrier.

9. A light assembly as in claim 8 wherein said second aperture has an edge periphery cooperable with the other of said cam pins to cause said filter carrier to pivot about said pivot pins through a second angle supplementing said first angle upon further translation of said actuator member and said filter carrier.

10. A light assembly as in claim 1 wherein

said housing member has a shoulder,

said filter carrier conforming to said shoulder to form a light seal for light emitted from said source,

said cooperating mens being responsive to movement of said actuator member to cause said filter carrier to translate away from said shoulder while transverse to the path of said light and upon further movement of said actuator member to pivot to a position substantially parallel to said path.

11. A light assembly as in claim 1 further including a reflector for said light source,

means for moving said light source and reflector relative to one another between a first position producing a flood-light type of illumination and a second position producing a spot-light type of illumination.

12. A light assembly as in claim 1 wherein said light source comprises

a lamp bulb,

a reflector, and

means operable outside said housing for moving said lamp bulb and reflector relative to one another to vary the spread of light output from said assembly.

13. A light assembly as in claim 12, wherein said latter means comprises

a ring rotatable relative to said housing,

a member supporting said lamp bulb within said housing, said member having a helical slot therein,

an axial slot in said housing,

a pin fixed to said member and slidable in both said slots whereby rotation of said ring causes axial movement of said member and lamp bulb.

14. A cockpit light assembly for selectably either barring illumination by infra-red light from a light source or having both visible and infra-red light, comprising:

an actuator member,

a filter adapted to block infra-red light while passing visible light,

a carrier for said filter pivotally supported within said actuator member,

a housing surrounding said filter carrier,

said housing having camming apertures therein on opposite sides thereof, and

a camming pin passing through each of said apertures and secured to said filter carrier,

whereby slidable movement of said actuator member translates said filter carrier within said housing,

said apertures and camming pins being arranged to cause said pins to pivot said filter carrier upon translation of said actuator member.

15. Apparatus as in claim 14, further comprising pivot pins on said carrier

wherein said apertures have channels confining said pivot pins to movement along the axis of said light source.

16. A cockpit light assembly for selectively blocking infra-red light from a light source producing both visible and infra-red light, comprising

a tubular housing supporting said light source,

an actuator tube slidably surrounding said housing,

an infra-red filter,

a carrier for said filter pivotally supported by said actuator tube within said housing,

said housing having an axially extending aperture on either side of the housing,

a pair of pivot pins passing through said actuator tube and respective aperture and secured to said filter carrier,

a first cam pin secured to said filter carrier on one side thereof axially spaced from one of said pivot pins,

a second cam pin secured to said filter carrier opposite said first pin and circumferentially spaced from said second pivot pin,

the aperture for said first cam pin having a circumferentially extending extension at the forward end thereof,

the aperture for said second cam pin having a circumferentially extending extension at the rearward end thereof,

whereby axial translation of said actuator tube will cause said cam pins by engagement with their respective apertures to cause said filter carrier to pivot about said pivot pins.