Means and method for increasing output, efficiency, and flexibility of use of an arc lamp

• US 5,161,883 A
• Filed: 11/29/1991
• Issued: 11/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Musco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Musco Corporation
• Inventors: Gordin, Myron K., Drost, Jim L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cole, Richard R.
• Application Number:
  US07/800,222
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 362/261, 362/263, 362/264, 362/265, 362/269, 362/296, 362/427, 362/297, 362/298, 362/346, 362/350, 313/25, 313/634, 313/317
• US Class Current: 362/263
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/04 by movement of reflectors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/675
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0066 specially adapted to cooperate with point like light sources; specially adapted to cooperate with light sources the shape of which is unspecified F21V7/16 - F21V7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/10 Outdoor lighting

Abstract

A means and method for increasing the amount, efficiency, and flexibility of use of light from an arc lamp. A first aspect of the invention includes an arc lamp in a lighting fixture wherein the arc tube positioned within the arc lamp has a longitudinal axis which is offset and/or tilted from the general longitudinal axis of the arc lamp. A second aspect of the invention involves methods and structures to position the arc tube of an arc lamp in a generally horizontal or vertical position irregardless of the aiming direction for the light from the arc lamp, and any related reflecting apparatus. The longitudinal axis of the arc tube can either be offset and/or tilted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the arc lamp, or they can be coaxial and the entire arc lamp can be positioned horizontally or vertically, offset and/or tilted from the aiming direction of the fixture and any attendant reflecting structure. A third aspect of the invention utilizes methods and structure to adjust the arc lamp to a desired rotational orientation with respect to a reflecting structure. A fourth aspect of the invention involves apparatus to allow desired mounting of the arc lamp to insure the desired orientation of the arc tube with respect to the arc lamp and to any mounting or reflecting structure.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture for controlled lighting to a target area comprising:

a mounting means;

an arc lamp having a longitudinal axis mountable to the mounting means;

a generally symmetrical, concave reflector of a rotated three-dimensional shape having an open face and a reflecting surface, incorporating at least one of spheroid, paraboloid, ellipsoid, hyperploid shapes or combined portions thereof rotated about an aiming axis of the reflector, and mountable to the mounting means, the aiming axis generally extending out of the open face of the reflector;

an arc tube inside the arc lamp, the arc tube having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

the longitudinal axis of the arc tube diverging from the aiming axis of the reflector but always extending in one direction and out of the open face of the reflector wherein the longitudinal axis of the arc tube is oriented in a substantially horizontal position during operation of the arc lamp, although the aiming axis of the reflector is tilted between 10 and 60 degrees below horizontal so that the reflector maintains capture and control of light from the arc lamp for a controlled, concentrated beam, the arc tube is kept in a substantially horizontally position to reduce or eliminate loss of light output from the arc tube caused by tilt factor, and the lighting fixture allows control and reshaping of the beam configuration; and

the reflector including a reflector altering means associated with at least a portion of the reflecting surface of the reflector to alter reflecting surface of the reflector.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the reflector altering means comprises a modified reflector surface integrated with a reflector.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the reflector altering means comprises a removable reflector shield mounted in the reflector.

4. The lighting fixture of claim 3 wherein the removable reflector shield comprises a plurality of strips of reflecting surface covering a portion of the reflector.

5. The lighting fixture of claim 1 further comprising a reflector visor means extending outwardly from the reflector.

6. The lighting fixture of claim 5 wherein the reflector visor means is positioned on and extends outwardly from the upper perimeter of the reflector means.

7. The lighting fixture of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of reflector visors extending substantially outward at or near the open face of the reflector.

8. The lighting fixture of claim 1 further comprising a lamp cover means positioned in a covering relationship over a portion of the reflector.

9. A method of lighting comprising:

mounting an arc lamp into a mounting means, the arc lamp including an arc tube having a longitudinal axis;

positioning the arc lamp inside a generally symmetrical, concave reflector of a rotated shape having an open face and a reflecting surface incorporating at least one of spheroid, paraboloid, ellipsoid, hyperploid shapes or combined portions thereof rotated about an aiming axis of the reflector, the aiming axis generally extending out of the open face of the reflector;

diverging the longitudinal axis of the arc tube from the aiming axis of the reflector but always extending in one direction out of the open face of the reflector, wherein the longitudinal axis of the arc tube is oriented in a substantially horizontal position during operation of the arc lamp although the axis of the reflector is tilted between 10 and 60 degress below horizontal so that the reflector maintains capture and control of light from the arc tube for a controlled, concentrated beam, the arc tube is kept in a substantially horizontally position to reduce or eliminate loss of light output from the arc tube caused by tilt factor, and the lighting is controlled and reshaped to produce a beam configuration; and

altering the reflecting surface of a portion of the reflector from the remaining portions of the reflector to change reflecting properties of the reflector.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the portion of the reflector is changed by modifying the reflecting surface on the reflector.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the portion of the reflector is modified by adding a reflector shield to the reflector.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the reflector shield comprises a plurality of strips of reflecting surfaces covering a portion of the reflector.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising adding one or more reflector visors to the reflector extending outwardly from the reflector.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising adding a covering means over at least a portion of the arc lamp.

15. A method for selectively controlling light from one or more wide-scale lighting luminary assembly units for providing light to a target area, each luminary assembly unit including an arc lamp having an arc tube with a long axis and an equator mounted in a reflector having a reflecting surface and an aiming axis, comprising:

determining precise lighting requirements of the target area;

determining desired lighting characteristics of each luminary assembly unit so that composite wide-scale lighting for the target area will meet the selected requirements; and

changing lamp and reflector lighting and reflecting properties of at least one of each luminary assembly unit to produce composite wide-scale lighting with desired lighting characteristics by utilizing as needed, a lamp shield means covering at least a portion of the arc lamp, a reflector visor means extending from the reflector, a reflector modifying means associated with at least a portion of the reflecting surface of the reflector, and mounting the arc lamp in a generally bowl or dish shaped reflector means having an open face, the reflector means substantially surrounding the equator of the arc tube to capture and reflectively control a substantial portion of light emanating from the arc tube, but the aiming axis of the reflector means is not generally coaxial with the long axis of the arc tube, the long axis of the arc tube diverging from the aiming axis of the relector means and extending out from the open face of said reflector means.