Compact luminaire system

• US 5,882,107 A
• Filed: 11/16/1995
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Vari-Lite, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bornhorst, James M., Huggins, Timothy G., Stacy, Timothy D., Hanson, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/558,454
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 362/293, 362/281, 362/282, 362/283, 362/284, 362/319, 362/322, 362/323, 362/324, 362/294, 362/373, 362/233
• US Class Current: 362/281
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/02 changing colors F21S10/002 - F21S10/007, F21S10/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/15 specially adapted for power operation, e.g. by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means

Abstract

A highly compact, light weight automated luminaire is disclosed having a head unit mounted on a support structure which provides pan and tilt of the head unit. The latter includes beam controlling optics providing precise control over beam parameters including color. Groups of the instruments are remotely controlled from a digital controller such as a PC connected by cable or a wireless link to the instruments. The lights each include processors for processing comands from the digital controller. By reason of its light weight and compactness, the luminaire is suitable for many applications barred to conventional automated lighting fixtures.

Claims

1. A multiple parameter lighting arrangement including a lighting instrument comprising a housing containing a light beam source and a color changing mechanism, said color changing mechanism;

includes a set of individually movable optical elements disposed radially about a light beam emanating from said light beam source;

said optical elements being interconnected for coordinate movement with an element driving mechanism having a clutch characteristic;

said elements also being associated with sets of stops whereby cycling said driving mechanism automatically registers said elements.

2. A multiple parameter lighting arrangement including a lighting instrument comprising a housing containing a light beam source and a color changing mechanism, and a remotely controlled movable supporting structure connected to said housing for varying the position of said beam;

said movable supporting structure includes a motor, rotational bearings, and a driving transmission for moving said housing, said driving transmission including a pulley system incorporating resilient means for preloading said bearings.

3. A color changing mechanism for use in a lighting instrument having a light beam source, said color changing mechanism being located to intercept said light beam and further comprising a set of individually movable optical elements disposed radially of said beam;

an element driving transmission interconnecting said elements to coordinately move them to produce color change;

said driving transmission having a resilient section disposed circumferentially on a driving component and engaging said driving component with at least one driven component by applying a side force against said driven component.

4. A color changing mechanism for use in a lighting instrument having a light beam source, said color changing mechanism being located to intercept said light beam and further comprising a set of individually movable optical elements disposed radially of said beam;

an element driving transmission interconnecting said elements to coordinately move them to produce color change;

said driving transmission having a resilient section engaging a drive component with at least one driven component, said driving transmission including a clutch section and said color changing mechanism also including stops associated with said elements whereby cycling said driving transmission automatically registers said elements.

5. A beam changing mechanism for use in a lighting instrument having a light beam source, said beam changing mechanism being located to intercept said light beam and further comprising a set of individually movable optical elements of generally triangular or truncated shape having a base side and at least two other sides, said elements being disposed radially of said beam in an array circumscribing said beam axis;

an element driving transmission interconnecting said elements to coordinately move them to produce a change in beam property;

said driving transmission including a linear actuator, a ring gear rotated by said actuator, and spur gears attached to said elements and driven by said ring gear;

said driving transmission including resilient means disposed circumferentially on said ring gear and providing a side force against said spur gears for maintaining engagement of said ring gear with said spur gears.

6. A beam changing mechanism for use in a lighting instrument having a light beam source, said beam changing mechanism being located to intercept said light beam and further comprising a set of individually movable optical elements of generally triangular or truncated shape having a base side and at least two other sides, said elements being disposed radially of said beam in an array circumscribing said beam axis;

an element driving transmission interconnecting said elements to coordinately move them to produce a change in beam property;

said driving transmission including a linear actuator, a ring gear rotated by said actuator, and spur gears attached to said elements and driven by said ring gear;

said driving transmission including resilient means for maintaining engagement of said ring gear with said spur gears, said beam changing mechanism including stops associated with said elements and said element driving transmission including a clutch characteristic whereby cycling said driving transmission to engage said stops automatically registers said optical elements.

7. A lighting system including a multiple parameter lighting instrument, said instrument comprising a lamp head for generating a beam;

a first support to which the head is rotatable mounted, the support including a motor and a driving transmission connected to said head for rotating said head, said driving transmission including a preloaded bearing assembly for reducing backlash in said driving transmission, said motor comprising a stepper motor and said driving transmission including a pulley system incorporating resilient means for providing said preloading.

8. A lighting system including a multiple parameter lighting instrument, said instrument comprising a lamp head for generating a beam;

said head including color changing means having a set of individually movable optical elements disposed radially of said beam for changing the color of said beam;

said color changing means including a driving transmission interconnecting said elements to coordinately move them to produce color change, said transmission having a clutch characteristic and stops limiting rotational movement of said optical elements for calibrating said color changing means by cycling said driving transmission to automatically register said optical elements.

9. A lighting system including a multiple parameter lighting instrument, said instrument comprising a lamp head for generating a beam;

said head including color changing means for changing the color of said beam;

said color changing means including resilient means disposed circumferentially about a driving component and engaging said driving component with at least one driven component, said resilient means generating a side force against said driven component.

10. A luminaire system, comprising:

a light source;

a light beam parameter changing mechanism for altering a light beam emanating from said light source;

at least a portion of said light beam parameter changing mechanism being disposed along a path of said light beam;

said light beam parameter changing mechanism comprising a plurality of rotatable optical elements and a drive mechanism interconnecting said rotatable optical elements;

said light beam parameter changing mechanism further comprising a backlash minimizer having a preloaded bearing assembly operatively associated with said plurality of rotatable optical elements, said backlash minimizer comprising a plurality of spur gears, a plurality of springs and a ring including a series of gear teeth in engagement with said spur gears, said plurality of springs disposed circumferentially on said ring so that a side force is generated against said spur gears.

11. A method of creating repeatable color in a luminaire to match companion lighting instruments, comprising:

linking a plurality of radially disposed filter assemblies within a luminaire bulkhead to a plurality of spur gears interconnected by a drive mechanism;

applying a side force against said spur gears through a series of cantilevered springs to said drive mechanism to remove backlash from the spur gears;

providing an interference fit between said spur gears and a filter carrier to allow the spur gears to slip when the filter carrier hits a stop in a first direction of travel; and

reversing the direction of travel so that the filter carrier moves in an opposite direction to a stop in a second direction of travel, said second direction of travel being opposite to said first direction of travel for automatically registering said plurality of filters.

12. A lighting instrument comprising a housing having a longitudinal axis, a light source disposed at one end of the housing for projecting a beam of light through said housing in the direction of the longitudinal axis, at least one set of light modifying elements disposed generally radially about said longitudinal axis, and a drive mechanism coupled to each light modifying element for rotating each said element about an axis of rotation generally transverse to said longitudinal axis;

said drive mechanism comprising;

a plurality of carriers each including a clip for supporting said light modifying element and a shaft for rotating said element about said axis of rotation;

a structure supporting said carriers and said elements in generally radial arrangement about said longitudinal axis;

a spur gear mounted to one end of each shaft, each spur gear being coupled to a ring gear for concomitant rotation of said plurality of carriers;

the improvement comprising a clutch section characterized by a friction fit between each said shaft and its corresponding spur gear, and further comprising stop means provided on said structure to limit rotation of each said carrier for automatically registering said light modifying elements.

13. A lighting instrument comprising a housing having a longitudinal axis, a light source disposed at one end of the housing for projecting a beam of light though said housing in the direction of the longitudinal axis, at least one set of light modifying elements disposed generally radially about said longitudinal axis, and a drive mechanism coupled to each light modifying element for rotating each said element about an axis of rotation generally transverse to said longitudinal axis;

said drive mechanism comprising;

a plurality of carriers each including a clip for supporting said light modifying element and a shaft for rotating said element about said axis of rotation;

a structure supporting said carriers and said elements in generally radial arrangement about said longitudinal axis;

a spur gear mounted to one of each shaft, each spur gear being coupled to a ring gear for concomitant rotation of said plurality of carriers;

the improvement comprising resilient means for maintaining gear mesh between said spur gears and said ring gear.

14. A lighting instrument having multiple adjustable parameters, said lighting instrument comprising a lamp housing enclosing a light source and a reflector forming a light beam, said lamp housing being pivotally mounted to a support structure providing adjustment of said lamp housing with respect to azimuth and elevation, said support structure comprising:

a motor housing enclosing a motor having a drive shaft, said motor having a drive pulley affixed to said shaft;

an axle assembly including bearings;

a driven pulley affixed to one of said axle;

a drive belt coupling said drive pulley to said driven pulley;

the improvement comprising a resilient element forming one flange of said driven pulley, said resilient element providing a pre-load tension on said bearings.