Double-walled grow light housing with air flow cooling system

• US 6,595,662 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hydrofarm, LLC (Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hydrofarm Incorporated (Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wardenburg, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zeade, Bertrand
• Application Number:
  US09/823,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 362/362, 362/294, 362/264, 362/345, 362/373, 362/218
• US Class Current: 362/362
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/249 Lighting means with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/02 of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters specially adapted for vehicle exteriors F21S41/00-F21S45/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/25 Greenhouse technology, e.g. cooling systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

A grow light having an exterior shell with an air inlet and a hot air exhaust outlet, and a specular interior insertable into the shell. The sides of the specular insert are spaced apart from the walls of the shell so as to form a double-walled housing having air cooling chambers and vents which facilitate the movement and exhaust of air heated by high intensity light bulbs.

Claims

1. A grow light adapted for use with high intensity light bulbs, said grow light comprising:

an exterior shell having an air inlet and a hot air exhaust outlet, wherein said shell has a substantially flat top side, a front side and a rear side, a first and second inclined lower portion and a first and second inclined upper portion, said first and second inclined portions less steeply inclined than said first and second lower inclined portions, said first lower portion and first upper portion defining a right side and said second lower portion and second upper portion defining a left side; and

a specular insert captured within said shell and having sides spaced apart from said shell so as to form a double-walled housing defining at least one air cooling chamber between said shell and said specular insert, said specular insert having at least one vent through which air heated by the high intensity light passes into said at least one cooling chamber and thereafter outwardly through said hot air exhaust outlet.

2. A grow light as in claim 1, wherein said front side and said rear side are substantially flat, and wherein said front side slopes gently rearward toward said rear side, and wherein said rear side is substantially perpendicular to said top side.

3. A grow light as in claim 1, wherein said specular insert has sides that slant inwardly and a less steep pitch said sides of said shell so that said sides of said specular insert and said sides of said shell are spaced apart and define contiguous side cooling chambers between said insert and said shell.

4. A grow light as in claim 3, wherein said specular insert has a plurality of differentially sloped portions, including first and second lower insert portions each having a bottom edge and which are spaced apart from said first and second lower shell portions by an outwardly disposed flange at said bottom edge.

5. A grow light as in claim 4, wherein said front and rear sides each include at least one slotted air inlet.

6. A grow light as in claim 1, wherein said first and second lower portions have lower edges that terminate in an inwardly disposed flange for holding a glass lens or panel within said housing.

7. A grow light as in claim 1, wherein said top side includes a hot air outlet.

8. A grow light as in claim 7 wherein said hot air outlet is positioned in substantially the center of said top side.

9. A grow light as in claim 1 wherein said specular insert includes a front side and a rear side, each including a lower portion and an upper portion that slant inwardly from said shell front and rear sides, respectively, so that the front and rear sides of the insert are spaced apart from said shell front and rear sides to define front and rear interior cooling chambers.

10. A grow light as in claim 9 wherein said upper portions of said insert front and rear sides extend upwardly to substantially said top side of said shell to partition said side air spaces from said front and rear cooling chambers, and wherein said insert front and rear upper portions further include slotted warm air exhaust vents that bring said cooling chamber air spaces into fluid communication with air heated by the high intensity light bulb.