Color-changing submersible lighting fixture with control circuit responsive to timed interruptions of the power source

• US 7,128,440 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pentair Pool Products, Inc. (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Pool Products, Inc. (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Potucek, Kevin, Bachman, Robert, Mateescu, Michael V.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US11/206,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20050276044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 362/101, 362/276, 362/293, 315/32, 315/35, 315/76, 318/62, 318/85, 318/102
• US Class Current: 362/276
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/007 using rotating transparent or colored disks, e.g. gobo wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/02 changing colors F21S10/002 - F21S10/007, F21S10/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/00 Lighting devices intended for fixed installation F21S9/00, F21S10/00 take precedence; using a string or strip of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/08 using diaphragms containing one or more apertures
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/89 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0016 on lighting devices that also provide for direct lighting, e.g. by means of independent light sources, by splitting of the light beam, by switching between both lighting modes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0025 Combination of two or more reflectors for a single light source array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources F21V7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/40 with provision for controlling spectral properties, e.g. colour, or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

The lighting fixture includes a housing having an interior cavity and a transparent cover. A color-changing electric light assembly is provided in the interior cavity. The light assembly emits a plurality of different colors of light through the transparent cover and cycles through the plurality of different colors of light to sequentially emit each of the plurality of different colors of light. A synchronization circuit responds to a timed interruption in the power for synchronizing the color-changing electric light assembly with a color-changing electric light assembly of another underwater lighting fixture connected to the same power.

Claims

1. In a pool lighting system including a plurality of lighting fixtures each powered by a common alternating-current power source, each lighting fixture comprising:

color-changing light source;

an electric transformer powering the color-changing light source for emitting a plurality of colors of light in a predetermined sequence;

an interruptible source of alternating current, common to each of the plurality of lighting fixtures; and

a control circuit, responsive to the interruptible source of alternating current for controlling the color-changing light source in response to an interruption in the source of alternating current, whereby the color-changing light source of each of the plurality of lighting fixtures are synchronized.

2. The plurality of submersible lighting fixtures according to claim 1, wherein said control circuit stops the predetermined sequence upon the interruption and reapplication of the alternating-current source of power within a predetermined period of time.

3. A lighting system comprising a plurality of submersible lighting fixtures powered by a single alternating-current source of power, each of said lighting fixtures comprising:

a sealed housing;

a color-changing light source for selectively emitting light of a plurality of colors of light, the light source being contained within the sealed housing; and

a synchronization circuit, responsive to an alternating-current source of power applied to the lighting fixture, for controlling the light source in response to timed interruptions in the alternating-current source of power, each of said timed interruptions is used as a reference point by the synchronization circuit the color-changing light sources of each of said lighting fixtures to be synchronized to simultaneously emit the same color of light.

4. The lighting system of claim 3, wherein the synchronization circuit counts alternating-current cycles of the alternating-current source of power for timing operations of the color-changing light sources.