Lighting fixture with smooth adjustable beam width

• US 7,329,026 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jeffery John Hayman, Jeremy Joseph Macgilvray
• Original Assignee: Jeffery John Hayman, Jeremy Joseph Macgilvray
• Inventors: Macgilvray, Jeremy Joseph, Hayman, Jeffery John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kang; Edmund C
• Application Number:
  US11/598,279
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 362/232, 362/145, 362/147, 362/148, 362/150, 362/217, 362/220, 362/227, 362/238, 362/239, 362/250, 362/297, 362/404, 362/406, 362/277, 362/287, 362/219, 362/223, 362/225, 362/235, 362/236, 362/237, 362240-247, 362/249, 362/260, 362/269, 362/299, 362/300, 362/306, 362/307, 362/311, 362/341, 362/346, 362/347, 362/362, 362/364, 362/365, 362/408, 362/418, 362/428, 362/257, 362/285
• US Class Current: 362/277
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/04 intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures F21S8/02 takes precedence; details of ceiling bases F21V21/03
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/06 by suspension
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/12 of slot type
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/18 movable, e.g. flaps, slides
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/04 by movement of reflectors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/675
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/08 by movement of the screens or filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/02 with provision for adjustment F21V17/04 - F21V17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/005 for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks
• 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 7/005 with an elongated shape to cooperate with linear light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources

Abstract

A lighting fixture having a main housing to which is attached a moveable reflector assembly. The fluorescent lamps are affixed to the main housing and the moveable reflector assembly is adjusted to a position close to the fluorescent lamps to achieve a narrow illumination field. Adjusting the position of the moveable reflector assembly away from the fluorescent lamps achieves a wide illumination field. The reflector is designed as a near parabolic like shape and may be configured as a single fluorescent lamp cavity, or a multiple lamp cavity wherein the parabolic like shapes for each fluorescent lamp intersect to provide a uniform illumination light field and highly efficient light output while minimizing the lighting fixture width.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture consisting of:

a) a lamp fixture housing;

b) a pair of lamp socket and mount assemblies each containing a plurality of lamp sockets having one lamp socket and mount assembly affixed to each end of said lamp fixture housing wherein one lamp socket from each of the pair of lamp socket and mount assemblies provides connection to each end of a fluorescent lamp;

c) a static reflector mounting strut rigidly and non moveably affixed to said lamp fixture housing;

d) a moveable reflector support assembly for mounting a reflector;

e) said reflector having at least one reflector cavity suitable for housing fluorescent lamps, wherein said reflector cavity is chosen from a group consisting of a single near parabolic like shape, a pair of intersecting near parabolic like shapes, or three intersecting near parabolic like shapes for creating an illumination light field with excellent lighting coverage and high efficiency light output, wherein each parabolic like shape houses a fluorescent lamp;

f) said intersecting near parabolic like shapes beneficially create a narrow lamp fixture housing;

g) said reflector mounted to said moveable support assembly is adjustably mounted to said reflector mounting strut wherein the moveable reflector support assembly is moved toward the fluorescent lamps to create a narrow illumination light field and away from the fluorescent lamps to create a wide illumination light field;

h) said illumination light field being adjusted by operating an illumination light field adjusting means;

i) at least one electronic ballast suitable for providing power for starting and operating at least one fluorescent lamp wherein said electronic ballast are housed in a ballast cavity within said lamp fixture housing to provide service and installation access to said electronic ballasts and a wiring thereof; and

j) a means for hanging said lighting fixture.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said lamp fixture housing is constructed by rigidly affixing a pair of end caps to a pair of side rails.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 2 having a knockout feature to provide interconnect wiring between two lighting fixtures connected in tandem;

said knockout feature being selected from the group consisting of a round or an elongated knockout feature.

4. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said lamp socket and mount assemblies are easily removed for wiring access and replacement of individual lamp sockets.

5. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein said reflector cavity is created from a highly reflective material, formed in short flat lengths to create a faceted surface.

6. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the distance between said reflector and said fluorescent lamp is adjusted by threading an illumination field adjusting screw, bearing upon an upper surface of said static reflector mounting strut, into a mating sheet metal threaded standoff in a lower surface of said moveable reflector support assembly;

and

said screw rotated in one direction raises said moveable reflector support assembly and said attached reflector away from the fluorescent lamp to create a wide illumination field and conversely is counter-rotated in the opposite direction to lower said moveable reflector support assembly and said attached reflector toward the fluorescent lamp to create a narrow illumination field.

7. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein said reflector cavities have aperture openings perforating each parabolic like shape at the apex of each parabolic like shape;

said aperture openings of said parabolic like shape is provided with an aperture cover configurably installed and chosen from the group consisting of the aperture cover covering the aperture opening, turned 180 degrees to partially expose the aperture opening, and totally removed wherein the configuration of said aperture cover apportions some of the emitted light from the fluorescent lamps upward to provide indirect illumination.

8. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein said lighting fixture has the means for hanging chosen from the group consisting of a “

wire hanger and chain” and

a surface mount bracket;

said means for hanging are used in pairs wherein one means for hanging is located proximate to each end of said lighting fixture.

9. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein said reflector mounting strut has markings to aid in adjusting the illumination light field uniformly on both ends.

14. The lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein said reflector cavity is created from a highly reflective material, formed in short flat lengths to create a faceted surface.

10. A lighting fixture consisting of:

a) a lamp fixture housing;

b) a pair of lamp socket and mount assemblies each containing a plurality of lamp sockets having one lamp socket and mount assembly affixed to each end of said lamp fixture housing wherein one lamp socket from each pair of lamp socket and mount assemblies provides connection to each end of a fluorescent lamp;

c) a static reflector mounting strut rigidly and non moveably affixed to said lamp fixture housing;

d) a moveable reflector support assembly for mounting a reflector;

e) said reflector having at least one reflector cavity suitable for housing fluorescent lamps, wherein said reflector cavity is chosen from a group consisting of a single near parabolic like shape, a pair of intersecting near parabolic like shapes, or three intersecting near parabolic like shapes for creating an illumination light field with excellent lighting coverage and high efficiency light output, wherein each parabolic like shape houses a fluorescent lamp;

f) said intersecting near parabolic like shapes beneficially create a narrow lamp fixture housing;

g) said reflector mounted to said moveable support assembly is adjustably mounted to said reflector mounting strut wherein the moveable reflector support assembly is moved toward the fluorescent lamps to create a narrow illumination light field and away from the fluorescent lamps to create a wide illumination light field;

h) said illumination light field being adjusted by operating an illumination light field adjusting means;

i) at least one electronic ballast suitable for providing power for starting and operating at least one fluorescent lamp wherein said electronic ballast are housed in a ballast cavity within said lamp fixture housing to provide service and installation access to said electronic ballasts and a wiring thereof;

j) a means for hanging said lighting fixture; and

k) a lens for providing lighting diffusion, protection, and decoration.

11. The lighting fixture of claim 10, wherein said lamp fixture housing is constructed by rigidly affixing a pair of end caps to a pair of side rails.

12. The lighting fixture of claim 10 having a knockout feature to provide interconnect wiring between two lighting fixtures connected in tandem;

said knockout feature being selected from the group consisting of a round or an elongated knockout feature.

13. The lighting fixture of claim 10, wherein said lamp socket and mount assemblies are easily removed for wiring access and replacement of individual lamp sockets.

15. The lighting fixture of claim 10, wherein the distance between said reflector and said fluorescent lamp is adjusted by threading an illumination field adjusting screw, bearing upon an upper surface of said static reflector mounting strut, into a mating threaded standoff in a lower surface of said moveable reflector support assembly;

and

said screw rotated in one direction raises said moveable reflector support assembly and said attached reflector away from the fluorescent lamp to create a wide illumination field and conversely is counter-rotated in the opposite direction to lower said moveable reflector support assembly and said attached reflector toward the fluorescent lamp to create a narrow illumination field.

16. The lighting fixture of claim 10 wherein said reflector cavities have aperture openings perforating each parabolic like shape at the apex of each parabolic like shape;

said aperture openings of said parabolic like shape is provided with an aperture cover configurably installed and chosen from the group consisting of the aperture cover covering the aperture opening, turned 180 degrees to partially expose the aperture opening, and totally removed wherein the configuration of said aperture cover apportions some of the emitted light from the fluorescent lamps upward to provide indirect illumination.

17. The lighting fixture of claim 10 wherein said lighting fixture has the means for hanging chosen from the group consisting of a “

wire hanger and chain” and

a surface mount bracket;

said means for hanging are used in pairs wherein one means for hanging is located proximate to each end of said lighting fixture.

18. The lighting fixture of claim 10, wherein said lens is chosen from the group consisting of clear, diffusive, lenticular, or grill-like media and said lens is retained to said lighting fixture by a lens attachment means.

19. The lighting fixture of claim 10 wherein said reflector mounting strut has markings to aid in adjusting the illumination light field uniformly on both ends.