Vertically disposed HID lamp fixture

• US 9,335,038 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HGCI, Inc. (Scotts Miracle-Gro Company)
• Original Assignee: IP Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Stanley, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Evan
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUMEBO, TSION M
• Application Number:
  US13/533,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20130155685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294, 362/310
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: A01G 9/26 Electric devices A01G9/249 takes precedence
• 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: F21V 17/107 using hinge joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/15 Thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/505 of reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/60 characterised by the use of a forced flow of gas, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/00 Reflectors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505
• 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: F21V 7/048 with facets structure
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/06 with parabolic curvature
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/109 of gardens
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/25 Greenhouse technology, e.g. cooling systems therefor

Abstract

A vertically disposed HID lamp fixture for growing plants, which includes a housing having an interior, an exterior, a top hole, and a lower lip defining a light opening towards the plants, further including an inlet duct and outlet duct for the forced air cooling embodiment, a socket tower having an upper flange and a lower flange, the upper flange affixed around the perimeter of the top hole securing the socket tower to the housing, a reflector having an aperture, the lower flange affixed around the perimeter of the aperture suspends the reflector within the housing such that an isolation chamber is formed between the exterior side of the reflector and the interior of the housing, a HID lamp removably engages within said socket tower longitudinally extending substantially downward and through said aperture vertically disposed above said light opening sealed by a compressively held glass sheet.

Claims

1. A vertically disposed air cooled HID light fixture for growing plants, comprising:

a housing having an interior, an exterior, an inlet duct, and outlet duct, a top hole, and a lower lip defining a light opening towards the plants;

a socket tower having an upper flange and a lower flange, said upper flange affixed around the perimeter of said top hole securing said socket tower to said housing, said socket tower constructed and arranged having a leading edge aligned with said inlet duct such that resistance to air flow is reduced;

a reflector having an interior side, an exterior side, and an aperture, said lower flange affixed around the perimeter of said aperture suspending said reflector from said socket tower such that an isolation chamber is defined between the exterior side of the reflector and the interior of said housing, said isolation chamber being in air flow communication with said inlet duct and outlet duct;

a forced air means in air flow communication with said inlet duct to force air through said inlet duct, into said isolation chamber, and out said outlet duct, a HID lamp removably engaged within said socket tower longitudinally extending downward and substantially through said aperture vertically disposed above said light opening; and

a glass sheet compressively held against said lower lip such that the HID lamp and interior side of the reflector are sealed from said isolation chamber and sealed from the growing plants, said isolation chamber substantially prevents air within said isolation chamber from commingling with air around said lamp.

4. The fixture as in claim 1 wherein said glass sheet secures within a glass retention frame, said glass retention frame engages to said housing by at least two hinge hooks constructed from sheet metal such that said glass retention frame hingedly swings closed to compressively seal said glass sheet to said lower lip, and disengages from said housing by swinging open with a lift.

7. The fixture as in claim 1 wherein said inlet duct and said outlet duct are oriented opposite one another with a straight line path for air to flow therebetween.

10. The fixture as in claim 1 wherein said inlet duct and outlet duct each comprise a formed duct protruding from said housing exterior and adapted to allow attachment of external flexible or rigid air ducting, for interconnecting said fixture with said forced air means.

13. The fixture as in claim 1 wherein said leading edge of said socket tower comprises a sheet metal bend adapted to divert air flow around said socket tower.

16. The fixture as in claim 1 wherein said forced air means comprises a fan.

2. A vertically disposed air cooled HID light fixture for growing plants, comprising:

a housing having an interior, an exterior, an inlet duct, and outlet duct, a top hole, and a lower lip defining a light opening towards the plants;

a socket tower having an upper flange and a lower flange, said upper flange affixed around the perimeter of said top hole securing said socket tower to said housing, said socket tower constructed and arranged having a leading edge aligned with said outlet duct such that resistance to air flow is reduced;

a reflector having an interior side, an exterior side, and an aperture, said lower flange affixed around the perimeter of said aperture suspending said reflector from said socket tower such that an isolation chamber is defined between the exterior side of the reflector and the interior of said housing, said isolation chamber being in air flow communication with said inlet duct and outlet duct;

a forced air means in air flow communication with said inlet duct to force air through said inlet duct, into said isolation chamber, and out said outlet duct, a HID lamp removably engaged within said socket tower longitudinally extending downward and substantially through said aperture vertically disposed above said light opening; and

a glass sheet compressively held against said lower lip such that the HID lamp and interior side of the reflector are sealed from said isolation chamber and sealed from the growing plants, said isolation chamber substantially prevents air within said isolation chamber from commingling with air around said lamp.

5. The fixture as in claim 2 wherein said glass sheet secures within a glass retention frame, said glass retention frame engages to said housing by at least two hinge hooks constructed from sheet metal such that said glass retention frame hingedly swings closed to compressively seal said glass sheet to said lower lip, and disengages from said housing by swinging open with a lift.

8. The fixture as in claim 2 wherein said inlet duct and said outlet duct are oriented opposite one another with a straight line path for air to flow therebetween.

11. The fixture as in claim 2 wherein said inlet duct and outlet duct each comprise a formed duct protruding from said housing exterior and adapted to allow attachment of external flexible or rigid air ducting, for interconnecting said fixture with said forced air means.

14. The fixture as in claim 2 wherein said leading edge of said socket tower comprises a sheet metal bend adapted to divert air flow around said socket tower.

17. The fixture as in claim 2 wherein said forced air means comprises a fan.

3. A vertically disposed air cooled HID light fixture for growing plants, comprising:

a housing having an interior, an exterior, an inlet duct, and outlet duct, a top hole, and a lower lip defining a light opening towards the plants;

a socket tower having an upper flange and a lower flange, said upper flange affixed around the perimeter of said top hole securing said socket tower to said housing, said socket tower constructed and arranged having angled surfaces whereby cooling air has less resistance when moving between said inlet duct and said outlet duct such that resistance to air flow is reduced;

a reflector having an interior side, an exterior side, and an aperture, said lower flange affixed around the perimeter of said aperture suspending said reflector from said socket tower such that an isolation chamber is defined between the exterior side of the reflector and the interior of said housing, said isolation chamber being in air flow communication with said inlet duct and outlet duct;

a forced air means in air flow communication with said inlet duct to force air through said inlet duct, into said isolation chamber, and out said outlet duct, a HID lamp removably engaged within said socket tower longitudinally extending downward and substantially through said aperture vertically disposed above said light opening; and

a glass sheet compressively held against said lower lip such that the HID lamp and interior side of the reflector are sealed from said isolation chamber and sealed from the growing plants, said isolation chamber substantially prevents air within said isolation chamber from commingling with air around said lamp.

6. The fixture as in claim 3 wherein said glass sheet secures within a glass retention frame, said glass retention frame engages to said housing by at least two hinge hooks constructed from sheet metal such that said glass retention frame hingedly swings closed to compressively seal said glass sheet to said lower lip, and disengages from said housing by swinging open with a lift.

9. The fixture as in claim 3 wherein said inlet duct and said outlet duct are oriented opposite one another with a straight line path for air to flow therebetween.

12. The fixture as in claim 3 wherein said inlet duct and outlet duct each comprise a formed duct protruding from said housing exterior and adapted to allow attachment of external flexible or rigid air ducting, for interconnecting said fixture with said forced air means.

15. The fixture as in claim 3 wherein said angled surfaces of said socket tower comprises a sheet metal bend adapted to divert air flow around said socket tower.

18. The fixture as in claim 3 wherein said forced air means comprises a fan.

19. The fixture as in claim 3 wherein said inlet duct and said outlet duct are oriented with a straight line path for air to flow therebetween, at least a portion of said socket tower is located within air flow paths between said inlet duct and said outlet duct, and at least a portion of said exterior side of said reflector is oriented within air flow paths between said inlet duct and said outlet duct such that said exterior side of said reflector is impinged by air flowing between said inlet duct and said outlet duct thereby allowing for removal of heat from said reflector.

20. The fixture of claim 3 wherein said inlet duct and said outlet duct each have a substantially circular opening leading into said isolation chamber.