Lighting System

• US 20080068838A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative D-Lites LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative D-Lites LLC
• Inventors: Pedersen, Melvin Hess, Galke, Detlef Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/250
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/00 Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/028 being retractable, i.e. having two fixed positions, one recessed, e.g. in a wall, floor or ceiling, and one extended when in use
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/007 with provision for shipment or storage
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/15 specially adapted for power operation, e.g. by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/26 Pivoted arms
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/004 mounted on the exterior of houses or other buildings to illuminate parts thereof

Abstract

A lighting system comprises a housing, suitable for mounting to a structural unit, the housing including a plurality of enclosure panels. At least one light-bearing member is moveable relative to each of the enclosure panels. An actuator is in operable communication with the at least one light-bearing member, the actuator being operable to selectively: extend the light-bearing member from the housing into a display configuration; and retract the light-bearing member into the housing. At least one lighting element is carried by the light-bearing member, the at least one lighting element being visible by a spectator when the light-bearing member is at least partially extended from the housing.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising:

a housing, suitable for mounting to a structural unit, the housing including a plurality of enclosure panels;

at least one light-bearing member, moveable relative to each of the enclosure panels;

an actuator, in operable communication with the at least one light-bearing member, the actuator being operable to selectively;

extend the light-bearing member from the housing into a display configuration; and

retract the light-bearing member into the housing; and

at least one lighting element, carried by the light-bearing member, the at least one lighting element being visible by a spectator when the light-bearing member is at least partially extended from the housing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the light-bearing member is storable within the housing in a substantially parallel relationship to a longitudinal axis of the housing, and is extendable into a display configuration so as to be oriented at a non-parallel angle to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the structural unit is a dwelling.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a longitudinal dimension, a height dimension and a depth dimension, and wherein the light-bearing member is sized such that:

when the light-bearing member is in the display configuration the at least one lighting element is displaced from the housing a distance greater than a largest of;

the depth dimension of the housing and the height dimension of the housing.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a motor, operably attached to the actuator, and wherein activation of the motor results in movement of the actuator.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a control system in communication with the motor, the control system capable of providing a signal to the motor resulting in movement of the actuator.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein movement of the actuator results in animation of the light-bearing member.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the light-bearing member is extendable beyond all enclosure panels of the housing.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lighting elements carried by a plurality of light-bearing members, and wherein extension of the plurality of light-bearing members results in changing relative spacing of at least some of the plurality of lighting elements from one another in both a vertical and a horizontal aspect.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the light-bearing member includes at least two substantially rigid segments oriented in a non-parallel relationship to one another.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the rigid segments are moveably articulated at a joint at which the segments are coupled to one another.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the light-bearing member includes a decorative shape.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a decorative panel, attachable over or to at least one of the enclosure panels to provide a decorative feature to the housing.

14. A lighting system, comprising:

a housing, suitable for mounting to a structural unit, the housing including a longitudinal dimension, a height dimension and a depth dimension;

at least one light-bearing member, moveable relative to the housing and extendable into a display configuration, the light-bearing member carrying thereon at least one lighting element;

an actuator, in operable communication with the at least one light-bearing member, the actuator being operable to selectively retract the light-bearing member into the housing after the light-bearing member has been extended from the housing into a display configuration;

the light-bearing member being sized such that;

when the light-bearing member is in the display configuration the at least one lighting element is displaced from the housing a distance greater than a largest of;

the depth dimension of the housing and the height dimension of the housing.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the light-bearing member is storable within the housing in a substantially parallel relationship to a longitudinal axis of the housing, and is extendable into a display configuration so as to be oriented at a non-parallel angle to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the structural unit is a dwelling.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a motor, operably attached to the actuator, and wherein activation of the motor results in movement of the actuator.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a control system in communication with the motor, the control system capable of providing a signal to the motor resulting in movement of the actuator.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein movement of the actuator results in animation of the light-bearing member.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of lighting elements carried by a plurality of light-bearing members, and wherein extension of the plurality of light-bearing members results in changing relative spacing of at least some of the plurality of lighting elements from one another in both a vertical and a horizontal aspect.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the light-bearing member includes at least two substantially rigid segments oriented in a non-parallel relationship to one another.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the rigid segments are moveably articulated at a joint at which the segments are coupled to one another.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the light-bearing member includes a decorative shape.

24. The system of claim 14, further comprising a decorative panel, attachable over or to at least one of the enclosure panels to provide a decorative feature to the housing.

25. A lighting system, comprising:

a housing, suitable for mounting to a structural unit;

a plurality of light-bearing members, moveable relative to the housing;

the light-bearing members being operably coupled to at least one actuator, the actuator being operable to selectively retract the light-bearing members into the housing after the light-bearing members have been extended from the housing into a display configuration; and

a plurality of lighting elements, at least one of which is carried by each of the light-bearing members, the plurality of lighting elements collectively defining a changeable lighting element pattern;

wherein

the system is capable of providing at least two different lighting element patterns;

a first lighting element pattern when the light-bearing members are retracted into the housing; and

a second lighting element pattern when the light-bearing members are extended from the housing.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first and second display patterns are substantially repeated as the actuator successively retracts the light-bearing member from the display configuration.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the light-bearing member is storable within the housing in a substantially parallel relationship with a longitudinal axis of the housing, and is extendable into a display configuration so as to be oriented at a non-parallel angle to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the structural unit is a dwelling.

29. The system of claim 25, further comprising a motor, operably attached to the actuator, and wherein activation of the motor results in movement of the actuator.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising a control system in communication with the motor, the control system providing commands to the motor resulting in movement of the actuator.

31. The system of claim 25, further comprising a plurality of lighting elements carried by a plurality of light-bearing members, and wherein extension of the plurality of light-bearing members results in changing relative spacing of at least some of the plurality of lighting elements from one another in both a vertical and a horizontal aspect.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the light-bearing member includes at least two substantially rigid segments oriented in a non-parallel relationship to one another.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the rigid segments are moveably articulated at a joint at which the segments are coupled to one another.

34. The system of claim 25, further comprising a decorative panel, attachable over or to at least one of the enclosure panels to provide a decorative feature to the housing.