Apertured daylight lamp

• US 5,977,694 A
• Filed: 09/04/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tailored Lighting Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tailored Lighting Incorporated
• Inventors: McGuire, Kevin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/923,563
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 313/110, 313/112, 313/113, 313/117, 359/359, 362/293, 362/321, 362/351, 362/360, 362/361
• US Class Current: 313/110
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/04 by movement of reflectors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/675
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/24 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/28 characterised by coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/02 for simulating daylight F21V9/04, F21V9/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/025 Associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/30 Vessels; Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/40 by light filters; by coloured coatings in or on the envelope
• CPC Class Codes: H01K 1/02 Incandescent bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01K 1/28 Envelopes; Vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H01K 5/00 Lamps for general lighting H01K9/00 - H01K13/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/08 by shifting phase of trigger voltage applied to gas-filled controlling tubes also in controlled semiconductor devices in converters H02M5/00; with regulation G05F1/44
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations

Abstract

A lamp for producing a spectral light distribution which is substantially identical in uniformity to the spectral light distribution of a desired daylight throughout the entire visible light spectrum from about 380 to about 780 nanometers. The lamp contains a lamp envelope comprised of an exterior surface, a light-producing element substantially centrally disposed within said lamp envelope, a reflector around the light-producing element, and an aperture assembly in front of the light-producing element.

Claims

1. A lamp for producing a spectral light distribution substantially identical in uniformity to the spectral light distribution of a desired daylight with a color temperature of from about 3500 to about 10,000 degrees Kelvin throughout the entire visible light spectrum from about 380 to about 780 nanometers, comprising:

(a) an enclosed lamp envelope having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

(b) a light-producing element substantially centrally disposed within said lamp envelope and which, when excited by electrical energy, emits radiant energy throughout the entire visible spectrum with wavelengths from about 200 to about 2,000 nanometers at non-uniform levels of radiant energy across the visible spectrum;

(c) at least one coating on at least one of said surfaces and having a transmission T(1)in substantial accordance with the formula T(1)=[D(1)-[S*(1)×

(1-N)]]/[S(1)×

N], wherein T(1) is the transmission of said envelope coating for said wavelength 1 from about 380 to about 780 nanometers, D(1) is the radiance of said wavelength for the desired daylight, S(1) is the radiance of said element at said wavelength at normal incidence to said lamp envelope, s*(1) is the radiance of said element at said wavelength at non-normal incidence to said lamp envelope, and N is the percentage of visible spectrum radiant energy directed normally towards said exterior surface of said lamp envelope;

(d) a reflector disposed around said light producing element; and

(e) an aperture assembly disposed in front of said light producing element, wherein said aperture assembly is comprised of an optically opaque material.

2. The lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein said reflector has a parabolic shape.

3. The lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein said reflector has an elliptical shape.

4. The lamp as recited in claim 2, wherein said reflector has a multi-faceted reflective surface.

5. The lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein said aperture assembly is coated with an optically opaque material.

6. The lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein said aperture assembly consists essentially of an optically opaque material.

7. The lamp as recited in claim 6, wherein said optically opaque material is black anodized aluminum.

8. The lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein said aperture assembly is comprised of a first semicircular segment connected to a second semicircular segment.

9. The lamp as recited in claim 8, wherein the radius of said second semicircular segment is from about 0.25 to about 0.75 times as great as the radius of said first semicircular segment.

10. The lamp as recited in claim 9, wherein said first semicircular segment and said second semicircular segment share a common centerpoint.

11. An integral lamp for producing a spectral light distribution which is substantially identical in uniformity to the spectral light distribution of a desired daylight through the entire visible light spectrum from about 400 to about 700 nanometers, comprising:

(a) a filament which, when excited by electrical energy, emits radiant energy at least throughout the entire visible spectrum with wavelengths (1) from about 400 to about 700 nanometers, at non-uniform levels of radiant energy across the visible spectrum;

(b) a reflector body with a surface to intercept and reflect such visible spectrum radiant energy, and said filament is positioned within said reflector so that at least 50 percent of said visible spectrum radiant energy is directed towards said reflector surface;

(c) a filter coating on the surface of said reflector body, with a reflectance level to reflect radiance of every wavelength of the entire said visible spectrum radiant energy directed towards said reflector surface, and which when combined with the radiance of the visible spectrum radiant energy of the filament not directed towards said reflector surface produces a total usable visible light of relatively uniform radiance through every wavelength (1) of the visible spectrum in substantial accordance with the formula R(1)=[D(1)-[S(1)×

(1-X)]/[S(1)×

X], wherein R(1) is the reflectance of the reflector coating for each such wavelength (1), D(1) is the radiance of said wavelength for the desired daylight, S(1) is the total radiance of said filament at said wavelength, and X is the percentage of visible spectrum radiant energy directed normally towards said exterior surface of said lamp envelope; and

(d) an aperture assembly disposed in front of said filament, wherein said aperture assembly is comprised of an opaque material.

12. The lamp as recited in claim 11, wherein said reflector has a parabolic shape.

13. The lamp as recited in claim 11, wherein said reflector has an elliptical shape.

14. The lamp as recited in claim 12, wherein said reflector has a multi-faceted reflective surface.

15. The lamp as recited in claim 11, wherein said aperture assembly is coated with an optically opaque material.

16. The lamp as recited in claim 11, wherein said aperture assembly consists essentially of an optically opaque material.

17. The lamp as recited in claim 16, wherein said optically opaque material is black anodized aluminum.

18. The lamp as recited in claim 11, wherein said aperture assembly is comprised of a first semicircular segment connected to a second semicircular segment.

19. The lamp as recited in claim 18, wherein the radius of said second semicircular segment is from about 0.25 to about 0.75 times as great as the radius of said first semicircular segment.

20. The lamp as recited in claim 19, wherein said first semicircular segment and said second semicircular segment share a common centerpoint.