Illumination – Light source and modifier – Condition responsive
Patent
1999-06-03
2000-09-19
Cariaso, Alan
Illumination
Light source and modifier
Condition responsive
362183, 362802, 315149, F21L 402, F21V 2300
Patent
active
061201650
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to outdoor solar lamps.
Solar lamps are already known which have a battery that is charged up during daylight hours by solar radiation and which provide light at night in gardens and open spaces when required. Generally, the lamp output is of relative low intensity and incandescent lamps are used (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,176). This may be quite satisfactory for normal illumination but when illumination output is required to be significantly greater, for security purposes for example, the presently used lamps are not satisfactory.
It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least reduce this problem.
According to the invention there is provided an outdoor solar lamp having a rechargeable battery, a solar panel, a halogen lamp, a lamp drive circuit, and a passive infra-red motion detector, in which the lamp is supplied with power via the drive circuit when the motion detector is initiated.
The lamp may include one or more illuminating incandescent or light emitting diode lamps and an automatic control circuit to supply power from the battery to the lamps during at least part of each night.
Where two or more illuminating lamps are used they are preferably electrically connected in series, each lamp having a parallel circuit through which current can automatically pass if the lamp fails and goes open-circuit.
The drive circuit may be arranged to supply automatically a low power to the halogen lamp during at least part of each night such that the halogen lamp glows to provide a relatively low intensity output.
The lamp preferably includes an arming and dis-arming circuit that responds to external stimuli, such as infra-red, ultrasonic or radio signals.
An outdoor solar lamp according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the lamp;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for the lamp; and
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram for the lamp.
Referring to the drawings, in FIG. 1 the lamp comprises a stand 10 having a pointed foot 11 that can be poked into the ground or otherwise held by grouting or the like in position. A solar cell panel 12 is mounted in a housing 13 at the top of the stand 10 and a passive infra-red detector 14 is mounted in a peripheral surface of the housing 13. Circular protective light diffusers 15 and 16 are supported above respective shades 17 and 18 fitted to the stand 10. Three illuminating low intensity incandescent lamps and a halogen lamp, described below, are supported behind the diffusers 15 and 16 respectively. Light emitting diode lamps with built-in diffusers may also be used instead of the incandescent lamps.
In normal use, the incandescent lamps are illuminated automatically during at least some of each night by power derived from a battery (not shown) inside the housing 13 in a manner generally known already. The halogen lamp is however arranged to be illuminated whenever motion is detected in a region adjacent the solar lamp by the detector 14 to provide a comparatively bright illumination. This bright illumination is normally or primarily used for security purposes to alert a householder of the proximate presence of a possibly unwelcome intruder. The operation of the detector 14 is controlled by an arming circuit, as will be described below, so that the intruder detecting part of the lamp can be remotely controlled, by selected infra-red signals for example.
In FIG. 2, the lamp includes a battery 19 and low battery voltage detector circuit 20 connected to a logic and timing control circuit 21 that controls the operation of incandescent lamps 22 and a halogen lamp 23. The logic and timing control circuit 21 includes an infra-red sensor 24 that responds to selected external infra-red signals and supplies signals to the circuit 21 to arm and dis-arm the solar lamp, as will be explained below. An ambient light intensity sensor 25 and a sensitivity and timing circuit 26 also supplies signals to the circuit 21. The passive infra-red detector 14 supplies signals via a pas
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patent: 5713655 (1998-02-01), Blackman
Cariaso Alan
Solar Wide Industrial Ltd.
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