Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – With radiant energy sensitive control means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-08
2003-10-21
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
With radiant energy sensitive control means
C362S321000, C362S335000, C362S341000, C362S345000, C362S362000, C362S373000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06635999
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to theatre lighting, and more particularly to controlling the temperature of lighting devices such as multiparameter lights that include electrical, optical and electromechanical components, using orientation and/or parameter information.
2. Description of Related Art
Theatre lighting devices are useful for many dramatic and entertainment purposes such as, for example, Broadway shows, television programs, rock concerts, restaurants, nightclubs, theme parks, the architectural lighting of restaurants and buildings, and other events. A multiparameter light is a theatre lighting device that includes a light source and one or more effects known as “parameters” that are controllable typically from a remotely located console. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,187 issued Jul. 5, 1983 to Bohnhorst and entitled “Computer controlled lighting system having automatically variable position, color, intensity and beam divergence” describes multiparameter lights and a central control system, or central controller. Modem multiparameter lights typically offer many different parameters, including orientation parameters such as pan and tilt, and light makeup parameters that affect the makeup of the light exiting the multiparameter light such as, for example, color, pattern, dimming, iris, focus and zoom.
A multiparameter light typically employs a light source such as a high intensity lamp as well as motors and other motion components which provide the automation to the parameters. These components are typically mounted inside of a lamp housing and generate large amounts of heat inside of the lamp housing, so that cooling by convection or forced air is required. The high intensity lamp generates the greatest amount of heat, and lamps provided by different manufactures may have differences in lumens per watt, or may have a spectral distributions that create more energy in the infrared spectrum thus further raising the internal temperature of the multiparameter light. However, motors used to automate the parameters also generate significant amounts of heat. Heat generation by the motors is a function of the number of motors within a lamp housing as well as the usage of the motors. Heat generation increases with increasing numbers of motors and with repetitive use in a high duty cycle. For example, motors within the lamp housing when used repetitively for shows or events that often repeat the change of a parameter may raise the temperature inside of the lamp housing and its components by 5 to 15 degrees Celsius. Various optical components such as lenses, filters, projection patterns, shutters, and an iris diaphragm are used along the light path, which is the path that a light beam from the lamp normally travels within the lamp housing before it is projected from the multiparameter light, to collimate the light and create and focus patterns to be projected. These optical components are selectively moved in and out of the light beam or are controllably varied when in the light beam to vary the attributes of the projected light, and generate varying amounts of heat as they interact with the light beam by reflection or absorption. For example, light collimated, condensed or filtered by the optical components may be reflected back into the lamp housing, the components of the lamp housing, or the lamp itself, causing a rise in temperature of the multiparameter light generally or in particular components thereof. Light may also be absorbed by the optical components when placed in the path of the light beam. As these components absorb the condensed or collimated light, they become heated themselves and can raise the temperature within the lamp housing.
The ambient air temperature to which the instrument is exposed may also raise the internal temperature of the lamp housing from 25 to 40 Celsius. The position of the multiparameter lamp housing also is a factor in the operating temperature, since the position may allow heat to rise in certain areas of the lamp housing. Specific examples of how the position of a multiparameter light and of how optical components in the lamp housing which lie in the path of the light beam to vary the parameters can generate different amounts of heat are shown in
FIGS. 1 through 6
. FIG.
1
and
FIG. 2
show a filter wheel
1
of the type commonly used in multiparameter lights to set various parameters such as, for example, color and pattern; see, e.g.,
FIGS. 7-10
(elements
48
,
49
and
51
) for examples of filter wheels inside of multiparameter lights. Filter wheels are also known as color wheels. The filter wheel
1
illustratively contains eight filter positions
2
-
8
, which are selectively rotated into the light beam to create the desired lighting effect. One of the filter positions, here position
2
, is blank so that light may pass freely through the filter wheel
1
. Various types of filters are suitable for use in the other filter positions
3
-
8
, including reflecting filters such as optical thin film filters, or dichroic filters, which transmit the desired frequency of light and reflect all other frequencies, and absorbing filters such as some dyed glass filters, which transmit the desired frequency of light and absorb other frequencies. The filter wheel
1
(see
FIG. 2
) is rotated by a motor
10
through a shaft
9
.
FIG. 3
is a schematic drawing of a section of a multiparameter light that includes a lamp
17
, reflector
16
, condensing lens
18
, the filter wheel
1
, and a focusing lens
14
within a lamp housing
11
; see, e.g.,
FIGS. 7-10
(elements
45
,
46
and
47
) for examples of a reflector, lamp, and lens combination as used in various types of multiparameter lights. An arrow
12
shows the direction of forced cooling air that flows through the lamp housing (not shown) of the multiparameter light of
FIG. 3
, and an arrow
13
shows the natural convection current direction, or the direction of rising heat absent forced air conditions, through the lamp housing
11
of the multiparameter light of FIG.
3
. The arrows
12
and
13
are parallel, indicating that the lamp housing
11
of
FIG. 3
is in a horizontal position. The lamp
17
, the reflector
16
, and the lens
18
give off significant amounts of absorbed heat as represented by the wavy lines emanating therefrom. However, the heat emanating from the lamp
17
, the reflector
16
, and the lens
18
is parallel to both the forced air direction
12
and the convection current direction
13
and is effectively removed from the multiparameter light. Light from the lens
18
, represented by rays
19
and
20
, is unfiltered as it passes through an opening
2
in the filter wheel
1
. The configuration of
FIG. 3
can be thought of as a reference configuration because it results in low overall heating of the multiparameter light lamp housing.
FIG. 4
is a schematic drawing of the same section of the multiparameter light as shown in
FIG. 3
, but shows a reflecting filter
3
in the light beam rather than the opening
2
(FIG.
3
). The arrow
12
showing the direction of forced cooling air and the arrow
13
showing the natural convection current direction are parallel, indicating that the lamp housing
11
of
FIG. 4
is in a horizontal position. Light from the lens
18
is filtered as it passes through the reflecting filter
3
in the filter wheel
1
, resulting in a light beam having the desired properties as represented by rays
24
and
26
, and reflected light as represented by rays
23
and
25
. The reflected light
23
and
25
passes back into the multiparameter light lamp housing, disproportionately increasing the temperatures of some of the internal components such as the lens
18
, lamp
17
, and reflector
16
relative to their temperatures in a reference operating configuration such as that of FIG.
3
. Although heat from the lens
18
, lamp
17
, and reflector
16
, which is represented by the wavy lines emanating therefrom, is parallel to both the forced air direction
12
and the convection cu
Altera Law Group LLC
Tran Thuy Vinh
Wong Don
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