Including Curved Modifying Surface Patents (Class 362/291)
  • Patent number: 4814961
    Abstract: A light fixture (10) including a bulb/lens assembly (12), a hollow post (14) and a ground stake (16). An assembly ring (18) having inner and outer "fingers" (104 and 106, respectively) securely connects the bulb/lens assembly (12) to the post (14). Bulb/lens assembly (12) includes a lens (28) which carries a plurality of louvers (40, 42 and 44). Some of the louvers include legs (46, 50) and slots (60, 62) so that the distance between the louvers can be adjusted to vary the appearance of light fixture (10) and the amount of light produced thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Steven T. O'Brien, Jay J. Kakuk, Robert W. Beachy
  • Patent number: 4694381
    Abstract: The light projector has the peculiar feature of comprising, within a disk-shaped enclosing body, a light source surrounded by a shaping diaphragm which is rotatable coaxially with the cited light source. Also provided, on said enclosing body, is a toroidal lens which extends preferably through 360.degree. and focuses on said shaping diaphragm, being disposed concentrically with the cited light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1987
    Assignee: Coemar S.p.A.
    Inventor: Bruno Dedoro
  • Patent number: 4625267
    Abstract: A ceiling-mounted, recessed strip lighting fixture (10) is disclosed for mass transit vehicles. An uninterrupted lens module (18) extends throughout the length of two or more spaced apart lamp housings (14a,14b) which are recessed into the ceiling (142,142'). The lens module comprises a central lens section (92) and a pair of oppositely disposed side lens sections (94,94') and is surface-mounted, relative to the ceiling, beneath the lamp housing. The central lens section is a light diffuser for distributing light along the entire length of the lens module. The side lens sections comprise prismatic lens elements for directing the light laterally of the lens module. The side lens sections support the central lens section in a sliding interlocking connection. The central diffuser section may be made up of plural parts which are disposed in end-to-end abutting engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Transmatic, Incorporated
    Inventor: Liudas K. Mikalonis
  • Patent number: 4621309
    Abstract: An elongated luminaire is provided having at least one fluorescent lamp and a louver arranged therebelow. The louver consists of lamp-parallel longitudinal reflectors and reflecting cross-oriented lamellae arranged transversely thereto and subsequently of V-shape in cross section. The lamella legs have a parabolic shape in cross section. A light guiding plate is provided extending from one leg of each cross-oriented lamella, extending diagonally upwardly towards and almost adjacent to the lamp. Each light guiding plate substantially overlaps the interspace between neighboring cross-oriented lamella in the vertical projection. Thus, the entire light flux, emerging downwards, is directed, depending on the position of the cross-oriented lamellae and of the light guiding plates, in the desired direction into the lower hemisphere so that it is possible to obtain different light distribution curves of symmetrical or asymmetrical shape with characteristic preferred directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1986
    Assignee: Trilux-Lenze GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Franz-Eugen Grawe, Manfred Grimm, Richard Schneppendahl, Fred Hasemann
  • Patent number: 4575786
    Abstract: A modulated optical radiation beacon, e.g. a flashing light beacon or an IR emmissive missile jamming source, can comprise a radiation source and two relatively movable apertured masks which, as the apertures thereof move into and out of registration, pass or block the radiation from the source. Herein, to improve the uniformity of the polar distribution of the emitted radiation (assuming, of course, that a uniform distribution is required) or, in other cases, simply to improve efficiency, the apertures of the `inner` mask, i.e. the one nearest the source, are bounded by curved reflective surfaces defining an optical cavity which at least crudely images the source at a position near the outer mask. Advantageously, the optical cavities are defined by a spaced array of prismatic members having appropriately curved facing surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1986
    Assignee: British Aerospace Public Limited Company
    Inventor: John C. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4573111
    Abstract: A linear light passing media, typically a linear prismatic lens or a linear diffuser strip, is provided with linear areas of coloration to give a striped effect to the media. Color or neutral stripes are provided to areas of the media that are observable by persons standing in the vicinity of the lighting fixture; they act to give the media a psychological pleasing appearance, or on linear prismatic lenses, to mask out bright strips on the prismatic surfaces or at the base of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1986
    Inventors: Douglas J. Herst, Peter Y. Y. Ngai
  • Patent number: 4539628
    Abstract: Light fixtures with a rod-shaped light source (1) and with concave reflectors on both longitudinal sides of the light source. The concave reflectors extend above the light source, and have a curvature such that all light rays reflected across the light source will emerge in the transverse direction either directly or after reflection at an angle that is steeper than a light-specific masking angle (.alpha.). The reflectors include lamellae (4) that have an approximately V-shaped cross section and run across the middle vertical longitudinal plane of the light source and have reflecting concave side surfaces with a curvature such that all light rays reflected in the longitudinal direction of the light source (1) will emerge in the longitudinal direction either directly or after reflection at an angle that is steeper than a light-specific masking angle (.beta.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1985
    Inventor: Christian Bartenbach
  • Patent number: 4494175
    Abstract: A recessed lighting fixture used in association with a suspended ceiling system made up of several spaced grid members. The lighting fixture is comprised of a fixture housing having means for supporting at least one fluorescent lamp and includes a relatively thin deflectable top plate which in turn may include a reflecting surface disposed over the fluorescent lamp. Means are provided for securing the fixture housing to the grid members. The louver assembly of the fixture is mounted in a simplified manner and includes a top portion designed to contact the deflectable top plate during insertion and a bottom portion including longitudinally extending sides designed to rest upon and be supported by the spaced grid members. The louver's bottom portions are insertable on the grid members in sequence, first one and then the other, whereby the louver assembly is firmly supported in the fixture housing without the requirement of additional hardware such as springs, latches or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1985
    Assignee: GTE Products Corporation
    Inventors: Mahmoud A. Gawad, John Graudins
  • Patent number: 4473865
    Abstract: A stationary light source electrophotographic copier wherein collimated light from the source is directed to a scanner having upper and lower document illuminating reflectors comprising thin members of negligible mass maintained under tension. The lower reflector includes a plurality of generally horizontal slats disposed in a generally vertical array. Heat from the stationary light source is used to dry or fix copies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1984
    Assignee: Savin Corporation
    Inventor: Benzion Landa
  • Patent number: 4425608
    Abstract: An improved optical system for the light point on an illuminated signal or display device having one or more light points. The system comprises one or more light deflectors optically coupled with the light source of the light point and focussing the light passing through the effective aperture of the deflectors towards a focal point or line, respectively, and one or more light shields arranged in the light path and provided with an aperture in the focal point or line whereas a plurality of the deflectors with the corresponding light shields may be arranged in the rows and columns of a display board. The mantle of the light shield frames a hollow in a manner that its mouth is facing the light deflectors and the mantle is under a bevel narrowing towards the aperture of the light shield and the mantle is arranged parallel to and encircling rays departing from the periphery of the effective aperture of the light deflectors and converging into the focal point or line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Assignee: Villamos Berendezes es Keszulek Muvek
    Inventors: Gyula Hecker, Erno Kenez, Laszlo Nyari, Janos Patta
  • Patent number: 4418378
    Abstract: A light box having one or more fluorescent light source tubes provided with light diffusing and mixing members of tubular form for modifying the light emitted by the fluorescent light tubes to provide a substantially uniformly illuminated backlighted work surface for use in tracing, stripping art work, and viewing color slides, photo negatives, and X-rays. The light box includes internal coated reflective surfaces on bottom and side walls. The light diffusing and mixing member includes light reflective interior and exterior coatings, shaped end portions and in one example perforations providing light transmitting openings. A light diffusing and mixing member of selected light translucent material having shaped end portions and arranged in accordance with the intensity of light emanating from the tubular fluorescent light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1983
    Assignee: Plan Hold Corporation
    Inventor: Sigurd A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4390934
    Abstract: A signal lamp having a light source, a reflector, and a dispersion sheet wherein the dispersion sheet is divided into a plurality of dispersion elements constructed so as to minimize the adverse effect of incident stray light and minimize or eliminate the occurrence of phantom light effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Auer-Sog Glaswerke GmbH
    Inventor: Achim Willing
  • Patent number: 4383290
    Abstract: A signal lamp is disclosed for use in automotive vehicles. The lamp includes a housing, a reflector for producing parallel rays, a lens closing the housing in the direction of light exit and diaphragms mounted behind the lens. The outside of the lens is provided with non-reflecting or weakly reflecting transverse stripes to avoid undesired reflections. In one advantageous embodiment, the diaphragms are positioned only in an upper portion of the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1983
    Assignee: ITT Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Helmut Binder, Gerhard Haar, Eckhardt Schmid, Hans-Joachim Wirth
  • Patent number: 4293898
    Abstract: A garden light fixture is provided comprising a cylindrical housing about which a plurality of shades extend. The intermediate and top shade are secured to the housing by means of keyways formed integral with the shades which engage and are captured by slots formed in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1981
    Assignee: Keene Corporation
    Inventors: William F. Budnovitch, Salvatore C. Petralia, Louis F. Silvestris
  • Patent number: 4245281
    Abstract: An adjustable hull light assembly for use mounted in the hulls of boats comprising a generally tubular housing member having a hull flange at one end thereof to facilitate securing of the housing to the boat hull to maintain orientation fixedly therebetween, further including a lamp socket fitted about the opposite end of the generally tubular housing, the lamp socket defining an annular slot in the interior surface thereof into which a sealed beam or other similar lamp may be positioned in a fixed orientation with respect to the lamp socket, the lamp socket preferably being made of a rubber material to pliably allow the lamp socket to be fitted about the interior end of the tubular housing, the interior end of the tubular housing about which the lamp socket is fitted should be generally arcuate with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tubular housing in order to allow an adjustment of the collimation of a lamp within the lamp socket to be coincident with or as adjustably required with respect to the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1981
    Inventor: Theodore Ziaylek, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4152756
    Abstract: An improved railroad crossing signal includes a deep dish parabolic reflector and an essentially flat plastic lens angled forward at the top relative to the axis of the reflector. The lens includes prism elements for laterally dispersing parallel light from the reflector more toward the crossing highway at near and far distances than toward the adjacent land. The lens also includes prism elements for vertically dispersing a portion of the light to produce uniform brightness before the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1979
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Warren R. Wrege, Ronald W. Dinger, Robert A. Hagen, Chester A. Hard, III, J. T. Barnes
  • Patent number: 4115843
    Abstract: A warning lamp comprising a housing having an annular wall, a bulb having a filament within the confines of the annular wall and a lens closing the end of the annular wall. The lens has a front wall and a peripheral wall surrounding the front wall and telescoped over the annular wall of the housing. A prism is provided on the lens along at least opposed side portions of the peripheral wall of the lens and is constructed and arranged to redirect light from the filament of the bulb in a direction generally at 90.degree. to the axis of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1978
    Assignee: Dominion Auto Accessories Limited
    Inventor: Robert I. Nagel