Other

Gravity Guidance, Inc.

Acroform Corporation

Killerwatt Corp.

Bianchi Leather Products, Inc.

Loral Electro-optical Systems Inc.

Creators Limited

Union-reed Corporation

Jack V Miller

Ruth Ellen Miller

Stephen T Blosser

Robert J Pederson

Dennis J Colonello

Mark R Miller

Lawrence J Gallagher

Benjamin Rubinstein

Lauren B Althaus

Arthur Bardine

Stephen N Schomotolocha

Ned Gvoich

George F Thayer

A U-turn lens for a recessed light fixture comprising a tubular, transparent, internally reflective, hollow cylindrical lens having a closed top including a hot mirror receiving focused light from a reflector lamp, an inside diameter extending to an open lower end where focused light is emitted and collimated light is received through the lens outside the inside diameter to an angular reflector reflecting the collimated light transversely to illuminate a concave decorative shade.

U-turn lens for a recessed light fixture

This invention integrates energy saving lighting with energy saving HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning). This system is termed by the inventor 'ILAC' (Integrated Lighting and Air Conditioning). An ILAC system includes light fixtures mounted in a ceiling and, emitting lamp heat into a plenum and visible light into a room. A central computer controls both lighting and HVAC systems. In a COOL mode an HVAC unit cools the room through a supply air duct and return air duct, and the lamp heat exits the plenum through an exhaust duct. In a HEAT mode the HVAC heats the room through the same supply air duct, a ceiling-to-plenum duct carries the heated room air into the plenum, and an HVAC return air duct carries room and plenum heat back into the HVAC unit that uses less power to heat the lamp-warmed return air. In a thermostat-controlled OFF mode, warm room air convects through the ceiling duct into the plenum and exhausts through a plenum exhaust duct along with lamp-heated plenum air. Optionally, plenum exhaust duct may include a radiator to transfer plenum heat to pre-heat water entering a remote hot water heater.

Energy saving integrated lighting and HVAC system

A convection-cooled recessed downlight fixture for an air-tight ceiling, having a reflector, (preferably bright aluminum) held in a hole in a ceiling with knock-outs bent down against the upper surface of the ceiling; a lamp housing (preferably black-anodized aluminum), removably attached to the upper end of the reflector, and a bezel assembly including a decorative trim element, is removably installed in the lower end of the reflector and held therein with screws removably engaging the reflector, whereby the bezel and decorative element may be removed from the fixture for re-lamping.

Decorative hybrid fiber optic ATC downlight

The present invention provides a high-temperature ceramic lampholder with an integral thermal switch for use in recessed or portable recessed lighting fixtures for general lighting in residential, institutional and commercial buildings. Lampholders according to the invention extend lamp life by reducing lamp base temperatures; improve fixture safety by lowering the heat on wire insulation; and lower fixture toxicity and enhance fixture reliability by eliminating solder joints with spade connectors.

Ceramic lampholder with a thermal switch in a radiator thermally bonded to its housing

This invention provides a hybrid fiber optic framing projector of high optical efficiency that emits no UV (ultraviolet) or IR (infrared) energy in the projected beam. A preferred embodiment includes a light source on an optical axis at the primary focus of an ellipsoidal cold mirror reflector. The ellipsoidal reflector focuses visible light from the light source to a conjugate focus through a dichroic hot mirror and then into a heat-absorbing, UV-absorbing glass rod. The glass rod transmits light by total internal reflection as an optical fiber from the conjugate focus to the focal plane of a collimating lens. A confocal reflector has a spherical radius about the light source, that radius being equal to the distance from the primary focus to the conjugate focus. The proximal end of the glass rod is positioned on the optical axis in a hole through the confocal reflector at the conjugate focus, whereby light rays from the light source that fall outside the glass rod in are reflected by the spherical confocal reflector back to the light source to be re-reflected or re-radiated as additional light focussed back to the conjugate focus, through the glass rod and to a collimating lens. The foregoing optical components are enclosed in a housing having heat flow paths from the optical elements to the housing exterior.

Hybrid fiber optic framing projector

A lighting fixture has a proximal end fixture adapter connectable at a proximal end to a mounting device attachable to a ceiling. The mounting device may be an elongated track, a fixed canopy or a ceiling ring permitting a proximal portion of the fixture to be above the ceiling. The lighting fixture has a generally cylindrical housing with first and second resilient rings partially engaged into first and second external grooves around the distal end of the housing. A decorative shade has a fitter slidable on the housing and retained between the first and second resilient rings.

Decorative lighting fixtures

A tracklight system includes an elongated an elongated metallic track generally in the shape of a U, having a base and first and second parallel depending legs with proximal ends extending from the base of the U and having distal ends terminating in a common plane. An elongated insulator is attached to one of the depending legs and having longitudinal slots therein including electrical conductors. Track fixtures each include a fixture adapter attaching a luminaire to the track with an incandescent or gas-discharge luminaire disposed within the track U, substantially between the common plane of the legs and the base of the U. In a preferred embodiment the fixture adapter includes a swivel that permits the luminaire to pivot out of the track aim a light beam in azimuth and elevation.

Internal fixture tracklight system

Side-mounted tracklight system

A dual-surface lens for light fixtures and T-bar ceilings includes a first lens panel having a planar perimeter around a decorative or optical control area and a second lens panel having a planar perimeter resting on the planar perimeter of the first lens panel. In a preferred embodiment the first lens panel depends below the planar perimeter and the second lens panel extends above the planar perimeter at an angle of from 5&deg; to 15&deg;.

Dual lighting lens panel

An aimable luminaire has a lamp emitting light at the focus of a beam-forming lens held in a tubular housing having a lens on a central optical axis. The lamp is held in a lamp retainer which is transversely adjustable off the central axis of the housing and lens and axially adjustable with respect to the lens. When the lamp is moved off the optical axis, an off- axis beam is projected, and when the lamp is moved axially moved with respect to the lens the beam angle is zoomed larger or smaller. Rotation of housing in azimuth can then aim the light beam anywhere within a cone inscribed by rotation of the off-axis beam angle, thus providing adjustment in both elevation and azimuth. In a preferred embodiment either the transverse or axial position of the lamp may be the lamp may be adjusted from the proximal direction, above the ceiling, or from the distal direction by removing the lens from the distal end.

Fixed-housing aimable-beam spotlight luminaire

A substantially sealed case for enclosing objects has at least one openable surface and an inlet-outlet port through a surface of the case, permitting the ingestion and expulsion of air during case thermal expansion and barometric pressure changes. The inlet-outlet port has an inlet passage and an outlet passage therethrough, with a check valve in the inlet passage permitting ingestion of air into the case through an inlet filter and blocking the expulsion of air therethrough. The inlet-outlet port also has a check valve in the outlet passage permits the expulsion of air from the case through an outlet filter and blocks the ingestion of air therethrough. A flexible membrane bag encloses the inlet and outlet filters, and may optionally include air treatment means for controlling the relative humidity and the oxygen content of air in the bag.

Sealed case with closed-cycle filter system

This invention applies to the field of light projectors for graphics media, such as movie film, projection slides, liquid crystal cells and fiber optic arrays. High light levels have not been possible with prior art projectors due to plastic media aging and melting in the heat of concentrated light; due to optical inefficiencies in converting circular lamp beams to a rectangular medium format; and due to mismatches between the numerical aperture of the lamp to the graphics media. The present invention solves the heating problem by providing a projector having an elongated, heat absorbing glass coupler between the light source and the graphics medium; it solves the optical inefficiency problem by providing the coupler with a circular light entrance end and a rectangular exit end; and it solves the numerical aperture problem by providing the coupler with a generally parabolic shape that collimates extreme off-axis light rays.

Light projector with parabolic transition format coupler

A fiber optic relay for an individual light guide according to the present invention includes a first light guide from a remote source of illumination, which is coupled to second light guide in series by a relay having a light shut-off means including an electro-magnetic solenoid. In a preferred embodiment the light is fully off when the solenoid is de-energized and has the solenoid plunger disposed between the first and second light guides, blocking light transmission from the first light guide to the second light guide. When the solenoid is energized from a remote source of electrical power the solenoid plunger is withdrawn from between the first and second light guides, allowing light from the first light guide to pass into the second light guide with low attenuation and high efficiency.

Electro-optical relay

An aimable fiber-optic spotlight has a fiber-optic light guide with a first end receiving light from a remote light source and a second end emitting light at the focus of a beam-forming lens held in a fixed tubular housing having a lens on a central optical axis. The light-emitting end of the light guide is held in a tubular light guide retainer within the housing, and which is transversely adjustable off the central axis of the housing and lens. Light emitted from the light guide is off the central axis of the housing and lens, and is thus projected through the lens as an off-axis beam adjustable in elevation angle. Rotation of housing in azimuth can then aim the light beam anywhere within a cone inscribed by rotation of the off-axis beam angle, thus providing adjustment in both elevation and azimuth. In a preferred embodiment the light-emitting end of the light guide is axially adjustable with respect to the lens, whereby the angular diameter of the projected light beam is also adjustable.

Growing community of inventors

Sierra Madre, CA, United States of America

Jack V Miller