Vari-lite, Inc.

Timothy D Stacy

James M Bornhorst

Timothy W Terleski

Douglas A Hanson

Richard W Hutton

James Maddux, Iii

Edwin B Dangerfield

Timothy Gregg Huggins

Adjustable compact luminaire

A highly compact, light weight automated luminaire is disclosed having a head unit mounted on a support structure which provides pan and tilt of the head unit. The latter includes beam controlling optics providing precise control over beam parameters including color. Groups of the instruments are remotely controlled from a digital controller such as a PC connected by cable or a wireless link to the instruments. The lights each include processors for processing comands from the digital controller. By reason of its light weight and compactness, the luminaire is suitable for many applications barred to conventional automated lighting fixtures.

Compact luminaire system

A high intensity light projector for stage, architectural and similar applications includes a controllable image quality projection gate providing advanced visual effects. The projection gate, capable of selectively scattering or transmitting incident light, may be constructed of an array of scattering liquid crystal material in combination with infrared and ultraviolet reduction means which provide in the high intensity beam, a stable thermal environment by minimizing the absorption of light by the projection gate. Additional thermal efficiency is provided by supplemental cooling means. Color control is also provided in the form of dichroic filter wheels forming cooperating adjustable low, high and band width filters including saturation control. A color measuring feedback sensor is also provided. An intensity measuring feedback sensor controls a spatially-modulated, variable-density, reflectively-coated dimming wheel. A programmable gobo system has provisions for gobo selection, orientation, and rotation.

Programmable rotatable gobo system

A nonplanar mechanical dimmer for use in a variable parameter luminaire includes claws, a mounting region and a convex beam blocking region which does not reflect energy back onto a light source during dimming.

Dimmer blade

Adjustable spot luminaire

A storage trunk for storing and transporting lighting equipment is constructed using a rotationally molded cross linked polyethylene plastic. The storage trunk is comprised of an enclosure body and a separately removable lid. The lid may be secured to the enclosure body by means of a plurality of latches. The interior of the enclosure body may be molded as a generally open rectangular region or may include molded features for receiving and supporting specific lighting instruments within its interior. The hollow walls of the molded enclosure body are filled with polyurethane foam for reinforcing the walls and damping their movement. A perforated metal stiffening frame is molded into the base of the enclosure body during the molding process for added strength. The underside of the enclosure body provides a plurality of casters for easy movement. The storage trunk features a unitized, seamless construction having no fasteners or external reinforcements to leak, snag other objects, or fall off. Various molded recesses, protrusions and surfaces in the storage trunk serve to enhance the functionality, strength and durability of the plastic storage trunk. Lateral bearing surfaces that protrude from the storage trunk minimize the wear on the exterior surfaces of the trunk by ensuring that the entire surface of the trunk does not contact adjacent surfaces. The storage trunk is constructed with convoluted end surfaces having protrusions and recesses that allow adjacent surfaces to interlock when positioned end to end.

Storage and transporatation trunk for lighting equipment

Adjustable lamp

An automated lighting instrument according to the present invention includes multiple motorized parameters and operates at a low noise level with improved thermal management devices such as a reflector coated with a cold mirror film, a metallic heat sink, a housing with ventilating holes, and thermally isolating motor mounts. The improved thermal management devices provide the basis for an improved method for managing the thermal characteristics of the automated lighting instrument of the present invention.

Thermal management techniques for lighting instruments

Storage and transportation trunk

High intensity lighting projectors

A lighting instrument having pivotable color filters arranged in a substantially radial arrangement with respect to a projected light beam. Multiple sets of such filters are spaced along the axis of the light beam to vary the color of the light beam emitted from the instrument. A motorized mechanism rotates each filter of each set in synchronization with each other and independently with respect to filters of the other sets. The filters may be rotated by the motorized mechanism through flexible coupling mechanisms. The filters also may be positioned to pass unfiltered light to vary the saturation of the light beam.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Timothy D Stacy