CN117308063A - System and method for controlling humidity and pressure in a lighting device - Google Patents

Abstract

A lighting device includes a housing, an air valve, and a chamber. The housing includes a sealed cover and a beam-emitting component. The air valve is in air communication between the housing and the chamber. The chamber includes a desiccant and has an opening, and the membrane completely covers the opening. The membrane allows air to pass through while reducing the passage of water droplets in the air. An air valve blocks the air passage between the cover and the chamber when closed. A method of performing a test to determine adequate sealing of a housing of a lighting device includes: closing an air valve to seal the cover from outside air; activating the heat generating part; determining whether the air pressure in the enclosure increases by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value; and transmitting a signal indicative of the determination. The method includes deactivating the heat generating component and opening the air valve.

Description

System and method for controlling humidity and pressure in a lighting device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to lighting devices, and more particularly, to methods of controlling humidity and pressure within a lighting device.

Background

Lighting devices with automated and remotely controllable functions (which may be referred to as automated lighting devices) are well known in the entertainment and architectural lighting markets. Such products are commonly used in theatres, television studios, concerts, theme parks, night clubs and other venues. Typical automatic lighting devices control the pan and tilt functions of the lighting device from a remote location, allowing an operator to control the direction in which the lighting device is pointing and thus the position of the beam of light on the stage or in the studio. Many automatic lighting devices additionally or alternatively control other parameters from a remote location, such as intensity, focus, zoom, beam size, beam shape, and/or light wave pattern of a beam of light emitted from the lighting device. Such automatic lighting products are often used outdoors, for example in theme parks or concerts. For continuous operation of the device, it is important to maintain a dry, controlled physical environment inside the automatic lighting device.

Drawings

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like features.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an illumination system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a first view of a lighting device incorporating a lighting device humidity and pressure control system according to the present disclosure;

fig. 3 shows an overview of the lighting device of fig. 2 in a fully assembled state;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a lighting device humidity and pressure control system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a second view of the lighting device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a control system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows a first view of a lighting device including a second lighting device humidity and pressure control system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the second lighting device humidity and pressure control system of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a first process for testing a seal in a second lighting device humidity and pressure control system of the present disclosure;

fig. 10 shows a flow chart of a second process for testing seals in a second lighting device humidity and pressure control system of the present disclosure.

Disclosure of Invention

In a first embodiment, a lighting device includes: a cover, an air valve capable of remote operation, and a chamber. The enclosure includes one or more illuminator components configured to alter and emit a light beam. The cover further comprises a sealed lid and a first opening; in other positions than this, the cover is sealed from the outside air. The air valve includes a second opening and a third opening, where the air valve is connected to the first opening of the housing by a sealed air connection. The chamber includes a desiccant, a fourth opening, and a fifth opening; the chamber is sealed from the outside air at other locations than those. The chamber is connected to the third opening of the air valve at the fourth opening by a sealed air connection. The fifth opening includes a membrane that completely covers the fifth opening, the membrane including a material configured to reduce passage of water droplets in the air while allowing the air to pass through. The air valve is configured to block an air passage between the cover and the chamber when closed.

In a second embodiment, a method of performing a test to determine if a housing of a lighting device is sufficiently sealed includes: closing an air valve to seal the cover from outside air; and determining an initial air pressure in the enclosure. The method further includes activating the heat generating component of the enclosure and waiting for a predetermined period of time. The method additionally comprises: determining whether a current air pressure in the enclosure has increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value; and sending a signal indicating a result of determining whether the current air pressure in the enclosure has increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value. The method further includes deactivating the heat generating component and opening the air valve.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments are illustrated in the figures, like numerals being used to refer to like and corresponding parts of the various drawings.

If the lighting device (or luminaire) is used outdoors or in other areas affected by rain, weather or high humidity, it is important to protect any lighting mechanism and optical system from humidity and humidity. Some light fixtures may have sealed housings or semi-sealed housings with pressure equalization. Such fixtures may be subject to effects caused by thermal operating cycles, as follows. When the automatic lighting device is turned on, internal systems such as light sources, electronics, power supplies, and engines may generate heat and cause the temperature within the light fixture to rise. This temperature increase results in a corresponding increase in the air pressure within the lighting device.

In some light fixtures, this pressure is controlled within the lighting device with a hermetic seal. The load induced on such hermetic seals due to such pressure increases within the lighting device can be substantial, and repair and maintenance of the seals can be expensive and/or difficult. Failure of such seals may result in water entering the lighting device, which may result in damage or degradation of the lighting mechanism and/or optical system.

In other light fixtures, the light fixture is sealed, but pressure is allowed to escape through a pressure relief valve. However, when such a luminaire is de-energized and cooled, the pressure inside the luminaire drops relative to the atmospheric pressure outside the luminaire, and outside air (or outside air) and moisture may be sucked back into the lighting device through seals, pressure relief valves, or other paths. This can also lead to water entering the lighting device or condensing inside the lighting device and to damage or degradation of the lighting mechanism and/or the optical system.

The lighting device according to the present disclosure is sealed, but is also vented to the outside air by a system that removes excessive humidity from the incoming air and reduces condensation within the lighting device. This has the advantage of reducing moisture ingress into the lighting device and condensation within the lighting device, as well as reducing damage or degradation of the lighting mechanism and/or optical system.

The lighting device according to the present disclosure is divided into several covers, which are sealed and connected to each other to allow air to pass between the covers. The interconnected hoods are connected to a separate water and humidity reducing system by each other and thereby ventilated with the outside air. In these embodiments, the housings are connected by an air passage rotatably connected to the housing, which has the advantage of allowing one or more housings to rotate relative to each other while reducing water ingress into the lighting device and reducing condensation within the lighting device. The optical, mechanical and electrical components in the lighting device may be positioned in the various housings depending on the design and function of the lighting device.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an illumination system 10 according to the present disclosure. The lighting system 10 comprises a plurality of lighting devices 12 according to the present disclosure. Each illumination device 12 includes an on-board light source, one or more color shifting systems, light modulation devices, and a translation and/or tilt system that controls the orientation of the head of the illumination device 12. The mechanical transmission system that controls parameters of the lighting device 12 includes an engine or other suitable actuator connected to a control system, which is configured to control the engine or other actuator, as described in more detail with reference to fig. 6.

In addition to being connected to the main power supply directly or through a power distribution system, the control system of each lighting device 12 is connected in series or in parallel to one or more consoles 15 through wired data links 14. Upon operator activation, the console 15 sends control signals (e.g., instructions) over the data link 14 that are received by the control system of one or more of the lighting devices 12. The control system of the one or more lighting devices 12 receiving the control signal may respond by changing one or more parameters of the received lighting device 12. Control signals are sent to the lighting devices 12 through the console 15 using DMX-512, art Net, ACN (control network architecture), streaming ACN, or other suitable communication protocol.

The illumination head of the illumination device 12 includes an optical system including one or more illumination mechanisms, each illumination mechanism including one or more optical devices such as gobo black wheels (gobo wheels) and color mixing (or other color changing) systems, as well as prisms, apertures, shutters, and lens movement systems. The term illumination mechanism further includes a pan and tilt mechanism configured to move the illumination head relative to a fixed portion of the illumination device 12. Some or all of the illumination mechanisms may include stepper motors or other rotary actuators to move their associated optics.

Fig. 2 shows a first view of a lighting device 200, including a lighting device humidity and pressure control system according to the present disclosure. Fig. 2 shows the lighting device 200 with some components removed to make it easier to see and describe the humidity and pressure control system. The lighting device 200 may include a plurality of individual enclosures that can be protected by humidity and pressure control systems. The lighting device 200 includes a base cover 202, an engine cover 204, and a head cover 206. The base housing 202 is part of a lighting device that is typically fixedly attached to or placed on a support structure and remains stationary. The base housing 202 may include a power source, interface electronics, and other control devices. The engine enclosure 204 may include an engine and associated electronics that control the translational and/or tilting movement of the illuminated head. The head housing 206 may include lighting device components such as optics and associated motor, as well as electronics and other control electronics. The light source 220 may be located within the head housing 206, or may be external to the head housing 206, but optically coupled to the head housing 206, as described in more detail with reference to fig. 4. The light source 220 and the illuminator components generate and alter the light beam emitted from the head housing 206. The head housing 206 moves in an oblique direction relative to the bonnet body 204, and the bonnet body 204 moves in a translational direction relative to the base housing 202. Thus, the head cover 206 is rotatably mounted to the base cover 202 by the engine cover 204.

Although the lighting device 200 includes three housings, in some other embodiments, any number of housings may be included. For example, a light bar or panorama screen (cyclorama) lighting device may have only a head housing 206 mounted for tilting movement relative to the base housing 202. The engine and associated electronics that control the tilting motion of such lighting devices may be located in one or both of the base housing 202 and/or the head housing 206. Still other embodiments may include only one cover or more than three covers. The ability to increase the number of covers in a lighting device according to the present disclosure provides the advantage of increasing the number of lighting device components that may be protected from damage or degradation caused by ingress of water and/or condensation while also allowing additional components to rotate relative to each other. It should be understood that when the phrase "coupled enclosure" is used in this specification, it refers to one or more enclosures.

All three shields 202, 204, and 206 are sealed from the outside air such that the outside air cannot pass through the seal. However, the shields 202, 204, and 206 are coupled together and vented through the dry tubes 212 and 214 that allow air to flow into and out of the shields so that the internal air pressure in the shields 202, 204, and 206 is not significantly above or below the external atmospheric pressure, thereby reducing the pressure on the shields seals. In the lighting device 200, the base cover 202 is ventilated with the hood 204 by a duct 208 connecting the opening of the base cover 202 to the opening of the hood 204.

The conduit 208 provides a rotatable sealed air connection between the base housing 202 and the engine housing 204. The connector is an air connector in that it allows air to circulate from the base housing 202 to the hood 204. The connection is a sealed air connection in that it is sealed against the outside air. The connection is a rotatable sealed air connection in that it includes a rotating flange, gasket, seal, and/or other element configured to allow the base cover 202 and the bonnet body 204 to rotate relative to one another while still allowing air to pass through. The seal air connection that does not allow rotation of the conduit 208 relative to the base cover 202 or the bonnet body 204 may be referred to as a seal air connection or a fixed seal air connection. The conduit 208 provides a rotatable sealed air connection configured to transfer air from the base housing 202 to the engine housing 204 through a rotational translation system at the bottom of the engine housing 204, the engine housing 204 being sealed from the outside air, the engine housing 204 being rotated relative to the base housing 202 by the rotational translation system.

Next, the engine cover 204 is vented to the head cover 206 via the duct 217. The conduit 217 includes a sealing air connection at a first end 216 to an opening of the bonnet body 204 and a rotating sealing air connection at a second end 218 to an opening of the head bonnet body 206. The duct 217 is configured to pass air from the engine case 204 to the head case 206 through a rotary tilting system on one side of the head case 206.

Thus, the three shields 202, 204, and 206 are connected together by conduits 208 and 217 to form a combined shield with pressure and humidity control. The combination housing is vented to the outside air through the vent tube 209 via the opening of the head housing 206. The vent tube 209 includes a rotary seal air connection at a first end that connects with an opening of the head housing 206. The vent tube 209 includes a sealed air connection at a second end to a drying tube (or chamber) 212, the drying tube 212 being air tightly connected to a drying tube 214. The desiccant tubes 212 and 214 include a desiccant, such as silica gel or other suitable desiccant material. The outlet of the drying duct 214 includes a membrane 210 that places the drying duct 214 in air communication with the outside air.

The membrane 210 may comprise a hydrophobic membrane material such as GORE-TEX (registered trademark of new valance w.l.gore & Associates, tella) or other suitable material that allows air to pass through but reduces or prevents water and/or moisture from passing through in the form of water droplets. Thus, the membrane 210 is configured to remove water droplets from the incoming air, while the desiccant of the desiccant tubes 212 and 214 is configured to remove water vapor (or moisture) from the incoming air.

In operation, when the lighting device 200 is initially energized, both the temperature and the internal air pressure within the three enclosures 202, 204, and 206 increase. The increase in air pressure forces air out of the hoods 202, 204 and 206 through the vent tube 209 and the drying tubes 212 and 214 before exiting the lighting device 200 at the membrane 210. When the lighting device 200 is powered down, the temperature and internal air pressure within the enclosures 202, 204, and 206 are reduced and outside air may be drawn back into the lighting device 200 through the membrane 210, reducing or eliminating liquid water and/or moisture from the drawn air. The sucked air then passes through the drying pipes 212 and 214. The drying tubes 212, 214 will remove water vapor from the intake air, allowing the air entering the hoods 202, 204 and 206 through the ventilation tube 209 to have a reduced humidity. This process of forcing air out of the covers 202, 204, and 206 and subsequently drawing air back into the covers 202, 204, and 206 may be referred to as the "air circulation path" of the lighting device humidity and pressure control system of the present disclosure.

Because the volume of air entering and exiting the enclosures 202, 204, and 206 through the drying ducts 212 and 214 is relatively small, the drying ducts 212 and 214 have the ability to remove moisture during multiple on/off cycles of the lighting device 200. In some embodiments, the desiccant tubes 212 and 214 contain sufficient desiccant to dehumidify 400 on/off cycles of the lighting apparatus 200 before the service technician is required to regenerate or replace the desiccant. The term "regeneration" refers to a drying process that removes absorbed moisture from a desiccant, restoring or regenerating the desiccant's ability to continue to absorb moisture. The term "life" of a desiccant may be used to refer to the time from the first use of the desiccant to the point at which its effectiveness as a desiccant decreases to the point at which regeneration or replacement by a service technician is required. Although the illustrated embodiment uses two drying tubes 212 and 214, in other embodiments, one drying tube (or drying chamber) or more than two drying tubes may be included. Similarly, while some embodiments use silica gel as the desiccant, in other embodiments, the desiccant tube or chamber may additionally or alternatively include other desiccants.

In some embodiments, the dry hot air exhausted when the lighting device 200 is powered on will regenerate the desiccant in the desiccant tube, extending the life of the desiccant. In further embodiments, the drying and regeneration process may be enhanced by using heaters (not shown in FIG. 2) inside or around one or both of the drying tubes 212 and 214.

In some embodiments, one or more of the shields 202, 204, and 206 may include one or more sensors configured to measure characteristics of the shields, wherein the characteristics are selected from, but not limited to, air pressure, air humidity, and/or air temperature. The data samples from such sensors may be collected by a control system of the lighting device 200 and information related to the collected data samples sent (or transmitted) to a user via one or more communication means, such as a display included in the lighting device 200, a wired data link 14 using a protocol such as Remote Device Management (RDM), a network connection via the data link 14, a cellular or WiFi wireless connection, or Near Field Communication (NFC) or other wireless communication link. Such information transmission has the following advantages: allowing a user of the lighting device 200 to obtain information without turning on the lighting device 200 or receiving information at a remote location without having to access the lighting device 200 to obtain information. In some embodiments, a plurality of such data samples may be stored in a service log of the lighting device 200, and the contents of the log may be sent to a user, service technician, or manufacturer by one or more of the means described above. Such multiple data samples in the service log have the advantage of providing a history of sensed characteristics within the lighting device. In some such embodiments, the service log may further include one or more time stamps associated with respective one or more of the plurality of data samples, wherein a time stamp may indicate a time at which a data sample was collected. In this manner, a user, service technician, or manufacturer may determine when a data sample of interest is collected.

Further, in some such embodiments, the control system of the lighting device 200 may determine whether the sealed enclosure has been effectively sealed (or resealed after maintenance) based on data from such sensors. For example, when the lighting device 200 is powered on, if the air pressure sensor indicates that the air pressure within one or more of the covers 202, 204, and 206 is not increasing, while the temperature sensor indicates that the temperature within the cover is increasing, the control system may interpret this data as an indication that one or more of the covers 202, 204, and 206 is not fully sealed from the outside air. Such a determination provides the following advantages: (i) Enabling a service technician to determine whether the enclosure has been effectively resealed after maintenance prior to returning the lighting device 200 to service, and/or (ii) enabling a user of the lighting device 200 to remotely determine whether a seal in a previously effectively sealed enclosure has failed.

Fig. 3 shows an overview of the lighting device 200 of fig. 2 in a fully assembled state. The sealed enclosure and associated connection tube are hidden in fig. 3 by the outer housing or enclosure.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a lighting device humidity and pressure control system 400 according to the present disclosure. Fig. 4 is a simplified schematic diagram of a lighting device humidity and pressure control system 400 of the lighting device 200 described with reference to fig. 2. The base cover 402 is vented through a duct 408, the duct 408 connecting the base cover 402 to the engine cover 404. Next, the engine cover 404 is vented through a duct 417 (having ends 416 and 418), the duct 417 connecting the engine cover 404 to the head cover 406. Thus, the three covers 402, 404, and 406 are connected together by tubing, forming a combined cover for pressure and humidity control. Head enclosure 406 is vented through conduit 409, also venting enclosures 402 and 404. Finally, at the outlet of the drying tube 412, the membrane 410 connects the system to the external atmosphere. The membrane 410 may be made of a micro-filtration material (such as GORE-TEX) that allows air to pass through but reduces or prevents water or moisture from passing through. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, a heater 422 is mounted around (or in thermal communication with) the desiccant tube 412 and is controllable by the control system of the lighting apparatus 200 to heat the desiccant during the hot air discharge phase of the cycle and/or other desired times, providing the advantage of regenerating the desiccant and extending its lifetime. In some other embodiments, the heater 422 may be mounted within the drying tube 412. Still other embodiments may not include the heater 422.

The head cover 406 includes a sensor 424 that measures one or more parameters, such as air pressure, air humidity, or air temperature. In other embodiments, one or more such sensors 424 may be included in the housing 402 and/or 404. In some embodiments, a plurality of such sensors 424 may be included in one or more of the enclosures 402, 404, and 406.

Data samples from such sensors may be collected by the control system of the lighting device 200. The control circuit 426 is located in the base housing 402. In some other embodiments, the control circuit 428 may additionally or alternatively be located in the head cover 406. In still other embodiments, control circuitry (not shown in FIG. 4) may be located in the engine housing 404. Such one or more control circuits may individually or cooperatively form a control system for the lighting device 200. Information related to the collected data samples may be sent by the control system to the user via one or more communication means as described above. Also as described above, in various embodiments, the data samples may include a timestamp and may be stored and sent to a user, service technician, or manufacturer.

Fig. 4 further illustrates a light source 420 external to the head cover 406. The light source 420 is optically and physically connected to the head housing 406 but is separated from the head housing 406 by a transparent window and gasket 421 and sealed with respect to the head housing 406. The heat generated by the light source 420 may be significant, such an arrangement provides the advantage of maintaining the heat emitted from the light source 420 outside the head cover 406 and helping to reduce temperature and air pressure increases within the head cover 406. Such a reduction has the following advantages: reducing the volume of air exiting and re-entering the combined enclosure of the three enclosures 402, 404, and 406 during each on/off cycle helps to increase the lifetime of the desiccant in the desiccant tube 412.

Fig. 5 shows a second view of the lighting device 200 of fig. 2. The lighting device 200 includes a dry box 226 in the base housing 202 and a dry box 228 in the head housing 206. In various embodiments, zero or more dry boxes may be included in any enclosure of a lighting device humidity and pressure control system according to the present disclosure.

The drying ovens 226 and 228 are not part of the air circulation path described with reference to fig. 2, which occurs when the lighting device 200 is heated and cooled. Instead, the dry boxes 226 and 228 facilitate initial assembly and subsequent maintenance. When the lighting device 200 and the covers 202, 204, and 206 are first sealed, they will contain air from the factory, which may be humid. The desiccant chambers 226 and 228 include a desiccant (e.g., silica gel) and a plurality of openings in the chambers that expose the desiccant to air in the enclosure. Once the enclosure is sealed, these boxes remove some of the initial humidity trapped within the enclosure, even before the lighting device is powered on. The drying ovens 226 and 228 may also help ensure that the air in the enclosure remains dry during storage and transport.

In some embodiments, any desiccant within the desiccant tanks 226 and 228 and/or the desiccant tubes 212 and 214 may change color as moisture is absorbed. In some such embodiments, the drying ovens 226 and 228 and/or the drying tubes 212 and 214 are configured to enable such color changing desiccants to be readily seen. In some such embodiments, the drying ovens 226 and 228 and/or the drying tubes 212 and 214 may be at least partially made of transparent or translucent material. In some other such embodiments, the drying cabinet or drying duct may have a cabinet portion or duct portion that is easily removable to expose the desiccant for viewing. In still other embodiments, one or more of the plurality of openings in the drying oven may be sized to allow the desiccant to be viewed through the opening. Such a desiccant and a drying cabinet or drying tube provide the following advantages: enabling a user or service technician to visually check whether the desiccant is ready or in need of regeneration or replacement prior to sealing the covers 202, 204, and 206 of the lighting device 200.

The inclusion of the drying ovens 226 and 228 provides the additional advantage of an initial drying cycle that can be used to extend the life of the desiccant in the drying duct within the lighting device. The inclusion of the dry boxes 226 and 228 provides the advantage of allowing the lighting device 200 to be more quickly re-used without the need to use external tools to dehumidify the sealed enclosure or to purge the humid air in the sealed enclosure with nitrogen or dehumidified air.

Fig. 6 shows a block diagram of a control system (or controller) 600 according to the present disclosure. The control system 600 is suitable for use in a system for controlling a lighting device including a lighting device humidity and pressure control system according to the present disclosure. The control system 600 is also adapted to control the light sources, optics, translation and/or tilt systems, and other control functions of the lighting devices 12 and 200, as well as to connect and respond to and store data read from sensors installed in the lighting devices 12 and 200.

The control system 600 includes a processor 602 electrically coupled to a memory 604. The processor 602 is implemented in hardware and software. The processor 602 may be implemented as one or more Central Processing Unit (CPU) chips, cores (e.g., multi-core processors), field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), and Digital Signal Processors (DSPs).

The processor 602 is further electrically connected to and communicates with a communication interface 606. The communication interface 606 is connected to the data link 14 and is configured to communicate over the data link 14. The processor 602 is also coupled to one or more sensors 424, engines, actuators, controllers, heaters 422, and/or other devices through a control interface 608. The processor 602 is configured to receive control signals from the data link 14 via the communication interface 606 and, in response, control the systems and mechanisms of the lighting device 12 via the control interface 608.

The processor 602 is also electrically connected to and in communication with temperature, humidity, and/or pressure sensors (such as sensor 424) via a control interface 608. The processor 602 is configured to receive control signals from the data link 14 via the communication interface 606 and, in response, to measure, store, and transmit information related to data sampled from the one or more sensors 424.

Control system 600 is adapted to perform processes, module controls, optics controls, pan and tilt movements, parameter controls, engine controls, position sensor controls, brake controls, and other functions disclosed herein, and may be implemented as instructions stored in memory 604 and executed by processor 602. Memory 604 includes one or more magnetic disks and/or solid state drives, which may be used to store instructions and data that are read and written during program execution. The memory 604 may be volatile and/or nonvolatile and may be Read Only Memory (ROM), random Access Memory (RAM), ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM), and/or Static Random Access Memory (SRAM).

Fig. 7 shows a first view of a lighting device 700 including a second lighting device humidity and pressure control system according to the present disclosure. The second lighting device humidity and pressure control system is similar to the lighting device humidity and pressure control system shown in fig. 2, but it also includes a remotely operable air valve 719 configured to pass air when open and to block the air passage when closed. The valve 719 is positioned between the drying pipes 212 and 214 in the embodiment shown in fig. 7. Thus, when closed, the valve 719 is configured to block the air passage between the connected hoods 202, 204, and 206 and the drying duct 214 and membrane 210.

In this embodiment, the attached shields 202, 204, and 206 are vented to the outside air through valve 719. The valve 719 may be a solenoid valve electrically connected to a control system (which may be configured to open and close the valve 719) of the lighting device 200. The access panels and covers of the connected enclosures 202, 204, and 206 are equipped with seals, and when the seals are operating as intended, air flows into and out of the connected enclosures 202, 204, and 206 only through the valve 719. Thus, when the valve 719 is closed, if air flows into or out of the attached shields 202, 204, and 206, it can be considered to flow past the seals.

Although in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the valve 719 is positioned between the drying pipes 212 and 214, in other such embodiments, the valve 719 may be positioned anywhere in the air path from the connected hoods 202, 204, and 206 to the membrane 210. However, positioning the valve 719 such that at least one of the drying tubes 212 and 214 is located between the valve 719 and the membrane 210 may provide the following benefits: that is, in such a position, the air flowing through the valve 719 has been dried, which reduces the likelihood that condensation will occur within the valve 719. The presence of such condensation may increase the likelihood that the valve 719 will freeze and cease to function properly when the ambient temperature falls below freezing.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the second lighting device humidity and pressure control system of fig. 7. Fig. 8 is a simplified schematic diagram of a second lighting device humidity and pressure control system 800 of a lighting device 700. As described with respect to fig. 7, the second lighting device humidity and pressure control system 800 is very similar to the lighting device humidity and pressure control system 400 shown in fig. 4, but the system 800 also includes a valve 819, in the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the valve 819 is positioned between the head cover 406 and the drying tube 412.

The valve 819 is a solenoid valve electrically connected to a control system of the lighting device 700 that is configured to open and close the valve 819. As described with reference to fig. 7, the attached covers 402, 404, and 406 are sealed and air flows into and out of the attached covers 402, 404, and 406 only through the valve 819 when the seal is operating as intended. Thus, when the valve 819 is closed, air can only flow into or out of the attached enclosures 402, 404, and 406 (if any) through the seal. Although in the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the valve 819 is positioned between the head cover 406 and the drying tube 412, in other such embodiments, the valve 819 may be positioned anywhere in the air path from the connected covers 402, 404, and 406 to the membrane 410. However, as described above, positioning the valve 819 such that the drying tube 412 is located between the valve 819 and the membrane 410 may reduce the likelihood of condensation occurring within the valve 819.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7 (the description below applies equally to fig. 8, valve 819, and connected shields 402, 404, and 406), valve 719 may be operated to seal connected shields 202, 204, and 206 from outside air so that pressure changes in one or more of connected shields 202, 204, and 206 may be measured. This measurement provides a test of whether the seals of the attached enclosures 202, 204, and 206 are sufficiently airtight to allow the lighting fixture humidity and pressure control system 400 (or 800) to function as designed to reduce water ingress into the lighting fixture.

When the lighting device 700 is first set up, such a test may be run to confirm that the lighting device 700 has been properly assembled. The test may also be run after maintenance of the lighting device 700, which requires a technician (or other user) to remove and reattach the sealing cap (or sealing panel in the cap, both collectively referred to herein as sealing caps) to access one of the components of the attached enclosure 202, 204, or 206.

The test may be initiated by a control signal (e.g., a command) received via the data link 14 or via an input panel of the lighting device 700. In some embodiments, the user may initiate the test at any time the lighting device 700 is powered on. The control system 600 of the lighting device 700 may be configured to automatically perform the test when the lighting device 700 is initially powered up. This configuration may be set by a user via control signals received via the data link 14 or via an input panel of the lighting device 700.

Fig. 9 and 10 show flowcharts of a first process 900 and a second process 1000, respectively, for testing seals in a second lighting device humidity and pressure control system of the present disclosure. Both processes 900 and 1000 begin with the following steps:

1. one or more temperature sensors are used within one or more of the coupled enclosures 202, 204, and 206 to determine an initial temperature of the lighting device 700.

a. If the air in the attached enclosures 202, 204, and 206 is above the threshold maximum initial temperature, the process is delayed until the temperature falls below the threshold maximum initial temperature by either active or passive means.

b. In some embodiments, if the air in the connected enclosure is below a threshold minimum initial temperature, one or more heat generating components of the lighting device 700 are activated to actively raise the temperature in the connected enclosure. In some such embodiments, once the temperature rises above the threshold minimum initial temperature, the heat generating components of the lighting device 700 are deactivated (until they are later activated again in the process). In other embodiments, the process is delayed until the temperature is raised above the threshold minimum initial temperature by passive means.

2. The valve 719 is closed to seal the coupled hoods 202, 204, and 206 from the outside air.

3. An initial air pressure in one or more of the connected hoods 202, 204, and 206 is determined.

4. The temperature within the attached enclosures 202, 204, and 206 is increased by activating one or more heat generating components of the lighting device 700. The temperature may be increased by performing any or all of the following actions: the light source 220 is activated, a holding current is applied to the engine in the engine enclosure 204, electronics on a printed circuit board in the attached enclosure are activated, a power source in the base enclosure 202 is activated, or a free standing heating element located in any or all of the attached enclosures is activated. In some embodiments, a frame shutter or other light blocking optical device may be incorporated to prevent the illumination device 700 from projecting a light beam during this step of the process.

Process 900 continues with the steps of:

5. after a predetermined period of time has elapsed,

a. it is determined whether the current air pressure in one or more of the connected enclosures 202, 204, and 206 has increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value.

b. A signal is sent indicating the result of determining whether the current air pressure in one or more of the connected hoods 202, 204, and 206 has increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value.

c. One or more heat generating components of the lighting device 700 and the light blocking optical apparatus, if used, are deactivated.

d. The valve 719 is opened and normal operation of the lighting device 700 is started (or resumed).

Process 1000 continues with the steps of:

5. the current air pressure within the connected enclosures 202, 204, and 206 is monitored.

6. If the current air pressure has increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding the threshold pressure change value within a predetermined period of time (e.g., if the threshold pressure change value is exceeded before the predetermined period of time has elapsed), a signal is sent indicating that the connected enclosure is sufficiently sealed. If the current air pressure does not increase from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding the threshold pressure change value within a predetermined period of time (e.g., if the predetermined period of time has elapsed without exceeding the threshold pressure change value), a signal is sent indicating that one or more of the connected hoods are not sufficiently sealed.

7. Whether or not the current air pressure is increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding the threshold pressure change value within a predetermined period of time,

a. one or more heat generating components of the lighting device 700 and the light blocking optical apparatus, if used, are deactivated.

b. The valve 719 is opened and normal operation of the lighting device 700 is started (or resumed).

In some embodiments, the threshold pressure change value is 7 millibars and the predetermined period of time is 5 minutes. In other embodiments, the threshold pressure change value is 20 millibar and the predetermined period of time is 30 minutes.

In some embodiments, the threshold minimum initial temperature in one or more of the connected shields 202, 204, and 206 is 0 ℃. In some embodiments, the threshold maximum initial temperature in one or more of the connected shields 202, 204, and 206 is 55 ℃. In such an embodiment, the temperature may be raised to 70-75 ℃ during testing. In general, the threshold maximum initial temperature will be at least 10-15 ℃ lower than the temperature reached by the heat-generating component once it is activated. The threshold maximum initial temperature will be selected based on where one or more temperature sensors are located in the attached shields 202, 204, and 206.

In some embodiments, the control system may also monitor and correlate the temperature rise with a desired pressure rise to determine whether the coupled enclosures 202, 204, and 206 are adequately sealed.

In some embodiments, the signal indicative of the test result is sent as a message over a communication link (e.g., data link 14). In other embodiments, the signal is sent as an indicator or status display on the lighting device 700. In still other embodiments, both methods are used to transmit signals.

In some embodiments, the test sequence is performed each time the lighting device 700 is initially powered on. In some embodiments, the test sequence is performed in response to a signal received from a user, such as a command received via an input panel of the lighting device 700 or via a communication link (e.g., data link 14 or a wireless communication link). In some embodiments, as a user selectable option, the control system of the lighting device 700 does not begin normal operation if the attached covers 202, 204, and 206 are not adequately sealed.

Although the lighting device 700 and the second lighting device humidity and pressure control system 800 include three enclosures, in other embodiments, any number of enclosures may be included.

Although only a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Claims (15)

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a housing comprising one or more lighting device components configured to alter and emit a light beam, the housing comprising a sealed cover and a first opening, the housing being sealed from outside air at other locations in addition thereto;

a remotely operable air valve comprising a second opening and a third opening, the air valve being connected to the first opening of the housing at the second opening by a sealed air connection; and

a chamber comprising a desiccant, a fourth opening, and a fifth opening, the chamber being sealed from outside air at other locations than where it is, wherein:

the chamber is connected to a third opening of the air valve at the fourth opening by a sealed air connection; and

The fifth opening includes a membrane completely covering the fifth opening, the membrane including a material configured to reduce passage of water droplets in the air while allowing the air to pass,

wherein the air valve is configured to block an air passage between the cover and the chamber when closed.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the housing is a first housing and further comprises a sixth opening, the lighting device further comprising:

a second enclosure comprising electronic circuitry electrically connected to the lighting device component of the first enclosure, the second enclosure comprising a seventh opening and being sealed from outside air at other locations than where it is, wherein:

the first housing is rotatably mounted to the second housing;

the second cover body is connected with the sixth opening of the first cover body at the seventh opening through a rotatable sealing air connecting piece; and is also provided with

The air valve is configured to block an air passage between the chamber and both the first and second covers when closed.

3. The lighting device of claim 2, further comprising a third housing, wherein:

The first housing is rotatably mounted to the third housing, the third housing is rotatably mounted to the second housing, whereby the first housing is rotatably mounted to the second housing through the third housing;

the third cover includes an eighth opening and a ninth opening, and is sealed from outside air at other positions than the positions;

the second cover body is connected with the eighth opening of the third cover body at the seventh opening through a rotatable sealing air connecting piece;

the first cover body is connected with the ninth opening of the third cover body at the sixth opening through a rotatable sealing air connecting piece;

the second cover body is connected with the sixth opening of the first cover body at the seventh opening through the third cover body; and is also provided with

The air valve is configured to block an air passage between the three of the first, second, and third covers and the chamber when closed.

4. A lighting device according to claims 1-3, further comprising a control system configured to perform a test to determine if the enclosure is sufficiently sealed, wherein:

The cover further includes a heat generating part and an air pressure sensor; and is also provided with

The control system is electrically connected to the air valve, the heat generating component, and the air pressure sensor, the control system configured to:

closing the air valve to seal the cover from outside air entering through the chamber;

determining an initial air pressure by sensing by the air pressure sensor;

activating the heat generating part;

determining whether the current air pressure sensed by the air pressure sensor has increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value within a predetermined period of time;

transmitting a signal indicating that the enclosure is sufficiently sealed in response to the current air pressure having increased by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value within a predetermined period of time;

transmitting a signal indicating that the enclosure is not adequately sealed in response to the current air pressure not increasing by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value within a predetermined period of time;

deactivating the heat generating component; and is also provided with

The air valve is opened.

5. The lighting device of claim 4, wherein activating the heat generating component comprises one or more of: activating a light source, applying a holding current to an engine in the enclosure, activating electronics in the enclosure, activating a power source in the enclosure, or activating a free standing heating element located in the enclosure.

6. The lighting device of claim 5, wherein:

the enclosure further includes an optical device that blocks light;

activating the heat generating component further includes activating the light blocking optical device to prevent the lighting device from projecting a beam of light when testing to determine if the enclosure is sufficiently sealed; and is also provided with

Deactivating the heat generating component further includes deactivating the light blocking optical device.

7. The lighting device of claim 4, wherein:

the enclosure further includes a second sensor configured to measure a temperature of the enclosure; and is also provided with

The control system is electrically connected to the second sensor and is further configured to:

collecting data from the second sensor; and is also provided with

Only if the data indicates that the temperature is above the threshold minimum initial temperature and below the threshold maximum initial temperature, is the cap tested for adequate sealing.

8. The lighting device of claim 4, wherein:

the enclosure further includes a third sensor configured to measure one or more of air humidity and air temperature; and is also provided with

The control system is electrically connected to the third sensor and is further configured to: data is collected from one or both of the air pressure sensor and the third sensor, and information related to the collected data is transmitted to a user of the lighting device via a communication channel.

9. The lighting device of claim 4, wherein the control system is further configured to perform a test to determine whether the enclosure is sufficiently sealed (i) upon initial power-up of the lighting device or (ii) in response to a signal received from a user of the lighting device.

10. A method of performing a test to determine if a housing of a lighting device is sufficiently sealed, the method comprising:

closing an air valve by a control system of the lighting device to seal the enclosure from outside air;

determining, by the control system, an initial air pressure in the enclosure;

activating a heat generating part of the cover by the control system;

waiting, by the control system, for a predetermined period of time;

determining, by the control system, whether a current air pressure in the enclosure has increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value;

transmitting, by the control system, a signal indicating a result of determining whether the current air pressure in the enclosure has increased from the initial air pressure by an amount exceeding a threshold pressure change value;

deactivating the heat generating component by the control system; and

The air valve is opened by the control system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the control system, a temperature of the enclosure; and

a test is performed to determine whether the enclosure is adequately sealed only when the temperature of the enclosure is above a threshold minimum initial temperature and below a threshold maximum initial temperature.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the heat generating component is activated in response to determining that the temperature of the enclosure is below a threshold minimum initial temperature.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein activating the heat generating component further comprises activating light blocking optics of the enclosure by the control system to prevent the lighting device from projecting a beam of light when testing to determine if the enclosure is sufficiently sealed.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

collecting, by the control system, data relating to one or more of air pressure, air humidity, and air temperature within the enclosure; and

information related to the collected data is transmitted by the control system to a user of the lighting device via a communication channel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the collected data comprises a plurality of data samples and one or more timestamps associated with corresponding one or more of the plurality of data samples.