GB2170309A

GB2170309A - A lamp unit

Info

Publication number: GB2170309A
Application number: GB08529594A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pomares Jaime Santana
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-12-13
Filing date: 1985-12-02
Publication date: 1986-07-30
Also published as: FR2574901B3; ES283390Y; FR2574901A1; ES283390U; GB8529594D0

Abstract

A lamp unit comprising a light emitter, a housing in which the light emitter is mounted, a plurality of light guides which are mounted on the housing, each light guide having a near end which, in use, receives light from the light emitter and a remote end which emits light which is transmitted along the respective light guide, and means for focusing the light which is, in use, emitted from the light emitter into the near ends of the light guides.

Description

SPECIFICATION A lamp unit The present invention relates to a lamp unit, and in particular to an electrical lamp which is adapted to be suspended from a ceiling.

The present invention provides a lamp unit comprising a light emitter, a housing in which the light emitter is mounted, a plurality of light guides which are mounted on the housing, each light guide having a near end which, in use, receives light from the light emitter and a remote end which emits light which is transmitted along the respective light guide, and means for focusing the light which is, in use, emitted from the light emitter onto the near ends of the light guides.

Preferably, the light emitter is an electric bulb and the lamp unit is adapted to be suspended from a ceiling.

The means for focusing may be a concave reflector and the near ends of the light guides are located in a common region on which light from the light emitter can be focused by the concave reflector.

A particular preferred concave reflector is a parabolic reflector at the focus of which the light emitter is located.

Desirably, the means for focusing are mounted for movement along an axis whereby the means for focusing can be moved so as to maintain the focus of light at the rear ends of the light guides.

Each light guide may comprise one or more optical fibres.

The present invention further provides an improved lamp, included among those that, having a central core and branching off from it multiple arms, in each one of its free ends there is a light spot, characterised by the fact, that the core is made up of a tube-shaped element that contains inside of it an axially movable parabola and that contains in its focus a traditional light generating element, concentrating the emission of the same on an adjustable plug that like a plug closes up one of the ends of the tube-shaped core, converging in one point of the catcher, one of the ends of the multiple optical fibers conducting the light made in a typical manner, which, going through the multiple arms with an irregular shape, have the second end as the emission point of the corresponding arm.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the single Figure is a longitudinal part-sectional view of a lamp unit in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the Figure, an incandescent light bulb 1, such as a traditional light bulb, which is connected to a source of electric power by electrically conductive wires 2 is disposed at the focus of a light flow focusing parabolic reflector 3 which is mounted within an elongate tubular housing 4. At the bottom end of the housing 4 is a hole in the end wall thereof in which a correspondingly sized plug 3 is slidably mounted so as to be axially movable in and out of the tubular housing 4. The hole has a smaller diameter than that of the tubular housing 4. At the bottom of plug 5 is mounted a connector A for a plurality of elongate light guide arms 6 which include one or more optical fibres. Each light guide arm 6 has a near end and the near ends converge to a region within the plug 5. The remote ends of the light guide arms 6 diverge away from the connector 4 in any desired manner.

In use, light which is emitted from the light bulb 1 is reflected off the inner surface of the parabolic reflector 3 and is focused by the parabolic reflector 3 onto the region in which the near ends of the light guide arms 6 are situated. The light is then transmitted along the light guide arms 6 and is emitted at the respective remote ends of the light guide arms 6.

The plug 5 can be axially moved in the hole as desired so as to adjust the height of the light emitting remote ends of the light guide arms 6. The parabolic reflector 3 is also axially movable in the housing 4.

The present invention can provide a ceiling lamp having multiple arms in which, with a single light generating element and by using light transmission by optical fibres, it is possible to distribute light waves which emanate from the single light source to all of the arms.

in addition, the lamp is adjustable without reducing the efficiency of light distribution.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a lamp which is effective and efficient in distributing light and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

It will be understood to a person skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment is an example of the invention and that the dimensions, materials and proportions of the lamp unit may be varied as desired without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. A lamp unit comprising a light emitter, a housing in which the light emitter is mounted, a plurality of light guides which are mounted on the housing, each light guide having a near end which, in use, receives light from the light emitter and a remote end which emits light which is transmitted along the respective light guide, and means for focusing the light which is, in use, emitted from the light emitter onto the near ends of the light guides.

2. A lamp unit according to Claim 1, wherein the light emitter is an electric bulb and the lamp unit is adapted to be suspended from a ceiling.

3. A lamp unit according to Claim 1 or

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A lamp unit The present invention relates to a lamp unit, and in particular to an electrical lamp which is adapted to be suspended from a ceiling. The present invention provides a lamp unit comprising a light emitter, a housing in which the light emitter is mounted, a plurality of light guides which are mounted on the housing, each light guide having a near end which, in use, receives light from the light emitter and a remote end which emits light which is transmitted along the respective light guide, and means for focusing the light which is, in use, emitted from the light emitter onto the near ends of the light guides. Preferably, the light emitter is an electric bulb and the lamp unit is adapted to be suspended from a ceiling. The means for focusing may be a concave reflector and the near ends of the light guides are located in a common region on which light from the light emitter can be focused by the concave reflector. A particular preferred concave reflector is a parabolic reflector at the focus of which the light emitter is located. Desirably, the means for focusing are mounted for movement along an axis whereby the means for focusing can be moved so as to maintain the focus of light at the rear ends of the light guides. Each light guide may comprise one or more optical fibres. The present invention further provides an improved lamp, included among those that, having a central core and branching off from it multiple arms, in each one of its free ends there is a light spot, characterised by the fact, that the core is made up of a tube-shaped element that contains inside of it an axially movable parabola and that contains in its focus a traditional light generating element, concentrating the emission of the same on an adjustable plug that like a plug closes up one of the ends of the tube-shaped core, converging in one point of the catcher, one of the ends of the multiple optical fibers conducting the light made in a typical manner, which, going through the multiple arms with an irregular shape, have the second end as the emission point of the corresponding arm. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the single Figure is a longitudinal part-sectional view of a lamp unit in accordance with the present invention. Referring to the Figure, an incandescent light bulb 1, such as a traditional light bulb, which is connected to a source of electric power by electrically conductive wires 2 is disposed at the focus of a light flow focusing parabolic reflector 3 which is mounted within an elongate tubular housing 4. At the bottom end of the housing 4 is a hole in the end wall thereof in which a correspondingly sized plug 3 is slidably mounted so as to be axially movable in and out of the tubular housing 4. The hole has a smaller diameter than that of the tubular housing 4. At the bottom of plug 5 is mounted a connector A for a plurality of elongate light guide arms 6 which include one or more optical fibres. Each light guide arm 6 has a near end and the near ends converge to a region within the plug 5. The remote ends of the light guide arms 6 diverge away from the connector 4 in any desired manner. In use, light which is emitted from the light bulb 1 is reflected off the inner surface of the parabolic reflector 3 and is focused by the parabolic reflector 3 onto the region in which the near ends of the light guide arms 6 are situated. The light is then transmitted along the light guide arms 6 and is emitted at the respective remote ends of the light guide arms 6. The plug 5 can be axially moved in the hole as desired so as to adjust the height of the light emitting remote ends of the light guide arms 6. The parabolic reflector 3 is also axially movable in the housing 4. The present invention can provide a ceiling lamp having multiple arms in which, with a single light generating element and by using light transmission by optical fibres, it is possible to distribute light waves which emanate from the single light source to all of the arms. in addition, the lamp is adjustable without reducing the efficiency of light distribution. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a lamp which is effective and efficient in distributing light and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and operate. It will be understood to a person skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment is an example of the invention and that the dimensions, materials and proportions of the lamp unit may be varied as desired without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. CLAIMS

3. A lamp unit according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the means for focusing is a concave reflector and the near ends of the light guids are located in a common region on which light from the light emitter can be focused by the concave reflector.

4. A lamp unit according to Claim 3, wherein the concave reflector is a parabolic reflector and the light emitter is located at the focus of the parabolic reflector.

5. A lamp unit according to any foregoing claim, wherein the means for focusing are mounted for movement along an axis whereby the means for focusing can be moved so as to maintain the focus of light at the near ends of the light guides.

6. A lamp unit according to any foregoing claim, wherein each light guide comprises one or more optical fibres.

7. A lamp unit substantially as herebefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

8. An improved lamp, included among those that, having a central core and branching off from it multiple arms, in each one of its free ends there is a light spot, characterised by the fact, that the core is made up of a tube-shaped element that contains inside of it an axially moveable parabola and that contains in its focus a traditional light generating element, concentrating the emission of the same on an adjustable plug that like a plug closes up one of the ends of the tube-shaped core, converging in one point of the catcher, one of the ends of the multiple optical fibers conducting the light made in a typical manner, which, going through the multiple arms with an irregular shape, have the second end as the emission point of the corresponding arm.