GB2357829A

GB2357829A - Lamp with a light source and reflector which are displaceable relative to each other to generate a varying lighting effect

Info

Publication number: GB2357829A
Application number: GB9927794A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Alan Ward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-11-24
Filing date: 1999-11-24
Publication date: 2001-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 2019-11-24
Also published as: GB9927794D0; GB2357829B

Abstract

A lamp assembly comprises a light source c and a reflective surface d which are displaceable with respect to each other so that at any instant, depending on the orientation of the surface relative to the source, light can be reflected onto another portion of the surface or outside the lamp. The reflective surface may include a flexible reflective sheet which may form an arcuate enclosure around the source and may have discontinuities such as slots or holes formed in it. The lamp assembly may have another reflective surface which may be located on a displaceable support. The lamp assembly may include means to displace at least one of the reflective surfaces and the means may include a motor which is preferably a fan (c in Fig. 3) or a heat source which is preferably the light source c. An opaque cowl b which has a plurality of discontinuities may surround at least part of the lamp assembly. The lamp assembly may include means which control displacement of a reflecting surface in response to sounds.

Description

2357829 A LIGHTING DEVICE This Invention relates to a lighting device.

There are various methods that are available to modulate a fight source so as to make effect of the light vary with time or place (e.g. metal impeller fans used in flame effect electric fires, or electronically controlled dimmers and motorised 'gobos'). These devices tend to repeat a pattern over time (due to their use of rotating discs or such like) and are relatively complex in their construction. A device that produces random or apparently random effects can give significantly more naturalistic lighting effects than the above.

According to the present invention there is provided a lamp assembly, which in use receives a light source, the assembly comprising a reflective surface, the source and the surface being displaceable with respect to each other so that, in dependence upon the orientation of the surface relative to the source at any instant in -time, incident light is capable of being reflected onto another portion of the surface, or to a location outside the assembly.

The present invention provides an arrangement that is capable of to creating e random or apparently random modulation of the light source such that there is no perceived repetition to the light pattern and is of simple construction. This is preferably achieved by using a flexible sheet as the reflective surface and disturbing the sheet so that it casts variable patterns of light at a distance.

The invention comprises a light source and a plurality of movable reflective or partially reflective components arranged between the source and an observer, the components being disposed near the light source such that such that a substantial part of the light from the source cannot pass directly to an observer but must be reflected by one or more of the components. The components are preferably flexible and optionally rigid and flexibly mounted.

Means are provided to cause movement of the components such that the reflected light beams appear to move in a random manner. The components might be moved in a random manner, or might be moved in a series of regular patterns that combine so that regular motion of the reflected light beams is not perceived. Agitation of the reflective components might be by the convection current produced by the light source; by convection currents from a separate heat source if the currents produced by the primary light source are inadequate, or by disturbing the reflective material by other means, for example a fan or a trembler device, or by a combination of more than one of these. The overall effect is that, unlike devices in the prior art, the pattern of light from the device is not predominantly regular in time or space.

In some of the physical arrangements that might be envisaged the pattems will be similar in time and space, but they will not be identical, and so will not be perceived as repetitive. A combination of semi-random and repetitive motion might be used, for instance rotation in addition to one of the above means. A combination of reflections from a number of regular rotatory motions will also produce an apparently random effect and is envisaged as one embodiment. The displaced components might be designed to have a range of rates of responses to agitation, so as to produce patterns of varying speed of movement in the reflected light, superimposed on one another.

Additionally, the device might be designed so that external air currents, for example from people moving or fans in operation nearby, move the reflective components so as to produce the effect, either in addition to or instead of actuation internal to the device.

Though a single light source is referred to in the above and following text, it is understood that more than one source might be provided, with appropriate positioning of the reflective components in one or more sets positioned next to or around the various sources.

f he means by which the reflective material is disturbed could be linked with sound patterns (either electrically, acoustically, or by other means). This variation can, depending on the nature of the light source, the type of reflective material employed, and the means by which it is disturbed from its resting state, provide effects from a gentle shimmer to more agitated effects. These effects are such that they can be used to simulate natural lighting phenomena such as sunlight reflected off water or, light modulated by moving leaves in woodland, or they can be employed for more abstract results. The construction can be contained within a translucent, clear or semi opaque (or a mixture of all three) shade so that the modulated light is projected onto the shade, or it can have no shade (or be partially shaded) so that the effect is projected onto objects or walls or ceilings or floors adjacent to the light source. The device can be employed in fittings of any shape and be used mounted on walls, floors, tables or other raised surfaces or mounted or hung from ceilings etc.or other soffits. It can also be configured in a portable lamp.

The reflective material can be silvered, semi-silvered (i.e. so that direct light passes through, but oblique rays are reflected) or and optionally coloured or multi-coloured. The colouring might be designed so as to give addition of colours when projected onto a white surface. It might have a refractive capability so that white light is refracted on passing through the film before reflection, or on reflection from its front surface, so giving faint spectral colour effects. It may have an essentially smooth surface so as to give specular reflection, or it might have a patterned surface or be physically distorted through its thickness, for instance crumpled or embossed, so as to reflect light in a nonspecular manner. The lamp fight source can be a diffused or be a point source or employ a focusing device so that logos or other graphics can be used on the reflective material or on a shade surrounding the device which then are projected upon surrounding surfaces. The reflective material can be positioned as one or more layers to create complex patterns of reflection and obscuration. The reflective material can be flexible, such as metallised plastic film, or be made up of rigid elements mounted in such a way that they move relative to the light source.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to an accompanying drawing: Referring to figure 1, (which is a section), a metal mesh cylinder (a) has a layer of plastic imitation box hedge mat(b) applied to its outer face. The light source (c) is an electric light bulb positioned within the lower portion of the cylinder. A ring of metallised plastic strips (d) are held in a ring arrangement at the top on of the cylinder and positioned in such a way that they hang down within the cylinder in the vicinity of the light source. The ring of strips is advantageously produced by cutting into a single piece through part of its width and then forming it into a ring. The closeness of the hanging strips to one another can be varied in the cutting process to determine the ratio of direct to reflected light that emerges. When the light is turned on, the convection currents produced by the heat generated by the bulb disturb the reflective strips which reflect the light produced by the light source in complex and random ways with the effect of creating variable patterns of light onto the hedge effect cylinder. Because the artificial hedge material is both translucent in some parts(when thin) and opaque in others (thicker areas) as well as have void spaces between the leaves, the variable lighting effect is apparent both on the walls of the cylindrical shade and on surfaces surrounding the device. This effect lasts for as long as the lamp is illuminated. An optional reflector (not shown) may surround the lamp and direct light to the most advantageous part of the fitting. It is understood that in place of the artificial hedge material, other material with a pattern of openings and closed areas might be substituted, as befits the light effect desired. Also, while a ring pattern of reflective strips around the light source is shown in fig. 1, it will be appreciated that other configurations of one or more layers of strips might be used, in chosen degrees of proximity to the light source, in order to achieve the desired lighting effect and response to convection currents from the source.

An alternative embodiment (not shown) is an essentially planar version of the above, with a flat artificial hedge sheet, one or more light sources in front of a reflective surface, with an array of reflective strips hung in front of the light source(s), so as to give the effects described for the embodiment in fig. 1 above.

A further embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to an accompanying drawing: Referring to figure 2, (which is a section), The light source (a), is a candle positioned between one or more mirrors (b), held on wires(c), fixed to the base (d). A trembler mechanism is positioned is such a way so as to agitate the mirrors.

A further embodiment embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to an accompanying drawing: Referring to figure 3, (which is a section) The light source (a), is an electric bulb (directional or non directional) positioned in front of a metallised plastic sheet (b) hung from its top edge. A fan (c) is positioned such that it disturbs the air around the sheet.

A further embodiment embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to an accompanying drawing: Referring to figure 4, (which is a section) The light source (a), is an electric bulb positioned below one or more pieces of metallised plastic sheet (b) hung from wire positioned within a translucent plastic enclosure(c).

The invention has been described by way of examples only and variation may be made to the embodiments. For example, embodiments in which the light source itself is moved with respect to the remainder of the components, as in a carousel or oscillatory motion, or in response to actuation as described above for the reflective components, are envisaged as part of the invention.

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Claims

CLAIMS 1. A lamp assembly, which in use receives a light source, the

assembly comprising a reflective surface, the source and the surface being displaceable with respect to each other so that, in dependence upon the orientation of the surface relative to the source at any instant in time, incident light is capable of being reflected onto another portion of the surface, or to a location outside the assembly.
2. A lamp assembly according to claim 1 wherein the surface includes a reflective sheet which is flexible.
3. A lamp assembly according to claim 2 wherein the. reflective sheet is formed into an arcuate enclosure.
4. A lamp assembly according to claim 2 wherein the sheet has discontinuities formed in it.
5. A lamp assembly according to claim 4 wherein the discontinuities are slots.
6. A lamp assembly according to claim 4 wherein the discontinuities are holes.
7. A lamp assembly according to any of claims 3 to 6 wherein the sheet is in the form of a right circular cylinder arranged proximal the light source.
8. A lamp assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one other reflective surface is provided.
9. A lamp assembly according to claim 8 wherein the said at least one other surface is located on a displaceable support.
10. A lamp assembly according to claim 9 wherein at least one of the surfaces is suspended proximal the light source.
11. A lamp assembly according to claim 1 including a means to displace at least one of said surfaces with respect to the light source.
12. A lamp assembly according to claim 11 wherein the means to displace a surface includes a motor and is preferably a fan.
13. A lamp assembly according to claim 11 wherein the means to displace a surface includes a heat source and is preferably the light source itself.
14. A lamp assembly according to any preceding claim wherein there is further included a cowl which surrounds at least a portion of the assembly, characterised in that the cowl is opaque and has formed within it a plurality of discontinuities.
15. A lamp assembly according to claim 14 wherein the cowl comprises a plurality of components spaced one from another, the components being dimensioned and arranged to define passages for fight to exit therebetween and to produce patterns of spatially varied luminosity on a surface remote from the lamp assembly.
16. A lamp assembly according to any preceding claim wherein means is included to place an image-bearing component proximal the fight source, so that in use the image is projected to a location outside the assembly.
17. A lamp assembly according to any preceding claim further including means by which the displacement of a reflecting surface is controlled in response to sounds.
18. A lamp assembly according to claim 17 including a transducer.
19. A lighting arrangement which in use receives a light source, the arrangement including a dynamic means for interrupting a light ray from said source, which displaces with respect to said source, and a static means for interrupting a light ray from said source which is static with respect to said source.