US1122226A - Semi-indirect-lighting fixture. - Google Patents

Description

H. O. ADAM. SEMI-INDIRECT LIGHTING FIXTURE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 16, 1914.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

HARRY G. ADAM, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SEMI-INDIRECT-LIGHTIHG FIXTURE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. ADAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Semi-Indirect-Lighting Fixtures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a semi-indirect lighting fixture of the type in which a translucent shield or bowl is arranged under the lighting unit so as to diffuse the light and reflect the secondary raysupwardly onto the top reflector, and it is an improvement upon the semi-indirect lighting fixture described in my pending application, Serial No. 821,030, filed February 25th, 1914, wherein the top reflector is so designed that the secondary rays will be projected downwardly without causing a large volume of the rays to pass through the electric lamp bulb. In the fixture described in the application referred to the diffusing shield or bowl that is arranged under the lighting fixture is substantially semi-spherical in shape, and while said fixture is very efficient and produces a good light, still, there is a tendency for the indirect rays that are projected downwardly by the top reflector to glance off the diffusing shield, instead of passing directly through same, due to the fact that the bottom portion of the shield is curved or approximately semi-spherical in shape.

The object of. my present invention is to provide a semi-indirect lighting fixture that embodies the good features and characteristics of the fixture describedin the application referred to, but Which is an improve ment upon the same in' thattthe difl'using shield or bowl is so designed that the indirect rays projected downwardly onto same from the top reflector will be sure to pass through the bottom portion of the shield without glancing ofl' same at an angle.

Another object is to provide a semi-indirect lighting fixture of the general type mentioned, in which the diffusingv shield or bowl is so designed that a large portion of the direct rays from the lighting unit that 1 strike the sides of the bowl will be projected downwardly through the bottom portion of the bowl.

Other objects and desirable features of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 19M.

Application filed April 16, 914. erial No. 832,224..

trating a slight modification of my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings which illustrates one form of my invention, A designates the top reflector of the fixture and B designates the inverted bowl or diffusing shield that is arranged under the lighting unit, which preferably consists of an electric light bulb C, the top reflector and diffusing shield being of any preferred shape in outline. The top reflector A can be formed from any suitable material, and it can either be provided with a plain edge or a flanged edge, the reflector A herein shown being provided at its outer edge with a verticallydisposed flange 1 whose upper edge bears against the ceiling, as shown in Fig. 1. Adjacent the outer edge of the top reflector A is a reflecting surface at which is inclined upwardly from the outer edge of the reflector, and adjacent the center of the reflector is an oppositely inclined reflecting surface y, said reflecting surfaces preferably merging into each other. While I prefer to form the reflecting surfaces :2 and y straight or plain in transverse cross section. as shown in the drawings, so that they will form re fleeting planes, they could, of course, be curved slightly in transverse cross section without departing from the spirit of my invention. Therefore, I do not wish it to be understood that my invention is limited to a semi-indirect lighting fixture in which the top reflector is provided withreflecting surfaces as and y of the particular angle and shape herein shown. It is essential, however, 'that the reflecting surfaces a; and y be disposed at a slight angle to each other and also with relation to a horizontal plane in order to obtain-the results which I claim my improved fixture accomplishes, but the general form or outline of said reflecting planes as an entirety is immaterial, so far as my bread idea is concerned. The upper edge of the diffusing shield or translucent bowl B preferably terminates at a point above the filamentv f of the electric light bulb C soas to prevent any rays from escaping over the upper edge of said shield without striking against the top reflector A. In view of the fact that the reflecting surface a: inclines upwardly from a horizontal plane the direct rays that strike against same will be projected downwardly and also outwardly, thus causing the light to be concentrated instead of being thrown across the room in planes approximately parallel to the ceiling of the room. The secondary rays y that strike against the upper edge portion of the shield B, are reflected onto the reflecting surface 3 of the top reflector A and are thence projected downwardly in substantially straight lines, as indicated by the broken lines 1 without striking or passing through the lamp bulb C. Consequently there is very little loss of light with my improved fixture when the lamp bulb becomes blackened with age, owing to the fact that the top reflector is providedwith areflecting surface which is so disposed that a large volume of the secondary rays which are reflected onto same from the diffusing shield, will be projected downwardly without passing through the lamp bulb. Moreover, there is no horizontal glare between the top reflector and the diffusing shield, for said shield is so proportioned and is so positioned with relation to the top reflector, that none of the direct rays can escape without passing through the shield or striking against the top reflector. In the fixture herein shown the angularly disposed surface fl/ of the top reflector extends downwardly to the socket of the lamp so as to serve as a reflecting surface for the secondary rays that concentrate at the center of the top reflector. In order to reduce the tendency of the rays that are projected downwardly from the angularly disposed surface 4 of the top reflector to glance oil the diffusing shield or bowl, intead of passing directly through same, I havenrovided said bowl with a flat, or substantially flat, bottom portion 2 that is disposed at approximately right angles to the indirect rays that are projected down wardly by the reflecting surface 00 of the top reflector, consequently, said ravs will strike the bottom portion 2 of the diffusing shield B and ass directly through same Without glancing off into the interior of the bowl.

The sides of the bowl or shield B can either flare gradually from the bottom to the top of the bowl, as shown in Fig. 2, or the sides of the bowl can flare in opposite directions from approximately the horizontal center of the bowl, as shown in Fig. 1. y forming the bowl in this manner, namely, providing the side walls of same with two oppositely flared portions 3 and 4, as shown in Fig. 1, I obtain a reflecting surface 3 at the upper portion of the bowl. which causes the secondary rays 2 from the lighting unit to be reflected upwardly onto the reflecting surface y of the top reflector, and I obtain a reflecting surface 4 at the lower portion of the bowl, which causes the direct rays .2 from the lighting unit to be reflected downwardly onto the bottom 2 of the bowl. In a bowl of the form shown in Fig. 2 the bottom 2 of the bowl can be plain or smooth, but when the bowl is provided with a side wall which flares in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 1, it is preferable to provide the bottom 2 of the bowl with projections which are so disposed with relation to the rays of light that are projected onto same from the reflecting surface 4 of the side wall that said rays will pass downwardly through the bottom of the bowl. In the form of my invention shown in Fig. l the bottom of the bowl is corrugated, or provided with a plurality of concentric annular shaped projections 5, but I do not wish it to be understood that it is essential that the bottom of the bowl be formed in this manner, for the same result can be accomplished in various other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In a semi-indirect lighting fixture of the character described the secondary rays that are reflected downwardly from the top reflector will not strike or pass through the lamp bulb, and said rays will pass directly through the diffusing shield or bowl, instead of glancing off same, owing to the fact that the bottom of said bowl is disposed at approximately right angles to the path of said rays. Furthermore, when the side walls of the bowl are provided with oppositely flared reflecting surfaces that are disposed at an angle with relation to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, the direct rays from the lighting unit that strike the refleeting surface 4 of the bowl will be projected downwardly through the bottom 2 of the bowl.

It is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, how the bowl or shield is supported. It can either be suspended from the top reflector by means of chains or other members 6 that are connected to the devices f3 secured to the side walls of the shield adacent the upper edge of same, or it can be .suspended from the top reflector by means of rods 7 whose lower ends are secured to a device 8 that is connected to the bottom 2 of the bowl, as shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A semi-indirect lighting fixture, comprismg a top reflector and a diffusing shield arranged above and below the lighting unit, respectively, saidtop reflector being provlded with angularly disposed reflecting surfaces consisting of planes that are inclined in opposite directions to each other, said slneld having a substantially flat bottom that hes 1n approximately a horizontal plane, and side walls whose upper portions flare outwardly away from the lighting unit.

2. A semi-indirect lighting fixture, comprising a top reflector and a diflusing shield arranged above and below the lighting unit, respectively, and consisting of separate and distinct members that are spaced away from each other, said top reflector being provided adjacent its outer edge with a reflecting surface which inclines upwardly and adjacent its center with an oppositely inclined reflecting surface, and said shield being of less diameter than said top reflector and provided with a substantially. flat bottom that lies in an approximately horizontal plane.

3. A semi-indirect lighting fixture, comprising a top reflector provided adjacent its center with a reflecting surface consisting of a plane that inclines upwardly from the lighting unit, and a diffusing shield surrounding the lighting unit and provided with a horizontally dlsposed portion and a flared upper portion that causes secondary rays from the lighting unit to be reflected onto the inclined reflecting surface of the top reflector.

4. A semi-indirect lighting fixture, comprising a top reflector provided adjacent the center of same with a reflecting surface consisting of a plane that inclines upwardly from the lighting unit toward the outer edge of the reflector, and a diffusing shield surrounding the lighting unit and provided with a substantially flat bottom and upright side walls that'are flared in opposite dlrections from a point intermediate the upper and lower end-of the shield.

5. A semi-indirect lighting fixture, comprising a top reflector provided adjacent the center of same with a reflecting surface that inclines upwardly from the lighting unit toward the outer edge of the reflector,

and a diffusing shield surrounding the lighting unit and provided with substantially flat bottom and side walls whose lower portions flare outwardly from a point intermediate the upper and lower ends of the shield, thereby causing some of the direct rays from the lighting unit which strike said flared portion to be projected inwardly and downwardly onto the bottom of the shield.

6. A semi-indirect lighting fixture, comprising a top reflector provided with a reflecting surface that inclines upwardly from the center toward the outer edge of the reflector, and a bowl-shaped diffusing shield surrounding the lighting unit and spaced away from said top reflector, said shield being provided with side walls whose upper and lower portions flare in opposite directions from a point intermediate the upper and lower ends of the shield.

7. A semi-indirect lighting fixture, comprising a top reflector provided with a reflecting surface that inclines upwardly from the center toward the outer edge of the reflector, and a bowl-shaped difl'using shield surrounding the lighting unit and provided with side walls whose upper and lower portions flare in opposite directions, said shield having a substantially flat bottom that is provided with projections for intercepting the direct rays that are projected onto same from the lower portion of the side walls of the shield.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this tenth day of April 1914:.

HARRY C. ADAM.

Witnesses:

WELLS L. Cannon, Jnssm CLARK.

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