US20190309536A1 - Portable light tower unit - Google Patents
Portable light tower unit Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20190309536A1 US20190309536A1 US16/380,620 US201916380620A US2019309536A1 US 20190309536 A1 US20190309536 A1 US 20190309536A1 US 201916380620 A US201916380620 A US 201916380620A US 2019309536 A1 US2019309536 A1 US 2019309536A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- assembly
- pole section
- lighting
- portable light
- base
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H12/00—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures
- E04H12/18—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures movable or with movable sections, e.g. rotatable or telescopic
- E04H12/182—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures movable or with movable sections, e.g. rotatable or telescopic telescopic
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
- E04H15/32—Parts, components, construction details, accessories, interior equipment, specially adapted for tents, e.g. guy-line equipment, skirts, thresholds
- E04H15/60—Poles
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21L—LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF, BEING PORTABLE OR SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORTATION
- F21L14/00—Electric lighting devices without a self-contained power source, e.g. for mains connection
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21V21/00—Supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices; Hand grips
- F21V21/14—Adjustable mountings
- F21V21/22—Adjustable mountings telescopic
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
- E04H15/02—Tents combined or specially associated with other devices
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
- E04H15/02—Tents combined or specially associated with other devices
- E04H15/10—Heating, lighting or ventilating
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
- E04H15/28—Umbrella type tents
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
- F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
- F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to portable lighting units suitable for providing lighting for spaces in which people may gather for various activities, including but not limited to social and entertainment activities such as outdoor fairs, amusement parks, concerts, and the like, commercial activities such as construction and industrial settings, and emergency scenarios.
- social and entertainment activities such as outdoor fairs, amusement parks, concerts, and the like
- commercial activities such as construction and industrial settings, and emergency scenarios.
- the present invention provides expandable portable light tower units and methods for their use.
- a portable light tower unit includes a base, an extendable and retractable tower assembly supported on the base, an expandable and collapsible canopy assembly supported by the tower assembly above the base, and a lighting assembly supported on the tower assembly above the canopy assembly.
- the canopy provides shade beneath the lighting assembly.
- Light tower units as described above preferably include the ability to provide a mobile lighting unit for use in a wide variety of situations and applications, including entertainment, construction, industrial, and emergency scenarios.
- the light tower unit is configured to provide flood lighting to a large area and a canopy to provide shade beneath the lighting assembly.
- the light tower unit may also integrate seating, electronic device charging facilities, cooling fans, misters, accent lighting, and/or other accessories to further provide a comfortable rest and relaxation area for individuals beneath the canopy.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective and front views of a portable light tower unit that integrates a canopy and seating units beneath the canopy in accordance with a nonlimiting embodiment of this invention.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the light tower unit of FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- FIG. 4 is a rear view of the light tower unit of FIGS. 1 to 3 with the canopy thereof omitted.
- FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a canopy support arm assembly of the light tower unit of FIG. 4 .
- FIG. 6 is a top view of a base of the light tower unit of FIGS. 1 to 5 .
- FIGS. 7 through 10 are detailed views of upper and lower support plates of the light tower unit of FIGS. 1 to 6 .
- FIGS. 11 to 14 represent interlocking mechanisms for sequencing telescopic retraction of pole sections of the tower assembly.
- FIGS. 15 and 16 represent receiving and anchor assemblies, respectively, of the interlocking mechanisms of FIGS. 11 to 14
- FIG. 17 depicts the interaction of the anchor and receiver assemblies of FIGS. 15 and 16 .
- FIGS. 1 through 17 represent a portable light tower unit 10 and various components thereof.
- relative terms including but not limited to, “vertical,” “horizontal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “forward,” “rearward,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “right,” “left,” etc., may be used in reference to the orientation of the unit 10 during its operation as represented in the drawings. All such relative terms are intended to indicate the construction and relative orientations of components and features of the tower unit 10 , and therefore are relative terms intended to indicate the construction, installation and use of the invention and therefore help to define the scope of the invention.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 represent the portable light tower unit 10 as comprising a base 12 , an extendable and retractable tower assembly 14 supported on the base 12 , an expandable and collapsible canopy assembly 16 supported by the tower assembly 14 above the base 12 , a blind 20 beneath the canopy assembly 16 for enclosing or otherwise at least partially concealing the base 12 and a portion of the tower assembly 14 , and a lighting assembly 18 supported on the tower assembly 14 above the canopy assembly 16 .
- FIGS. 1 and 2 further show the light tower unit 10 as comprising seating units 22 that surround the base 12 beneath the canopy assembly 16 .
- the lighting assembly 18 may be any of a wide variety of lighting equipment, though in preferred embodiments the lighting assembly 18 comprises LED lights capable of producing sufficient lumens for the lighting demands of a space in which people may gather for an intended activity, including but not limited to social and entertainment activities such as outdoor fairs, amusement parks, concerts, and the like, commercial activities such as construction and industrial settings, and emergency scenarios.
- the canopy assembly 16 is located beneath the lighting assembly 18 to provide shade from light emitted by the lighting assembly 18 , as well as shade from natural sunlight during daylight periods of the day.
- the lighting assembly 18 may draw electrical power that is delivered to the base 12 from a suitable external source, such as a local electric utility grid, and may be supplemented or replaced with batteries located on the base 12 to provide uninterrupted power to the lighting assembly 18 in the event of a power outage.
- a suitable external source such as a local electric utility grid
- the lighting assembly 18 comprises multiple lighting units 18 A and 18 B each comprising multiple vertical rows of LED lights that provide predominantly ornamental lighting, and a lighting unit 18 C comprising larger LED flood lights located at the top of the lighting assembly 18 that are predominantly responsible for providing illumination lighting.
- FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the light tower unit 10 with the seating units 22 removed, which may be an alternative configuration to the seated configuration in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- FIG. 3 reveals the tower assembly 14 as comprising multiple tube or pole sections 14 A, 14 B, 14 C, and 14 D that are assembled in a telescoping manner so that the uppermost pole section 14 A is telescopically received in an upper intermediate pole section 14 B immediately therebelow, which is telescopically received in a lower intermediate pole section 14 C immediately therebelow, which in turn is telescopically received in the lowermost pole section 14 D immediately therebelow.
- the lighting units 18 A and 18 B may be telescopically mounted on the same section of the tower assembly 14 .
- the lighting unit 18 A surrounds the pole section 14 B and the lighting unit 18 B surrounds the pole section 14 A.
- the lighting unit 18 A can then be telescoped upward and into the lighting unit 18 B so that the entire lighting assembly 18 surrounds only the uppermost pole section 14 A to facilitate the collapsing of the tower assembly 14 into a retracted or stowed configuration, discussed below.
- FIG. 4 represents the light tower unit 10 of FIGS. 1 through 3 with the lighting unit 18 A retracted up into the lighting unit 18 B and the blind 20 and a canopy 24 of the canopy assembly 16 omitted.
- the omission of the blind 20 reveals a pump 36 supported on the base 12 for providing hydraulic power for raising and collapsing the tower assembly 14 , as discussed below.
- the omission of the canopy 24 reveals a collapsible support arm assembly 37 ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) comprising bows 38 that support the canopy 24 and braces 40 for actuating the bows 38 between a deployed position of the canopy 24 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and a collapsed position (not shown) in which the arms 38 are lowered.
- the base 12 is represented in FIG.
- FIG. 6 further depicts the base 12 as comprising four outriggers 28 shown as extending from corners of the base 12 .
- the outriggers 28 can be configured to rotate outward from the corners of the base 12 and secured with an inner sleeve 30 secured to a fastening point on the base 12 .
- the outward end of each outrigger 28 is equipped with a threaded screw jack 32 , each of which extends downward into a socket on a ground pad 34 . By extending the screw jacks 32 downward, the base 12 can be lifted off of the ground to level the tower assembly 14 and support the entire tower assembly 14 on the ground pads 34 at the outermost corners of the base 12 .
- the tower assembly 14 is generally a vertical column supported on the base 12 .
- the nonlimiting embodiment of the tower assembly 14 shown in the drawings comprises four telescoping pole sections 14 A, 14 B, 14 C, and 14 D, such that the tower assembly 14 has the aforementioned stowed and deployed configurations.
- the pole sections 14 A, 14 B, and 14 C define upper movable pole sections that telescope upward from the lowermost pole section 14 D, which is stationary and secured directly to the base 12 . Transition of the tower assembly 14 between its stowed and deployed configurations can be performed with a conventional hydraulic cylinder system (not shown) powered and controlled by the pump 36 mounted on the base 12 .
- the movable pole sections 14 A, 14 B, and 14 C of the tower assembly 14 can be controlled to extend upward and retract downward through hydraulic cylinders (not shown) supplied by hydraulic fluid delivered by the operation of the pump 36 .
- the tower assembly 14 may extend to a height in excess of 20 feet (about 6 meters).
- the lighting assembly 18 can be seen in FIG. 4 as mounted to the uppermost movable section 14 A of the tower assembly 14 .
- the tower assembly 14 is preferably equipped with rollers 42 installed on support plates 44 mounted to the upper ends of the lowermost stationary pole section 14 D and on the movable intermediate movable sections 14 B and 14 C, as represented in FIGS. 7 through 10 .
- the rollers 42 engage the outer longitudinal walls of the pole sections 14 A, 14 B, and 14 C to provide a low-friction interface therebetween to facilitate the telescopic movement of the movable pole sections 14 A, 14 B, and 14 C relative to, respectively, the pole sections 14 B, 14 C, and 14 D that telescopically receive them.
- rollers 42 are preferably manually adjustable relative to the vertical centerline of the tower assembly 14 to facilitate a centering effect and maintain proper clearances between the outer longitudinal walls of the pole sections 14 A, 14 B and 14 C and the corresponding inner longitudinal walls of the pole sections 14 B, 14 C and 14 D in which the former are received.
- the support plates 44 are shown as also serving as the pivot anchors for the bows 38 ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ) and braces 40 ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) of the canopy assembly 16 .
- FIGS. 8 and 10 show the support plates 44 as mounted on platforms 46 rigidly secured to the upper ends of the pole sections 14 B, 14 C, and 14 D.
- the platforms 46 and the pole sections 14 B, 14 C, and 14 D to which they are secured are schematically represented in FIG. 11 with the support plates 44 omitted, and insets A, B, and C identified in FIG. 11 are shown in FIGS. 12, 13, and 14 , respectively, to better illustrate the operation of sets of complementary interlocking mechanisms that are mounted on the platforms 46 to control the telescopic motion between telescoping pairs of the pole sections 14 A, 14 B, 14 C, and 14 D.
- FIGS. 8 and 10 show the support plates 44 as mounted on platforms 46 rigidly secured to the upper ends of the pole sections 14 B, 14 C, and 14 D.
- the platforms 46 and the pole sections 14 B, 14 C, and 14 D to which they are secured are schematically represented in FIG. 11 with the support plates 44 omitted, and insets A, B, and C identified in FIG. 11 are shown in
- the interlocking mechanisms are made up of an anvil assembly 50 and a receiver assembly 52 that cooperate to inhibit movement of a movable pole section 14 A, 14 B, and 14 C from being retracted downward into the movable pole section 14 B and 14 C below it until that pole section 14 B and 14 C has been fully retracted into its telescopically-paired pole section 14 C and 14 D, respectively.
- a pin 54 (FIGS. 15 and 17 ) of the receiver assembly 52 on the platform 46 of the lower pole section 14 C.
- the pin 54 engages a tubular sleeve or other suitable feature (not shown) in a wall of the upper pole section 14 B, locking the pole sections 14 B and 14 C together and preventing the pole section 14 B from being telescopically retracted into the pole section 14 C.
- the pin 54 is biased into engagement with the pole section 14 B by a spring 56 , which prevents the pin 54 from disengaging the pole section 14 B until the lower pole section 14 C has been lowered to engage its receiver assembly 52 with the anvil assembly 50 of the stationary pole section 14 D ( FIG. 12 ).
- the pin 54 is disengaged from the pole section 14 B as a result of complementary angled contact surfaces 58 and 60 on the anvil and receiver assemblies 50 and 52 , respectively, which mechanically convert the vertical force of the retracting pole section 14 C into a horizontal force which compresses the spring 56 and retracts the pin 54 .
- the spring 56 is compressed and the pin 54 is sufficiently retracted to unlock the pole section 14 B immediately above the receiver assembly 52 , enabling the pole section 14 B to be telescopically retracted into the pole section 14 C.
- the same process then occurs between the receiver assembly 52 of the pole section 14 B ( FIG. 14 ) and the anchor assembly 50 of the pole section 14 C ( FIG. 13 ), with the pole section 14 A remaining locked to the pole section 14 B until the pole section 14 B has been telescopically retracted into the pole section 14 C, thereby disengaging the pin 54 of the pole section 14 B from the pole section 14 A.
- the use of the interlocking mechanisms ensures that when the tower assembly 14 is retracted, the telescopic retraction of the pole sections 14 A, 14 B, and 14 C is sequenced so that the largest and lowest movable pole section 14 C is retracted first, followed by the smaller pole section 14 B immediately above it, and finally the smallest pole section 14 A.
- the pins 54 of the interlocking mechanisms automatically re-engage the pole sections 14 A and 14 B above it, causing those movable pole sections 14 A, 14 B, and 14 C to be temporarily locked together.
- the canopy assembly 16 is mounted to the tower assembly 14 via the support plates 44 , which anchor the bows 38 and braces 40 of the canopy assembly 16 to the tower assembly 14 .
- the plates 44 are mounted to upper ends of the two lowest pole sections 14 C and 14 D, such that the canopy 24 is supported by the bows 38 that are pivotally connected to the upper support plate 44 attached to the movable pole section 14 C, and the canopy 24 is fully expanded by the bows 38 through the action of the braces 40 , which are pivotally connected to the lower support plate 44 attached to the stationary pole section 14 D.
- the bows 38 and braces 40 of the support arm assembly are connected to the support plates 44 via mounting brackets arrayed around their circumference, from which the bows 38 and braces 40 pivotably extend for supporting the canopy as evident from FIGS. 2 through 5 .
- the series of structural bows 38 are affixed to the mounting brackets of the support plate 44 mounted to the movable pole section 14 C of the tower assembly 14 .
- the canopy 24 is then affixed to the bows 38 , after which the movable pole section 14 C is raised to deploy the canopy 24 with the braces 40 connected to corresponding mounting brackets on the bows 38 .
- each brace 40 is utilized to secure the bows 38 in their extended positions with the supported canopy 24 in place, for example, if the upper ends of the braces 40 were already connected to corresponding mounting brackets on the bows 38 (for example, to assist in raising the bows 38 ), the lower end of each brace 40 is then secured to a corresponding one of the mounting brackets on the lower support plate 44 to yield the result shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
- essentially the same procedure may be followed in reverse order.
- the upper and/or lower ends of each brace 40 are disconnected from their respective mounting brackets to stow the canopy 24 and disassemble the canopy assembly 16 prior to retracting the movable pole section 14 C.
- multiple seating units 22 can be individually placed around or installed on the base 12 of the light tower unit 10 . Due to the portability aspect of the tower unit 10 , the seating units 22 are preferably collapsible for transport or storage.
- the seating units 22 of FIGS. 1 and 2 are represented as foldable benches that provide places for users to sit. Transitioning from a sitting configuration to a folded configuration may entail the relocation of a single pin at opposite ends of each bench.
- the seating units 22 may further include charging stations for portable devices (cell phones, tablets, etc.), cooling fans, misters, accent lighting, or other accessories to further provide a comfortable rest and relaxation area for individuals beneath the canopy 24 .
- such amenities may be associated with the base 12 and draw electrical power that is delivered to the base 12 and used by the tower unit 10 to provide electrical power to the lighting assembly 18 .
- the light tower unit 10 and its components could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiments described herein and shown in the drawings, functions of certain components of the light tower unit 10 could be performed by components of different construction but capable of a similar (though not necessarily equivalent) function, and various materials could be used in the fabrication of the light tower unit 10 and/or its components.
- the invention encompasses additional or alternative embodiments in which one or more features or aspects of different disclosed embodiments may be combined. Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to any embodiment described herein or illustrated in the drawings. It should also be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed above are for the purpose of describing the illustrated embodiments, and do not necessarily serve as limitations to the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
Abstract
Expandable portable light tower units and methods for their use. The portable light tower unit includes a base, an extendable and retractable tower assembly supported on the base, an expandable and collapsible canopy assembly supported by the tower assembly above the base, and a lighting assembly supported on the tower assembly above the canopy assembly. The canopy provides shade beneath the lighting assembly.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/655,287, filed Apr. 10, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- The present invention generally relates to portable lighting units suitable for providing lighting for spaces in which people may gather for various activities, including but not limited to social and entertainment activities such as outdoor fairs, amusement parks, concerts, and the like, commercial activities such as construction and industrial settings, and emergency scenarios.
- The present invention provides expandable portable light tower units and methods for their use.
- According to one aspect of the invention, a portable light tower unit includes a base, an extendable and retractable tower assembly supported on the base, an expandable and collapsible canopy assembly supported by the tower assembly above the base, and a lighting assembly supported on the tower assembly above the canopy assembly. The canopy provides shade beneath the lighting assembly.
- Technical aspects of light tower units as described above preferably include the ability to provide a mobile lighting unit for use in a wide variety of situations and applications, including entertainment, construction, industrial, and emergency scenarios. The light tower unit is configured to provide flood lighting to a large area and a canopy to provide shade beneath the lighting assembly. The light tower unit may also integrate seating, electronic device charging facilities, cooling fans, misters, accent lighting, and/or other accessories to further provide a comfortable rest and relaxation area for individuals beneath the canopy.
- Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be further appreciated from the following detailed description.
-
FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective and front views of a portable light tower unit that integrates a canopy and seating units beneath the canopy in accordance with a nonlimiting embodiment of this invention. -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the light tower unit ofFIGS. 1 and 2 . -
FIG. 4 is a rear view of the light tower unit ofFIGS. 1 to 3 with the canopy thereof omitted. -
FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a canopy support arm assembly of the light tower unit ofFIG. 4 . -
FIG. 6 is a top view of a base of the light tower unit ofFIGS. 1 to 5 . -
FIGS. 7 through 10 are detailed views of upper and lower support plates of the light tower unit ofFIGS. 1 to 6 . -
FIGS. 11 to 14 represent interlocking mechanisms for sequencing telescopic retraction of pole sections of the tower assembly. -
FIGS. 15 and 16 represent receiving and anchor assemblies, respectively, of the interlocking mechanisms ofFIGS. 11 to 14 , andFIG. 17 depicts the interaction of the anchor and receiver assemblies ofFIGS. 15 and 16 . -
FIGS. 1 through 17 represent a portablelight tower unit 10 and various components thereof. To facilitate the description provided below of thetower unit 10 and its components represented in the drawings, relative terms, including but not limited to, “vertical,” “horizontal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “forward,” “rearward,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “right,” “left,” etc., may be used in reference to the orientation of theunit 10 during its operation as represented in the drawings. All such relative terms are intended to indicate the construction and relative orientations of components and features of thetower unit 10, and therefore are relative terms intended to indicate the construction, installation and use of the invention and therefore help to define the scope of the invention. -
FIGS. 1 and 2 represent the portablelight tower unit 10 as comprising abase 12, an extendable andretractable tower assembly 14 supported on thebase 12, an expandable andcollapsible canopy assembly 16 supported by thetower assembly 14 above thebase 12, a blind 20 beneath thecanopy assembly 16 for enclosing or otherwise at least partially concealing thebase 12 and a portion of thetower assembly 14, and alighting assembly 18 supported on thetower assembly 14 above thecanopy assembly 16.FIGS. 1 and 2 further show thelight tower unit 10 as comprisingseating units 22 that surround thebase 12 beneath thecanopy assembly 16. - The
lighting assembly 18 may be any of a wide variety of lighting equipment, though in preferred embodiments thelighting assembly 18 comprises LED lights capable of producing sufficient lumens for the lighting demands of a space in which people may gather for an intended activity, including but not limited to social and entertainment activities such as outdoor fairs, amusement parks, concerts, and the like, commercial activities such as construction and industrial settings, and emergency scenarios. Notably, thecanopy assembly 16 is located beneath thelighting assembly 18 to provide shade from light emitted by thelighting assembly 18, as well as shade from natural sunlight during daylight periods of the day. Thelighting assembly 18 may draw electrical power that is delivered to thebase 12 from a suitable external source, such as a local electric utility grid, and may be supplemented or replaced with batteries located on thebase 12 to provide uninterrupted power to thelighting assembly 18 in the event of a power outage. As evident fromFIGS. 1 and 2 , thelighting assembly 18 comprisesmultiple lighting units lighting unit 18C comprising larger LED flood lights located at the top of thelighting assembly 18 that are predominantly responsible for providing illumination lighting. -
FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of thelight tower unit 10 with theseating units 22 removed, which may be an alternative configuration to the seated configuration inFIGS. 1 and 2 .FIG. 3 reveals thetower assembly 14 as comprising multiple tube orpole sections uppermost pole section 14A is telescopically received in an upperintermediate pole section 14B immediately therebelow, which is telescopically received in a lowerintermediate pole section 14C immediately therebelow, which in turn is telescopically received in thelowermost pole section 14D immediately therebelow. Thelighting units tower assembly 14. For example, with thelighting unit 18B located above thelighting unit 18A when thetower assembly 14 is in the extended or deployed configuration seen inFIGS. 1 and 2 , thelighting unit 18A surrounds thepole section 14B and thelighting unit 18B surrounds thepole section 14A. Thelighting unit 18A can then be telescoped upward and into thelighting unit 18B so that theentire lighting assembly 18 surrounds only theuppermost pole section 14A to facilitate the collapsing of thetower assembly 14 into a retracted or stowed configuration, discussed below. -
FIG. 4 represents thelight tower unit 10 ofFIGS. 1 through 3 with thelighting unit 18A retracted up into thelighting unit 18B and the blind 20 and acanopy 24 of thecanopy assembly 16 omitted. The omission of the blind 20 reveals apump 36 supported on thebase 12 for providing hydraulic power for raising and collapsing thetower assembly 14, as discussed below. The omission of thecanopy 24 reveals a collapsible support arm assembly 37 (FIGS. 4 and 5 ) comprisingbows 38 that support thecanopy 24 andbraces 40 for actuating thebows 38 between a deployed position of thecanopy 24 shown inFIGS. 1 to 5 and a collapsed position (not shown) in which thearms 38 are lowered. Thebase 12 is represented inFIG. 6 as generally square-shaped withlift pockets 26 on all four of its sides to allow the base 12 (with thetower assembly 14 attached thereto) to be moved with a fork truck or similar material handling device.FIG. 6 further depicts thebase 12 as comprising fouroutriggers 28 shown as extending from corners of thebase 12. Theoutriggers 28 can be configured to rotate outward from the corners of thebase 12 and secured with aninner sleeve 30 secured to a fastening point on thebase 12. The outward end of eachoutrigger 28 is equipped with a threadedscrew jack 32, each of which extends downward into a socket on aground pad 34. By extending thescrew jacks 32 downward, thebase 12 can be lifted off of the ground to level thetower assembly 14 and support theentire tower assembly 14 on theground pads 34 at the outermost corners of thebase 12. - As seen in
FIG. 4 , thetower assembly 14 is generally a vertical column supported on thebase 12. As previously noted, the nonlimiting embodiment of thetower assembly 14 shown in the drawings comprises fourtelescoping pole sections tower assembly 14 has the aforementioned stowed and deployed configurations. Thepole sections lowermost pole section 14D, which is stationary and secured directly to thebase 12. Transition of thetower assembly 14 between its stowed and deployed configurations can be performed with a conventional hydraulic cylinder system (not shown) powered and controlled by thepump 36 mounted on thebase 12. Themovable pole sections tower assembly 14 can be controlled to extend upward and retract downward through hydraulic cylinders (not shown) supplied by hydraulic fluid delivered by the operation of thepump 36. As a nonlimiting example, thetower assembly 14 may extend to a height in excess of 20 feet (about 6 meters). Thelighting assembly 18 can be seen inFIG. 4 as mounted to the uppermostmovable section 14A of thetower assembly 14. - The
tower assembly 14 is preferably equipped withrollers 42 installed onsupport plates 44 mounted to the upper ends of the lowermoststationary pole section 14D and on the movable intermediatemovable sections FIGS. 7 through 10 . Therollers 42 engage the outer longitudinal walls of thepole sections movable pole sections pole sections rollers 42 are preferably manually adjustable relative to the vertical centerline of thetower assembly 14 to facilitate a centering effect and maintain proper clearances between the outer longitudinal walls of thepole sections pole sections support plates 44 are shown as also serving as the pivot anchors for the bows 38 (FIGS. 7 and 8 ) and braces 40 (FIGS. 9 and 10 ) of thecanopy assembly 16. -
FIGS. 8 and 10 show thesupport plates 44 as mounted onplatforms 46 rigidly secured to the upper ends of thepole sections platforms 46 and thepole sections FIG. 11 with thesupport plates 44 omitted, and insets A, B, and C identified inFIG. 11 are shown inFIGS. 12, 13, and 14 , respectively, to better illustrate the operation of sets of complementary interlocking mechanisms that are mounted on theplatforms 46 to control the telescopic motion between telescoping pairs of thepole sections FIGS. 11 through 14 , the interlocking mechanisms are made up of ananvil assembly 50 and areceiver assembly 52 that cooperate to inhibit movement of amovable pole section movable pole section pole section pole section - With reference to
FIGS. 12 and 13 , movement of thepole section 14B relative to thepole section 14C immediately below it is inhibited by a pin 54 (FIGS. 15 and 17) of thereceiver assembly 52 on theplatform 46 of thelower pole section 14C. Thepin 54 engages a tubular sleeve or other suitable feature (not shown) in a wall of theupper pole section 14B, locking thepole sections pole section 14B from being telescopically retracted into thepole section 14C. Thepin 54 is biased into engagement with thepole section 14B by aspring 56, which prevents thepin 54 from disengaging thepole section 14B until thelower pole section 14C has been lowered to engage itsreceiver assembly 52 with theanvil assembly 50 of thestationary pole section 14D (FIG. 12 ). Thepin 54 is disengaged from thepole section 14B as a result of complementaryangled contact surfaces retracting pole section 14C into a horizontal force which compresses thespring 56 and retracts thepin 54. When thereceiver assembly 52 of thepole section 14C is fully engaged with theanchor assembly 50 of thestationary pole section 14D, thespring 56 is compressed and thepin 54 is sufficiently retracted to unlock thepole section 14B immediately above thereceiver assembly 52, enabling thepole section 14B to be telescopically retracted into thepole section 14C. The same process then occurs between thereceiver assembly 52 of thepole section 14B (FIG. 14 ) and theanchor assembly 50 of thepole section 14C (FIG. 13 ), with thepole section 14A remaining locked to thepole section 14B until thepole section 14B has been telescopically retracted into thepole section 14C, thereby disengaging thepin 54 of thepole section 14B from thepole section 14A. The use of the interlocking mechanisms ensures that when thetower assembly 14 is retracted, the telescopic retraction of thepole sections movable pole section 14C is retracted first, followed by thesmaller pole section 14B immediately above it, and finally thesmallest pole section 14A. When amovable pole section pins 54 of the interlocking mechanisms automatically re-engage thepole sections movable pole sections - As noted above, the
canopy assembly 16 is mounted to thetower assembly 14 via thesupport plates 44, which anchor thebows 38 and braces 40 of thecanopy assembly 16 to thetower assembly 14. In the nonlimiting embodiment shown, theplates 44 are mounted to upper ends of the twolowest pole sections canopy 24 is supported by thebows 38 that are pivotally connected to theupper support plate 44 attached to themovable pole section 14C, and thecanopy 24 is fully expanded by thebows 38 through the action of thebraces 40, which are pivotally connected to thelower support plate 44 attached to thestationary pole section 14D. The bows 38 and braces 40 of the support arm assembly are connected to thesupport plates 44 via mounting brackets arrayed around their circumference, from which thebows 38 and braces 40 pivotably extend for supporting the canopy as evident fromFIGS. 2 through 5 . To deploy thecanopy assembly 16, the series ofstructural bows 38 are affixed to the mounting brackets of thesupport plate 44 mounted to themovable pole section 14C of thetower assembly 14. Thecanopy 24 is then affixed to thebows 38, after which themovable pole section 14C is raised to deploy thecanopy 24 with thebraces 40 connected to corresponding mounting brackets on thebows 38. Once themovable pole section 14C is fully extended, thebraces 40 are utilized to secure thebows 38 in their extended positions with the supportedcanopy 24 in place, for example, if the upper ends of thebraces 40 were already connected to corresponding mounting brackets on the bows 38 (for example, to assist in raising the bows 38), the lower end of eachbrace 40 is then secured to a corresponding one of the mounting brackets on thelower support plate 44 to yield the result shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 . Alternatively, essentially the same procedure may be followed in reverse order. The upper and/or lower ends of eachbrace 40 are disconnected from their respective mounting brackets to stow thecanopy 24 and disassemble thecanopy assembly 16 prior to retracting themovable pole section 14C. - As represented in
FIGS. 1 and 2 ,multiple seating units 22 can be individually placed around or installed on thebase 12 of thelight tower unit 10. Due to the portability aspect of thetower unit 10, theseating units 22 are preferably collapsible for transport or storage. Theseating units 22 ofFIGS. 1 and 2 are represented as foldable benches that provide places for users to sit. Transitioning from a sitting configuration to a folded configuration may entail the relocation of a single pin at opposite ends of each bench. Theseating units 22 may further include charging stations for portable devices (cell phones, tablets, etc.), cooling fans, misters, accent lighting, or other accessories to further provide a comfortable rest and relaxation area for individuals beneath thecanopy 24. Alternatively or in addition, such amenities may be associated with thebase 12 and draw electrical power that is delivered to thebase 12 and used by thetower unit 10 to provide electrical power to thelighting assembly 18. - While the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments, it should be apparent that alternatives could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the
light tower unit 10 and its components could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiments described herein and shown in the drawings, functions of certain components of thelight tower unit 10 could be performed by components of different construction but capable of a similar (though not necessarily equivalent) function, and various materials could be used in the fabrication of thelight tower unit 10 and/or its components. In addition, the invention encompasses additional or alternative embodiments in which one or more features or aspects of different disclosed embodiments may be combined. Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to any embodiment described herein or illustrated in the drawings. It should also be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed above are for the purpose of describing the illustrated embodiments, and do not necessarily serve as limitations to the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
Claims (14)
1. A portable light tower unit comprising:
a base;
an extendable and retractable tower assembly supported on the base;
an expandable and collapsible canopy assembly supported by the tower assembly above the base; and
a lighting assembly supported on the tower assembly above the canopy assembly, the canopy providing shade beneath the lighting assembly.
2. The portable light tower unit according to claim 1 , wherein the tower assembly comprises multiple telescoping pole sections that include multiple upper movable pole sections and a lowermost stationary pole section mounted to the base, the movable pole sections being telescopically receivable in and extendable from the stationary telescoping section.
3. The portable light tower unit according to claim 2 , wherein the tower assembly comprises interlocking mechanisms that inhibit each of the movable pole sections from being retracted downward until all of the movable pole sections therebelow have been fully retracted.
4. The portable light tower unit according to claim 3 , wherein the interlocking mechanisms comprise anvil and receiver assemblies and, when a first upper pole section of the movable pole sections is fully retracted downward into a lower pole section of the telescoping pole sections, a pin of the receiver assembly located on the first upper pole section disengages a second upper pole section of the movable pole sections located above the first upper pole section to enable the second upper pole section to retract into the first upper pole section.
5. The portable light tower unit according to claim 3 , wherein the interlocking mechanisms comprise anvil and receiver assemblies and, when a first upper pole section of the movable pole sections is deployed upward, a pin of the receiver assembly located on a second pole section located below the first upper pole section engages the first upper pole section upon full extension of the first upper pole section, causing the first upper pole section and the second pole section to temporarily lock together.
6. The portable light tower unit according to claim 2 , further comprising an hydraulic pump supported on the base for hydraulically telescopically extending and telescopically retracting the movable pole sections relative to each other and relative to the stationary pole section.
7. The portable light tower unit according to claim 2 , wherein the lighting assembly comprises first and second lighting units that are mounted on an uppermost movable pole section of the movable pole sections, the first lighting unit surrounds the uppermost movable pole section, the second lighting unit is telescopically extendable downward from the first lighting unit to surround a second movable pole section below the uppermost movable pole section, and second lighting unit is telescopically retractable upward into the first lighting unit so that both of the first and second lighting units surround the uppermost movable pole section.
8. The portable light tower unit according to claim 2 , wherein the canopy assembly is deployed by telescopically extending one of the movable pole sections relative to the stationary pole section and is stowed by telescopically retracting the one movable pole section relative to the stationary pole section.
9. The portable light tower unit according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one seating unit around or installed on the base of the light tower unit.
10. The portable light tower unit according to claim 9 , wherein the seating unit comprises foldable benches that are collapsible for subsequent transport or storage.
11. The portable light tower unit according to claim 1 , wherein the base comprises outriggers on which the base and the tower assembly are entirely supported.
12. The portable light tower unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a blind at least partially concealing the base.
13. The portable light tower unit according to claim 1 , further comprising electronic device charging facilities, cooling fans, misters, and/or accent lighting associated with the base.
14. A method of using the portable light tower unit of claim 1 , the method comprising:
transporting the portable light tower unit to a location while the tower assembly is in a retracted configuration and the canopy assembly is in a collapsed configuration;
extending the tower assembly to simultaneously expand the canopy assembly; and
powering the lighting assembly so that the lighting assembly generates light and the canopy assembly provides shade beneath the lighting assembly.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US16/380,620 US20190309536A1 (en) | 2018-04-10 | 2019-04-10 | Portable light tower unit |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
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US201862655287P | 2018-04-10 | 2018-04-10 | |
US16/380,620 US20190309536A1 (en) | 2018-04-10 | 2019-04-10 | Portable light tower unit |
Publications (1)
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US20190309536A1 true US20190309536A1 (en) | 2019-10-10 |
Family
ID=68098804
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US16/380,620 Abandoned US20190309536A1 (en) | 2018-04-10 | 2019-04-10 | Portable light tower unit |
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US (1) | US20190309536A1 (en) |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050282665A1 (en) * | 2002-03-06 | 2005-12-22 | Tarng Min M | Killer applications of golh, golfishing, golfrisbee, golfball, basedisc, golfrisbee basket |
US20130327371A1 (en) * | 2012-06-07 | 2013-12-12 | Monarch Power Corp | Foldable solar power receiver |
US20180087289A1 (en) * | 2016-09-26 | 2018-03-29 | Hon Shung Chan | Multi-Functional Outdoor Sun-Shading Apparatus, Multi-Functional Outdoor Sun-Shading Umbrella, And Multi-Functional Recreational Pavilion |
-
2019
- 2019-04-10 US US16/380,620 patent/US20190309536A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050282665A1 (en) * | 2002-03-06 | 2005-12-22 | Tarng Min M | Killer applications of golh, golfishing, golfrisbee, golfball, basedisc, golfrisbee basket |
US20130327371A1 (en) * | 2012-06-07 | 2013-12-12 | Monarch Power Corp | Foldable solar power receiver |
US20180087289A1 (en) * | 2016-09-26 | 2018-03-29 | Hon Shung Chan | Multi-Functional Outdoor Sun-Shading Apparatus, Multi-Functional Outdoor Sun-Shading Umbrella, And Multi-Functional Recreational Pavilion |
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