US3762082A

US3762082A - Randomly reflecting lamp

Info

Publication number: US3762082A
Application number: US00131157A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Mincy
Original assignee: GIANT BEHEMOTH IND
Current assignee: GIANT BEHEMOTH IND
Priority date: 1971-04-05
Filing date: 1971-04-05
Publication date: 1973-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-02

Abstract

A translucent body formed internally with a plurality of randomly directed interfaces is illuminated by a light source interrupted by a fenestrated disk and juxtaposed varicolored disk rotated relative to the light source and to a fenestrated support for the body whereby light is variously reflected by the interfaces to appear as throbbing, twinkling pulses of color.

Description

United States Patent 1191.

Mincy 1 Oct. 2, 1973 [5 RANDOMLY REFLECTING LAMP 2,322,838 6/1943 Evans 40 132 0 l 2,891,338 6/1959 Palamara 40/132 G [75] Invemmi' Santa 2,147,232 2/1939 Ballew 40 132 0 Callfv 3,245,163 4/1966 Allen 40 132 0 [73] Assignee: Giant Behelnoth industries, Santa FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 731,548 6/1955 Great Britain 40/132 0 [22] Filed: Apr. 5, 1971 Primary ExaminerR0bert W. Michell [21] Appl' No" 131L157 Assistant Examiner.lohn F. Pitrelli AttorneyNilsson, Robbins, Wills & Berliner [52] US. Cl. 40/34, 40/130 K, 40/132 E,

40/133 A, 240/101 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl G091 19/12, G09f 19/20 [58] Field of Search 40/34, 32 G 130 K, A translucent body formed mternally with a plural1ty of H132 E 133 540/101 randomly directed interfaces is illuminated by a light source interrupted by a fenestrated disk and juxtaposed [56] References Cited varicolored disk rotated relative to the light source and UNITED STATES PATENTS to a fenestrated support for the body whereby l1ght 1s varlously reflected by the mterfaces to appear as throbl,6l2,362 12/1926 Decker 240/101 hing, twinkhng pulses of color 1,351,562 8/1920 Foster..... 1,445,977 2/1923 Shephard 40/132 G 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FIELD OF THE INVENTION The fields of art to which the invention pertains in- I clude the fields of decorative lights, reflectors, lanterns and projecting apparatus.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A number of illuminated displays have been devised to generate varicolored light patterns to provide an effect of color movement." Such devices have generally required rotating lamps with attendant brushes and the like and/or complex Circuitry or optics to achieve a variety of patterned light displays; Many such devices generate stroboscop'ic, sharply changing bursts of color, for example as illustrated in Allen Pat. No. 3,245,163. Other devices display predetermined patterns of light, such as illustrated by Kosma u.S. Pat. No. 2,959,094. Other disclosures of r interest herein are Swedlo et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,774, Schoenherr US. Pat. No. 2,644,883, Seisholtz, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,543 and Andersen U.S. Pat. No. 2,567,046.

The present invention provides a display of throbbing, varying color but wherein the effects are localized to an illuminated member. In particular, a translucent body which is ormed internally with a plurality of randomly directed interfaces is illuminated by light which is pulsed and variegated so as to' be variously reflected .by the interfaces and appear as throbbing, twinkling pulses of color. The lamp includes a base mounting a lamp or other suchlight source and is formed with a top panel having an apertured portio'n supporting the translucent body. An apertured disk and juxtaposed varicolo'red disk are disposed between the lamp and top panel and rotated in light interception relationship to the light emitted fromthe light source so that light of varying beam widths and varying color canstrike the bottom of the translucent body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lamp constructed in accordance with this invention;

. FIG. 2 is 'a plan view of the base of the lamp, taken DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is shown the out- ,ward appearance of a lamp l constructed in accordance with the present invention and which includes a base 12 supporting a cylindrical illumination member 14. The base 12 incorporates a light source and motorized mechanism for providing variegated pulsed light to the illumination member 14, as will be described hereinafter in more detail. The base 12 includes

opaque side walls

16, 18', 20 and 22, a bottom wall 24 and a top wall 26 (see also FIG. 3). The electrical components in the base 12 are wired to and actuated by a single toggle switch 28. k

Referring to FIG. 2, the top wall 26 is formed with a plurality of apertures 30 generally within a circular region at one end of the base 12 and which entirely underlie the illumination member 14. In place of apertures, the top wall can be fenestrated by any means, for example by a plurality of transparent spots. A rotating light interceptionmechanism is indicated generally by dashed lines 32. A projection lamp, indicated by dashed lines 34, underlies the light interception mechanism 32 and is aligned with the top apertures 30. 1

Referring to FIG. 3, the illumination member cornpris es a mass of polyester plastic which in this case is molded in the form of a cylinder. The cylinder is formed by casting the polyester pre-polymer material in a suitable mold and then adding catalyst in excess of that required simply for polymerization. The result of adding excess catalyst is the formation of a large number of internally distorted regions 36 yielding a plurality of randomly directed interfaces 38. Light entering the member 14 is variously reflected by these interfaces 38 so that no two illumination members 14 appear exactly alike. In place of polyester, one can utilize any organic plastic material or inorganic material which can be treated during its formation stage or subsequent thereto to yield a plurality of randomly directed interfaces. For example glass can be heated and cooled suddenly to impart a cracked structure serving a similar purpose. Other polymeric materials can be utilized and methods for their preparation are well known to the art and are detailed in Modern Plastics Encyclopedia, McGraw-Hill, Inc. (1968, incorporated herein by reference,

Referring now to both FIGS. 3 and 4, a traverse bar 40 is secured between the

side walls

16 and 20, midway between the

adjacent side walls

18 and 22. An electric motor 42 is mounted to the underside of the traverse bar 40, secured by

studs

44 and 46 extending through openings in the traverse bar 40 and held by

nuts

48 and 50. The motor 42 is mounted with its shaft 52 extending through an opening 54 formed centrally on the traverse bar. A light intercepting disk or plate 56 and a colored disk 58 are centrally journaled juxtaposed on the motor shaft 52, stopped by a flanged member 60, the threaded end 62 of the motor shaft 52 extending through central openings (such as at 64) in the plate 56 and disk 58. A screw cap 66 secures the plate 56 and disk 58 sandwiched together on the shaft.

The motor, plate 56 and disk 58 constitute the rotating light intercepting mechanism 32 above referred to. The plate 56 is formed with a plurality of apertures 68, distributed evenly therethrough. The color disk 58 is formed of translucent material, such as cellophane, or glass, with a plurality of segments 70 of different colors. The projection'lamp 34 is secured in a socket 72, mounted by screws 74 (FIG. 3) to the bottom base panel 24 and, as above indicated, is disposed in alignment with the top base panel apertures 30. The sandwich of apertured plate 56 and color disk 58 is disposed with approximately a quadrant between the projecter lamp 34 and top base apertures 30 so that the motor 42 rotates the plate 56 and color disk 58 in light interception relationship to light emitted from the projection lamp 34.

Current is supplied to the motor 42 and lamp 34 over wires not shown, and wires 76 and 78 from the motor 42 and lamp 34, respectively, are connected to a single toggle switch 28 which extends exteriorly of one of the base side panels 16. In operation, the toggle switch 28 is flicked to its on position whereupon the projection lamp 34 and motor 42 are actuated. The apertured plate 56 and color disk 58 rotate, intercepting light from the lamp 34 so that pulsed beams of variously colored light are projected through the top base panel apertures 30 and onto the bottom side of the illumination member 14. As a result of the movement of the apertured plate 56 relative to the base top panel apertures 30, a light beam projected through any particular aperture 30 is alternately increased and decreased in width. This effect combined with various reflections by the interfaces of the illumination member 14 results in throbbing, twinkling pulses of color having a unique ethereal quality and providing a dramatic imagery effect.

In place of the apertured disk 56, one can utilize any fenestration, such as transparent or translucent spots in an otherwise opaque background or vice-versa.

Referring to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment is illustrated wherein an illumination member 80 is provided which has an irregular shape, in contrast to the uniform cylindrical shape of the llumination body 14 illustrated in FIG. 1. A base 82 is provided which is identical to the base 12 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. The illumination member 80 is formed with a flat annular bottom surface 84 overlying the top base panel 86 so as to prevent light leakage. However, the entire bottom surface need not be flat and annular flatness is not required if light leakage can be tolerated or otherwise accommodated.

As required, details of illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that these embodiments merely exemplify the invention which may take many forms substantially different from the specific illustrated embodiments disclosed. Therefore, specific structural and functional details are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims.

I claim 1. A randomly reflecting lamp, com-prising:

a light source;

a masking member having at least first and second portions with different light transmissive propermeans for moving said masking member in light intercepting relationship to light emitted from said light source;

a base enclosing said light source and masking member and formed with a top panel having a stationary fenestrated portion overlying said masking member and said portions adjacent thereto;

a solid, stationary body of light transmitting material having a light receiving surface disposed over a portion only of said top panel and over said fenestrated portion, said body having a solid vertical extent from and normal to said light receiving surface, said extent being greater than the largest dimension of said light receiving surface, said body comprising an internally fractured mass of organic plastic having a plurality of randomly directed interfaces therein through said vertical extent and throughout the width of said body, said interfaces extending substantially inwardly from the outer surfaces of said body, for variously reflecting light, said light receiving body surface being disposed in the path of light passing through said masking member.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said masking member comprises a rotatable fenestrated disk.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which said masking member comprises a translucent member having segments of different colors.

4. The invention according to claim 2 including a varicolored translucent disk juxtaposed to said fenestrated disk and rotatable therewith.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said masking member comprises a rotatable fenestrated disk, and including a varicolored translucent disk juxtaposed to said fenestrated disk and movable therewith.

6. The invention according to claim 1 in which said body includes a flat annular bottom surface abutting said top panel.

Claims

1. A randomly reflecting lamp, com-prising: a light source; a masking member having at least first and second portions with different light transmissive properties; means for moving said masking member in light intercepting relationship to light emitted from said light source; a base enclosing said light source and masking member and formed with a top panel having a stationary fenestrated portion overlying said masking member and said portions adjacent thereto; a solid, stationary body of light transmitting material having a light receiving surface disposed over a portion only of said top panel and over said fenestrated portion, said body having a solid vertical extent from and normal to said light receiving surface, said extent being greater than the largest dimension of said light receiving surface, said body comprising an internally fractured mass of organic plastic having a plurality of randomly directed interfaces therein through said vertical extent and throughout the width of said body, said interfaces extending substantially inwardly from the outer surfaces of said body, for variously reflecting light, said light receiving body surface being disposed in the path of light passing through said masking member.