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US3701896A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Luminaire for area lighting

Assignee: Thomas and Betts Holdings Inc
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Filing: 1971-02-25
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Granted: 1972-10-31
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Expires: 1991-02-25
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Abstract

Abstract This luminaire includes an elongated generally horizontal light source, a multiple section generally parabolic reflector disposed behind the light source, and a refractor in front of the light source. The reflector includes two symmetrical transversely disposed paraboloid sections with the light source at the focus of both sections to produce essentially two spaced brams of reflected light. The area between the beams is illuminated by direct light which passes through a control lens to form a third beam. The overall effect is essentially a rectangle of light of generally uniform intensity suitable for lighting a rectangular area such as a roadway from a luminaire set back from the roadway.

Inventors

  • 👤 James Ronald Pate

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 19:12
CPC Classifications
F; F21; F21S; F21S8/00; F21S8/08; F21V; F21V7/00; F21V7/04; F21V7/09; F21Y; F21Y2103/00

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 110 words
A luminaire for providing a substantially rectangular lighted zone on a roadway comprising a horizontally elongated light source for emitting rays of light therefrom, reflector means spaced behind said light source and having walls which are substantially parabolic in vertical section, said walls including wall portions which are parabolic in horizontal section, said last mentioned wall portions adjoining one another with the axis of each of said portions converging along the center line of said light source, and the horizontal extent of each of said parabolic portions, each comprising a length subtended by an angle of approximately 30* in horizontal section, said angle formed by the intersection of said axes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 110 words
A luminaire for providing a substantially rectangular lighted zone on a roadway comprising a horizontally elongated light source for emitting rays of light therefrom, reflector means spaced behind said light source and having walls which are substantially parabolic in vertical section, said walls including wall portions which are parabolic in horizontal section, said last mentioned wall portions adjoining one another with the axis of each of said portions converging along the center line of said light source, and the horizontal extent of each of said parabolic portions, each comprising a length subtended by an angle of approximately 30* in horizontal section, said angle formed by the intersection of said axes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
A luminaire as claimed in claim 1, wherein said walls include sections outboard of said last-mentioned parabolic sections, said outboard sections being rectilinear in horizontal section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
A luminaire as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are translucent light transmitting members positioned to receive rays from said reflector, and ray lifting prisms on said members.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
A luminaire as claimed in claim 2, wherein said light source comprises a mercury lamp with its tube disposed horizontally.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 147 words
A luminaire for roadway lighting providing a substantially rectangular area of illumination on said roadway spaced a distance from said luminaire, means for directing said illumination toward a section of roadway spaced therefrom, said luminaire comprising a horizontally elongated, high intensity light source emitting rays of light along the length therefrom, reflector means spaced behind said light source and having adjoining surfaces of substantially paraboloid section with the light source positioned at the axis of each of said paraboloid sections to generate a beam of light from each of said sections with said beams being horizontally spaced apart, and lens means spaced from said light source on the side opposite said reflector means for receiving the direct rays from said light source and for refracting said rays into a beam in the area between the spaced apart reflected beams to combinedly form a substantially rectangular illuminated area.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 147 words
A luminaire for roadway lighting providing a substantially rectangular area of illumination on said roadway spaced a distance from said luminaire, means for directing said illumination toward a section of roadway spaced therefrom, said luminaire comprising a horizontally elongated, high intensity light source emitting rays of light along the length therefrom, reflector means spaced behind said light source and having adjoining surfaces of substantially paraboloid section with the light source positioned at the axis of each of said paraboloid sections to generate a beam of light from each of said sections with said beams being horizontally spaced apart, and lens means spaced from said light source on the side opposite said reflector means for receiving the direct rays from said light source and for refracting said rays into a beam in the area between the spaced apart reflected beams to combinedly form a substantially rectangular illuminated area.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 44 words
A luminaire as claimed in claim 5, wherein there are translucent closure members on each side of said luminaire, and convex prisms on said closure members positioned to receive beams of lighT from said reflectors and to refract said beams into parallel light beams.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 160 words
A reflector for use in a luminaire having a horizontally elongated tubular light source, said reflector comprising a first and second symmetrically disposed reflecting surface of parabolic sections adjoining one another, the axis of each of said parabolic sections when viewed in a horizontal plane intersecting at the center of the height of the tubular light source with the angle between said axes being within the range of 60* to 120*, each said reflector section generative of a beam of light with said beams being parallel to one another in one plane and diverging in said horizontal plane, wherein the length of each of said sections in a horizontal plane subtends an angle of approximates 30*, and further reflecting surfaces on each outboard side of the said parabolic sections comprising on each side a section of parabolic cylinder, and wherein the center line plane of said cylinders and said parabolic sections are in a common plane with said light source.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 160 words
A reflector for use in a luminaire having a horizontally elongated tubular light source, said reflector comprising a first and second symmetrically disposed reflecting surface of parabolic sections adjoining one another, the axis of each of said parabolic sections when viewed in a horizontal plane intersecting at the center of the height of the tubular light source with the angle between said axes being within the range of 60* to 120*, each said reflector section generative of a beam of light with said beams being parallel to one another in one plane and diverging in said horizontal plane, wherein the length of each of said sections in a horizontal plane subtends an angle of approximates 30*, and further reflecting surfaces on each outboard side of the said parabolic sections comprising on each side a section of parabolic cylinder, and wherein the center line plane of said cylinders and said parabolic sections are in a common plane with said light source.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 24 words
A reflector as claimed in claim 7, wherein said parabolic sections comprise sections of circular cross-section in a plane normal to said horizontal plane.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 182 words
A luminaire for mounting on a pole spaced from a substantially rectangular area to be illuminated, said luminaire comprising a high intensity light source comprising a cylindrical tube mounted on a horizontal axis, a reflector on the side of said cylindrical tube remote from said rectangular area, said reflector comprising two symmetrical surfaces abutting along a surface in alignment with the center of height of said tube, said reflector surfaces being parabolic in a plane including the axis of said cylinder and surfaces being arcuate in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tube, the axes of each of said surfaces in the plane in which said surfaces are parabolic are equi-angularly aligned with a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tube to meet at the height center of said tube, whereby each of said surfaces emits a reflected beam of light to cover the ends of said rectangular area, and a refractor mounted between said tube and said roadway to concentrate light emitted toward said area into a beam midway between said reflected beans to completely illuminate said area.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 182 words
A luminaire for mounting on a pole spaced from a substantially rectangular area to be illuminated, said luminaire comprising a high intensity light source comprising a cylindrical tube mounted on a horizontal axis, a reflector on the side of said cylindrical tube remote from said rectangular area, said reflector comprising two symmetrical surfaces abutting along a surface in alignment with the center of height of said tube, said reflector surfaces being parabolic in a plane including the axis of said cylinder and surfaces being arcuate in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tube, the axes of each of said surfaces in the plane in which said surfaces are parabolic are equi-angularly aligned with a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tube to meet at the height center of said tube, whereby each of said surfaces emits a reflected beam of light to cover the ends of said rectangular area, and a refractor mounted between said tube and said roadway to concentrate light emitted toward said area into a beam midway between said reflected beans to completely illuminate said area.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 25 words
A luminaire as claimed in claim 9, wherein said length of each of said surfaces subtends an angle of approximately 30* from said perpendicular plane.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB429357A Cited
US2259321A Cited
FR1395884A Cited
US3327109A Cited
US3233096A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-10-31 1976-05-01 1976-10-31 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-10-31 1980-05-01 1980-10-31 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-10-31 1984-05-01 1984-10-31 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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