Projection light source and optical system

Claim 2

A lighting system for producing uniform light distribution across an aperture comprising: a light source including a pair of spaced electrodes producing a region of light of length L therebetween having a polar radiation characteristic between a pair of angles phi L and theta L ; a reflector constituting a surface of revolution about a longitudinal axis coinciding with a line between said electrodes through said region of light; the axis of said reflector rotated by an angle Delta to define a ring of foci; means defining an aperture coinciding with said ring of foci; said surface of revolution comprising a segment of an elipse having a length between intercept angles phi M'' and theta M'' wherein said angles phi M'' and theta M'' constitute polar angles of at least 10* greater than the polar angles of the light source phi L and theta L ; said reflector having an average magnification such that it produces an average image size of said light source substantially equal to 3/4 of the maximum transverse dimension of said aperture.

Claim 3

A lighting system for producing uniform light distribution across an aperture comprising: a light source including a pair of spaced electrodes producing a region of light of length L therebetween having a polar radiation characteristic between a pair of angles phi L and theta L ; a reflector constituting a surface of revolution about a longitudinal axis coinciding with a line between said electrodes through said region of light; the axis of said reflector rotated by an angle Delta to define a ring of foci; means defining an aperture coinciding with said ring of foci; said surface of revolution comprising a segment of an elipse having a length between intercept angles phi M'' and theta M'' wherein said angles phi M'' and theta M'' constitute polar angles of at least 10* greater than the polar angles of the light source phi L and theta L ; said reflector having an average magnification such that it produces an average image size of said light source substantially equal to 3/4 of the maximum transverse dimension of said aperture.

Claim 4

A lighting system for producing uniform light distribution across an aperture comprising: a light source including a pair of spaced electrodes producing a region of light of length L therebetween having a polar radiation characteristic between a pair of angles phi L and theta L ; a reflector constituting a surface of revolution about a longitudinal axis coinciding with a line between said electrodes through said region of light; the axis of said reflector rotated by an angle Delta to define a ring of foci; means defining an aperture coinciding with said ring of foci; said surface of revolution comprising a segment of an elipse having a length between intercept angles phi M'' and theta M'' wherein said angles phi M'' and theta M'' constitute polar angles of at least 10* greater than the polar angles of the light source phi L and theta L ; said reflector having an average magnification such that it produces an average image size of said light source substantially equal to 3/4 of the maximum transverse dimension of said aperture.

Claim 5

The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein the angles phi L and theta L are each in the order of 30* respectively.

Claim 6

The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reflector length S'' is in the order of the distance between the projected angles 40*-50* and 120*-135* measured from the first focus and the longitudinal axis.

Claim 7

The combination in accordance with claim 1 including lens means positioned between said reflector and said aperture normal to the axis of the system to adjust the size of the image of said light region whereby the ring of foci coincide with the corners of different size apertures.

Claim 8

The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein the axis of said reflector is rotated outward and said light source is positioned with a first electrode at the first focus of the ellipse segment of said reflector and the second of said pair of spaced electrodes of said light source spaced from said first electrode in a direction toward said ring of foci.

Claim 9

The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein the axis of said reflector is rotated inward and said light source is positioned with a first electrode at the first focus of the ellipse segment of said reflector and the second of said pair of spaced electrodes of said light source spaced from said first electrode in a direction away from said ring of foci.

Claim 10

A light system comprising: a light source constituting a lamp having a pair of aligned spaced electrodes producing a region of light therebetween having a brightness gradient ranging from a maximum brightness adjacent to one electrode and a lesser brightness adjacent to the second of said pair of electrodes; said spaced electrodes and the region of light therebetween generally falling on a line defining the axis of said lighting system; a reflector constituting an eliptical surface of revolution with itS axis rotated from the axis of said lighting system about the first focus of said elliptical surface by an angle delta to define a ring of foci encircling the axis of said lighting system; means positioning said reflector with its first focus coincident with the region of highest brightness of said region of light; and means defining a light barrier plane normal to said axis coincident with said ring of foci; said last means including an aperture at said ring of foci and having a major transverse dimension equal to twice the tangent of angle delta times the interfocal distance of the unrotated ellipse defined by said reflector; the distance L between said spaced electrodes and the effective length of said reflector S'' as determined by its intercept of angles phi M'' and theta M'' producing magnified images of the region of light at the plane of the second focus with the average length of images falling within the maximum transverse dimension of said aperture with the images of the maximum brightness region of light source coinciding with the extremities of said aperture; the angles phi M'' and theta M'' being both greater than the corresponding polar angles phi L and theta L of the light source.

Claim 11

A light system comprising: a light source constituting a lamp having a pair of aligned spaced electrodes producing a region of light therebetween having a brightness gradient ranging from a maximum brightness adjacent to one electrode and a lesser brightness adjacent to the second of said pair of electrodes; said spaced electrodes and the region of light therebetween generally falling on a line defining the axis of said lighting system; a reflector constituting an eliptical surface of revolution with itS axis rotated from the axis of said lighting system about the first focus of said elliptical surface by an angle delta to define a ring of foci encircling the axis of said lighting system; means positioning said reflector with its first focus coincident with the region of highest brightness of said region of light; and means defining a light barrier plane normal to said axis coincident with said ring of foci; said last means including an aperture at said ring of foci and having a major transverse dimension equal to twice the tangent of angle delta times the interfocal distance of the unrotated ellipse defined by said reflector; the distance L between said spaced electrodes and the effective length of said reflector S'' as determined by its intercept of angles phi M'' and theta M'' producing magnified images of the region of light at the plane of the second focus with the average length of images falling within the maximum transverse dimension of said aperture with the images of the maximum brightness region of light source coinciding with the extremities of said aperture; the angles phi M'' and theta M'' being both greater than the corresponding polar angles phi L and theta L of the light source.

Claim 12

The combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein said light source is a gas discharge lamp having a brightness ratio of at least 6 to 1 between the electrodes.

Claim 13

The combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein said light source has a brightness ratio of at least 6 to 1 between the electrodes.

Claim 14

The combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein the length L of the region of light and the average magnification of said reflector are selected to produce an average image length at said aperture equal to substantially 3/4 of the maximum transverse dimension of said aperture.

Claim 15

The combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein said reflector constitutes an eliptical surface of revolution with its axis rotated outward from said axis and said one electrode of said pair of aligned spaced electrodes of said light source is positioned at said first focus and the second of said electrodes is positioned between said first focus and said ring of foci.

Claim 16

The combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein said reflector constitutes an elliptical surface of revolution with its axis rotated inward from said axis and said one electrode of said pair of aligned spaced electrodes of said light source is positioned at said first focus and the second of said electrodes is positioned away from said ring of foci.