U.S. patent application number 14/615832 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-11 for lighting control console having a slide control.
The applicant listed for this patent is MA LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY GmbH. Invention is credited to Michael ADENAU.
Application Number | 20160234908 14/615832 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56411148 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160234908 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ADENAU; Michael |
August 11, 2016 |
LIGHTING CONTROL CONSOLE HAVING A SLIDE CONTROL
Abstract
The invention relates to a lighting control console for
controlling a lighting system. At least one slide control is
provided in the control panel of the lighting control console,
which slide control allows users to enter input values by linearly
adjusting a control knob, wherein a contact holder is provided at
the slide control. A linkage lever links the control knob and the
contact holder. In the housing of the lighting control console, at
least one light source is provided, wherein at least one light exit
is provided at the control knob, and wherein a light conducting
element is provided between the light source and the light exit, in
which element the light of the light source can be transmitted to
the light exit at the control knob.
Inventors: |
ADENAU; Michael; (Wurzburg,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MA LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY GmbH |
Waldbuttelbrunn |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
56411148 |
Appl. No.: |
14/615832 |
Filed: |
February 6, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05B 45/20 20200101;
H05B 47/18 20200101; Y02B 20/40 20130101; H05B 47/155 20200101 |
International
Class: |
H05B 33/08 20060101
H05B033/08; H05B 37/02 20060101 H05B037/02 |
Claims
1. A lighting control console for controlling a lighting system,
comprising: a lighting control console, capable of generating
digital adjusting commands; data links, capable of transmitting
commands to lighting devices of the lighting system; and wherein
the lighting control console includes at least one digital
processor and at least one digital memory for generating, managing
and storing the adjusting commands; at least one display device, in
which graphic elements can graphically be depicted for users at the
display device; at least one slide control positioned in the
control panel of the lighting control console, capable of allowing
users to enter input values by linearly adjusting a control knob; a
contact holder positioned at the slide control; at least one
sliding contact positioned at the contact holder, the contact abuts
on a linear contact track, a linkage lever, linking the control
knob and the contact holder; and a slit positioned in a housing of
the lighting control console, through which slit the linkage lever
reaches starting from an interior of the housing, thereby
mechanically linking the control knob and the contact holder,
wherein the housing of the lighting control console includes, at
least one light source; at least one light exit at the control
knob; and a light conducting element positioned between the light
source and the light exit, in which by the element, light of the
light source can be transmitted to the light exit at the control
knob.
2. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein the
light source is arranged at the contact holder and, via a sliding
contact, is supplied with electrical power from a contact track,
wherein the light conducting element extends between the light exit
at the control knob and the light source at the contact holder.
3. The lighting control console according to claim 1, further
comprising a dust cover positioned at the slide control, said dust
cover being arranged between the contact track and the slit in the
housing, wherein the linkage lever includes an arc-shaped portion
for laterally reaching around the dust cover.
4. The lighting control console according to claim 3, wherein the
light conducting element includes an arc-shaped portion for
laterally reaching around the dust cover.
5. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein the
light conducting element is fastened to the linkage lever.
6. The lighting control console according to claim 5, wherein the
linkage lever includes a slit-shaped recess, in which the light
conducting element is accommodated so as to fix it.
7. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein at
least several outer surfaces of the light conducting element are
formed by planar body surfaces, at which the light of the light
source can be reflected in the interior of the light conducting
element in the direction of the light exit.
8. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein a
cover that is impervious to light is attached above the light
conducting element.
9. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein the
light exit is arranged at the upper side of the control knob in a
groove-shaped depression.
10. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein the
slide control can be driven by remote control, at least partially
powered by a drive motor.
11. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein the
light conducting element is produced from a plastic material that
conducts light.
12. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein the
light source is an LED illuminant.
13. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein the
luminous color of the light source can be changed.
14. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein a
diffusing element is arranged at the light exit.
15. The lighting control console according to claim 1, wherein the
control knob is produced from a transparent material.
16. The lighting control console according to claim 15, wherein the
transparent control knob includes a coating that is impervious to
light, and wherein the coating includes at least one opening
through which light can be emitted.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Generic lighting control consoles serve for controlling
lighting systems such as those employed in theaters or on concert
stages, for instance. Routinely, said lighting systems comprise a
plurality of lighting devices, such as stage spotlights, wherein,
in the lighting devices on their own, it is also possible to switch
between a plurality of lighting states, for instance between
different colors. These different lighting states are controlled in
the lighting program of the lighting control console by way of
programmed parameters. Here, standard lighting systems may comprise
up to several thousand lighting devices. In order to be able to
control such complex lighting systems, the generic lighting control
consoles are equipped with a digital processor, which permits
digital data and signal processing. For storing the data, a digital
memory is further provided, which in particular allows for
archiving of lighting programs.
[0002] For programming the lighting program or for controlling the
lighting program while it is running, operators have to enter
control commands as input values. Said control commands can, for
instance, be the selection of a specific lighting device or the
setting of a specific parameter, for instance of luminosity. For
entering these control commands, mechanical control elements, for
instance key buttons, rotary controls or slide controls, are
available at known lighting control consoles. Here, the control
commands being assigned to the individual control elements may be
altered by way of suitable menu changeovers in order to be able to
program and control correspondingly complex lighting programs.
[0003] The slide controls being installed at the known lighting
control consoles are characterized in that entries are made by
linearly adjusting a control knob. Here, the control knob is
mechanically linked to a contact holder through a slit in the
housing of the lighting control console, such that the linear
adjustment of the control knob can directly be transmitted onto the
contact holder, which is located inside of the housing. At least
one sliding contact is in turn provided at the contact holder,
which contact abuts upon a linear contact track. Depending on the
relative position of the sliding contact on the linear contact
track, different input values are the result.
[0004] Lighting control consoles are frequently employed in an
environment that has to be kept dark, for instance in the
auditorium of a theater or in a concert hall, where extraneous
light for lighting the control panel at the lighting control
console is undesired. In order to still allow users to safely
access different control elements, control elements are known
which, at the control knob, exhibit an illuminant that is
electrically controlled, for instance a light bulb. This has the
disadvantage that, for supplying the illuminant in the control knob
with electricity, corresponding cabling from the interior of the
housing of the lighting control console has to be laid to the
control knob that is arranged outside of the housing. Considerable
safety problems result therefrom since components outside of the
housing are within the reaching area of the hands of the users and
therefore have to be reliably protected against electric shocks.
Besides, due to the illuminant in the control knob, the control
knob may heat up, which is undesired.
SUMMARY
[0005] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a novel
lighting control console having a slide control that is lit, which
can be produced in a cost-effective fashion and which at the same
time solves the problems with regard to electrical safety and the
undesired heating-up.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] In the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is
schematically illustrated and will be explained by way of example
in the following.
[0007] In the figures:
[0008] FIG. 1 shows a lighting control console having several slide
controls in a perspective view from the front;
[0009] FIG. 2 shows a slide control of the lighting control console
in accordance with FIG. 1 in a perspective view from the front;
[0010] FIG. 3 shows the slide control in accordance with FIG. 2
after the dust cover has been mounted, in a perspective view from
the front;
[0011] FIG. 4 shows the slide control in accordance with FIG. 3
after the contact holder having the linkage lever being fastened
thereto and having the control knob being fastened thereto has been
mounted;
[0012] FIG. 5 shows the contact holder having the linkage lever and
the control knob in accordance with FIG. 4 in a perspective view
from behind;
[0013] FIG. 6 shows the linkage lever having the light conducting
element being fastened thereto in a perspective view from the
front;
[0014] FIG. 7 shows the slide control in accordance with FIG. 1 in
a cross-section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The slide control at the lighting control console in
accordance with embodiments of the invention is characterized in
that the light source for lighting the control knob is not
installed outside of the housing, in the control knob. Instead, the
light source is located inside of the housing and is transmitted to
a light exit at the control knob by means of a light conducting
element. By arranging the light source inside of the housing, the
safety requirements with respect to electrical safety of the
lighting control console are solved without any problem since the
interior of the housing is out of reach of the users. It is also
precluded that the control knob itself heats up, which would be
undesired. Solely the light that is required for lighting the
control knob is transmitted from the light source being arranged in
the housing to the control knob by means of the light conducting
element.
[0016] It is in principle arbitrary at which point inside of the
housing the light source is arranged in the lighting control
console. For instance, it is conceivable that the light source is
arranged on the main circuit board of the lighting control console
and is for instance transmitted from this point to the control
knobs of the slide controls to be lit by means of long optical
fibers. This type of light transmission by means of long optical
fibers, however, makes it necessary to carefully lay the optical
fibers so that they function reliably and no damage occurs even in
case of a long running time. A particularly simple and reliable
design results if the light source for lighting a slide control is
arranged at the contact holder of said slide control and, via a
sliding contact at the contact holder itself, is supplied with
electrical power. In this manner, the light source moves along with
the contact holder of the slide control and the transmission of the
light that is required for lighting is only required in the space
between the contact holder and the control knob. Relatively short
light conducting elements result therefrom, having correspondingly
few light losses. Electrical safety moreover continues to be given
since the contact holder of the slide control always has to be
installed in the housing of the lighting control console.
[0017] In order for the slide control to run for longer times, it
may be preferable that the contact zone of the sliding contacts
with the linear contact tracks, and is protected against dust
penetrating into the same and being deposited on the contact
tracks, which could deteriorate the electrical contact between the
contact tracks and the sliding contacts. In an example of the
lighting control console in accordance with the invention, a dust
cover is provided at the slide control, said dust cover being
arranged between the contact track on the one hand and the slit in
the housing of the lighting control console for passing the linkage
lever through on the other hand. The contact track, by way of the
dust cover, is protected from the top against dust penetrating into
the interior of the housing through the slit in the housing. Here,
the linkage lever, which links the control knob outside of the
housing and the contact holder inside of the housing, includes an
arc-shaped portion for laterally reaching around the dust cover. In
this manner, despite the contact track being covered by the dust
cover that is arranged above the same, a direct transmission of the
adjusting movements from the control knob onto the assigned contact
holder can be provided.
[0018] If, for protecting the contact tracks from dust, a dust
cover is provided, the light conducting element could also include
an arc-shaped portion, which can laterally reach around the dust
cover. In this manner, it is again provided that the light can pass
around the dust cover in the shortest possible way, in order to
prevent unnecessary light losses inside of the light conducting
element.
[0019] It is in principle arbitrary in which manner the light
conducting element is fastened to the slide control. Here, a
particularly simple and cost-effective possibility results if the
light conducting element is directly fastened to the linkage lever
since the linkage lever also extends between the control knob on
the one hand and the contact holder on the other hand and moreover
presents the required mechanical stiffness. A particularly simple
possibility of fastening the light conducting element to the
linkage lever results if the linkage lever includes a slit-shaped
recess, in which the light conducting element is accommodated so as
to fix it.
[0020] From a physical point of view, various principles for
realizing a light conducting element are conceivable. In
particular, optical fibers being made of plastic or glass can be
utilized as light conducting elements. Since the light conducting
element, in the area of application in accordance with the
invention, only has to cover a relative short distance, utilizing a
light conducting element whose outer surface is formed by several
planar body surfaces is particularly cost-effective. At the inner
side of said planar body surfaces, the light can then be reflected
and passed on in the interior of the light conducting element.
[0021] In order to prevent stray light of other light sources
inside of the housing of the lighting control console from being
injected into the light conducting element and to moreover limit
the extent to which light is emitted from the interior of the light
conducting element, which is undesired, it is particularly
advantageous if a cover is attached above the light conducting
element.
[0022] It is again in principle arbitrary in which manner the light
exit at the control knob is designed. In order to avoid that
undesired diffused light is emitted and at the same time to make it
possible to clearly identify the control knob by way of the light
from the light source, it is particularly advantageous if a
groove-shaped depression is provided at the upper side of the
control knob, the light exit joining said depression. Due to the
flanks of the groove-shaped depression, diffused light effects are
reduced and the light from the light conducting element is only
emitted to the top from the groove-shaped depression in a targeted
fashion.
[0023] In order to allow for electromechanical adjustment of the
slide control while a lighting program is running, it is
particularly advantageous if the slide control can be driven by
remote control with the help of a drive motor. Here, a driving belt
can transmit the force from the drive shaft of the drive motor onto
the contact holder of the slide control.
[0024] The lighting control console having the slide control that
is lit can be produced in a particularly cost-effective fashion if
the light conducting element is produced from a plastic material
that conducts light.
[0025] In particular LED illuminants are suitable as light sources
for lighting the control knob. Besides, such LED components can be
arranged on the circuit board of the contact holder and can be
electrically connected in a very simple and cost-effective
fashion.
[0026] In order to be able to light the slide controls, for
instance, with different colors depending on their function that is
menu-controlled in each instance, for example, it is particularly
advantageous if the luminous color of the light source can be
changed or if several LED illuminants having different colors are
available.
[0027] In order to ensure the most uniform light distribution
possible at the light exit of the control knob, a diffusing element
can be arranged at the light exit.
[0028] It is additionally conceivable that the control knob itself
is produced from a transparent material, which then serves as a
light exit on its own.
[0029] If it is not desired to light the entire control knob that
is produced from a transparent material, the control knob can be
coated with a coating that is impervious to light, wherein the
coating includes at least one clearance at which the light can be
emitted from the transparent material of the control knob to the
outside.
[0030] FIG. 1, in a perspective view, shows a lighting control
console 01 in accordance with the invention for programming and
controlling a stage lighting system. The lighting control console
01 is equipped with three monitors 02 for displaying various menus
for users. For entering adjusting commands, a plurality of push
buttons 03, slide controls 04, adjusting wheels 05 and rotary
controls 06 is provided at the lighting control console 01.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a slide control 04 of the lighting control
console 01 in an enlarged perspective view from the front. The
slide control 04 is installed in the interior of the housing 08 of
the lighting control console 01 by means of a bracket 07. Here, the
control knob 09 is located outside of the housing and can manually
be adjusted along the longitudinal axis of the slide control 04 by
the users of the lighting control console 01 in order to enter
control commands. Besides, the slide control 04 can be driven by
electromotive forces by means of an electric motor 10. Here, the
forces are transmitted by means of a drive pinion 11 and of a
driving belt 12. Forces from the control knob 09 or from the
driving belt 12 are transmitted onto the electrical components of
the slide control 04 by means of a linkage lever 13, which, in FIG.
2, is illustrated being concealed under a cover 14. For protecting
the electrical contact tracks 15 (see FIG. 4), at which the sliding
contacts 16 (see FIG. 5) of the slide control 04 are electrically
contacted, from dust, a dust cover 17 is attached above the contact
tracks 15. Due to the dust cover 17, dust, which penetrates into
the interior of the housing from the region outside of the housing
08 through the slits 18 (see FIG. 7) provided for the linkage
levers 13, is prevented from reaching the contact zone between the
contact tracks 15 and the sliding contacts 16.
[0032] At the control knob 09, a groove-shaped depression 19 is
provided, at the base of which a light exit 20 is provided. During
operation of the lighting control console 01, light can be emitted
at the light exit 20 for marking the control knob 09 even in dark
environments.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows the slide control 04 after the bracket 07 and
the dust cover 17 have been demounted. The contact holder 21 of the
slide control 04 can be seen, which holder, by means of the linkage
lever 13 being covered by the cover 14, can manually be shifted in
relation to the contact tracks 15 from the control knob 09 or
electromechanically by way of the electric motor 10. Here, the
contact holder 21 is borne on two bearing axes 22 so as to be
linearly shiftable.
[0034] FIG. 4 shows the slide control 04 after the contact holder
21, which has the linkage lever 13 being fastened thereto, the
control knob 09 and the cover 14, has been demounted as well. Two
of the contact tracks 15 are provided on the contact holder 21 for
energy supply of a light source 23, namely of an LED
illuminant.
[0035] FIG. 5 shows the back of the contact holder 21 having the
sliding contacts 16 being fastened thereto. One contact track 15 is
assigned to each sliding contact 16. If the contact holder 21 is
shifted by manual drive at the control knob 09 or by electromotive
drive by means of the electric motor 10, the sliding contacts 16
are axially shifted across the contact tracks 15, whereby an
electric output signal, which serves as an input value, is
correspondingly changed.
[0036] FIG. 6 shows the linkage lever 13 in an enlarged perspective
view. The linkage lever 13 is embodied as a bent sheet metal part.
The control knob 09 can be plugged on the upper end 24 of the
linkage lever 13 in a form-fitting manner and can be locked by
means of fastening holes 25. The lower end 26 of the linkage lever
13 is mechanically linked to the contact holder 21. An arc-shaped
portion 27 extends between the upper end 24 and the lower end 26 of
the linkage lever 13, with which portion the linkage lever 13
laterally reaches around the dust cover 17. In the middle of the
linkage lever 13, the bent sheet metal part includes two slit
portions, into which a light conducting element 28 is plugged in a
form-fitting and force-fitting manner. The light conducting element
28 also includes an arc-shaped portion 33, which laterally reaches
around the dust cover 17. In the following, the function of the
light conducting element 28 is explained in more detail on the
basis of the cross-section in FIG. 7.
[0037] FIG. 7 shows the slide control 04 of the lighting control
console 01 in a schematized cross-section. Here, the cover 14 is
not illustrated in FIG. 7. It can be seen that the housing wall 29,
in the control panel of the lighting control console 01, includes
several slits 18, through which the linkage levers 13 are in each
instance guided out of the interior of the housing 08 to the
control panel on the outside. One control knob 09 in each instance
is plugged on the upper ends of the linkage levers 13.
[0038] At the contact holder 21, which holds the sliding contacts
16 on the outside, a light source 23, namely an LED illuminant, is
attached on the inner side, which LED illuminant is supplied with
electrical energy via two of the sliding contacts 16 from two
contact tracks 15. In the light conducting element 28, the light 30
being emitted by the light source 23 is transmitted to the light
exit 20 at the control knob 09, starting from the light source 23.
In order to provide this light transmission, the light conducting
element 28 being manufactured from plastic includes several planar
body surfaces 31, at which the light 30 in the interior of the
light conducting element 28 is reflected. Besides, a diffusing
element 32 is fastened to the light exit 20, which element serves
for uniformly distributing the light 30 at the light exit 20.
* * * * *