Adjustably Positionable Reflectors

Abstract

A reflector assembly in accordance with the present disclosure comprises a deformable reflector mounted within a housing by an adjustablemounting means. The adjusting mounting means is capable of selectively adjusting the configuration and position of the reflector in the housing. Preferably, at least one region of the reflector is fixedly positioned with the housing and other regions of the reflector are independently selectively positioned in the housing to thereby selectively alter the configuration of the reflector.

Description

This invention relates to apparatus for changing the orientation of a reflector, and particularly to apparatus for changing the size, shape and/or focal point of a reflector.

Heretofore, reflectors have been constructed in a fixed shape and have not been capable of changing size, shape or focal length. The orientations of prior reflectors have been changed only by moving the entire reflector structure and when it was desirable to change the size, shape or focal length of a reflector, the entire reflector had to be replaced with one of desired size, shape and focal length.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a reflector structure whose size, shape and focal length may be selectively adjusted.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible reflector mounted to adjustable means so that the size, shape or focal length of the reflector may be selectively adjusted.

A reflector in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing supporting a plurality of adjustable positioning means. A deformable reflector is mounted to the adjustable positioning means so that the reflector may be adjustably positioned within the housing by adjusting each positioning means.

In accordance with one feature of the present invention, the position of the reflector is fixed at predetermined locations.

The above and other features of this invention will be more fully understood in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view elevation in cutaway cross section of a reflector assembly in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view elevation of adjustable positioning means for use in the reflector assembly illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the principles of operation of the reflector assembly illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a reflector assembly in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention. The reflector assembly comprises a housing 10 having an internal cavity 11. Reflector 12, which is preferably constructed of a single sheet of distortable metal, such as a thin sheet of aluminum or spring steel, is positioned within cavity 11 and includes reflective surface 13 on the inner surface thereof. By way of example, surface 13 may be a polished surface or may be a thin layer of reflective material fastened or bonded to reflector 12. Preferably reflector 12 and surface 13 are arranged so that they form an elongated reflector in the form of a trough having an elliptical cross section, the axis of the trough being shown in end view in FIGS. 1 and 3. Reflector 12 is preferably positioned so that its elliptical surface forms a major axis lying in plane 14, which plane is perpendicular to the sheet of FIGS. 1 and 3. Mount means 15 is independently mounted within reflector 12 and carries source 16 of radiation, such as a radiant heater or lamp. Preferably, radiation source 16 is independently positioned on plane 14 within the reflector so as to direct radiation along the plane and forwardly of the forward end 17 of the reflector.

Reflector 12 is fixedly mounted to housing 10 by and at fixed supports 18. Adjustable supports 19 are fixed to reflector 12 at various regions about the outer surface of the reflector, at least one such set of adjustable supports preferably lying in plane 14.

FIG. 2 illustrates the details of adjustable supports 19. As illustrated in FIG. 2, bracket 20 is fixedly attached to reflector 12, such as by bonding or welding the bracket directly to the outer surface of the reflector. Bracket 20 carries threaded bolt 21 directed outwardly from the reflector. Bolt 21 passes through slot aperture 22 in the wall of housing 10, and washers 23 and 24 abut each side of the wall of housing 10. Compression spring 25 is positioned between bracket 20 and washer 23 and is arranged to urge or bias reflector 12 away from housing 10. Fastener 26, such as a Wing nut, is threadably assembled to fastener 21 so that its load bearing surface bears against washer 24 which in turn bears against the wall of housing 10.

In operation of the adjustable reflector in accordance with the present invention, the reflector is positioned within housing 10, and each fastener 26 of each adjustable support 19 is independently axially rotated so as to independently selectively position each associated region of the reflector 12 with respect to housing 10. Fixed supports 18 define the position of at least one region of reflector 12. The spacing r of this region of the reflector from plane 14 (the spacing being measured along the normal to the plane) is constant. It follows that adjustment of supports forwardly of supports 18 (i.e., toward the open end of the reflector) make that part of the reflector wider or narrower, depending on the adjustment made, and the adjustment of the supports located rearwardly of support 18 (i.e., toward the closed end of the reflector, such as the support which lies in the central place) adjust the depth of the reflector. The shape of the curve of the reflector is thereby adjustable over wide ranges. The shape of the curvature of the reflector may be generally characterized as elliptical, but it will be understood that variations from true ellipticity can be caused by the various mounting means. The generally elliptical shape has the plane 14 as its major axis. The reflector region (sometimes called the "elliptical cross section") at the fixed supports is sometimes called a "first region," at the supports forwardly of the fixed supports, a "second region," and rearwardly of the fixed supports, a "third region." Illustrated in FIG. 3, fixed supports are represented by lines 18a which define the fixed spacing r some distance forwardly of source 16. As illustrated by dashed lines 27, reflector 12 may be adjusted to a configuration which is narrow and deep, or the reflector may be adjusted to a configuration which is wide and shallow as indicated by dashed lines 28. Of course, the illustrations given are by way of example and a wide variety of configurations are available.

One feature of the present invention resides in the fact that fasteners 26 may be connected to suitable control devices, such as electrically operable solenoids, so that the fasteners may be adjusted by remote control, thereby adjusting the configuration of the reflector by remote control. This feature is particularly advantageous where the reflector is positioned in a relatively inaccessible location, such as on a flood lamp standard over a field where it is desirable to selectively alter the shape of the area of the field to be illuminated, or to intensify or reduce the illumination level by reducing or enlarging the area illuminated.

The present invention thus provides an adjustable reflector whose size, shape and/or focal length may be selectively adjusted without changing the reflector and without adjustment operations. The reflector is effective in use and its configuration is easily changed. The reflector is particularly useful for playing fields adaptable for use for several sports. Thus, the reflectors can be adjusted to illuminate an elongated rectangular field, such as a football field, a more square-shaped field, such as a baseball field, or even a relatively small field such as a boxing or wrestling ring. Thus, where a stadium or field is intended to provide various types of events which require various fields of illumination, lamps provided with reflectors in accordance with the present invention can be made to selectively illuminate the various fields merely by adjusting the configuration of the reflector.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in the drawings and described in the description which is given by way of example and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable reflector whose configuration may be selectively adjusted, comprising: deformable reflector means having a reflective surface, said reflector means defining a region having a substantially elliptical cross section, the major axis of the ellipse being substantially coincident with the forward direction of intended propagation of radiation from said reflector; housing means; fixed support means mounted to said housing means, said fixed support means being fixedly attached to a first region of the outer surface of said reflector means for supporting the same to define a fixed lateral spacing from the major axis of said elliptical cross section; first adjustable support means carried by said housing means and attached to said reflector means for selectively adjusting the lateral spacing from the central axis of said elliptical cross section at a second region of said reflector means where the said lateral spacing of said elliptical cross section is greater than said fixed lateral spacing; and second adjustable support means carried by said housing means and attached to said reflector means for selectively adjusting the configuration of said reflector means at a third region of said reflector means, said third region being located on the opposite side of said first region from said second region and including the intersection of said axis with said reflection surface, whereby the configuration of the second and third regions of said reflector may be selectively adjusted independently of the position of the other and independently of the position of said first region.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second adjustable support means is located on said major axis to adjust the location of the apex of the ellipse with respect to the plane of said fixed lateral spacing.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and second adjustable support means comprises first threaded fastener means fixedly attached to the outer surface of said reflector means, second threaded fastener means threadably assembled to said first threaded fastener means, said second threaded fastener means having a load bearing surface, slot means through said housing means adapted to receive at least one of said threaded fasteners in such a manner that the load bearing surface of said second threaded fasteners bears against said housing means adjacent said slot means, and bias means urging separation of said housing means and said reflector means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each of said first and second adjustable support means comprises first threaded fastener means fixedly attached to the outer surface of said reflector means, second threaded fastener means threadably assembled to said first threaded fastener means, said second threaded fastener means having a load bearing surface, slot means through said housing means adapted to receive at least one of said threaded fasteners in such a manner that the load bearing surface of said housing means adjacent said slot means, and bias means urging separation of said housing means and said reflector means.