Light Device

Abstract

A lighting device serving both ornamental and functional purposes having a base, a vertically arranged light passing member extending upwardly from the base, a light and color wheel in the base arranged to direct light of various colors into the light passing member and having forms wherein water vapor, reflective material or incense may be directed into the light passing member to carry the light beam and an additional form wherein the light passing member is filled with fluid and air is bubbled therethrough. The form incorporating the water vapor may include means to pass the water vapor into the air to serve as a humidifying device.

Description

Applicant provides herein a unique light device which includes a concept of passing light through various light dispersing materials to achieve an ornamental as well as a functional effect. The light is initially passed through a color wheel or the like such that different colors of light will be passed into the visible portion of the device and as the light passes through the dispersing material a particularly interesting and decorative effect is obtained.

In addition to a decorative effect, applicant includes means for introducing the dispersing medium into the air and when this medium is water vapor a humidifying effect is obtained while when the medium is smoke from for instance burning increase the aroma of the burned incense is provided.

It is therefore an object of applicant's invention to provide a unique lighting device utilizing a light dispersing medium within the visible portion thereof for a particularly decorative end result.

It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a lighting device which incorporates water vapor as a light passing and dispersing medium within the visible portion thereof and having means for releasing the water vapor into the atmosphere to provide a humidifying effect.

It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a lighting device having means for passing a light reflective and dispersing material through the visible portion thereof with means for recycling the reflective material through said visible portion.

It is still a further object of applicant's invention to provide a lighting device particularly arranged for the burning of incense or similar burnable aromatics with the resulting smoke therefrom being used as a light reflecting medium by passing a beam of light therethrough.

It is still a further object of applicant's invention to provide a lighting device which incorporates means for passing a light beam through a color wheel or other similar color inducing member and thereafter passing this now colored light through a reflecting and dispersing medium.

These and other objects and advantages of applicant's will more fully appear from the following description made is connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the lighting device embodying the concepts of applicant's invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 illustrating one form of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a second form of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating another form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view of another modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a selected portion of FIG. 5 and being drawn to an enlarged scale for purposes of clarity.

In accordance with the accompanying drawings, the lighting device embodying the concepts of applicant's invention is generally designated 10 and three particular forms of the invention are of the same basic design, these being the forms illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. In these particular figures the basic lighting device 10 includes a base 11 having a first upstanding side element 12 defining a passage 12a therethrough. This upstanding member is formed with external flanges for esthetic considerations and the specific form is not important to the inventive aspects of the concept. Arranged within the passage 12a is a top shroud member 13 having a vertical wall portion 13a and a generally horizontal top portion 13b. These three elements, consisting of base 11, side portion 12 and thetop shroud 13 form an enclosed housing section defining a cavity 14 therein for housing the various functional portions of the lighting device 10. Obviously means should be provided for separating the shroud from the base 11 to provide access to the functional portions of the device. In the form shown it may be necessary to remove or provide means for removing both the shroud 13 and the upstanding side element 12 from the base 11. This should be a relatively simple type releasing means and may include a "snap" type connection.

In the forms of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 a generally U-shaped, light passing member 15 is arranged to have the ends 15a, 15b thereof extend through apertures 14a, 14b in the upper surface of the shroud 13. These apertures allow access of the ends 15a, 15b into the cavity of the shroud, and may be defined by downwardly extending cylinders 16a, 16b formed by the shroud 13. Shoulders 15c, 15d are formed on the light passage 15 to govern the depth to which the light passing member will extend into the cavity 14.

The particular designs of the functional portions of FIGS. 2, as compared to those of 3, 4 includes a cold vapor system having a humidifying device 17, a water reservoir 18 connected to the humidifier 17 and means connecting the humidifier 17 to the light passing member 15. This connection, in the form shown includes a conduit member 19 connecting the outlet of the humidifier 17 to a closure member 21 enclosing the end 15a of the light passing member and a second conduit member 20 connecting the second closure member 22 of the second end of the light passing member 15 to the reservoir. It should be noted that the means for closing the ends 15a, 15b of the light passing member 15 is also passing. The arrangement of the humidifier 17 and the connections therefrom to the light passing member 15 and the connections from the light passing member 15 will permit the flow of cold vapor through the light passing in an ordinarily supplied closed circuit system. In order to convert this closed circuit system into a room humidifier, it is only necessary to supply a closeable vent member 21 on the return end 15b of the light passing member 15, such that the water vapor is free to pass therefrom into the room. If the system is utilized as a room humidifier it will be necessary to replace water into the reservoir 18 and for this purpose a filling passage 13c is formed in the top surface of the shroud 13 and a connecting tube 13d is provided to direct additional filling water to the reservoir 18. A plug for sealing the passage 13c is also provided and is designated 13e.

In the form shown in FIG. 2, the means for passing the light into and through the light passing member 15 includes a first light wheel or color wheel device designated 24 mounted for driven rotation upon a slow rpm motor 25 or the like and it should be noted that the periphery of the color wheel 24 is in vertically downwardly displaced relation from the bottoms of the U-shaped member 15a, 15b. The form and function of such a color wheel is generally known in the art and no further discussion is deemed necessary.

The light source for lighting of the light passing member 15 is generally designated 26 and includes a pair of spaced light members 27, 28 arranged below the color wheel 24 such that the light emitted thereby will be delivered upwardly through the light wheel 24 and upwardly through the tubular ends 15a, 15b. This, now colored light, will pass into and through the water vapor and the water vapor effectively acting as a cloud bank will both reflect and disperse the light to produce the proper decorative effect.

The form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 is varied substantially from that illustrated in FIG. 2 but only in the functional aspects. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the functional portions of the lighting device 10 are again embodied in the cavity 14 of the unit. In this instance, vertical deflectors 30 are arranged in the inlet end 15a of the light passing member 15 and as such are designed to particularly direct the material delivered thereto in a generally upward flow. In order to properly propel the material about and through the U-shaped member 15 a fan device 31, in this case being a centrifugal fan, is provided and the outlet 31a thereof is connected to a conduit 32 feeding the closure 33 of the light passing member 15. The return from the U-shaped member 15 is directed again through a closure member 34 into a return conduit 35 to provide a closed circuit system for the centrifugal fan 31. In this form the closure members 33, 34 are again light passing.

The material placed into the closed circuit system when using this centrifugal fan may take many obvious forms but the applicant has found that a light reflective, relatively small particle material will properly reflect the passing light and effectively move even though the fan employed is relatively low in power and velocity.

In order to obtain the proper lighting effect in this particular form, applicant again provides a rotating and rotatable color wheel 36 mounted in driven relation upon a motor or other source of rotative power 37 with the outer periphery of the color wheel 36 being arranged below the respective ends of the light passing member 15. Below the outer or effective portions of the color wheel 36, applicant has again arranged a pair of light sources 38--38. The light being emitted from these light sources 38--38 will pass through the color wheel 36 and upwardly into the light passing member 15 where it will be reflected upon the material being carried therein to obtain the desired decorative effect.

The form of the lighting device illustrated in FIG. 4 again utilizes the same structural elements as those of FIGS. 2 and 3 and departs therefrom in the operative or functional portions thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the light passing member 15 is provided with closure caps 40--40 on the lower ends thereof and the member 15 is filled with a fluid material which may contain coloring material if desired. An air pump member 41 is arranged on the base 11 within the cavity 14 and a pair of conduits 42, 43 and these conduits pass upwardly exteriorally of the light passing member to an upper portion thereof and then pass inwardly and downwardly of the light passing member to a point adjacent the bottoms thereof. These lower ends 42a, 43a are open and allow the air to pass therefrom. This air will bubble upwardly within the fluid within the light passing member 15. A vent 15e is provided on the uppermost end of the U-shaped light passing member 15 for the release of this bubbled air. As shown in FIG. 4 the fluid may not fill the entire light passing member but may terminate at another desirable level.

Arranged below the ends of the light passing member is a color wheel 44 positioned for rotation upon a motor or the like 45 and again a pair of light sources are arranged below the color wheel 45 to be directed upwardly through the fluid containing light passing member 15. These light sources are designated 46--46.

In these three forms discussed, it should be obvious that electrical sources and connections must be provided to energize the humidifier, fan and air pump as well as the motors and light sources. It should also be obvious that the light sources utilized should preferrably be directed upwardly with the maximum amount of light emitted thereby passing into the light passing member 15. Another modification that should be obvious is that with a light source creating sufficient heat, it may be possible to fin the periphery of the color wheel and the heat of the light sources will upon its upward flow provide a sufficient force to cause rotation of the wheel.

A further modification of the lighting device 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 and although it would be possible to modify the forms of the other figures to accomodate the function of this unit, applicant has chosen to slightly modify the concept when it is desirable to pass the fumes of aromatic burning material into the room in which the light is placed.

In this particular form, a base 51 having a peripheral resting ring 52 is provided and an ornamental ring with upstanding sides 53 is provided therewith and a shroud having upstanding sides and an upper surface, designated respectively 54, 54a and 54b is provided therewith to again provide a cavity to house the functional portions of the device. An aperture 55 defined by a downwardly depending ring 56 is formed in the upper surface of the shroud. A light passing member 57 substantially cylindrical in shape and having an inwardly and upwardly directed top portion 58 and an open bottom 59 is arranged in the aperture 55 and is prevented from further extension into the cavity by a radially extending shoulder 60. Arranged below the open end 59 of the light passing member 57 is a rotatably mounted color wheel 61 mounted upon a base 62 which is slightly offset from a central position such that the colored portion of the wheel 61 will underlie the open end 59 of the light passing member 57. The outer periphery of the wheel 61 is finned as at 63 and the finning is such that an upward rise of air through the finned area will cause rotation of the wheel 61. Arranged in generally underlying relation to the open end of the light passing member and generally below the colored and finned area of the wheel 61 is an upwardly directed light source 64 and a material holding device 65. This device may consist of a simple rod member having an enlarged end 65a which rod and end aid in positioning the holding device 65 in an aperture 51a in the base 51. This device is provided with material holding means adjacent its upper end 65b which means may include simple locating means such as a material receiving passage or more complicated means such as spring clamps or the like.

This holding device is particularly designed to hold burnable aromatic material such as insence or the like such that the aromatic fumes thereof will pass upwardly into the light passing member 57 and ultimately through the upper end thereof and into the room. As the fumes pass through the light passing member 57 they will reflect and disperse the colored light passing therethrough for the desired effect.

At the upper end 58 of the light passing member 57 a candle type configuration is developed and the ultimate end 58a is provided with a valving member 70 to control the emission of the fumes therefrom. This valving member 70 is received into a passage 58b in this upper end and includes a bifurcated member having a pair of gradually separating arms 71, 72 and a top portion 73 to permit pulling the valving member upwardly to increase the communication of the interior of the light passing member with the outside area. This type of valving member is relatively simple but will provide an effective control for the emission of the fumes. Obviously various other valving members could be utilized to control this fume emission.

Although stress has been placed on the decorative aspect of the lighting device, it should be obvious that variations in power to the light sources would make the device useable as more than a simple decorative device.

The various forms of the invention all incorporate the concept of passing light through a coloring device and then passing the same through some type of flowing medium. These concepts may be expanded to include other types of mediums with other means for controlling the desired coloring effect.

It should be obvious that applicant has provided a unique lighting device having decorative and functional uses.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A light device including:

a. a base member defining a cavity therein;

b. a light passing member defining a passage therein and arranged to receive light from said cavity and extending outwardly from said base;

c. light reflecting means carried by said light passing member including particles passed through said light passing member;

d. a light source arranged within said cavity and directing light therefrom into said light passing member; and,

e. means for coloring the light from said light source interposed between said light source and said light passing member.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and fan means connected to said light passing member for driving said particles therein.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 and said light passing member being generally U-shaped, the ends of the U being arranged on said base to receive light therein and the ends being connected to said fan to provide a closed circulation system.

4. A lighting device including:

a. a base member defining a cavity therein;

b. a light passing member defining a passage therein and arranged to receive light from said cavity and extending outwardly from said base;

c. a light reflecting medium carried by said light passing member;

d. a light source arranged within said cavity and directing light therefrom into said light passing member;

e. means for coloring the light from said light source interposed between said light source and light passing member; and,

f. means for positioning a burnable material in said cavity below said light passing member to permit the fumes thereof to pass into said member.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4 and means for controlling the flow of the fumes from said burnable material from said light passing member.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5 and said light passing member having a tapered remote end and said means for controlling flow from said member being arranged on said end.

7. The structure set forth in claim 6 and said fume controlling means including valving means.