US2081326A - Lighting fixture - Google Patents

Description

May 25,1937- `A. P. EBRITE 2,081,326

LIGHT ING FIXTURE Filed Dec. 2l, 1934 UNirsD sae Para LIGHTING FIXTURE Arthur P. Ebrite, Chicago, Ill., assigner of onehalf` to E. C. Koegel, Chicago, Ill. Y

Application December 21, 1934, serial No. 758,592

' 1 claim. (c1. 24o-7s) Fris My invention relates to illumination and illuminated equipment, and includes among its objects and advantages an increase in the attractivenessV of the eii'ects available in indirect lighting, without the eye strain resulting from semi-direct orI direct lighting. In certain embodments it is also available in connection with certain types of direct lighting.

If indirect lighting is defined as a condition in which all light is originally delivered, by re iiection or from the primary source, to the Walls or ceiling of the space to be illuminated, the definition excludes the common shaded iioor lamps and table lamps, in many of which the eye of the perso-n in the room is completely shielded from looking directly at the light source, and usually from looking directly at any object illuminated with suiiicient intensity to create eye strain. The applicability of the principles of my invention to the shades or reflectors em.-

Vployed in connection with such iioor and table lamps will be apparent as the description proceeds, and, 'to this extent, the invention'isi applicable to direct lighting.

In ordinary indirect lighting, of the type exemplified by an opaque reflector in a chandelier with the light source above the reflector sothat the reflector and light together flood the ceiling with an illumination that is diffused from the ceiling .through the room, there remains an unsightly clark spot in the space above the occupants of the room, to-Wit the dark side of the chandelier reflector. This dark spot is a drawback to the general appearance of the room per se, and attempts to relieve it by ornamenting the dark side of the reflector are ineffective because there is not enough light falling on the dark side of the reflector to make such ornamentation eifective.

Many attempts have been made with some measure of success to reduce this drawback, by illuminating the dark side of the reflector. Such attempts have been made by cutting away the reflector to let some light pass downward along the reflector axis onto a smaller reflector placed below the opening, which smaller reector refleets a little light back on the large reflector. This somewhat reduces the unattractiveness of the ordinary indirect lighting fixture, but it is only a reduction, the smaller reflector being substituted for the larger one as the dark spot in the picture.

Reflectors have also been used ornamented with a plurality of sparkling facets, illuminated r by light passing through them from the primary source. Of course this entirely eliminates the dark spot, but the glittering eifect resulting from the use of such facets puts back into the room a source of light directly meeting the eye, and of such intensity as to cause material eye strain. In fact, the unconscious attraction of the glittering Iixture tempts the occupant of the room to look at it, so that such a fixture is more ob:- jectionable from a physiological point of View than the ordinary semi-direct lighting xture where a milky glass bowl is employed. Such a bowlV comes to be ignored and not looked at at all very readily, as distinguished from the glittering facets previously mentioned. .Not infrequently such glittering facets throw spots of light on the door or walls of the room, and while this may not be objectionable in a ball room, in a living room or reading room they are a constant source of undesirable stimulation that may grow to conscious irritation.

According to my invention, the otherwise dark side of the reflector of the indirect lighting fixture is ornamented with transparent or translucent material conforming to the general contour of the reflector itself, or at least sufficiently correlated therewith to make a unitary harmonious design, but the amount of light permitted to enter this transparent or translucent material is cut down to an intensity below that necessary to cause discomfort or eye strain When the ornamentation is looked at directly with the naked eye. By constituting a material portion of the reflector, and preferably a portion in the shape of an ornamental pattern, in a luminous form of such low intensity, the dark side of the reflector is not only made attractive, but is made attractive in such a way that eye strain cannot result. The occupant of such a room nds in it no lighted object that he need avoid looking at directly as in` the case of semi-direct light or brilliant facets, and at the same time the unsightly dark spot suggestive of crypts or catacombs is gone. Another advantage of the principle employed is that it adapts itself with equal readiness to asymmetrical fixtures such as wall brackets and troughs.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in radial section of an indirect lighting chandelier according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a detailed section on line 2--2 of Figure 1 In my co-pending application Serial Number 679,645, filed July 10, 1933, now Patent Number 2,021,002 of November 12, 1935, I have disclosed a structure in which the desired ornamental pattern is secured by the use of translucent material receiving light from the primary light source through apertures in the reflector body, the material being positioned on the lower side of the reflector and positively fastened in place. In the present invention the translucent bodies may be merely laid in place and held in place by gravity. In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in Figure 1, I have illustrated a conventional chandelier comprising the vertical support I0 and the canopy I2 on Which is mounted the husk I4 and the source bulb I6. The refiector I8 is supported in the conventional Way by three tension connections 2li. The reflector illustrated in Figure 1 has four radial slots in Which I insert bodies 22 of translucent material. Where these are of glass, I color or frost them sufficiently to reduce the intensity of the light emitted from them to a point Where they may properly be described as illuminated but not illuminating. In other Words, the intensity of the light emanating from them is so low that they may be directly contemplated with the naked eye without dazzling the eye or causing eye strain. Obviously, the amount of light getting into the particular bodies 22 illustrated may be reduced by frosting the surfaces directly opposed tol the light source I6 or painting those surfaces With a pigmented or colorless medium that reflects or interrupts part of the light. Also, the light coming out of them can be diffused or reduced, or both, by coloring the entire body of the piece or making it of milky glass such as is used in semidirect lighting, or frosting the exposed surfaces, or by any combination of such expedients.

Particularly Where the sides of such a piece of material are frosted, and especially if the frosting is relatively fine grained, the diffused light from the luminous material will develop a halo on the outer surface of the reflector close to the luminous material, in the nature of an illuminated band of light of rapidly decreasing intensity.

The glass bodies 22 are merely laid in place in the receiving slots, being supported by the engagement of the flanges 32 with the inner surface of the reflector I8. This not only provides mechanical support, but prevents and eliminates any possibility of points of light of excessive intensity Where the contact between the edge of the slot and the glass piece 22 is not mechanically perfect. However, I may fasten them in position for convenient handling before installation by one or more holding clips I9, as indicated in Figure 2. |Ihe clips are rst fastened With their free ends in the dotted line position, and after the glass is in place they are bent down to the full line position.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing Will so fully explain my invention that others may, by applying knowledge current at the time of application, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

Illuminating equipment comprising a light source, a reflector, said reector having a minor fraction of its surface interrupted to define an ornamental tracery pattern, and translucent material conforming to said pattern, said material having portions overlying the upper surface of the reector and providing complete support for said material, said translucent material extending through the interruptions in said reflector surface, and being shaped to be moved into assembled position from above and held in place by gravity.

ARTHUR P. EBRITE.

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