Abstract:
A searchlight including a housing having first and second ends, a window in the first end of the housing and a lamp disposed within the housing so as to emit light through the window. A post is secured to a positioning assembly within the body. The positioning assembly includes: a first motor operable to rotate the housing in a first plane with respect to the post, and a second motor operable to rotate the housing in a second plane with respect to the post.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to electrically operated, remote-controlled lamps capable of being selectively pointed in a plurality of horizontal and vertical orientations. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. RE29,266 entitled MOTOR CONTROLLED LAMP, reissued Jun. 14, 1977 (hereinafter referred to as the &#39;266 patent), a number of applications exist where it is desirable to mount an adjustable lamp, such as a floodlight, searchlight, or spotlight, upon a vehicle, boat or other installation whereby the lamp may be remotely operated such that the light beam can sweep both horizontally and vertically. Spotlights for automobiles, for instance, have long been available wherein the control mechanism for the spotlight passes through a windshield pillar or wall of the vehicle passenger compartment and protrudes into the compartment, wherein the control handle is accessible to the occupant. However, it is often desired to place an adjustable lamp at a location remote from the cab of a vehicle, or at the bow or stern of a boat. This type of installation usually calls for an electrically controlled lamp in that other types of lamp control are difficult to install when the control apparatus is spaced more than a few feet from the lamp itself. 
     According to the prior art, the problem of protecting the connecting cables to the lamp and motor drives is normally accomplished by stop limits or other clutch means to prevent the cabling from being damaged as the motor is driven beyond the limits of the cabling configuration. 
     For example, the &#39;266 patent teaches a motor controlled lamp. In this patent there is described a lamp being controllable from a remote location utilizing a pair of reversible electrical motors which are mounted within the lamp housing. Friction clutch means are included between the gears and the associated components. The arrangement requires stop means relating to the vertical axis of adjustment. Although the arrangement as disclosed in the &#39;266 patent does not require conductor rings and brushes, it does require the use of friction clutch means and stop means to accomplish the adjustment of the lamp and limitation of movement in the vertical and horizontal directions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,057 entitled SEARCHLIGHT DRIVE MEANS AND APPARATUS (hereinafter referred to as the &#39;057 patent) addresses shortcomings of the &#39;266 patent device and teaches a searchlight in which a lamp is mounted in a lamp housing for horizontal movement, vertical drive means is also mounted within the lamp housing for vertically driving the lamp. A base thereof mounts the lamp housing and a horizontal drive means drives the lamp and lamp housing in a horizontal plane less than 360 degrees. 
     The &#39;057 patent invention provides a reversible drive in which a gear having less than 360 degrees of gear teeth, and a ramp portion at the end of each of the gear teeth is engaged by a pinion which is selectively reversed so that the pinion drives the gear in one direction until the pinion reaches the ramp portion, and continues to rotate in the one direction until it is reversed to move down the ramp portion and drive the gear in the other opposite direction. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified searchlight which can be mounted either horizontally or vertically, and yet provide mobility in both the horizontal and vertical directions. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     A light beam emitting device including: a housing including first and second ends; a window in the first end of the housing; a lamp disposed within the housing so as to emit light through the window; a post; and, a positioning apparatus secured to the post and within the body, the positioning apparatus including: a first motor operable to rotate the housing in a first plane with respect to the post, and a second motor operable to pivot the housing in a second plane with respect to the post. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     Various advantages of the invention will become more apparent by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, which are shown by way of example only, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a controller and searchlight according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a first isometric view of a support and pivot mechanism assembly according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a second isometric view of the support and pivot mechanism assembly of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the searchlight of FIG. 1 in an exploded state; 
     FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the controller of FIG. 1 in an exploded state; 
     FIG. 6A is a partially exploded isometric view of the vertical pivot post, pivot shaft and neck portion according to the present invention; and, 
     FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG.  6 A. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the FIGS, like references identify like elements of the invention. FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a searchlight  10  and controller  20  according to a preferred form of the present invention. Searchlight  10  generally includes a housing  30  which supports a lamp  40  therein. The housing  30  can be seen to take the form of a generally cylindrical portion  32 , and a neck portion  31  attached to a mounting portion  33 . The cylindrical portion  32  includes a window  50  in a first longitudinal end thereof, which the lamp  40  emits light through in operation. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, therein are illustrated first and second isometric views of a support pivot mechanism assembly or apparatus  60  suitable for use with the searchlight  10  and controller  20  of FIG.  1 . Referring now also to FIG. 4, the support pivot mechanism assembly  60  of FIGS. 2 and 3 is secured within the cylindrical housing portion  32 . The assembly  60  includes first and second motors  65 ,  80 . The motor  65  has a 10-toothed fixed gear  70  positioned on the motor shaft thereof, which engages a 23-toothed section gear  75  in an upward and downward direction, on one axis. The second motor  80  of the assembly  60  drives a 10-toothed fixed gear  85  positioned on the motor shaft thereof, which drives against an 82-toothed fixed gear  90  secured to a pivot shaft  100  with a snap ring  95 . This preferably enables horizontal rotation of the housing  32  for 380-degrees on an axis that perpendicularly intersects the upward-downward axis of the gear  75  with respect to the pivot shaft  100 . These motors  65 ,  80  are fixed with fasteners such as, screws, to a vertical pivot post  110  and a horizontal support assembly  120 , respectively. The section gear is fixed with respect to the vertical pivot post  110 , and the gear  90  is fixed with respect to the shaft  100 . 
     The vertical pivot post  110  generally takes the form of an elongated tubular portion  111  having a second tubular portion  112  integrally formed therewith such that center, longitudinal axes thereof intersect in a perpendicular manner. Additionally, the vertical pivot post  110  includes a planar portion  113  integrally formed with the tubular portion  111  and having an aperture  114 , such that the drive shaft of the motor  80  passes through the aperture  114  when the motor  80  is secured to the planar portion  113 . The tubular portion  111  is positioned such that the pivot shaft  100  is partially received thereby, passes there through, then through the gear  90  and is secured by the snap-ring  95 . 
     The horizontal support assembly  120  generally includes a triangular shaped member  121  having a triangular shaped aperture  123  passing longitudinally there though so as to accommodate the tubular portion  111  of the vertical pivot post  100  and pivot shaft  100 . At an apex of the member  121  is pivot groove  122 , i.e. a semicircular recess, positioned and sized to receive the tubular portion  112  of the vertical pivot post  110  when the portion  111  of the vertical pivot post  110  is inserted into the aperture  123 . 
     The vertical pivot post  110  is fixed to the horizontal motor support  120  using four fasteners, such as screws, and two capped covers  130  at the pivot arms at the horizontal motor support&#39;s  120  pivot groove  122 . 
     As the section gear  75  is fixed with respect to the vertical pivot post  110 , operation of the motor  65  causes the gears  70 ,  75  to engage, drive gear  70  up or down the section gear  75  depending upon the direction of operation of the motor  65 , and thus pivot the horizontal support member  120  in a corresponding upward or downward direction with reference to the vertical pivot post  110  and shaft  100 . Thus as the vertical pivot post  110  is pivoted up and down by the motor  65 , so is the horizontal motor support  120 . 
     Motor  80  is secured to the horizontal motor support  120  using suitable fasteners, such as screws. Hence, motor  80  is fixed with respect to the horizontal support assembly  120 . Further, as set forth the gear  90  is fixed with respect to the shaft  100 . Thus, operation of the motor  80  causes the gears  85 ,  90  to engage, which drives gear  85 , and hence the motor  80  and horizontal support assembly  120  about the gear  90 , and hence the shaft  100 . This rotates the assembly  60  horizontally about the pivot shaft  100 . 
     The cylindrical housing portion  32  preferably includes a track and open slot  34  running longitudinally, down a side-wall thereof The assembly  60  preferably includes a corresponding track portion  62  which can be slid down the track portion  34  from the open end of the cylindrical housing  32  that the window  50  is secured to during assembly, thereby securing the assembly  60  within the cylindrical housing portion  32  of the search light  30 . Thus, as the assembly  60  is rotated and pivoted by operation of the motors  65 ,  80 , so is the housing portion  32 . 
     Referring now also to FIGS. 6A and 6B, an exterior surface of the tubular portion  111  preferably includes a stop portion  141  and an interior surface of the neck portion  31  includes a travel channel  143 . Further, a locking stop washer  140  with stand-up tabs  142  is added around the shaft  100  such that one of the tabs  142  interacts with the stop portion  141  and the other interacts with the interior travel channel  143  of the neck portion  31 . The tabs  142  and corresponding stop and channel  141 ,  143  keep the vertical pivot post  110  from horizontally and continuously rotating in one direction. 
     The stop washer tabs  142  which protrude from the stop washer  140  are preferably offset from one another by about 20°. The one of the tabs  142  which interacts, i.e. comes to bear against, the stop  141  and the stop  141  provide approximately 350° of rotation of the vertical pivot post  110  with respect to the shaft  100 . The one of the tabs  142  which interacts with the channel  143 , and the channel  143  provide approximately 90° of rotation of the vertical pivot post  110  and shaft  100  relative to the neck portion  31 . These ranges of rotation preferably overlap by approximately 60° providing a total range of rotation of the vertical pivot post  110 , and hence housing  32  with respect to the neck portion  31  of approximately 380°. This advantageously prevents entangling of wires that pass through the neck portion  31  and are coupled to circuit board  200 , and hence to the motors  65 ,  80  due to excessive rotation of the light  10  in a single horizontal direction, i.e. due to rotation around gear  90  by motor  80  in a single direction. 
     The shaft  100  is preferably hollow and protrudes out from the cylindrical housing  32 . The stop washer  140  is preferably inserted there over as has been set forth. The shaft  100  is inserted into the base  33 , and secured using two set screws  145  through the base  33 . The hollow interior of the shaft  100  serves for confining there within a wiring harness or conduit (not shown) which supplies electrical contact to the motors  65 ,  80 , lamp  40  and circuit board  200 . 
     Advantageously, by securing the base  33  to a fixed surface using any suitable method, e.g. screws or bolts and nuts, the searchlight  10  can be secured in an upright disposition, completely inverted, or a lateral, side-mounting without any diminution of the functioning thereof. The novel pivoting arrangement on two axis satisfies the necessary radial and thrust functions for the combination, and provides lateral stability thereto. 
     Referring again to FIG. 4, a lamp  40 , lamp seal  42 , and lamp-retaining ring  44  are fixed using a suitable fastener over the open end of the cylindrical housing  32  through which the assembly  60  was slid. The lamp  40  preferably takes the form of a sealed beam light bulb, although other suitable light-emitting devices can also be used. Thus, as the motors  65 ,  80  are selectively activated, the unit  60  and hence the cylindrical portion  32  of the lamp rotates and pivots about the shaft  100  in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. 
     A printed circuit board  200  with suitable microprocessor is attached with fasteners such as screws, to the assembly  60  and controls an electrical circuit which selectively provides electrical energy to the motors  65 ,  80  on demand, which in turn control operation of the gears  75 ,  90  and hence the movement of the search light  10  with respect to the post  100 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, and now also to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of a self contained controller  20  preferably used according to the present invention. Controller  20  generally includes, a cylindrical hollow housing  23 , a printed circuit control board  22  mounted inside an upper housing portion  21 . The hollow housing  23  is securable to the upper housing  21 . A double sided printed open control circuit Mylar switch board  24  is affixed to the upper housing  21  using a suitable adhesive. An aperture is included within the upper housing  21  such that a straight line pin connector from the Mylar switch  24  is passed through it and electrically coupled to the printed circuit control board  22 . A formed silicone rubber heat pad  25  is attached with a suitable adhesive to the Mylar switch  24 . A threaded joystick type apparatus  26  is threaded into a dome fixed insert inside the silicone rubber keypad  25  through the Mylar switch  24  and into a central threaded aperture of the upper housing  21 . 
     When the directional joy stick  26  is pressed in any direction, carbon pads located on the back side of the silicone rubber key pad  25  closes contact of the Mylar switch  24 , and a signal is sent via suitable electrical interconnection to the circuit board  200  of the search light  10 . The circuit board  200  processes the received signal and directs operation of the motors  80 ,  65  accordingly. Using the joy stick controller  26 , a time designated international Morse code S-O-S sweep, or a time designated angular sweep function can increment by assigned degrees, adjust the spot light in a slow motion made horizontally or vertically, or movement of the flood light in a fast mode horizontally or vertically can be achieved. Each key of the keyboard  25  is preferably backlit using a suitable lamp such as an individual LED secured to the printed circuit board  22  which is energized when an electrical power source is activated. A snap on bezel  27  can be added for aesthetic appeal, and aiding and mounting of the controller to a desired surface. 
     Although the invention has been described and pictured in a preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present discloser of the preferred form, has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. It is intended that the patent shall cover by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.