Patent Publication Number: US-2016234908-A1

Title: Lighting control console having a slide control

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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 
     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 
       In the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is schematically illustrated and will be explained by way of example in the following. 
       In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows a lighting control console having several slide controls in a perspective view from the front; 
         FIG. 2  shows a slide control of the lighting control console in accordance with  FIG. 1  in a perspective view from the front; 
         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; 
         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; 
         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; 
         FIG. 6  shows the linkage lever having the light conducting element being fastened thereto in a perspective view from the front; 
         FIG. 7  shows the slide control in accordance with  FIG. 1  in a cross-section. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
       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 . 
       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 . 
     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. 
       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. 
       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. 
       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. 
       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 . 
       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 . 
     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 .