Compact lighting system with improved light transmission and color filters
View Patent ↗A lighting system including a light source, a means of collecting and focusing light from the light source, an aperture, a filter module containing at least one color filter, and an image lens. A light beam from the light source is focused through the aperture to define the image to be projected. The aperture is positioned upstream of the color filter, with the filter and the image lens being deployed in the area of the light beam where the diameter is at a minimum. The filter elements used in the filter module are two stage filters, having a first stage for a pastel level of a particular filter color, and a second stage for a saturated level of the subject color. Each stage has a gradient segment and a solid color segment. The result is a filter element with four regions that blend into each other.
1. A lighting system comprising:
a light source,
a means of collecting and focusing light from said light source,
an aperture,
at least one color filter, and
an image lens; wherein
a light beam from said light source is focused through said aperture to define an object to be projected, said aperture being positioned upstream of said color filter, and
said filter comprises a first gradient region that is partially coated with a pastel color filter medium, and a second gradient region that is partially coated with a saturated color filter medium.
2. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein:
said filter and said image lens are deployed in an area of said light beam where a diameter of said light beam is smaller than a diameter of said aperture.
3. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein:
said filter is a two stage filter, said filter comprising
a first region that is coated with said pastel color filter medium, and
a second region that is coated with said saturated color filter medium.
4. The lighting system of claim 3 wherein:
said first region overlaps said second gradient region.
5. The lighting system of claim 3 wherein:
said filter is formed from a single substrate.
6. The lighting system of claim 3 wherein:
said filter is formed from two substrates, said substrates being bonded together to form said filter.
7. The lighting system of claim 6 wherein:
said first region and said first gradient region are formed on a first one of said substrates, and
said second region and said second gradient region are formed on a second one of said substrates.
8. The lighting system of claim 3 wherein:
a centerline of said filter lies on an arc.
9. The lighting system of claim 8 wherein:
said filter is formed from a single substrate.
10. The lighting system of claim 8 wherein:
said filter is formed from two substrates, said substrates being bonded together to form said filter.
11. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein:
said first region and said first gradient region are formed on a first one of said substrates, and
said second region and said second gradient region are formed on a second one of said substrates.
12. The lighting system of claim 3 wherein:
a centerline of said filter lies on a straight line.
13. The lighting system of claim 8 wherein:
said filter is formed from a single substrate.
14. The lighting system of claim 8 wherein:
said filter is formed from two substrates, said substrates being bonded together to form said filter.
15. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein:
said first region and said first gradient region are formed on a first one of said substrates, and
said second region and said second gradient region are formed on a second one of said substrates.
16. A two stage filter comprising:
a first gradient region that is partially coated with a pastel color filter medium,
a first region that is coated with said pastel color filter medium,
a second gradient region that is partially coated with a saturated color filter medium, and
a second region that is coated with said saturated color filter medium.
17. The lighting system of claim 16 wherein:
said first region overlaps said second gradient region.
18. The two stage filter of claim 16 wherein:
said filter is formed from a single substrate.
19. The two stage filter of claim 16 wherein:
said filter is formed from two substrates, said substrates being bonded together to form said filter.
20. The two stage filter of claim 19 wherein:
said first region and said first gradient region are formed on a first one of said substrates, and
said second region and said second gradient region are formed on a second one of said substrates.
21. The two stage filter of claim 16 wherein:
a centerline of said filter lies on an arc.
22. The two stage filter of claim 21 wherein:
said filter is formed from a single substrate.
23. The two stage filter of claim 21 wherein:
said filter is formed from two substrates, said substrates being bonded together to form said filter.
24. The two stage filter of claim 23 wherein:
said first region and said first gradient region are formed on a first one of said substrates, and
said second region and said second gradient region are formed on a second one of said substrates.
25. The two stage filter of claim 16 wherein:
a centerline of said filter lies on a straight line.
26. The two stage filter of claim 25 wherein:
said filter is formed from a single substrate.
27. The two stage filter of claim 25 wherein:
said filter is formed from two substrates, said substrates being bonded together to form said filter.
28. The two stage filter of claim 27 wherein:
said first region and said first gradient region are formed on a first one of said substrates, and
said second region and said second gradient region are formed on a second one of said substrates.