Intra-lens color and dimming apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is an object of the invention to provide a simple, cost-efficient color mixing system that projects a smooth and uniformly colored beam of light.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a stage lighting instrument having a high-intensity light source or lamp coupled with a concave reflector, and a projection optical system, further includes one or both of a color filter and dimming apparatus located within a lens system that includes an aperture stop, and forms a real image of the light source at or encompassing the aperture stop so that the color filter and dimming apparatus utilized occupy a volume of space at or near the aperture stop and within the real image of the light source.
By locating the color and dimming apparatus at or near the aperture stop and within the volume occupied by a real image of the light source, superior color mixing, dimming and integration is achieved using simple, un-patterned filters and a simply-shaped dimmer panel.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a stage lighting instrument having a high-intensity light source or lamp coupled with a concave reflector, and a projection lens system having an aperture stop, forms a real image of the light source at or encompassing the aperture stop, and further includes a color filter system located adjacent the light source so that a real image of the color filter system is formed co-extensively with the real image of the light source at the aperture stop.
This is equivalent to locating the color filter system in the volume occupied by the real image of the light source as formed at or encompassing the aperture stop.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, diffusion glass elements included in the color filter system effectively transform spotlight performance into wash-light performance in a continuously-variable manner.