Cooling a horticulture light fixture using an isolation chamber

A method of cooling a horticulture light fixture comprising:

• (a) providing a horticulture light fixture having a housing with an interior, an exterior, a forced air cooling inlet duct, a forced air cooling outlet duct, and a lower lip defining an opening directed downward toward plants to be grown therebelow, said inlet duct and said outlet duct each having outward extending material sized and adapted to be connectable to forced air ducting;
• a light socket surrounding structure having a lower flange and an upper flange, said upper flange affixed to said housing, said light socket adapted to receive a lamp capable of producing electromagnetic energy at wavelengths conducive to growing plants;
• a reflector having an interior side, an exterior side, and an aperture, said lower flange affixed around the perimeter of said aperture such that an isolation chamber is defined between the exterior side of the reflector and the interior of said housing, said isolation chamber being in air flow communication with said inlet duct and outlet duct;
• and
• a light socket disposed within said light socket surrounding structure such that said lamp removably engaged within said light socket extends substantially through said aperture to said interior side of said reflector and said isolation chamber substantially prevents air flowing between said inlet duct and said outlet duct from commingling with air around said lamp;
• (b) installing said lamp into said light socket and energizing said lamps;
• and
• (c) flowing air between said inlet duct and said outlet duct.

A horticulture light fixture comprising:

• a downwardly directed plant growing light fixture housing having an interior, an exterior, a forced air cooling inlet duct for receiving cooling air, and a forced air cooling outlet duct for exhausting cooling air, and a lower lip defining an opening directed downward and operable to reflect light downward toward plants to be grown therebelow, said inlet duct and said outlet duct each having outward extending material sized and adapted to be connectable to forced air ducting:
• a light socket adapted to receive a plant growing lamp affixed to said housing, said lamp capable of producing electromagnetic energy at wavelengths conducive to growing plants;
• a reflector having an interior side, an exterior side, and an aperture, said light socket extending through said aperture and constructed such that a chamber is defined between the exterior side of the reflector and the interior of said housing;
• said chamber being in air flow communication with said inlet duct and outlet duct;
• and
• said light socket oriented such that said lamp removably engaged within said light socket extends substantially through said aperture to said interior side of said reflector and said chamber substantially prevents air flowing between said inlet duct and said outlet from commingling with air around said lamp.