1054results about "Using daylight" patented technology

The present invention is that of a solar energy system that uses a light-guide solar panel (LGSP) to trap light inside a dielectric or other transparent panel and propagates the light to one of the panel edges for harvesting by a solar energy collector such as a photovoltaic cell. This allows for very thin modules whose thickness is comparable to the height of the solar energy collector. This eliminates eliminating the depth requirements inherent in traditional concentrated photovoltaic solar energy systems.

The flight guiding blinds of this invention are characterized in that the tooth sides showing towards sun incidence have an angle of inclination β essentially smaller in the area of the irradiation portion and larger at a larger distance from the irradiation portion, and the angles of inclination β increase following a concave curve path increasingly ascending from the irradiation area towards the reflection area, and at the upper side of light guiding blinds retro-reflected reaction is concentrated and a concentration zone is formed near irradiation portion and the concentration zone is disposed either in front of blind in the irradiation portion and / or on the underside of upper blind behind the irradiation portion, and on the upper side of a light guiding blind light radiation may be reflected at the individual teeth at and angle αR<αS.

The present invention relates to a sunlight collection apparatus with increased sunlight gathering and receiving capabilities, which is cheap to produce and allows reliable collection of sunlight without having to track the sun. This sunlight collection apparatus has a light collection portion, facing toward the sun, for collecting sunlight; a light conducting portion, having optical fiber cables, for conducting sunlight collected by said light collection portion indoors; and a light scattering portion, provided at a tip of said light conducting portion, for lighting a room with sunlight conducted by said light conducting portion. The light collection portion has a plurality of lens elements arranged facing in the direction of the sun, with the front surface of each lens element which faces toward the sun having a curved surface. The lens elements have a tapered shape in a rearward direction from the front surface. A guide portion for guiding sunlight entering into the lens element is built into each lens element. This guide portion is coupled with an optical fiber cable from the light conducting portion.

The present invention includes an improved tubular skylight system (10) having a clear acrylic outer dome (20), an aluminum flashing (40), an aluminum light tube (60), an aluminum ceiling plaster ring (80), and a prismatic diffuser (100). The outer dome (20) includes an aluminum ring (24) around the base (22) of the dome (20) which contains a circular channel (32) and holes (34). The aluminum ring (24) allows the outer acrylic dome (20) to be attached directly to the flashing (40) thereby substantially decreasing the risk of crack formation in the acrylic dome (20). Moreover, the surface of the acrylic dome (20) is imprinted to refract, a substantially increased amount of the natural light down into the light tube (60). The lower end (64) of the light tube (60) extends to the inside of the ceiling and sits on the plaster ring (80). The upper end (62) of the light tube (60) is reciprocally received in the flashing (40), but the outer dome (20) attaches directly to the flashing (40).

Light control devices (76, 80, 82) implemented with diffusers exhibiting controllable diffusion characteristics provide anisotropic luminous intensity distributions and glare control at high viewing angles while maintaining high luminaire efficiency or daylight utilization.

The invention provides a lighting apparatus comprising: a) a frame spanning the roof and interior of a building, the frame having a first opening at the building roof and a second opening opposed to the first opening at the building ceiling; b) a skylight at the first opening; c) a reflective lining between the first and second openings; d) a light diffuser at the second opening; and e) at least one artificial light source located between the skylight and the diffuser; where the artificial light source is positioned at the frame periphery.

A flexible sheet-form optical system, referenced to as a daylighting fabric, which has a fabric-like behavior and light redirecting properties. The daylighting fabric comprises a soft and flexible sheet of optically transmissive material, such as plasticized polyvinyl chloride. A surface of the flexible sheet includes a plurality of parallel slits having spaced-apart walls configured to reflect light by means of a total internal reflection. At least a portion of daylight incident onto the sheet is internally redirected at angles other than the angle of incidence which is exploited to enhance daylight harvesting and illumination of a building interior. Disclosed also are a method and apparatus for making the daylighting fabric. The method includes steps of mechanical slitting of the flexible sheet with a blade, elastic stretch-elongation of the sheet along a direction perpendicular to the slits, and making at least a portion of the sheet elongation irreversible.

An optical conduit (53) for transmitting and releasing luminescent radiation (61, 62, 63) emitted from a luminescent concentrator (51), the luminescent concentrator (51) and optical conduit (52) comprising an optical system which is adapted to release to an area to be illuminated the luminescent radiation which is otherwise trapped in the optical system by total internal reflection. The optical conduit (53) includes a luminaire (57), such as a plurality of scattering regions for scattering trapped light so that the scattered light acquires the angle of incidence required to released from the conduit (53). The scattering regions may be provided by shape irregularities on the surface of the conduit (53) or inhomogeneities within the conduit (53). The conduit (53) may consist of flexible overlaid light guides (65a, 65b and 65c) and a luminaire fitting (55) optically coupled thereto.

This invention is a system of transparent or translucent panel units that permit selective transmission of light and solar radiation or glare across the system and can be adjusted and controlled according to a user's varying needs using light-controlling members mounted for rotation about their longitudinal axes. The system can illuminate the interior space by reflected sunlight, conducting both light from the brightest part of the sky and low-angle sunlight efficiently into the interior space, and also shading or deflecting the intense light found when the sun is at high elevation. Alternatively, the amount of a selected portion of the radiation spectrum passed through the system can be set at will, and can be amplified to allow increased light passage and transmission.

A light-transmitting structure for use as a building block or panel, and a related method of fabrication. The structure includes a composite of a primary building material and one or more light-transmitting elements. The primary building material may have structural and / or insulative characteristics. The light-transmitting elements extend from one surface of the primary building material to the other and preferably make up a small part of the bulk of the structure. One or more light-concentrating elements are positioned on one or both surfaces of the structure and are configured to concentrate incoming light rays to the light-transmitting elements. The light-transmitting elements may be optical fibers, optical film in a parallel or intersecting arrangements, or other suitable geometries. The light-concentrating elements may be spherical, aspherical, or other geometries suitable for enabling light transmission through the primary building material via the light-transmitting elements. The structure may be fabricated in a variety of ways. In one process, the light-transmitting and light-concentrating elements may be formed separately and joined together in an aligned manner. In another process, both elements may be formed at the same time, either using a preformed mold, extrusion or shaping and selectively curing portions of a fluid with optical characteristics. The panel may be used to introduce light and or heating sunshine through the structure with little impact on its structural and / or insulative characteristics.

A direct beam solar lighting system for collecting and distributing sunlight into a room. The system includes a rotatable solar collector head to receive sunlight and to reflect the sunlight downward into a transition tube having a reflective interior surface. The light-concentrating transition tube reflects sunlight into a reflective light tube which directs the reflected sunlight through a plenum space into the room. The system includes a drive mechanism for rotating the rotatable solar collector, and a light fixture at end of the light tube to disburse said reflected sunlight onto a ceiling and a wall in the room. In an embodiment the system includes one or more homogenizing reflectors within the solar collector for collecting the sunlight and directing the sunlight more uniformly over the aperture of the transition tube. In an alternative embodiment, the solar collector includes a rotatable tiltable mirror for providing two-axis tracking.

An artificial and natural lighting system placed in the roof of a building that is substantially self-contained and powered. A photovoltaic cell provides electricity stored in a battery to power light emitting diodes. A highly reflective interior coating applied to the light shaft maximizes lighting intensity. A sensor detects illumination intensity and temperature within the light shaft to control the balance of natural and artificial light provided to maintain predetermined illumination intensity. The light shaft is insulated to reduce heat transfer and a thermal collector removes heat from the building. In one embodiment, a Fresnel lens is utilized to focus natural light onto the photovoltaic cell. In another embodiment, conventional fluorescent lighting powered by external line voltage is combined with light emitting diodes powered primarily by a rechargeable battery. The present invention, being substantially self-contained, is easily retrofitted to existing buildings with a minimum of connections and provides substantial energy efficiencies in illuminating the building.

Hybrid lighting systems use light distributor tubes to distribute artificial light and natural sunlight through the same distributor tubes. Devices for gathering uncollimated light from conventional sources (such as electrically energized arcs or filaments housed in evacuated or gas filled glass envelopes) and directing the light into the ends of tubes designed to distribute such light. Devices for gathering and concentrating inherently collimated sunlight to be fed into the same light distributing tubes used by the artificial light. One preferred embodiment comprises a light gathering and concentrating system in the form of a pair of opposed parabolic reflectors, one which is preferably large, e.g. having a diameter of five feet, and the other much smaller, e.g. the size of the much smaller distribution tubes. This light gathering system is connected to the light distribution tubes through a pair 90° elbows which are rotatable in the X and Y axis in order to track the location of the sun in the sky. The two parabolic reflectors are positioned to share a common focal point so that the larger reflector will direct the sunlight through the focal point of the smaller reflector, which will, reflect the light as concentrated, collimated light. A central aperture in the larger reflector passes the concentrated beam on its way to the distribution tubes.

A device for guiding sunlight into room is composed of light collector, mechanical assembly, cleaning arm, protecting cover, light-detecting sensor, control unit, and horizontal and tilting executingmotors. It can always collect sunlight and deliver it to needed position in room. Its advantages are high efficient and low cost.

An optical system for a solar lighting device to provide highly concentrated sunlight to interior spaces with minimal disruption of building envelope. The optical system includes an aplanatic optical imaging system mounted on a dual-axis sun tracker, a non-imaging solar concentrator coupled to the aplanatic system, a liquid light pipe to convey the very intense solar flux to the interior of a building, a diffusing light fixture to spread the daylight into the interior space, and a control system to regulate the light output to a constant and desired level.

A solar power system for supplying concentrated solar energy. The system includes a cylindrical absorber tube carrying the working fluid and a concentrator assembly, which includes an array of linear lenses such as Fresnel lenses. The concentrator assembly includes a planar optical wafer paired with each of the linear lenses to direct light, which the lenses focus on a first edge of the wafers, onto the collector via a second or output edge of the wafers. Each of the optical wafers is formed from a light transmissive material and acts as a light “pipe.” The lens array is spaced apart a distance from the first edges of the optical wafers. This distance or lens array height is periodically adjusted to account for seasonal changes in the Sun's position, such that the focal point of each linear lens remains upon the first edge of one of the optical wafers yearlong.

An modular, inflatable, multifunction, multipurpose, parabolic reflector apparatus having a plurality of manufactured parabolic mirrors made from a pressure-deformable reflective covering of an inflatable ring for focusing electromagnetic energy from radio frequency radiation (RF) through the ultraviolet radiation (UV) and solar energy for (1) heating and cooking, for (2) electrical power generation, for (3) enhancing the transmission and reception of radio signals, for (4) enhancing vision in low-light environments, and for (5) projection of optical signals or images. The device also has non-electromagnetic uses, such as the collection of water. A first main embodiment utilizes two reflective membranes. A second main embodiment utilizes a reflective membrane and a transparent membrane. Portability is enhanced by complete collapsing of the inflatable device.

A low numerical aperture (low-NA) light concentration and transmission system collects, concentrates and transmits light for interior illumination. A solar tracker aligns a primary light concentrator to collect light and direct the light to a secondary light concentrator and a filter for removing ultraviolet and infrared radiation. On exiting the secondary light concentrator, the optical axis of the concentrated light is aligned to optimize the numerical aperture of the concentrated light with a numerical aperture (NA) optimizer having a light guide to direct the concentrated light to an interior luminaire. The method of the low numerical aperture transmission of light has the advantages of fewer reflections in the light guide, low loss, low cost, and easy installation and operation.

This invention discloses a sunlight collecting device composed of a two-dimensional tracer, optical collector, an indirect reflector, two-dimensional adjust reflector, reflecting mirror mounted outside of a window of a place necessary for collecting light, solar energy photo-voltaic battery, photosensitive sensor, coder and central controller. After the optical collector collects direct sunlight,the indirect reflector corrects it to be parallel light to be reflected to a definite place and reflected indoor by the reflection mirror. The device motion is controlled by the central controller and a coder is mounted on the operating motor to record the motor operation angle.

What is described here is a method and an element of lighting rooms by selective guidance of daylight, comprising an optically transparent main body through which the light is incident into the respective room, and including plurality of structures on which light is deflected by total reflection into the respective room. The invention is characterized by the provision that the plurality of structures consists of parallel crazes.

A backlight assembly and an LCD apparatus capable of reducing power consumption and increasing brightness of a light. The backlight assembly includes a light guide plate for receiving an external light and an artificial light, a first receiving container for receiving the light guide plate and supplying the artificial light to the light guide plate, and a second receiving container for supplying the external light to the light guide plate, the second receiving container comprising an light side wall inclined to the light guide plate. The LCD panel assembly displays images using the external light and artificial light from the light guide plate.

The present invention relates to a solar collecting and utilizing device comprising: a paraboloidal mirror for collecting the sunlight and converging it as a facula, a sunlight collector, a solar storage and conversion device, and a solar tracking equipment, wherein, said solar tracking equipment comprises implementing mechanical parts and photoelectrical control parts; said sunlight collector includes a light guider which converts the facula into substantially parallel light beams and reflects them in a desired direction, and a curved surface condenser mirror which receives the substantially parallel light beams reflected from the sunlight guider and converges them into solar storage and conversion device; said light guider includes a light guider mirror for point focusing the light beams. The present invention provides a device which can enhance highly the solar collection density, centralize the energy conversion / utilizing points, simplify the sunlight tracking mechanism, improve the mechanical reliability of the whole system, and lower the investment and the cost of operation.

A tubular skylight for lighting rooms with natural light, comprising a tubular body with a reflective inner surface which leads into a room and has, at its external end, a natural light collector assembly and, at its internal end, a light diffuser. The collector assembly comprises, inside an optically transparent dome arranged so as to close the tubular body, a mirror-finished body which is substantially shaped like a cylindrical band with mirror-finished inner and outer surfaces. The axial width of the band-like body varies gradually from a minimum-width point to a maximum-width point, which lie diametrically to each other. It is also possible to provide a cylindrical refracting body that surrounds said mirror.

An inflatable, multifunction, multipurpose, parabolic reflector apparatus having a plurality of manufactured parabolic mirrors made from a pressure-deformable reflective covering of an inflatable ring for focusing electromagnetic energy from radio frequency radiation (RF) through the ultraviolet radiation (UV) and solar energy for (1) heating and cooking, for (2) electrical power generation, for (3) enhancing the transmission and reception of radio signals, for (4) enhancing vision in low-light environments, and for (5) projection of optical signals or images. The device also has non-electromagnetic uses, such as the collection of water. A first main embodiment utilizes two membranes, where at least one is reflective to electromagnetic radiation. A second main embodiment utilizes a reflective membrane and a transparent membrane. Portability is enhanced by complete collapsing of the inflatable device.