Liquid light guide system for interior lighting

• US 20030147261A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Neil L. Mcclure, Victor Babbitt
• Original Assignee: Neil L. Mcclure, Victor Babbitt
• Inventors: McClure, Neil L., Babbitt, Victor
• Application Number:
  US10/334,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20030147261A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/582
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 11/00 Non-electric lighting devices or systems using daylight roofs with sky-light opening E04D13/03; sun blinds for windows with means for redirecting light onto ceiling of a room E06B9/00; hybrid lighting devices combining artificial and natural light F21S19/00; solar heat collectors F24S; solar cells or solar cell modules H01L31/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 19/005 Combining sunlight and electric light sources for indoor illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/0325 Fluid core or cladding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre

Abstract

A liquid-filled light guide is coupled with a solar collector and a light dispersion device to form a system used to illuminate the interior of a human-inhabitable structure, such as building, underground space or lightless underwater space. The liquid filled light guide establishes a light transmissive pathway that may be split and joined through the use of liquid filled coupling devices.

Claims

1. A light collection and distribution system for use in illuminating the interior of a structure comprising:

a solar collector for use in gathering sunlight,

a light dispersion device capable of dispersing light collected by the solar collector for illumination purposes; and

a liquid-filled light guide connected to the solar collector and the light dispersion device for transmission of light from the solar collector to the light dispersion device.

2. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial illumination source coupled with the liquid filled light guide for use in providing artificial light to the light dispersion device.

3. The light collection and distribution system of claim 2, the liquid-filled light guide comprising a liquid-filled joiner-coupler that combines light from the solar collector and the artificial light source into a single pathway.

4. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the liquid in the liquid-filled light guide comprises mineral oil.

5. The light collection and distribution system of claim 4, wherein the mineral oil is a transparent mineral oil having a specific gravity ranging from 0.81 to 0.89.

6. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, further comprising a structure fitted with the light collection and distribution system to provide internal illumination of the structure.

7. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the liquid-filled light guide comprising a plurality of liquid filled light guide segments connected to one another by male-female interengagement.

8. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the liquid-filled light guide comprising a splitter-coupler used to divide light into a plurality of optically transmissive pathways.

9. The light collection and distribution system of claim 8, the splitter-coupler including means for dividing light into more than two pathways.

10. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the liquid-filled light guide comprising a light guide element including a tubular outer sheath, a tubular inner lining, and the liquid filling the tubular inner lining.

11. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the solar collector comprising a parabolic dish.

12. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the solar collector comprising a fresnel lens.

13. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the solar collector comprising a system of actuable mirrors under computer control to produce an optimum intensity of reflected light at a collection locus.

14. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the light dispersion device comprising a dispersion lens.

15. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the light dispersion device comprising a reflective lighting system.

16. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the light guide comprising junction formed of a male end and a female end joined to form a vacuity, and a light transmissive medium other than air filling the vacuity.

17. The light collection and distribution system of claim 16, the junction defining at least one hole communicating the vacuity through a wall of the light guide to permit filling of the vacuity with the light transmissive medium.

18. The light collection and distribution system of claim 16, further comprising means for sealing the hole to prevent leakage of the light transmissive medium.

19. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the liquid-filled light guide having an input end proximate the solar collector, further comprising means for cooling the input end.

20. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the means for cooling the input end further comprises means for heating the structure with heat provided by the means for cooling.

21. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of liquid-filled light guides, each of the plurality of liquid-filled light guided having an input end coupled with a packing coupler.

22. The light collection and distribution system of claim 21, wherein the packing coupler contains a complementary plurality of light gathering elements arranged in a packed geometric pattern that reduces transmission losses of light between the packing coupler and the input ends as light impinges upon the packing coupler.

23. The light collection and distribution system of claim 22, wherein the light gathering elements comprise lenses.

27. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, the mineral oil filled light guide comprising a plurality of liquid filled light guide segments connected to one another by male-male interengagement.

29. The light collection and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the solar collector incorporates an optical filter with a pass band in the visible spectrum.

24. A method of fitting a building with a light collection and distribution system, comprising:

installing a solar collector at a location capable of gathering sunlight;

installing a plurality of light dispersion devices; and

coupling the solar collector and the light dispersion devices with a liquid-filled light guide to establish a light transmissive pathway between the solar collector and the light dispersion devices.

25. A solar light distribution system, comprising:

a tubular structure having a first index of refraction and a diameter greater than one-half inch;

liquid material with favorable optical properties and having a second index of refraction; and

tubular end caps connectable to tubular structure that permits the transmission of light,

said liquid material contained within tubular structure by tubular end caps, such that light is permitted to traverse the assembly via total internal reflection,

said liquid material being transparent mineral oil with a specific gravity of 0.81 to 0.89,

said end caps connectable to other end caps and optical means to support the transmission of light.

30. The solar light distribution system of claim 25, wherein the tubular structure incorporates an optical filter with a pass band in the visible spectrum.

26. A light collection and distribution system for use in illuminating the interior of a structure comprising:

a solar collector for use in gathering sunlight,

a light dispersion device capable of dispersing light collected by the solar collector for illumination purposes;

and a mineral oil-filled light guide connected to the solar collector, and the light dispersion device for transmission of light from the solar collector to the light dispersion device.

28. The light collection and distribution system of claim 26, the light guide comprising junction formed by the first male in contact with a thin film of light transmissive medium and the second male end in contact with a thin film of light transmissive medium.