Mini-optical light shelf daylighting system

• US 6,239,910 B1
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LightLouver LLC
• Original Assignee: Architectural Energy Corp. (Doosan Corporation)
• Inventors: Digert, Neall Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahoney, Christopher E.
• Application Number:
  US09/249,664
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 359/591, 359/593, 359/594, 359/596, 359/597, 160/104
• US Class Current: 359/596
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/28 with horizontal lamellae, e.g. non-liftable louvre windows or gratings E06B7/08
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/386 Details of lamellae
• 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: F21V 11/02 using parallel laminae or strips, e.g. of Venetian-blind type F21V11/06 takes precedence

Abstract

The mini-optical light shelf is a daylighting system implemented in the paradigm of a window treatment that is applicable to both new installations as well as existing window glazing. In particular, the mini-optical light shelf is a passive, static optical device which receives daylight transmitted through a window and efficiently redirects it onto the interior ceiling surface in a diffuse manner, thereby creating a useful source of interior illumination. The mini-optical light shelf includes multiple shelves, each of which contains an optically shaped top surface to allow light to be efficiently collected and accurately directed onto the ceiling surface. The optical elements are narrow and can be implemented in the paradigm of a window treatment. The window area is partitioned into a view related glazing section and a daylight collection and redirection glazing area. The occupant'"'"'s views out of the building remain relatively unobstructed through the view related area of the glazing to a height of approximately seven feet. Traditional window treatments can be used for this portion of the glazing for shading, privacy, and blackout control. The sunlight incident on the daylight collection area of the glazing is collected and redirected onto the ceiling plane in a glare free manner.

Claims

1. A daylighting apparatus, mountable adjacent to a window opening located on a wall of a room, for redirecting incident sunlight into said room to illuminate said room, comprising:

frame means for mounting said daylighting apparatus juxtaposed said window opening, where said window opening presents an occupant of said room with a field of view to look through said window opening; and

a plurality of identical light reflecting element means, mounted in said frame means in a fixed position, that is a substantially parallel, spaced apart orientation, for redirecting said incident sunlight into said room, each of said light reflecting element means comprising;

an elongated substantially linear member having a top surface and a bottom surface, said top surface being of a geometry to redirect said incident sunlight received from a predetermined range of directions onto a predetermined region of a ceiling surface of said room absent said redirected incident sunlight being transmitted into said field of view, while concurrently blocking low altitude direct sunlight from entering said room.

2. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said light reflecting element means further comprises:

reflective coating means applied to said top surface for reflecting said incident sunlight.

3. The daylighting apparatus of claim 2 wherein said reflective coating means comprises:

optical film means for diffusing said incident sunlight.

4. The daylighting apparatus of claim 3 wherein said optical film means comprises:

a plurality of Fresnel lens grooves formed in said optical film means.

5. The daylighting apparatus of claim 3 wherein said optical film means comprises:

a specular coating deposited on said top surface.

6. The daylighting apparatus of claim 2 wherein said reflective coating means comprises:

a clear acrylic film; and

a plurality of features formed on a back side of said clear acrylic film, said features comprising constant radius convex facets.

7. The daylighting apparatus of claim 6 wherein said facets have an angle of 3.5 degrees at a cusp of said constant radius convex facets.

8. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said top surface of said elongated substantially linear member comprises:

a smooth reflective surface, responsive to receipt of incident sunlight at profile angles between 10 and 70 degrees for projecting said received incident sunlight up to 20 degrees above a horizontal plane.

9. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said top surface of said elongated substantially linear member comprises:

a curvilineal surface of varying curvature radius, wherein different portions of said top surface receive said incident sunlight for different angles of said incident sunlight.

10. The daylighting apparatus of claim 9 wherein said curvilineal surface has a leading edge with a tighter radius than a trailing edge of said complex curvilinear surface.

11. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for blocking comprises:

a substantially vertically oriented member projecting from said bottom surface for blocking low altitude direct sunlight from entering said room.

12. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame means comprises:

fabric ladder assembly means for supporting said plurality of light reflecting element means in a substantially parallel oriented, spaced apart orientation.

13. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame means comprises:

cellular shade means having formed therein a plurality of pockets in a substantially parallel oriented, spaced apart orientation, each of said pockets for supporting a corresponding one of said plurality of light reflecting element means.

14. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame means comprises:

rigid transparent cellular sheet means having formed therein a plurality of pockets in a substantially parallel oriented, spaced apart orientation, each of said pockets for supporting a corresponding one of said plurality of light reflecting element means.

15. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of light blocking element means, mounted in said frame means in a substantially parallel oriented, spaced apart orientation, for controllably blocking said incident sunlight from entering said room.

16. The daylighting apparatus of claim 15 wherein said plurality of light reflecting element means are mounted in said frame means located above said plurality of light blocking element means that are mounted in said frame means.

17. The daylighting apparatus of claim 15 wherein said frame means comprises:

means for controllably regulating a position of said plurality of light blocking element means to regulate a quantity of light entering said room through said daylighting apparatus.

18. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said light reflecting element means further comprises:

azimuthal correction means formed on said top surface to redirect said incident sunlight received from a predetermined range of horizontal and vertical directions onto a predetermined region of a ceiling surface of said room.

19. The daylighting apparatus of claim 18 wherein said azimuthal correction means comprises:

a plurality of members projecting from said top surface and being of a geometry to redirect said incident sunlight received from a predetermined range of horizontal and vertical directions onto a predetermined region of a ceiling surface of said room.

20. The daylighting apparatus of claim 18 wherein said azimuthal correction means comprises:

features formed in said top surface and functioning to redirect said incident sunlight received from a predetermined range of horizontal and vertical directions onto a predetermined region of a ceiling surface of said room.

21. A daylighting apparatus, mountable adjacent to a window opening located on a wall of a room, for redirecting incident sunlight into said room to illuminate said room, comprising:

frame means for positioning and supporting said daylighting apparatus adjacent said window opening, where said window opening presents an occupant of said room with a field of view to look through said window opening; and

a plurality of identical substantially parallel oriented, spaced apart light reflecting element means, mounted in said frame means in a fixed relationship to said frame means, for redirecting said incident sunlight into said room absent said redirected incident sunlight being transmitted into said field of view, comprising;

an elongated substantially linear member having a top surface for redirecting said incident sunlight on to a ceiling plane of said room, said top surface being oriented to provide an occupant of said room with no direct view of said top surface, when said occupant is within said room with said occupant'"'"'s eye level being up to seven feet above a floor of said room, and

a plurality of light blocking element means for controllably blocking low altitude components of said incident sunlight from entering said room concurrent with said elongated substantially linear member redirecting said incident sunlight on to said ceiling of said room.

22. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said top surface of each of said light reflecting element means being of a geometry to project received incident sunlight up to 20 degrees above a horizontal plane in response to receipt of incident sunlight at profile angles between 10 and 70 degrees.

23. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein each of said light reflecting element means further comprises:

reflective coating means applied to said top surface for reflecting said incident sunlight.

24. The daylighting apparatus of claim 23 wherein said reflective coating means comprises:

optical film means for diffusing said incident sunlight.

25. The daylighting apparatus of claim 24 wherein said optical film means comprises:

a plurality of Fresnel lens grooves formed in said optical film means.

26. The daylighting apparatus of claim 24 wherein said optical film means comprises:

a specular coating deposited on said top surface.

27. The daylighting apparatus of claim 23 wherein said reflective coating means comprises:

a clear acrylic film; and

a plurality of features formed on a back side of said clear acrylic film, said features comprising constant radius convex facets.

28. The daylighting apparatus of claim 27 wherein said facets have an angle of 3.5 degrees at a cusp of said constant radius convex facets.

29. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said top surface of said elongated substantially linear member comprises:

a smooth reflective surface, responsive to receipt of incident sunlight at profile angles between 10 and 70 degrees for projecting said received incident sunlight up to 20 degrees above a horizontal plane.

30. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said top surface of said elongated substantially linear member comprises:

a curvilinear surface of varying curvature radius, wherein different portions of said top surface receive said incident sunlight for different angles of said incident sunlight.

31. The daylighting apparatus of claim 30 wherein said complex curvilinear surface has a leading edge with a tighter radius than a trailing edge of said curvilinear surface.

32. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for blocking comprises:

a substantially vertically oriented member projecting from said bottom surface for blocking low altitude direct sunlight from entering said room.

33. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said frame means comprises:

fabric ladder assembly means for supporting said plurality of light reflecting element means and said light blocking element means in a substantially parallel oriented, spaced apart orientation.

34. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said frame means comprises:

cellular shade means having formed therein a plurality of pockets in a substantially parallel oriented, spaced apart orientation, each of said pockets for supporting a corresponding one of said plurality of light reflecting element means and said light blocking element means.

35. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said frame means comprises:

rigid transparent cellular sheet means having formed therein a plurality of pockets in a substantially parallel oriented, spaced apart orientation, each of said pockets for supporting a corresponding one of said plurality of light reflecting element means and said light blocking element means.

36. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said plurality of light reflecting element means are mounted in said frame means located above said plurality of light blocking element means that are mounted in said frame means.

37. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said frame means comprises:

means for controllably regulating a position of said plurality of light blocking element means to regulate a quantity of light entering said room through said daylighting apparatus.

38. The daylighting apparatus of claim 37 wherein said means for controllably regulating is operable to regulate a position of said plurality of light blocking element means absent simultaneously operating said plurality of light reflecting element means.

39. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said frame means comprises:

means for controllably regulating a position of said plurality of light reflecting element means to regulate a quantity of light entering said room through said daylighting apparatus.

40. The daylighting apparatus of claim 37 wherein said means for controllably regulating is operable to regulate a position of said plurality of light reflecting element means absent simultaneously operating said plurality of light blocking element means.

41. The daylighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein each of said light reflecting element means further comprises:

azimuthal correction means formed on said top surface to redirect said incident sunlight received from a predetermined range of horizontal and vertical directions onto a predetermined region of a ceiling surface of said room.

42. The daylighting apparatus of claim 41 wherein said azimuthal correction means comprises:

a plurality of members projecting from said top surface and being of a geometry to redirect said incident sunlight received from a predetermined range of horizontal and vertical directions onto a predetermined region of a ceiling surface of said room.

43. The daylighting apparatus of claim 41 wherein said azimuthal correction means comprises:

features formed in said top surface and functioning to redirect said incident sunlight received from a predetermined range of horizontal and vertical directions onto a predetermined region of a ceiling surface of said room.