Textured transparent plate with high light transmission

• US 7,368,655 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Gayout, Patrick, Prat, Aurélia, Doege, Thomas, Blieske, Ulf, Neander, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, ANABEL
• Application Number:
  US10/496,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 385/146, 362/600, 136/246, 136/292, 136/245, 359/742, 359/495, 359/569
• US Class Current: 136/246
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/023 having a plurality of grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/06 continuously movable in one direction, e.g. mounted on chains, belts
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2023/88 Multi reflective traps
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/10 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 80/50 Elements for transmitting incoming solar rays and preventing outgoing heat radiation; Transparent coverings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0231 the surface having microprismatic or micropyramidal shape macroscopic prism arrays G02B5/045
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0236 Special surface textures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0547 comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators

Abstract

A textured transparent panel placed near an element capable of collecting or emitting light. The panel is textured on at least one of its faces by a plurality of geometrical features in relief, such as pyramids or cones. The panel, which may be made of glass, provides excellent light transmission for all light orientations. The panel may be combined with a photoelectric cell, especially one made of polycrystalline silicon, and may also act as a light diffuser, especially for liquid-crystal screens or plasma lamps.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a textured transparent panel and an photovltaic cell or solar collector element configured to collect light, a distance between said panel and said element being generally at most 5 m,

said panel being textured on at least one of its faces by a plurality of geometrical features in relief with respect to a general plane of said face, the textured face increasing light transmission of the panel and being placed on a side on which the light is received, a surface of said features each having at least two points such that there exists two mutually intersecting planes each containing one of said two points and fulfilling following two conditions (1)-(2);

(1) the planes are both perpendicular to the general plane of the textured face of the panel; and

(2) the planes each contain one of two straight lines perpendicular to said surface and passing through one of said two points.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the points are each on a different plane surface.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the features are pyramids with apex half-angles nonzero.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein a base of the pyramids is polygonal.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base of the pyramids is square or rectangular or hexagonal.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the features are cones having a nonzero apex half-angle.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein any apex half-angle is less than 70°

.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein any apex half-angle is less than 60°

.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein any apex half-angle ranges from 25°

to 50°

.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a smallest circle that may contain a base of the features is inscribed in a circle having a diameter of at most 5 mm.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the smallest circle that may contain the base of the features is inscribed in a circle having a diameter ranging from 1 to 5 mm.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a point on a feature furthest away from the general plane of the textured face of the panel is separated from said plane by a distance ranging from 0.1 D to 2D, D representing a diameter of a smallest circle contained in the general plane of the textured face of the panel and able to contain a base of said feature.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel has touching features.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel has completely touching features.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bulk of the panel essentially consists of materials whose linear absorption is less than 0.01 mm⁻

1 within the spectrum ranging from 380 to 1200 nm.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the bulk of the panel essentially consists of a glass having a linear absorption of less than 0.008 mm⁻

1 within the spectrum ranging from 380 to 1200 nm.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the panel and the element is less than 15 cm.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the distance between the panel and the element is less than 3 cm.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the distance between the panel and the element ranges from 0 to 10 mm.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the distance between the panel and the element ranges from 0 to 5 mm.

21. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element is a photoelectric cell.

22. The assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein the photoelectric cell has a polycrystalline silicon substrate.

23. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element is an image projector.

24. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly is a solar collector.