Daylighting devices with auxiliary lighting system and light turning features

• US 8,568,011 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solatube International, Inc. (Kingspan Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Solatube International, Inc. (Kingspan Group PLC)
• Inventors: Rillie, David Windsor, Kopitzke, Keith Robert, Shay, Ding Yao, Jaster, Paul August
• Primary Examiner(s): SEMBER, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US13/333,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20120230020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 362/1, 362/2, 362/20, 362/228, 362/576, 362/147, 362/148, 362/150, 362/404, 362/555, 362/557, 362/558, 522/00, 359/591, 359/597
• US Class Current: 362/576
• 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 19/00 Lighting devices or systems employing combinations of electric and non-electric light sources; Replacing or exchanging electric light sources with non-electric light sources or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 19/005 Combining sunlight and electric light sources for indoor illumination
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/14 with many small apertures
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0016 on lighting devices that also provide for direct lighting, e.g. by means of independent light sources, by splitting of the light beam, by switching between both lighting modes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0025 Combination of two or more reflectors for a single light source array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources F21V7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/041 with conical or pyramidal surface
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/043 with cylindrical surface
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/048 with facets structure
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/07 with hyperbolic curvature
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a daylighting apparatus comprising an internally reflective tube configured to direct daylight from a first end of the tube to a second end of the tube opposite the first end. A diffuser can be positioned at the second end of the tube. The diffuser can comprise a first optical structure configured such that, when the daylighting apparatus is installed with the first end positioned outside a room and the second end positioned to provide light to the room, a reflected portion of the daylight is directed towards at least one upper region (e.g., a ceiling or upper wall surface) of the room and a transmitted portion of the daylight is directed towards at least one lower region (e.g., a floor surface) of the room.

Claims

1. A daylighting apparatus comprising:

a transparent cover configured to receive daylight;

a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, wherein the tube is configured to receive at least a portion of the daylight received by the transparent cover and direct the at least a portion of the daylight towards a room of a building, wherein the tube is disposed at least partially above a ceiling of the room;

an auxiliary lighting system configured to provide artificial light to the tube; and

an optical element having one or more reflective interior faces configured to simultaneously receive at least a portion of the daylight and at least a portion of the artificial light, and to turn light received by the one or more reflective interior faces such that an exit angle of the light is closer to vertical than an entrance angle of the light, wherein a width of a bottom of the optical element is greater than a width of a base of the tube.

2. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exit angle is less than about 45 degrees from vertical.

3. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exit angle is substantially vertical.

4. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical element is configured to prevent light from exiting the daylighting device at a 45 to 60 degree angle from vertical.

5. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical element is configured to reduce glare associated with light exiting the daylighting device.

6. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more interior faces comprises a first face and a second face positioned farther away from a top of the optical element than the first face.

7. The daylighting apparatus of claim 6, wherein an angle between the first face and vertical is less than an angle between the second face and vertical.

8. The daylighting apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more interior faces comprises a third face positioned farther away from the top of the light aligning apparatus than the second face, and wherein an angle between the second face and vertical is less than an angle between the third face and vertical.

9. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light-diffusing apparatus.

10. The daylighting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light-diffusing apparatus is disposed at least partially below the ceiling.

11. The daylighting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical element is disposed at least partially within the light-diffusing apparatus.

12. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical element is disposed at least partially below the ceiling.

13. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein a width of a bottom of the optical element is substantially equal to a width of a base of the tube.

14. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein a width of the light-diffusing apparatus is substantially equal to a width of a bottom of the optical element.

15. The daylighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical element is disposed at least partially within the tube.

16. A daylighting apparatus comprising:

a transparent cover configured to receive daylight;

a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, wherein the tube is configured to receive at least a portion of the daylight received by the transparent cover and direct the at least a portion of the daylight towards a room of a building, wherein the tube is disposed at least partially above a ceiling of the room;

an auxiliary lighting system configured to provide artificial light to the tube; and

an optical element having one or more reflective interior faces configured to receive light and turn the light such that an exit angle of the light is closer to vertical than an entrance angle of the light;

wherein at least a portion of the optical element extends below a base of the tube.

17. A method of manufacturing a daylighting apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface;

providing a transparent cover configured to connect to the tube;

providing an optical element having one or more reflective interior faces and configured to connect to the tube;

providing an auxiliary lighting system for the daylighting apparatus;

wherein the one or more reflective interior faces are configured to receive light and turn the light such that an exit angle of the light is closer to vertical than an entrance angle of the light;

wherein at least a portion of the optical element is configured to extend below a base of the tube.

18. A daylighting apparatus comprising:

a transparent cover configured to receive daylight;

a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, wherein the tube is configured to receive at least a portion of the daylight received by the transparent cover and direct the at least a portion of the daylight towards a room of a building, wherein the tube is disposed at least partially above a ceiling of the room;

an auxiliary lighting system configured to provide artificial light to the tube; and

an optical element having one or more reflective interior faces configured to simultaneously receive at least a portion of the daylight and at least a portion of the artificial light, and to turn light received by the one or more reflective interior faces such that an exit angle of the light is closer to vertical than an entrance angle of the light, wherein a width of the light-diffusing apparatus is substantially equal to a width of a bottom of the optical element.

19. A daylighting apparatus comprising:

a transparent cover configured to receive daylight;

a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, wherein the tube is configured to receive at least a portion of the daylight received by the transparent cover and direct the at least a portion of the daylight towards a room of a building, wherein the tube is disposed at least partially above a ceiling of the room;

an auxiliary lighting system configured to provide artificial light to the tube; and

an optical element having one or more reflective interior faces configured to simultaneously receive at least a portion of the daylight and at least a portion of the artificial light, and to turn light received by the one or more reflective interior faces such that an exit angle of the light is closer to vertical than an entrance angle of the light;

wherein the one or more interior faces comprises a first face and a second face positioned farther away from a top of the optical element than the first face;

wherein an angle between the first face and vertical is less than an angle between the second face and vertical.