High aspect ratio daylight collectors

• US 8,982,467 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solatube International, Inc. (Kingspan Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Solatube International, Inc. (Kingspan Group PLC)
• Inventors: Jaster, Paul August
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahoney, Christ
• Application Number:
  US13/710,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 359591-592, 359/595, 359/597
• US Class Current: 359/592
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/033 provided with means for controlling the light-transmission or the heat-reflection, (e.g. shields, reflectors, cleaning devices)
• 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 11/007 characterised by the means for transmitting light into the interior of a building
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/00 Systems with reflecting surfaces, with or without refracting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/08 Mirrors vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Lighting devices and methods for providing daylight to the interior of a structure are disclosed. Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a daylighting device including a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, a light collecting structure, and a light reflector positioned to reflect daylight into the light collector. In some embodiments, the light collector is associated with one or more light-turning and/or light reflecting structures configured to increase the amount of light captured by the daylighting device. Optical elements may allow for the absorption and/or selective transmission of infrared light away from an interior of the daylighting device.

Claims

1. An at least partially transparent light-collecting device configured to direct daylight through a collector base aperture and into an interior of a building when the light-collecting device is installed on a roof of the building, the device comprising:

a top cover portion;

a substantially vertical sidewall portion configured to support the top cover portion above an upper end of the substantially vertical sidewall portion and to define a collector base aperture at a lower end of the substantially vertical sidewall portion, wherein the substantially vertical sidewall portion has a height that extends between the top cover portion and the collector base aperture, and wherein the height of the substantially vertical portion is greater than a width of the collector base aperture;

a prismatic element configured to refract a portion of light that passes through the substantially vertical sidewall portion; and

a reflector configured to turn at least a portion of the refracted light towards the collector base aperture, wherein the reflector has a luminous reflectance greater than or equal to about 0.95 when measured with respect to CIE Illuminant D₆₅;

wherein the light-collecting device is configured to be positioned over an opening in a roof of a building and is configured to direct daylight into the opening in the roof when the light-collecting device is installed as part of a daylighting device installation.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the reflector is associated with the substantially vertical portion.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the collector base aperture is substantially circular in shape, and the width is equal to a diameter of the collector base aperture.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein an aspect ratio of the height of the vertical portion to the width of the collector base aperture is greater than 1.2 to 1.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the aspect ratio is greater than 1.5 to 1.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the aspect ratio is greater than 2 to 1.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the top cover portion is clear, and wherein the top cover portion is substantially flat or at least partially dome-shaped.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the top cover portion includes a second prismatic element configured to refract daylight passing through the top cover portion.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the second prismatic element comprises a prismatic film with prisms having a riser angle and a draft angle, and wherein the riser angle is different from the draft angle.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the vertical portion comprises a plurality of vertically-arranged segments, including at least an upper segment and a lower segment.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the upper segment is associated with first optical elements having first light-turning characteristics and the lower segment is clear.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the upper and lower segments are each approximately 5 to 30 inches in height.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the upper and lower segments are each greater than or equal to about 10 inches in height.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the height of the vertical portion is between approximately 35 and 45 inches.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the height of the vertical portion is between approximately 18 and 35 inches.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the width of the collector base aperture is between approximately 20 and 30 inches.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the width of the collector base aperture is between approximately 8 and 16 inches.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the vertical portion is constructed out of a single planar sheet formed in the shape of an ellipse, wherein two ends of the sheet are joined to form a singular vertical seam.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the vertical portion comprises a plurality of curved sheets that are configured to be joined together to form an ellipse.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the vertical portion comprises one or more sheets that are configured to be joined together to form an angular portion, a curved portion, or a combination of at least one angular portion and at least one curved portion.

21. A method of illuminating an interior of a building, the method comprising:

receiving daylight on a substantially vertical surface;

turning the daylight towards an aperture lying in a substantially horizontal plane using a prismatic film disposed within a light-collecting device; and

reflecting the daylight towards the aperture using a reflector;

wherein the substantially vertical surface has a height greater than a width of the aperture.