Louvered light re-directing structure

• US 9,784,030 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Serralux Inc.
• Original Assignee: Serralux Inc.
• Inventors: Gardiner, Mark E, Ford, Robert Somers
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHONEY, CHRISTOPHER E
• Application Number:
  US14/850,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20160186948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 359595
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2417 Light path control; means to control reflection
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/264 Combinations of lamellar blinds with roller shutters, screen windows, windows, or double panes; Lamellar blinds with special devices
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/322 Details of operating devices, e.g. pulleys, brakes, spring drums, drives operating devices E06B9/68 ; devices of general interest specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material B65H75/34
• 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: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/04 Optical design
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/24 Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/00 Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings

Abstract

Generally plano rectangular louvers are capable of being ganged in a stacked tiltable array to enhance light re-direction when titled to follow the solar elevation. Combinations of features and optical characteristic avoid optical artifacts and enhance efficiency of light utilization and manufacturing. Different louvers can be combined in alternative ways in such arrays.

Claims

1. A louver, comprising:

a) a generally rectangular planar support member having;

b) an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface,

c) an elongated front side on a side orthogonal to the plane of the upper surface, and an elongated back side opposed to and parallel with the front side,

d) a right side on another side that is orthogonal to both the upper surface and the front side, and a left side opposite the right side that is parallel to the right side,

e) a light redirecting structure that is at least one of attached to and disposed within the planar support member, the light redirecting structure comprising an array of spaced apart light reflective surfaces that terminate at corners, wherein the array extends across the planar support member from the front side to the back side in which each light reflective surface faces the front or back side,

f) wherein the light reflective surfaces have a periodic pitch of more than about 0.5 mm and the corners have a radius of curvature of less than 1% of pitch.

2. The louver according to claim 1 wherein the reflective surfaces are parallel to the each other.

3. The louver according to claim 1 wherein the reflective surfaces are tilted with respect to the front and back face.

4. The louver according to claim 1 wherein the louver is symmetrical about a reference plane that is parallel to and spaced apart an equal distance from the upper surface and the lower surface.

5. The louver according to claim 1 and further comprising an absorbing surface disposed parallel to and intervening between each light reflecting surface.

6. The louver according to claim 1 wherein the light reflective surface are metallic reflectors.

7. The louver according to claim 1 wherein the light reflective surfaces are total internal reflection (TIR) surfaces.

8. The louver according to claim 7 wherein the light re-directing structure is a film having grooves that define the TIR surface in which the film is laminated to the planar structure with a pressure sensitive adhesive.

9. The louver according to claim 1 wherein the light redirecting structure comprises:

a) a plurality of transparent solid polymeric bars having at least one light reflective surfaces oriented in facing the front or rear side, the bars having a common surface that is disposed at least nearly orthogonal to the at least one light reflective surface,

b) a first transparent planar support member connecting the common surfaces on a first side of the bars,

c) an adhesive material interposed between and connecting the polymeric bars and the planar support member, in which the adhesive material fills optical imperfection of the first side of the bars connected to the transparent planar support member.

10. A louver, comprising:

a) a generally rectangular planar support member having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, an elongated front side on a side orthogonal to the plane of the upper surface, and an elongated back side opposed to and parallel with the front side, a right side on another side that is orthogonal to both the upper surface and the front side, and a left side opposite the right side that is parallel to the right side,

b) a light redirecting structure that is at least one of attached to and disposed within the planar support member, the light redirecting structure comprising a plurality of spaced apart reflective surface that are each parallel to the each other and extend across the planar support member orthogonal to the planes of the left and right sides of the planar support member;

c) wherein the planar rectangular support member is transparent and the reflective surfaces are formed on triangular elements that extend upward from a face of the planar rectangular support member and further comprising an elongated channel member having a planar bottom and opposing upright sides that extend in the same direction away from the planar bottom to provide a generally U-shaped cover member that is at least one of transparent and translucent on the planar bottom thereof, the U-shaped cover having ends that are upright sides attached to planar member proximal to the front and back faces to seal the reflective surfaces within the channel

d) wherein the spaced apart reflective surfaces have a periodic pitch of more than about 0.5 mm and the corners have a radius of curvature of less than 1% of pitch.

11. The louver according to claim 10 wherein the reflective surfaces are tilted with respect to the front and back side.

12. A louver, comprising:

a) a generally rectangular planar support member having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, an elongated front side on a side orthogonal to the plane of the upper surface, and an elongated back side opposed to and parallel with the front side, a right side on another side that is orthogonal to both the upper surface and the front side, and a left side opposite the right side that is parallel to the right side,

b) a light redirecting structure that is at least one of attached to and disposed within the planar support member, the light redirecting structure comprising a plurality of spaced apart reflective surface that are each parallel to the each other and extend across the planar support member orthogonal to the planes of the left and right sides of the planar support member;

c) wherein the front and back sides thereof are stepped, and further

d) wherein the light reflective surfaces have a periodic pitch of more than about 0.5 mm and the corners have a radius of curvature of less than 1% of pitch.

13. A louver according to claim 12 in which at least one of a stepped portion of the front and back side is at least one of opaque or transparent and flexible to permit movement past an adjacent louver in a ganged array.

14. A louver, comprising:

a) a generally rectangular planar support member having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, an elongated front side on a side orthogonal to the plane of the upper surface, and an elongated back side opposed to and parallel with the front side, a right side on another side that is orthogonal to both the upper surface and the front side, and a left side opposite the right side that is parallel to the right side,

b) a light redirecting structure that is at least one of attached to and disposed within the planar support member, the light redirecting structure comprising a plurality of spaced apart reflective surfaces that are each parallel to the each other and extend across the planar support member orthogonal to the planes of the left and right sides of the planar support member;

c) wherein the front and back sides are light absorbing.

15. The louver according to claim 14 wherein the light redirecting structure is a flexible film laminated to one of the first and second surface with a pressure sensitive adhesive.

16. The louver according to claim 15 in which the reflective surface are TIR surfaces and a groove in the flexible film forms the TIR surface.

17. A louver according to claim 16 in which the TIR reflective surface are on the sides of elongated trapezoidal elements.

18. The louver according to claim 14 where the left side and right are disposed in end clips.

19. The louver according to claim 18 wherein the portion of the end clips that contacts the left and right sides provides a light absorbing structure to prevent glare.

20. A louver assembly comprising a linked array of the louver slats, each louver slat having;

a) a generally rectangular planar support member having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, an elongated front side on a side orthogonal to the plane of the upper surface, and an elongated back side opposed to and parallel with the front side, a right side on another side that is orthogonal to both the upper surface and the front side, and a left side opposite the right side that is parallel to the right side,

b) a light redirecting structure that is at least one of attached to and disposed within the planar support member, the light redirecting structure comprising a plurality of spaced apart reflective surfaces and extend across the planar support member from the front face to the back face in which each reflective surface is orthogonal to the planes of the left and right sides of the planar support member;

c) wherein at least some of the louvers in the array are tiltable about a common central axis that extends between the right and lefts sides thereof,

d) the louvers in the arrays being subdivided by an upper sub-portion and a lower sub-portion below the upper sub-portion, in which each sub-portion is separately operable to differentially re-direct incident light different from the other sub-portion

e) wherein the light reflective surfaces have a periodic pitch of more than about 0.5 mm and the corners have a radius of curvature of less than 1% of pitch.

21. The louver assembly of claim 20 wherein the upper and lower sub-portions comprise louvers that are separately tiltable from the other sub-portion.

22. The louver assembly of claim 20 wherein the upper and lower sub-portions comprise louvers having different light re-directing, transmitting or absorbing properties.

23. The louver assembly of claim 22 in the louvers that comprise one of the upper and lower sub-portions have total internal reflection (TIR) reflective surface that are on sides of elongated trapezoidal elements.

24. The louver assembly of claim 20 wherein one of the upper and lower sub-portions comprise louvers having different light blocking properties and the louvers in the other sub-portion are see through louvers.

25. The louver assembly of claim 20 wherein at least one of the upper and lower sub-portions comprises louvers having a light redirecting structure that is flexible film laminated to one of the first and second surface with a pressure sensitive adhesive.

26. The louver assembly of claim 25 in which the reflective surface are TIR surfaces and a V-shaped groove in the flexible film forms the TIR surface.

27. The louver assembly of claim 20 in which the louvers are continuously tiltable by a common actuator in which the each louver is operative to tilt by a progressively increasing amount from at least the adjacent louvers in one of the sub-portions.

28. The louver assembly of claim 20 in which the light reflecting surface are each parallel to the each other.

29. The louver assembly of claim 20 in which each louver in the array is support at the left and right side by end clips.

30. The louver assembly of claim 20 in which one or more louvers in the array is disposed at a non-parallel orientation with respect to at least one adjacent louver.

31. The louver assembly of claim 30 in which each louver in the array is supported at the left and right side by end clips and the ends clips provide an angular bias that dispose the one or more louvers at a non-parallel orientation.