Daylight collectors with thermal control
First Claim
1. An at least partially transparent light-collecting device configured to be installed on a roof of a building for illumination of an interior of the building with natural visible light, the device comprising:
- a top cover portion configured to receive daylight from outside of the building;
an at least partially transparent 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 portion has a height that extends between the top cover portion and the collector base aperture, and wherein the substantially vertical portion is configured to receive daylight from outside of the building, the daylight comprising a visible light portion and an infrared light portion;
an optical element associated with the substantially vertical sidewall portion, the optical element configured to turn a substantial portion of the visible light portion of the daylight received through the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion towards the collector base aperture and to transmit the infrared light portion of the daylight received through the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion through the optical element; and
an infrared control element connected to the vertical sidewall portion of the light-collecting device and disposed at least partially above the collector base aperture, the infrared control element configured to receive at least a portion of the infrared light portion of the daylight transmitted through the optical element, wherein the infrared control element is configured to direct a substantial portion of the received infrared light portion of the daylight away from the collector base aperture to outside of the building;
wherein the collector base aperture of the light-collecting device is configured to be positioned over an opening in the roof of the building and is configured to direct daylight into the opening in the roof.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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 assembly, 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.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. An at least partially transparent light-collecting device configured to be installed on a roof of a building for illumination of an interior of the building with natural visible light, the device comprising:
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a top cover portion configured to receive daylight from outside of the building; an at least partially transparent 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 portion has a height that extends between the top cover portion and the collector base aperture, and wherein the substantially vertical portion is configured to receive daylight from outside of the building, the daylight comprising a visible light portion and an infrared light portion; an optical element associated with the substantially vertical sidewall portion, the optical element configured to turn a substantial portion of the visible light portion of the daylight received through the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion towards the collector base aperture and to transmit the infrared light portion of the daylight received through the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion through the optical element; and an infrared control element connected to the vertical sidewall portion of the light-collecting device and disposed at least partially above the collector base aperture, the infrared control element configured to receive at least a portion of the infrared light portion of the daylight transmitted through the optical element, wherein the infrared control element is configured to direct a substantial portion of the received infrared light portion of the daylight away from the collector base aperture to outside of the building; wherein the collector base aperture of the light-collecting device is configured to be positioned over an opening in the roof of the building and is configured to direct daylight into the opening in the roof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of illuminating an interior of a building using a daylighting system including a light-collecting device mounted on a roof of the building, the method comprising:
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receiving daylight from outside of the building on a top cover portion and an at least partially transparent substantially vertical surface of the light-collecting device, wherein the at least partially transparent substantially vertical surface is configured to support the top cover portion above an upper end of the substantially vertical surface, wherein the at least partially transparent substantially vertical surface is configured to define a collector base aperture at a lower end of the substantially vertical surface, and wherein the substantially vertical portion has a height that extends between the top cover portion and the collector base aperture, the daylight comprising a visible light portion and an infrared light portion; turning a substantial portion of the visible light portion of the daylight towards the collector base aperture disposed over an opening in the roof of the building using an optical element disposed within the light collecting device and at least partially coupled to the substantially vertical surface; transmitting the infrared light portion of the daylight through the optical element; reflecting a substantial portion of the turned visible light towards the collector base aperture disposed over the opening in roof of the building using a reflector connected to the light-collecting device and disposed at least partially above the collector based aperture; and absorbing or transmitting a substantial portion of the infrared light of the daylight transmitted through the optical element away from the opening in the roof of the building to the outside of the building using the reflector. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of manufacturing an at least partially transparent light-collecting device for directing natural visible light into a building interior through a daylighting opening, the method comprising:
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providing a top cover portion configured to receive daylight from outside of the building; providing an at least partially transparent substantially vertical surface configured to support the top cover portion above an upper end of the substantially vertical surface and to define a collector base aperture at a lower end of the substantially vertical surface, wherein the substantially vertical surface has a height that extends between the top cover portion and the collector base aperture, and wherein the substantially vertical surface is configured to receive daylight from outside of the building, the daylight comprising a visible light portion and an infrared light portion; providing an optical element associated with the substantially vertical surface, the optical element configured to turn a substantial portion of the visible light portion of the daylight received through the at least partially transparent substantially vertical surface towards the collector base aperture and transmit the infrared light portion of the daylight received through the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion through the optical element; and connecting an infrared control element to the substantially vertical surface and positioning the infrared control element such that the infrared control element directs a substantial portion of the infrared light away from the collector base aperture to outside of the building. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. An at least partially transparent light-collecting device configured to direct natural visible light through a collector base aperture and into an interior of a building, the device comprising:
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a top cover portion configured to receive daylight from outside of the building; an at least partially transparent 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 portion has a height that extends between the top cover portion and the collector base aperture, and wherein the substantially vertical portion is configured to receive a substantial amount of daylight from outside of the building during midday hours, wherein the daylight comprises a visible light portion and an infrared light portion; an optical element disposed within the light-collecting device and associated with the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion, the optical element configured to turn a substantial portion of the visible light portion of the daylight received through the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion towards the collector base aperture and transmit the infrared light portion of the daylight received through the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion through the optical element; and a reflector associated with the at least partially transparent substantially vertical sidewall portion disposed at least partially above the collector base aperture, the reflector configured to reflect a substantial portion of the visible light towards the collector base aperture and configured to absorb or transmit a substantial portion of the infrared light to outside of the building; wherein the collector base aperture of the light-collecting device is configured to be positioned over an opening in a roof of a building and is configured to direct the visible light into the opening in the roof. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of illuminating an interior of a building, the method comprising:
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receiving daylight on a top cover portion and an at least partially transparent substantially vertical surface from an exterior of the building, wherein the at least partially transparent substantially vertical surface is configured to support the top cover portion above an upper end of the substantially vertical surface and to define a collector base aperture at a lower end of the substantially vertical surface, wherein the substantially vertical surface has a height that extends between the top cover portion and the collector base aperture, and wherein the daylight comprises a visible light portion and an infrared light portion; turning a substantial portion of the visible light portion of the daylight towards the collector base aperture disposed over an opening in a roof of the building using an optical element associated with the substantially vertical surface and transmitting the infrared light portion of the daylight through the optical element; and transmitting or radiating a portion of infrared light of the daylight away from the collector base aperture to the exterior of the building using an infrared control element connected to the substantially vertical surface. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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Specification