Optical article for illuminating building interiors employing reflective grid panel

An optical article for illuminating building interiors, comprising:

• a reflective grid panel configured to be retained in a horizontal orientation and comprising a plurality of parallel longitudinal walls formed from an opaque rigid material and a plurality of parallel transverse walls joining the plurality of parallel longitudinal walls and defining a plurality of rectangular openings configured to transmit light;
• an LED light source positioned above the reflective grid panel and configured to illuminate the reflective grid panel at incidence angles ranging from a minimum angle of 0° to a maximum angle of at least 45° or more;
• a light diffusing sheet of an optically transmissive dielectric material disposed below the reflective grid panel, the light diffusing sheet being approximately coextensive with and oriented generally parallel to the reflective grid panel;
• and
• a pair of reflective side walls flanking a space between the reflective grid panel and the light diffusing sheet,
• wherein each of the parallel transverse walls extends transversely with respect to a plane of the reflective grid panel and is configured to diffusely reflect a portion of light being transmitted through the plurality of rectangular openings.

An optical article for illuminating building interiors, comprising:

• a reflective grid panel configured to be retained in a horizontal orientation and comprising a plurality of parallel longitudinal walls formed from an opaque rigid material and a plurality of parallel transverse walls joining the plurality of parallel longitudinal walls and defining a plurality of rectangular openings configured to transmit light;
• an LED light source positioned above the reflective grid panel and configured to illuminate the reflective grid panel at incidence angles ranging from a minimum angle of 0° to a maximum angle of at least 45° or more;
• a light diffusing sheet of an optically transmissive dielectric material disposed above the reflective grid panel, the light diffusing sheet being approximately coextensive with and oriented generally parallel to the reflective grid panel;
• and
• a pair of reflective side walls flanking a space between the reflective grid panel and the light diffusing sheet,
• wherein each of the parallel transverse walls extends transversely with respect to a plane of the reflective grid panel and is configured to diffusely reflect a portion of light being transmitted through the plurality of rectangular openings.