Optical elements and systems for reflecting direct beam sunlight while admitting diffuse skylight through building apertures
AssigneeNorth Carolina State University
InventorJeffrey Wayne Place
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Optical elements and systems are disclosed that can be incorporated into buildings to prevent beam sunlight from entering through apertures of the building while allowing diffuse skylight to enter the building through the apertures. The optical system comprises optical elements configured to admit diffuse skylight through an aperture in the building envelope, while reflecting away the beam sunlight incident on the aperture in the building envelope. The apertures can be, for example, windows in walls or skylights in roofs of the building envelope. The optical system works for both windows in the walls and skylights in the roof, with somewhat different configurations for those two parts of the building envelope.
Claims20
An optical system for reflecting direct beam sunlight while admitting diffuse skylight through building apertures, the optical system being configured to be secured to a building aperture of a building, the optical system comprising:
- at least a first optical element comprising at least a first sheet of optically transmissive material, said at least a first sheet having at least a first side and a second side, the first side facing away from the building, the second side facing an interior of the building, the second side having at least a first set of optical features formed therein that are designed to reflect beam sunlight away from the second side while passing diffusive light through the second side when the first optical element is in a first orientation relative to a Sun;
- and
- a rotation-imparting mechanism mechanically coupled to said at least a first optical element, the rotation-imparting mechanism imparting rotational motion to said at least a first optical element to cause said at least a first optical element to track the Sun and remain in the first orientation relative to the Sun such that rays of beam sunlight are incident on optical features of the first set of optical features at a preselected angle of incidence that results in the optical features reflecting the rays of beam sunlight away from the second side while passing the diffuse light through the second side.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.