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US 2020/0270867 A1Published application
Skylight dimmer
AssigneeSolatube International, Inc.
InventorsDavid Rillie, Joseph Prenn, Kalen Eidenschink
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dimmer mechanism is movable by a motor that is powered by solar-charged supercapacitors between a first configuration, in which the dimmer mechanism blocks little of the interior of a skylight tube to maximize light throughput into a room, and a second configuration, in which the dimmer mechanism blocks more of the interior of a skylight tube to reduce light throughput into the room.
Claims21
An assembly, comprising:
- at least one light conveying structure having an upper end configured to be covered by a transparent cover and a lower end, the light conveying structure being configured to guide sunlight entering the transparent cover through the lower end into a room;
- a dimmer mechanism in the light conveying structure;
- at least one motor;
- at least one supercapacitor coupled to the motor to energize the motor;
- at least one photovoltaic (PV) cell coupled to the supercapacitor to charge the supercapacitor;
- at least one wireless receiver configured to receive commands;
- at least one remote control (RC) configured for communicating the commands to the wireless receiver to activate the motor to move the dimmer mechanism between a first configuration, in which the dimmer mechanism blocks a first amount of a cross-sectional area of the light conveying structure, and a second configuration, in which the dimmer mechanism blocks a second amount of the cross-sectional area of the light conveying structure, the first amount being different from the second amount.
4 more elements
An assembly comprising:
- at least one light conveying structure;
- at least one movable dimmer mechanism in the light conveying structure;
- at least one motor coupled to the dimmer mechanism to move the dimmer mechanism;
- at least one supercapacitor configured to energize the motor;
- and
- at least one photovoltaic (PV) cell configured to charge the supercapacitor.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving a signal;
- responsive to the signal, supplying power to a motor from at least one supercapacitor, the motor being coupled to at least one dimmer mechanism to move the dimmer mechanism to alter throughput of light through a light conveyance assembly;
- and
- charging at least one supercapacitor using at least one photovoltaic (PV) cell.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.