Methods for producing three dimensional, self-supporting, light redirecting roof lighting systems

A method for producing a multifaceted, three dimensional, self-supporting, angle-selective lighting system comprising:

• (a) laser culling two or more arrays of parallel laser cuts though or partly though a flat sheet of transparent acrylic plastic with narrow strips of solid transparent acrylic plastic being left uncut between adjoining arrays of laser cuts, said arrays of parallel laser cuts covering a segment of said flat sheet in a pattern such that removal of said segment of flat sheet and folding of said segment of flat sheet along lines of the narrow solid strips between each array of fine parallel cuts in the segment would result in a multifaceted, three dimensional structure of saddle, pyramidal or higher order form;
• in the case of a saddle form each of the two facets being of rectangular form and in the case of a pyramid or higher order form each facet being of triangular form with a base and a peak;
• said arrays of parallel laser cuts being made parallel to the base of the facets;
• (b) cutting and removing said segment out of said flat sheet;
• (c) positioning said segment on a table such that each individual narrow strip of solid clear plastic between the arrays of laser cuts is aligned directly above one narrow linear heating element of a group of narrow heating elements slotted into a surface of said table;
• (d) applying electrical power to raise a temperature of said linear heating elements such that the narrow strips of solid plastic between adjoining arrays of cuts in said segment are heated and softened;
• (e) folding said segment along the lines of the narrow strips which have been softened though an angle suited to form the three dimensional structure then allowing the narrow strips of plastic to cool and solidify so as to form a multi-faceted, self-supporting, angle-selective roof lighting system with each facet of the system containing an array of parallel laser cuts through or partly through the facet.

A method for producing a three-dimensional light redirecting system comprising:

• cutting from a flat sheet of transparent acrylic material a disc having an inner edge and an outer edge, said disc having two radial edges defined by a segment cut from said disc such that on deformation of said disc into a three-dimensional form the radial edges would join;
• making a series of laser cuts about a centre of said disc, said laser cuts being made through or partly through said disc at a radial spacing between the laser cuts and at a cut depth such that the ratio of radial spacing of laser cut to the depth of laser cut is substantially in the range 0.4 to 0.7;
• softening said disc by heating and deformation of said disc into by compression between two three-dimensional moulds;
• cooling the moulds and said acrylic material to below the softening temperature of said acrylic material and removing the cooled and solid three-dimensional acrylic material from the moulds;
• and
• joining the radial edges of said laser cut acrylic material.