Daylight collection systems and methods
AssigneeSolatube International, Inc.
InventorPaul August Jaster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lighting devices and methods for illuminating the interior of a building with natural daylight are disclosed. In some embodiments, a daylighting apparatus includes a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, an at least partially transparent light collector with one or more light turning elements, and a light reflector positioned to reflect daylight into the light collector. The one or more light turning elements can turn direct and indirect daylight into the tube so that it is available to illuminate the building. In some embodiments, the tube is disposed between the light collector and a diffuser positioned inside a target area of a building. In certain embodiments, the tube is configured to direct at least a portion of the daylight transmitted through the light collector towards the diffuser.
Claims31
A daylighting apparatus configured to direct natural daylight into an interior of a building, the apparatus comprising:
- an at least partially transparent light-collecting assembly comprising a sidewall portion and a collector base aperture;
- a light turning assembly comprising at least one prismatic element, the at least one prismatic element positioned and configured to turn light transmitted through the at least partially transparent light-collecting assembly towards the collector base aperture;
- and
- a reflector positioned and configured to reflect daylight towards the sidewall portion, wherein the reflector is positioned outside the light-collecting assembly, wherein the reflector is configured to reflect daylight towards a focal line wherein the focal line is at least partially within the light-collecting assembly;
- wherein the daylighting apparatus is configured to provide daylight to the interior of the building when the daylighting apparatus is installed on a roof of the building.
A method of providing light to an interior of a building, the method comprising:
- positioning a reflector outside of a light-collecting apparatus, the light collecting apparatus positioned over a daylighting aperture formed in a building envelope;
- turning natural daylight towards the daylighting aperture using at least one prismatic element disposed within a direct sunlight capture area of the light-collecting apparatus such that a portion of the daylight is available for illuminating the interior of the building wherein the direct sunlight capture area is positioned to receive direct non-reflected sunlight;
- reflecting daylight using the reflector towards a reflected sunlight capture area of the light-collecting apparatus, wherein the reflected sunlight capture area is positioned to receive the daylight reflected b the reflector wherein the direct sunlight capture area does not entirely overlap the reflected sunlight capture area;
- transmitting the reflected daylight through an at least partially transparent sidewall of the light-collecting apparatus;
- and
- turning the reflected natural daylight towards the daylighting aperture using at least one prismatic element disposed within the reflected sunlight capture area of the light collecting apparatus such that a portion of the reflected daylight is available for illuminating the interior of the building.
A daylighting apparatus for providing daylight to the interior of a building, the apparatus comprising:
- a daylight collector comprising a sidewall portion and a daylighting aperture configured to be positioned on a roof of the building when the daylighting apparatus is installed on the building;
- a reflector having a substantially parabolic shape, the reflector configured to reflect daylight toward the daylight collector, the reflector positioned outside of daylighting aperture;
- and
- a light turning prismatic element configured to turn reflected daylight transmitted through the daylight collector towards the daylighting aperture,
- wherein the light turning prismatic element comprises a prismatic surface on a first face of the light turning prismatic element and a non-prismatic surface on a second face of the light turning prismatic element opposite the first face, wherein the light turning prismatic element is positioned such that reflected daylight is incident on the prismatic surface before it is incident on the non-prismatic surface of the prismatic element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.