Daylight collectors with diffuse and direct light collection
AssigneeSolatube International, Inc.
InventorPaul August Jaster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lighting devices and methods for providing daylight to the interior of a structure are disclosed. Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a daylighting device including a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, a light collecting structure, and a light reflector positioned to reflect daylight into the light collector. In some embodiments, the light collector is associated with one or more light-turning and/or light reflecting structures configured to increase the amount of light captured by the daylighting device. Optical elements may allow for the absorption and/or selective transmission of infrared light away from an interior of the daylighting device.
Claims22
A skylight comprising:
- a skylight cover;
- a prismatic element configured to refract at least a portion of light that passes through the skylight cover, wherein the prismatic element comprises a non-prismatic surface and a prismatic surface, wherein the prismatic surface is opposite the non-prismatic surface, and wherein the non-prismatic surface is positioned between the prismatic surface and the skylight cover, wherein the prismatic surface comprises at least one prism having a riser surface and a draft surface, wherein a riser angle of the riser surface is from 35 degrees to 43 degrees or from 47 degrees to 85 degrees relative to a surface normal to the non-prismatic surface;
- and
- an element positioning assembly configured to:
- position the skylight cover over an opening in a roof of a building;
- dispose the prismatic element relative to a plane of the roof such that an angle formed at an intersection of a second plane containing the prismatic element and the plane of the roof is from 0 to 40 degrees, and
- orient the prismatic element so that the riser surface faces the sun and directs daylight into the opening in the roof.
A skylight assembly comprising:
- a skylight cover;
- a prismatic element configured to refract at least a portion of light that passes through the skylight cover, wherein the prismatic element comprises a non-prismatic surface and a prismatic surface, wherein the prismatic surface is opposite the non-prismatic surface, and wherein the non-prismatic surface is positioned between the prismatic surface and the skylight cover;
- and
- an element positioning assembly configured to
- position the skylight assembly over an opening in a roof of a building;
- dispose the prismatic element relative to a plane of the roof such that an angle formed at an intersection of a second plane containing the prismatic element and the plane of the roof is from 0 to 40 degrees, and
- orient the prismatic element so that the riser surface faces the sun and directs daylight into the opening in the roof.
A method of installation of a skylight assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a skylight assembly, the assembly comprising
- a skylight cover;
- and
- a prismatic element configured to refract at least a portion of light that passes through the skylight cover, wherein the prismatic element comprises a planar surface and a prismatic surface, wherein the prismatic surface is opposite the planar surface, and wherein the planar surface is positioned between the prismatic surface and the skylight cover, wherein the prismatic surface comprises at least one prism having a riser surface and a draft surface;
- positioning the skylight assembly over an opening in a roof of a building;
- orienting the skylight so that the riser surface faces the sun and directs daylight into the opening in the roof when the skylight is installed as part of a skylight installation;
- and
- positioning the prismatic element so that no portion of the prismatic element is above six inches of the plane of the roof.
A skylight assembly comprising:
- a skylight cover;
- a prismatic element configured to refract at least a portion of light that passes through the skylight cover, wherein the prismatic element comprises a non-prismatic surface and a prismatic surface, wherein the prismatic surface is opposite the non-prismatic surface, and wherein the non-prismatic surface is positioned between the prismatic surface and the skylight cover;
- and
- an element positioning assembly configured to
- position the skylight assembly over an opening in a roof of a building;
- position the prismatic element so that no portion of the prismatic element is greater than or equal to about six inches above a plane of the roof, and
- orient the prismatic element so that the riser surface faces the sun and directs daylight into the opening in the roof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.