Light transmitting building material and method for producing the same

Abstract

A light-transmitting structure for use as a building block or panel, and a related method of fabrication. The structure includes a composite of a primary building material and one or more light-transmitting elements. The primary building material may have structural and/or insulative characteristics. The light-transmitting elements extend from one surface of the primary building material to the other and preferably make up a small part of the bulk of the structure. One or more light-concentrating elements are positioned on one or both surfaces of the structure and are configured to concentrate incoming light rays to the light-transmitting elements. The light-transmitting elements may be optical fibers, optical film in a parallel or intersecting arrangements, or other suitable geometries. The light-concentrating elements may be spherical, aspherical, or other geometries suitable for enabling light transmission through the primary building material via the light-transmitting elements. The structure may be fabricated in a variety of ways. In one process, the light-transmitting and light-concentrating elements may be formed separately and joined together in an aligned manner. In another process, both elements may be formed at the same time, either using a preformed mold, extrusion or shaping and selectively curing portions of a fluid with optical characteristics. The panel may be used to introduce light and or heating sunshine through the structure with little impact on its structural and/or insulative characteristics.

1 . A light transmitting building panel comprising: 
 a. a first surface and a second surface, the first surface including thereon one or more light-concentrating elements arranged to concentrate light striking the first surface;    b. one or more light-transmitting elements arranged to receive concentrated light from the one or more light-concentrating elements, wherein each of the one or more light-concentrating elements extends from the first surface to the second surface; and    c. a primary building material extending between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the primary building material spaces individual ones of the one or more light-transmitting elements from one another, and wherein the primary building material does not transmit light as well as the one or more light-transmitting elements.    
   
   
       2 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the light-concentrating elements are arranged as an array of lenses.  
   
   
       3 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the light-transmitting elements are optical fibers.  
   
   
       4 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the optical fibers have a cross section that is not round.  
   
   
       5 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the light transmitting-elements are sheets of optical material.  
   
   
       6 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the light-transmitting elements form an extended grid of optical material.  
   
   
       7 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the primary building material is a thermal insulator.  
   
   
       8 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the primary building material is a foam insulation.  
   
   
       9 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the primary building material is an insulative powder wherein the insulative powder is retained in the panel between the first surface and the second surface, and wherein the second surface is formed of a light transmitting material.  
   
   
       10 . The light transmitting building panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the primary building material is a load bearing material.  
   
   
       11 . A method for fabricating a light-transmitting panel having structural and/or insulative characteristics, the panel including a material used to form a primary building material with light-transmitting elements extending therethrough and light-concentrating elements on at least one surface thereof, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a. injecting the material used to form the primary building material into a mold cavity of selectable dimensions and including an array of pins extending through the thickness of the cavity and arrayed in a pattern of selectable configuration of the light-transmitting elements;    b. curing the material with channels in the shape of the pin array to form a panel;    c. removing the array of pins from the channels;    d. inserting a fluid having optical characteristics into the channels;    e. curing the fluid to form the light-transmitting elements; and    f. applying the light-concentrating elements to a surface of the panel    
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the channels are in the form of individual ports.  
   
   
       13 . A method for fabricating a light-transmitting panel having structural and/or insulative characteristics, the panel including a material used to form a primary building material with light-transmitting elements extending therethrough and light-concentrating elements on at least one surface thereof, the surfaces of the panel including an inner wall and an outer wall, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a. extruding a plurality of the light-transmitting elements in a grid array,    b. cutting the extruded light-transmitting element array to form a panel,    c. affixed to the inner wall of the one surface of the panel;    d. applying the material used to form the primary building material to fill the spaces within the light-transmitting element array; and    e. affixing a molded array of the light-concentrating elements to the outer wall of the surface of the panel.    
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the light-concentrating elements are formed by polymer injection molding.  
   
   
       15 . The method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the material used to form the primary building material is a foamable polymer insulative material.  
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein steps c and e are reversed.