Passive collimating skylight

Abstract

A passive collimating skylight system includes an energy-receiving aperture defining a first plane and an energy-delivering aperture defining a second plane that is spaced apart from and non-parallel to the first plane. An energy-directing passageway extends between the energy-receiving aperture and the energy-delivering aperture to redirect radiant energy incident on the energy-collecting aperture over a range of incidence angles to the energy-delivering aperture so that the redirected radiant energy emerges from the energy-delivering aperture over a range of emergence angles that is smaller than the range of incidence angles. The passageway is defined by a wall having a first end that defines the energy-delivering aperture and a second end that defines the energy-collecting aperture, the wall tapering inwardly and having a reflective inner surface along substantially the entire length from the first end to the second end. At least a portion of the wall of the passageway can be made of a flexible reflective film.

1 . A passive, collimating skylight system, comprising:
 an energy-collecting aperture defining a first plane;   an energy-delivering aperture defining a second plane that is spaced apart from and non-parallel to the first plane; and   an energy-directing passageway to redirect radiant energy incident on the energy-collecting aperture over a range of incidence angles to the energy-delivering aperture so that the redirected radiant energy emerges from the energy-delivering aperture over a range of emergence angles that is smaller than the range of incidence angles, wherein the passageway is defined by a wall having a first end that defines the energy-delivering aperture and a second end that defines the energy-collecting aperture, the wall tapering inwardly along substantially the entire length of the wall from the first end to the second end and having a reflective inner surface along substantially the entire length of the wall from the first end to the second end.   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the wall is made of a rigid material. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the wall is made of a flexible reflective film. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the flexible film comprises a metalized polymer film. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the flexible material is attached at a first end of the passageway to a support frame that defines the energy-delivering aperture and that exerts a pulling force on the flexible material to maintain a shape of the passageway when installed for use. 
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the collimating passageway includes a dome portion and a remaining portion, and wherein the wall of the dome portion terminates at the energy-collecting aperture. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the wall of the dome portion comprises a rigid outer layer, and wherein the wall of the remaining portion is made only of a flexible material. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising an attachment system to attach the dome portion to the remaining portion of the energy-directing passageway. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a non-tapered passageway coupled to the energy-delivering aperture. 
     
     
         10 . A method of illuminating an interior space within a building, comprising:
 providing an energy-collecting aperture defining a first plane at a location exterior of the building to receive radiant energy over a range of incidence angles;   providing an energy-delivering aperture defining a second plane at a location within the building, the second plane being spaced apart from and non-parallel to the first plane; and   connecting the energy-collecting aperture to the energy-delivering aperture with a passageway to redirect the received radiant energy so that it emerges from the energy-delivering aperture within the building over a range of emergence angles that is smaller than the range of incidence angles, the passageway having a first end that defines the energy-collecting aperture and a second end that defines the energy-delivering aperture, the passageway tapering along substantially its entire length from the second end to the first end and having a reflective inner surface along substantially its entire length from the second end to the first end.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the passageway is defined by a wall, and wherein at least a portion of the wall is made of a rigid material. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the passageway is defined by a wall, and wherein at least a portion of the wall is made only of a flexible material. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the flexible material comprises a metalized polymer film. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the passageway comprises a first portion having a first portion end that defines the energy-collecting aperture and a second portion having a second portion end that defines the energy-delivering aperture, and the method further comprises coupling the first portion of the passageway to the second portion of the passageway. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the passageway is defined by a wall comprising a rigid material, and wherein the second portion of the passageway is defined by a wall comprising a flexible material. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the rigid material is a sheet metal, and the flexible material is a metalized polymer film. 
     
     
         17 . A passive skylight system, comprising:
 a first end support to define a radiant energy-receiving aperture;   a second end support to define a radiant energy-delivering aperture, the radiant energy-delivering aperture having an area that is greater than the energy-receiving aperture; and   a wall to define a radiant energy-directing passageway that extends between the radiant energy-receiving aperture and the radiant-energy delivering aperture, the wall comprising a flexible, metalized polymer film having a first end connected to the first end support and a second end connected to the second end support,   wherein, when the skylight system is installed for use, the second end support exerts a pulling force on the film directed between the first end and the second end to maintain a shape of the radiant energy-directing passageway   
     
     
         18 . The system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the flexible, metalized polymer is an aluminized polyester film. 
     
     
         19 . The system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the energy-receiving aperture is generally rectangular and the energy-delivering aperture is generally rectangular so that, when the skylight system is installed for use, the shape of the energy-directing passageway that is maintained by the pulling force is a generally pyramidal shape. 
     
     
         20 . The system as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising a skylight dome having a radiant energy-collecting window and a radiant energy-delivering opening, wherein the radiant-energy-receiving aperture receives radiant energy emerging from the radiant energy-delivering opening of the skylight dome. 
     
     
         21 . The system as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the skylight dome includes a substantially rigid wall tapering outwardly from the radiant energy-collecting window to the radiant-energy-delivering opening, the substantially rigid wall having a reflective inner surface to redirect radiant energy incident on the radiant energy-collecting window to the radiant energy-delivering opening. 
     
     
         22 . A method of illuminating an illumination space within a building, comprising:
 providing an energy-receiving aperture at a location interior of the building to receive radiant energy from a skylight dome;   providing an energy-delivering aperture above the illumination space within the building; and   connecting the energy-receiving aperture to the energy-delivering aperture with a passageway to redirect the received radiant energy so that it emerges from the energy-delivering aperture and illuminates the illumination space, the passageway defined by a wall having a first end that terminates at the energy-receiving aperture and a second end that terminates at the energy-delivering aperture, the wall comprising a flexible, reflective film and tapering inwardly along substantially its entire length from the second end to the first end.   
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the flexible, reflective film is a metalized polymer film. 
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the flexible, reflective film is an aluminized polyester film. 
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising providing a first end support to define the energy-receiving aperture and a second end support to define the energy-delivering aperture, wherein the second end support exerts a pulling force on the flexible, reflective film directed from the first end to the second end to maintain a shape of the passageway to illuminate the illumination space.