Tubular skylight with improved dome

Abstract

A tubular skylight having an improved dome improving the efficiency of the skylight. The dome includes an integral prism in a portion of its outer surface to reflect light downwardly through the skylight. The dome is hemispherical, and the prism includes a plurality of grooves extending along great circles that pass through the apex of the dome. The prism covers only an angular segment of the hemispherical dome; and the grooves stop short of the apex of the dome.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
       1. An improved tubular skylight including a dome to be mounted on a roof, a light diffuser to be mounted on a ceiling, and a reflective tube extending between the dome and the light diffuser, wherein the improvement comprises said dome comprising: 
       a generally hemispherical body having an apex, an interior surface, and exterior surface, said interior surface being generally smooth, said exterior surface including a generally smooth portion being an angular section of said dome, said prismatic portion including a plurality of vertical grooves extending along great circles of said hemispherical body passing through said apex.  
     
     
       2. An improved tubular skylight as defined in  claim 1  wherein said smooth portion of said exterior surface includes a circular area of non-zero radius centered on said apex. 
     
     
       3. A skylight dome assembly comprising: 
       a flashing to be mounted on a roof; and  
       a skylight dome to be mounted on said flashing, said dome having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said exterior surface including a prismatic portion.  
     
     
       4. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 3  wherein: 
       said dome includes a base and an apex above said base; and  
       said prismatic portion including a plurality of grooves located between said base and said apex.  
     
     
       5. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 4  wherein: 
       said dome is generally hemispherical and said base is generally circular;  
       said grooves extend along great circles of said dome passing through said apex.  
     
     
       6. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 5  wherein said prismatic portion comprises an angular segment of said dome. 
     
     
       7. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 6  wherein said grooves stop short of said apex. 
     
     
       8. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 4  wherein said prismatic portion comprises an angular segment of said dome. 
     
     
       9. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 3  wherein said prismatic portion is entirely outside of a circle surrounding said apex. 
     
     
       10. A skylight dome comprising a body having a base and a dome portion extending above said base, said dome portion including an apex, an interior surface, and an exterior surface, said exterior surface defining a prismatic portion, said prismatic portion defining a plurality of grooves between said base and said apex along said dome portion. 
     
     
       11. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 10  wherein: 
       said base is generally circular and said dome portion is generally hemispherical.  
     
     
       12. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 11  wherein said grooves extend along great circles of said dome portion passing through said apex. 
     
     
       13. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 12  wherein said prismatic portion is an angular sector of said dome portion. 
     
     
       14. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 13  wherein said grooves stop short of said apex. 
     
     
       15. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 10  wherein said prismatic portion is an angular sector of said dome portion. 
     
     
       16. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 15  wherein said grooves stop short of said apex. 
     
     
       17. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 10  wherein said grooves stop short of said apex. 
     
     
       18. An improved tubular skylight including a dome to be mounted on a roof, a light diffuser to be mounted on a ceiling, and a reflective tube extending between the dome and the light diffuser, wherein the improvement comprises said dome comprising: 
       
         a generally hemispherical body having an apex, said body including a prismatic portion, said prismatic portion being an angular section of said dome, said prismatic portion including a plurality of vertical grooves extending along great circles of said hemispherical body passing through said apex. 
       
     
     
       19. An improved tubular skylight as defined in  claim 18  wherein said body includes a circular area of non- zero radius centered on said apex, said prismatic portion and said circular area being mutually exclusive.   
     
     
       20. A skylight dome assembly comprising: 
       
         a flashing to be mounted on a roof; and  
       
         a skylight dome to be mounted on said flashing, said dome including a prismatic portion and a nonprismatic portion, said prismatic portion positioned to reflect sunlight passing through said non - prismatic portion downwardly through said flashing.   
     
     
       21. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 20  wherein: 
       
         said dome includes a base and an apex above said base; and  
       
       
         said prismatic portion includes a plurality of grooves located between said base and said apex. 
       
     
     
       22. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 21  wherein: 
       
         said dome is generally hemispherical and said base is generally circular; and  
       
       
         said grooves extend along great circles of said dome passing through said apex. 
       
     
     
       23. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 22  wherein said prismatic portion comprises an angular segment of said dome. 
     
     
       24. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 23  wherein said grooves stop short of said apex. 
     
     
       25. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 21  wherein said prismatic portion comprises an angular segment of said dome. 
     
     
       26. A skylight dome assembly as defined in  claim 20  wherein said dome includes an apex and said prismatic portion is entirely outside of a circle surrounding said apex. 
     
     
       27. A skylight dome comprising a body having a base and a dome portion extending above said base, said dome portion including a prismatic portion defining a plurality of grooves, said dome portion further including a non- prismatic portion, said prismatic portion positioned to reflect sunlight passing through said non - prismatic portion downwardly through said base.   
     
     
       28. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 27  wherein: 
       
         said base is generally circular and said dome portion is generally hemispherical. 
       
     
     
       29. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 28  wherein said grooves extend along great circles of said dome portion. 
     
     
       30. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 29  wherein said prismatic portion is an angular sector of said dome portion. 
     
     
       31. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 30  wherein said dome portion includes an apex and said grooves stop short of said apex. 
     
     
       32. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 27  wherein said prismatic portion is an angular sector of said dome portion. 
     
     
       33. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 32  wherein said dome portion includes an apex and said grooves stop short of said apex. 
     
     
       34. A skylight dome as defined in  claim 27  wherein said dome portion includes an apex and said grooves stop short of said apex.