Arrangement for illuminating at least one area, in particular for growing plants in a building

Abstract

Arrangement for lighting at least one area (10) in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7), with a light guidance system (2) for receiving external light, with at least one light guiding element (8) for transporting the captured light to the area (10), with a light outlet (9) for coupling the transported light into the area (10), characterized in that that the arrangement in an area (10) has at least one sensor (11) for detecting the light intensity and / or spectral composition, and that at least one adaptive filter (21, 22, 23) is provided in the light guidance system (2) which, depending on the sensor values, regulates the transmission of the recorded light into the at least one light guidance element (8).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] The invention relates to an arrangement for illuminating at least one area, in particular for the cultivation of plants in at least one building. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] From DE 10 2021 110 717 A1, an arrangement for cultivating plants in an enclosed interior space with a multitude of growing compartments for the plants to be cultivated is known. The arrangement is equipped with a conditioning unit comprising a lighting unit and a humidification unit. Furthermore, the arrangement may include a heating unit, a cooling unit, a ventilation unit, a misting and / or irrigation unit, and / or a nutrient supply unit, and / or a fumigation or pollination unit. The lighting unit ensures that the plants are supplied with the necessary light. Typically, the lighting unit generates the necessary light within the enclosed interior space. Alternatively, sunlight can be captured via light collectors outside the interior space and guided into the interior spaces containing the plants via fiber optic cables.Additional light is generated indoors as needed and added to supplement the sunlight. This arrangement for growing plants in enclosed indoor spaces proves to be insufficiently efficient. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The invention is based on the objective of providing an improved arrangement for lighting at least one building, in particular for growing plants in at least one building, compared to the prior art.

[0004] This problem is solved according to the invention with an arrangement having the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0005] The arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, comprises a light guidance system for receiving external light. For transmitting the received light, the light guidance system includes at least one light guide element, via which the received light is transported to an area within the building. The light guidance system has one or more light outlets for extracting the transported light to illuminate one or more areas within the building. Furthermore, the arrangement according to the invention includes at least one sensor for detecting the light intensity and / or spectral composition in an illuminated area, wherein at least one adaptive filter is provided in the light guidance system, which regulates the transmission of the received light into the at least one light guide element depending on the sensor values.In this context, illuminated areas are regularly implemented as enclosed interior spaces of a building, which often have no external lighting, especially via windows, and which are specifically separated from each other.

[0006] Sunlight preferably serves as the external light source, directed to the entrance area of ​​the light guidance system, for example, by means of one or more movable mirrors. Preferably, each mirror is mounted on a bracket with a mechanical joint. A control system allows each mirror to be adjusted according to the sun's position, ensuring that the light continues to be directed to the entrance area of ​​the light guidance system even as the sun's position changes throughout the day.

[0007] This arrangement according to the invention enables, on the one hand, highly efficient lighting of the plants being cultivated and, on the other hand, provides a means for differentiated adjustment of the lighting to the specific needs of the plants being illuminated. Thus, it advantageously reduces the risk of damage to the plants due to improper lighting.

[0008] As a particularly advantageous further development of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, especially for cultivating plants in at least one building, it has proven to equip the at least partially adaptive filter(s) arranged in the light guidance system in such a way that they make it possible to change the intensity and / or frequency range and / or geometric distribution of the received light depending on the sensor values, thus ensuring desired lighting conditions in the area(s) to be illuminated. For example, an adaptive filter can consist of electrochromic glass (so-called "intelligent glass" or "smart glass"), which makes it possible to change the transparency properties by means of an applied voltage and thus reduce the intensity of the transmitted light.

[0009] For various plant species, the IR and / or UV component present in sunlight is often too intense. In a preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, one or more filters are provided to attenuate or suppress IR or UV light components. For example, so-called low-E glasses can be used, which are particularly suitable for reducing or blocking the transmission of IR components in the light.

[0010] Certain color components in the spectrum can also be attenuated or suppressed using color filters, thus tailoring the light to the specific needs of different plant species. Specially designed filters or filter combinations allow for the desired attenuation or complete suppression of specific components of the light spectrum. These filters, which are at least partially adaptive, can be arranged sequentially or side by side.

[0011] This advantageous further development of the invention enables selective and differentiated lighting oriented to the needs of the plants being illuminated, thereby facilitating efficient growth and good plant quality. It advantageously allows the intensity of the lighting, the frequency characteristics of the light used for illumination, and the geometric distribution to be selectively and thus specifically adapted to the needs, which may fluctuate over time.

[0012] In a further development of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, it has proven advantageous to design one or more adaptive filters in segments and to assign individual segments to different sensors and light-guiding elements for different areas to be illuminated. This enables differentiated, and in particular individual, adjustment of the lighting conditions for each area: by means of the sensors located there, the properties of the supplied light are detected in each area and used to control the assigned adaptive filters / filter segments of the light-guiding system until the desired light composition is achieved. This advantageous segmentation enables very efficient illumination of the respective plants in a differentiated manner, particularly for different rooms in the building.

[0013] In another embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, at least one adaptive filter is provided which is suitable for attenuating and / or suppressing IR and / or UV light components. This makes it possible to reduce or even completely suppress the particularly harmful components of the captured light, which, after adaptive filtering, is used to illuminate the plants, thereby protecting the plants from undesirable damage and increasing the efficiency of plant cultivation.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating an area in at least one building, particularly for plant cultivation, the light guidance system comprises one or more optical elements for coupling and focusing the external light into the light guiding element. By increasing the number of optical access points for coupling the external light into the arrangement according to the invention, it is possible to reduce the dependence on external illumination and thereby increase the efficiency of the lighting arrangement. This is achieved to a particularly high degree when the various optical elements for coupling are located at different positions and, in particular, are provided with different orientations.

[0015] In another embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, the optical elements comprise one or more movable mirrors that can be aligned, in particular depending on the position of the sun. This allows for particularly efficient coupling of the light and thus enables particularly efficient illumination of the plants.

[0016] In another embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, a control system is provided for the adaptive filter(s) and, in particular, for aligning the movable mirrors. The integrated control system allows for a compact arrangement and efficient operation. It has proven particularly advantageous that the mirror alignment can be adjusted based on stored parameters or, alternatively or in combination, based on measured parameters within the arrangement, such as plant size, plant color, current temperature, or sun position. This enables a favorable setting of the adjustable, movable mirrors or the adaptive filter(s). As a result, a particularly efficient growth process of the illuminated plants is facilitated.

[0017] In a further development of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, at least one receiving element is provided, in particular a receiving element arranged between the at least one adaptive filter and an associated light guiding element. The receiving element has mirrored surfaces via which the received light, in particular the light emerging from the at least one adaptive filter, is reflected towards the light guiding element. This allows the amount of received light to be increased, thereby expanding the amount of light that is adaptively filtered, resulting in more efficient control and thus better illumination and a better growth process of the illuminated plants.

[0018] It has proven particularly advantageous to further develop the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating an area in at least one building such that the receiving element tapers conically towards the light guiding element with a round cross-section or has a decreasing cross-section of a regular n-gon. This allows the light to be focused according to the cross-section of the light guiding element. It has also proven advantageous that the opening angle of the conically tapered receiving element is selected such that the acceptance angle of the light guiding element, in particular of the fiber optic element contained therein, is used efficiently. This makes it possible to improve the light output and thus provide more light for illuminating an area in a building with plants. This is all the more true when the cross-section is a regular n-gon.

[0019] In a further embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating an area in at least one building, several receiving elements and associated light-guiding elements are arranged side by side, in particular abutting each other, wherein the arrangement is particularly optimized for area. Depending on the geometric shape of the receiving elements (for example, truncated cone, truncated pyramid, tapered hexagonal column, etc.), the highest possible packing density of the receiving elements can be achieved side by side, thereby minimizing losses of transmitted light during coupling into the light-guiding elements. For transporting the light via the light-guiding elements, optical fibers are provided, for example, which, depending on the amount of light, can also be designed as fiber bundles.This makes it possible to improve the light yield, particularly by reducing the ineffective areas of the receiving element, and thus to provide more light for illuminating an area in a building with plants.

[0020] In a further development of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, a light guiding element is provided through which light is directed to an area within the building and emitted into that area by means of a light outlet. The light outlet contains a diverting lens, in particular a plano-concave optical lens, which scatters the light coupled out of the light guiding element. The diverting lens is connected, in particular, to a funnel-shaped housing that opens in the direction of emission such that the opening angle corresponds approximately to the scattering angle of the diverting lens. This makes it possible to ensure efficient illumination of the plants in the illuminated area with a compact light outlet design.

[0021] For a largely homogeneous distribution of light in an illuminated area, the light outlet preferably also has a diffuser, which, for example, acts as an exit window of the light outlet and diffusely scatters the light emitted into the area, which has proven to be very advantageous with regard to the growth of the illuminated plants.

[0022] In a further development of the invention, the lighting arrangement, particularly for the cultivation of plants in at least one building, comprises several separate lighting zones. Each zone is assigned a light guide element and a sensor for measuring the light intensity, which detects the light in that zone. Depending on the respective sensor reading, the coupling of the light into the assigned zone, and thus into the assigned light guide element, can be controlled. This allows for individual adjustments to the lighting conditions to meet different requirements in the respective zones. As a result, the lighting can be differentiated and optimized for varying requirements in different zones, enabling particularly efficient and differentiated illumination of the various zones.In addition to measuring light intensity in a given area, the sensor can also detect other properties of the area, such as the type of plants being illuminated, their size, air or soil humidity, the duration of illumination, and the plants' growth rate. This allows the necessary additional lighting in a specific area to be tailored precisely to the needs of the plants being illuminated, thereby further increasing the efficiency of the lighting and thus promoting growth.

[0023] In a further development of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, the at least one adaptive filter is designed such that it is located exclusively within the light guidance system and operates exclusively there. This particularly compact unit of light guidance system and adaptive filter, which can consist of one or more filter components, allows for the creation of a robust arrangement characterized by low susceptibility to failure and good transferability, resulting in highly efficient plant illumination with minimal downtime. The connection between the light guidance system and the adaptive filter, in particular, makes it possible to precisely coordinate the individual components and thereby create a highly effective unit.

[0024] An alternative embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention for illuminating at least one area, particularly for cultivating plants in at least one building, shows at least one adaptive filter comprising several parts arranged in the light guidance system and in other parts of the arrangement, where they act as filters. For example, the various parts of the adaptive filter are arranged not only in the light guidance system but also in at least one light outlet, making it possible to select the optimal position in the arrangement for each component of the at least one adaptive filter. Furthermore, it is possible to implement differentiated adaptive filtering, depending on the respective illuminated area in the at least one building, for example, by differentiating the components in parts of the arrangement located downstream of the light flow.This distributed structure of at least one adaptive filter allows for very effective filter properties, enabling highly efficient illumination of the plants in the various areas.

[0025] The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to preferred embodiments and the illustrations. The invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments. Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a vertical section through a building with several interior rooms on different levels and a device for coupling sunlight into the building roof, as well as a device for distributing sunlight to the different levels. Fig. Figure 2 shows an alternative mirror arrangement on the building roof for coupling sunlight into a building. Fig. Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of the coupling of sunlight through an exterior wall of the building. Fig. Figure 4 schematically shows an arrangement for capturing and filtering sunlight and transmitting it via a light guidance system. Fig. Figure 5 shows an arrangement for capturing and filtering sunlight and forwarding it using an alternatively designed light guidance system. Fig. Figure 6 shows a device for extracting the light transported into the building by the light guidance system into an interior space of the building.

[0026] In Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a vertical section through a building 7 with several interior areas 10. These areas 10 can be designed, for example, as separate rooms or as shelves, such as for plants. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the areas 10 are arranged on different levels of the building 7, and several such areas can be arranged side by side within a single level. Light arriving from the sun 1 is directed onto the roof of the building 7 via a mirror 3 onto the entry plane of a light guide system 2. In this embodiment, the entry plane of the light guide system 2 is vertically oriented by means of a support and can thus directly receive the sunlight reflected by the mirror 3.

[0027] The mirror 3 is adjustable on a mirror mount 5 by means of a mechanical joint 4 such that the change in the sun's position during the day can be largely compensated for by tracking the mirror 3 via a control device 6. In this embodiment, the sunlight captured by the light guidance system 2 is directed by four light guide elements 8 to various light outlets 9, through which the respective areas 10 inside the building 7 are then illuminated.

[0028] Each area 10 has sensors 11 that detect properties of the light introduced into the respective area 10, such as intensity, spectral composition, and spatial distribution. Based on the sensor data, filter systems of the light guidance system 2 can be controlled in such a way that the light emitted into the respective area 10 via the light guidance elements 8 is modified, for example, in intensity, spectrum, distribution, and duration of exposure. This allows different lighting requirements to be set, for example, for different plants in the respective areas or shelves 10.

[0029] In Fig. Figure 2 shows an alternative mirror arrangement on the roof of a building 7 for coupling sunlight into the building 7. In this embodiment, two mirrors 3a and 3b are arranged on mirror mounts 5 at a distance such that light emitted by the sun 1 is first directed by a first mirror 3a towards a second mirror 3b and from there onto the entry plane of a light guidance system 2. Both mirrors 3a and 3b are individually adjustable by means of mechanical joints 4. By means of a control system 6, the changing position of the sun throughout the day can be very effectively compensated for by selectively adjusting both mirrors 3a and 3b. In this embodiment as well, the sunlight received by the light guidance system 2 is directed by four light guide elements 8 to different areas 10 inside the building 7.Each illuminated area 10 again has sensors 11, which detect the properties of the light emitted by the light outlets 9.

[0030] An arrangement of mirrors for coupling sunlight into a building is not limited to the roof area. Fig. Figure 3 schematically shows the coupling of sunlight via a light guidance system 2 installed in the side wall of the building 7. In this arrangement, one or more mirrors 3 can be placed next to the building with corresponding mirror mounts 5, whereby the mirror(s) 3 can again be adjusted to the position of the sun by means of mechanical joints 4 via controls 6.

[0031] Fig. Figure 4 schematically shows the receiving arrangement of the light-guiding system 2 in the area of ​​sunlight coupling. A housing 19 above a base plate 18 serves as protection against weather influences and as a holder for various filter elements 21, 22, 23 of the receiving arrangement. In this embodiment, the sunlight is first guided through a first filter 21, which is preferably designed as low-E glass. Such glasses are typically metal-coated and thus have the property of filtering out infrared components of the sunlight by reflection, thereby protecting the plants to be illuminated from excessive harmful heat radiation. To enhance this effect, several low-E glasses can be placed one behind the other.

[0032] For an additional filtering process, an “intelligent glass” 22 is installed further along the radiation path in this exemplary arrangement. This term describes electrochromic glasses in which the light transmittance can be changed by means of an applied control voltage, thus adjusting the light intensity of the transmitted light. A corresponding connection 20 for supplying the control voltage is shown schematically in the side wall of the housing 19.

[0033] In the further course of the radiation, the schematic arrangement of the Fig. Figure 4 shows a color filter 23. This is preferably designed such that only desired portions of the light spectrum are transmitted. For this purpose, several filters 23 with different spectral transmission ranges can be placed one after the other.

[0034] To prevent unwanted heating in the area of ​​the filter assembly, one or more ventilation openings can be provided in the filter housing 19. For illustration, see in Fig. 4 An example of a lateral opening gap 32 is shown.

[0035] After passing through filters 21, 22, 23, the light reaches a receiving element 17. In this embodiment, the receiving element 17 is funnel-shaped, forming a truncated cone with a mirrored inner surface. The tapered shape of the receiving element 17 is not limited to the geometry of a truncated cone but can be varied, for example, as a truncated pyramid or as a tapered hexagonal column (honeycomb).

[0036] The light entering through the larger upper surface of the receiving element 17 is reflected at the inner surface and focused towards the lower opening. A light guiding element 8 is attached there, through which the light is transmitted, for example, by means of optical fibers.

[0037] In the exemplary embodiment of the Fig. In the 4th section, the filters 21, 22, 23 are arranged in succession and progressively reduced in size. Fresnel lenses 24 are provided after each filter, which focus the light accordingly onto the surface area of ​​the subsequent filter or the entrance aperture of the receiving element 17. This allows for the introduction of a high light intensity into the light guiding element 8.

[0038] Fig. Figure 5 schematically shows an alternative embodiment of the light guidance system 2. After passing through the filters 21, 22, 23, several receiving elements 17 are provided here for guiding the light via light guidance elements 8, which in this representation are as in the embodiment of the Fig. 4 are designed as a truncated cone. By means of a bundled arrangement, for example in cross-section, hexagonally shaped receiving elements 17, the area illuminated after passing through the filters 21, 22, 23 can be used almost across its entire surface for light transmission, so that the intermediate Fresnel lenses can also be omitted.

[0039] Fig.Figure 6 schematically shows an embodiment of a light outlet 9 for coupling the light transmitted by the light guiding element 8 into a region 10. For this purpose, the end of the light guiding element 8 is inserted into a widening housing 25, and the light exiting the light guiding element 8 is spread out at a desired angle by means of a diffusing lens 27 (which is, for example, plano-concave). By scattering at the light outlet 26, for example by means of a coating that diffusely distributes the light, a largely homogeneous light distribution of the illuminated region 10 can be achieved. Reference symbol list 1 sun 2 Light guidance system 3 mirrors 3a Primary mirror 3b Secondary mirror 4 Mechanical joint 5 Mirror bracket 6 Control 7 buildings 8 Light guiding element 9 Light emission 10 Illuminated area, shelf 11 Sensor 17 Recording element 18 Base plate 19" enclosure 20 Electrical connection 21 Low-E glass 22 Electrochromic glass 23 color filters 24 Fresnel lens 25 Funnel-shaped housing 26 Light outlet 27 Diffusing lens 32 Ventilation opening QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2021 110 717 A1

[0002]

Claims

[1] Arrangement for illuminating at least one area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7), with a light guide system (2) for receiving external light, with at least one light guide element (8) for transporting the received light to the area (10), with a light exit (9) for coupling the transported light into the area (10), characterized by , that the arrangement has at least one sensor (11) in an area (10) for detecting the light intensity and / or spectral composition, and that at least one adaptive filter (21, 22, 23) is provided in the light guide system (2), which regulates the passage of the received light into the at least one light guide element (8) depending on the sensor values. [2] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to claim 1, wherein at least one adaptive filter (21, 22, 23) is provided to change the received light in its intensity, in its frequency range and / or in its geometric distribution depending on the sensor values. [3] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to claim 2, wherein at least one adaptive filter (21, 22, 23) is segmented, and individual segments are assigned to different sensors (11) in different areas (10). [4] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one filter is provided, in particular as part of the at least one adaptive filter (21, 22, 23), for attenuating IR and / or UV light components. [5] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light guide system (2) has one or more optical elements (3, 3a, 3b, 17, 24) for coupling and bundling the external light into the light guide element (8). [6] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to claim 5, wherein the optical elements have one or more movable mirrors (3, 3a, 3b) which can be aligned in particular depending on the position of the sun. [7] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a control (6) is provided for the adaptive filter(s) (21, 22, 23) and in particular for aligning the movable mirrors (3, 3a, 3b). [8] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one receiving element (17) is provided, arranged in particular between the at least one adaptive filter (21, 22, 23) and an associated light-guiding element (8), wherein the receiving element (17) has mirrored surfaces via which the received light, in particular emerging from the at least one adaptive filter (21, 22, 23), is reflected in the direction of the light-guiding element (8). [9] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to claim 8, wherein the receiving element (17) tapers conically with a round cross-section towards the light-guiding element (8) or has a decreasing cross-section of a regular n-gon. [10] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a plurality of receiving elements (17) and associated light-guiding elements (8) are arranged next to one another, in particular abutting one another, wherein the arrangement is in particular area-optimised. [11] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the light exit (9) is assigned to an area (10) and a scattering lens (27), in particular a plano-concave optical lens, which scatters the light coupled out of the light guide element (8), wherein the scattering lens (27) is in particular connected to a funnel-shaped housing (25) which opens in the radiation direction in such a way that the opening angle corresponds approximately to the scattering angle of the scattering lens. [12] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building (7) according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a plurality of separate areas (10) are provided for illumination and each separate area (10) is assigned at least one light-guiding element (8) and at least one sensor (11) for detecting the light intensity, which detects the light in its area (10) and, depending on the sensor value, individually regulates the coupling of the light into the assigned light-guiding element (8) by means of at least one adaptive filter (21, 22, 23). [13] Arrangement for illuminating an area (10), in particular for growing plants in at least one building according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the adaptive filter (21, 22, 23) is designed such that it is arranged exclusively in the light guide system (2) and acts exclusively there or several parts which are arranged in the light guide system (2) and in other parts of the arrangement and have a filtering effect there.

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