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Tubular skylight with improved dome

a skylight and dome technology, applied in the field of skylights, can solve the problems of reducing the performance of the skylight, affecting the use of daylight, and affecting the effect of interior lighting, so as to achieve effective interior lighting and increase the amount of light

Inactive Publication Date: 2003-08-19
NATURAL LIGHT ENERGY SYST LLC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The prismatic surface increases the amount of light directed or steered downwardly through the tube. The enhancement is most notable when the sun is relatively low in the sky as in the morning, the late afternoon and evening, and during the winter months. The dome also increases both the portion of the day and the number of seasons during which the skylight provides effective interior lighting.

Problems solved by technology

However, this approach is relatively complex structurally, relatively expensive, and aesthetically deficient.
Further, the reflector may actually decrease the performance of the skylight when no direct sunlight is present, because the reflector blocks a portion of the ambient light.

Method used

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  • Tubular skylight with improved dome
  • Tubular skylight with improved dome
  • Tubular skylight with improved dome

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

A tubular skylight constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and generally designated 10. As perhaps most clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, the skylight includes a dome assembly 12, a diffuser assembly 14, and a tube assembly 16 interconnecting the dome and diffuser assemblies. The skylight 10 is installed in a building B having roof R and ceiling C. More particularly, the dome assembly 12 is mounted within the roof R; and the diffuser assembly 14 is mounted within the ceiling C. The tubular assembly 16 extends between the dome assembly 12 and the diffuser assembly 14 to channel light from the dome to the diffuser. With the exception of the dome, the skylight 10 is generally well known to those skilled in the art.

The dome assembly 12 includes a dome 20 and a roof flashing 22. The dome 20, which is new, will be described in greater detail below. The flashing 22 mounts within a building roof R to provide a structural support fo...

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PUM

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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.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to skylights, and more particularly to tubular skylights, which include a reflective tube extending downwardly from the dome.Tubular skylights have acquired increasing popularity as a means of introducing natural light into a building interior. These skylights include a dome mounted on the building roof, a light diffuser mounted in the building ceiling, and a reflective tube interconnecting the dome and the diffuser. Natural light entering the skylight through the dome reflects downwardly through the tube to the diffuser. The tube in a sense acts as a gigantic optical fiber. Typically, the domes are fabricated of acrylic; and the tube is fabricated of reflective aluminum. A tubular skylight of this type is sold by ODL, Incorporated, the assignee of the present invention, under the trademark EZ LIGHT.The efficiency of such skylights (i.e. the amount of natural light reaching the building interior) is primarily a function of the...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): E04D13/03F21S11/00G02B5/04
CPCE04D13/03E04D13/033E04D2013/0345F21S11/00G02B5/045
Inventor DEBLOCK, DAVID A.SITZEMA, JR., RONALD L.BARBER, GWEN H.
Owner NATURAL LIGHT ENERGY SYST LLC
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