Light-Redirecting Roller Shade With Embedded Reflective Surfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional roller shades primarily block or admit light, lacking the ability to redirect sunlight, which limits their effectiveness in daylight harvesting and distribution within buildings, leading to potential glare and inefficient illumination.

Innovation Solution

A flexible light-redirecting sheet with embedded reflective surfaces, such as deep and narrow channels or slits, is integrated into a roller shade system, utilizing total internal reflection to redirect daylight at high angles, maintaining optical clarity and flexibility for easy installation and use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional roller shades use opaque or translucent fabric, then light blocking or admission is achieved, but light redirection capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight control functionalityVSAvoidlight redirection capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by integrating an optically clear or translucent polymer sheet with embedded reflective surfaces (such as metallic coatings or mirrored particles) into the roller shade fabric. This composite structure combines the light-blocking property of traditional shades with light-redirecting capabilities, allowing the fabric to both admit and redirect light simultaneously through its multi-layered composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by creating specific zones within the roller shade fabric that possess light-redirecting properties. The reflective surfaces are strategically positioned or distributed within the fabric structure to redirect light in specific directions (such as toward the ceiling) while other portions of the fabric maintain standard light-admitting or light-blocking characteristics, providing spatially differentiated light control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Use of energy by moving object

If roller shades redirect light to the ceiling, then daylight harvesting is improved, but direct beam intensity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedaylight harvesting efficiencyVSAvoiddirect beam intensity

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of excessive direct beam intensity (which causes glare) into a beneficial effect by redirecting this excess light toward the ceiling. The reflective surfaces in the roller shade fabric intercept direct sunlight and redirect it upward, where it contributes to overall room illumination through ceiling reflection, thereby harvesting daylight while simultaneously reducing glare from direct beams.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Adaptability or versatility

If reflective surfaces are embedded in the sheet material, then light redirection is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight redirection functionalityVSAvoidsheet material structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the light-redirecting function directly into the roller shade fabric itself by embedding reflective surfaces within the sheet material during manufacturing. This integration combines the structural fabric component with the optical redirecting function into a single unified element, eliminating the need for separate redirecting components and simplifying the overall system architecture despite the enhanced functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs parameter changes by modifying the optical properties of the roller shade fabric through the incorporation of reflective surfaces. The sheet material transitions from standard translucent or opaque fabric to a composite material with controlled reflectivity parameters, enabling light redirection while maintaining the fabric's flexibility and manufacturability through adjustments in material composition and structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution efficiently redirects daylight into building interiors, enhancing natural illumination, reducing glare, and allowing for controlled light distribution, thereby improving comfort and energy efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

the light redirecting functionality of the flexible sheet is provided by an array of reflective surfaces included into the sheet material... such slits or channels may form optical surfaces redirecting light by a total internal reflection (TIR)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTotal internal reflection: Total Internal Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS11499367B2Light-redirecting window covering

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 S V V TECH INNOVATIONS INC

AI summary

A window covering for natural illumination of building interiors by redirecting the incident daylight at angles that promote its deeper penetration into the interior space. The window covering comprises an optically transmissive, flexible polymeric sheet having a layered structure with a light diffusing output surface and a number of total internal reflection surfaces incorporated into its material. The total internal reflection surfaces are dimensioned such that the multi-layer sheet diffusely redirect at least a portion of light towards a direction which is generally not coincident with the incidence direction.