Skylight Fixture Emulating Natural Light via LED Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
In many buildings, especially lower floors, it is impractical or impossible to install traditional skylights due to structural or mechanical constraints, limiting access to natural light which is essential for mood enhancement and productivity.
Innovation Solution
A lighting fixture designed to emulate a skylight, featuring a sky-resembling assembly and multiple sun-resembling assemblies with specific optical and light source configurations, allowing for adjustable color points and angles to mimic natural light conditions, including daylight and sunset hues, and can be controlled to provide circadian stimuli.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional skylights are installed in buildings, then natural light is provided to enhance mood and productivity, but structural or mechanical constraints prevent installation in many spaces especially lower floors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a lighting fixture that copies the visual appearance and lighting effects of a traditional skylight without requiring actual sky access. The fixture uses LED assemblies with diffusers to replicate the appearance of sky and sunlight, providing the same benefits in locations where real skylights cannot be installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary lighting system that mediates between the need for natural light and the structural constraints of the building. This fixture acts as a substitute that provides natural light simulation through electrical lighting, bridging the gap between incompatible requirements.
2Illumination intensity
If a lighting fixture emulates skylight with multiple assemblies, then natural light benefits are provided in constrained spaces, but device complexity increases with multiple optical assemblies and control modules
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional elements (sky-resembling assembly, sun-resembling assemblies, control modules) into a single integrated lighting fixture unit. This merging approach consolidates what could be separate complex systems into one cohesive device that can be installed as a single unit while maintaining the benefits of multiple light sources and control capabilities.
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 skylight fixture effectively replicates the benefits of natural light, enhancing ambiance and productivity in spaces where traditional skylights cannot be installed, while offering adjustable lighting to simulate various natural light conditions and improve circadian rhythms.
Implementation Method 1
The sky-resembling light assembly has a specific optical assembly and a specific light source, wherein light from the light source exits a planar interior surface of the optical assembly as sky resembling light. Each of the plurality of sun-resembling light assemblies has a specific optical assembly and a specific light source, wherein light from the light source exits a planar interior surface of the optical assembly as sun resembling light.
Implementation Method 2
The sky-resembling light assembly has a specific optical assembly and a specific light source, wherein light from the light source exits a planar interior surface of the optical assembly as sky resembling light.
Implementation Method 3
One or more control modules alone or in a collective are configured to, in a first mode, drive the sky-specific light source and each sun-specific light sources such that the sky-resembling assembly has a light emission with a first color point and the at least one of the sun-resembling assemblies has light emission with a second color point that is different from the first color point.
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting fixture appears as a skylight and is referred to as a skylight fixture. The skylight fixture has a sky-resembling assembly and a plurality of sun-resembling assemblies. The sky-resembling assembly has a sky-resembling optical assembly and a sky-specific light source, wherein light from the sky-specific light source exits a planar interior surface of the sky-resembling light optical assembly as skylight light. The plurality of sun-resembling assemblies are arranged adjacent one another and extend downward from a periphery of the sky-resembling assembly. Each of the plurality of sun-resembling assemblies has a sun-resembling optical assembly and a sun-specific light source, wherein light from the sun-specific light source exits a planar interior surface of the sun-resembling optical assembly as sunlight light.