John L Hutson

US Patent:

7339739, Mar 4, 2008

Filed:

Mar 30, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/693959

Inventors:

Laurence F. Kinney - Boulder CO, US
John Hutson - Austin TX, US

International Classification:

G02B 17/00
G02B 27/00

US Classification:

359591, 359595, 359597

Abstract:

A daylighting system for structures consisting of a solar energy collector means including a modified Cassegrainian optical system, a means of moving said collector means to an attitude tracking the sun's position in the sky during daylight hours, a heat separation means for removing heat from the concentrated beam of sunlight and for applying said heat to other uses, and one or more hollow members each comprising a reflective internal surface for distributing the sunlight inside said structure.

US Patent:

7982956, Jul 19, 2011

Filed:

Nov 20, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/622833

Inventors:

Laurence F Kinney - Boulder CO, US
Jim Walsh - Boulder CO, US
William Ross McCluney - Cape Canaveral FL, US
Gerald L Cler - Windsor CO, US
John Hutson - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc. - Orlando CA
Sunflower Corporation - Boulder CO

International Classification:

G02B 17/00

US Classification:

359591, 359592, 359595, 359597, 359853

Abstract:

A direct beam solar lighting system for collecting and distributing sunlight into a room. The system includes a rotatable solar collector head to receive sunlight and to reflect the sunlight downward into a transition tube having a reflective interior surface. The light-concentrating transition tube reflects sunlight into a reflective light tube which directs the reflected sunlight through a plenum space into the room. The system includes a drive mechanism for rotating the rotatable solar collector, and a light fixture at end of the light tube to disburse said reflected sunlight onto a ceiling and a wall in the room. In an embodiment the system includes one or more homogenizing reflectors within the solar collector for collecting the sunlight and directing the sunlight more uniformly over the aperture of the transition tube. In an alternative embodiment, the solar collector includes a rotatable tiltable mirror for providing two-axis tracking.