The University of British Columbia

Teleflex Canada Incorporated

Teleflex Canada Limited Partnership

Suncentral, Inc.

Jon David Edward Scott

Lorne Arthur Whitehead

Allen Upward

Peter George Friedel

Stephen Raymond Flood

Mark Richard Mosher

A sunlight redirector has a first mirror array formed of a first plurality of substantially parallel, uniformly spaced, longitudinal outward mirror segments; and a second mirror array formed of a second plurality of substantially parallel, uniformly spaced, longitudinal inward mirror segments. Each mirror segment has a normal vector. The outward mirror segments are adjustably positionable, such that their normal vectors remain parallel. The first mirror array is rotatable about a normal vector of the sunlight redirector. The inward mirror segments may remain fixed in position at all times; or they may be moved, twice per day, between first and second fixed positions.

Sunlight redirector with fixed mirror segments

A light collecting and disseminating apparatus is provided for use in harvesting sunlight from the exterior of a man-made structure, and providing light to the inside of the structure, via an opto-mechanical joint where sunlight would not normally be available. The internal arrangement of the collector allows for improved optical accuracy and performance over prior efforts. The apparatus is also characterized as possessing a low profile so as not to alter the appearance of buildings furnished with the invention. Further, light can be collected from any orientation and redirected through the opto-mechanical joint to a stationary light receiving port independent of the orientation of the collectors.

Opto-mechanical joint assemblies

Longitudinally adjacent plane mirrors (-) are pivotally interconnected in a columnar array () by non-stretching linkages () which constrain movement of the mirrors such that their normal vectors () remain parallel. Pivotable couplings () in two mirrors permit movement of the mirrors with respect to mutually perpendicular axes (x, y) and prevent movement of the mirrors with respect to a third axis (z). Two actuators (A,B) coupled to one of the pivotable couplings controllably move a selected mirror with respect to the mutually perpendicular axes (x, y). A first frame () couples the mirror columns together so that movement of the selected mirror moves all the mirrors in unison. The actuators controllably move the mirrors to orient the normal vectors such that the mirrors specularly reflect incident light in a preselected direction.

Adaptive sunlight redirector

A device for rotating with a rotatable first member includes a second member having a portion engageable with the first member. The portion has a first part and a second part which is resiliently biased away from the first part. The second member tightly engages the first member. There may be a device for measuring rotation of the shaft such as a potentiometer. The rotation measuring device may include an electrical connector for the potentiometer including a socket and a post which is pressable into the socket. The device may also include a rotationally adjustable connector. There may be a coupling connected to the second member which includes a third member with a portion having n sides and a fourth member with a portion having n sides which receives the portion of the third member in a mating relationship, thereby allowing the device to be adjusted to a total of at least m.n rotational positions. The second member preferably has a projection which slidably engages a slot in the third member allowing for non-coaxial rotation, and minimal backlash, of the device for measuring rotation relative to the first member.

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, Canada

Jon David Edward Scott