Patent ID: 6059438
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: F21S,F21V,G02B

Abstract:
A lighting system for an interior of a building and the like, comprising:(i) means for collecting and converting sunlight into concentrated light, said collecting means comprising a stack of fluorescent sheets, the said stack being of a substantially rectangular prism shape having top and bottom surfaces, opposed side surfaces defining therebetween a width of the collecting means, and opposed end surfaces defining therebetween a length of the collecting means, wherein the length of the collecting means is sufficiently greater than the width of the collecting means such that its aspect ratio as hereinbefore defined is greater than 4.0;(ii) a flexible light guide for channelling the concentrated light to a light emitting fitting for the interior of the building or the like;(iii) means for optically coupling the sunlight collecting and converting means with the flexible light guide through one of the said end surfaces of the collecting means, wherein the total cross-sectional areas of each of the collecting means, coupling means and flexible light guide are substantially the same, and wherein the coupling means is an optical joint created by a medium having a refractive index close to that of the collecting means and flexible light guide.