Patent Abstract:
A sunlight manipulating device includes a light focusing module and a light deflection module. The light focusing module is configured for converging incident sunlight on a focal region. The light deflection module is arranged on the focal region or adjacent to the focal region and configured for deflecting the converged sunlight to a target area, wherein the target area is diverged from an optical axis of the light focusing module. The above-mentioned sunlight manipulating device allows more diverse configurations for solar cells, heating devices and light guide elements or the like means.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a light manipulating device, and more particularly to a sunlight manipulating device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Solar energy belong to clean energy and inexhaustible, and therefore how to effectively utilizesolar energy is the main development direction of industry. At present, the major application of solar energy includes generating electric power, heating or illuminating. In order to effectively utilize solar energy, conventional solar cells are mostly set in space in direct sunlight, i.e. setting in outdoors. The life of solar cells setting in outdoors may be shortened due to climatic factors. 
         [0005]    In addition, if the power consumption for illumination is greater than the amount of power generation by solar energy, the introduction of sunlight for illumination is obviously better for energy utilization. However, most of the conventional solar cell is set in facing the sun and large area manner to facilitate absorbing solar energy. In other words, the solar cell shadows the most sunlight which results the shadowed sunlight cannot be used as illumination purpose. To move the solar cell with large area requires not only more space and it is not easy. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it is highly desirable to manipulate the sunlight to efficiently use solar energy. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is directed to a sunlight manipulating device which uses a light focusing module and a light deflection module to guide sunlight to a target area, so that an installation of a solar cell, a heating device or a light guide element can be more flexible, such as in a sheltered environment or erected installation. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, the proposed sunlight manipulating device includes a light focusing module and a light deflection module. The light focusing module is configured for converging incident sunlight on a focal region. The light deflection module is arranged on the focal region or adjacent to the focal region to deflect the converged sunlight to a target area, wherein the target area is diverged from an optical axis of the light focusing module. 
         [0009]    The objective, technologies, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein certain embodiments of the present invention are set forth by way of illustration and example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The foregoing conceptions and their accompanying advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated after being better understood by referring to the following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a diagram schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a diagram schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a diagram schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the third embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a diagram schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a diagram schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a diagram schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7 a    and  FIG. 7 b    are diagrams schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a diagram schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a diagram schematically illustrating a sunlight manipulating device according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0020]    Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below and illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In addition to these detailed descriptions, the present invention can be widely implemented in other embodiments, and apparent alternations, modifications and equivalent changes of any mentioned embodiments are all included within the scope of the present invention and based on the scope of the Claims. In the descriptions of the specification, in order to make readers have a more complete understanding about the present invention, many specific details are provided; however, the present invention may be implemented without parts of or all the specific details. In addition, the well-known steps or elements are not described in detail, in order to avoid unnecessary limitations to the present invention. Same or similar elements in Figures will be indicated by same or similar reference numbers. It is noted that the Figures are schematic and may not represent the actual size or number of the elements. For clearness of the Figures, some details may not be fully depicted. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a sunlight manipulating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a light focusing module  11  and a light deflection module  12 . The light focusing module  11  can converge incident sunlight SL 1  on a focal region. For example, the light focusing module  11  may be a Fresnel lens, but is not limited thereto. Other lenses or mirrors having the function of converging light can implement the present invention. In one embodiment, the focal region may be a focal point or focal line. The light deflection module  12  is arranged on the focal region or adjacent to the focal region converging the sunlight SL 1 , so that the light deflection module  12  deflects the converged sunlight SL 2  to a target area  20 . The target area  20  is diverged from an optical axis A of the light focusing module  11 . In one embodiment, the light deflection module  12  may be a reflective element or a refractive element. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the light deflection module  12  is a reflective element. It can be understood that the light deflection module  12  may be a single optical element which includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces or refractive surfaces. For example, the light deflection module  12  may be a prism. Furthermore, the position of the sun changes over time and the focal region also moves depending on the movement of the sun. Therefore, in one embodiment, the size or moveable path of the light deflection module  12  covers a movement trajectory of the focal region caused by movement of the sun. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, a light entrance surface of a solar cell, a heating device or a light guide element can be installed at the target area  20  to utilize the deflected sunlight SL 2  from the light deflection module  12 . According to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the installation of a solar cell, a heating device or a light guide element can be more flexible by using the sunlight manipulating device of the present invention to adjust the light path of the incident sunlight SL 1 . For example, the solar cell can be installed at a sheltered environment so that the damage of solar cell caused by wind, rain or other climatic factors can be avoided and the operating life of solar cell can be extended. In addition, the solar cell may be installed in erected manner to reduce the space required for the installation of solar cell. It can be understood that the sunlight SL 2  irradiating to the target area  20  may not be used for any purpose. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2  to illustrate the sunlight manipulating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the difference between the two is that the light focusing module  11  of the second embodiment is a variable focal length element, and the remaining components are the same as the first embodiment. In one embodiment, the trench of Fresnel lens can be filled with a material which has the same or similar refractive index with that of the Fresnel lens, so that the focusing effect of the light focusing module  11  will be significantly reduced. At this time, the incident sunlight SL 1  passing through the light focusing module  11  is almost no convergence and most of the incident sunlight SL 1  will not be deflected to the target area  20  by the light deflection module  12 , and therefore, most of the incident sunlight SL 1  can be used as the illumination purpose. On the contrary, the filled material can be drawn out from the Fresnel lens to restore the convergence function of the Fresnel lens, and therefore, the converged sunlight SL 2  can be deflected to the target area  20  as the other of the applications. Briefly, it can be controlled whether the incident sunlight SL 1  irradiates to the target area  20  or not by adjusting the focal length of the light focusing module  11 . It can be understood that the target area  20  is diverged from a projection area along the optical axis A of the light focusing module  11  so as to avoid shadow the incident sunlight SL 1  by the solar cell, the heating device or the light guide element installed at the target area  20 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  to illustrate the sunlight manipulating device according to the third embodiment and fourth embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the difference between the two is that the third embodiment and fourth embodiment further comprise a driving element  13  connected with the light deflection module  12 , and the remaining components are the same as the first embodiment. The driving element  13  is able to drive the light deflection module  12  in a manner of rotation (as shown in  FIG. 3 ), linear movement (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) or the combination thereof so as to make the light deflection module  12  diverge from the focal region. At this time, the converged sunlight SL 2  from the light focusing module  11  will not be deflected to the target area  20  by the light deflection module  12 , and the converged sunlight SL 2  passing through the focal region will diffuse to form a wider range of irradiation region, for example, as an illumination purposes. It can be understood that part of the light deflection module  12  diverges from the focal region so that part of the converged sunlight SL 2  is deflected to the target area  20  and another part of the converged sunlight SL 2  is used for illumination purposes. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 5  to illustrate the sunlight manipulating device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the difference between the two is that the light deflection module  12  of the fifth embodiment comprises a plurality of optical elements  121 ,  122 , and the remaining components are the same as the first embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the optical element  122  includes a curved surface, so that the optical element  122  can further converge the sunlight SL 2  converged by the light focusing module  11  to irradiate a smaller target area  20 . It can be understood that the light deflection module  12  including a single optical element with curved surface is also able to implement the function of further converging the sunlight SL 2 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 6  to illustrate the sunlight manipulating device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the fifth embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the difference between the two is that the sixth embodiment further comprises a driving element  13  connected with the optical element  121  of the light deflection module  12 , and the remaining components are the same as the fifth embodiment. As the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the driving element  13  is able to drive the optical element in rotation or linear movement manner to make the optical element  121  diverge from the focal region of the light focusing module  11 , so that the converged sunlight SL 2  passing through the focal region will diffuse for the illumination purpose. It can be understood that the same purpose can be achieved by driving the light deflection module  12  including the optical elements  121 ,  122  to diverge from the focal region of the light focusing module  11  by the driving element  13 . In one embodiment, the driving element  13  may drive the optical element  121  in rotation manner to make the sunlight SL 2  converged by the light focusing module  11  deflect to other direction for irradiating a wider range of the target area  20 , instead of deflecting to the optical element  122 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 7 a    and  FIG. 7 b    to illustrate the sunlight manipulating device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the difference between the two is that the seventh embodiment further comprises at least one of a filter element  14  and a scattering element  15 , and the remaining components are the same as the first embodiment. The filter element  14  and the scattering element  15  may be driven by the driving element (not shown in  FIG. 7 a    and  FIG. 7 b   ) to selectively move to the focal region or adjacent to the focal region in linear movement or rotation manner. According to the foregoing structure, for example as the illumination purpose, the filter element  14  or the scattering element  15  can be moved to the focal region to filter or scatter the converged sunlight SL 2  to achieve better illumination effects. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 8  to illustrate the sunlight manipulating device according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the difference between the two is that the light focusing module and the light deflection module of the eighth embodiment are a plurality, wherein the light focusing module  11   a  is corresponding with the light deflection module  12   a  and the light focusing module  11   b  is corresponding with the light deflection module  12   b,  and the remaining components are the same as the first embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the groups of the light focusing module and the light deflection module deflect the converged sunlight SL 2  to the same target area  20 . According to this structure, more sunlight can be obtained per unit area of the target area  20 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 9  to illustrate the sunlight manipulating device according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the difference between the two is that the light focusing module  11  is an asymmetric focusing optical element. Briefly, the focal region of the light focusing module  11  is diverged from a physical center axis C of the light focusing module  11 . Therefore, the setting position of the light deflection module  12  is diverged from the physical center axis C of the light focusing module  11 , which improve the installation of the light focusing module  12  be more flexible. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 9  again, in one embodiment, the light deflection module  12  may be a reflective filter. In other words, a first light WL 1  of a first wavelength range among the converged sunlight can be deflected to the target area  20  by the light deflection module  12 , and a second light WL 2  of a second wavelength range among the converged sunlight transmits through the light deflection module  12 . According to this structure, the second light WL 2  can be used for illumination or irradiating plants to promote plants growth, and the first light WL 1  can be for generating electric power or heating. It can be understood that the first light WL 1  irradiating to the target area  20  may not be used for any purpose. 
         [0031]    To summarize the foregoing descriptions, the sunlight manipulating device of the present invention uses the light focusing module and the light deflection module to adjust the light path of the incident sunlight and guide the sunlight to the target area, so that the installation of the solar cell, the heating device or the light guide element can be more flexible, such as in a sheltered environment or erected installation. In addition, the light path of the incident sunlight can be changed by controlling the light focusing module or the light deflection module so as to selectively adjust the application of the sunlight. 
         [0032]    While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific example thereof has been shown in the drawings and is herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particular form disclosed, but to the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7