Patent ID: 8290318

Claim:
An optical cover for light harvesting devices, comprising: a layer of optically transparent material including a broad-area light input surface and an opposing broad-area light output surface extending generally parallel to said light input surface and configured for a substantially unimpeded transversal light passage; said layer further including a plurality of light deflecting elements distributed along the prevailing plane of said layer and having a cumulative aperture substantially smaller than the area of each of said surfaces; said light input surface being characterized by a stepped drop in refractive index outwardly from said layer and by a critical angle of a Total Internal Reflection; wherein each of said light deflecting elements is configured to receive light propagating between said light input surface and said light output surface and communicate said light a greater propagation angle with respect to a normal to said light input surface, said propagation angle being greater than said critical angle of a Total Internal Reflection.