Natural-light illumination enhancement assembly

Claim 2

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least on louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; each of said at least partially reflecting louvers, when viewed short-edge on, comprising an inclined downwardly-facing concave first section and a lower downwardly-facing concave second section which is less-steeply inclined than the first section and having about double the length of the first section when so viewed, both the first and the second sections lying on or close to respective 15° circular arcs and meeting one another at about 145° to define a downwardly-facing ridge-like portion, the vertical separtion of like parts of adjacent said louvers being about half the edge-to-edge dimensions of each said louver when so viewed.

Claim 3

An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which one or other or both of the two sections has a curvature of other than 15° or is straight when viewed short-end on.

Claim 4

An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the louvres are mounted in such a way as to allow their orientations to be varied to suit different lighting situations.

Claim 5

An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which each said at least partially reflecting louver blade is of about 0.2 mm material thickness, has a long-side length of about 3 meters and has a short-side length dimension of about 5 cm.

Claim 6

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; each of said at least partially reflecting louvers, when viewed short-edge on, comprising an inclined downwardly-facing straight or slightly concave first section merging tangentially into a lower inclined downwardly-facing concave second section of significantly greater curvature than the first section and of about double the length of the first section when so viewed, the second section lying on or close to a 15° circular arc and the vertical separation of like parts of adjacent said louvers being about half the edge-to-edge dimension of each said louver when so viewed.

Claim 7

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; each of said at least partially reflecting louvers, when viewed short-edge on, comprising an inclined downwardly-facing straight or slightly concave first section merging tangentially into a lower inclined downwardly-facing concave second section of significantly greater curvature than the first section and of about double the length of the first section when so viewed, the second section lying on or close to a 15° circular arc and the vertical separation of like parts of adjacent said louvers being about half the edge-to-edge dimension of each said louver when so viewed.

Claim 8

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; each of said at least partially reflecting louvers, when viewed short-edge on, comprising an inclined downwardly-facing first section pivotally connected to a downwardly-facing concave second section, the second section lying on or close to a 15° circular arc, when so viewed, and the first section being straight or lying on a second circular arc of the same or lesser curvature than the arc for the first section and the vertical separation of like parts of adjacent said louvers being about half the edge-to-edge dimension of each said louver when so viewed.

Claim 9

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; each of said at least partially reflecting louvers, when viewed short-edge on, comprising an inclined downwardly-facing first section pivotally connected to a downwardly-facing concave second section, the second section lying on or close to a 15° circular arc, when so viewed, and the first section being straight or lying on a second circular arc of the same or lesser curvature than the arc for the first section and the vertical separation of like parts of adjacent said louvers being about half the edge-to-edge dimension of each said louver when so viewed.

Claim 10

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; said louvers being mounted in such a way as to allow their orientations to be varied to suit different lighting conditions; said louvers being controlled by a microprocessor or small computer to vary the louver inclination to produce a more even overall illumination or to reflect more or less light to one or another side of said at least partially reflective surface thereof.

Claim 11

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; said louvers being mounted in such a way as to allow their orientations to be varied to suit different lighting conditions; said louvers being controlled by a microprocessor or small computer to vary the louver inclination to produce a more even overall illumination or to reflect more or less light to one or another side of said at least partially reflective surface thereof.

Claim 12

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; at least some of said louvers being constructed of a partially reflecting material in situations where a lower louver may partially obscure its immediate upper neighbour or where, if a gap were left to avoid this, there would be a chance of light passing straight through this gap.

Claim 13

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly, comprising: a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; at least some of said louvers being constructed of a partially reflecting material in situations where a lower louver may partially obscure its immediate upper neighbour or where, if a gap were left to avoid this, there would be a chance of light passing straight through this gap.

Claim 14

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly comprising: a greenhouse extending along an east-west axis, and having a south-facing wall adapted to admit direct sunlight throughout a substantial portion of the year; a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers in said greenhouse so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; each of said at least partially reflecting louvers, when viewed short-edge on, comprising an inclined downwardly-facing concave first section and a lower downwardly-facing concave second section which is less-steeply inclined than the first section and having about double the length of the first section when so viewed, both the first and the second sections lying on or close to respective 15° circular arcs and meeting one another at about 145° to define a downwardly-facing ridge-like portion, the vertical separation of like parts of adjacent said louvers being about half the edge-to-edge dimensions of each said louver when so viewed; and an array of plants growing in said greenhouse at said level and being illuminated at least in part, by sunlight reflected directly onto them from said lower surfaces of said reflectors.

Claim 15

A natural-light illumination enhancement assembly comprising: a greenhouse extending along an east-west axis, and having a south-facing wall adapted to admit direct sunlight throughout a substantial portion of the year; a louver array including at least one louver; each louver of said array having means defining an at least partially-reflective lower surface; means mounting all of said louvers in said greenhouse so as to have direct sunlight incident upon at least some of said at least partially reflective lower surface of each and for mounting each of said louvers in such relation to one another that at least some of said incident direct sunlight is reflected by each of said louvers from said at least partially reflective lower surface thereof to a notional plane disposed at a lower level than said louver array; each of said at least partially reflecting louvers, when viewed short-edge on, comprising an inclined downwardly-facing concave first section and a lower downwardly-facing concave second section which is less-steeply inclined than the first section and having about double the length of the first section when so viewed, both the first and the second sections lying on or close to respective 15° circular arcs and meeting one another at about 145° to define a downwardly-facing ridge-like portion, the vertical separation of like parts of adjacent said louvers being about half the edge-to-edge dimensions of each said louver when so viewed; and an array of plants growing in said greenhouse at said level and being illuminated at least in part, by sunlight reflected directly onto them from said lower surfaces of said reflectors.