JPH0282209A - Light path changing condenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the tracking structure of the entire part of the device by constructing individual condensing elements so as to track the sun and cooperatively activating the respective elements in synchronization. CONSTITUTION:A cylindrical pipe 1 made of transparent acryl, etc. is mounted turnably to a supporting shaft 3 supported by supporting frames 2, 2 and turns in the directions (a) to (a) in conformity with the altitude of the sun by receiving the instruction of for tracking the sun. A shaft 7 and a guide plate 8 fixed to the shaft 7 are provided to the central part of the plate piece array of a holding member 5. The shaft 7 and the guide plate 8 turn in the directions (b) to (b) by receiving the instruction for tracking the sun. The plate piece array of the holding member 5 turns in synchronization with the movement of the guide plate 8 according to the above-mentioned turning and the input end of cable turns in accordance with the incident direction ( east and west direction) of the sun light. The tracking mechanism is simplified in this way.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a light transmission redirection device having a structure having a light receiving section that captures the irradiation angle of a light source that changes every moment, such as sunlight, at a constant angle, and a light concentrating device using the same. It concerns the equipment of
It is mainly developed for the purpose of using Taishu light as light without converting it into other energy.

Conventionally, this type of device has been disclosed as follows: (a) A solar energy collection device that transmits sunlight focused and concentrated by a condensing lens that tracks the sun to a desired location via an optical fiber cable. (Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-18560) A lighting method that tracks sunlight or introduces reflected light from a fixed reflector such as a mirror to a desired location.
1) (c) There is a light condensing device in which specular reflectors are combined in a trapezoidal shape.

The above-mentioned devices are as follows: (a) The entire device has a solar tracking structure, so it is large, complicated, and expensive.

(b) Optical fibers used for transmission have light transmittance that decreases in proportion to their length, making it difficult to effectively focus light energy.

(c) Fiber is currently expensive and is required in large quantities for transmission over long distances.

(d) When a condensing lens is used to focus and concentrate light energy and insert it into a device, problems arise in the heat resistance of the fiber and device due to heat generation.

(e) The natural color of the sun changes due to refraction of the light that passes through the lens and long optical fiber.

(f) Optical transmission using specular reflection has a larger transmission loss than transmission using total internal reflection.

(G) A sunlight tracking device using a reflector has a relatively large daylight receiving area, making the tracking device large and complicated.

In order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention (a) employs a sun-tracking structure for each condensing element, synchronizes each element, and simplifies the tracking structure of the entire device.

(b) Use a flexible optical conductor cable that utilizes total internal reflection and specular reflection as a condensing element to change the direction of the incident light path of the light condensing section and keep the irradiation angle constant; change the direction of the light path. and transmits light by traveling straight through the air.

As described above, it is possible to provide an effective light path deflection/concentration device for light energy such as sunlight.

This will be explained below based on the figures.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along line A--A, and FIG. 4 is a state diagram.

Reference numeral 1 is a cylindrical pipe made of transparent acrylic or the like, with both ends closed to prevent dust, and is rotatably attached to a support shaft 3 supported by support frames 2, 2, and a solar tracking command (not shown). It rotates in the direction of a and a to match the altitude of the sun.

4 is an optical conductor cable, which (a) is a flexible optical fiber, optical fiber, wire or bundle, or a cable filled with a transparent liquid, which transmits light by total reflection.

(b) Plating the inner surface of the flexible hollow cable, or
A mirror surface coated with vacuum evaporation, which transmits light through specular reflection.

One end of the cable forms the input end and the other forms the output end.

Reference numeral 5 denotes an input end holding member, which holds the cable input ends of 4 arranged in a prescribed direction (Fig. 3) and rotates the input end axis. In this example, it is a plate piece such as an acrylic plate. It has a support shaft 6 at both ends, and both ends are supported by one cylindrical pipe.
It is installed so that it can rotate around the center.

The input end of the optical conductor cable 4 is inserted into the center of the thickness of the plate or fixed by adhesive or the like. A shaft 7 and a guide plate 8 fixed to the shaft 7 are provided at the center of the row of plate pieces of the holding member, and the shaft 7 and the guide plate 8 receive a command for taichō tracking, and
It rotates in the direction bb shown in the figure. Accompanying this, the plate piece array of the holding member rotates in synchronization with the movement of the guide plate 8, and the cable input end rotates in accordance with the sunlight incident direction (east-west direction).

9. denotes an output end holding member, which is a row of plate pieces arranged and held in the position shown in FIG. Similar to the holding member 5, the shaft 6a is supported on the cylindrical pipe, arranged at the position shown on the cylindrical pipe, and aligned in the direction of the guide plate 8a supported on the support shaft 3 of the cylindrical pipe. As described above, when the cylindrical pipe rotates in the direction a to a according to the altitude of the sun, the guide plate 8a is fixed to the support shaft 3 and does not move, so the plate piece moves in the direction of the guide plate 8a. The column follows and changes direction, resulting in a movement that maintains the orientation of the original output end. (Figure 4) As described above, the input end and the output end rotate relative to each other, and the cable input end tracks the sun and the output end is controlled in a related manner so that a constant irradiation angle is maintained. .

In this example, the output and input ends of a plurality of optical conductor cables are controlled in a related manner, and the cable ends are synchronized, but in the case of a single cable, tuning of the cable ends is not required. The structure may be such that the input and output terminals are controlled.

Further, in this example, the emission direction of the output end is selectively limited, but a structure may be adopted in which the emission direction can be arbitrarily changed.

A rod-shaped concave lens 10 is fixedly provided on the output end of the cylindrical pipe to focus light. The condensing lens is
It expands the focusing range of sunlight that enters the end of the optical conductor cable, and is used to focus natural light, which includes not only visible light but also ultraviolet and infrared rays, over a wide area.

When condensing light with a convex lens, use the curved surface of the lens as a compound arc to avoid heat collection and prevent the device from generating heat.

Fixed to the guide plate 8a according to the output direction of the output end,
A rod-shaped concave lens 11 is provided to diffuse the emitted light and suppress the color change of natural light due to refraction of the incident light.

With the above structure, in response to a solar tracking command, the input end tracks the sun, the incident sunlight is totally reflected or specularly reflected within the optical conductor cable, and a lens system is used as necessary to reduce the luminous flux. The light is focused, diffused, and transmitted in a predetermined direction.

The lens system may be one that acts as a lens, such as a container with a curved lens surface filled with a transparent liquid. Further, it is optional to provide it at both ends or one end of each optical conductor cable.

5 to 8 show examples in which the direction of the axis of one end (a plurality of output ends on this side) of the optical conductor cable is fixed, and the output end holding member 9a is attached to a cylindrical pipe. The structure is the same as that of the previous embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 3) except that it is fixed to the support shaft 3a.

The output end holding member 9a is a flat plate fixed to the support shaft 3a, and is provided with a plurality of through holes 12 as shown in FIG. Possibly inserted. When the cylindrical pipe rotates in the direction of a'■a', the direction of the cable output end does not move, so
Each cable is selected within the range of curvature necessary for optical transmission and transmits light. (FIG. 8) In the case of a single cable, the cable output end may have a structure that does not require synchronization or interlocking, as in the case of the above implementation.

This embodiment has a structure in which the entire device is mounted so that the output direction of the output end is in a predetermined direction, and the direction of the cable axis at the input end is controlled in relation to the output direction.

The structure of this device and the rotation method of each part may be any other structure than this example, depending on the size of the device, the number of cables used, etc., but the axis of one end of the cable is Any structure may be used as long as it is controlled in a manner that allows mirror movement with respect to the axis of the cable end.

Further, as a driving source for rotating each part of the device, electric energy obtained by photoelectrically converting sunlight may be used.

Incidentally, by sequentially installing a plurality of such light condensing devices, an arbitrary emission direction can be obtained.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which a reflector 14 is placed opposite to the emitted light from the light path deflection condensing device 13 of the above embodiment.
will be established. The reflector is made of a prism or a mirror surface, and is provided so as to be rotatable about the axis 15 in the direction cc.

When a plurality of reflectors are provided, the structure is such that the reflectors (14) and (14') are sequentially provided facing the reflected light to relay the reflected light.

In this example, the light emitted from the deflection section travels straight through the air, reaches the reflecting surface, and is reflected, and the reflector is appropriately rotated to transmit the light in the air in a predetermined direction. When light travels straight through the air, there is no transmission loss, and any irradiation direction can be easily obtained by simply rotating the reflector.

As explained above in detail, the present invention provides (a) a method of changing the light path to keep the changing angle of sunlight constant;
It uses a flexible optical conductor cable and has a simple structure for tracking and focusing sunlight.

(b) Fiber cables are used for the purpose of changing the direction of the optical path, so it is sufficient as long as the length satisfies the curvature required for optical transmission, and there is less transmission loss and less cable usage than for optical transmission. few.

(c) Since only the axis of the input end of the optical conductor cable has a solar tracking structure, the entire device can be easily driven, lightweight, and inexpensively constructed.

(d) Emitted light at a certain angle can be transmitted straight through the air without loss, and easily reflected and relayed in any direction.

As a result, the device is lightweight, can be easily installed outside the windows of buildings, and can effectively collect solar energy.
It also helps solve sunlight problems. Further, the present invention can be used as a light energy collecting device other than sunlight, and the liquid sealed in the device can be reused as hot water for use as a light collecting device such as a water heater or a solar cell.

The entire device can also be used as a building eaves.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 are a front view, a side sectional view, a plan view taken along line A-A, a state explanatory diagram, and a side sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.
5 to 8 are schematic front views, side sectional views, plan views taken along line A-A, and state explanatory diagrams of other embodiments, and FIG. FIG. In the figure 1... Cylindrical pipe 2... Support frame 3, 3a... Support shaft 4... Optical conductor cable 5... Input end holding member 6, 6a... Support shaft 7... Shaft 8, 8a... Guide plate 9, 9a... Output end holding member 10... Rod-shaped convex lens 11... Rod-shaped concave lens 12... Through hole 13... Light path changing condensing device 14, 14'... Reflector 15... Axis

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Both input and output ends of a flexible optical conductor cable for introducing optical energy are connected via a holding member, so that the axis of the cable end at one end is connected to the axis of the other end of the cable, a means for freely rotating the optical fiber cable in two directions orthogonal to each other in two directions orthogonal to the optical axis; 1. A light guide deflection and condensing device, characterized in that the mutual directions of the axes at both ends of the cable are controlled in relation to each other. 2. The light path changing and condensing device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the above-mentioned optical conductor cables are arranged, and the cable ends are synchronized. 3. Both input and output ends of the flexible optical conductor cable that introduces optical energy are connected via a holding member so that the axis of the cable end at one end is aligned with the axis of the other cable end and an axis perpendicular to the axis. one end of the optical conductor cable has means for tracking a light source, and one end of the optical conductor cable has means for tracking a light source; A light path deflecting and concentrating device comprising a reflector whose mutual directions are controlled in relation to each other and which is rotatable opposite the output end axis of a light guide cable. 4. The optical path changing and condensing device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of reflectors are provided to face the reflected light. 5. The optical path changing and condensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the optical conductor cable has a fixed axis at one end. 6. The optical path changing and condensing device according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the optical conductor cable has axis directions at both ends that are interlocked. 7. The optical path changing and condensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the optical conductor cable transmits light by total reflection. 8. The optical path changing and condensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the optical conductor cable transmits light by specular reflection. 9. The light path turning and condensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a lens system for converging and diffusing light energy is provided on one or both sides of the end of the optical conductor cable. Device. 10. A lens system for focusing and diffusing light energy is installed on one or both ends of the plurality of optical conductor cables.
An optical path changing/focusing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is provided over the entire surface. 11. The optical path turning and condensing device according to any one of claims 9 to 10, wherein the lens curved surface is a compound circular arc. 12. The optical path deflection and condensing device according to any one of claims 9 to 10, wherein the lens system is a transparent liquid sealed in a container having a curved lens surface.