Patent · US Expired

Energy efficient window

US6094306A · kind A · utility

24Cited by
29References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 13, 1993
Grant dateJul 25, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 13, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/40
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An energy saving window system operates selectively in different seasons and climatic conditions to optimize transfer of the sun's radiation through the window into an interior space. Two sets of diffraction gratings are deployed, with two mode settings--a summer or capture mode and a winter or transmittance mode. In the summer mode, transfer of heat into the interior is undesirable. Unwanted heat rays are redirected to a scupper by additive diffraction through two diffraction gratings in series. The scupper redirects the undesired radiation to a heat sink or back out through the window. In the winter mode, transfer of heat into the interior is desirable. By repositioning the two diffraction gratings so that their deflections are subtractive, the sun's rays are redirected to be essentially undiffracted so as to miss the scupper and enter the room. The essentially undiffracted light rays are acceptable as a view and are effectively unblocked as to solar heat gain. Various coatings may be added to the diffraction gratings to increase the window selectivity of light and heat transmissivity. Various feedback control systems may be deployed as sunfollower subsystems to control motorized…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.