Illumination – Light modifier – Refractor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-16
2001-08-21
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light modifier
Refractor
C359S742000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276817
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a condenser lens having a novel structure, more particularly, the invention relates to a discontinuous light-beam condenser lens which can be ideally used for a solar-beam condensing furnace and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of solar-beam condensing furnace for extracting light energy by condensing solar beams, a variety types such as reflection type or direct permeating type have been used.
A solar-beam-reflection-type furnace making use of a reflection mirror does not only generate much loss of solar energy, but it is also difficult to conduct work on conversing line of solar energy and to control sun-following, and yet, there have been such problems that the furnace itself become larger and a huge amount of capital spending is required.
There have been various methods for utilizing solar beams by condensing solar beams onto a single line with the use of an optical lens. However, in such conventional methods with the use of a convex lens, since the convex lens itself has upper-lower symmetrical convex curve surfaces from its structural viewpoint, it has caused a high reflection factor against incident light, and has worsened efficiency of incident-light permeability. In addition, the condensed beams are varied widely so as not to be condensed onto a single line. Further, a convex lens used in such conventional methods had to be large to receive solar beams in a wide range and its center portion was thicker than the other portions, it did not have enough strength to be practically used.
In order to solve the above problems, the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-225851 (1987) discloses a condenser unit comprising a plurality of thin fan-shaped convex lenses combined concentrically to each other with flat light-incident surfaces having a minimum reflection factor. However, the above condenser unit was not capable of condensing solar beams onto a single line, but it was merely a convex-lens-applied condenser unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As a result of our researches to solve the above problems, the inventor of the present invention eventually achieved a novel discontinuous light-beam condenser lens featuring excellent light-beam permeability and little loss of solar energy, which is easy to be manufactured even if it is large-scale one, and which can precisely condense incident light beams onto a condensing line. It should be understood that the term “condensing line” does not represent a conventional focal line, but it is “a line” determined by calculation based on the “law of crossed light”.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel discontinuous light-beam condenser lens formed by a combination of a plurality of lens segments, each of which comprises: a stair-like incident-light surface; and a refractive surface functioning as a condensing curved surface, which is so formed that light beams passed through the refractive surface are condensed as refractive light beams onto a single line when parallel light beams are incident from incident-light surface.
To achieve the above object, the discontinuous light-beam condenser lens according to the present invention is formed by a combination of a plurality of lens segments, each of which comprises: a stair-like incident-light surface; and a refractive surface functioning as a condensing curved surface, which is so formed that light beams passed through the refractive surface are condensed onto a single line.
Further, a discontinuous light-beam condenser lens according to the present invention is so arranged that they can condense light beams onto a single line and is formed by a combination of a plurality of lens segments, each of which comprises; a stair-like incident-light surface; and a refractive surface functioning as a condensing curved surface, which is so formed that light beams passed through the refractive surface are condensed onto the single line.
Still further, in the discontinuous condenser lens according to the present invention, above-described lens segments are discontinuously linked together to form one plane.
As described above, since a discontinuous light-beam condenser lens of the present invention is formed by precisely combining a plurality of lens segments, each of which comprises a stair-like incident-light surface as a flat surface and a refractive surface as a condensing curved surface, it features excellent incident light-beam permeability and little loss of solar energy and thus makes it possible to condense light beams in a linear form and also in rectangular form. Further, by using the discontinuous light-beam condenser lens of the present invention, it is possible to produce a large-scale condenser unit having a function of following up the movement of the sun, which has been considered to be impossible, and to materialize a condenser unit free from obstruction caused by wind pressure, rainwater, flying birds, and so on.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5151826 (1992-09-01), Pasco
patent: 62-225851 (1987-10-01), None
Milde Hoffberg & Macklin, LLP
O'Shea Sandra
Sawhney Hargobind S.
Yoshiteru Sogawa
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