EP2388387B1 - Skylight for top lighting with solar protection - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field of zenith lighting in connection with roof covers and is for a skylight skylight with solar protection.

It is known that a zenith lighting skylight is generally constituted by a curb intended to be fixed in an opening made in a roof covering and by a translucent or transparent filling and closing cover, generally made from a material polycarbonate filler, fixed on the curb by means of a fixed support frame or, in the case of a skylight that can be opened to also perform functions of ventilation, smoke extraction or access to the roof , an opening support frame.

The filling and closure cover is generally held in a rabbet of the fixed or opening support frame by means of a bead or the like and therefore plays the role of a glazing by participating in the total closure of the zenith lighting opening practiced in the roof, while allowing the light of the sun to pass to allow the zénithal lighting of the interior space located under said roof.

In addition, to meet the problems of sun protection and to avoid excessive temperature rises, it has been proposed to have blinds in the interior space, under the filling cover. However, these blinds stop solar radiation only in the interior space, which results in a greenhouse effect and thus a warming of the interior space, mainly during the hottest periods of the year. In addition, the blades of these blinds are often orientable and generally require, for this purpose, specific devices for controlling the orientation of the blades and therefore the connection requirements to energy sources for their actuation.

To overcome these disadvantages, several solutions, consisting of adding a sunscreen over the filling and closing cover and outside the skylight, have been proposed.

This is how the document FR 2 705 985 describes a zenith lighting system with a sunscreen, of a generally arched or semi-frustoconical shape and made of a material that is opaque to radiation solar, extending on the outside of a translucent cover to ensure zenith lighting, said screen being carried by a frame secured to the support frame and being disposed above said translucent cover so as to delimit with this last a volume of air circulation.

However, this type of sun protection obscures much of the zenith lighting opening of the skylight, which has the effect of a significant loss of illumination in the interior space benefiting from the zenith lighting. In addition, the screen forms a surface that extends beyond the roof cover generating a strong windward grip, like a sail, which leads to the risk of tearing off the screen and wind whistling noises on the screen. Finally, this type of sunscreen generates problems of clogging of the screen and dirt deposits between the latter and the translucent element of the skylight.

It has also been proposed to position a perforated aluminum grid over the filling and closure cover to conceal half of the surface of the latter to reduce the heat input into the room concerned. However, the obscured surface has the effect of greatly reducing the illumination in said room which remains dark, especially under cloudy conditions. On the other hand, in case of direct solar radiation, there is a significant contrast between the illuminated portion and the portion obscured by the grid. In addition, the differential expansion between the aluminum grid and the polycarbonate material of the filling and closure cover generates scratches on said material. Finally, this type of sunscreen produces an inevitable fouling of the filling and closing cover and the aluminum grid which has the effect of accelerating the aging of the skylight.

In addition, so as to reduce the penetration of direct solar radiation, it has also been proposed to stretch a plastic cloth or fabric, perforated or not, above the filling of the skylight. However, such a solution causes a loss of light in the local concerned, especially in case of overcast. On the other hand, the canvas is frequently fouled by its permanent exposure to external conditions and presents risks of tearing by its strong hold in the wind. In addition, the canvas must be transported separately from the skylight and mounted on site.

Another proposed solution consists of raising the skylight consisting of two differently oriented sloping faces, an opaque face oriented on the south side and a translucent sloping face oriented on the north side. However, this solution requires a specific orientation of the opaque side South side and generates a significant reduction in the area allowing light to pass through the skylight.

It has also been proposed as solar protection dissociated glazing a structure of inclined or vertical blades mounted above the glazing. Such a structure provides effective sun protection but with a significant loss of light, especially in the case of inclined blades. In addition, this type of structure has the risk of tearing due to its high wind resistance and a complex design, especially in the case of vertical blades by the calculation of the height and the spacing between the blades that should be used. 'carry out.

Other solutions that have been proposed relate to the characteristics of the filling and try to reduce the energy transmission of the filling materials, for example by incorporating in the latter an anti-infrared filter or a metal pigment filter. However, the light transmission obtained with these filters or pigments decreases, resulting in a significant loss of light in the room concerned.

It has also been proposed to apply sun protection films on the inner or outer face of the filling. However, if these films make it possible to obtain a reduction in the light transmission and the energy transmission, their behavior over time is not of good quality and in the long run generates cracks on the film, due to the differential expansion between the filling material and the film. In addition, these films offer low scratch resistance.

The document DE 11 80 695 B relates to a skylight system comprising a translucent dome resting on a frame and a disc-shaped turntable incorporating a sawtooth sun protection structure, the rotation of said plate being controlled by a device according to the position of the sun.

The solar protection structure of the document DE 11 80 695 B , which realizes an active regulation of the level of transmitted light, has the disadvantage of being pivotally mounted and requiring to be rotated according to the position of the sun to maintain its efficiency of solar protection, which makes the system complex and expensive. In addition, the natural semi-spherical shape of the dome located above and away from the turntable does not confer, with the latter, a high-performance thermal and acoustic insulation.

The document US 2,858,734 A a skylight comprising a cupola made of a light transmitting material such as glass or plastic mounted on a frame, surrounding an opening in a roof, via a peripheral flange, said dome comprising two walls widely spaced from each other, namely a spherical outer wall and a flat inner wall. The face closest to the lumen of the outer wall is smooth and convex, while the opposite face of said outer wall is provided with a series of parallel V-ribs. The faces of the inner wall are also intended to be provided with such V-ribs.

However, the two solid walls of the skylight of the document US 2,858,734 A which have prismatic V-shaped ribs which result in heterogeneous light transmission throughout the day and which require a particular orientation, do not make it possible to obtain effective solar protection diffusing a homogeneous light irrespective of the position of the sun whatever its position, all by regulating the level of transmitted light. In addition, this type of skylight does not provide an effective acoustic and / or thermal sealing (s).

The document DE 83 03 624 U1 a skylight comprising a double-shelled dome mounted on a support frame fixed around an opening in a roof through a hinge and a planar honeycomb light diffusion plate under said dome, being remote from the dome, and having a variety of honeycombs which are coated with a reflective layer.

However, the skylight described in the latter document, as well as other known solar protections, do not provide an effective solar protection structure providing a thermal insulation and / or sound performance.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a sun protection device that does not require any particular orientation with respect to the cardinal points and that makes it possible, in particular, to cut off the direct radiation of the sun, while maintaining a level of significant diffuse light in the room concerned, especially in overcast conditions, and significantly improving the sound and heat insulation provided by the existing systems and described in the aforementioned documents.

For this purpose, the skylight skylight, with sun protection, according to the present invention, comprises firstly, a curb adapted to be fixed, in a sealed manner, in a zenith lighting opening made in a roof covering and a filling and closure cover, in translucent or transparent waterproof material, for zenith lighting and total closure of the zenith lighting aperture, said filling and closure cover being attached to the curb via a fixed or opening support frame and, on the other hand, sun protection means. This object is reached by the skylight skylight according to claim 1.

• lesdits moyens de protection solaire consistent en un écran rigide, à extension surfacique, s'étendant au-dessus ou au-dessous de ladite couverture de remplissage et de fermeture, ledit écran présentant la forme d'une plaque sensiblement plane ou légèrement bombée, dont l'âme est constituée par une structure en nid d'abeille comprenant une juxtaposition de passages prismatiques, dont les axes sont orientés, d'une part, sensiblement perpendiculairement aux plans contenant les grandes faces de ladite plaque ou obliquement par rapport aux normales desdits plans et, d'autre part, parallèlement ou obliquement par rapport à l'axe de l'ouverture d'éclairage zénithal, ladite structure en nid d'abeille étant apte, notamment, à couper ou à briser les rayonnements directs du soleil, en amont de ladite ouverture d'éclairage zénithal et à réguler de manière passive le niveau de lumière ainsi transmis,
• l'écran et la couverture de remplissage et de fermeture, présentant également une forme de plaque, s'étendent sensiblement parallèlement l'un par rapport à l'autre en étant séparés l'un de l'autre, avec une lame d'air intercalaire, immobile ou ventilée, avec une entretoise périphérique, continue ou discontinue, à rupture de pont thermique ou sans rupture de pont thermique, ledit écran et ladite couverture de remplissage et de fermeture formant un ensemble, du type double vitrage, fixé sur la costière par l'intermédiaire du cadre support fixe ou ouvrant.

Such a skylight is essentially characterized in that:

• said sun protection means consist of a rigid, surface-extending screen extending above or below said filling and closure cover, said screen having the shape of a substantially flat or slightly curved plate, of which the core consists of a honeycomb structure comprising a juxtaposition of prismatic passages, whose axes are oriented, on the one hand, substantially perpendicular to the planes containing the large faces of said plate or obliquely to the normal of said planes and, secondly, parallel or obliquely to the axis of the zenith lighting aperture, said honeycomb structure being able, in particular, to cut or break the direct radiation of the sun, upstream of said zenith lighting aperture and to passively regulate the level of light thus transmitted,
• the screen and the filling and closure cover, also having a plate-like shape, extend substantially parallel to each other while being separated from one another, with an air gap interlayer, stationary or ventilated, with a continuous or discontinuous peripheral spacer, thermal break or without thermal break, said screen and said filling and closure cover forming an assembly, of the double glazing type, fixed on the curb through the fixed or opening support frame.

• la figure 1 représente une vue en coupe transversale d'un lanterneau avec protection solaire, selon la présente invention, dans un mode de réalisation préférentiel,
• la figure 2 représente une vue de profil du lanterneau de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 représente une vue en coupe transversale partielle et schématique de l'écran en forme de plaque du lanterneau de la figure 1,
• la figure 4 représente une vue perspective de l'âme en nid d'abeille de l'écran de la figure 3.

The invention will be better understood, thanks to the following description, which refers to a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, and explained with reference to the attached schematic drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 represents a cross-sectional view of a skylight with solar protection, according to the present invention, in a preferred embodiment,
• the figure 2 represents a profile view of the skylight of the figure 1 ,
• the figure 3 represents a partial and schematic cross-sectional view of the plate-shaped screen of the skylight of the figure 1 ,
• the figure 4 represents a perspective view of the honeycomb core of the screen of the figure 3 .

The figures show a zenith lighting skylight, with solar protection, according to the present invention, said skylight comprising, on the one hand, a curb 1 adapted to be fixed, in a sealed manner, in a zenith lighting opening 2 made in a roof covering 3 and a filling and closing cover 4, made of translucent or transparent waterproof material, permitting the zenith lighting and the total closure of the zenith lighting opening 2, said filling and closure cover 4 being fixed on the curb 1 by means of a support frame 5 fixed or opening and, on the other hand, sun protection means 7.

According to the present invention, said sun protection means consist of a rigid screen 7 with a surface extension extending above or below said filling and closure cover 4. In addition, the screen 7 presents the shape of a substantially flat or slightly curved plate, whose core consists of a honeycomb structure 9 comprising a juxtaposition of prismatic passages 10, the axes 10 'are oriented, on the one hand, substantially perpendicularly planes containing the large faces of said plate or obliquely to the normal of said planes and, secondly, parallel or oblique to the axis of the zenith lighting opening 2. On the other hand, the structure honeycomb is able, in particular, to cut or break the direct radiation of the sun, upstream of said zenith lighting opening 2 and to passively regulate the level of light thus transmitted.

Still in accordance with the present invention the filling and closure cover 4 also has a plate shape and the latter and the screen 7 extend substantially parallel to each other while being separated from each other. the other, with an air gap, immobile or ventilated, with a spacer 12 peripheral, continuous or discontinuous, thermal break or without thermal break. The screen 7 and the filling and closure cover 4 then form a set of double glazing type, fixed on the curb 1 through the support frame 5 fixed or opening.

In a preferred embodiment, the core of the plate forming the filling and closure cover 4 may be constituted by a honeycomb structure 9 comprising a juxtaposition of prismatic passages 10, axes 10 'oriented substantially parallel. or obliquely with respect to the axis of the zenith lighting opening 2, able, in particular, to cut or break the direct radiation of the sun, upstream of the zenith lighting opening 2 and to regulate passively the level of light thus transmitted, the axes 10 'of the prismatic passages 10 of said honeycomb structure 9 being oriented substantially perpendicular to the planes containing the large faces of said plate or obliquely to the normal of said planes.

The present invention may provide that one and / or the other of the large faces of the plate of the screen 7 and / or the plate of the filling and closure cover 4 ( figure 3 ) is (are) covered (s) with a skin 11 made from a transparent or translucent material, colored or not, preferably a glass or plastic material.

The filling material of the filling and closure cover 4 may be a solid or cellular material, plastic or glass, transparent, translucent or colored and may be in a substantially flat or curved shape.

It will be understood that a honeycomb plate, according to the present invention, may comprise either a honeycomb core partitioned between one or two skins 11, or only a honeycomb core without skin (x) .

Moreover, if we refer to the figure 4 it can be seen that a honeycomb structure 9 can be made from a superposition of at least one honeycomb layer preferably made from a strip assembly 9 ', having a or several rows of honeycomb, juxtaposed longitudinally next to each other and fixed to each other for example by gluing.

The prismatic passages 10 may be solid or, preferably, hollow ( figure 4 ) and can be made from a transparent material, translucent, opaline, colored or opaque, preferably a plastic or aluminum material, more preferably a rigid plastic material and stable to light such as for example a polycarbonate. On the other hand the shape of the prismatic passages 10 may be, for example, polygonal, round or oval.

Furthermore, the prismatic passages 10 of a honeycomb structure 9 of the screen 7 and possibly of the filling and closure cover 4 can advantageously be arranged in staggered rows, so as to be able to reduce the dimensions said prismatic passages 10.

The thermal break can be obtained, as can be seen on the figure 1 by inserting a thermally broken spacer 12, for example in the form of a frame profile, between the filling and closing cover 4 and the screen 7.

On the other hand, as can be seen on the figure 1 , the skylight according to the present invention may further advantageously comprise a sun protection filter 13 with a surface extension, for example an infrared filter, which may have for example the shape of a flexible or rigid sheet, extending either between the screen 7 and the filling and closing cover 4, either above or below them.

It will be understood that, in the case of a skylight comprising an opening support frame 5, the filling and closing cover 4 and the screen 7 are made movable together with said support frame 5.

Furthermore, it will be noted that a support frame 5 fixed or opening, according to the present invention, can be a conventional frame or adaptation with bead or the like, or be only a bead or frame bead. More particularly, in the case of a skylight comprising an opening support frame, a baffle may come to the periphery of the filling and closure cover and may be fixed on said opening support frame, itself attached to the curb.

Thus a honeycomb solar protection structure integrated in a screen 7 and / or in the filling cover and 4, one placed above the other or reciprocally, according to the present invention, can cut the direct solar radiation by a diffraction effect and / or reflection on the walls of the prismatic passages 10 and preserve the level of diffuse light transmitted through said prismatic passages 10. It also reduces the energy transmission by diffraction, reflection and cut and simultaneously lower the solar factor of the luminous flux. It allows, on the other hand, to regulate the direction of the luminous flux. This makes it possible to prevent all sources of discomfort, such as heating, glare or sunspots, inside the room with zenithal lighting.

Finally, the superposition of the two elements in the form of a screen plate 7 and filling and closing cover 4, which form with the air knife a complex similar to a double glazing, makes it possible to appreciably improve the acoustic and thermal performance of the skylight For example, by decreasing the sound of rain falling on the outer face of the skylight.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are possible, particularly from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims (6)

1. Skylight with solar protection, the skylight comprising, on the one hand, flashing (1) able to be fixed, imperviously, into a skylight opening (2) made in a roof covering (3), and a filling and closure covering (4), made of a translucent or transparent impervious material allowing skylighting and complete closure of the skylight opening (2), the said filling and closure covering (4) being fixed to the flashing (1) by means of a fixed or opening support frame (5), and the said skylight on the other hand comprising solar protection means (7),

   - the said solar protection means consist of a rigid screen (7), extending as a surface above or below the said filling and closure covering (4), the said screen (7) taking the form of a substantially planar sheet, the core of which is made of a honeycomb structure (9) comprising a juxtaposition of prismatic passages (10) of which the axes (10') are oriented, on the one hand, substantially perpendicular to the planes containing the large faces of the said sheet or obliquely with respect to the normals to the said planes and, on the other hand, parallel to or oblique with respect to the axis of the skylight opening (2), the said honeycomb structure being able to break up or cut off direct rays of the sun through an effect of diffraction and/or of reflection off the walls of the said prismatic passages while at the same time maintaining the level of diffuse light transmitted therethrough upstream of the said skylight opening (2) and to passively regulate the level of light thus transmitted,

   - the screen (7) and the filling and closure covering (4) being separated from one another with a stationary or ventilated intermediary air gap, with a continuous or discontinuous peripheral spacer (12), with a break in the thermal bridge or no break in the thermal bridge, the said screen (7) and the said filling and closure covering (4) forming an assembly, of the double glazing type, fixed to the flashing (1) by means of the fixed or opening support frame (5), the said skylight being characterized in that the screen (7) and the filling and closure covering (4) also take the form of a sheet, extending substantially parallel to one another.
2. Skylight according to Claim 1, characterized in that the core of the sheet that forms the filling and closure covering (4) is made up of a honeycomb structure (9) comprising a juxtaposition of prismatic passages (10) of axes (10') oriented substantially parallel to or obliquely with respect to the axis of the skylight opening (2), able, notably, to cut off or break up direct rays of the sun, upstream of the skylight opening (2) and to passively regulate the level of light thus transmitted and in that the axes (10') of the prismatic passages (10) of the said honeycomb structure (9) are oriented substantially perpendicular to the planes containing the large faces of the said sheet or obliquely with respect to the normals to the said planes.
3. Skylight according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that one and/or the other of the large faces of the sheet of the screen (7) and/or of the sheet of the filling and closure covering (4) is (are) covered with a skin (11) made from a transparent or translucent, coloured or colourless material, preferably a glass material or a plastic material.
4. Skylight according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises a solar protection filter (13), extending over a surface, for example an infrared filter, extending either between the screen (7) and the filling and closure covering (4) or on top of or underneath these.
5. Skylight according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the prismatic passages (10) of a honeycomb structure (9) of the screen (7) and, potentially, of the filling and closure covering (4) are arranged in a staggered configuration so as to be able to reduce the dimensions of the said prismatic passages (10).
6. Skylight according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the prismatic passages (10) of a honeycomb structure of the screen (7) and, potentially, of the filling and closure covering (4), have a polygonal, round or oval cross section and are made from a translucent or transparent, coloured, frosted or opaque material, preferably a plastics material or aluminium.

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