WO2004095088A1

WO2004095088A1 - Transparent, light conducting body and method for producing the same

Info

Publication number: WO2004095088A1
Application number: PCT/CH2004/000252
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frédéric ZWEIG; Thomas Bührer
Original assignee: Zweig Frederic; Buehrer Thomas
Priority date: 2003-04-24
Filing date: 2004-04-26
Publication date: 2004-11-04

Abstract

The invention relates to a transparent, solid body which is adapted to conduct light and which comprises at least one integrated interface (18, 18', 18'). Said interface is characterized in that adjacent materials on the interface (18, 18', 18') can be considered allocated to less than 98 % to the same grid or the same amorphous structure. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a body (10) and to possible uses of such a body (10).

Description

Transparent, light-conducting body and method for producing the same

The present invention relates to the field of light-conducting, transparent bodies and their manufacture. A transparent, solid body, suitable for guiding light, is presented, as well as a method for producing the same, according to claim 9, and possible uses of the body, according to claims 16 to 21.

It is known that light from suitable sources, i.e. from sources that supply sufficiently parallel light, in fibers made of transparent, light-conducting glass or plastic, such as P MA or the like, and can be used to emerge at a location remote from the original light source. Furthermore, prisms and other instruments (cf. for example US6302100) for bundling, dividing, diffraction etc. of light rays are known. It is also known that every change in light from one propagation medium to another is accompanied by loss of reflection. To date, light cannot be held in a solid and forced there to change direction without loss and without total reflection on the surfaces of said solid.

A further problem arises for the person skilled in the art if light from one or more directions of propagation enclosed in this spatial angle is to be decoupled from light that propagates in a transparent body in a specific solid angle, while light of all other directions of propagation can propagate without changing the direction, if possible should. The same applies to direct sunlight, which is mixed with diffuse light radiation from the atmosphere, or to a partial decoupling of light from a well-defined direction of propagation.

Another aspect of the invention is that the deflection of the light should be controlled and loss-free in a well-defined selection of propagation directions, with a predeterminable proportion in the range from 0% to 100% of the propagating light, The object of the invention is therefore to provide transparent bodies in which a controlled, loss-free change in direction of the light can be achieved without total reflection on the surfaces of the said solid, but at any distance from the same within the volume of the body.

5 This task is accomplished by a transparent body according to claim 1.

The stressed, transparent, solid body is made of precisely fitting elements and is suitable for guiding light. It has at least one integrated interface, the materials adjacent to one another at the interface being less than 98% associated with the same lattice or the same amorphous structure. Through this zone of I O bond gaps in the amorphous or crystalline structure it is possible to achieve a change in the direction of the light without loss within the volume of the body.

Various reproductive media can be integrated in the presented transparent body, preferably by allowing the lattices or amorphous structures of the different materials to be partially connected to one another or by using material whose composition gradually changes.

Through the targeted use of adjacent materials in the interface that have the same or different chemical composition, it is possible to determine sizes such as reflectance, diffraction, refractive index etc. at the inner interface.

20 The transparency of the entire body or the angle dependence of the transparency can also be determined in this way. This is because the light at the inner interfaces is totally or partially reflected for all angles of incidence that would lead to total reflection at an interface with vacuum. Another parameter that influences the sizes mentioned in a predeterminable manner is the degree of connection that is adjacent to one another

25 materials in the area of the interface at the atomic level.

It is advantageous to provide transparent bodies with more than one interface, since the path of light in such a body is predetermined in almost any variation can, which makes the use of this transparent body according to the invention interesting for a wide variety of applications. In such a body with a plurality of inner interfaces, the materials adjacent to one another in one part of the interfaces can have different chemical compositions and materials with the same chemical composition can be adjacent to one another in another part of the interfaces. However, it is of course also possible for all materials adjacent to one another in the interfaces to have the same chemical composition or all materials to have different chemical compositions.

Also by varying the refractive indices, e.g. by means of certain heat treatment and / or internal stresses and / or chemical differences, of the materials adjacent in an interface and / or by the targeted use of internal interfaces in which the lattice or amorphous structures of the materials adjacent to the interfaces are complete, partial or even If there is no connection, diffraction and reflectance at the interfaces can be specifically varied and the transparency of the body can be influenced.

Transparent bodies according to the invention are particularly inexpensive to manufacture, in which the interfaces between precisely fitting elements are formed from transparent material, which are fitted into one another with a precise fit and whose lattices or amorphous structures are preferably at least partially connected to one another.

There are special possible uses for transparent bodies according to the invention, in which a first type of elements is shaped like a rod, which are arranged along their long sides in at least one layer, and which preferably have an element of a second type on at least one side of the at least one layer Have the shape of a cover sheet.

Further special possibilities arise for transparent bodies according to the invention, in which a first element is shaped as a completely transparent rod with a rectangular cross section and with repeating triangular shapes arranged on its long plane, similar to a saw, and a counter element with a corresponding counter-shape is formed, which fits snugly into this saw-like shape of the first element.

Transparent bodies according to the invention can be produced particularly cheaply by a method in which at least one prefabricated, transparent element is fitted together with another transparent element and is firmly connected to it, so that the resulting body has an integrated interface between the elements. This is characterized by the fact that less than 98% of the materials adjacent to one another in the interface can be assigned to the same grid or the same amorphous structure.

Through the at least partial connection of zones of the above-mentioned elements in a solid body to 0 to 95% at the atomic level, the coupling out of the light propagating in this body of certain directions of propagation can be varied from 0 to 98%.

The desired propagation of light in the body can be achieved by selecting the geometry of the elements so that it is at least one order of magnitude larger than the wavelength of the light transported through it.

Processes for the production of transparent bodies in which the precisely fitting elements are fitted together have proven particularly useful; the joined elements become when they are

a) are made of glass, heated to a temperature of at most 1 5 ° K above their glass point and kept at this holding temperature until they have been warmed through,

or if they

b) are made of a transparent plastic, heated to a holding temperature, which is required for the degassing according to the data sheet, and held there for the period of time required for degassing. This is followed by a targeted, at least partial welding of certain elements, so that a single solid body is formed from the given number of elements and the solid body thus created is finally quenched and then professionally cooled to room temperature.

There has been good experience for the targeted full or partial welding of the elements by means of radiant and / or convection and / or contact heat. The use of high pressures and / or vacuum can also be advantageous, depending on the desired result. Also dependent on the desired result, i.e. From the desired path that the light should take at an interface, it may be more favorable to choose a method with which full or partial fusing is achieved at the welding points.

Bodies according to the invention can be produced particularly cost-effectively using a method in which the bodies are made of a material which makes preheating and controlled cooling unnecessary, so that the individual, precisely fitting elements are made at targeted points by means of contact, radiation and / or convection heat an open space can be welded together to form the transparent body, while the environment remains largely at room temperature.

It is also suitable to fit a prefabricated, transparent element precisely together with another transparent element and to firmly connect it to it by creating the at least one prefabricated, transparent element in a geometry similar to a casting mold and after its production

a) with an element made of glass, cooled to a temperature slightly above the glass temperature and kept at this holding temperature.

or

b) for an element made of a plastic, is cooled and maintained at a holding temperature which corresponds to the room temperature. When a uniform temperature of the at least one element is reached, it is then filled as quickly as possible with liquid glass or plastic, or pressed with a plate that is at the fusing temperature, and within a short time, usually within a maximum of 5 minutes

a) for glass: e.g. at most 10% to 12% above the glass temperature

b) for plastics: quenched below the glass temperature

and finally expertly cooled to room temperature. This type of production is particularly suitable for transparent bodies of small and smallest dimensions according to the invention,

The possible uses for a transparent body according to the invention are diverse. For example, it can be used as a component of a facade of a building or as a slat in blinds. In both cases, one or more solar panels can be very advantageously integrated into the body. Also, bodies used in this way can advantageously be arranged so as to be movable, preferably controlled, so that they can track sunlight in the blind or the facade.

The transparent bodies according to the invention can also be used as a partition or component of partition walls which influence the view in a targeted, preferably variably adjustable manner, such partition walls being able to be located inside or outside of buildings.

Furthermore, the bodies according to the invention can be used as lighting bodies, the design diversity being virtually unlimited. Depending on the design of the body and conception of the interfaces in the body, three-dimensional bodies with a three-dimensional light-emitting surface or lighting bodies with a flat or linear light-emitting surface can be produced. Another large area of application for transparent bodies according to the invention is the use as a light-conducting element of any length, which can be used not only for lighting purposes and as a component in or on buildings, on facades or as a connection between the outside of the building and interiors, but also in the field of data transmission , A particular application is the use of bodies according to the invention as light-dividing elements in a light-conducting network. Here the special properties of the inner interfaces can be used particularly advantageously.

In the following, the invention is explained by way of example with the aid of some figures, the same elements in the figures being denoted by the same reference numerals. The figures show purely schematically:

Fig. 1, an opaque-transparent body according to the invention with integrated

Interfaces;

FIG. 2 the body from FIG. 1 made of completely transparent material;

3 shows a further embodiment of the transparent body according to the invention;

4, 6, a further embodiment of the transparent according to the invention

body;

Fig. 5 shows some long, narrow embodiments that are especially for

Suitable for lighting purposes;

6 shows an embodiment with ribbed plates, particularly suitable for walls or blinds;

Fig. 7 is a flat bed furnace for carrying out a first variant of

Manufacturing process; Fig. 8 is a heater for performing a second variant of the

Manufacturing process; and

9 shows the use of transparent bodies according to the invention as a lamella of a blind.

FIG. 1 shows a transparent body 10 according to the invention with a first type of transparent elements 12, which in this example are shaped like rods and are arranged along their long sides so that they form a first layer 14 of elements 12. The elements 12 here have the cross-sectional area a parallelogram. However, all other shapes or cross-sectional areas are also conceivable which allow the elements 12 to be arranged in a precisely interlocking manner along their long sides. Of course, bodies are also conceivable in which the first elements 12 are arranged one above the other not only in one but in two or more layers. As can be seen from FIG. 1, an element of a second type of elements 16 is arranged on each of the two large-area sides of the one layer 14 of the first elements 12, the second type of elements 16 being designed in the form of cover sheets. In this example, both the first elements 12 and the second elements 16 are formed from an opaque-transparent material with the same chemical composition and the same refractive index. However, they could also have different chemical compositions and / or different refractive indices, with different refractive indices e.g. can be achieved by different heat treatment.

In this example, the first elements 12 are firmly connected to one another on their entire longitudinal sides by partial fusing. In this example, the second elements 16 in the form of cover sheets are also firmly connected to the first elements 1 2 on their entire longitudinal sides by partial fusing. In this way, the elements 12 and 16 together form a single, solid, opaque-transparent Body 10, the surfaces between the precisely interlocking elements 12 and between the first elements 12 and second elements 16 joined together with these in a precisely fitting manner form boundary surfaces 18, 18 'integrated in the body 10, at which light in a defined, is deflected or diffracted and / or reflected in a predetermined manner. Instead of the fixed connection by partial fusing, it is also conceivable that the first elements 12 and / or the elements 16 with the elements 12 by full fusing on the entire long side or through Full fusing or partial fusing are only firmly connected to one another on part of the long sides of the elements 12.

FIG. 2 shows a transparent body 10 ′ according to the invention, which is constructed in the same way as the body 10 from FIG. 1. In this example, however, the first elements 12 and the second elements 16 are made of completely transparent material, namely glass, PMMA, PC or another transparent plastic. The first elements 12 are only firmly connected to the plate-shaped second elements 16 by full fusing. The elements 12 are not welded to one another in this example. This special configuration of the interfaces 18 between the first elements 12, as well as a possible different chemical composition of the elements 12 and 16, result in different refractive indices and reflection properties at the various interfaces 18, 18 '. Of course, different types of connection between the elements, identical or different refractive indices, other cross-sectional geometries, etc. are also conceivable here.

3 shows a transparent body 10 "according to the invention, which is formed only from rod-shaped first elements 12. The elements 1 2 have a rectangular cross-sectional area and are each welded to one another along the long sides in the end region 20 of the rod elements 12, a body 10" is again shown. which consists of only one layer 14 of elements 12. But here too, of course, several layers 14 are conceivable one above the other in order to obtain a rather voluminous body instead of a flat one.

FIG. 4a shows a transparent body 10 '"which, like the body 10" from FIG. 3, is formed only from rod-shaped transparent elements 12. In contrast to the body 10 "shown in FIG. 3, the first elements 12 used here have a triangular cross-sectional area and are connected to one another over their entire length by partial fusing or pressing. Elements 12 with an isosceles triangle as a cross-sectional area have proven particularly useful, the upper opening angle - depending on the refractive index - preferably in the range between 40 ° and 44 ° and in particular is between 42 ° and 43 °. Depending on the requirements, such a body can be used on its own or, as indicated in FIG. 4a, can be divided into rod-shaped third elements 17. These third elements 17 can be removed from the body 10 ″ by dividing, for example, vertically or in another predetermined angle to the longitudinal direction of the first elements 12 can be obtained, depending on the material, the division can be carried out by mechanical cutting or, for example, also by laser cutting. The third elements 17 obtained in this way can, if desired, be used individually, see FIG. or can also be connected to form a new transparent body according to the invention (not shown) which then has boundary surfaces 18 "in a further spatial dimension compared to the bodies 10, 10", 10 ", 10 '" shown previously.

FIG. 5 shows a plurality of transparent bodies 10 "" with rack-like first elements 50, which are firmly connected to one another with element 51 of the same shape by means of partial fusing along their rack-like side and by means of full welding of their end regions 52. The transparent bodies 10 thus formed "" Then have inner boundary surfaces 18 with a kind of sawtooth contour. Instead of partial fusing over the entire length of the rack-like sides of the two elements 50, 51, the connection to a single solid body 10 ^"can also be achieved only by welding the end regions 52. Another possibility is to connect the elements 50, 51 by means of very thin cover sheets (not shown) analogously to the bodies 10, 10 'shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 to form a one-piece body 10 "" Elements 50, 51 are then not necessarily directly connected to one another but can also only be connected via the thin cover lätter be firmly connected, Such bodies 10 "", as shown in Fig. 5 with interfaces with different sawtooth contours, are particularly suitable for lighting tasks; elements 50 and / or 51 are then preferably used as light-guiding layers.

As shown in FIG. 6, such elements are also particularly suitable for a connection, which are designed as plates 19, 22 with longitudinal ribs of any cross-sectional geometry or as corrugated plates, and which form a perfect fit with one another. These are then preferably fused to a single body 10 ^v by full welding at the edge and / or partial fusing of the ribbed surfaces. The elements 19, 22 and then the half or whole body 10 ^v can be made of completely transparent or opaque transparent material. Also, only certain surfaces of the elements 19, 22 can be manufactured as transparent surfaces and others as opaque surfaces, for example sandblasted surfaces. Prism-like ribs have also proven particularly useful in this case, the opening angle depending on the refractive index of the material preferably being in the range between 40 ° and 44 ° and in particular between 42 ° and 43 °.

The transparent bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10'", 10 "", 10 ^v according to the invention can be optimized for their intended use by the choice of material, glass or transparent plastic, taking into account the exact chemical composition, by the future doping or dense layers applied to inner interfaces, as well as the inner structure which can be influenced by a corresponding heat treatment and of course in that the geometry of the elements is chosen such that it is at least one order of magnitude larger than the wavelength of the light transported through it,

The individual, precisely fitting elements 1 2, 16, 17, 19, 50, 51 which are connected to form a transparent body 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10'", 10 "", 10 ^v according to the invention are produced using known methods such as hot presses , Sintering, casting, continuous casting, vacuum casting, polymerization or co-polymerization to form thermosets or thermoplastics, lowering, cold forming, casting rolls, combined blowing and drawing processes, deep drawing, machining, laser cutting, water jet cutting etc.

Rod-shaped elements 12, 16, 17, 19 with a cross-section that remains the same in size and shape along a defined axis are advantageously produced by means of continuous casting / extrusion / extrusion, water jet or laser cutting, film blowing and similar processes. Elements with an axially symmetrical or rib shape, which can form perfect fits, are particularly simple to manufacture and further process. Rod-shaped elements 50, 51 with cutting patterns arranged in one plane, as shown in FIG. 5, are advantageously produced using cutting techniques (water jet, laser).

Surface and volume shapes are advantageously worked by means of forming techniques from clay and other molding compounds, or by means of machining techniques from blocks and plates, then reproduced by casting, and the resulting exact fits are cast in glass or plastic.

For the production of bodies 10, 10 'according to the invention of the type as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rod-shaped first elements 12 are placed against one another in any number such that their abutting surfaces 24 fit perfectly into one another. If necessary, this formation is held in the perfect shape by appropriate holding devices. An element 16 of the second type, which is shaped like a cover sheet, is then placed on the first elements 1 2. The second cover sheet-shaped element 1 6 can be of any thickness and consist of the same material as the first elements 12 or of one other material that can be optimally combined with the material of the first elements 12. This formation is in the oven

a) for glass: heated to a holding temperature which is above the glass point, namely up to about 15 ° C. above the glass point, and held there until it has been thoroughly warmed.

b) for plastics: to a holding temperature that is necessary for degassing

Temperature corresponds, preheated and after degassing further treated as described below.

Depending on the type of connection that is to be made between the elements 12, 16, the procedure is now different. For example, a suitable heating element is brought up to the fully warmed arrangement of elements 12, 1 6, and very close to the cover sheet-like second element 1 6, so that it is heated as quickly as possible so that it becomes full with the first elements 1 2 underneath merges, the interfaces 18 However, between the rod-shaped first elements 12 there is still no opportunity to reach the melting temperature. After the first elements 1 2 have been fully welded to the cover element 2, the resulting solid 10, 10 'is quenched to the holding temperature prescribed for the material. The resulting body is then, depending on whether it should be used in its present form or connected to other elements 12, 16, 22, professionally cooled to room temperature or again to the holding temperature above the glass point or degassing (see above) ) heated, and held there until the whole body reached this temperature. The body is turned over and a second element 16 in the form of a cover sheet is placed on its second side. The welding process with the heating element introduced is repeated, again taking care that the elements 12 do not yet fuse with one another. In this way, a solid body 10, 10 ′ according to the invention with a surface that is sealed on both sides, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is obtained. If the narrow edges on which the cross-sectional areas of the first elements 12 are visible are also to be sealed against environmental influences , the welding process can be repeated at these edges by moving the heating element or a narrow cover plate can also be welded in a sealing manner on the end face.

Of course, instead of contactless heating, hot rollers or other methods with contact heat can also be used. For glass, the surface temperature after contact must be sufficiently high to guarantee fire polishing of the surface.

The turning and laying on of the cover-sheet-like second element 16 on the second side of the body, as well as the fusing of the edge zones, can also be carried out subsequently. The body still to be processed must then be brought from room temperature back to the holding temperature above the glass temperature and warmed up there. Then the procedure can be as described above. Depending on the material and cross-sectional dimensions of the first elements 12, it may be more sensible for the welding of the edge zones to use a method other than the welding due to the direct heat effect of an introduced heating element. If the edges are welded, it is also possible for more than one layer of first elements 12 to be joined together connect. For such bodies, rod-shaped first elements 12 are therefore placed against one another in any number and in several layers in such a way that their abutting surfaces 24 fit perfectly into one another. If necessary, this formation is held in the perfect shape by appropriate holding devices. Then proceed as described above. Or the rod-shaped first elements 1 2 are arranged from the start between the cover plate-shaped second elements 16, heated to the holding temperature and then fused at the edge. This can be done, for example, without contact by the approach of very hot elements to the edge zones and keep these elements at a very short distance from the elements 12, 16 to be connected. The distance is dependent on the dimension of the elements 12, 16 used and the material of the elements used 12, 16. Here, too, a method with contact, for example hot presses, is very conceivable. Afterwards, the process is again quenched and properly cooled to room temperature. By welding the edge zones, bodies 10 ″ according to the invention can also be produced without the use of second elements 16 in the form of cover plates, as is shown by way of example in FIG. 3.

Instead of transparent bodies, the elements 12, 16 of which are only connected at the edge, it is of course also possible to produce transparent bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10"', 10 "", 10 ^v according to the invention, the elements 12, 16, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51 are more or less connected to one another in the area of their entire butting surfaces 24, 18 by means of full or partial fusing. The process is again the same as that which has already been described above, except that after heating through the holding temperature above the glass temperature or holding at the degassing temperature, the entire structure is heated to the suitable fusing temperature by means of radiant and / or convection heat for such a long time that elements 12, 16, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51 at least partially fuse,

For all of the methods described above, two or more extruded or continuously cast or rolled elements or elements otherwise worked as rod shapes, as shown, for example, in FIG. 5, which are shaped in such a way that they are complex, perfectly interlockable cross sections with many corners, can also be used and / or curves (for example sawtooth, corrugated sheet-like, those with many rectangular shapes and the like) have to be used. With the method described, flat bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10"', 10 "", 10, and of course all other conceivably shaped voluminous bodies can be formed. These bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10'", 10 "", 10 ^v , as well as any voluminous bodies, have specifically directed inner interfaces 18, 18 ', 18 "at which light from all angles that are greater than the critical angle of total reflection is deflected, but all other light passes unhindered Depending on the cross-sectional geometry of the originally used rod-shaped or plate-shaped or otherwise configured first elements 12, the resulting one-piece, transparent body - according to the laws of radiation optics - has dramatically different light refraction and conduction properties With the methods described or with complicated elements created by 3-D milling or fine arts, elements can be processed to give specific, luminous bodies,

Are transparent bodies according to the invention with well-defined inner interfaces and often very small dimensions, e.g. for data transport, for light of very short wavelength, laser light or other strongly directed light rays, a manufacturing process slightly modified from the process described above has proven itself:

As in the method described above, first one or more prefabricated transparent elements 1 2 are produced, which, however, already have at least part of the geometries desired for the distribution of the light beams. This at least one prefabricated, transparent element is then precisely fitted together with another transparent element and firmly connected to it by creating the at least one prefabricated, transparent element in a geometry similar to a casting mold and

a) in the case of an element made of glass, is cooled to a temperature slightly above the glass transition temperature and is kept at this holding temperature,

or b) in the case of an element made of plastic: after its manufacture, brought to room temperature or a different temperature necessary for an optimal connection in contact with a melt and kept at this holding temperature.

When a uniform temperature is reached in the entire element, the prefabricated element is filled as quickly as possible with liquid glass or plastic, or pressed with a plate made of glass or plastic that is at the fusing temperature. The whole is then, as described above, cooled to room temperature according to the procedure prescribed for the material.

The production of the at least one prefabricated element can e.g. as follows: From a base plate made of leather-hard silicon carbide or silicon nitride or from a heat-resistant, other suitable material, the geometry desired for the distribution of the light rays is mechanically extracted (milling, laser cutting, water jet cutting, etching, sand blasting), steel is used or heat treated in such a way that SiC or SiN are then fired. In this way, a corresponding casting mold with the desired geometry is obtained. Glass or plastic is poured into this mold at a casting temperature at which the material to be poured is well liquid, so that the geometry is reproduced in every detail. Alternatively, depending on the suitability, the materia) can also be pressed into the mold at a temperature that is used for a full fusing. Here too, glass or a transparent plastic can be cast or pressed.

After cooling and demoulding at the demolding temperature specified for the material used, the glass or plastic is cooled down to the temperature range specified for further processing in accordance with the data sheet and held there until the cast element has a uniform temperature, then the prefabricated element is coated with liquid glass as soon as possible or plastic filled, or pressed with a plate that is at fusing temperature and again expertly cooled. Filling with powder and subsequent sintering are also conceivable. Then it is professionally cooled to room temperature. A structure with partially fused interfaces is created, in which laser light is predetermined and can be guided precisely. This Structures can not only be formed like strands, but also in the form of plates or solids, so that a wide variety of products, such as laser light-conducting plates, can be produced from them.

Mixed forms from the two processes described above can also be used meaningfully: Here, two or more prefabricated elements with detailed geometry are produced (e.g. in casting molds, as described above). The prefabricated elements are placed one inside the other after demolding and heated to glass temperature. The molds are then warmed up so slowly that they continuously reach a temperature at which fusing (connection by partial or total surface welding) takes place at the desired speed. Depending on the desired degree of connection, the elements are kept at this temperature for a period of time which corresponds to the desired degree of connection. The heating method, temperature and time depend on the materials used and the desired percentages of the fusion. In principle, any heating method can be selected that can melt the material. Radiation and absorption methods are more suitable for geometries that have large differences in thickness between the boundary and surface areas of the solid to be formed, convection / contact heating is more suitable for profile plates and similar geometries with very uniform spacings. 10 ', 10 ", 10'" with fully or partially (degree of connection) connected inner interfaces, which is also called fusing with 1 to 99% connection,

A further possibility for producing transparent bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10"', 10 '", 10"", 10 ^v according to the invention is combined continuous casting / pressing: a melt of transparent material is pressed through a shaping grid and simultaneously cooled , so that the individual geometries emerging from the lattice are then returned to a partial connection by rolling, but the interfaces created by the previous continuous casting are retained to the desired extent.

A method has proven to be particularly suitable in compliance with the parameters shown below: The prefabricated elements to be connected to form a body according to the invention made of suitable white glass from Schott, Corning or another suitable manufacturer, as shown in FIG. 7, are placed in a heating frame 32 installed in a flat bed oven 30 with support base plates 34, for example made of firebrick or recrystallized, dense SiC, so that the glass parts have a very small distance, in this example a maximum of 5 mm to have 32 heater frame. The whole is then heated in the oven 30 at 100 to 150 ° C./min to the required expansion temperature and held there for 30 to 60 minutes. After this holding phase, the heating frame 32 is heated to about 1000 to 1900 degrees (depending on the type of glass) within a maximum of 3 minutes, and held there for 1 to 15 minutes. The heating is then switched off and the entire furnace interior 36 is cooled to the relaxation temperature as quickly as possible by means of air convection. There is again a holding phase of at least 40 minutes and then a cooling with max. 100 ° C / min or, for massive elements, much slower. Should not only the edge zones of the prefabricated elements 12, 16, 22,

23, 24, 50, 51 melted or faster heating is achieved with large volumes, it is possible to use a heating cover 38 in addition to the heating frame 32, which is at the same distance as the frame 32 from the elements 12, 16, 22, 23,

24, 50, 51 is arranged.

For special requirements, i.e. e.g. For a particularly clean interface welding, a vacuum can also be generated in the flat bed furnace 30 and the described method can be carried out under vacuum.

The method can also be carried out very advantageously with the following parameters: The elements to be shaped into a body according to the invention are prefabricated from PMMA or PC or another transparent thermoplastic. They are placed in a heating device 40 shaped according to FIG. 8 consisting of a heatable base 42 with heatable Layer 44 and a tightly closing, heatable cover 46 layered. This heating device 40 is closed and evacuated by means of a vacuum pump 48. Then all pages are brought to the degassing temperature recorded in the data sheets of the type of plastic used and kept at this holding temperature for the prescribed time. The vacuum is kept constant during this time by means of the vacuum pump 48. The mixture is then heated to the melting temperature. The melting temperature is then kept constant for the period of time that is necessary according to the coefficient of thermal conductivity Welding at the desired depth. The entire heating device 40 is then quenched, the vacuum is released and the finished transparent body with the inner interfaces 18, 18 ', 18 "is removed from the mold.

The bodies according to the invention, which can be produced using the methods described above, are essentially compact and transparent to the human eye, whereby transparent always means opaque-transparent. They are suitable for all applications in which light is guided in a mostly compact, transparent body with dimensions from a few cubic millimeters to many cubic meters and at targeted locations under defined solid angles and in a defined form (parallel, diffuse, colored or white) and with a defined luminance should be able to emerge from these bodies without the transparency or partial transparency of these bodies being lost in directions other than that of the light emission. In particular, this also includes bodies or structures that emit light on one side, in a certain direction, but still remain transparent from all other directions and sides.

It is used here that light from interfaces 18, 18 'within a body 10, 10', 10 ", 10"', 10 "", 10 ^{v is} totally or partially reflected, even if the refractive index here and there beyond the interface 18, 18 'is the same, whereby the interface is any region in which material of the same chemical composition and solid aggregate state can only be less than 98% assigned to one and the same lattice or one and the same amorphous structure , as well as, of course, areas or regions where materials of different chemical composition meet and compounds are completely, partially or not at all entered into. This total or partial reflection can be explained by the fact that displacements in the grating or in the amorphous structure and missing bonds across the interface have a decoupling or a weakening effect on the coupling, so that the refractive index in the region of the interface 18, 18 , 18 '"greatly changed. The interface 18, 18, 18'" is considered as a microscopic region that can be viewed as a vacuum. Thus, at the interface 18, 18 '18 ", the same laws of refraction apply for part of the light as in the vacuum. The proportion of light reflected by such interfaces 18, 18 'is a function of the number of bonds that have been made between the materials meeting in the regions of the interface 18, 18'. The more intense the connection - with the same refractive index - the lower the reflection. For regions with materials with different chemical compositions - and therefore also different refractive indices - this difference must be taken into account.

All of these properties can be used in a targeted manner for the use of the bodies according to the invention as a component of a facade of a building, as a partition which specifically influences the view, as a lamella of blinds, as a voluminous, flat or linear lighting fixture, as a light-conducting component of any length for optical ones Devices of all kinds or for data transport, as a light-sharing component in a network of light-conducting components.

It is particularly advantageous to use the properties mentioned in the area of facades and blinds, since the bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10"', 10 "" according to the invention, as a component of intelligent building envelopes, can contribute to a better building climate while at the same time saving energy. Facade elements and sun blinds used up to now can only shield the entire light component by means of partial reflection and absorption, which leads to a build-up of heat on the shielding object. On the other hand, with the bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10"', 10 "" according to the invention, it is possible to precisely direct the energy of the incident sunlight and, with a corresponding design, that of the bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10"' , 10 "" realized components from the sunlight to specifically obtain electrical and / or thermal energy

Bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10'", 10 "", 10 ^V with a structure analogous to the bodies as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 are used as slats for blinds or also for facade elements are very suitable. They can be made from glass, PMMA or other transparent plastics or from elements of various such materials. As in the example in FIG. 3, the prefabricated, rod-like first elements 12 are arranged parallel to one another and have a rectangular cross section with a ratio of width B to height H in the range between 1 and 0.01. You can also have any other rectangular cross-section with any angle ratio or a triangular cross-section with any angle and aspect ratio. Combinations of triangular and triangular cross sections that can be stacked to form a flat plate. With all of these geometries, the width has an absolute dimension of a few hundredths of a millimeter to 1000 millimeters. The length L of the rod-shaped first elements 12 is between 1 and 5000 mm.

To form a one-piece solid body with inner interfaces, the first elements 12 are arranged between two cover plate-shaped second elements 16 with a maximum thickness of 0.1 times the height H, with the same length L and several widths B in the tightest packing so that the edges of the Complete the second cover plate-shaped elements 16 with the long sides of the outermost rod-like first elements 12 and the end faces of the first elements 12. The two second elements 16 are made of the same material, but can differ from that of the first elements 12 as required. The first elements 12 are only welded to the cover plate-shaped second elements 16 or all elements 12, 16 are welded to one another at least at their edges.

Likewise, good results are achieved with prefabricated first elements 12 which have cross sections which form a series of simple cross sections mentioned above, so that perfectly interlocking, ribbed, flat or curved plates are produced with precisely defined rib shapes, the width in turn being an absolute dimension from a few hundredths of a millimeter to 1000 mm. The interlocking panels are made of the same or different material, but can always be welded. Either only the edge areas below 10% of the total dimensions are completely welded, or the entire surfaces are connected using partial fusing, possibly with a doping or more dense coating of the interfaces with alloy elements or mirror surfaces to form a partially transparent whole. A one-piece, transparent body with inner boundary surfaces constructed in this way can be used as lamella 58, as is shown in FIGS. 9a to 9d. Such a lamella 58 reflects any light 28 which is incident on its large surface 26 at a suitable angle. For louvre applications, this lamella 58 is connected to tempered glass to form a VSG safety glass which is solid according to the current state of the art. Glass, PMMA, polycarbonate, polystyrene or polyester can be used for indoor applications.

For a Venetian blind 60, many such slats 58 are arranged in parallel and aligned with one another or in parallel and periodically offset from one another. The Venetian blind can not only be used as protection against a window but also, e.g. as an end part of a building envelope, be attached in front of the facade. The slats 58 can be moved relative to one another in the Venetian blind 60 in a conventional manner and can be moved against a predetermined location (suspension of the slats or storage box for slats). They are rotatably mounted about an axis parallel to their longest edge and arranged in front of a facade in such a way that the light falling on the facade is completely or partially captured and / or either in a zigzag pattern by means of multiple reflection in the slats 58 parallel or almost parallel to Facade directed away from the facade, or very strongly deflected when exiting the slats and ideally compressed for further processing in solar cells, solar thermal cells or for radiation away from the building (see, Figures 9a to 9d).

Instead of rod-shaped first elements 12 with a rectangular cross section, rod-shaped first elements 12 with a rhombic cross section with an angle Wr

Rhombus used, the incident sunlight 28 occurs after reflection on the inner

Interfaces 18 'from the lamella 58 again at a very steep angle Wa, as shown in FIGS. 9a to 9d. In the beam path of the emerging light 28 ′ reflected at the inner interface 18, 58 solar collectors 54 can now be arranged at the end of the lamella. The resulting from the reflection at the inner interfaces

Concentration of sunlight corresponds to the tangent of the exit angle minus 8% of the original radiation intensity and can be used via the solar collectors 54 to generate electrical energy. Using special anti-reflective layers, the

Reduce reflection loss at entry and exit to significantly less than the 8% listed here. For such a configuration of the slats 58 or the blind 60, the Slats 58 then advantageously track the position of the sun by means of known control units. In order to keep the assembly of the slats and the control of the tracking as simple as possible, it is possible with the slats 58 designed according to the invention to limit the tracking to the vertical, i.e. the slat 58 is moved approximately parallel to the facade, i.e. in in most cases approximately vertically, swiveled into a position slightly beyond the horizontal position,

If instead of solar collectors 54 mirrors 56 are arranged in the beam path of the emerging light 28 ′, then the sunlight can be used specifically as illuminant for illuminating the interior by redirecting the light in the direction of the facade or window and the space behind it via the mirrors 56. By using mirrors 56 or prisms only in a targeted manner in the case of individual slats 58, attractive, indirect sun lighting of rooms can be achieved, with simultaneous and well-dosed shielding of the direct and remaining indirect solar radiation, thereby preventing the room through which sunlight flows through from being heated up.

Instead of the parallel rectangular or rhombic cross-sections mentioned above, any possible combination of other cross-sections and stackings can be used, including those that create cavities, according to the desired effect. Thus, Fresnel lenses and other light-focusing geometries can also be introduced into the interior of the slats become. This opens up the possibility of creating "solar power plants" in many different, inexpensive and adapted to the respective circumstances. If the glass or the transparent plastic is coated with the transparent nano-lacquers available today, which make contamination almost impossible, the economy can be significant increase.

In order to ensure optimal privacy, each sun protection slat can be fitted with a viewable slat that can be moved independently of the sun protection slat, but is connected to it, with the same or similar structure. In contrast to the components described in patent no. EP0601202A1, the components described here are one-piece, solid bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10'", 10 "" 10 ^v with inner interfaces 18, 18 ', 18 ", you are flexibly mountable and allow electrical energy to be obtained, and the transparency and reflectance of light within the structures can be metered with the help of the specifically created internal interfaces. Furthermore, the radiation and chemical resistance can be improved by several orders of magnitude by the elements exposed to the weather and UV light can be formed entirely of glass or only in the areas of the elements exposed to the weather.

If the lamellae 58 are formed from elements 17, as shown in FIG. 4, that is to say from rods 17 with alternately inclined planar interfaces 18 ", then all incident parallel direct light is reflected on two parallel first sides of the rods and the element 17 appears opaque in this direction, all parallel, direct light is transmitted on two second sides of the rods, which are also parallel to one another but also parallel to one another, and the element 17 is thus transparent stored in such a way that they can rotate about their longitudinal axis and, in a first basic position, form a layer which is completely impermeable to sunlight and to glimpses the proportion of transmission arbitrarily can be ell. Correspondingly, visibility only arises when the slats are strongly aligned in the basic or transmission position.

It is understood that blinds 60 or slats 58 as described above can be used in a corresponding frame as a partition. The visible protection effect can be adjustable by controllable mounting of the slats. Such a partition can be used indoors or outdoors. If there are corresponding rollers on the frame, the partition can also be flexibly moved from place to place. Partitions made of a single or several very large panels that are permanently installed are also conceivable. In such cases, the frame may also be omitted. As already mentioned above, the bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10'", 10 "", and in particular 10 ^v , are also particularly suitable as lighting bodies, with no limits to the area of use. The possibilities range from the ultra-flat illuminated mirror with a surface area of a few mm ² and a thickness of 0.3 to 2 mm for medical and dental technology with an integrated, ultra-flat spot light and medical lights, with the smallest dimensions, for insertion into the body and for lighting inaccessible angles, further to currentless, because sunlight fed lighting systems for offices, dimmable, precisely steered by means of internal interfaces and internal grinding (see Fresnel lens above) and easy to clean, up to large-area illuminants for the large-scale illumination of a workplace. By means of the bodies 10, 10 ', 10 ", 10'" according to the invention presented here, flat, voluminous or rod-shaped, transparent, free-standing or wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted lamps can be produced which emit light in defined predetermined spatial angles, but from all of them other angles are perceived as transparent or partially transparent (opaque-transparent). Since the bodies can be made watertight, in one piece, lamps made from these bodies are particularly suitable for use under water and wherever condensation or moisture pose a problem for normal multi-part lamps.

Claims

claims

1 Process for the production of transparent bodies, characterized in that at least one prefabricated, transparent element (12, 16, 17, 19, 22, 51, 52) fits precisely with another transparent element (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22 , 51, 52) is assembled so that the elements (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22, 51, 52) on one for the

Material-specific holding temperature is heated and kept at this holding temperature until heating or degassing, which has been prescribed for the material, that specific, at least partial welding of certain elements (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51 ) takes place so that from the given number of elements (12, 16, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51) a single solid body (10, 10 ', 10 ",

10 ", 10"', 10 "", 10 ^v ), the resulting solid body (10, 10', 10 ", 10"',10'",10"", 10 ^v ) is quenched and then professionally is cooled to room temperature.

2 A process for the production of transparent bodies according to claim 1, characterized in that the resulting solid body (10, 10 ', 10 ", 10'", 10 "", 10 ^v ) between the elements (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22, 51, 52) each have an integrated interface (18, 18 ', 18 "), which is characterized in that the materials adjacent to one another in the interface (18, 18', 18") are less than 98% can be assigned to the same lattice or the same amorphous structure.

3 Process for the production of transparent bodies according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the targeted full or partial welding of the elements (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51) by means of radiation and / or convection and / or contact heat and / or using high pressures and / or using vacuum and at the welding points, preferably in the form of so-called full or partial fusing.

4 A method for producing transparent bodies according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bodies (10, 10 ', 10 ", 10"', 10 "", 10 ^v ) are made of a material that preheats and / or degassing and / or controlled Makes cooling unnecessary, so that the individual, precisely fitting elements (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51) can be directly welded to one another at specific points using contact, radiant heat and / or convection heat in an open space while the environment remains largely at room temperature,

A process for the production of transparent bodies according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one prefabricated, transparent element (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51) thereby fits perfectly with another transparent element (12, 16 ,,, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51) are joined together and firmly connected to it so that the at least one prefabricated, transparent element (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51) is manufactured on the for the required connection is brought to the required, material-dependent holding temperature and this holding temperature is maintained until a uniform temperature of the first element is reached, such that when a uniform temperature of the at least one element (12, 16,, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51) is reached, This is filled as quickly as possible with liquid glass or plastic, or pressed with a plate that is at the fusing temperature and within a short time depending on the material to a temperature within the pre-set for the material quenched temperature range above the glass temperature and finally expertly cooled to room temperature.

A process for the production of transparent bodies according to claim 5, characterized in that the materials are selected so that heat treatment is unnecessary.

Transparent, solid body, suitable for guiding light, producible with a method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it has at least one integrated interface (1 8, 18 ', 18 "), which is characterized in that the at the interface (18, 18 ', 18 ") of adjacent materials to less than

98% can be assigned to the same lattice or the same amorphous structure. Transparent body according to claim 7, characterized in that the materials ^' adjacent to each other in the interface (18, 18 ', 18 ") or in the interfaces (18, 18', 18") have the same refractive index.

Transparent body according to claim ^ characterized in that the adjacent in the interface (18, 18 ', 18 ") or the interfaces (18, 18', 18")

Materials have different refractive indices. f 3 Transparent body according to one of claims bisßjjf ^' characterized in that there is more than one interface (18, 18', 18 ") and the materials adjacent to each other in a part of the interfaces (18, 18 ', 18") have different refractive indices and in another part of the interfaces (18, 18 ', 18 ")

Materials with the same refractive index are adjacent to each other.

Transparent body according to one of claims ^ Ö to ^ characterized in that the lattices or amorphous structures of the materials adjacent in the interfaces (18, 18 ', 18 ") have a complete, partial or no connection.

Transparent body according to one of the claims Rjbisßjjf characterized in that the interfaces (1 8, 1 8 ', 18 ") are formed between precisely fitting elements (1, 16, 17, 19, 22, 50, 51) made of transparent material, which fit into one another are joined and their lattices or amorphous structures are preferably at least partially connected to one another.

-72 Transparent body according to claim ^, characterized in that a first type of elements (1 2, 50, 51) is shaped like a rod and is arranged along their long sides in at least one layer (14) in a precisely fitting manner, and that preferably on at least one side of the at least one layer (14) is arranged an element of a second type of cover plate-shaped elements (16). Transparent body according to Claim 7, characterized in that a first type of elements (19) is designed as a plate with ribs of any cross-sectional geometry which are aligned parallel to an edge, and a second type of elements (22) forms the counter shape which exactly matches this.

Use of a transparent body according to one of claims 7 to 14 as a component of a facade of a building.

Use of a transparent body according to one of claims 7 to 14 as a partition, which influences the view in a targeted manner, preferably variably adjustable, and can be arranged inside or outside of buildings.

Use of a transparent body according to one of claims 7 to 14 as a lamella (58) of blinds (60), preferably with at least one integrated solar collector (54),

Use of a transparent body according to one of claims 7 to 14 as a flat or linear or voluminous lighting body.

Use of a transparent body according to one of claims 7 to 14 as a light-conducting component of any length suitable for the construction of a light-conducting network and in particular for use as a light-dividing component in such a network.