WO2008149278A1

WO2008149278A1 - Window element

Info

Publication number: WO2008149278A1
Application number: PCT/IB2008/052140
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter G. Steeneken; Herbert Lifka
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2007-06-05
Filing date: 2008-06-02
Publication date: 2008-12-11
Also published as: TW200916641A

Abstract

The present invention provides a window element (1) comprising a first and a second pane (11, 12) between which a window blind (14) including a solid state device (16) is arranged. The window element may partly delimit an interior space (18), and is adapted to either shield or illuminate the interior space (18). The present invention provides a device having a long lifetime.

Description

Window Element

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a window element including two panes between which a window blind comprising at least one solid state device is arranged.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Comfortable working and leisure environments in e.g. buildings, automobiles, or any other interior applications, require adequate interior lighting. Interior lighting may be provided in an interior space by light entering through a window, such as light emitted from the sun, or by artificial lighting, such as any kind of lamps fixed at e.g. a wall or a ceiling of the interior space. During sunny days of a year, e.g. during summers, a window blind comprising a plurality of slats is often arranged at a window for shielding the interior space from sunlight. A conventional window blind allows flexible adjustment of the light coming through the window by rotation of the slats or lamellas of the window blind. However, the light passing through the conventional window blind may be insufficient for achieving an adequate and comfortable interior lighting, such as when the sun goes down in the evenings.

Thus, a window blind, such as the window blind disclosed in DE10131598, may be equipped with light emitting diodes in order to increase the amount of light provided by the window blind. In addition, such a window blind allows the display of images, and thereby functions also as a decorative object. However, the lifetime of such window blinds is rather low.

Thus, there is a need for providing new devices and systems that would overcome these problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to wholly or partly overcome the above disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a more efficient alternative to the above techniques and prior art. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a window element providing adequate interior lighting and having a long lifetime. The present invention is based on an insight that a window blind equipped with a solid state device may be comprised between two panes of a window element in order to encapsulate the solid state device, thereby increasing its lifetime. The window element enables both shielding and lighting of an interior space, which interior space is partly delimited by the window element.

Hence, a window element comprising a first pane and a second pane between which a window blind is arranged, is provided. The first and the second panes are spaced apart from each other by an insulating means, and the window blind comprises a plurality of slats at which at least one solid state device is arranged. The inventive window blind is advantageous in that the solid state device arranged at the window blind is protected from the conditions of the room in which the window blind is used, thereby increasing its lifetime. As an example, the window element according to the present invention is particularly advantageous in a room like a kitchen where a lot of vapors or moisture is present in the air. These hard conditions are usually not favorable to the proper functioning of a window blind equipped with e.g. light emitting diodes, and reduce significantly the lifetime of the window blind.

The solid state device arranged at the window blind may be a light emitting diode, as described above, but it could also be a photo detecting means such as a photodiode, or a photovoltaic device. A photo detecting means could e.g. be employed to detect the level of light intensity in the interior space and thereby regulate the amount of light provided by the window blind. A photovoltaic device may be employed to convert energy received by e.g. the sun. The received energy may then be stored in a storage means, and used at a later time for providing energy to e.g. lighting means arranged at the window blind.

Further objectives of, features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the following detailed disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. Those skilled in the art realize that different features of the present invention can be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non- limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a window element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

All the figures are schematic, not necessarily to scale, and generally only show parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the invention, wherein other parts may be omitted or merely suggested.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

With reference to Figure 1, an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Figure 1 shows a side view of a window element 1 comprising a first pane 11 and a second pane 12 facing the first pane 11. The two panes 11 and 12 are spaced apart from each other by an insulating means 13. The window element 1 also comprises a window blind 14 arranged between the first pane 11 and the second pane 12.

The window blind 14 may e.g. be arranged at a window element 1 facing an interior space 18. As examples, such a window element 1 may separate an exterior space from an interior space, such as an office room, or may separate two interior spaces, such as two adjacent office rooms.

In a configuration, the faces of the first pane 11 and the second pane 12 are parallel to each other; however, other configurations may be implemented in which the surfaces of the first pane 11 and the second pane 12 are not parallel to each other. Both first and second panes may comprise light-transmitting material, preferably transparent material, so that light provided by the window blind 14 can be transmitted to the interior space 18 of e.g. a building at which the window element is arranged.

The window blind may comprise a support member 19 and a plurality of slats 15a-15d connected to the support member 19 by means of a hanging system 20.

The window blind 14 shown in Figure 1 is in its deployed state, i.e. the slats 15a-15d are suspended at the hanging system 20. In this state, the slats 15a-15d may be tilted by a tilt angle, which is the angle formed between the support member 19 and the slats, to regulate the amount of light provided by the window blind 14. The adjustment of the slats may extend from an opened position, in which the slats are parallel to the support member 19 with a tilt angle CC of 0°, to a closed position, in which the slats are perpendicular to the support member 19 (α = 90°). Note that the so-called "opened" position does not necessarily corresponds to a position in which a maximum amount of light is provided by the window blind since, at a given time of the day, the amount of light passing through a window blind depends on the tilt angle. The state of the window blind 1 may, however, vary from a totally deployed state, in which the window blind would normally, but not necessarily, cover a whole window, to an undeployed state, in which the slats of the window blind all are compressed together, thereby allowing light to freely enter the interior space 18. In the undeployed state, the slats and the support member form a single block either at the top, the bottom or a side of the window element.

Although the window blind 14 shown in Figure 1 operates vertically, the window blind 14 of the window element according to the present invention may also operate horizontally or in any other orientations. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that any type of solid state devices 16 may be used in the window element 1 of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, however, light emitting diodes are used. These types of light sources are advantageous since they are small and therefore easily incorporated in the window blind. In particular, organic or polymer light emitting diodes (OLEDs) may be employed since OLEDs have a high efficiency comparable to the efficiency of fluorescent lamps.

In an embodiment, the solid state devices 16 arranged at the slats 15a-15d of the window blind 14 may be a combination of red, green and blue light emitting diodes for creating an illuminating surface emitting white light.

In yet a further embodiment, the window element 1 is provided with a regulator 17 for controlling the amount of light provided by the window element. The regulator 17 may be employed to achieve smooth transitions from daylight to light provided by the solid state devices 16 and in particular to compensate for light fading when daylight becomes insufficient. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the solid state device 16 is a light emitting diode emitting light at a wavelength λ, and the regulator 17 is adapted to control the amount of light emitted by the light emitting diode. The use of light emitting diodes as light emitting means in combination with the regulator 17 enables seamless or smooth transitions from daylight to artificial lighting since light emitting diodes are dimmable. Thus, constant light levels may be achieved in e.g. working environments with the window element of the present invention despite the variations of daylight conditions. As a result, comfortable interior lighting conditions are provided. When daylight is fading, people may e.g. switch on the light from the window element and thereby compensate for the deteriorating exterior light conditions.

According to one embodiment, the regulator 17 may be adapted to output a control signal to regulate the tilt angle of the slats 15a-15d. The control signal may be provided to the slats 15a-15d by means of the suspension lines of the hanging system 20, which suspension lines comprise connection lines or power lines. Similarly, the energy required at the slats to control the solid state device 16 and/or the tilt angle of the slats is provided by means of the support lines of the hanging system 20. Alternatively, a wireless connection may be established between the regulator 17 and the slats 15a-15d and/or the solid state device 16 to provide the control signal to the slats and/or the solid state device 16.

In another embodiment, a remote controller may be used to operate the regulator 17.

In a further embodiment, at least one of the slats may comprise semiconductor material in which the solid state device 16 may be manufactured. In this embodiment, the semiconductor material or substrate in which the solid state device 16 is fabricated is equivalent to the material of the slats 15a-15d. It is preferable that the substrate is reflective to ensure that the slats 15a-15d may be used to shield the interior space from external light sources, such as the sun. The substrate may be selected such that it reflects infrared light, thereby limiting the amount of infrared light entering the interior space 18. Further, the substrate may be selected such that it keeps a high level of light intensity in the interior space 18.

In a preferred embodiment, the first pane 11 and the second pane 12 comprise glass, which is advantageous since insulated glass is commonly used to insulate the interior of a building from the outside environment. Thus, standard materials can be used to implement the present invention. In another embodiment, the first pane 11 and the second pane 12 comprise plastic materials.

In yet a further embodiment, the panes of the window element may be curved for focusing the light emitted from the lighting means 16 of the window blind 14 at particular locations of the interior space 18, and for controlling the shape of the focused light rays.

The present invention is applicable in any lighting applications for e.g. office buildings, individual homes or greenhouses, in ambient lighting for special interior effects, and in automobile lighting for e.g. windows of cars, busses and trains.

Although the invention above has been described in connection with preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be evident for a person skilled in the art that several modifications are conceivable without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A window element (1) comprising a first pane (11) and a second pane (12) spaced apart from each other by an insulating means (13) and between which panes a window blind (14) is arranged, wherein said window blind (14) comprises a plurality of slats (15a-15d) at which at least one solid state device (16) is arranged.

2. The window element as defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second panes (11, 12) are parallel to each other.

3. The window element as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said solid state device (16) is one of the group comprised of light emitting diodes, photodiodes, and photovoltaic devices.

4. The window element as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said panes (11, 12) is curved.

5. The window element as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said insulating means (13) is one of the group comprised of inert gas and vacuum.

6. The window element as defined in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a regulator (17) adapted to regulate at least one of said slats (15a-15d) and said at least one solid state device (16) for controlling the amount of light provided by the window element.