Patents by Inventor Michael E. Martinet

Michael E. Martinet has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4306769
    Abstract: An apparatus for collecting sunlight and directing the collected sunlight into the interior of the building to provide illumination, so that the energy used for artificial illumination can be conserved, includes a collector, a light pipe, and a diffuser. The collector includes an immovable flared trumpet-like hollow tube having a highly reflective interior surface and having its larger aperture oriented to maximize the sunlight received at a particular time of day. The larger aperture is closed by a transparent cap which supports a secondary reflector that extends forward of the larger aperture. The secondary reflector serves to reflect into the hollow tube light travelling at a low angle of incidence with respect to the larger aperture to compensate for the reduced efficiency of the larger aperture to low-angle light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1981
    Inventor: Michael E. Martinet