Description

Technical Field

The instant invention relates generally to solar power systems and more specifically it relates to a solar energy collector.

Disclosure of the Invention

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a solar energy collector that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.

Another object is to provide a solar energy collector that will retain heat twenty four hours a day, in which a light sensitive mechanism connected to a bi- fold lid will automatically open the bi-fold lid during the daylight hours and close the bi-fold lid during the nighttime hours.

An additional object is to provide a solar energy collector in which the light sensitive mechanism can be an insulated gravity driver system, an expanding inner tube system or an end cap plate driver system.

A further object is to provide a solar energy collector that is simple and easy to use.

A still further object is to provide a solar energy collector that is economical in cost to manufacture.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Brief Description of the Drawing Figures

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view, showing multiple units of the instant invention on a roof, with the bi-fold lids in an open position.

FIGURE 2 is a front perspective view of the instant invention on a roof with the bi-fold lid in a position closed by a gravity driver system.

FIGURE 3 is a partly exploded front perspective view of the instant invention per se.

FIGURE 4 is a rear perspective view taken in the direction of arrow 4 in Figure 3 of just the bi-fold lid, showing the gravity driver system in greater detail.

FIGURE 5 is an end view taken in the direction of arrow 5 in Figure 2 with parts broken away, showing the bi-fold lid in a closed position.

FIGURE 6 is an end view similar to Figure 5, showing the bi-fold lid in a partially opened position.

FIGURE 7 is an end view similar to Figure 6, showing the bi-fold lid in a fully opened position.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged front perspective view of the area indicated by arrow 8 in Figure 1.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view showing an expanding inner tube system for the bi-fold lid.

FIGURE 10 is a front perspective view with parts broken away showing the bi-fold lid in an position opened by an end cap driver system.

FIGURE 11 is a front perspective view taken in the direction of arrow 11 in Figure 10.

FIGURE 12 is a rear perspective view with parts broken away of the bi-fold lid, showing the lid arm and counterbalance connected thereto.

FIGURE 13 is a front perspective view with parts broken away and in phantom, showing the end cap driver system going into a closed position.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

The reference numbers utilized in the drawing figures are defined as follows.

14 solar energy collector

16 heat absorbing structure of 14

18 main body of 14

19 transparent top portion of 18

20 water carrying elements of 14

22 supporting component of 14

24 roof of 26

26 building

28 covering facility of 14

30 automatically opening and closing equipment of 14

32 elongated black colored cylindrical storage tank for 16

elongated generally U-shaped housing for 18

insulated material of 34

thin exterior plastic wall on 36

lined interior mirrored film on 36

glazed sheet of 18 at 19

elongated rib in 34

pipe of 20

end cap plate for 22

aperture in 46 for 44

flat base of 46

bi-fold lid for 28

elongated rear cover of 52

elongated front cover of 52

hinge between 54 and 56

pivot pin on 54

slide pin on 56

guide track in 22

insulated gravity driver system for 30

horizontal counterbalance member of 66

horizontal uninsulated canister of 66 on 28

horizontal insulated canister of 66 on 68

capillary tube of 66 between 70 and 72

expanding inner tube system for 30

cylindrical container of 76

small copper solar plate of 76

capillary tube of 76 between 78 and 80

end cap plate driver system for 30

86 ball bearing wheel of 84 on 22

88 pivot arm of 84 on 86

90 uninsulated canister /solar panel of 84 on top end of 88

92 insulated canister of 84 on bottom end of 88

94 lid arm of 84 on 28

96 counterbalance member of 84 on lower end of 94

98 transfer rod of 84 on 88

100 capillary tube of 84 between 90 and 92

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, Figures 1 through 13 illustrate a solar energy collector 14 which comprises a heat absorbing structure 16 which takes in radiant energy and transfers the radiant energy to water carried therein. A main body 18 encompasses the heat absorbing structure 16. The radiant energy will enter a transparent top portion 19 of the main body 18 to reach the heat absorbing structure 16. Elements 20 are for carrying the water into and out of the heat absorbing structure 16.

Components 22 are for supporting opposite ends of the heat absorbing structure 16 within the main body 18 on a roof 24 of a building 26. A facility 28 is for covering the transparent top portion 19 of the main body 18. Equipment 30 is for automatically opening the covering facility 28 during daylight hours to expose the transparent top portion 19, to allow the radiant energy to reach the heat absorbing structure 16 and for automatically closing the covering facility 28 during nighttime hours, to seal the transparent top portion 19 to keep the radiant energy within the heat absorbing structure 16 in the main body 18.

The heat absorbing structure 16 is an elongated black colored cylindrical storage tank 32 to hold the water therein. The main body 18, as best seen in Figure 3, includes an elongated generally U-shaped housing 34 made of an insulated material 36 coated on the exterior with a thin plastic wall 38 and lined on the interior with a mirrored film 40 that reflects the radiant energy back onto the heat absorbing structure 16 therein. A glazed sheet 42 covers the U-shaped housing 34 above the heat absorbing structure 16. An elongated rib 43 is longitudinally mounted in the bottom of the U-shaped housing 34, so as to support the U-shaped housing 34.

The water carrying elements 20 consist of a pair of pipes 44. Each pipe 44 extends from one end of the heat absorbing structure 16, so that the water can enter and exit therefrom. The supporting components 22 comprises a pair of end cap plates 46. Each end cap plate 46 has an aperture 48 therethrough and a flat base 50. A pipe 44 extending from an end of the heat absorbing structure 16 extends through one aperture 48. The flat base 50 can be placed in a stationary position onto the roof 24 of the building 26 without slipping and sliding on the roof 24.

The covering facility 28 is a bi-fold lid 52 pivotally connected to the supporting components 22 and sized to fit over the transparent top portion 19 of the main body 18, when the bi-fold lid 52 is in a closed position. The bi-fold lid 52 includes an elongated rear cover 54 and an elongated front cover 56. A hinge 58 is between abutting edges of the rear cover 54 and the front cover 56. A pair of pivot pins 60 extends from opposite side edges of the rear cover 54 away from the hinge 58. The pivot pins 60 extend into the support components 22 to pivot thereabout. A pair of slide pins 62 extend from opposite side edges of the front cover 56 away from the hinge 58. The slide pins 62 can extend within guide tracks 64 in the support components 22 to ride therein, when the bi-fold lid 52 goes into an open position.

The automatically opening and closing equipment 30, as used in Figures 1 through 8, is an insulated gravity driver system 66 which includes a horizontal counterbalance member 68 extending rearwardly from the covering facility 28. A horizontal uninsulated canister 70 is mounted on the covering facility 28. A horizontal insulated canister 72 for holding a refrigerant liquid therein is mounted on the counterbalance member 68. A capillary tube 74 extends between the uninsulated canister 70 and the insulated canister 72. When sunlight shines on the uninsulated canister 70, the refrigerant liquid will expand to go through the capillary tube 74 into the insulated canister 72, causing the covering facility 28 to go into the open position. When darkness comes the refrigerant liquid will condense to go back through the capillary tube 74 to the uninsulated canister 70, causing the covering facility 28 to go into the closed position.

The automatically opening and closing equipment 30, as used in Figure 9, is an expanding inner tube system 76 which consists of a cylindrical container 78 made out of a flexible material that resists hydrocarbon chemical degradation and permeability, that is placed in a rear hinged part of the covering facility 28 at the transparent top portion 19 of the main body 18. A small copper solar plate 80 is filled with refrigerant liquid. A capillary tube 82 extends between the cylindrical container 78 and the small copper solar plate 80. When the solar plate 80 is exposed to heat and light, the refrigerant liquid will expand to go through the capillary tube 82 to the cylindrical container 78, causing the cylindrical container 78 to expand and the covering facility 28 to go into the open position. When the solar plate 80 is exposed to darkness, the refrigerant liquid will condense to go back through the capillary tube 82 to the solar plate 80, causing the cylindrical container 78 to contract and the covering facility 28 to go into the closed position.

The automatically opening and closing equipment 30, as used in Figures 10 through 13, is an end cap plate driver system 84 which comprises a ball bearing wheel 86 mounted on one end cap plate 46 of the supporting component 22. A pivot arm 88 is connected to the ball bearing wheel 86. An uninsulated canister/solar panel 90 is mounted to a top end of the pivot arm 88. An insulated canister 92 for holding a refrigerant liquid therein is mounted to a bottom end of the pivot arm 88. A lid arm 94 is affixed transversely to a rear portion of the covering facility 28. A counterbalance member 96 is attached to a lower end of the lid arm 94.

A pair of transfer rods 98 are spaced apart and affixed at one end to the pivot arm 88, so that the transfer rods 98 will engage with the lid arm 94. A capillary tube 100 extends between the uninsulated canister /solar panel 90 and the

insulated canister 92. When sunlight shines on the uninsulated canister/solar panel 90, the refrigerant liquid will expand to go through the capillary tube 100 to said insulated canister 92, causing the pivot arm 88 to swing up with the transfer rods 98 moving away from the lid arm 94 and the counterbalance member 96 pulling the lid arm 94 up with the covering facility 28 going into the open position. When darkness comes the refrigerant liquid will condense to go back through the capillary tube 100 to the uninsulated canister /solar panel 90, causing the pivot arm 88 to swing down with the transfer rods 98 pushing the lid arm 94 down with the covering facility 28 going into the closed position.