Mobile solar panel unit
AssigneeEcoquip Australia Pty Ltd
InventorDavid James Sharp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile solar panel unit (10) comprising: (a) a transport device (10) having a load zone (20) having a cross sectional area; and (b) an assembly (30) of a plurality of inter-connected solar collector panels (40, 42, 44) for providing, in use, power to an associated equipment item (70); wherein adjacent panels (40, 42; 42, 44) in said assembly (30) of solar collector panels (40, 42, 44) are inter-connected by rotatable connection means (50, 50a) for rotating panels (40, 44) allowing both storage of said assembly (30) of inter-connected solar collector panels (40, 42; 42, 44) in said load zone (20) and deployment of said assembly (30) of inter-connected solar collector panels (40, 42, 44) to a collection position to generate power when exposed to sunlight.
Claims20
A mobile solar panel unit comprising:
- (a) a transport device having a housing including a load zone having a cross sectional area disposed on an upper inclined surface of the housing;
- and
- (b) a solar collector panel assembly of a plurality of inter-connected solar collector panels for providing, in use, power to an associated equipment item, said plurality of inter-connected solar collector panels being arranged in a stack on the upper inclined surface when in a stowed position;
- wherein any pair of adjacent solar collector panels in said solar collector panel assembly are inter-connected by a plurality of spaced hinges, said plurality of spaced hinges allowing rotation of a first panel of said pair of adjacent panels between said stacked stowed position and an adjacent deployed position extending laterally outward from the housing in which said pair of adjacent panels is disposed in a collection position to generate power when exposed to sunlight;
- wherein each hinge has a housing accommodating a spring assist mechanism providing a spring force to assist deployment and storage of panels of the solar collector panel assembly by providing a counter-balance to weight of a solar collector panel;
- wherein the spring assist mechanism includes a plurality of balancing springs, each said balancing spring being selected from the group consisting of a spiral spring and a coil spring;
- wherein said upper inclined surface has a fixed non-zero angle of inclination selected to increase solar energy collection by the deployed solar collector panel assembly at the mobile solar panel unit location with said plurality of inter-connected solar panels disposed in a same plane and supported by the housing of the transport device;
- and
- wherein said plurality of balancing springs has spring effort selected to act against the weight of the first panel of the pair of adjacent panels while enabling manual control of rotation of the first panel during a transition between stowed and deployed positions.
A solar collector panel assembly comprising a plurality of inter-connected solar collector panels for providing, in use, power to an associated equipment item, said plurality of inter-connected solar collector panels being arranged in a stack when in a stowed position on a load zone having an inclined surface;
- wherein any pair of adjacent solar collector panels in said assembly of solar collector panels are inter-connected by a plurality of spaced hinges, said plurality of spaced hinges allowing rotation of a first panel of said pair of adjacent panels between said stacked stowed position and an adjacent deployed position extending laterally outwardly of the load zone in which said pair of adjacent panels is disposed in a collection position at a fixed angle of inclination being a non-zero angle selected to increase solar energy collection and to generate power when exposed to sunlight;
- wherein each hinge has a housing accommodating a spring assist mechanism providing a spring force to assist deployment and storage of panels of the solar panel collector assembly by providing a counter-balance to weight of a solar collector panel;
- wherein the spring assist mechanism includes a plurality of balancing springs, each said balancing spring being selected from the group consisting of a spiral spring and a coil spring;
- and
- wherein said plurality of balancing springs has spring effort selected to act against the weight of the first panel of the pair of adjacent panels while enabling manual control of rotation of the first panel during a transition between stowed and deployed positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.