Heat collector and storage chamber

Abstract

A solar energy heat collector and storage chamber is provided with fixed side, rear, top, and bottom walls. A glass front wall permits sun rays to pass inwardly therethrough to heat rock pieces and also functions to help any heat from passing outwardly therethrough. This glass wall extends forwardly and downwardly. Behind and in spaced relation to this glass wall is a mesh screen wall which is preferably parallel thereto. Behind and in spaced relation to this screen wall are first and second baffle walls, the first forming with the screen wall a first rock chamber and the second forming with the first thereof, a second rock chamber. The first baffle wall extends from the top or bottom wall as a first wall, toward and short of the other wall thereof, while the second baffle wall extends from the other toward and short of the first wall. Such screen, first and second walls provide therebetween a circuitous passageway formed of first and second interconnected rock chambers, which are filled with irregular shaped pieces of rock, through which air may be circulated. The number of pairs of passageways and the length of the circuitous passageway may be increased and illustrative thereof, four are shown. The collector and storage chamber is connected with the hot air plenum chamber and cold air returns of a conventional hot air furnace. The furnace may utilize heat sources separate from the collector and storage chamber or the chamber may be the source of heat for the furnace.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.