Back to results
US 4,353,356 AGranted
Solar collector units with mounting frame
AssigneeSealed Air Corporation
InventorBenjamin E. Vandenbossche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeSealed Air Corporation
InventorBenjamin E. Vandenbossche
Estimating the term…
A rigid metal framework includes parallel u-shaped guides which are spaced apart and lined with a resilient material for supporting the edges of a solar absorber or core, which guides are connected with separate transverse members at their opposite ends together with intermediate cross-supports to increase the rigidity of the framework and a clamp in one of the housings to secure a manifold of a solar absorber, thereby allowing expansion and contraction of the core to occur in the guides, thereby providing support of the core without creating stress in the absorber. The framework can be fixed to the installation site but allows the absorber to float in a controlled manner within the framework without damage, as thermal conditions change. In addition, the framework design allows glazing (transparent covers) to be placed over the absorber, enhancing the efficiency of the resulting collector unit. The framework also enables the several units to nest together without typical stresses found in multipanel installations having large absorbing surface areas.
In combination, a solar collector, which includes a pair of lateral edges and a pair of longitudinal edges, and a mounting frame for said solar collector, said mounting frame including receiving means for resiliently receiving said longitudinal edges of said collector such that said collector is free to expand and contract laterally and longitudinally, supporting means underlying said collector for slideably supporting said collector intermediate said lateral edges and said longitudinal edges thereof, clamping means formed integrally with said receiving means for clamping one of said lateral edges of said collector such that said one lateral edge is fixed relative to said mounting frame while the other lateral edge is movable relative to said mounting frame, whereby any movement of said collector as a result of the longitudinal expansion or contraction thereof will occur at said other lateral edge.
A solar collector system, comprising a plurality of adjacent collector units, each collector unit including a collector, said collector having a pair of lateral edges and a pair of longitudinal edges, each of said lateral edges being delimited by a corresponding header, and mounting means for mounting said collector, said mounting means including receiving means for resiliently receiving said longitudinal edges of said collector such that said collector is free to expand and contract laterally and longitudinally, supporting means underlying said collector for slideably supporting said collector intermediate said lateral edges and said longitudinal edges thereof, clamping means formed integrally with said receiving means for clamping one of said lateral edges of said collector such that said one lateral edge is fixed relative to said mounting means while the other lateral edge is movable relative to said mounting means, whereby any movement of said collector as a result of the longitudinal expansion or contraction thereof will occur at said other lateral edge;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.