Solar air duct
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorDouglas A. Wilke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ready-to-assemble kit for a solar air heater is provided including a heating chamber composed of a set of side-by-side elongated, hollow, straight ducts having openings at opposite ends thereof; wherein a manifold is placed at each end of the set, wherein each manifold is composed of an open-topped compartment and overlying lid, wherein the open-topped compartment includes a protruding lip adjacent the top, wherein the lip and overlying lid define an opening therebetween through which the set of ducts horizontally extend into the manifold. In the assembled kit, the heater and manifolds are disposed below a framed-in glazing which transmits solar energy to the heater.
Claims2
In an apparatus for heating air with solar energy, wherein said air is heated in a chamber disposed below a glazing and surrounded by glazing support structure, the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises a kit capable of on-site assembly upon a planar-shaped base, and wherein said kit includes:
- a. at least one prefabricated heating chamber to be placed upon said base, said chamber consisting essentially of a set of elongated, hollow, flat, straight, sheet-metal ducts, which lie flat, side-by-side, above said base when said kit is assembled;
- wherein each of said ducts is closed except for duct openings at each end thereof;
- and
- b. a first manifold chamber separate and distinct from said heating chamber to be disposed at one end of said set of ducts when said kit is assembled;
- a second manifold chamber separate and distinct from said heating chamber to be disposed at the other end of said set of ducts;
- wherein said first manifold chamber vertically extends from above said base down through a hole in said base adjacent said one end of said ducts when said kit is assembled;
- wherein said second manifold chamber vertically extends from above said base down through a hole in said base adjacent said other end of said set of ducts when said kit is assembled;
- wherein said first manifold chamber includes an aperture in its side through which said set of ducts horizontally extend when kit is assembled;
- wherein said second manifold chamber includes an aperture in its side through which said set of ducts horizontally extend when said kit is assembled;
- wherein said first and second manifold chambers each include an open-topped compartment and a lid therefor;
- wherein said compartment includes a protruding lip segment adjacent its open top;
- wherein said lid overlies said open top and lip segment when said kit is assembled;
- wherein said lip and overlying lid define said aperture in said manifolds through which the open ends of said ducts extend when said kit is assembled and wherein said heating chamber and manifolds are detached from said glazing and glazing support when said kit is assembled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.