US 4,788,904 A · Assembly for cooling vehicle parts

Abstract

A solar energy collector for an automotive vehicle comprises an absorber panel and a cover panel spaced from one another to form an air flow channel. The passenger compartment of the vehicle communicates with the air flow channel via one or more openings, while the air flow channel communicates at a downstream side with the ambient atmosphere via one or more air outlets. The cover panel is made of a material transparent to incident solar radiation of optical frequencies and impervious to electromagnetic radiation of infrared frequencies. The absorber panel absorbs solar energy and transfers the heat energy so produced to air flowing through the air flow channel from the passenger compartment. The absorber panel is provided with support ribs on which the cover panel rests and with deflection ribs for deflecting the air stream and thereby enhancing heat transfer characteristics. The cover panel is advantageously connected to the absorber panel in a form lock fit which facilitates cleaning and maintenance of the absorber panel.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An assembly for cooling portions of a motor vehicle exposed to incident solar radiation, said assembly comprising:

first means including an absorber panel for absorbing incident solar energy, said absorber panel being mounted to said vehicle in a passenger compartment thereof;
second means including a cover panel mounted above said absorber panel for forming with said absorber panel an air flow channel, said cover panel being essentially transparent to optical wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation and impervious to infrared wavelengths, said air flow channel being located between said absorber panel and said cover panel;
third means including an air inlet opening communicating with said air flow channel for enabling the introduction of air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle into said air flow channel;
and
fourth means including an air outlet opening communicating with said air flow channel for enabling the discharge of air from said air flow channel into the ambient atmosphere outside the vehicle.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Assembly for cooling vehicle parts

Life of this patent

Assembly for cooling vehicle parts

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18