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US 5,365,919 AGranted
Solar energy collector assembly
OwnerJames L. Lenhartinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a solar collector assembly, one or more absorber tubes are made up of a plurality of discarded metal can bodies in end-to-end relation, one or more collector tubes are made up of a plurality of discarded transparent pop bottles arranged in end-to-end relation to one another and in surrounding relation to the absorber tubes. A blower is positioned in one of the absorber tubes to force air through the absorber tube and through a discharge conduit into a space to be heated.
Claims13
A solar collector assembly comprising:
- a collector tube defined by a plurality of transparent, generally bottle-shaped members, each said bottle-shaped member provided with openings at opposite ends which are substantially symmetrical with a longitudinal axis of said collector tube, said bottle-shaped members disposed in end-to-end relation to one another;
- an absorber tube having an external heat-absorptive surface disposed within said collector tube and defined by a plurality of thin-walled can bodies open at opposite ends and disposed in end-to-end relation to one another;
- means for mounting said absorber tube for axial extension through said collector tube wherein a longitudinal axis of said absorber tube is substantially coincident with said longitudinal axis of said collector tube;
- air-directing means for directing air through said absorber tube;
- and
- conducting means for conducting fluid from said absorber tube into a space to be heated.
3 more elements
In a solar collector assembly, the improvement comprising:
- an absorber tube defined by a plurality of discarded metal can bodies, each can body having opposite top and bottom ends removed, said bodies connected in end-to-end relation to one another with the top of each body inserted into the bottom of each next body in succession;
- a collector tube defined by a plurality of discarded transparent pop bottles, each of said bottles having opposite top and bottom ends removed to define openings therein substantially symmetrical with a longitudinal axis of each said bottle, said bottles connected in end-to-end relation to one another and in surrounding relation to said can bodies with the top of each bottle inserted into the bottom of each next bottle in succession, and a longitudinal axis of said can bodies being substantially coincident with said longitudinal axis of said bottles;
- and
- each of said bottles having a tapered end with an innermost terminal edge of a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of one of said can bodies, and means for joining said inner terminal end of each said bottle to one of said can bodies.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.