Solar heating system

A solar heating system having at least one roof mounted panel for collecting heat from the sun, said panel having an upper sunlight-absorbing surface, at least one translucent cover mounted above the panel to protect it from the weather, said panel having a lower surface for heat transfer to a stream of water, means for mounting said panel to form a passage for said stream of water, means connected to said panel for maintaining said stream of water in substantially uniform contact with said lower surface of said panel, insulated tank means connected for receiving and storing said stream of water, and means for controlling said stream of water under said panel in response to the temperature of said panel and said water in said tank, whereby said water collects heat from said panel at useful temperatures[,] and in which said panel has one cover supported above it by spacers and another cover supported above the first cover by spacers and a flexible sealing strip secured in substantially leak-tight relation to the edges of said covers and said panel so as to exclude water from the spaces between the said covers and said panel.

A solar heating system having at least one roof mounted panel for collecting heat from the sun, said panel having an upper sunlight-absorbing surface, at least one translucent cover mounted above the panel to protect it from the weather, said panel having a lower surface of heat transfer to a stream of water, means for mounting said panel to form a passage for said stream of water, means connected to said panel for maintaining said stream of water in substantially uniform contact with said lower surface of said panel, insulated tank means connected for receiving and storing said stream of water, and means for controlling said stream of water under said panel in response to the temperature of said panel and said water in said tank, whereby said water collects heat from said panel at useful temperatures[,] and in which said means for controlling said stream of water under said panel includes a pump for raising water from said storage tank to an upper tank at a height above the top of said collector panel, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of water entering said storage tank, and valve means for controlling the flow of water to the entrance of said pump responsive to the temperature of said entering water, whereby the flow of water to the collector panel is reduced when the temperature of the water entering the storage tank is lower than desired.

A solar collector comprising a panel having an upper sunlight-absorbing surface, [at least one translucent cover mounted above the panel to protect it from the weather,] said panel having a lower surface for heat transfer to a stream of water, means for mounting said panel to form a passage for said stream of water, and a mat of wettable fibrous material in said passage for maintaining said stream of water in substantially uniform contact with said lower surface of said panel.

A solar heating system having at least one roof mounted panel for collecting heat from the sun, said panel having an upper sunlight-absorbing surface, [at least one translucent cover mounted above the panel to protect it from the weather,] said panel having a lower surface of heat transfer to a stream of water, means for mounting said panel to form a passage for said stream of water, wettable mat means in said passage connected to said panel for maintaining said stream of water in substantially uniform contact with said lower surface of said panel, insulated tank means connected for receiving and storing said stream of water, and means for controlling said stream of water under said panel in response to the temperature of said panel and said water in said tank, whereby said water collects heat from said panel at useful temperatures, said means for maintaing said stream of water in substantially uniform contact with said lower surface of said panel comprises a mat of wettable fibrous material.