Solar heat collecting panel

A solar heat collecting panel having three stacked compartments enclosed within a frame. A pair of similar spaced apart parallel clear plastic sheets form the top and bottom of the uppermost compartment. The middle compartment is formed by the bottom sheet of the uppermost compartment and a similar parallel spaced apart sheet. A metallic heat absorption sheet lies parallel to the bottom sheet of the uppermost compartment and is spaced between the top and bottom sheets of the middle compartment. The upper side of the metallic sheet is covered with a black coating. The lowermost compartment is formed by the bottom sheet of the middle compartment and a similar parallel spaced apart sheet lying beneath the bottom sheet of the middle compartment. The five sheets of the solar heat collecting panel may be either flat or contour-profiled.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to solar heat collectors and in particular to a very 
efficient device, yet simple and inexpensive to construct, capable of 
generating temperatures approaching 300.degree. F. (150.degree. C.). 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The use of solar radiated heat as an efficient and environmentally 
acceptable energy source is becoming more widespread as improvements are 
made in means to capture the sun's heat and to store and utilize the 
captured solar heat. 
Perhaps the most widely used form of solar collectors is a rectangular 
panel and a great many types of panels have been suggested, some of which 
have been used with varying degrees of success. 
I have invented a solar heat collecting panel whose outline may be 
rectangular, square or some other shape but which can be easily 
constructed of readily available components and yet will produce and store 
solar generated temperatures of up to 200.degree. F. above the ambient 
temperature at the collecting panel. 
Briefly put, the solar heat collecting panel has three stacked compartments 
bounded by a frame which is preferably made of a reflecting metal such as 
aluminum or an insulating material such as a plastic or wood or 
combinations thereof. Two similar parallel and spaced apart sheets of 
clear plastic material constitute the upper and lower boundaries of the 
uppermost compartment. The two sheets may be contour-profiled or flat. 
The middle compartment is formed by placing a third similarly dimensioned 
sheet parallel to and spaced beneath the sheet forming the lower boundary 
of the uppermost compartment. 
A metallic heat absorption sheet is located between the upper and lower 
sheets of the middle compartment. The upper surface of the heat absorption 
sheet is covered with a preferably flat black coating and the sheet is 
preferably dimensioned to leave a small gap between its outer edges and 
the panel's frame. 
The lowermost or bottom compartment is formed by placing a fourth similarly 
dimensioned sheet parallel to and spaced beneath the sheet forming the 
lower boundary of the middle compartment. The sheets forming the three 
compartments and the heat absorption sheet are held in spaced relation to 
each other preferably by a series of elongated bolts and nuts and a 
suitable number of cylindrical spacers which are located at spaced 
intervals across the entire panel. 
In operation, my panel is positioned so the upper sheet of the panel's 
uppermost compartment lies perpendicular to the sun's rays. The sun's rays 
pass through the clear plastic sheets of the uppermost compartment, 
slightly warming the uppermost compartment, and them heating the black 
coated surface of the metallic heat absorption sheet which efficiently 
stores the solar heat transmitted by the sun's rays. The air trapped in 
the uppermost and lowermost compartments of the panel act as heat dams 
which minimize conductive and convective heat loss from the middle 
compartment. It is thus possible to raise the temperature in the middle 
compartment to as much as 200.degree. F. above the ambient temperature 
around the panel under optimal sun radiation. 
A number of methods may be employed to transfer the heat generated within 
the middle compartment for use outside the panel for heating the air in a 
home or the water in a swimming pool or a central heat exchanger, to 
mention only three of the many uses of the heat generated by my solar heat 
collecting panel. 
The one preferred method pumps air at ambient temperature through an 
elongated slot in one end of the frame opening into the middle compartment 
without disturbing the heat dams in the upper and lower compartments. The 
air pumped into the middle compartment through the slot in one end of the 
panel is heated to or near the temperature of the middle compartment and 
then exhausted out of a similar slot in the opposite end of the panel and 
the heated air moved to a remote location for use as a direct source of 
heat. 
Another method places a length of flexible tubing onto the upper black 
coated surface of the metallic heat absorption sheet. Heat absorbing 
liquid or gas is pumped through the tubing to absorb heat from the middle 
compartment and transport that heat for use outside the heat collecting 
panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates a preferred form of the solar heat 
collecting panel 10 which contains three stacked compartments bounded by a 
frame 20 preferably made of insulating materials such as wood or plastic. 
FIG. 2 is a partially broken away side elevational view of panel 10 in 
which its three compartments are labeled A, B and C. 
Two similar parallel and spaced apart clear plastic contour-profiled sheets 
11 and 12 form the upper and lower boundaries of compartment A, the 
uppermost or top compartment of panel 10. 
Compartment B, the middle compartment, is formed by placing a third 
similarly dimensioned sheet 14 parallel to and spaced beneath sheet 12. A 
metallic heat absorption sheet 13 is located between sheets 12 and 14 and 
the upper surface of metallic sheet 13 is covered with a flat black 
coating to absorb and store the heat generated by the sun's rays. 
Preferably metallic sheet 13 is dimensioned to leave a small gap between 
its outer edges and frame 20. 
Compartment C, the lowermost or bottom compartment, is bounded on its sides 
by frame 20 and by sheet 14 above and a similar parallel and spaced apart 
sheet 15 below. 
A convenient feature of panel 10 with its contour-profiled plastic sheets 
11, 12, 14 and 15 all lying parallel to each other as best shown in FIGS. 
2 and 3 is that it facilitates the construction of frame 20 in sections 
designed to follow the contour of the parallel but spaced apart plastic 
sheets. 
To operate most efficiently, panel 10 is positioned so that its clear 
plastic sheet 11 lies perpendicular to the sun's rays. The sun's rays pass 
through clear plastic sheets 11 and 12, thereby slightly warming uppermost 
compartment A and then heating the black coated surface of metallic heat 
absorption sheet 13 which efficiently stores the solar heat transmitted by 
the sun's rays. The air trapped in compartments A and C of panel 10 act as 
heat dams which markedly reduce conductive and convective heat loss from 
middle compartment B thereby making it possible to raise the temperature 
in compartment B to as much as 200.degree. F. above the ambient 
temperature at panel 10. 
Two of the methods of utilizing the heat generated and stored in the middle 
compartment B of panel 10 are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. In the first 
and preferred method, frame 20 of panel 10 contains on its opposite ends 
an elongated slot 21 so that air at ambient temperature can be pumped 
through slot 21 into middle compartment B where the air is heated to or 
near the temperature within compartment B and then the heated air is drawn 
out through slot 21 in the opposite end of panel 10 as shown in FIG. 1 for 
use outside the panel as a direct heat source. The flow of air through 
compartment B is illustrated by the wavy arrows in FIG. 2. 
The second method whose details are illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7, 
employs an elongated flexible tube 22 which is laid on top of the black 
coated upper surface of metallic heat absorption sheet 13 with its 
opposite ends exiting from panel 10 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. A heat 
absorbing liquid or gas is slowly pumped through tube 22 lying on heat 
absorption sheet 13 to transfer heat from the heat absorption sheet into 
the fluid within tube 22 to move the heat stored within sheet 13 for use 
outside of panel 10. 
FIG. 8 illustrates a third form of the unique solar heat collecting panel. 
Panel 10 again includes three stacked compartments enclosed within a frame 
20. Two parallel spaced apart flat clear plastic sheets 11 and 12 form the 
upper and lower boundaries of the uppermost or top compartment. 
Sheet 12 and a parallel and spaced apart flat metallic sheet 34 form the 
upper and lower boundaries of the middle compartment which houses a 
metallic heat absorption sheet 13 lying parallel with and between sheets 
12 and 34. The upper surface of metallic sheet 13 is covered with a flat 
black coating and a length of flexible tubing 22 lies on the upper black 
surface of metallic sheet 13. Heat absorbing fluid flowing through tubing 
22 will absorb stored heat from sheet 13 and its black coating to be 
transported for use outside panel 10. 
Flat metallic sheet 34 and a similar parallel spaced apart sheet 35 form 
the upper and lower boundaries of the lowermost or bottom compartment of 
panel 10. Except for the fact that its four sheets 11, 12, 34 and 35 are 
flat rather than contour-profiled, panel 10 shown in FIG. 8 operates 
exactly like the panels 10 in FIGS. 1 and 4 in its ability to collect and 
store solar heat. 
Having described and illustrated three embodiments of my unique solar heat 
collecting panel, the following claims define the scope and spirit of my 
invention.