U.S. patent application number 12/118855 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-15 for modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus.
Invention is credited to Shih H. CHEN.
Application Number | 20090013991 12/118855 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40252083 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090013991 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHEN; Shih H. |
January 15, 2009 |
MODULAR SOLAR AIR CIRCULATING AND CONDITIONING APPARATUS
Abstract
A modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus
includes a box body, a heat absorbing unit and a transparent cover.
The box body includes a surrounding wall and a bottom. The wall has
a connecting portion and the bottom has a pipe portion
interconnected with the containing space of the box body. The heat
absorbing unit is a carrier coated with a layer of heat absorbing
element. The transparent cover is installed to the surrounding
wall, and a pipe portion is disposed on a surface of the
transparent cover and interconnected with the containing space of
the surrounding wall. In use, solar energy is absorbed by the heat
absorbing unit, and then transmitted into a house through a
conveying pipe connected to the pipe portion to warm the house.
Inventors: |
CHEN; Shih H.; (Yongkang
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HDSL
P.O. BOX 220746
CHANTILLY
VA
20153-0746
US
|
Family ID: |
40252083 |
Appl. No.: |
12/118855 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/647 ;
126/704 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02A 30/272 20180101;
F24F 2005/0064 20130101; F24S 80/30 20180501; F24S 10/50 20180501;
F24S 70/225 20180501; Y02E 10/44 20130101; F24F 5/0046 20130101;
Y02B 10/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/647 ;
126/704 |
International
Class: |
F24J 2/04 20060101
F24J002/04; F24J 2/46 20060101 F24J002/46 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 10, 2007 |
TW |
096211200 |
Claims
1. A modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus,
comprising: a box body, having a surrounding wall disposed thereon,
a bottom disposed at a lower edge of the surrounding wall, a
containing space formed by the surrounding wall and the bottom, a
pipe portion disposed on the surrounding wall and the bottom of the
box body, and a passage disposed in the pipe portion and
interconnected to the containing space; a heat absorbing unit,
installed in the containing space, and having a carrier disposed
thereon and a layer of heat absorbing element coated onto the
carrier; and a transparent cover, installed on a connecting portion
at an upper edge of the surrounding wall.
2. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the surrounding wall includes a connecting portion
disposed at the upper edge of the surrounding wall, and the
connecting portion comes with an L-shaped cross section.
3. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the surrounding wall includes a thermal insulating
element attached on an internal wall of the surrounding wall, and
the thermal insulating element is made of an insulating
material.
4. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the surrounding wall is made of an insulating
material or a conducting material.
5. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 4, wherein the conducting material is metal.
6. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the two pipe portions are disposed on
corresponding opposite sides of the surrounding wall.
7. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the carrier is made of metal.
8. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the heat absorbing element is made of one selected
from the collection of a far infrared ray, a positive temperature
coefficient (PTC) inorganic oxidized heat-retaining paint and a
dark paint.
9. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the carrier includes a thermal insulating element
attached onto another side of the carrier, and the thermal
insulating element is made of a insulating material.
10. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 9, wherein the carrier includes a thermal insulating element
attached onto another side of the carrier to serve as the bottom of
the box body.
11. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the transparent cover is a sheet member made of a
transparent material selected from the collection of glass and
acrylic.
12. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the transparent cover includes a pipe portion
disposed on a surface of the transparent cover, and the passage in
the pipe portion is interconnected with the containing space of the
box body.
13. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the transparent cover is comprised of a first
cover board and a second cover board, and the first cover board is
covered onto an upper edge of the thermal insulating element, and
the first cover board includes a hollow pipe portion disposed
thereon, and the second cover board is covered onto the box body,
and the second cover board includes a through hole sheathed onto
the pipe portion.
14. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the pipe portion is coupled to a conveying pipe
for transmitting a heat source.
15. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 14, further comprising a fan installed at an outlet of the
conveying pipe for quickly transmitting or sending a heat source to
a remote end.
16. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, further comprising a socketed pipe sheathed onto the two
pipe portions for connecting the solar air circulating and
conditioning apparatuses in parallel or in series.
17. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, further comprising a long conveying pipe for
simultaneously connecting a plurality of pipe portions of the solar
air circulating and conditioning apparatus.
18. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the pipe portion is installed with a cap or a
plug, when the pipe portion is not in use
19. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 1, wherein the air conditioning apparatus is mounted to a
construction by a fixing element of an L-shaped metal bracket.
20. The modular solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus of
claim 8, wherein the dark paint is a black paint.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to an air
conditioning apparatus, and more particularly to a modular solar
air circulating and conditioning apparatus.
[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0004] People have increasingly higher demands for energy sources
to improve lives and create comfortable environments, since the
first time we knew how to make use of the resources of the nature.
Thereafter, countries over the world spare no effects on the
research and development on energy sources.
[0005] In known energy sources, solar energy is inexhaustible, and
thus solar high-tech products such as a solar water heater having a
heat collector for collecting solar energy to produce hot water and
a solar battery using a light-electricity converter to convert
sunlight into electric power for supplying the electric power to
electric appliances or transportation means are introduced to the
market.
[0006] An air conditioning system having a solar air conditioning
apparatus for collecting solar heat and circulating hot air in a
house to warm and regulate the temperature of the house in cold
weather is disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. 579416 entitled "Solar air
conditioning system", and such solar air conditioning apparatus
includes a solar heat collector module, an inlet module and an
outlet module, wherein the solar heat collector module includes a
heat absorbing module, a transparent cover board and a bottom, and
the heat absorbing module forms a plurality of heat absorbing
passages by enclosing a plurality of support boards and heat
absorbing plates, and the inlet module is installed at an inlet of
the heat absorbing module and interconnected with the plurality of
heat absorbing passages, and the outlet module is installed at an
outlet of the heat absorbing module. After sunlight is passed
through the transparent cover board and absorbed by the heat
absorbing plate, the heat source is transmitted into a house for
warming and regulating the temperature of the house in winters, and
the heat source is guided out of the house in summers, and fresh
air is introduced into the house to achieve the desired effects of
the air circulating and conditioning system.
[0007] Although the foregoing patented invention can warm a house
in winters and guide fresh air into the house and discharge a heat
source out of the house in hot weathers to achieve the effect of
regulating the temperature in the house, yet the overall structural
design is too complicated, the volume is too large, and the modular
structure cannot be installed by users easily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, it is a
primary objective of the present invention to simplify the
structure of a solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus,
and make it smaller in volume and lighter in weight, such that the
modular structures of the apparatus can be installed by users
easily and quickly.
[0009] To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention
provides a modular solar air circulating and conditioning
apparatus, comprising: a box body, a heat absorbing unit and a
transparent cover; wherein the box body includes a surrounding
body, a bottom coupled to a lower edge of the surrounding body, a
containing space formed by the surrounding wall and the bottom, a
connecting portion disposed on an upper edge of the surrounding
wall, and a pipe portion disposed on the surrounding wall and the
bottom respectively, and having a passage disposed in the pipe
portion and interconnected with the containing space; the heat
absorbing unit is installed in the containing space and includes a
carrier made of metal, and the carrier is coated with a layer of
heat absorbing element for absorbing solar heat; and the
transparent cover is installed at the upper edge of the surrounding
wall for passing through the sunlight and a pipe portion is
disposed on a surface of the transparent cover, and a passage in
the pipe portion is interconnected with the containing space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a solar air circulating and
conditioning apparatus of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a solar air circulating and
conditioning apparatus of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a solar air
circulating and conditioning apparatus of the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a flow of heat energy of a
solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus in accordance with
the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an application of connecting
several solar air circulating and conditioning apparatuses in
accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an application of
connecting several solar air circulating and conditioning
apparatuses in accordance with the present invention as depicted in
FIG. 5;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of another application of
connecting several solar air circulating and conditioning
apparatuses in accordance with the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another preferred embodiment
of the present invention; and
[0018] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a further preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The technical characteristics, features and advantages of
the present invention will become apparent in the following
detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 for an exploded view and a
perspective view of a solar air circulating and conditioning
apparatus of the present invention respectively, the air
conditioning apparatus 10 comprises: a box body 1, a heat absorbing
unit 2 and a transparent cover 3.
[0021] The box body 1 includes a surrounding wall 11, a bottom 17
coupled to a lower edge of the surrounding wall 11, a containing
space 12 formed by the surrounding wall 11 and the bottom 17, a
connecting portion 13 with an L-shaped cross section and disposed
on an internal side of an upper edge of the surrounding wall 11,
two symmetrical circular pipe portions 14, 14' disposed on the
surrounding wall 11, passages 141, 141' disposed in the two pipe
portions 14, 14' and interconnected with the containing space 12, a
pipe portion 15 disposed at the bottom 17 of the box body 1, a
passage 151 disposed in the pipe portion 15 and interconnected with
the containing space 12, such that the pipe portions 14, 14', 15
provide a heat source to be distributed and achieve the purpose of
connecting the pipe portion of another box body (not shown in the
figure), and a thermal insulating element 16a being an insulating
material attached onto an internal wall of the surrounding wall 11
for preventing an internal heat source from transmitting from the
surrounding wall 11 of the box body 1 to the outside.
[0022] The heat absorbing unit 2 is installed in the containing
space 12, and has a carrier 21 disposed thereon, and the carrier 21
is made of a metal and has a layer heat absorbing element 22
disposed on a side of the carrier 21a, and the heat absorbing
element 22 is provided for absorbing solar heat, and another side
of the heat absorbing element 22 has a thermal insulating element
23 made of an insulating material for preventing the internal heat
source from being transmitted from the bottom of the box body 1 to
the outside. Further, through holes 24, 25 with a same position and
a same shape are disposed on the carrier 21, and the heat absorbing
element 22 and the thermal insulating element 23 provide a heat
source to flow into a passage 151 in the pipe portion 15. In the
figures, the heat absorbing element 22 is a far infrared ray, a
positive temperature coefficient (PTC) inorganic oxidized
heat-retaining paint or a dark paint (such as a black paint).
[0023] The transparent cover 3 is a board made of a transparent
material (either glass or acrylic), and the transparent cover 3 is
installed at an upper edge of the surrounding wall 11 and connected
with an L-shaped connecting portion 13, and a surface of the
transparent cover 3 has a pipe portion 31, and the transparent
cover 3 is covered onto the connecting portion 13 of the
surrounding wall 11, such that the passage 311 in the pipe portion
31 is interconnected with the containing space 11.
[0024] Since the solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus
10 is modularized, users can install a plurality of air
conditioning apparatuses 10 together easily and quickly.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 for a side cross-sectional view
of a solar air circulating and conditioning apparatus and a
schematic view of a flow of heat energy of a solar air circulating
and conditioning apparatus in accordance with the present invention
respectively, when the air conditioning apparatus 10 is installed,
the heat absorbing unit 2 is installed in the containing space 12
of the box body 1, and the transparent cover 3 is covered onto the
connecting portion 13 at the upper edge of the surrounding wall 11.
The pipe portion 15, 31 can be connected to the conveying pipe 4,
4' or a pipe portion of another box body (not shown in the figure).
The pipe portion 14, 14' not connected with the other box body or
the conveying pipe 4, 4' is plugged with a plug (or cap) 5, 5' for
preventing bugs from entering or heat sources from leaking.
[0026] Since the transparent cover 3 is provided for passing
sunlight into the box body 1, the heat absorbing element 22 can
absorb solar heat to produce a heat source in the box body 1, and
the pipe portion 14, 14', 15, 31 is provided for outputting the
heat source or transmitting the heat source into another box body
(not shown in the figure).
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 for a schematic view and a
cross-sectional view of an application of connecting several solar
air circulating and conditioning apparatuses in accordance with the
present invention respectively, a plurality of air conditioning
apparatuses 10, 10A, 10B can be connected and secured to a roof of
a house 8 by a fixing element 20 of an L-shaped metal bracket. When
the air conditioning apparatuses 10, 10A, 10B are connected with
each other, a socketed pipe 6 is sheathed onto the pipe portion 14'
and 14 of the air conditioning apparatus 10, 10A and 10A, 10B, and
the bottom of the air conditioning apparatus 10 or the pipe portion
15, 14' of the air conditioning apparatus 10B is connected to a
conveying pipe 7, 7', and the unconnected pipe portion 14, 31 is
sealed by the plug (or cap) 5, 5' for preventing bugs from entering
or heat sources from leaking. A heat source produced by the solar
energy absorbed by a plurality of heat absorbing units 2 is
transmitted into a house through the conveying pipe 7, 7' for
warming and regulating the temperature of the house or guided out
of the house through the conveying pipe 7', such that after the
heat source is passed through the air conditioning apparatus 10B,
10A, 10C, the heat source can be transmitted into the conveying
pipe 7 to achieve the circulating effect for warming and regulating
the temperature in the house.
[0028] To transmit the heat source into the house quickly, a fan
(not shown in the figure) is installed at a pipe body or an outlet
of the conveying pipe 7, 7' for sending the heat source transmitted
by the conveying pipe 7, 7' into the house or to a remote
position.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 7 for a schematic view of another
application of connecting several solar air circulating and
conditioning apparatuses in accordance with the present invention,
the invention uses a long conveying pipe 9 to connect the pipe
portions 31 of a plurality of air conditioning apparatuses 10, 10A,
10B, such that the air conditioning apparatuses 10, 10A, 10B are
connected parallelly (or the pipe portions 14, 14' are connected
serially) with each other, and the heat source absorbed by the
plurality of air conditioning apparatuses 10, 10A, 10B flows into
the conveying pipe 9 and from the conveying pipe 9 into the house
for warming and regulating the temperature in the house.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 8 for a schematic view of another
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transparent
cover 3 is comprised of a first cover board 32 and a second cover
board 33, and the first cover board 32 is covered onto an upper
edge of the thermal insulating element 16, and the first cover
board 32 includes a hollow pipe portion 321, and the second cover
board 33 is covered onto the box body 1, and the second cover board
33 includes a through hole 331 sheathed onto the pipe portion 321.
The first cover board 32 and the second cover board 33 are provided
for passing through the sunlight, but preventing heat energy from
being transmitted from the second cover board 33 to the outside or
causing a heat loss.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 9 for a further preferred embodiment of
the present invention, the surrounding wall 11 of the box body 1 is
made of an insulating material or a conducting material (such as a
metal), and the bottom 17 of the box body 1 can be used for forming
a combinational box body directly by the thermal insulating element
23 of heat absorbing unit 2.
[0032] While the invention is described in by way of examples and
in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, the aim is to
cover all modifications, alternatives and equivalents falling
within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the
appended claims.
* * * * *