Solar energy collector

Claim 2

A solar collector comprising: an open shell, said shell comprising a rim with an outer downwardly extending skirt terminating at a support surface, and a floor within the skirt, said floor having a first end zone and a second end zone between the floor and the support surface defining spaced lower end floor zones and said shell including a septum spanning the skirt between the lower floor zones and the support surface defining a space between the floor and septum, and said floor having a plurality of elongate, spaced, parallel recessed portions of generally U-shaped, cross section extending between the end zones, and the base zone of the recessed portions being semi-circular in cross section and of a predetermined radius of curvature, and said shell having an inlet and outlet opening.

Claim 3

The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein a layer of heat conductive material is provided completely covering the floor between the end zones, said layer having a predetermined thickness in said recesses and conforming to the shape of the recesses.

Claim 4

The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shell includes an inner skirt extending from said rim to said floor and said inner skirt and said rim is provided with a recess at the rim and above said floor; and a transparent sheet spanning the shell, said sheet having margins and said margins being nested in said rim recess.

Claim 5

The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said skirt rim and floor of said shell are of one-piece molded reinforced plastic.

Claim 6

The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein insulation material is provided in the space between the floor and the septum.

Claim 7

The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shell is of molded fiberglass having a smooth gel coat finish on the surface of the floor facing away from the support surface and on the rim and skirt facing outwardly from said space.

Claim 8

The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sheet is of clear acrylic, impact resistant, transparent plastic in the rigid range.

Claim 9

The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein a copper coil is provided, said copper coil having a first end and a second end, said coil being in the form of a serpentine pattern including (a) longitudinally extending parallel portions spaced from one another a distance the same as the distance between the floor recesses, each of said longitudinally extending portions being circular in cross section and of a uniform outside diameter slightly greater than twice said radius of curvature of the base of the longitudinally extending recesses when said layer is on said floor, and each is nested and held in heat exchanging relation in one of the elongate floor recesses of said floor and (b) arcuate portions interconnecting the longitudinally extending portions and received on the lower end floor zones of the floor; and means are provided to connect the first end of the coil through the inlet opening and the second end of the coil through the outlet opening.

Claim 10

The device as set forth in claim 8 wherein the coil is of copper tubing.

Claim 11

The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the surface of the layer facing away from the support surface is black between the end zone, except between the coil and the layer.