Solar heat collector

Claim 2

In a solar heating panel having an absorber panel for converting radiant energy into heat, a sheet of solid material substantially transparent to visible light for transferring such energy to said absorber panel, said absorber panel and said sheet of solid material defining a space for a heat transfer liquid, the improvement comprising: internally-reflecting prism means on the surface of said sheet of solid material facing towards said space for heat transfer liquid, for substantially entirely reflecting visible light that is incident upon said panel when said heat transfer liquid is not present.

Claim 3

A solar panel according to claim 1 wherein sunlight at the solar noon at summer solstice reaches the prism facet at an angle above the bisector of the vertex by approximately the difference between 45° and the critical angle for total internal reflection.

Claim 4

A solar heating panel according to claim 1 wherein the solid material has an index of refraction of approximately 1.46 and the bisector of the prism vertex is directed approximately 21/2° below the altitude of the noon sun at summer solstice.

Claim 5

A solar heating panel according to claim 1 wherein the internally reflecting prism means consist of 90° sawteeth.

Claim 6

A solar panel according to claim 4 wherein sunlight at the solar noon at summer solstice reaches the prism facet at an angle above the bisector of the vertex by approximately the difference between 45° and the critical angle for total internal reflection.

Claim 7

A solar heating panel according to claim 4 wherein the sawteeth are oriented substantially in the plane of the ecliptic.

Claim 8

A solar panel according to claim 6 wherein sunlight at the solar noon at summer solstice reaches the prism facet at an angle above the bisector of the vertix by approximately the difference between 45° and the critical angle for total internal reflection.

Claim 9

A solar heating panel according to claim 4 wherein the facets of the 90° sawteeth make an angle of 45° with the top surface of said second sheet.

Claim 10

A solar panel according to claim 8 wherein sunlight at the solar noon at summer solstice reaches the prism facet at an angle above the bisector of the vertex by approximately the difference between 45° and the critical angle for total internal reflection.

Claim 11

A solar heating panel according to claim 6 wherein the sawteeth are oriented substantially in the plane of the ecliptic.

Claim 12

A solar panel according to claim 10 wherein the sunlight at the solar noon at summer solstice reaches the prism facet at an angle above the bisector of the vertex by approximately the difference between 45° and the critical angle for total internal reflection.

Claim 13

An optical plate for selectively transmitting and blocking radiation comprising: a light control panel having a front surface to admit electromagnetic radiation; a light controlling rear surface to control transmission into a medium and to control reflection of light and having a multiplicity of prisms formed on said surface; said prisms having at least two sides formed at an angle up to 45° with respect to the direction of light and at an angle of about 90° with respect to each other; said prisms comprising a material transparent to the radiation being transmitted and an index of refraction with respect to the medium equal to or greater than √2 whereby light reaching the prism surface at an angle greater than the angle whose sine equals the quotient of the index of refraction of the medium divided by the index of refraction of the material of the rear surface of the plate is directed at an angle greater than the critical angle for total internal reflection and is totally reflected; whereby light entering said panel from said front surface can be totally reflected and light entering siad panel from said rear surface can be transmitted.

Claim 14

An optical plate for selectively transmitting and blocking radiation comprising: a light control panel having a front surface to admit electromagnetic radiation; a light controlling rear surface to control transmission into a medium and to control reflection of light and having a multiplicity of prisms formed on said surface; said prisms having at least two sides formed at an angle up to 45° with respect to the direction of light and at an angle of about 90° with respect to each other; said prisms comprising a material transparent to the radiation being transmitted and an index of refraction with respect to the medium equal to or greater than √2 whereby light reaching the prism surface at an angle greater than the angle whose sine equals the quotient of the index of refraction of the medium divided by the index of refraction of the material of the rear surface of the plate is directed at an angle greater than the critical angle for total internal reflection and is totally reflected; whereby light entering said panel from said front surface can be totally reflected and light entering siad panel from said rear surface can be transmitted.

Claim 15

An optical panel for selectively transmitting and reflecting light and similar radiation comprising: a first panel having a front face to receive radiation and a rear face to transmit radiation; an array of prisms on said rear face arranged to present an internal angle of approximately 90° to radiation entering from said front face; means to provide a transparent liquid to said array of prisms, said liquid having an index of refraction substantially different from the index of refraction of air and matched to the index of refraction of said prisms; means to remove said liquid from said array of prisms, whereby the surface of said prisms present an interface causing total internal reflection in the absence of said liquid and providing substantially complete transmission of radiation in the presence of said liquid in contact with said prism surfaces.

Claim 16

An optical panel for selectively transmitting and reflecting light and similar radiation comprising: a first panel having a front face to receive radiation and a rear face to transmit radiation; an array of prisms on said rear face arranged to present an internal angle of approximately 90° to radiation entering from said front face; means to provide a transparent liquid to said array of prisms, said liquid having an index of refraction substantially different from the index of refraction of air and matched to the index of refraction of said prisms; means to remove said liquid from said array of prisms, whereby the surface of said prisms present an interface causing total internal reflection in the absence of said liquid and providing substantially complete transmission of radiation in the presence of said liquid in contact with said prism surfaces.