Solar energy collecting apparatus

Claim 1

A solar energy collecting apparatus comprising: a housing including a bottom wall, an end wall, and a pair of side walls of generally triangular configuration formed from heat insulating material to define an upwardly open chamber of generally triangular cross-section; a solar energy transmissive member carried by said walls over said chamber; a heat-absorbing and collecting mass in said chamber generally between said side walls and adjacent the juncture of said bottom wall and said end wall; a plurality of lens means mounted in said chamber intermediate said transmission member and said mass for focusing solar energy passing through said transmissive member against said mass; adjustable support means for said lens means carried by at least one of said side walls and extending generally between said side walls, said support means permitting selective adjustment of the angle of inclination of said lens means; conduit means for directing a fluid to be heated through said chamber in an impinging heat exchange relationship with said mass, said conduit means including an inlet duct extending into chamber to a discharge opening positioned adjacent one end of said mass and an outlet duct extending outwardly of said chamber from an inlet opening positioned adjacent the opposite end of said mass, whereby the fluid to be heated passes from said inlet duct discharge opening across said mass so that heat is transferred from said mass thereto with said fluid then passing into said outlet duct inlet opening for conveyance from said chamber; and, means for causing said fluid to flow through said conduit means.