Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
234 words
A solar energy collector comprising a close envelope formed from two sheets of metallic material sealed together around their peripheral edges and spaced apart to define a space adapted to be filled with a working fluid, said opening into a vapour space into which said working fluid can vapourise when heated by exposing one surface of the envelope, defining said working fluid space, to solar radiation, at least one condensing tube in heat exchange relationship with said vapour space and through which liquid to be heated flows, and means for returning condensed vapour from said vapour space to said working fluid space, wherein at least one of said two sheets has a plurality of parallel extending indentations formed therein, the inner extremeties of the walls defining said indentations abutting the surface of the the other sheet to space said sheets apart, wherein said indentations are alternatively of large and small cross-sectional area, said larger indentations forming a plurality of spaces primarily for working fluid and the smaller of said indentations forming a plurality of channels primarily for returning said condensate, and wherein at least one of said sheets has an outwardly directed indentation formed therein to define said vapour space, and at least one of said sheets including an outwardly directed indentation at the opposite end thereof to provide a channel for fluid communication between said condensate return channels and said working fluid spaces.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
234 words
A solar energy collector comprising a close envelope formed from two sheets of metallic material sealed together around their peripheral edges and spaced apart to define a space adapted to be filled with a working fluid, said opening into a vapour space into which said working fluid can vapourise when heated by exposing one surface of the envelope, defining said working fluid space, to solar radiation, at least one condensing tube in heat exchange relationship with said vapour space and through which liquid to be heated flows, and means for returning condensed vapour from said vapour space to said working fluid space, wherein at least one of said two sheets has a plurality of parallel extending indentations formed therein, the inner extremeties of the walls defining said indentations abutting the surface of the the other sheet to space said sheets apart, wherein said indentations are alternatively of large and small cross-sectional area, said larger indentations forming a plurality of spaces primarily for working fluid and the smaller of said indentations forming a plurality of channels primarily for returning said condensate, and wherein at least one of said sheets has an outwardly directed indentation formed therein to define said vapour space, and at least one of said sheets including an outwardly directed indentation at the opposite end thereof to provide a channel for fluid communication between said condensate return channels and said working fluid spaces.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A solar energy collector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the, or each, condensing tube is bonded to the outer surface of the wall of the part of said envelope defining said vapour space.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A solar energy collector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the, or each, condensing tube is located within an outwardly directed groove formed in the part of said envelope defining said vapour space.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A solar energy collector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the, or each, condensing tube passes into and through said vapour space.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A solar energy collector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said parallel extending indentations are formed by corrugations of alternatively large and small width.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
A solar energy collector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the corrugations are formed in the lower of said two sheets and the outwardly directed indentation to define said vapour space and the outwardly directed indentation to provide said channel for fluid communication between said condensate return channels and said working fluid spaces are formed in the upper of said two sheets.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
A solar energy collector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collector further comprises a container open at one face thereof and in which said closed envelope is positioned, said envelope being surrounded beneath, and at the sides and ends thereof, by a layer of insulating material, and wherein the open face of said container is closed by at least one sheet of solar radiation transparent material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A solar energy collector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the transparent material is toughened glass.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A solar energy collector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said working fluid is water.