Passive solar device for heating and cooling

Claim 1

A solar control and storage unit for location at windows and the like, said unit comprising: (a) means including a pair of generally parallel transparent panes defining a hermetic compartment, said panes being composed of glass; (b) a gas which provides a good insulating capability within said compartment at substantially atmospheric pressure; (c) a plurality of elongated, generally parallel vanes mounted in said compartment generally parallel to said panes; (d) each of said vanes presenting at least three external facets and an internal compartment; (e) a first of said external facets being characterized by relatively high absorptivity with respect to solar radiation and relatively low emissivity with respect to infrared radiation at an operating temperature; (f) a second of said external facets being characterized by relatively high absorptivity and relatively high emissivity with respect to infrared radiation at said operating temperature; (g) a third of said external facets being characterized by relatively high specular reflectivity with respect to solar radiation; (h) a phase transformation energy storage medium within said internal compartment, said phase transformation occurring at said operating temperature; and (i) means for adjusting said vanes for operation in at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode, said first of said facets facing outdoors and said second of said facets facing indoors in said first mode, said third of said facets facing outdoors and said first of said facets facing outdoors and said first of said facets facing indoors in said second mode, said second of said facets facing outdoors and said first of said facets facing indoors in said third mode.