Solar energy collector

Claim 2

A solar energy collector comprising: a body formed of plastic material in a one-piece unitary construction having a primary inlet and outlet manifold at the opposite ends thereof, respectively, and a multiplicity of elongated, laterally spaced parallel passages extending in a direction generally normal to said primary inlet and outlet manifolds to provide cross fluid flow paths therebetween, and secondary inlet and outlet manifolds parallel to said primary manifolds, respectively, said secondary manifolds interposed between said primary manifolds and said passages, said secondary and primary manifolds being interconnected by a plurality of cross passages for fluid flow, each of said cross passages tapering in cross-sectional area from the primary to the secondary manifold.

Claim 3

A solar energy collector according to claim 1, wherein said body is formed of a pair of sheet members fused together along laterally spaced lines substantially lengthwise of said body to form elongated webs between said passages, each of said passages being formed by oppositely displaced portions of said sheet members between said webs and defined by an upper wall formation above said web and a lower wall formation below said web.

Claim 4

A solar energy collector according to claim 1, wherein said primary and outlet manifolds each comprise an elongated hollow body of substantially circular configuration in cross section.

Claim 5

A solar energy collector according to claim 3, wherein said manifold hollow body terminates in reduced diameter opposite end portions having annular beads, said hollow body converging toward said reduced diameter end portions.

Claim 6

A solar energy collector according to claim 4, including inserts mounted within said opposite end portions, respectively, with a shrink fit.

Claim 7

A series of solar energy collectors according to claim 4, including means coupling said primary manifolds to associated primary manifolds of adjacent solar energy collectors to form a solar energy collection system.

Claim 8

A solar energy collection system according to claim 6, wherein said coupling means comprises a flexible sleeve overlying the primary manifold end portions of adjacent solar energy collectors, and means overlying said sleeve outwardly of said annular beads for clamping said sleeve about the manifold end portions of adjacent solar energy collectors.

Claim 9

A solar energy collector according to claim 1, wherein said secondary manifolds are substantially smaller than said primary manifolds to be maintained substantially filled thereby with fluid so as to promote even distribution of such fluid to all first mentioned passages.

Claim 10

A solar energy collector according to claim 1, wherein said primary manifolds and said secondary manifolds have axes, respecitively, lying in a common plane.

Claim 11

A solar energy collector according to claim 1, wherein said body is formed of a pair of sheet members fused together by a clam shell molding process.

Claim 12

A solar energy collector according to claim 10 wherein one of said sheet members is formed of a black plastic material and the other sheet member is formed of a non-black plastic material.

Claim 13

A solar energy energy collector according to claim 11, wherein said other sheet member is formed of a translucent plastic material.

Claim 14

A solar energy collector comprising: a body formed of plastic material in a one-piece unitary construction having a primary inlet and outlet manifold at the opposite ends thereof, respectively, and a multiplicity of elongated, laterally spaced parallel passages extending in a direction generally normal to said primary inlet and outlet manifolds to provide cross fluid flow paths therebetween, and secondary inlet and outlet manifolds parallel to said primary manifolds, respectively, said secondary manifolds interposed between said primary manifolds and said passages and establishing communication therebetween, said body being formed of a pair of sheet members fused together along laterally spaced lines substantially lengthwise of said body to form elongated webs between said passages, each of said passages being formed by oppositely displaced portions of said sheet members between said webs and defined by an upper wall formation above said web and a lower wall formation below said web, and an inlet restriction adjacent at least one end of each passage formed by maintaining the lower wall in the same plane as said web thereby reducing the cross sectional area of said passage.

Claim 15

A solar energy collector comprising: a body formed of plastic material in a one-piece unitary construction having a primary inlet and outlet manifold at the opposite ends thereof, respectively, and a multiplicity of elongated, laterally spaced parallel passages extending in a direction generally normal to said primary inlet and outlet manifolds to provide cross fluid flow paths therebetween, and secondary inlet and outlet manifolds parallel to said primary manifolds, respectively, said secondary manifolds interposed between said primary manifolds and said passages and establishing communication therebetween, said body being formed of a pair of sheet members fused together along laterally spaced lines substantially lengthwise of said body to form elongated webs between said passages, each of said passages being formed by oppositely displaced portions of said sheet members between said webs and defined by an upper wall formation above said web and a lower wall formation below said web, and an inlet restriction adjacent at least one end of each passage formed by maintaining the lower wall in the same plane as said web thereby reducing the cross sectional area of said passage.