US4435043A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Composite mirror panels
Assignee: AGC Glass Europe SA
•
Filing: 1982-05-04
•
Granted: 1984-03-06
•
Expires: 2002-05-04
Abstract
Abstract A composite mirror panel comprises a front flexible vitreous sheet 1 whose rear face is provided with a reflective coating 2 to form a mirror 3. A flexible waterproof backing sheet 5 is watertightly bonded at 4 to the rear of the mirror 3 to form a laminate 6. A corrugated backing sheet 8 is bonded to the first backing sheet 5 along crests 9 of the corrugations to form a composite mirror panel which is flexible about axes parallel with the corrugations. The first backing sheet 5 may be of vitreouus material thicker than the mirror sheet 1 or it may be a metal sheet.
Inventors
- 👤 Guy Mertens
- 👤 Pierre Laroche
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 11:29
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/08; F; F24; F24S; F24S23/00; F24S23/70; F24S23/82; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/24669; Y10T428/24694; Y10T428/24711; Y10T428/24727; Y10T428/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A composite mirror panel comprising a front flexible vitreous sheet whose rear face is provided with a reflective coating to form a mirror, a flexible waterproof first backing sheet water-tightly bonded to the rear of said mirror so as to form a flexible laminate, and a corrugated backing sheet which is bonded to said first backing sheet along crests of the corrugations to form a said composite panel which is flexible about axes parallel to said corrugations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
A composite mirror panel comprising a front flexible vitreous sheet whose rear face is provided with a reflective coating to form a mirror, a flexible waterproof first backing sheet water-tightly bonded to the rear of said mirror so as to form a flexible laminate, and a corrugated backing sheet which is bonded to said first backing sheet along crests of the corrugations to form a said composite panel which is flexible about axes parallel to said corrugations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A panel according to claim 1, wherein said laminate is a flat laminate when unstressed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said front vitreous sheet has a thickness of no more than 1.5 mm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A panel according to claim 1, wherein each of said backing sheets is made of a material which has a Young's modulus of elasticity of at least 10 GN/m 2 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A panel according to claim 1, wherein said first backing sheet is a vitreous sheet which is thicker than said front vitreous sheet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A panel according to claim 1, wherein said first backing sheet is a metal sheet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
A panel according to claim 1, wherein said corrugated backing sheet is a metal sheet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A panel according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said metal sheet is made of steel or aluminium or an aluminium alloy.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A panel according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said metal sheet has a thickness in the range 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
A panel according to claim 1, wherein said front vitreous sheet and said first backing sheet are selected and bonded together such that said flexible laminate has a neutral bending surface which lies outside the thickness of said front vitreous sheet when said laminate is flexed within the elastic limits of its component sheets to form a concave reflector.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
A panel according to claim 1, wherein said corrugated backing sheet has non-reflex trapezoidal corrugations.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
61 words
A panel according to claim 11, wherein all crests on each side of said corrugated backing sheet have a common width with the common width of the crests on one side being different from the common width of the crests on the other side of said corrugated backing sheet, and wherein said first backing sheet is bonded to the narrower crests.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A panel according to claim 1, wherein said first backing sheet is bonded to said corrugated backing sheet by glue.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A solar energy collector comprising a support and at least one composite mirror panel according to claim 1 mounted on said support.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
A solar energy collector according to claim 14, wherein said at least one composite mirror panel is mounted in a heliostat.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A solar energy collector according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said at least one composite mirror panel is held concavely curved by its said support.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
A panel according to claim 3 wherein said front vitreous sheet has a thickness within the range of 0.6 to 1.0 mm.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
A panel according to claim 4 wherein each of said backing sheets has a Young's modulus of elasticity of at least 50 GN/m 2 .
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4124277A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-03-06 | 1987-09-05 | 1988-03-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-03-06 | 1991-09-05 | 1992-03-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-03-06 | 1995-09-05 | 1996-03-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |