Patent US4606157A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4606157A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Shade arrangement for solar green-houses and the like
Assignee: FOUR SEASONS SOLAR PRODUCTS LLC
•
Filing: 1984-05-23
•
Granted: 1986-08-19
•
Expires: 2004-05-23
Abstract
Abstract A solar greenhouse construction is provided in which a glazing is supported by a supporting frame to define an enclosed space. The glazing is permeable to solar radiation. A shade is provided for being drawn across the glazing to intercept the solar radiation. A motor driven roller is connected to one end of the shade to play out the shade or wind the same up. To the other end of the shade is connected a constant force or constant torque device which overcomes friction and keeps the shade stretched out. This device consists of a coiled up spring which is reverse wound onto a roller to which is connected a cable connected to the shade.
Inventors
- 👤 Christopher Esposito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 19:31
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G9/00; A01G9/22; A01G9/227; E; E06; E06B; E06B9/00; E06B9/56; E06B9/68; E06B9/02; E06B9/08; E06B9/11; E06B9/17; E06B9/174; E06B2009/1746; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A40/00; Y02A40/10; Y02A40/25
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
214 words
A solar greenhouse comprising glazing means, support means supporting said glazing means to define an at least partly enclosed space, said glazing means being permeable to solar radiation to allow said radiation to pass into said space, shade means in said space and adapted for being drawn across at least part of said glazing means whereby to intercept at least part of the radiation passing through said glazing means, said shade means having first and second ends, first means coupled to said first end and adapted for applying a constant force to said first end, second means coupled to said second end and selectively functioning to play out or take up said shade means whereby to control intercepting of the radiation, said second means including a roller and power means to drive the roller and roll the shade means thereupon or unroll the shade means therefrom, said first means being a constant torque means, said first means including a roller and a spring coupled to and tending to rotate said roller of the first means with a constant torque, and a cable coupling said first end of the shade means to the roller of the first means whereby the cable and not the shade means is rolled onto the roller of the first means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
214 words
A solar greenhouse comprising glazing means, support means supporting said glazing means to define an at least partly enclosed space, said glazing means being permeable to solar radiation to allow said radiation to pass into said space, shade means in said space and adapted for being drawn across at least part of said glazing means whereby to intercept at least part of the radiation passing through said glazing means, said shade means having first and second ends, first means coupled to said first end and adapted for applying a constant force to said first end, second means coupled to said second end and selectively functioning to play out or take up said shade means whereby to control intercepting of the radiation, said second means including a roller and power means to drive the roller and roll the shade means thereupon or unroll the shade means therefrom, said first means being a constant torque means, said first means including a roller and a spring coupled to and tending to rotate said roller of the first means with a constant torque, and a cable coupling said first end of the shade means to the roller of the first means whereby the cable and not the shade means is rolled onto the roller of the first means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rollers of the first and second means define axes of rotation arranged in generally perpendicular planes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second end of the shade means is connected directly to the roller of the second means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 2, wherein the roller of said first means includes axially adjacent sections, said cable being coupled to one section and said spring being coupled to the other section.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first means comprises a second roller adjacent the first said roller of the first means and having an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the first roller of the first means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 5, wherein said spring is a flat spring tending to coil up on said second roller, said spring being connected to said first roller and being progressively coiled thereupon when the power means operates the roller of the second means to roll the shade means thereupon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second roller of the first means includes a recessed central section and said spring includes a tongue received in and coupled to said central section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 6, wherein said support means is provided with at least one track channel supporting the glazing means, said shade means being laterally engaged in and guided along said glazing means by said track channel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 8, wherein said glazing means includes a curved portion along which extends said support means and said channel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 8, wherein said support means includes at least two spaced and parallel glazing bars supporting and spanned by at least a part of said glazing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said glazing bars is provided with at least one said channel, the channels in said bars being aligned in parallel, said shade means extending between one said channel in one of said bars and one said channel in the other of said bars.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 11, wherein said shade means includes parallel bulbous lateral peripheries engaged in respective of said channels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 12, wherein said channels are provided with relatively narrow slot-type mouth openings from said bars whereby to admit the entry of said shade means and to entrap the bulbous peripheries in said channels.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 13, wherein said cables extend in part through said channels.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 14 comprising a horizontal sill below and supporting said support means, said first means being contained within said sill.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
A solar greenhouse as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first means includes a second roller, said constant torque spring means coupling the two rollers of said first means and tending to rotate the first said roller of said first means to wind the cable means onto the same.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
202 words
A glazing structure comprising a glazing, first and second means bracketing at least part of said glazing, shade means adapted for being drawn across at least part of said glazing, said second means being adapted for storing said shade means and playing out and rolling up the same, said first means being coupled to said shade means and applying a force thereto tending to cause said shade means to be played out from said second means and drawn across at least part of said glazing, and control means to operate the second means selectively to play out or roll up said shade means, said second means being stronger than said first means, guide means for guiding the shade means across the glazing, there being friction between the shade means and guide means, said first means being of a strength to overcome said friction, the first means being a means to exert a constant force on the shade means and being a means to exert a constant torque, and said first means comprising first and second rollers, a cable coupling said shade means to said first roller, and spring coiled around said second roller, said spring being reverse coiled onto said first roller.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
202 words
A glazing structure comprising a glazing, first and second means bracketing at least part of said glazing, shade means adapted for being drawn across at least part of said glazing, said second means being adapted for storing said shade means and playing out and rolling up the same, said first means being coupled to said shade means and applying a force thereto tending to cause said shade means to be played out from said second means and drawn across at least part of said glazing, and control means to operate the second means selectively to play out or roll up said shade means, said second means being stronger than said first means, guide means for guiding the shade means across the glazing, there being friction between the shade means and guide means, said first means being of a strength to overcome said friction, the first means being a means to exert a constant force on the shade means and being a means to exert a constant torque, and said first means comprising first and second rollers, a cable coupling said shade means to said first roller, and spring coiled around said second roller, said spring being reverse coiled onto said first roller.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
A glazing structure as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first roller includes two axially spaced sections one of which receives said cable and the other of which receives said spring.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
A glazing structure as claimed in claim 18, wherein said other section of said first roller includes a central depressed section and said spring includes a lead tongue received in said depressed section.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
A glazing structure as claimed in claim 19 comprising a bracket straddling and supporting said first roller and an extension on the bracket supporting said second roller at a fixed distance from the first roller.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
A glazing structure as claimed in claim 20, wherein the first and second rollers are supported in free wheeling relation and with parallel axes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
45 words
A glazing structure as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first and second rollers have effective roller surfaces having diameters which are substantially equal and which surfaces are spaced from each other by a distance in the order of magnitude of one of the diameters.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
A glazing structure as claimed in claim 21, wherein the spring is of flat tempered stainless steel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-08-18 | 1990-02-17 | 1990-08-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-08-18 | 1994-02-17 | 1994-08-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-08-18 | 1998-02-17 | 1998-08-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |