US5022381A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Barrel-shaped solar roofing element and method for its assembly
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1990-03-22
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Granted: 1991-06-11
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Expires: 2010-03-22
Abstract
Abstract Shingles are formed of a top sheet and a bottom sheet of plastic confining solar energy conversion means therebetween. The sheets are sealed together about a perimeter to form flanges for fastening in overlapped order to a roof. The contour of the shingles is domed to provide for better solar energy conversion efficiencies. Insulation and support members disposed along an underside of the dome sructure provide support to the assembly and insulate the roof. Decorative structure and shingles of this nature permit a roof surface which does not belie its nature as a solar heating system. The plastic sheets may either form flow passageways for a solar heatable fluid or may encompass photovoltaic cells to form unitary shingle-solar conversion structure.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph Allegro
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 16:06
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24S; F24S20/00; F24S20/60; F24S20/69; F24S10/00; F24S10/50; F24S10/501; F24S2020/10; F24S2020/17; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B10/00; Y02B10/20; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/44; Y10; Y10S; Y10S136/00; Y10S136/291; Y10S83/00; Y10S83/92
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A solar roofing system comprising in combination: a set of shingles comprising lower and upper flat plastic sheet members of extruded plastic spaced apart and sealed together to form fluid flow paths forming solar energy conversion means, the upper sheet of which is transparent to solar energy, interconnecting and overlapping structure for joining shingles together including structure for nailing through overlapped shingles into a roof surface, and means for interconnecting the solar energy conversion means comprising a flow path between said lower and upper plastic sheets for circulation of a liquid that may store heat when subjected to solar energy from a plurality of said shingles into a network for collecting accumulated solar energy.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
A solar roofing system comprising in combination: a set of shingles comprising lower and upper flat plastic sheet members of extruded plastic spaced apart and sealed together to form fluid flow paths forming solar energy conversion means, the upper sheet of which is transparent to solar energy, interconnecting and overlapping structure for joining shingles together including structure for nailing through overlapped shingles into a roof surface, and means for interconnecting the solar energy conversion means comprising a flow path between said lower and upper plastic sheets for circulation of a liquid that may store heat when subjected to solar energy from a plurality of said shingles into a network for collecting accumulated solar energy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The solar roofing system of claim 1 wherein the two sheets comprise co-extruded plastic sheets having welded joints therein to define said fluid flow paths.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The solar roofing system of claim 1 wherein the two sheets are contoured to form a humped structural formation having said interconnecting and overlapping structure comprising peripheral interconnecting edge flanges for engaging in overlapped registration the roof surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The solar roofing system of claim 3 wherein insulation means integrally supported by the lower plastic sheet is disposed between the humped formation and the roof surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 with a decorative weather resistant roof covering plastic film layer affixed by co-extrusion on the outer plastic sheet surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the sheets are of a polyvinyl chloride plastic material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the plastic sheets include an outer layer of weather resistant plastic material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the shingles comprise roof mounting flanges at the overlapping structure with elongated nail mounting holes therein.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 1 having said fluid flow paths formed between the sheets interspersed with turbulence inducing means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 1 having structural joints formed by said overlapping structure between adjacent shingles mounted on the roof with means for permitting expansion and contraction with changes of temperature.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising a thin film protective coating affixed to the upper sheet by co-extrusion for preventing discoloration with weathering.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
87 words
The method of manufacturing shingles comprising the steps of: sealing together a top solar energy flat extruded transparent sheet with an extruded flat bottom sheet of plastic material to form therebetween a fluid flow path comprising solar energy conversion means, integrally forming edge base areas peripherally adjoining the energy conversion means for nailing through overlapped shingles to a roof surface, and shaping the shingles to present a dome like contoured structure between said edge base areas with the top sheet having greater area than the base area.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
87 words
The method of manufacturing shingles comprising the steps of: sealing together a top solar energy flat extruded transparent sheet with an extruded flat bottom sheet of plastic material to form therebetween a fluid flow path comprising solar energy conversion means, integrally forming edge base areas peripherally adjoining the energy conversion means for nailing through overlapped shingles to a roof surface, and shaping the shingles to present a dome like contoured structure between said edge base areas with the top sheet having greater area than the base area.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of affixing a network of foam insulation and bracing means beneath the dome like structure.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 12 including the step of co-extruding at least one of the sheets from two different plastic materials to form said shingles.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of forming turbulent flow paths between the sheets for improving thermal efficiency in the flow of fluid that absorbs solar energy.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of forming expansion joints in the units at interconnecting and overlapping edge structure between adjacent shingles to compensate for variations of dimensions with changes of temperature.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 12 further including the step of covering an outer surface of the top sheet by coextruding a further plastic sheet with a weather resisting color protection thin film layer.
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) | 1994-06-10 | 1994-12-10 | 1995-06-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-06-10 | 1998-12-10 | 1999-06-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-06-10 | 2002-12-10 | 2003-06-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |