CURVED SOLAR HEATER

Abstract

A solar heater may include a frame and a plurality of heating coils. One or more legs may be coupled to the frame. An internal baffle may direct water into the heating coils. The solar heater may comprise a wind shield. The solar heater may be convex. The curved shape of the solar heater may allow the solar heater to increase the amount of sunlight received by the solar heater as the sun is in different locations in the sky.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/205,461 entitled “CURVED SOLAR HEATER” and filed on Aug. 14, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to solar powered water heaters.

BACKGROUND

Swimming pools are often heated to make the pool more comfortable to users. However, it may take large amounts of energy to heat a pool. Solar water heaters are often used to heat swimming pools in order to conserve electricity. Water may be pumped through a solar collector which heats the water and returns the water to the pool. The solar collector is optimally oriented to receive the maximum amount of energy from the sun. However, as the sun moves throughout the day, the solar collector may be positioned less than optimally, and the solar collector may receive only a portion of the available sunlight.

SUMMARY

A solar water heater may comprise a frame, a plurality of heating coils coupled to the frame, a plurality of legs pivotably coupled to the frame, and a wind shield coupled to the frame. The frame, the plurality of heating coils, and the wind shield may be convex.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a solar heater according to various embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a solar heater according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a solar heater with threaded legs according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various embodiments by way of illustration. While these various embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component may include a singular embodiment.

In the detailed description herein, references to “various embodiments,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a solar heater 100 is illustrated according to various embodiments. The solar heater 100 may comprise a frame 110. In various embodiments, the frame 110 may be blow molded. The solar heater 100 may comprise legs 112 coupled to the frame 110. The legs 112 may be foldable relative to the frame 110. The legs 112 may pivot open to prop up the solar heater 100 and change the angle of the solar heater 100 relative to the sun. The solar heater 100 may comprise a plurality of heating coils 120. Water may travel through half of the heating coils 120 from the base 102 of the solar heater 100 to the top 104 of the solar heater 100. Water may return from the top 104 of the solar heater 100 to the base 102 of the solar heater 100 through the remaining half of the heating coils 120. As the water travels through the heating coils 120, heat from the sun may be transferred through the heating coils 120 to the water.

The solar heater 100 may comprise a threaded inlet 114. A hose may be connected to the threaded inlet 114. The hose may transfer water from a swimming pool to the solar heater 100. As the water enters the solar heater 100 through the threaded inlet 114, an internal baffle 116 may direct the water into the heating coils 120. The water may heat up as it travels through the heating coils 120, and the water may exit through a threaded outlet 118 and return to the swimming pool, increasing the temperature of the water in the swimming pool. The solar heater may comprise a wind shield 150. The wind shield 150 may be transparent to ultraviolet rays. The wind shield 150 may prevent wind from removing heat from the heating coils 120.

The solar heater 100 may comprise a curved shape. The frame 110, the heating coils 120, and the wind shield 150 may each be curved. The solar heater 100 may be convex, such that different portions of the heating coils 120 may be positioned normal to the incoming sunlight as the sun moves through the sky.

Referring to FIG. 2, a side view of a solar heater 100 is illustrated according to various embodiments. The solar heater 100 may comprise a length L of approximately 1.1 meters. As used herein, “approximately” means within 10% of a stated dimension. However, the solar heater 100 may be designed to any length L, such as 1-2 meters, or 0.5-4 meters. The curve of the solar heater 100 may comprise a radius R of approximately 1.5 meters. However, the curve of the solar heater 100 may comprise a radius R of any desired size, such as 1-2 meters, or 0.5-10 meters. The curved shape of the solar heater 100 may increase the amount of sunlight heating the heating coils when the sun is at different positions in the sky.

Referring to FIG. 3, a perspective view of a solar heater 300 with threaded legs 312 is illustrated according to various embodiments. The threaded legs 312 may comprise an upper portion 313, a lower portion 314, and a foot 315. The lower portion 314 may thread into the upper portion 313. The angle of the solar heater 300 may be adjusted by threading the lower portion 314 to different lengths within the upper portion 313. Thus, the solar heater 300 may be adjusted to different angles to increase the amount of sunlight that the solar heater 300 receives. In various embodiments, the threaded legs 312 may be pivotably coupled to the solar heater 300.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. Reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to ‘at least one of A, B, and C’ or ‘at least one of A, B, or C’ is used in the specification, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.

All structural, chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described exemplary embodiments that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present disclosure, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public. No element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

Claims

1. A solar heater comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of heating coils coupled to the frame;

a plurality of legs pivotably coupled to the frame; and

a wind shield coupled to the frame,

wherein the frame, the plurality of heating coils, and the wind shield are convex.

2. The solar heater of claim 1, wherein the frame is blow molded.

3. The solar heater of claim 1, wherein a first half of the plurality of heating coils are configured to transfer water from a base of the solar heater to a top of the solar heater.

4. The solar heater of claim 3, wherein a second half of the plurality of heating coils are configured to transfer water from the top of the solar heater to the base of the solar heater.

5. The solar heater of claim 1, further comprising a baffle within the frame, wherein the baffle is configured to direct water into the plurality of heating coils.

6. The solar heater of claim 1, wherein a length of the solar heater is approximately 1.1 meters.

7. The solar heater of claim 1, wherein a radius of the solar heater is approximately 1.5 meters.

8. The solar heater of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of legs comprises an upper portion, a lower portion, and a foot.

9. The solar heater of claim 8, wherein the upper portion is threadably coupled to the lower portion.

10. The solar heater of claim 9, wherein the plurality of legs are configured to adjust an angle of the solar heater by rotating the lower portion relative to the upper portion.

11. The solar heater of claim 1, further comprising an inlet and an outlet.

12. The solar heater of claim 11, wherein the inlet and the outlet are configured to couple the solar heater to a swimming pool.

13. The solar heater of claim 1, wherein the wind shield is transparent to ultraviolet rays.