AU599269B2

AU599269B2 - Solar panel assembly

Info

Publication number: AU599269B2
Application number: AU24570/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Susan Neill
Original assignee: QUIRK S VICTORY LIGHT CO Pty L
Current assignee: QUIRK'S VICTORY LIGHT CO Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1987-11-25
Filing date: 1988-11-01
Publication date: 1990-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-01
Also published as: AU2457088A

Description

4Jj ,USALYA PATENTS ACT 1952 5 '99r'2 9 Form COMPLETE SFECIFICAT1ON

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Solar Pa nel Assembly.

Int. CI: Application Number: PI 5635 Lodged 25th. November 1987.

Corr,plete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority:

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o S I o CC ~Releted Art: o 0 9

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o 4 *00990 o 0 Nam~ of Applicant: 94*004 a 0 TO BE COMPLETED By APLICANT Quirk's Victory Light Co. Pty. Limited Address of Applicant: 13 Albernarle Avenue, Rose Bay, New South Wales 2029.

Actual Inventor: Susan Lee Neill of the Applicant's Address.

Address for Service Rantzen Co., Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys.

John Street, Woollahra, N.S.W. 2025.

Tel: (02) 328-7560.

Complete Specification for the invention entitlec2: Cs003332 01 1/ 1 1 tZ-OLAR PANEL ASSEMBLY 'The following statemont is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- Noto: The description is to be typed in double spacing, pica type face, in an area not exceeding 250 mm in depth and 160 mm in width, on tough white paper of good quality and it is to be Inserted inside this form.

141 66/77-L 141 50/77-L Pri:,icd by C. J. THOCM,'.9nN, Actlig Conniiiv alIth Go~vernmnent Printer, Canberra THIS INVENTION relates to solar panels for converting incident solar radiation into electrical energy, and is more specifically concerned with providing an array of such panels which, when not in use, can be stored in a convenient manner without risk of damage to them.

Solar panels are being used to an increasing extent in areas not provided with mains electricity, and in situations where the only source of electrical power is a rechargeable battery. During the night hours energy from the battery is consumed, and during the 0000 oi 10 day the battery is continuously charged while in use by energy supplied from .a solar panel assembly.

ooo o o Prior to the development of solar powered electrical generating 0 systems, a rechargeable battery either had to be charged by an engine-driven electrical generator, or by being transported to a place having battery re-charging facilities. The use of motor-generator O o units in camping sites is disliked because of their noise an- smell.

o, Transporting a battery to a re-charging facility is inconvenient and may necessitate the use of two re-chargeable batteries used o: alternately.

20 In accordance with the present invention there is provided a portable assembly of solar panels comprising: a casing having a closed condition at which it stores within it a set of electrically-connected current-generating panels in overlapping relationship, and an open condition at which the panels have their light-sensitive surfaces exposed to incident sunlight and lie in a coplanar side-by-side relationship.

The assembly, being portable, can be transported inside a camping or other vehicle when not in use, inside the casing which protects it from damage and also occupies less space than the panels when extended. When it is desired to use the assembly, it is moved to sunny spot, the casing is opened, and the panels are opened out to provide an extended array on which the incident light on the panels' light-sensitive surfaces is a maximum.

The panels are preferably attached permanently to the casing so that the casing provides a support structure for the panels when opened. Preferably the casing is formed with two, shallow part-casings of box form. Each part-casing provides a strong rigid support behind a respective panel and a hinge used to secure the part-casings together is of robust construction and does not impose stresses on the panels as would be the case if it was attached directly

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S+, to them instead of the part-casings. The shallow box construction 0 of the part-casings also has the advantage that electrical equipment 0, such as a voltage regulator or voltage changer may be stored inside the part-casing beneath the sloar panel so that it is protected from damage.

0 0 0 In one suitable arrangement the casing has a stand attached to 00o it and which can be changed from a collapsed condition at which it lies against or inside the closed casing, and an erected condition 0 at which it supports the casing at an appropriate angle to the ground when in an open position.

0 eror The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of S example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- 000000 FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a closed casing containing a solar panel assembly; FIGURE 2 is a front view of the assembly with the casing open and its solar panels exposed and electrically interconnected; FIGURE 3 is a side view to an enlargrl scale of the assembly of figure 2; FIGURE 4 is a perspective rear view of the open r m casing with stand legs in their erected positions; and, FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the casing in the open condition and resting face-down on the light-sensitive surfaces of the solar panels.

a~ee o a 0 0t 00*0 o oa a~l 0 00, 000 0 000 0000 00 0 0 0 04: Figure 1 shows a casing 1 of parallelepiped shape and formed from two, shallow, box-like part casings 2,3 attached together face-to-face and having respective carrying handles 4. Two support legs 5 are attached by terry clips 6 to the rear face of one of the part-casings 2. The part-casings 2,3 are held together when the casing is in its closed condition, by fasteners 7 along one longer edge, and by strong piano hinges 8 at their opposite longer edges as shown in figures 2 to Figure 5 shows the construction of the part-casings 2,3. Each comprises a 0 04 m *415 rectangular frame 12,13 covered on one side by a rectangular cover o0 sheet 14,15 to which the handles 4 are respectively attached. The sheets 14,15 are screwed or otherwise attached to respective frames 0o0.: to give them rigidity and a shallow box-like construction. Mounted oo in the cavity of each part-casing 2,3 are a pair of diodes 16 which are attached to the sheets and connected by flexible wiring (not shown) to rectangular solar panels each of which covers the open side of the part-casing box and has its light-sensitive surface exposed.

When the casing is closed, the light-sensitive surfaces of the panels 17 lie face-to-face in full overlapping relationship so that the surfaces are protected from damage. When the casing is opened, the light-sensitive surfaces of the panels 17 are exposed in coplanar relationship as shown in figure 3. Electrical leads (also not shown) extend between the two part-casings 2,3 so that the electrical power generated by the two part-casings is aggregated.

L77 mod As is apparent from figure 3, the two legs of the stand attached to the back of the part-casing 2, can be shifted from the positions shown in figure I to the positions shown in figures 3 and 4 in which they serve the dual function of holding the two part-casings, when opened out flat, with the panels 17 in coplanar relationship, while providing a stand to support the assembly with the panels opened out and facing diagonally upwards to maximise the incident sunlight on the light-sensitive surfaces of the panels.

The assembly described is portable by one person and be easily °OLO. carried by its handles. When the casing is closed the electrical o parts of the assembly are protected from damage and are all held in position inside the part-casings. When the casing is opened, .00 0 the light-sensitive surfaces of the panels assume a coplalar relationship at which they provide extended light-sensitive areas for catching C0 4 015- the sunlight. The space within the shallow part-casings can be used to accommodate a power pack, a voltage regulator or a rechargeable o battery.

0 44 O 44 °o Variations to the above-described example are possible. For example S each of the panels 17 may be provided with an extension panel which folds over it and is accommodated within the casing when O in its closed condition, and which can be unfolded to provide the panel with an extended light-catching area with all the panels 0~00&4 a coplanar. In another variation, the panels are arranged is superimposed petals having a common axos at one end around which they can be pivoted so that they lie substantially side-by-side to provide a ring of panels when in their operating positions, and are superimposed in a compact stack lying inside the casing when it is closed. Such an arrangement has the advan'ige that when the petal-shaped panels are in a stacked formation, they give access to the interior of the part-casing they cover when in their operating positions.

Claims

1. A portable assembly of solar panels comprising: a casing having a closed condition at which it stores within it a set of electrically-connected, current-generating panels in overlapping relationship, and an open condition at which the panels have their light-sensitive surfaces exposed to incident sunlight and lie in a coplanar side-by-side relationship. x or "nse\Q coyel f pPZvC Qy d

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which>\ the panels are attached permanently to the part-casings in a way in which the rigidity of the individual part-casings reinforces that t of the panels.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2, in which two part-casings of shallow box form are provided and each is attached to the marginal edge-portion of a respective rectangular panel which covers one face of the part-casing, the two part-casings I 5 being hinged together along one pair of edges and, when closed, holding their respective panels with their light-sensitive surfaces facing one another inside the casing. t .t 4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, in which ancilliary electrical equipment used with the solar panels is mounted in its working position inside the part-casings. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the casing is fitted with a stand having a storage position at which it lies against, or within one of the part-casings, and an operational position at which it holds the part-casings in coplanar relationship and also provides a stable support for the open casing with the panels inclined upwardly to face incident sunlight. U PE--6 h

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, arranged and adapted to be used substantially as described with reference to the acoompanying drawings. DATED THIS 1ST. DAY OF NOVEMBER 1988. 00~0 0~0 0 o .o. a 0~ 001 0 0000 0 0000 01 0 0 00 0 00 0 ~i ~0 0 0 00 00 .0 0 04 0 000 0 0 a 000000 0 0 000 bOO 4 V QUIRK'S VICTORY LIGHT COMPANY PTY. LIMITED Applicant's Patent Attorney.