NZ194807A - Solar water-heating assembly recessed in roofing - Google Patents

Description

1 948 Priority Complete Specification Fi'$£ Class: ?.l"A v pEB 19M PuhStcafccn Date: .... c P.O. . im NEW ZEALAND Patents Act, 1953 N .Z. KO. . ' COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "SOLAR HEATING APPARATUS." I &>■ We, LAWRENCE JOHN WALTON, ROBERT NIVEN WALTON and PETER.

DONALD PARKER, of 12 Hilda Street, Mermaid Beach, 4218; ? Crestvlew , Afi^ivw fefS k-xtl 3^ Dawn-"P'?.a?ad g, Mi Mai—4200; and 5 Fairway Drive, Cypress Gardens, 4217, Queensland, Australia,respectively. All Australian citizens. do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent, may be granted to us , and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement _ 1 - 194307 THIS INVENTION relates to a method of and apparatus for heating water.

At present there are many solar water-heating assemblies available which operate efficiently to provide 5 hot water for domestic purposes or at a lower temperature for say swimming pool heating or space heating. A major disadvantage of the presently available apparatus is their cost, mainly because of the copper and stainless steel content in their construction, together with the 10 unsightly appearance of the installation. Such installations commonly comprise a conspicuous device placed on a visible portion of a supporting roof and having a shape which does not blend with the surroundings. Solar heating installations are particularly unsightly 15 when one absorber is positioned ca the roof for supplying the domestic hot water and another absorber is positioned on the roof for supplying the lower temperature hot water for say pool heating or space heating.

An object of the present invention is to provide 20 hot water heating apparatus which will overcome the abovementioned disadvantages and which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, 25 this invention resides broadly in solar water heating apparatus including an inlet header and an outlet manifold arranged to communicate with said header through an absorber assembly supported on an exposed roof, characterised in tnat said absorber assembly :7 " . - 2 - IVO-i ■vfm ; o f'Ofi7 I 'J / includes at least one elongated ducting member formed of flexible material having passageways therethrough through which fluid can flow from said header to said manifold and wherein said exposed 5 roof includes at least one elongated recess and wherein said ducting member is supported directly on said exposed roof and closely accommodated in said recess and there being provided constraining means which constrain said ducting member in said recess 10 whereby fluid flowing through said ducting member is heated by virtue of said ducting member receiving heat directly from the sun and by conduction from said roof.

In order that the invention may be more 15 readily understood and put into practical effect, 194307 reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention and wherein Fig. 1 illustrates generally a typical 5 solar water-heating installation according to the present invention; Samite - 2* - ;4 ;1 S^4 ;Fig. 2 is a cut-away perspective view of portion of the roof section shown in Fig. 1; ;Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the ducting according to the present invention; ;Fig. 4 is a cut-away perspective view showing the ducting supported operatively in the re-entrant recesses of a roof sheet; ;Fig. 5 is an end view showing the connection of a glazing panel to the roof sheet; ;Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the tubular adaptor for connecting the passageways of the ducting to the inlet header and the outlet manifold; - ■ ;Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a pair of roof tiles shown in operative relationship with the'ducting of the present invention fixed thereto ;Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an alternate form of tile for use with the invention; ;Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the installation of a further embodiment of the invention; ;Fig. 10 is a perspective view of portion of an alternate form of ducting made in accordance with the invention; ;Fig. 11 illustrates a return adaptor for use with the ducting illustrated in Fig. 10; ;Fig. 12 is a control valve adaptor for use with the ducting illustrated in Fig. 10; and ;-X'-5 ;Fig. 13 illustrates a connector engageable with the ducting illustrated in Fig. 10 for securing same to a roof structure. ;In a typical pool installation, re-circulated 5 v/ater is pumped from the pool and returned via a filtration plant. In the present invention, the pumped pool water is directed, prior to passage through the filtration plant, to the heating apparatus and then hack through the filtration plant to the pool. The heating apparatus 10 includes a header disposed in or adjacent the guttering of the roof, or at the peak of the roof as desired, and is provided with a plurality of outlet apertures each of which is adapted to communicate with a respective passageway of one of a plurality of spaced elongate 15 ducting members which extend away from the header in an exposed position across and- in close contact with the roof for passage of water from the header to an outlet manifold connected in similar manner whereby the water pumped through said ducting absorbs solar 20 heat by direct radiation as well as by conduction from the roof surface which acts as a large heat collector. ;This feature ensures that efficient use is made of the available space without overly detracting from the original appearance of the roof. Furthermore the ducting 25 may be formed from say extruded P.V.C. material or the like, so that the installation costs may be minimised. The present invention, according to one aspect, provides a high temperature solar water-heating apparatus 10 and a low temperature solar water-heating apparatus 11 ;both of which may be supported on and incorporated into an exposed roof 12 in such manner that their application to the roof does not overly distract from the appearance of the roof 12. In order to 5 achieve this, the properties of both plastic and metal are combined by providing a metal roofing sheet 15 of the type having a rectangular body portion 14 extending between upstanding complementary side engagement portions 15 and 16 in known manner "but which varies 10 from the standard sheet by the provision of re-entrant recesses 17 formed in the body portion 14 adapted to closely accommodate plastic water ducting 18 therein. As the ducting 18 is of a resilient nature being formed of say P.V.C. or similar material, it may "be sprung 15 into the recess 17 by forcing it past the restricted entrance thereto into the diverging recess and the width dimension of the recess 17 is less than the overall width of the ducting 18 so that when the ducting is operatively engaged in the recess 17, it will be held 20 against displacement from its operative position. ;In this embodiment, the ducting; 18 extends down the roof surface and includes four circular cross-section passageways 19, two of which are adapted to communicate at their upper -ends with an inlet header 25 20 while the other two are adapted to conuimnicate at their corresponding upper ends with the outlet manifold 21. Transfer means 22 are provided at the lower ends of the ducting 18 to transfer the water from the passageways communicating with the inlet header 20 ;- g - ;*1 I 94 any to the passageways communicating with the outlet manifold 21. As shown, the transfer means comprise U shaped round tubes which are so dimensioned as to be a tight plug-in fit into the passageways 19. The 5 plug-in connection may be formed with a plastic solvent glue or the like to weld the transfer means to the ducting to prevent leakage.

The upper plug-in connections 23 made between the passageways 19 and the inlet header 20 or the outlet 10 manifold 21 are formed by means of a tubular adaptor 24 as shown in Pig. 6 which has an intermediate abutment flange 25 separating an enlarged ribbed end 26, adapted for sealing plug-in connection with the respective passageway, and a smaller diameter spigot end 27 adapted 15 for plug-in connection to the respective aperture formed in their inlet header 20 or outlet manifold 21. Preferably the ducting is made of P.V.C. as is the transfer means 22, the adaptor 24 and the inlet header 20 and the outlet manifold 21. If necessary, solvent glue can 20 be used to seal the connection between the adaptor 27 and the header 20 or manifold 21 which may be supported out of sight beneath the ridge cap 28 of the roof 12.

The heating apparatus illustrated in Pig. 2 is adequate for low temperature heating purposes such 25 as for heating pools or for space heating and for this purpose, water is supplied to the inlet header 20 from the pool pumping plant via piping 29 and is returned from the outlet manifold via the piping 30. However, such an installation is not adequate for supplying - r- 1 94 8 normal domestic hot water mainly due to the heat losses from the ducting 18 by convection preventing the necessary high temperature being attained. Accordingly, for domestic hot water heating purposes there is 5 additionally provided a transparent cover panel 31 adapted to be supported spaced above the ducting 18 by means of supporting clips 32 which engage over the upstanding side engagement portions 33a and 33^> and have outwardly directed channels 34 for engagement with 10 the longitudinal edges 35 of the panels 31- The panel minimises heat loss from the ducting 18 so that the temperature of the v/ater therein may be elevated to the desired temperature. In order that the ducting 18 may withstand the additional temperatures and/or pressures, 15 it may be formed in a stronger version having say greater thickness dimensions, or say formed of a different material, more suited to the particular application. Of course, during installation the ducting 18 may be cut to any desired length and the webs portions 36 20 between the respective passageways 19 may be slit to enable the respective passageways which engage the inlet header and the outlet manifold to be cut to length to suit the location of the inlet header and the outlet manifold and bent upwards to facilitate 25 plug-in connection therewith, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

A feature of the present invention is that the ducting 18 nests in close contact with the roof surface so that heat is absorbed directly from the sun and indirectly from the roof which forms a large 1 948 heat sink to collect the energy from the sun for transference to the ducting 18. This indirect heating is enhanced by the close fit of the.ducting 18 within the recess 17 which provide areas for heat transference 5 along the "bottom face of the ducting 18 and also along the side faces of the outer pair of passageways 19-Preferably the ducting 18 is formed of black P.V.C. material or other material coloured to blend with the colour of the roofing.

The heating apparatus of the invention may be incorporated on a tiled roof and for this purpose the present invention provides roofing tiles 40 adapted to enable the ducting 18 to be secured in the recesses 41 formed in the tiles. In one form, the tile 40 is 15 provided with a plurality of transversely aligned indents 42 at one end and indents 45 at the opposite end and along the opposite upstanding faces 43 at each side of the recesses 41 and into any one transversely aligned pair of which a flexible pin 46 may be inserted 20 above the ducting 18 to retain it in the recess 41. As shown, this arrangement enables the ducting 18 to be clamped at either side of the step from one tile to the next so that it is maintained in close contact with the tile for good appearance and to achieve 25 maximum heat absorption from the tiles. An alternate form of roofing tile is illustrated in Fig. 8 in which a bendable U shaped tab 47 is fixed into the end of the tile and which may be bent in use to bear down against the top surface of the ducting 18 to. maintain - % - % /] Q' ® . S,'-' C? ^ it in position.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 9 to 13, the arrangement is similar except that the ducting 18b includes three semi-circular passageways 19b 5 extending between perforated edge portions 48. The perforated edge portions 48 are adapted to be engaged in headed spigots 49 of a retention clip 50 which has a flat portion which may be engaged between the joint between tiles or roof panels to secure the ducting 18b 10 to the roof. Furthermore, the transfer means includes a two-into-one adaptor 51 as shown in Fig. 11 and the plug-in connectors 52 for forming the connection between the ducting 18b and the Inlet header 20a and the outlet manifold 21a includes a two-into-one 15 adaptor together with a regulating valve 53 on the straight-through passage 19c. • In this embodiment the header and the outlet manifold are supported out of sight in the roof gutter.

Of course it will be realised that the above 20 has been given by way of illustrative example only, and all such modifications and variations as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is defined in the appended claims. - a WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1.

A solar water heating apparatus including an inlet header and an outlet manifold communicating with said header through an absorber assembly supported on an exposed roof characterised in that said absorber assembly includes at least one elongated ducting member formed of flexible material having passageways therethrough through which fluid can flow from said header to said manifold and wherein said exposed roof includes at least one elongated recess and wherein said ducting member is supported directly on said exposed roof and closely accommodated in said recess and there being provided constraining means which constrain said ducting member in said recess whereby . fluid flowing through said ducting member is heated by virtue of said ducting member receiving heat directly from the sun and by conduction from said roof. 2. A solar water heating apparatus according to (Claim 1, wherein said ducting member includes a plurality of spaced apart parallel passageways, each said passageway being formed within a respective tubular housing portion and there being provided connecting webs extending between adjacent said tubular housing portions. 3 - A solar water heating apparatus according to

Claims (3)

1. Claim 1 or
2. Claim 2 wherein said header and said manifold are disposed in side by side relationship across said roof and wherein respective ones of said passageways communicate at one end with said header and said 12 94807 manifold and there being provided transfer means co-operating with said passageways remote from said header and said manifold for transferring fluid therebetween. 4. A solar water heating apparatus according to
3. Claim 3, wherein said transfer means comprises a hollow body having a pair of tubular spigots each being sealingly engaged with a respective said passageway for transferring water between said passageways. 5. A solar water heating apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each said passageway is connected to the respective said inlet header or outlet manifold by a push-in connector forced into sealing engagement at one end with said passageway and forced into sealing engagement at the other end with an aperture formed in the respective said inlet header or said outlet manifold. 6. A solar water heating apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said recess has a restricted entrance and. wherein said ducting member is forced through said entrance and into said recess, said restricted entrance comprising/ said constraining means for said ducting member. 7. A solar water heating apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said recess is formed in a rectangular body portion of a metal roofing sheet. 8. A solar water heating apparatus according to Claim 7 wherein said rectangular body portion of said - 13 - 'i Q / 0^7 metal roofing sheet extends between upstanding thereof complementary side engagement portions and wherein said recess extends substantially parallel to said side engagement portions. 9. A solar water heating apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein there is provided a transparent panel spaced above said rectangular body portion and supported by said side engagement portions whereby to prevent heat loss by conduction from said ducting member supported in said recess. 10. A solar water heating apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein said roof is a tile roof comprising a plurality of overlapping tiles each having a depression extending thereacross which is aligned with complementary depressions of the adjacent tiles so as to form a respective said elongated recess extending across said roof. 11. A solar water heating apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. LAWRENCE JOHN WALTON, ROBERT NIVEN WALTON and PETER DONALD PARKER By Their Attorneys 14