Stoves and furnaces – Stoves – Cooking
Patent
1981-12-28
1984-02-07
Wintercorn, Richard A.
Stoves and furnaces
Stoves
Cooking
126425, 250203R, G02B 1700, G02B 2700
Patent
active
044299524
ABSTRACT:
A tracking reflector assembly for a skylight includes a ring-shaped base member rotatably supported above the skylight by a plurality of rollers which engage a channel formed within an annular wall of the ring. A reflector is pivotally coupled to the ring for reflecting light into the skylight to supplement light which strikes the skylight directly. A vertical drive motor operates in response to a pair of photosensors for raising and lowering the reflector to follow changes in the angular elevation of the sun. The ring-shaped base member includes a toothed lower surface engaged by a gear coupled to a horizontal drive motor for rotating the ring-shaped base member in response to a third photosensor for following east-to-west movement of the sun. Each of the aforementioned photosensors is normally shaded and actuates the associated drive motor only when being struck by direct sunlight. A vertical limit switch limits the amount by which the reflector may be pivotally raised to avoid reflecting midday summer sunlight into the skylight. Another switch is responsive to closure of the reflector over the base member for preventing the vertical drive motor from attempting to further pivot the reflector downwardly. A fourth photosensor senses darkness resulting from sunset or heavy overcast conditions for pivoting the reflector downwardly and returning the base member and reflector to an easterly direction. A limit switch senses the return of the base member to the full east position for terminating actuation of the horizontal drive motor. A user operated switch selectively enables the tracking reflector assembly to operate automatically or causes the reflector to be lowered and the base member to be returned to the full east position until the user again enables the automatic control circuitry.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3996460 (1976-12-01), Smith
patent: 4031385 (1977-06-01), Zerlaut et al.
patent: 4114186 (1978-09-01), Dominguez
patent: 4146784 (1979-03-01), Yekutieli
patent: 4179612 (1979-12-01), Smith
patent: 4225781 (1980-09-01), Hammons
patent: 4266530 (1981-05-01), Steadman
patent: 4295621 (1981-10-01), Siryj
patent: 4297000 (1981-10-01), Fries
patent: 4340812 (1982-07-01), Mori
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