Appropriate Technology Corporation

Scott Hausmann

Allan McLane, Jr

Andrew E Smith

Daniel B Bump

A retrofittable insulation system for solar rooms having glass bays supported by sills along the bottom and separated by vertically extending glazing bars. The system includes extruded, plastic double channel tracks secured to the inside of the glazing bars and extending substantially the full length thereof. An insulating shade sheet is carried by a roller supported on brackets mounted at the tops of adjacent glazing bars. The shade sheet has corded edges captured within the channels of the tracks and a batten is secured to its lower edge. Spring motors are mounted on the sill adjacent the bottom of each track, and cables connect the spring motors to the ends of the batten. The shade is operated by an actuator connected to the shade roller, which acts against the spring motors. In a preferred embodiment, the spring motors exert a pull force on the shade that varies in accordance with the force required to retract the shade which is a function of the relative position of the shade in the tracks.

Retrofittable insulating system for solar rooms

An insulating window shade assembly includes a first roller carrying an insulating shade and a second roller carrying a cover fabric. The shade and cover fabric are supported in essentially face to face relationship, and their bottoms are secured together by a Velcro-type fastener. The cover fabric conceals the insulating shade, it may be removed from the shade for cleaning or may be changed and it may be adjusted for smoothness and to compensate for any stretching which occurs in the materials.

Growing community of inventors

West Brattleboro, VT, United States of America

Scott Hausmann