The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 13, 1994
Filed:
Aug. 12, 1992
Porter Arbogast, Page, AZ (US);
Other;
Abstract
A mirror assembly for use with a focusing or concentrating solar collector or the like has rows and columns of individual rectangular mirrors mounted by means of flexible cords passing through eyelets on the edges of each of the mirrors, with the cords secured to an open rectangular frame. The cords are selectively tensioned; and when the cords are under tension, all of the mirrors are maintained in a substantially flat orientation in a plane parallel to the plane of the frame. The frame is secured to the top of a support structure which has mirror mounts located beneath each of the mirrors in the mirror assembly. Magnets are provided of on the side of the mirrors which face the underlying support structure; and when the tension in the cords is released, the mirrors drop into place on top of each of the mirror mounts of the support structure, and are held in place by means of the magnets. The angular orientation of the mirrors then is controlled by the operation of the solar collector mechanism. Subsequent retensioning of the cords overcomes the magnetic attraction of the mirrors to the mirror mounts; and the mirrors are removed from the support structure and held in place on the frame by means of the flexible cords. The entire frame of mirrors then may be removed for subsequent storage or replacement.