Sunshade device

Abstract

The invention provides a sunshade device in the form of an awning comprising a piece of flexible reflective material (2) suspended on a first elongate support (4, 104) and supported by a second elongate support (6, 106), and a force application device, such as a counterweight (8), attached at least indirectly to the flexible material at a location remote from the first elongate support (4). When the flexible material (2) is blown by wind to displace, the force application device (8) enables the flexible material to return to the rest position. In a solar panel assembly, a sunshade device may reflect sunlight to a solar panel (50). In a method of guiding solar energy, the height and / or azimuth angle of at least one support (4, 104, 6, 106) in a shading device is adjusted at different times of day or year.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a sunshade device in the form of an awning. Background Technology

[0002] Cities, towns, buildings, and houses need to adapt to rising temperatures caused by climate change. Architects and designers are increasingly focusing on mitigating radiant heat.

[0003] Cities are particularly affected by the urban heat island effect, which exacerbates the problem and makes nighttimes especially uncomfortable. This is because heat is absorbed during the day and dissipated at night, causing temperatures in buildings and surrounding areas to rise continuously. This makes city life more unbearable, especially at night when temperatures should be cool, which can disrupt sleep. In contrast, rural areas have fewer buildings and lower urban heat island effects, resulting in cooler nights.

[0004] This means more people are turning to air conditioning, which further exacerbates the problem. First, heat is transferred from inside buildings to the outside, making cities even hotter. Second, increased electricity use means more carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, the growing demand for air conditioning manufacturing means more energy is needed for production, transportation, and storage.

[0005] More and more methods and concepts for alleviating an increasingly hot world and lowering temperatures are being adopted, but in a more holistic way. For example, governments and parliaments around the world are developing plans to plant more trees and increase shade.

[0006] Another concept is to paint roads and building roofs with light-colored paint to reflect sunlight. However, this is counterintuitive, especially in winter, when solar radiation should be absorbed to warm buildings and houses, thus saving energy, but instead, it is reflected. This idea works best in climates without severe winters.

[0007] Awnings, gazebos, and umbrellas can be used, but they are not always practical, especially in strong winds. In other words, it is dangerous to open them to reflect sunlight when people are not at home.

[0008] In particular, awnings are not always practical and, due to their exposure to strong winds, cannot be left unattended. Furthermore, they must be durable, thus requiring expensive frames and mounting hardware to be installed by experienced personnel. Installing an awning in front of every window is also impractical and costly.

[0009] Flags have an advantage in the wind because their material is highly flexible, yielding and bending in strong winds. A significant drawback of flags is that they only cover buildings when there is wind, and even then, the coverage is limited. Because the material only temporarily sways in the wind, they offer almost no shade. Furthermore, flags only reflect sunlight horizontally, which is a disadvantage for the buildings they reflect, as it does nothing to reflect sunlight back into the sky and space.

[0010] If a flag is hung from the top rather than the side, it will tend to wrap itself up when blown by the wind.

[0011] If reflective materials reflect sunlight onto another building or house, increasing its temperature and exacerbating the heat island effect, then the reflective materials will be ineffective. Furthermore, these materials will have to be removed in winter, increasing costs.

[0012] Sunlight needs to be reflected into the sky so that the heat does not remain on the ground, but dissipates into the sky far away from the building area before the building absorbs the heat. Summary of the Invention

[0013] The object of the present invention is to provide a sunshade that mitigates at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0014] Therefore, a first aspect of the present invention provides a sunshade device in the form of an awning, comprising: a flexible reflective material suspended on a first elongated support and supported by a second elongated support; and a force-applying device attached at least indirectly to the flexible material at a location away from the first elongated support, such that when the flexible material is displaced by wind, the force-applying device is arranged to return the flexible material to a stationary position.

[0015] The force-applying device may include a counterweight or a motor.

[0016] The second elongated support may include a gap through which a flexible material or flexible elongated element (such as a thin rope, thick rope, chain, cable, or wire attached to the flexible material and the force-applying device) extends. When the force-applying device includes a counterweight, the counterweight may be wider than the gap to prevent the counterweight from passing through the gap.

[0017] When the force-applying device includes a counterweight, a platform can be provided to support the counterweight in a static position. The height of the platform is variable to change the placement angle of the flexible material.

[0018] Flexible, slender elements can extend through tubes.

[0019] The first elongated support member may include a roller, around which the flexible member can roll.

[0020] The first slender support and / or the second slender support can be elements of the frame.

[0021] The angle and / or distance between the first support and the second support can be variable to adjust the position of the flexible material.

[0022] A second aspect of the invention provides a solar panel assembly comprising a solar panel and a shading device as described above, such that in a first position on the sun, the solar panel is arranged to directly receive sunlight, and in a second position on the sun, the solar panel is arranged to receive sunlight reflected by the shading device. As used herein, "solar panel" includes solar water heaters, as well as photovoltaic panels or solar concentrators.

[0023] A third aspect of the invention provides a method for guiding solar energy, comprising providing a shading device as described above, and adjusting the height and / or azimuth of at least one support member at different times of day and / or at different times of year. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of a sunshade awning according to the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of the awning in the middle; Figure 3 This is a front view schematic diagram of another type of sunshade according to the present invention; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A side view of the awning in the middle; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing a sunshade with a motorized force application device; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing an awning that includes a platform for awning counterweights; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a solar panel assembly according to the present invention; Figure 8 This is a front view illustration of another type of awning; Figure 9 This is a plan view of a support member for another awning according to the present invention; and Figure 10 yes Figure 9 Planar schematic diagrams of the support components under different configurations. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Figure 1 and Figure 2The image shows an awning in a stationary position. The awning comprises a flexible material 2, one end of which is attached to and suspended from an elongated horizontal support 4.

[0026] Material 2 covers the second elongated horizontal support 6, which is located below and horizontally spaced from the first support 4.

[0027] The counterweight 8 is attached to the free edge of material 2 by a thin rope 10.

[0028] If the wind blows the flexible material 2 upward away from the second support 6, the counterweight 8 will return it to its original position. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The location shown.

[0029] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Another type of awning is shown. In this embodiment, the second horizontal elongated support 26 includes a groove 28 through which the flexible material 2 extends. The counterweight 8 is too wide to pass through the groove 28. This limits the range of movement of the flexible material 2.

[0030] Figure 5 In the illustrated awning, a motorized winch 30 is attached to the flexible material 2. The motorized winch 30 achieves [interconnection / cooperation] with [other materials / materials]. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The counterweight 8 serves the same purpose. In other embodiments (not shown), a spring or elastic cord may be provided to return the flexible material to its rest position.

[0031] Figure 6 Showing with Figure 1 and Figure 2 The awning is identical, except that the counterweight 38 is placed on platform 40. The height of the platform is adjustable. This allows for adjustment of the position of the lower edge of the flexible material and the angle at which the flexible material is arranged.

[0032] Figure 7 Showing contains Figure 1 and Figure 2 The image shows an assembly of a sunshade of the type shown and a solar panel 50 mounted on a roof 52. At the first time of day, the sun is positioned to the right of the observer and directly illuminates the solar panel 50. At the second time of day, the sun is positioned "outside the paper." In this position, solar radiation illuminates the flexible material 2 and is thus reflected onto the solar panel 50.

[0033] exist Figures 1 to 7 In each embodiment, the first support 4 may be a roller that can be selectively operated to roll up the awning. The first and second supports may be elements of the awning's frame.

[0034] In the "flagpole" embodiment of the invention, the flexible material support is in the form of a single horizontal bar extending from a vertical pole. The horizontal bar can be rotated to different azimuth angles, can rotate about the vertical pole, or can rotate through the pole. Similarly, this means that the reflective material can be varied to reflect solar energy from windows or doors in summer and to reflect solar energy onto windows, doors, or solar panels in winter.

[0035] Figure 8 In the illustrated awning, a thin rope 10 extends through a tube 60. This provides greater safety and control. As shown, the counterweight 8 can be small enough to pass through the tube, or too large to pass through. Alternatively, the counterweight can pass upwards through the tube, but is prevented from leaving through a small hole at the top of the tube.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a plan view of another support component of the awning. A first support component 104 extends from a vertical rod 80. A second support component 106 extends from the rod 80 below the first support component 104. The second support component is located on an arm at a predetermined angle, parallel to and horizontally spaced from the first support component 104. A piece of flexible material (in...) Figure 9 (Not shown in the image) for reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The described approach is supported.

[0037] The horizontal supports 104 and 106 can be rotated to different azimuth angles. For example, this can be achieved by fixing the two supports to a vertical rod 80 that can rotate about its own axis.

[0038] exist Figure 10 In one embodiment, the second support member 106 can rotate around the rod 80 to be set at a certain angle to the first support member 104.

[0039] With the support members or one or two support members rotatable, the position of the reflective material can be changed to reflect solar energy out of windows or doors in summer, reflect it in through windows or doors in winter, or reflect it onto solar panels.

[0040] In all cases, the vertical pole or its base can be telescopic to change its height.

[0041] One of the supports can also translate relative to the other support, for example, via a hydraulic mechanism. This movement can be vertical and / or horizontal.

[0042] The attached diagram shows a support in the form of a straight horizontal bar, but other supports are also possible. One possible support could be in the form of a curved bar. Another possible support could be made of at least one flexible thin rope, thick rope, wire, or chain, such as two thin ropes, fixed to the flexible material at the upper corner region.

Claims

1. A sunshade device in the form of an awning, comprising: A flexible reflective material is suspended on a first elongated support and supported by a second elongated support, and a force-applying device is attached to the flexible material at least indirectly at a location away from the first elongated support, such that after the flexible material is displaced by wind, the force-applying device is arranged to return the flexible material to a stationary position.

2. The sunshade device according to claim 1, wherein, The force-applying device includes a counterweight.

3. The sunshade device according to claim 1, wherein, The force-applying device includes a motor.

4. The sunshade device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein, The first elongated support member includes a generally horizontal rod.

5. The sunshade device according to claim 4, wherein, The first slender support member can be rotated to different azimuth angles.

6. The sunshade device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second elongated support includes a gap through which the flexible material extends.

7. The sunshade device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The second elongated support includes a gap through which the flexible elongated element attached to the flexible material and the force application device extends.

8. The sunshade device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein, The force-applying device includes a counterweight, and the counterweight is wider than the gap.

9. The sunshade device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The force-applying device includes a counterweight attached to a flexible elongated element or the flexible elongated element extending through the tube.

10. The sunshade device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The force-applying device includes a counterweight, and the sunshade device is provided with a platform for supporting the counterweight in a static position. The height of the platform is variable to change the setting angle of the flexible material.

11. The sunshade device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first elongated support includes a roller, and the flexible material is capable of rolling around the roller.

12. The sunshade device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first elongated support member and / or the second elongated support member are elements of the frame.

13. The sunshade device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second support member can be rotated to different azimuth angles.

14. The sunshade device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The angle between the first support member and the second support member is variable to adjust the position of the flexible material.

15. The sunshade device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The distance between the first support member and the second support member is variable to adjust the position of the flexible material.

16. A solar panel assembly comprising a solar panel and a shading device according to any one of the preceding claims, such that in a first position of the sun, the solar panel is arranged to directly receive sunlight, and in a second position of the sun, the solar panel is arranged to receive sunlight reflected by the flexible material.

17. A method for guiding solar energy, comprising providing a shading device according to any one of claims 1-15, and adjusting the height and / or azimuth angle of at least one of the supports at different times of day or at different times of year.

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