A solar concentrator that can adjust the angle of a concentrator by using a sliding structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a solar concentrator device capable of adjusting the angle of a concentrator by using an inclined portion having a slidable structure. In the present invention, when one arm structure of the inclined portion moves slidably along a sliding frame portion, another arm structure induces an inclined movement for adjusting the angle of the concentrator while moving slidably on the back surface of the concentrator. At the same time, the angle of a reflecting mirror that reflects parallel light is automatically adjusted according to the angle variation caused by the sliding movement of the inclined portion. Therefore, according to the structure of the present invention, the inclined movement of the concentrator can be performed based on the diameter of the incident light reflecting mirror as the central axis. Therefore, the area required to incline the concentrator can be significantly reduced, and miniaturization and high integration of the device are possible. In addition, since the number of materials for concentration and the movement of the materials for concentration can be minimized, the device can be lightened. In addition, a cleaning portion is installed outside, and as a result, an operator can perform a cleaning operation without having to move for cleaning, and thus excellent operational convenience and reliability can be obtained. Further, the device is economically efficient due to low manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a solar concentrating device that uses a sliding structure to adjust the angle of a concentrating unit. Specifically, the present invention relates to a solar concentrating device that applies a slidable structure to a tilting unit in order to minimize the surface area required for the tilting movement of the concentrating unit.

Background Art

[0002] A solar concentrating device refers to a device that tracks the sun, concentrates sunlight, and delivers light to a specific location. Solar concentrating technology enables the use of solar energy, a new type of renewable energy, without an energy conversion process, and has attracted attention due to its high efficiency and environmental friendliness.

[0003] As urban buildings become taller and more crowded, problems related to sunlight are increasing. The use of solar concentrating technology can solve these problems because it can efficiently deliver sunlight to indoor spaces where sunlight cannot easily reach. For example, solar concentrating devices can be effectively employed for various types of natural lighting, including indoor lighting and glow lighting.

[0004] In order to develop a highly efficient solar concentrating device, it is important for the concentrating unit to perform an accurate tilting movement in response to changes in the position of the sun. Also, in order to make the device lighter, smaller, more highly integrated, and economical, it is necessary to minimize the surface area required for the tilting movement of the concentrating unit, as well as the number of movements and materials required to operate the device.

[0005] An example of a conventional solar concentrator device relates to a device for fixing sunlight using a solar concentrator device, and discloses a device that reflects sunlight twice to concentrate light and transmits the light through an optical fiber, as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-0515400. However, the method of using an optical fiber has drawbacks such as the need for expensive connection materials, optical fibers, and a complex installation process.

[0006] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1770311 discloses a solar concentrator device that can concentrate light by reflecting sunlight at least twice inside and direct the light to the optical path by reflecting the concentrated light with a mirror. Nevertheless, in such a concentrator device, since the tilt central axis of the concentrator unit is positioned outside the concentrator unit, a large surface area is required for the concentrator unit to perform a tilting motion, making it difficult to miniaturize and highly integrate the device. Furthermore, although this device is advantageous in terms of cost and installation as it uses a reflector instead of an optical fiber to transmit sunlight, there still remains a problem that a complex control signal and a large amount of power are required to change the angle of the reflector unit while the concentrator unit is performing a tilting motion.

[0007] Therefore, in the case of a solar concentrator device that uses a reflector for transmission, it is necessary to develop a new technology that improves the light concentration efficiency, reduces the manufacturing cost, and enables weight reduction, miniaturization, and high integration of the device.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a solar concentrator device that has a high light concentration efficiency, can be reduced in weight, miniaturized, and highly integrated, and has low required manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] To achieve this object, the present invention provides a solar concentrator device, comprising: a concentrator unit that collects sunlight, converts it into parallel light, and delivers the parallel light to a parallel light reflector unit; an inclination unit that adjusts the angle of the concentrator unit and includes two arm structures connected to each other through a hinge structure; a parallel light reflector unit that is connected to the inclination unit by a hinge and reflects the parallel light delivered from the concentrator unit onto a transmission unit; a sliding frame unit to which the inclination unit is slidably attached; and a transmission unit that transmits the light reflected by the parallel light reflector unit to the outside so as to output sunlight.

[0010] In the present invention, the inclination unit may include a first arm structure slidably attached to the concentrator unit behind the concentrator unit, and a second arm structure slidably attached to the sliding frame unit.

[0011] In the present invention, the concentrator unit may include an incident light reflector including a first parabolic mirror for concentrating sunlight, and a concentrator reflector positioned to face the mirror of the incident light reflector and including a second parabolic mirror for reflecting the light concentrated by the incident light reflector toward a through hole so as to deliver the parallel light to the parallel light reflector unit.

[0012] In the present invention, the concentrator unit may also include reflector connection means for connecting the incident light reflector and the concentrator reflector, and inclination unit connection means formed behind the incident light reflector and to which the first arm structure is slidably attached.

[0013] In the present invention, the concentrator unit may also include a light sensor for detecting sunlight.

[0014] In the present invention, the solar concentrator device may also include an inclination adjustment unit that connects the inclination unit to the parallel light reflector unit and further matches the angle of the parallel light reflector unit to the angle at which the parallel light is delivered to the transmission unit according to the sliding of the inclination unit.

[0015] In the present invention, the parallel light reflector unit is connected to the tilting unit through a hinge structure, and may include a parallel light reflector that reflects parallel light onto the transmission unit, two extension rods extending in parallel from one end of the parallel light reflector, and a sliding rod slidably attached along the two extension rods.

[0016] In the present invention, the tilt adjustment unit connects at least one of the tilt unit and the condensing unit to the sliding rod through a hinge structure, thereby ensuring that the angle of the parallel light reflector unit remains the same as the angle at which the parallel light passes through the transmission unit.

[0017] In the present invention, the transmission unit may include one or more reflectors for transmitting the light reflected by the parallel light reflector unit in the output direction.

[0018] In the present invention, the solar concentrator device may also include a drive unit for tilting movement in response to changes in the altitude of the sun and for rotational movement in response to changes in the position of the sun.

[0019] In the present invention, the solar concentrator device may include a protective frame unit including a transparent case covering the upper part of the device and a support frame supporting the transparent case and covering the lower part of the device.

[0020] In the present invention, the solar concentrator device is rotatably attached outside the transparent case, and may further include a cleaning unit for cleaning the transparent case.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] The solar concentrating device according to the present invention can be designed to use a slidable tilting unit to enable the concentrating unit to perform a tilting motion using the diameter of the incident light reflector as the central axis. Therefore, the use of the present invention dramatically reduces the surface area required to tilt the concentrating unit, enabling miniaturization and high integration of the device. In addition, since the present invention minimizes the number and movement of materials required for concentration, it leads to economic advantages such as a lightweight device, convenient and stable operation, and low manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. Generally, the terms used herein are known and commonly used in the art.

[0024] The present invention relates to a solar concentrating device that can easily adjust the angle of a concentrating unit by using a sliding method.

[0025] Specifically, in the present invention, the tilting unit can be designed as a sliding structure such that the tilting movement of the concentrating unit can be performed using the diameter of the incident light reflector as the central axis. Therefore, the present invention has the advantage of enabling a dramatic reduction in the surface area required to tilt the concentrating unit, and thus enabling miniaturization and high integration of the device. In addition, since the present invention minimizes the number and movement of materials required for concentration, it leads to economic advantages such as a lightweight device, convenient and stable operation, and low manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0026] When explaining the present invention, the tilting movement of the concentrating unit refers to a movement in which the angle of the concentrating unit is adjusted to track sunlight in response to a change in the altitude of the sun, and the axis that plays the role of the center of this angle adjustment is referred to as the tilting central axis. In the present invention, the tilting movement of the concentrating unit is described based on the adjustment of the reflection angle of the incident light reflector of the concentrating unit, that is, the tilting movement of the incident light reflector. The tilting angle of the concentrating unit is the angle at which the incident light reflector performs a tilting movement due to an increase in the altitude of the sun, and the angle at which the incident light reflector is positioned perpendicular to the bottom surface of the device is described as 0°.

[0027] When explaining the present invention, the rotational movement of the device is a movement that tracks sunlight in response to changes in the position of the sun, and refers to rotating about an axis that is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the device. In a solar concentrator device, since the concentrated sunlight is output to one focal region, the central axis of rotation of the device can be the same as the central axis of the final output path.

[0028] Since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, a rotation angle of at least 180° is required. In order for a solar concentrator device to track changes in the altitude of the sun while rotating, an inclination movement for tracking the sun from 0° to 90° is required.

[0029] In the present invention, the inclination movement of the concentrator unit and the rotational movement of the device occur on the vertical central axis of the device, thereby minimizing the movement for tracking sunlight. Therefore, the use of the present invention enables miniaturization and weight reduction of the solar concentrator device, as well as reduction of manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0030] Hereinafter, the structure of a solar concentrator device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described together with the drawings do not limit the scope of the present invention, but are provided to explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the figures refer to the same components, and the size or thickness of each component may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified structure of a solar concentrator device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1, a solar concentrator device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a concentrating unit that concentrates incident sunlight into high-density parallel light (100), an inclination unit (200) that adjusts the angle of the concentrating unit (100) through sliding, a parallel light reflecting unit (300) that is connected to the inclination unit (200) through a hinge structure and reflects the high-density parallel light, a sliding frame unit (400) to which the inclination unit (200) is slidably attached, and a transmission unit (500) that is fixed to the sliding frame unit (400) and receives and transmits the light reflected by the parallel light reflecting unit (300).

[0033] In the present invention, the role of the concentrating unit (100) is to collect incident sunlight, convert it into parallel light, and deliver the parallel light to the parallel light reflecting unit (300).

[0034] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a concentrating unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. The concentrating unit (100) may include an incident light reflector (110) having a first parabolic mirror and a concentrating reflector (120) having a second parabolic mirror, which is positioned to face the mirror of the incident light reflector. The parabolic mirror refers to a mirror having a parabolic reflecting surface. In the present invention, the first parabolic mirror may be in the form of a concave mirror, and the second parabolic mirror may be in the form of a convex mirror.

[0035] In this structure, incident sunlight can be reflected onto the concentrating reflector (120) by the parabolic mirror (110a) of the incident light reflector (110). The reflected light can be concentrated into high-density parallel light by the parabolic structure of the concentrating reflector (120). The parallel light travels backward toward the incident light reflector and is delivered to the parallel light reflecting unit (300) through a through hole (111) formed at the center of the incident light reflector. In this structure, the outer peripheral surfaces of the concentrating reflector (120) and the incident light reflector (110) can be positioned parallel to each other, so that the high-density parallel light can efficiently pass through the through hole (111).

[0036] In the present invention, the incident light reflector (110) and the condenser reflector (120) can be fixedly connected through the reflector connection means (112). Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the condenser reflector (120) can be connected to the incident light reflector (110) through one or more reflector connection means (112). For example, the reflector connection means (112) can connect the outer peripheral surface of the condenser reflector (120) and the through hole (111), or the outer peripheral surface of the condenser reflector (120) and the outer peripheral surface of the incident light reflector (110). When the reflector connection means (112) is formed to connect the outer peripheral surfaces of the condenser reflector (120) and the through hole (111), it is preferable because no shadow is projected onto the incident light reflector (110).

[0037] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the incident light reflector (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and one or more inclined unit connection means (113) can be formed at the rear (110b) of the incident light reflector (110). The inclined unit connection means (113) is a component to which the first arm structure (200) of the inclined unit, which will be described later, is slidably attached, and this structure enables the sliding of the inclined unit (200) and the inclined movement of the incident light reflector (110) to occur systematically.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the condensing unit (100) may additionally include a light sensor for detecting sunlight. When the sun changes its position, the light sensor determines the appropriateness of tracking and provides feedback to enable more accurate tracking and efficient condensing of sunlight.

[0039] FIG. 4 illustrates the structure of the condenser reflector according to one embodiment of the present invention, The light collector reflector (120) has a parabolic mirror in the shape of a convex mirror (120a) on its front surface, reflects the light reflected by the mirror of the incident light reflector (110) toward the through hole (111), and thereby delivers the light to the parallel light reflection unit (300). The parabolic mirror (120a) of the light collector reflector (120) has a structure corresponding to the parabolic mirror (110a) of the incident light reflector (110), whereby the incident light reflected at various angles by the parabolic mirror (110a) of the incident light reflector (110a) can be reflected as parallel light traveling in one direction. In addition, support means (121) for supporting other members may be formed behind the light collector reflector (120).

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the optical sensor may be formed behind the light collector reflector. FIG. 5 illustrates a rear structure of the light collector reflector in which the optical sensor is formed at the rear, and one or more optical sensors (130) may be installed at the center behind the light collector reflector (120b). Here, the signal of the optical sensor (130) may be designed to be delivered via reflector connection means connecting the light collector reflector and the incident light reflector.

[0041] In the present invention, the solar light collector device includes a tilt unit (200) that adjusts the angle of the light collector reflector (100) so as to track the change in the altitude of the sun.

[0042] In the present invention, by using a slidable tilt unit, the light collector unit (100) can be designed to perform a tilting motion using the diameter of the incident light reflector (110) as the central axis in accordance with the sliding of the tilt unit. Therefore, the use of the present invention drastically reduces the surface area required to tilt the light collector unit (100) and enables the device to be made of a simple structure, thereby enabling weight reduction and miniaturization of the device, convenient and stable operation, and reduction of manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0043] FIG. 6 illustrates a potential view of the tilt unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the tilt unit (200) may include two arm structures (210, 220) connected through a hinge structure. Specifically, the tilt unit (200) may include a first arm structure (210) slidably attached to the tilt unit connection means (113) of the light collection unit (100), and a second arm structure (220) slidably attached to the sliding frame unit (400).

[0044] In the present invention, the first arm structure (210) may include two or more parallel sliding arms (211) that can be connected to a connection member. The sliding arms (211) of the first arm (210) have holes (211a) inside which the tilt unit connection means (113) can be inserted, and hinge linkers (211b) can be formed for attaching the second arm structure (220) and a parallel light reflection unit (not shown) inside and outside respectively.

[0045] In the present invention, the second arm structure (220) may include two or more parallel sliding arms (221) and one or more connection members (222) connecting the sliding arms. The sliding arms (221) of the second arm structure (220) have holes (221a) inside which the sliding frame unit can be inserted, and may have hinge linkers (221b) inside.

[0046] In this structure, when the second arm structure (220) slides vertically along the sliding frame unit (400), the angle of the first arm structure (210) is systematically adjusted, enabling the light collection unit (100) to perform a tilting motion using the diameter of the incident light reflector parallel to the bottom surface of the device as the central axis.

[0047] In the present invention, the solar concentrator device includes a parallel light reflector unit (300) that reflects high-density parallel light passing through the through holes of the concentrator unit. The parallel light reflector unit includes a material capable of reflecting light, and preferably includes a reflector having a mirror on one side. In addition, the upper part of the parallel light reflector may include two parallel extending extension rods and a sliding rod slidably attached along the two extension rods.

[0048] In this extension part, the parallel light reflector unit can be attached inside the tilting unit through a hinge structure. FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the tilting unit to which the parallel light reflector unit is attached. Referring to this figure, the parallel light reflector unit (300) can be attached to the first arm structure (210) of the tilting unit (200) through a hinge structure, and the first arm structure (210) can have a double hinge structure attached to the second arm structure (220) through the hinge structure.

[0049] In the solar concentrator device of the present invention, when the concentrator unit performs a tilting movement in response to a change in the altitude of the sun, the angle of the device changes with respect to the traveling angle of the high-density parallel light. Therefore, in order to uniformly deliver the high-density parallel light to the transmission unit, the angle of reflecting the parallel light must also be adjustable systematically according to the sliding of the tilting unit.

[0050] Therefore, the tilt adjustment unit can be formed to connect the tilt unit and the parallel light reflector unit so that the angle of the parallel light reflector unit can be kept the same as the angle at which the parallel light is delivered to the transmission unit according to the sliding of the tilt unit. The tilt adjustment unit can be formed to ensure that the acute angle formed by the first arm structure and the parallel light reflector unit coincides with the acute angle formed by the parallel light reflector unit and the second arm structure regardless of the angle adjustment caused by the tilting movement.

[0051] In the present invention, the tilt adjustment unit may have a structure that connects at least one of the tilt unit and the light condensing unit to the sliding rod of the parallel light reflector through a hinge structure. Therefore, when the angles of the tilt unit and the light condensing unit are adjusted, the sliding rod of the parallel light reflector also slides, adjusting the angle of the parallel light reflector, thereby enabling uniform delivery of parallel light to the transmission unit.

[0052] FIG. 8 illustrates a connection structure of a tilt unit and a parallel light reflector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the parallel light reflector unit (300) is connected to the tilt unit (200) through a hinge structure, and includes a parallel light reflector (310) that reflects high-density parallel light toward the transmission unit (500), two extension rods (320) extending in parallel at the top of the parallel light reflector (310), and a sliding rod (330) slidably attached along the two extension rods (320).

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the tilt adjustment unit (250) is designed such that the sliding rod (330), the first arm structure (210), and the second arm structure (220) are connected to the tilt adjustment unit (250) at different points, and a straight rod passing through the connection points on the sliding rod (330) and the first arm structure (210), and a straight rod passing through the connection points on the sliding rod (330) and the second arm structure (220) intersect at the connection point on the sliding rod (330) and can be connected through a hinge structure.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tilt adjustment unit (250) connects the sliding rod (330), the first arm structure (210), and the second arm structure (220) to the tilt adjustment unit (250) at different points, and also allows a straight rod passing through the connection points on the sliding rod (330) and the first arm structure (210), and a straight rod passing through the connection point on the second arm structure (220) to intersect and be connected through a hinge structure. Here, an imaginary fixed point positioned toward the sliding frame unit (400) forms an imaginary rectangle together with the tilt adjustment unit (250) that progresses according to the tilting motion. This structure is advantageous in that it lengthens the sliding distance and enables accurate control.

[0055] In the present invention, the tilt adjustment unit (250) may have a structure in which two parallel rod structures contact each other.

[0056] Specifically, the two parallel rod structures may be distinguished and referred to as a first parallel rod structure (251) and a second parallel rod structure (252), and the first parallel rod structure (251) and the second parallel rod structure (252) may be connected to a hinge structure at an intersection point (c, c') where the ends contact each other.

[0057] In the present invention, each parallel rod of the first parallel rod structure (251) may have three connection points, and may be attached to connect the sliding rod (330) of the parallel light reflection unit (300), the first arm structure (210), and the intersection point (c) of the parallel rods at each of the connection points. Specifically, one of the rods of the first parallel rod structure (251) may be attached to linearly connect one end (330a) of one edge (211a) of the sliding rod (330) of the sliding arm (211) of the first arm structure and the intersection point of the intersection point (c) of the parallel rods, and another rod parallel to the rod described above may be attached to connect the symmetric points on the opposite side.

[0058] In the present invention, each of the parallel rods of the second parallel rod structure (252) may have two connection points, and these connection points may connect the second arm structure (220) and the intersection point (c) of the parallel rods. Specifically, one of the rods of the second parallel rod structure (252) may be attached so as to linearly connect one edge (221a) of the sliding arm (221) of the second arm structure (220) and the intersection point (c) of the parallel rods, and another rod parallel to the rod described above may be attached so as to connect the symmetric points on the opposite side.

[0059] FIG. 9 illustrates the changes in the condensing unit and the parallel light reflecting unit and the changes in the movement of the tilting unit caused by sliding the tilting unit.

[0060] In the structure of the present invention, when the second arm structure (220) of the tilting unit (200) slides along the sliding frame unit (400), the first arm structure (210) slides along the tilting unit connection means (113) of the condensing unit (100), and the sliding rod (330) of the parallel light reflecting unit (300) slides along the extension rod (320). As a result, the angles of the condensing unit (100), the tilting unit (200), and the parallel light reflector (310) are systematically adjusted, so that the angle can be kept the same as the angle at which the parallel light is transmitted through the transmission unit (500).

[0061] Specifically, FIG. 9(a) illustrates the state diagram of the light collecting unit (100) tilted at 0°, while FIGS. 9(b) and (c) illustrate the state diagrams of the light collecting units tilted at 50° and 80°, respectively. Referring to FIG. 9, when the tilting unit (200) performs a sliding motion and the light collecting unit (100) performs a tilting motion, it can be observed that the tilting adjustment unit (250) slides the sliding rod (330) along the extension rod (320), and the angle of the parallel light reflector (310) also changes accordingly. This structure is designed to ensure that the acute angle formed by the parallel light delivered from the light collecting unit (100) to the parallel light reflector (310) coincides with the acute angle formed by the parallel light reflector (310) and the sliding frame unit (400). Therefore, even when the tilting motion of the light collecting unit (100) changes the direction of the high-density parallel light, the light can be delivered to the transmission unit (500) at a uniform angle.

[0062] The solar light collecting device of the present invention includes a sliding frame unit (400) to which the tilting unit (200) can be slidably attached. The sliding frame unit serves as a frame attached to enable the sliding of the sliding arm (221) of the second arm structure (220) of the tilting unit (200), and may include two parallel frame lines and can be fixed to form a specific angle with the bottom surface.

[0063] In the present invention, in order to prevent collision with the light collecting unit (100), the sliding frame unit (400) can be designed to form an angle of 40 to 60 degrees, preferably 45 to 55 degrees, with the bottom surface. The frame line can be in the form of a rod or a rail, but considering that the rod can withstand multiple slidings and has a low cost, the use of the rod is preferred.

[0064] The solar concentrating device of the present invention includes a transmission unit (500) that receives and transmits the light reflected by the parallel light reflection unit (300). The transmission unit (500) can serve as a support of the device that reflects the light reflected by the parallel light reflection unit (300) inside and transmits it to the outside, and fixes the sliding frame unit (400).

[0065] Here, the external area where sunlight is transmitted can be a place that requires sunlight, such as the inside of a building, a basement floor, or an indoor greenhouse. Therefore, the solar concentrating device of the present invention can be used as indoor or underground lighting or glow lighting.

[0066] The transmission unit (500) can have one end of the sliding frame unit (400) fixed to the outside. Also, in order to enable the light to move while minimizing light loss, it can have a closed path inside. Preferably, the inside of the transmission unit (500) can be treated with a metal mirror.

[0067] FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transmission unit to which a sliding frame unit is fixed according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 10(a), the frame lines of the sliding frame unit (400) are fixed to both sides of the outer surface of the transmission unit (500). The transmission unit (500) can include a light incident path (510) that receives the light reflected by the parallel light reflector (310), a transmission path that transmits the received light (520), and an output path that outputs the transmitted light (530).

[0069] In addition, the interior of the transmission unit (500) may include one or more reflectors that direct the path of the light reflected by the parallel light reflector (310) toward the output direction. FIGS. 10(b) and (c) illustrate cross-sectional perspective views of the transmission unit, and the interior of the transmission unit (500) includes a first inner reflector (540) that reflects the light received via the incident light path (510) toward the transmission path (520), and a second inner reflector (550) that reflects the light reflected by the first inner reflector (540) toward the output path (530), and may include other reflectors according to geographical or structural requirements of the attached position.

[0070] In the present invention, the solar concentrator device may perform a rotational movement clockwise or counterclockwise using the diameter of the incident light reflector perpendicular to the bottom surface of the device as the central axis. According to the rotational movement, the concentrator unit may be designed to respond to changes in the position of the sun. Therefore, the solar concentrator device of the present invention uses the tilting movement of the concentrator unit and the rotational movement of the device to track all changes in the altitude and position of the sun, thereby exhibiting high concentration efficiency. In order to prevent the rotational movement from affecting the output direction of the concentrated sunlight, the central axis of rotation of the device may be designed to coincide with the central axis of the output path.

[0071] In the present invention, the solar concentrator device may also include a drive unit for driving the device. The drive unit enables the concentrator device to operate in response to changes in the altitude and position of the sun, and tracks sunlight based on the characteristics of the sun that moves a specific distance at a specific time.

[0072] FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary structure of a solar concentrator device including a drive unit. Referring to FIG. 11, the drive unit (600) may include a gear (611) for a tilting movement in response to changes in the altitude of the sun, and a motor (612) including a tilting module (610).

[0073] In the tilt module (610), a motor (612) can be connected to a gear (611) to provide power for the tilting motion, and the power supplied by the gear (611) can operate the motor (612) to bring about the tilting motion. Here, the gear (611) of the tilt module (610) can be a worm gear including a worm wheel and a worm, and a transmission for precise control can be arranged between the tilt module (610) and the gear (611). Specifically, the worm wheel can be installed behind the incident light reflector (100b) of the light condensing unit (100), and the axial rotation of the worm can operate the worm wheel to bring about the tilting motion.

[0074] In addition, the drive unit (600) can also include a gear (621) for the rotational motion in response to the change in the position of the sun, and a rotation module (620) including a motor (622).

[0075] In the rotation module (620), a motor (622) can be connected to a gear (621) to provide power for the rotational motion, and the power supplied by the motor (622) can operate the gear (621) to bring about the rotational motion. A transmission for precise control can be arranged between the gear (621) and the motor (622). Here, the gear (621) of the rotation module is positioned on the bottom surface of the transmission unit (500) and can be installed in a form surrounding the output path (530).

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, the operation error of the drive unit (600) can be controlled by the signal of the optical sensor (130) of the light condensing unit (100). This ensures that the incident light on the incident surface of the light condensing unit is always direct sunlight, improving the solar light condensing efficiency.

[0077] In one embodiment of the present invention, the solar light condensing device can also include an inner frame unit.

[0078] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary structure of a solar concentrator device including an inner frame unit. Referring to FIG. 12, the inner frame unit (700) may include an upper frame (710) that supports the upper part of the device and a lower frame (720) that supports the lower part of the device.

[0079] In the present invention, the upper frame (710) may be connected to each end of the tilt central axis of the incident light reflector (110) and have a form that covers the lower surface of the incident light reflector (110), and the lower frame (720) may have a form that surrounds the members at the lower part of the device.

[0080] In one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the gear (621) of the rotation module may be formed on the lower surface of the lower frame (720).

[0081] In one embodiment of the present invention, the solar concentrator device may also include a protection frame unit for protecting the device from the external environment.

[0082] FIG. 14 illustrates the structure of the protection frame unit, and the protection frame unit (800) may include a spherical transparent case (810) that surrounds the upper part of the device and a support frame (820) that supports the transparent case (810) and surrounds the lower part of the device.

[0083] The transparent case (810) may be formed of a highly transparent material such as glass so as to protect the concentrator unit (100) without impairing the incidence of sunlight. In the present invention, since the tilting movement of the concentrator unit (100) requires a narrow surface area, the device can be reduced to a compact size even when the transparent case (810) is attached to the concentrator unit (100).

[0084] The role of the support frame (820) is to fix and support the entire device, and the components of the electronic device can be installed at the lower part of the device and positioned inside the support frame. Here, the support frame (820) can be designed to release heat from the inside to the outside to enable internal temperature control and air circulation.

[0085] In one embodiment of the present invention, the solar concentrator device may also include a cleaning unit rotatably attached to the outside of the transparent case (810) for cleaning the transparent case. The cleaning unit enables the device to clean the transparent case completely and automatically without an additional cleaning process, thereby maintaining a high solar incident efficiency.

[0086] FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective view of a structure in which the cleaning unit is attached to the transparent case of the protective frame unit. Referring to FIG. 15, the cleaning unit (900) may include a rotary cleaning means (910) that can rotate along the outer surface of the transparent case (810), and a hinge (920) formed on the rotation axis of the rotary cleaning means (910). Furthermore, it may also include a connection frame (930) that connects the hinge (920) of the cleaning unit to the support frame (820).

[0087] In the present invention, the rotary cleaning means (910) may include one or more of a brush and an elastic wiper. In one embodiment, the rotary cleaning means (910) may have a structure in which a brush is positioned at the center and elastic wipers are provided on both sides of the brush. Therefore, the rotary cleaning means (910) can rotate in close contact along the outer peripheral surface of the transparent case (810) to perform complete cleaning, and can also minimize physical damage to the transparent case (810).

[0088] In the present invention, the cleaning unit (900) may include a cleaning module that enables the rotary cleaning means (910) to rotate along the transparent case (810). Additionally, in order to improve the cleaning efficiency, an auxiliary cleaning module enabling automatic rotation of the rotary cleaning means (910) may also be included.

[0089] FIG. 16 illustrates a structure in which the cleaning module and the auxiliary cleaning module are installed at the hinge of the cleaning unit.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 16, the hinge (920) of the cleaning unit may include a hinge center frame (921), a rotary cleaning means (910), and a hinge rotation frame (922) connecting the cleaning unit hinge (920), and a gear unit (923) positioned inside the hinge rotation frame (922). The gear unit may include an 8-tooth spur gear at the lower part of the hinge rotation frame (922), and a 24-tooth bevel gear positioned on and connected to the 8-tooth spur gear to operate. A cleaning module gear (924) connected to and operating with the 24-tooth bevel gear, and an auxiliary cleaning module gear (925) connected to and operating with the 24-tooth bevel gear may be positioned on the 24-tooth bevel gear.

[0091] In the structure, the cleaning module gear (924) may be connected to a motor through a wire cable, and the auxiliary cleaning module gear (925) may be connected to the rotary cleaning means (910) through a wire cable. Here, in order to enable rotation of the wire cable connected to the rotary cleaning means (910), a hole may be formed in the frame covering the upper part of the hinge.

[0092] FIG. 17 illustrates (a) a front perspective view and (b) a rear perspective view of a solar concentrator device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 17, a solar concentrator device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a concentrator unit, an inclination unit, a parallel light reflection unit, a sliding frame unit, a transmission unit, a drive unit, an inner frame unit, a protection frame unit, and a cleaning unit. The solar concentrator device according to the present invention enables high-efficiency concentration, and since the surface area required for the tilting movement of the concentrator unit is extremely narrow, it enables the weight reduction and miniaturization of the device, and the required manufacturing and maintenance costs are low, making it economically advantageous. In addition, in the present invention, by installing a protection frame unit that protects the entire device, the size of the device is not significantly changed, and a high concentration efficiency can be maintained by installing a rotatable cleaning unit for automatic cleaning in the transparent case. In addition, this device is very convenient to operate because it does not require an additional cleaning process or the operator to go onto the roof.

[0094] Although specific portions of the content of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such detailed descriptions are merely preferred embodiments and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the true scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A solar concentrator device, comprising: a concentrator unit that collects sunlight, converts it into parallel light, and delivers the parallel light to a parallel light reflector unit; An inclination unit including two arm structures connected to each other through a hinge and configured to adjust the angle of the concentrator unit; A parallel light reflector unit connected to the inclination unit through a hinge and configured to reflect the parallel light delivered by the concentrator unit to a transmission unit; A sliding frame unit to which the inclination unit is slidably attached; A transmission unit having one end fixed to the sliding frame unit and configured to transmit the parallel light reflected by the parallel light reflector unit to the outside so as to output sunlight; An inclination adjustment unit that connects the inclination unit and the parallel light reflector unit and enables the angle of the parallel light reflector unit to remain the same as the angle at which the parallel light is delivered to the transmission unit according to the sliding of the inclination unit; The inclination unit includes a first arm structure slidably attached to the concentrator unit behind the concentrator unit and a second arm structure slidably attached to the sliding frame unit; The angle of the concentrator unit is adjusted by the sliding according to the sliding frame unit of the inclination unit; The parallel light reflector unit is Connected to the inclination unit through a hinge structure, and includes a parallel light reflector that reflects parallel light onto the transmission unit, two extension rods extending parallel from one end of the parallel light reflector, and a sliding rod slidably attached along the two extension rods; The inclination adjustment unit is A solar concentrator device that connects at least one of the inclination unit or the concentrator unit to the sliding rod through a hinge structure, thereby ensuring that the angle of the parallel light reflector unit remains the same as the angle at which the parallel light is delivered to the transmission unit.

2. The concentrator unit is An incident light reflector having a through hole formed at the center and including a first parabolic mirror for concentrating sunlight; A condensing reflector including a second parabolic mirror positioned to face the mirror of the incident light reflector and reflecting the light condensed by the incident light reflector toward the through hole so as to deliver the parallel light to the parallel light reflection unit, the solar light condensing device according to claim 1.

3. wherein the condensing unit Also, reflector connection means for connecting the incident light reflector and the condenser reflector, An inclination unit connection means formed behind the incident light reflector and to which the first arm structure is slidably attached, the solar light condensing device according to claim 2.

4. The solar light condensing device according to claim 1, wherein the condensing unit also includes an optical sensor for detecting sunlight.

5. wherein the transmission unit The solar light condensing device according to claim 1, including one or more reflectors for transmitting the light reflected by the parallel light reflection unit in the output direction.

6. The solar light condensing device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a drive unit for tilting movement in response to a change in the altitude of the sun and for rotational movement in response to a change in the position of the sun.

7. The solar light condensing device according to claim 1, wherein the device also includes a protective frame unit including a transparent case surrounding the upper part of the device, and a support frame supporting the transparent case and surrounding the lower part of the device.

8. The solar light condensing device according to claim 7, wherein the device is rotatably attached outside the transparent case and also includes a cleaning unit for cleaning the transparent case.

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