Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8186341 | Thin wall header with a variable cross-section for solar absorption panels The invention relates to a thin wall header with a variable cross-section for solar absorption panels, manufactured in nickel-based superalloy and formed by a main thin wall body (18) and by a plurality of nozzles (16,21). The header (10)... | 05/29/2012 |
| 7766007 | Solar energy collector A solar collecting apparatus for collecting solar energy in a heat transfer fluid includes an upper header member, a lower header member, and a plurality of collector tubes, each collector tube connected at an upper end thereof to the upper header member and connect... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7434577 | Solar air heater This invention provides novel devices and methods for the heating of air with solar radiant energy. The devices of the present invention feature a housing partitioned into essentially isolated sections wherein the sections are in fluid communication with each other ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7137413 | Arrangement to increase the thermal fatigue resistance of glass tubes flowed through by fluid and pressure-loaded An arrangement to increase the thermal fatigue resistance of glass tubes having fluid flowing therethrough and being pressure-loaded. This arrangement comprises a glass tube, into which an interior component is inserted. The interior component can be designed as thi... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7107984 | Collector module A collector module (1) is described with a collector manifold (20) having two chambers. This collector module (1) has at least one collector tube (2), which has an absorber tube (4) and a tubular jacket (3). A connector (... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7024857 | Solar receiver with a plurality of working fluid inlets A solar receiver (2) comprises a housing (4) defining a receiver chamber (12) and an aperture (14); a window (16) mounted in the aperture (14); at least two inlet means (17) axially spaced from the window (16) ... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7013609 | Modular radiant heat panel system The invention is directed to modular radiant heat panel system. In the preferred embodiment, the system comprises multiple radiant heat transfer panels (16), each of the panels having a thermal mass (18) and a conduit channel (20); a fluid condu... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7011086 | Bottom supported solar receiver panel apparatus and method A bottom supported solar receiver tube/header assembly having a bottom clip for supporting the entire load of a plurality of tubes carrying a heat absorbing fluid. The tubes are allowed to expand vertically upwardly under thermal flux conditions created when the flu... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6722358 | Integral collector storage system with heat exchange apparatus The present invention relates to an integral solar energy collector storage systems. Generally, an integral collector storage system includes a tank system, a plurality of heat exchange tubes with at least some of the heat exchange tubes arranged within the tank sys... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6630622 | Combined solar electric power and liquid heat transfer collector panel An apparatus for converting solar energy to thermal and electrical energy including a photovoltaic grid for converting the concentrated solar energy into electrical energy mounted on a copper plate that provides even temperature dispersion across the plat... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6604521 | Solar collector pipe An improved solar collector pipe that directly conveys fluid to be heated and collects and transfers solar energy efficiently and directly to the internal fluid, thereby maximizing both the amount of energy transmitted to the internal fluid and the peak t... | 08/12/2003 |
| 6526965 | Solar energy collection panel for heating pools of water A radiant energy collection unit that can be used in a solar panel heating system is described. The energy collection unit comprises an absorbing panel secured to a base panel and forming a channel there between. The channel is in fluid communication with... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6372978 | Wind/sun solar collection system (HS2) The present invention is a self-contained, solar powered heating and cooling system for a building. The collector has an insulated heating chamber, and a light transmissive cover and a thermostatically controlled vent. The chamber contains absorptive colu... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6354289 | Ambient heat collection panels A building (1) has a roof structure (2) clad with a plurality of ambient heat collection tiles in the form of panels (3), mounted on parallel battens (4) carried by roof rafters (10), and disposed in edge-overlapping relationship. The panels (3) are of id... | 03/12/2002 |
| 6105570 | Solar power heating system A solar power heating system includes a plurality of concentrating solar collectors each comprising a frame having two side walls and a reflecting layer attached to the inside thereof. Each of the side walls has two engaging members so as to conveniently ... | 08/22/2000 |
| 6080927 | Solar concentrator for heat and electricity A solar concentrator for producing usable power as heat and/or electricity uses a self-steering heliostat 1502 to concentrate solar radiation 1509 onto an absorbing surface such as, or including, a solar cell array 1511 capable of absorbing power from the... | 06/27/2000 |
| 5862800 | Molten nitrate salt solar central receiver of low cycle fatigue 625 alloy This invention provides a molten salt, solar central smooth tube receiver that is able to effectively absorb a peak solar flux of 1.42 MW/M2 by constructing the receiver from low cycle fatigue 625 alloy. Although higher flux levels are attainab... | 01/26/1999 |
| 5531215 | Device for absorbing radiant heat energy A device for absorbing heat energy, in particular a solar panel, includes a housing in the form of a frame-shaped rack. The housing has a cover which allows the radiant energy to enter. Several collector tubes are disposed below the cover and between a di... | 07/02/1996 |
| 5460164 | Solar heat collector roofs A solar heat collector roof comprises an absorber plate (1) for incident radiation energy and a heat exchange plate (2) placed directly thereunder. The heat exchange plate is corrugated in such a manner that it comprises channels extending down along the ... | 10/24/1995 |
| 5415155 | Modular element with multiple conduits This modular element has several conduits disposed side by side, each pair of adjacent conduits being interconnected to form a rigid or flexible unit, each conduit has a male end and an opposite female end, the latter for joining with the male end of an a... | 05/16/1995 |
| 5413091 | Solar collector with freeze damage protection A flat plate solar collector (10) of the header/riser type housed in a glazed collector enclosure (14) and having liquid conduits comprising risers (24) intercommunicating with headers (22, 26) at both ends of the risers. The risers are tapered and the he... | 05/09/1995 |
| 5373838 | Solar heater assembly A solar heater includes one or more conduits coupled between a pair of pipes, one or more extensions are formed on each of the pipes, each of the conduits has two ends rotatably engaged in the extensions of the pipes, and a heat collecting mechanism is fi... | 12/20/1994 |
| 5191875 | High efficiency solar boiler A solar boiler of improved energy efficiency that includes a solar panel for receiving solar energy and converting a liquid to steam and a highly accurate tracking system to maintain the panel substantially perpendicular to the sun. The panel includes a p... | 03/09/1993 |
| 5167218 | Solar collector having absorber plate formed by spraying molten metal A solar energy collector whereby an absorber plate thereof is formed by providing a thin metallic foil for supporting sprayed molten metal, arranging fluid carrying tubes on the foil, and spraying molten metal using a source of pressurized inert gas onto ... | 12/01/1992 |
| 5151520 | Cationic dye-triarylmonoalkylorate anion complexes A cationic dye-borate anion compound represented by the formula: ##STR1## where D+ is a cationic dye moiety selected from the group consisting of cationic cyanine, carbocyanine, hemicyanine, rhodamine, and azamethine dyes; R1 is alkyl; and... | 09/29/1992 |
| 4955435 | Heat exchanger fabricated from polymer compositions A panel heat exchanger is disclosed. The heat exchanger comprises a generally planar panel having a pair of relatively thin unitary outer walls formed from a composition of a thermoplastic polymer, expecially a polyamide. The walls, which have a thickness... | 09/11/1990 |
| 4934324 | Apparatus and method for extracting focused solar radiant energy There is provided solar heat collecting apparatus which comprises a solar collector panel rotatably supported about a horizontal and a vertical axis and drive means for rotating the panel simultaneously about the two axes. The collector panel comprises a ... | 06/19/1990 |
| 4905665 | Device for converting solar energy into process heat A device for converting solar energy into process heat has a number of heat xchanging pipes traversing a heat exchanger chamber. A first partial stream of gas to be heated is delivered to inlets of the pipes via an upper distribution chamber, and the first... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4869234 | Passive solar heater The disclosed passive solar heater system defines a three dimensional tube array for conveying liquid between an inlet and an outlet, including a serial flow path through a heating stage, and possibly also a preheating stage. The heating stage has adjacen... | 09/26/1989 |
| 4867133 | Solar collector method and apparatus A coupling arrangement between a manifold having nipples and a solar panel having nipple receiving orifices. Each nipple is formed with a plurality of primary circumferential projections adjacent to the free forward end and a supplemental circumferential ... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4858594 | Solar heating panel with curvilinear passageway A solar heating panel having a curvilinear flow passageway through which a fluid flows to be heated by solar energy, comprising a top sheet having a plurality of upwardly protruding convex upper-portions shaped to reflect a portion of incident energy from... | 08/22/1989 |
| 4823772 | Apparatus and method for extracting focused solar radiant energy There is provided solar heat collecting apparatus which comprises a solar collector panel rotatably supported about a horizontal and a vertical axis and drive means for rotating the panel simultaneously about the two axes. The collector panel comprises a ... | 04/25/1989 |
| 4738247 | Roof installations Roof installations consisting of an array of interfitting members e.g. tiles, strips (3), slats or the like which interfit to form a roof covering and a set of heat pipes (7) which run parallel to the plane of the roof (6,1). Heat is abstracted from the h... | 04/19/1988 |
| 4712338 | Solar-energy-collecting structural unit and solar roof A solar-energy-collector and solar roof. The collector comprises a panel of solar-energy-absorbing material adapted to lie flat on a roof or other supporting surface. The panel has on its undersurface a plurality of projections serving as feet which suppo... | 12/15/1987 |
| 4653470 | Support structure for solar receiver panel tubes A support structure for multiple adjacent parallel vertical tubes of a solar flux receiver panel, so as to provide for universal independent thermal expansion and contraction of the tubes. Each adjacent tube is attached by a lug located at an intermediate... | 03/31/1987 |
| 4606327 | Solar water heating apparatus A clip is provided with first and second members to engage with opposing ends of a tile. The members are connected so as to be able to move relatively toward and away from each other so that detachable securement to the tile is possible. A constraint is p... | 08/19/1986 |
| 4602614 | Hybrid solar/combustion powered receiver An improved hybrid solar/combustion powered receiver, for use e.g. with a hot gas engine, the receiver being of the type having a housing and an aperture for admitting solar radiation to the cavity defined by the housing. The improved receiver includes a ... | 07/29/1986 |
| 4562884 | Heat-exchanger arrangement An arrangement for exchanging heat between the environment and a heat-transfer fluid, especially a solar heat absorber, includes a plurality of heat exchange elements which are provided with external fins and have internal flow-through passages for the fl... | 01/07/1986 |
| 4557253 | Solar collector employing conventional siding, and air distribution system therefor An efficient solar collector that uses a collector panel formed of strips similar to conventional aluminum siding includes air distribution channels along opposite edges of the collector panel. These air distribution channels are formed of enlarged collec... | 12/10/1985 |
| 4534336 | Solar collectors A solar collector adapted to heat a heat-carrying fluid is provided. The collector includes a heat absorbing wall formed by a plurality of panels which are integrally made of a conducting material. Adjacent panels slope with respect to each other in a saw... | 08/13/1985 |
