초록 ▼

The invention is an assembly of elements to collect solar energy and rain water. Solar energy is converted to electricity by either photovoltaic film or laminate panels or sheets mounted atop arcuate, curved canopy structures that are formed and positioned like “wings”. Rainwater is collected by the

The invention is an assembly of elements to collect solar energy and rain water. Solar energy is converted to electricity by either photovoltaic film or laminate panels or sheets mounted atop arcuate, curved canopy structures that are formed and positioned like “wings”. Rainwater is collected by the low-incidence arcuate curved wings and directed to a central trough along the wings' structural spine, which conducts it through a support column to a water container or vessel. In a preferred embodiment the vessel is an underground container extending parallel to and as long as the above-ground structural spine of the assembly.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A solar canopy assembly comprising: (a) at least a pair of dual-inclined wing members disposed in opposition, each wing member comprising a low-incidence, downwardly-curved, arcuate, wing member with a proximal end, a distal end, and a curvature spanning from the proximal end to the distal end, w

1. A solar canopy assembly comprising: (a) at least a pair of dual-inclined wing members disposed in opposition, each wing member comprising a low-incidence, downwardly-curved, arcuate, wing member with a proximal end, a distal end, and a curvature spanning from the proximal end to the distal end, wherein the proximal ends of the wing members are disposed in opposed relation to each other forming a structural spine, said curvature in said downwardly-curved wing members beginning at said distal ends and increasing in steepness near said proximal ends;(b) at least one support column for supporting said wing members, wherein the support column is end-mounted on a ground surface at a lower end of the support column and extending substantially vertically along a longitudinal axis of the support column to support at an upper end of the support column the weight of the dual-inclined wing members;(c) wherein each wing member has at least one canopy deck, wherein each canopy deck is formed and positioned with a proximal edge adjacent to the proximal end of the wing member, a distal edge adjacent to the distal end of the wing member, and a curvature from the proximal edge to the distal edge in conformity with the curvature of the low-incidence, downwardly curved wing member;(d) at least one trough formed to collect water and disposed between said proximal ends forming said structural spine and extending lengthwise from said first pair of wing arms to said second pair of wing arms;(e) photovoltaic material superposed on the canopy decks from adjacent to the proximal edge of each canopy deck to adjacent to the distal edge of each canopy deck in conformity with the curvature of each canopy deck whereby the photovoltaic material superposed on each canopy deck has a curvature corresponding to the curvatures of the canopy deck and the wing arms; and(f) wherein each wing member further comprises a pair of low-incidence, downwardly-curved, arcuate, wing arms, each wing arm with a proximal end, a distal end, and a curvature spanning from the proximal end to the distal end and further comprising a second support column end-mounted on a ground surface at a lower end of the second support column and extending substantially vertically along a longitudinal axis of the second support column to support at an upper end of the second support column the weight of the dual-inclined wing members wherein the proximal ends of the wing arms are formed as mating, flanged, half-cylinders, and wherein the wing arms have concave surfaces positioned around said upper end of said support columns. 2. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said canopy decks are composed of a corrugated structural sheet, a substrate layer superposed on said corrugated structural sheet and wherein the photovoltaic material is superposed on said substrate layer. 3. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 2 wherein the photovoltaic material comprises a photovoltaic film laminate superposed on and adhered to the top of said substrate layer. 4. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 2 wherein said dual-inclined wing members and said support columns are composed of high strength to weight ratio material. 5. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 4 wherein said high strength to weight material is selected from the group consisting of plastic, fiberglass, aluminum, aluminum alloy, fiber reinforced plastic, composite wood and carbon fiber. 6. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 4 wherein said support columns are composed of plastic, fiberglass, fiber reinforced plastic or carbon fiber. 7. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 2 wherein said support columns are hollow and said at least one trough has at least one hole disposed over at least one of the support columns to accept water flow into said support column. 8. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 2 wherein each support column is solid and said canopy assembly further includes a plurality of hollow tubes adjacent and attached to said support columns to accept water flow from said at least one trough, said at least one trough with a plurality of holes disposed over said hollow tubes. 9. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 7 further including water storage means disposed below ground level and connected to said lower end of said support column to receive water from the support column. 10. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 8 further including water storage means disposed below ground level and connected to said lower end of said hollow tubes to receive water from the hollow tubes. 11. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 9 wherein said water storage means and said support columns are mounted on an underground footing. 12. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 10 wherein said water storage means, said support columns and said hollow tubes are mounted on an underground footing. 13. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 11 wherein said water storage means is composed of concrete, fiberglass, or metal. 14. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 12 wherein said water storage means is composed of concrete, fiberglass, or metal. 15. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 3 further including an inverter to converts direct current from the photovoltaic material to alternating current for storage and/or distribution. 16. The solar canopy assembly according to claim 15 further including a vehicle charging outlet, said outlet being able to draw electric power from said inverter to charge electric vehicles or electric equipment. 17. A solar canopy assembly comprising: (a) at least two pairs of dual-inclined wing members comprising a first pair of low-incidence, downwardly curved, wing arms and a second pair of low-incidence, downwardly curved, wing arms, each of said first and second pairs of downwardly curved, wing arms having proximal ends, distal ends, and a curvature spanning from the proximal ends to the distal ends, said proximal ends in each pair being in opposed relation to each other, said curvature in said downwardly-curved wing arms beginning at said distal ends and increasing in steepness near said proximal ends, said wing arms increasing in thickness from the distal ends to the proximal ends of the wing arms, said dual-inclined wing members being arranged in spaced apart relation to each other the solar canopy assembly further comprising a first support column and a second support column, the second support column end-mounted on a ground surface at a lower end of the second support column and extending substantially vertically along a longitudinal axis of the second support column to support at an upper end of the second support column the weight of the dual inclined wing members, wherein said proximal ends of each of said first and second pairs of wing arms are formed as mating, flanged, half-cylinders, and wherein the first pair of wing arms have concave surfaces positioned around said upper end of said first support column and wherein the second pair of wing arms have concave surfaces positioned around said upper end of said second support column;(b) at least two hollow support columns for supporting said wing members, a first support column end-mounted on a ground surface at a lower end of the first support column and extending vertically along a substantially longitudinal axis to support at an upper end of the first support column the weight of said first pair of dual-inclined wing members and a second support column end-mounted on a ground surface and extending vertically along a substantially longitudinal axis to support at an upper end of the second column the weight of said second pair of dual-inclined wing members, said wing members being mounted on said columns at said upper ends;(c) at least one pair of canopy decks, said canopy decks being mounted to said pairs of dual-inclined wing members to span from one pair of wing members to another pair of wing members, and being formed and positioned with proximal edges adjacent to the proximal ends of the wing arms, distal edges adjacent to the distal ends of the wing arms, and with a curvature from the proximal edges to the distal edges in conformity with the curvature of said pairs of low-incidence, downwardly curved wing arms; wherein said at least one pair of canopy decks is composed of a corrugated structural sheet, a substrate layer superposed on said structural sheet; and(d) at least one trough formed to collect water and disposed between proximal edges of said canopy decks and extending lengthwise from said first pair of wing arms to said second pair of wing arms, said trough with at least one hole disposed over each support column to permit water flow into said support columns;(e) water storage means disposed below ground level and connected to said lower end of said support columns to receive water from the support columns;(f) photovoltaic material superposed on the canopy decks from adjacent to the proximal edge of each canopy deck to adjacent to the distal edge of each canopy deck in conformity with the curvature of each canopy deck whereby the photovoltaic material superposed on each canopy deck has a curvature corresponding to the curvatures of the canopy deck and the wing arms;(g) at least one inverter to convert direct current from said photovoltaic material to alternating current for storage and/or distribution; and(h) at least one vehicle charging outlet, said outlet being able to draw electric power from said inverter to charge electric vehicles or electric equipment. 18. A kit for constructing a solar canopy assembly comprising: (a) at least two pairs of dual-inclined wing members comprising a first pair of low-incidence, downwardly-curved, arcuate, wing arms and a second pair of low-incidence, downwardly-curved, arcuate, wing arms, each of said first and second pairs of downwardly curved, wing arms having proximal ends, distal ends, and a curvature spanning from the proximal ends to the distal ends, said proximal ends in each pair being in opposed relation to each other forming a structural spine, said curvature in said downwardly-curved wing arms beginning at said distal ends and increasing in steepness near said proximal ends, said wing arms increasing in thickness from the distal ends to the proximal ends of the wing arms, and said at least two pairs of dual-inclined wing members being arranged in spaced apart relation to each other;(b) at least two support columns for supporting said wing members, a first support column end-mounted on a ground surface at a lower end of the first support column and extending substantially vertically along a longitudinal axis of the first support column to support at an upper end of the first support column the first pair of dual-inclined wing members and a second support column end-mounted on a ground surface and extending vertically along a substantially longitudinal axis to support at an upper end of the second support column the second pair of dual-inclined wing members, said wing members being mounted on said columns at said upper ends;wherein the proximal ends of the wing arms are formed as mating, flanged, half-cylinders, and wherein the wing arms have concave surfaces positioned around said upper end of said support columns;(c) at least one pair of canopy decks, said canopy decks with proximal edges and being mounted to said pairs of dual-inclined wing members to span from one pair of wing members to another pair of wing members, and being formed and positioned with proximal edges adjacent to the proximal ends of the wing arms, distal edges adjacent to the distal ends of the wing arms, and with a curvature from the proximal edges to the distal edges in conformity with the curvature of said pairs of low-incidence, downwardly curved wing arms;(d) at least one trough formed to collect water and disposed between said proximal edges of the canopy decks and extending lengthwise from said first pair of wing arms to said second pair of wing arms; and(e) photovoltaic material superposed on the canopy decks from adjacent to the proximal edge of each canopy deck to adjacent to the distal edge of each canopy deck in conformity with the curvature of each canopy deck whereby the photovoltaic material superposed on each canopy deck has a curvature corresponding to the curvatures of the canopy deck and the wing arms.