Cover element for greenhouses or the like

• US 20100005712A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Giacomo Roccaforte
• Original Assignee: Giacomo Roccaforte
• Inventors: Roccaforte, Giacomo
• Granted Patent: US 8,061,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 47/17
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/1438 Covering materials therefor; Materials for protective coverings used for soil and plants, e.g. films, canopies, tunnels or cloches
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/22 Shades or blinds for greenhouses, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/31 having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0543 comprising light concentrating means of the refractive type, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/25 Greenhouse technology, e.g. cooling systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/12 using renewable energies, e.g. solar water pumping

Abstract

A cover element for greenhouses or the like is formed as a panel-like element that includes a first substantially transparent layer having alternate strips with optical means for deviating and concentrating light that are alternated with optically neutral strips, and a second partially opaque layer having optically neutral and substantially transparent strips that are alternated with opaque strips and that include a photovoltaic element.

Claims

1. A cover element for greenhouses or the like comprising:

a panel-like element comprising;

a first substantially transparent layer comprising,

first-strips that have optical means for deviating and concentrating light, and

second strips that are optically neutral strips and that are alternated with the first strips, and

a second partially opaque layer comprising,

third strips that are optically neutral and substantially transparent, and

fourth strips that are opaque strips and that are alternated with the third strips, the fourth strips comprising photovoltaic elements,

wherein said first and said second layer overlap one over the other such that the fourth strips are disposed under the second strips,

wherein the distance between the first and the second layers, the widths of the first and the third strips, and of the second and the fourth strips, are dimensioned such that an amount of solar light transmitted through the first and the second layers and the amount of the solar light falling on the fourth strips is modified as a function of an angle of incidence of the solar light and such that, when the sun is at a highest position above the horizon, a predetermined amount of light passes through the first and the second layers while a remaining amount of light is deviated by said optical means on said photovoltaic elements, and when the sun is at a lowest position above the horizon, a predetermined amount of light passes through the panel while a remaining amount of light is deviated by first strips, and

wherein the remaining amount of light when the sun is at the highest position is larger than the remaining amount of light when the sun is at the lowest position.

2. The cover element according to claim 1, wherein said optical means comprises a condenser lens arranged on said first layer at a predetermined distance from said second layer.

3. The cover element according to claim 2, wherein said condenser lens is planoconvex or bi-convex, or is a Fresnel lens.

4. The cover element according to claim 2, wherein a curvature of the condenser lens is shaped to deviate and concentrate light on the fourth strips when the sun is at the highest position above the horizon, and to progressively deviate and concentrate light on the third strips as the sun moves to the lowest position above the horizon.

5. The cover element according to claim 2, wherein the condenser lens is provided as an edge sector of a cylindrical lens.

6. The cover element according to claim 2, wherein the third and fourth strips are arranged one alternated to the other.

7. The cover element according to claim 2, wherein the condenser lens is integral in a substantially rigid layer that provides the first layer, said first layer being placed at a predetermined distance from and in a direction parallel to said second layer and having the same size thereof.

8. The cover element according to claim 1, wherein said third strips comprise a rigid material that is alternated with the photovoltaic elements, and wherein said second strips comprise a rigid material.

9. The cover element according to claim 1, wherein the cover element is placed at a predetermined inclination relative to the ground, wherein each first strip is overlapped over one of the third strips, each first strip having a width smaller than a width of the respective third strip, and wherein each first strip has an edge that is approximately longitudinally coincident with an edge of the respective third strip and of an adjacent fourth strip.

10. The cover element according to claim 9, wherein the width of the first strip is approximately one half of the width of the respective third strip.

11. The cover element according to claim 1, wherein said first layer is fastened on mobile supports and comprises moving means for translating said first layer longitudinal, laterally or transversal in relation to said second layer.

12. The cover element according to claim 11, wherein each of the first strips is displaceable in relation to the second layer independently from other first strips at least along one direction of displacement.

13. The cover element according to claim 11, wherein some or each of the first and second strips are displaceable relative to the third and fourth strips and relative to one another.

14. The cover element according to claim 13, wherein each of the third and fourth strips or at least a pair of one of the third strips and one of the fourth strips are displaceable relative to the first and second strips and relative to one another.

15. The cover element according to claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises an array of circular fourth strips comprising photovoltaic material, wherein each circular fourth strip is disposed at a distance from a neighboring circular fourth strip, wherein the third strips are a plurality of annular transparent areas each surrounding a fourth strip, and wherein the first layer is overlapped to the second layer and comprises the first strips each shaped to be superimposed to a set comprising a circular fourth strip and an annular third strip.

16. The cover element according to claim 15, wherein the first strips are in the form of circular lenses each superimposed to a set comprising an annular third strip and circular fourth strip.

17. The cover element according to claim 15, wherein the first strips are in the form of annular lenses, each of which is superimposed to the annular transparent area of one of the sets comprising a circular fourth strip and an annular third strip.

18. The cover element according to claim 8, wherein the third strips comprise glass that is alternated with the fourth strips, and wherein the first layer comprises a transparent plastic material.