POSTURE-ADJUSTABLE SOLAR-COLLECTING WINDOW BLIND

• US 20110265851A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Berezhnyy, Igor, Diederiks, Elmo Marcus Attila
• Granted Patent: US 8,678,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/245
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2476 Solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/63 in the form of windows
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 50/20 for tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/32 specially adapted for solar tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/20 Collapsible or foldable PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

The present invention proposes a posture-adjustable solar-collecting window blind, which can adjust the position of solar cells to better collect solar energy. In the window blind, a solar detector and an ampere meter are used to detect the relationship between the incident angle of sunlight and an optimal arrangement of the solar detector. The relationship can be further used to adjust the positions of the plurality of solar cells. Furthermore, the window blind comprises a light sensor to detect the light intensity of a target area, which can be complementarily used to adjust the position of the plurality of solar cells.

Claims

1. A window blind, comprising:

a solar detector, configured to collect solar energy;

an ampere meter, configured to measure the output current of the solar detector to find an optimal arrangement of the solar detector corresponding to the maximum output current or an expected output current;

a plurality of solar cells, each solar cell being configured to be mounted on a corresponding slat of the window blind to collect solar energy;

a motor, configured to adjust the tilt angle of the plurality of solar cells based on the optimal arrangement of the solar detector.

2. The window blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar detector is placed at a substantially central area of the region formed by the plurality of solar cells.

3. The window blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar detector is formed in the shape of a wheel and comprises a plurality of sub-solar-detectors, and the ampere meter is configured to measure the individual output current of each sub-solar-detector so as to find a specific sub-solar-detector generating the maximum output current.

4. The window blind as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a second motor, configured to adjust the tilt angle of the solar detector to find an optimal tilt angle of the solar detector corresponding to the maximum output current.

5. The window blind as claimed in claim 3 further comprising:

a memory, configured to record the relationship between the time and the optimal arrangement of the solar detector, the optimal arrangement of the solar detector representing the favorable tilt angle of the solar detector or the specific sub-solar-detector.

6. The window blind as claimed in claim 5, wherein the motor is further configured to adjust the tilt angle of the plurality of solar cells according to the current time and the relationship stored in the memory.

7. The window blind as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a light sensor, configured to measure the light intensity of a predefined area;

a second memory, configured to store a pre-defined profile between time and a desired light intensity of the predefined area;

wherein the motor is further configured to adjust the tilt angle of the plurality of solar cells based on the output of the light sensor and the pre-defined profile stored in the second memory.

8. The window blind as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

an energy storage, configured to store energy collected by the plurality of solar cells.

9. The window blind as claimed in claim 8, wherein the energy storage is further configured to provide energy to a lighting source to illuminate a predefined area.