Solar operated louver apparatus

• US 3,177,367 A
• Filed: 09/04/1962
• Issued: 04/06/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lemual G. Brown
• Original Assignee: Lemual G. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Lemual G.
• Application Number:
  US04/221,289
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• US Class Current: 250/237.00R
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/71 responsive to temperature changes, rain, wind or noise

Claims

4. AN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE LIGHT LEVER BEHIND SETS OF PARALLEL, ELONGATED, VERTICALLY EXTENDING LOUVERS EACH MOUNTED ON A BUILDING FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE FACE OF THE BUILDING, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING:

(1) A MASTER POWER UNIT INCLUDING (A) A FIRST CONTROL MOTOR HAVING A DRIVE SHAFT;

(B) MEANS DRIVINGLY INTERCONNECTING SAID DRIVE SHAFT WITH ONE SET OF SAID LOUVERS FOR PIVOTING THE LOUVERS IN SAID ONE SET ABOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE VERTICAL AXES IN RESPONSE TO THE ROTATION OF SAID MOTOR;

(2) AN ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FOR DRIVING SAID FIRST CONTROL MOTOR IN RESPONSE TO THE LEVEL OF LIGHT RADIATION ON THE FACE OF SAID BUILDING, SAID ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT INCLUDING (A) LIGHT SENSITIVE CURRENT CONTROLLING MEANS MOUNTED ON ONE OF THE LOUVERS IN SAID ONE SET OF LOUVERS;

(B) A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY;

(C) CURRENT AMPLIFYING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID LIGHT SENSITIVE CURRENT CONTROLLING MEANS AND SAID MASTER POWER UNIT;

SAID CURRENT AMPLIFYING MEANS INCLUDING (I) A FIRST AMPLIFIER CONNECTED WITH SAID LIGHT SENSITIVE CURRENT CONTROLLING MEANS;

(II) A PAIR OF AMPLIFIERS CONNECTED IN PARALLEL WITH SAID FIRST AMPLIFIER;

(III) FIRST AND SECOND RELAYS CONNECTED WITH SAID PAIR OF AMPLIFIERS, RESPECTIVELY, AND WITH SAID FIRST CONTROL MOTOR, SAID SECOND RELAY PASSING A CURRENT TO SAID FIRST CONTROL MOTOR FOR STARTING SAID FIRST CONTROL MOTOR AND ROTATING THE LOUVERS IN SAID ONE SET OF LOUVERS TOWARD A LIGHT ADMITTING POSITION IN RESPONSE TO A LOW LEVEL IN RADIATION INTENSITY AT LIGHT SENSITIVE CURRENT CONTROLLING MEANS, AND BEING RESPONSIVE TO A HIGH LEVEL OF RADIATION INTENSITY FOR INTERRUPTING A CIRCUIT TO SAID MOTOR WHEN RADIATION INTENSITY ON SAID LIGHT SENSITIVE CURRENT CONTROLLING MEANS REACHES A PREDETERMINED VALUE, SAID FIRST RELAY BEING ENERGIZED BY A HIGH LEVEL OF RADIATION INTENSITY ON SAID LIGHT SENSITIVE CURRENT CONTROLLING MEANS AND PASSING A SIGNAL TO SAID MOTOR FOR STARTING SAID MOTOR AND ROTATING SAID LOUVERS IN SAID ONE SET OF LOUVERS TOWARD A CLOSED POSITION;

(3) AT LEAST ONE SLAVE POWER UNIT CONNECTED WITH SAID CURRENT AMPLIFYING MEANS, AND RESPONSIVE TO ELECTRICAL SIGNALS DEVELOPED BY SAID CURRENT AMPLIFYING MEANS WHEN ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RELAYS ARE ACTUATED, SAID SLAVE POWER UNIT INCLUDING AN ADDITIONAL CONTROL MOTOR DRIVING ANOTHER SET OF SAID LOUVERS IN OPENING AND CLOSING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNALS;

AND (4) MEANS FOR SYNCHRONIZING THE ROTATION OF SAID FIRST CONTROL MOTOR WITH THE ENERGIZATION OF THE CONTROL MOTORS IN THE RESPECTIVE SLAVE POWER UNIT WHEREBY SAID SETS OF LOUVERS CONTROLLED BY SAID CONTROL MOTORS SIMULTANEOUSLY DRIVE THEIR RESPECTIVE SETS OF LOUVERS TO A CLOSED POSITION AND ARE SYNCHRONIZED WHILE PIVOTING IN TWO QUADRANTS OF 90*.