Solar cooker

• US 4,281,644 A
• Filed: 06/12/1979
• Issued: 08/04/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Solar Bar-B-Que Corporation
• Original Assignee: Solar Bar-B-Que Corporation
• Inventors: Chiles, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Larry
• Application Number:
  US06/047,903
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 126/451, 126/450, 126/438, 126/439, 126/417, 126/901
• US Class Current: 126/682
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/30 Solar heat collectors for heating objects, e.g. solar cookers or solar furnaces
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/50 Rollable or foldable solar heat collector modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/18 using renewables, e.g. solar cooking stoves, furnaces or solar heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers

Abstract

A pair of open sided housing halves including corresponding closed and open sides as well as corresponding sets of peripheral sides extending about major portions of the closed sides and extending toward and bounding corresponding major portions of the open sides are provided. Pivot structure pivotally couples corresponding peripheral sides of the halves together for relative of swinging of halves between closed closely juxtaposed positions opening into each other and open positions opening in generally the same direction. The inner surfaces of the closed sides of the housing halves are contoured, other than a parabolic contour, to reflect sunlight, incident thereon from the aforementioned direction, in a concentrated manner into a zone centrally spaced, in the aforementioned direction, outwardly of the open sides of the housing halves and a pair of support arms are provided including base and free ends. The base ends and the housing halves, adjacent the pivot structure, include coacting recess and projection structure telescopingly engaged with each other for removable support of the base ends of the arms from the housing halves at opposite sides thereof spaced along a path closely paralleling the axis of relative swinging of the housing halves and with the free ends of the arms disposed at opposite ends of a second elongated zone substantially coinciding with the first mentioned zone.

Claims

1. A collapsible solar cooker including a pair of open sided housing halves including corresponding closed and open sides as well as corresponding sets of peripheral sides extending about major portions of said closed sides and extending toward and bounding corresponding major portions of said open side, pivot means pivotally coupling corresponding peripheral sides of said halves for relative swinging of said halves between closed closely juxtaposed positions opening into each other and open positions opening in generally the same direction, the inner surfaces of said closed sides being contoured to reflect sunlight incident thereon from said direction in a concentrated manner into a zone centrally spaced, in said direction, outwardly of said open sides, a pair of support arms having base ends and free ends, said base ends and said halves adjacent said pivot means including coacting recess and projection means telescopingly engaged with each other for removable support of said base ends from said halves at opposite sides of said cooker along a path closely paralleling the pivot axis of relative swinging of said halves and with said free ends of said arms projecting in said direction, said free ends being disposed in opposite ends of a zone substantially coinciding with the first mentioned zone, and an elongated spit removably supported from and extending between said free ends.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said housing halves are generally parallelepiped in plan shape, said peripheral sides of each of said halves comprising adjoining sides extending about three adjacent sides of the four sides, the peripheral sides of each of said halves including a base peripheral side and a pair of adjoining adjacent peripheral sides, said base peripheral sides being pivotally joined together by said pivot means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein each closed side curves and the pair of corresponding adjacent peripheral sides taper toward the fourth side of the corresponding half opposite the base side thereof.

4. The combination of claim 1 including removable reflective sheet means overlying the inner surfaces of said closed sides.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said closed sides are arcuate and substantially coextensive.

6. A collapsible solar cooker including a pair of open sided housing halves including corresponding closed and open sides as well as corresponding sets of peripheral sides extending about major portions of said closed sides and extending toward and bounding corresponding major portions of said open side, pivot means pivotally coupling corresponding peripheral sides of said halves for relative swinging of said halves between closed closely juxtaposed positions opening into each other and open positions opening in generally the same direction, the inner surfaces of said closed sides being contoured to reflect sunlight incident thereon from said direction in a concentrated manner into a zone centrally spaced, in said direction, outwardly of said open sides, a pair of support arms having one pair of base ends removably supported from said cooker and free ends disposed adjacent the opposite ends of said zone, and an elongated spit removably supported from and extending between said free ends.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said closed and peripheral sides fully close the interior of said cooker from the exterior thereof when said halves are in said closed juxtaposed positions.

8. The combination of claim 6 including an elongated open sided trough having closed ends, said closed ends being removably supported from opposite end portions of said spit with said trough extending along said spit and opening away from said base ends.

9. A collapsible solar cooker including a pair of open sided housing halves including corresponding closed and open sides as well as corresponding sets of peripheral sides extending about major portions of said closed sides and extending toward and bounding corresponding major portions of said open side, pivot means pivotally coupling corresponding peripheral sides of said halves for relative swinging of said halves between closed closely juxtaposed positions opening into each other and open positions opening in generally the same direction, the inner surfaces of said closed sides being contoured to reflect sunlight incident thereon from said direction in a concentrated manner into a zone centrally spaced, in said direction, outwardly of said open sides, said housing halves being generally parallelepiped in plan shape, said peripheral sides of each of said halves comprising adjoining sides extending about three adjacent sides of the four sides, the peripheral sides of each of said halves including a base peripheral side and a pair of adjoining adjacent peripheral sides, said base peripheral sides being pivotally joined together by said pivot means, a pair of support arms having base ends and free ends, said base ends and said halves adjacent said pivot means including coacting recess and projection means telescopingly engaged with each other for removable support of said base ends from said halves at opposite sides of said cooker along a path closely paralleling the pivot axis of relative swinging of said halves and with said free ends of said arms projecting in said direction, said free ends being disposed in opposite ends of a zone substantially coinciding with the first mentioned zone, said base sides each, at opposite ends thereof, defining outwardly opening sockets opening in said direction, corresponding sockets of said housing being closely spaced apart, said base ends of said support arms being forked and defining a pair of side-by-side tines removably telescoped in said sockets and latching said halves in the open positions against relative swinging toward the closed positions.