Sunshield device

• US 4,742,813 A
• Filed: 04/29/1986
• Issued: 05/10/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Riehl, Horst, Klingler, Martin, Bartenbach, Christian, Nebhuth, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Application Number:
  US06/857,730
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 126/425, 126/419, 126/DIG. 1, 250/203 R, 353/3, 350/443
• US Class Current: 126/577
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 10/08 of a plurality of similar rigid parts, e.g. slabs, lamellae E04F10/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/32 Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor operation of tilting bars E06B9/307
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/24 Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/00 Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings

Abstract

A signal generator equipped with a shading device and two light sensors is arranged on the upper side of a slat equipped with retro-reflective prisms and rotatable about a longitudinal axis. Depending upon the sun'"'"'s position relative to the slat, the light sensors are variously shaded or illuminated by means of the shading device, and when the slat is rotated about its longitudinal axis, the light sensors supply electrical code values which change in opposing directions. A difference between the code values is fed via an amplifier to a servo-motor which rotates the slat about its longitudinal axis until the plane of incidence of the sun'"'"'s rays, which passes through the longitudinal axis, is at right angles to the upper side of the slat. This ensures that sun'"'"'s rays which hit the slat are reflected regardless of the sun'"'"'s position, the time of year, and the alignment of the facade plane in which the slat is arranged.

Claims

1. A sunshield device for a window opening in a facade plane, comprising:

at least one slat formed of light-refractive material arranged in the window opening so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis;

the at least one slat having a flat upper side and on its underneath side is provided with prisms arranged one beside another without gaps;

the prisms extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and having the form of an isosceles triangle in a cross-sectional plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis;

a hypotenuse of the triangle being formed by the flat upper side and a catheti forming an inner angle with which a retro-reflection condition is fulfilled;

said at least one slat having on its upper side a signal generator with a shading means for two light sensors, a parameter of the light sensors having an electrical value which is dependent upon a size of an irradiated surface of the respective sensor and an intensity of the radiation;

the shading means being provided with a top panel spaced from the upper side of the slat and which defines opposite longitudinal edges and opposite transverse edges so that given projection of light from above the top panel onto the upper side, a rectangular shading zone is defined on said upper side;

the two light sensors being arranged adjacent to one another on the upper side in such manner that their center points are located on different parallels to the longitudinal axis;

partial surfaces of the sensor surfaces of the two light sensors adjacent one another being located in the shading zone; and

the slat being coupled to a servo-motor which is itself connected to an ouput of an amplifier controlled at its input end in dependence upon a difference between the electrical values of the parameters of the two light sensors.

2. A sunshield device according to claim 1 wherein the shading device comprises a partition wall which extends between the upper side of the slat and the top panel, and which passes between the two light sensors.

3. A sunshield device according to claim 2 wherein the partition wall extends at right angles to the upper side of the slat and to the top panel, and the shading device being designed to be symmetrical to the partition wall.

4. A sunshield device according to claim 3 wherein the partition wall extends in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slat and the center points of the light sensors are located at an equal distance from the partition wall on a transverse line which is at right angles to the longitudinal axis.

5. A sunshield device according to claim 4 wherein the top panel extends in the form of a curve between two transverse edges with which the shading device rests on the upper side of the slat.

6. A sunshield device for a window opening in a facade plane, comprising:

at least one slat formed of a light-refractive material arranged in the window opening so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis;

the at least one slat having a flat upper side and on its underneath side is provided with prisms arranged one beside another;

the prisms extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and having the form of a triangle;

said at least one slat having on its upper side a signal generator with a shading means for two light sensors, a parameter of the light sensors having an electrical value which is dependent upon a size of an irradiated surface of the respective sensor and an intensity of the radiation;

the shading means being provided with a top panel spaced from the upper side of the slat;

partial surfaces of the sensor surfaces of the two light sensors adjacent one another being located in the shading zone;

a partition wall between the upper side of the slat and the top panel, and aligned parallel to said longitudinal axis and between the light sensors; and

the slat being coupled to means for moving the slat dependent upon signals from the two light sensors.