Process for manufacture of fresnel lenses

• US 5,870,233 A
• Filed: 03/04/1997
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Evonik Rã¶Hm GmbH (Rag-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Roehm GmbH Chemische Fabrik
• Inventors: Berkenkopf, Martin, Fischer, Udo, Meier-Kaiser, Michael, Benz, Volker, Lorenz, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schwartz, Jordan M.
• Application Number:
  US08/811,537
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 359/742, 264/1.6, 264/1.7, 264/1.9, 264/173.16, 264/175, 264/284, 264/210.1, 264/210.2, 126/698
• US Class Current: 359/742
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00269 Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00288 made by a rotating cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2080/015 Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/31 having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers

Abstract

A process for the extrusion of plastic plates with very finely structured surface using an extrusion system which is equipped with an extruder and a three roll polishing stack containing a roller with the structuring surface. The system is designed for coextrusion and the plastic plates are produced via two extruders as a coextrudate CX from a highly viscous basic molding compound BF and a low viscosity molding compound NF which is extruded on BF. The surface of said plates is structured via the three roll polishing stack. Fresnel lenses produced by the process may be used in solar collectors.

Claims

1. A Fresnel lens manufactured by a process comprising the steps of:

extruding a highly viscous basic molding compound;

substantially simultaneously extruding a low viscosity molding compound on said highly viscous basic molding compound;

producing a coextrudate from the highly viscous basic molding compound and the low viscosity molding compound; and

embossing a Fresnel lens structure on a surface of said coextrudate formed by said molding compounds by introducing said coextrudate into a nip of a three roll polishing stack, whereby the surface of said Fresnel lens is structured via the three roll polishing stack.

2. A solar collector having a Fresnal lens as a light collecting element, said Fresnel lens being manufactured by a process comprising the steps of:

extruding a highly viscous basic molding compound;

substantially simultaneously extruding a low viscosity molding compound on said highly viscous basic molding compound;

producing a coextrudate from the highly viscous basic molding compound and the low viscosity molding compound; and

embossing a Fresnal lens structure on a surface of said coextrudate formed by said molding compounds by introducing said coextrudate into a nip of a three roll polishing stack, whereby the surface of said Fresnal lens is structured via the three roll polishing stack.