Apparatus for reflecting light

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for reflecting incident light, in particular sunlight, comprising a plurality of reflector units arranged next to one another, in particular next to one another in two directions, each reflector unit comprising at least one reflector surface (4), wherein the reflector surfaces (4) of all of the reflector units are pivotable, wherein each reflector unit (2, 3, 4, 5) comprises a rod (3) and comprises a reflector surface (4) fastened at the upper free end of the rod (3) and a lower spherical hinge (5) at the lower end of the rod (3), with which hinge the rod (3) is connected in articulated fashion to a movable coupling element (6), which is common to all of the reflector units (2, 3, 4, 5), and comprises a spherical hinge (2) in an intermediate region between the upper end and the lower end of the rod (3), said hinge connecting, in articulated fashion, the rod (3) to a stationary base element (1) which is common to all of the reflector units (2, 3, 4, 5) and bearing each reflector unit (2, 3, 4, 5) movably about a dedicated stationary hinge center point thereof and wherein, owing to the movement of the coupling element (6) arranged beneath the base element (1), the reflector surfaces (4) of all of the reflector units (2, 3, 4, 5) are movable simultaneously in the same direction and to the same extent.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reflecting incident light, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of reflector assemblies arranged next to one another rows extending in two mutually perpendicular directions, each assembly having at least one reflector surface, the reflector surfaces of all of the reflector assemblies being pivotable, a respective rod having an upper free end carrying a respective one of the reflector surfaces and a lower end, and a respective lower spherical joint at the lower end of each of the rods; a movable coupling element pivotally connected to all of the lower ends and common to all of the reflector assemblies with center points of all the lower spherical joints in a common plane at the lower ends of the rods; a stationary base common to all of the reflector assemblies, below the upper ends, and above the lower ends; a respective middle spherical joint between the upper end and the lower end of each rod, each middle joint pivotally supporting the respective rod to the stationary base and carrying the reflector assembly movably about a respective dedicated stationary joint center point thereof with the joint center points of all the middle spherical joints in a common plane such that, on movement of the coupling element beneath the base, the reflector surfaces of all of the reflector assemblies move simultaneously in the same direction and to the same extent; a first motor connected to one of the middle joints of one of the rows extending in one of the directions and through the coupling element to all the lower joints for tipping all of the reflector surfaces about an axis parallel to the one direction; and a second motor connected to another of the middle joints of another of the rows extending in the other of the directions and and through the coupling element to all the lower joints for tipping all of the reflector surfaces about an axis parallel to the other direction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the connecting rods is connected to a mass element and the total mass including the mass element and connecting rod, has a center of gravity that lies in a common plane with centers of gravity of all the reflector assemblies.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the joint center points of the middle spherical joints are above the centers of gravity of the reflector assemblies.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one reflector assembly has a tilt sensor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each reflector surface is adjustable relative to the rod to which the reflector surface is attached in at least two degrees of freedom.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflector surfaces and/or reflector assemblies are arranged in a m×n matrix, where m and n are each an odd number and m=n.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drives are controlled to form a heliostat.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) One embodiment of the invention shall be described in greater detail using the following figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an inventive apparatus with, as an example, nine reflector assemblies in a 3×3 matrix arrangement although in principle, this may be any number of reflector assemblies and the number is thus not limiting for the further description; and

(3) FIG. 2 is on the left a top view of the apparatus and on the right a detail view showing movement of one of the reflector assemblies.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The apparatus here comprises a base 1 that is stationary in space, i.e. in the terrestrial reference system, and that may be a flat, especially horizontal, plate, for example made of metal (especially aluminum). Connected to this base 1 are a plurality of universal joints 2, in this case nine such joints whose center points all lie in the same plane.

(5) A rod 3 is movably supported in each joint center point of each joint 2 between the upper end and the lower end of the rod 3. The upper end carries a reflector surface 4 and is freely movable. Each reflector surface 4 is at least essentially perpendicular to the respective rod longitudinal axis.

(6) The lower end of each rod 3 is connected via a ball joint 5, again preferably a universal joint, to a common coupling element 6. The reflector assemblies—each formed by a respective reflector surface 4, rod 3, universal joint 2, and spherical joint 5—are thus all connected to one another via the lower rod ends and the coupling element 6 and move simultaneously when the coupling element 6 moves.

(7) The left side of FIG. 2 is a top view of the base 1. The nine universal joints 2 that movably connect the rod 3 to the base 1 are in the plane of the base 1.

(8) A universal joint 2a, 2b is provided in the center of two matrix edges in the matrix arrangement in order to move the coupling element 6 in two perpendicular directions.

(9) To this end, the outer pivot axes of the universal joints 2a, 2b are each driven with a motor 7, that is, the pivot axes that connect the outer gimbal of the universal joint to the center gimbal, the two universal joints 2a and 2b being attached to the base 1 perpendicular to one another with respect to their axes.

(10) By rotating the pivot axis 8 or the center gimbal of the universal joint 2a, 2b in question, this movement is transmitted via the rod 3 and the lower spherical joint 5 to the coupling element 6 and via the latter to all of the other rods 3.

(11) The orientation of the other universal joints is essentially unimportant, however in one apparatus they may especially all be oriented the same, except for one, which is part of one of two drives, so that two perpendicularly oriented driven universal joints result from this.