Static solar tracking mechanism

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS.
1 through 3 best illustrate the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 10.
In FIGS.
1 and 2 there can be seen a solar collector 10 comprising conical transparent lid 11, baffle 13 and a collector body 12 which forms a hollow, hemispherical body 12 having a wall 15 with an inner concave surface 14 which as will be described more fully hereinafter is lined with a matrix of collection modules 20.
An opening in baffle 13 defines focus F.
Each of the modules 20 as best seen in FIG.
3 provides a radial passageway 21 formed in the concave surface 14 and receptive of sunlight rays R along the line intersecting the focus or focal point defined by F in FIGS.
1 and 2.
A strip of thermally expandable material 24 (such as copper, steel or any other thermally expandable metal, for example) is provided in the passageway 21 with each passageway 21 intersecting the focal point.
The strip 24 is enlarged at the end portion 25 proximate opening 21.
A normally open switch 40 is positioned adjacent the innermost end 32 of the thermally expandable strip 24 for switching an electrical current responsive to expansion and contraction of the strip.
Switch 40 is activated between on and off positions respectively responsive to expansion and contraction respectively of the strip 24 which presses contacts 42, 43 together, each contact connected to terminals 44, 45 respectively.
Since passageways 21 are aligned to receive only solar rays R intersecting focal point F, only a single given module would be activated at a single time thus providing information from its associated switch with regard to solar placement.
Indirect rays I would hit non-reflective surfaces 50, 52 rather than strip 24 at 25 and thus not expand the strip.
The switch information could, for example, be interfaced with a computer 100 to give the position of the sun which could then be used to activate any type of motorized solar collection device motor 105 to move a collector so that the incidence of sun rays R falling on it would be at a perpendicular angle thus maximizing solar collection