Photovoltaic tracking racking connector, installation method, and photovoltaic tracking racking system

Abstract

The application provides a photovoltaic tracking support connector, a mounting method and a photovoltaic tracking support system, which are used for connecting adjacent first main beams and second main beams. The photovoltaic tracking support connector comprises a support assembly, which comprises a box body with a first accommodating cavity penetrating through; a shaft coupling, which is connected between the first main beams and the second main beams, and comprises a rotating inner ring and a rotating outer ring with a second accommodating cavity, wherein the rotating outer ring is located in the first accommodating cavity, and the rotating outer ring rotates with the second accommodating cavity as the rotation axis; and the rotating inner ring is located in the second accommodating cavity, and the outer surface of the rotating inner ring is provided with at least one boss, and the inner surface of the second accommodating cavity is provided with a groove corresponding to each boss, so that synchronous rotation between the first main beams and the second main beams can be realized, and the slope terrain can be adapted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application mainly relates to the field of connection mechanism technology, and in particular to a photovoltaic tracking bracket connector, installation method and photovoltaic tracking bracket system. Background Technology

[0002] As the installed capacity of photovoltaic power stations continues to increase, land resources with good light resources and flat terrain are becoming increasingly scarce. Land with complex terrain such as mountains and hills is becoming the main site for the construction of photovoltaic power stations. However, the current single-axis tracking system mainly uses rigid connections such as clamps, sleeves, and shrink tubes for the main axis connection. Its main axis can only be in a straight line, and it can only be used in some flat and relatively flat sites.

[0003] For undulating terrain, existing solutions mainly involve two aspects: one is to level or cut the site; the other is to increase the depth of the posts. However, both of these solutions will significantly reduce the overall economic performance of the project and increase the project development cycle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a photovoltaic tracking bracket connector, installation method and photovoltaic tracking bracket system, which can be applied to a single-axis tracking system, so as to transmit torque between two adjacent main beams in the single-axis tracking system and adapt to uneven terrain.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a photovoltaic tracking bracket connector for connecting adjacent first and second main beams. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector includes: a support assembly comprising a housing having a through first receiving cavity; and a coupling connecting the first and second main beams, the coupling including a rotating inner ring and a rotating outer ring having a second receiving cavity, wherein the rotating outer ring is located within the first receiving cavity and rotates about the through direction of the second receiving cavity as its rotation axis; the rotating inner ring is located within the second receiving cavity, and its outer surface is provided with at least one boss, while the inner surface of the second receiving cavity is provided with grooves corresponding to each boss to restrict the movement of the bosses within the corresponding grooves.

[0006] Optionally, the coupling is configured such that when the second main beam rotates about the extension direction of the main beam as the axis of rotation, the boss is adapted to abut against the groove, and the inner rotating ring connected to the second main beam is adapted to transmit the torque received through the sidewall of the groove abutting against the boss to the outer rotating ring connected to the first main beam, so that the first main beam and the second main beam rotate synchronously.

[0007] Optionally, the outer surface of the rotating outer ring is spherical, so that the rotating outer ring can rotate omnidirectionally around the first receiving cavity as the rotation center.

[0008] Optionally, the coupling includes a first limiting end fixedly located on the first side of the rotating outer ring. The first limiting end has a limiting opening that corresponds to the second receiving cavity in the through direction. The diameter of the limiting opening is smaller than the diameter of the rotating inner ring.

[0009] Optionally, the coupling also includes a second limiting end, fixedly located on the second side opposite to the first side of the rotating outer ring, the second limiting end being used to prevent the rotating inner ring from disengaging from the rotating outer ring from the second side.

[0010] Optionally, the first limiting end, the rotating outer ring, and the second limiting end each have at least one corresponding threaded hole, so as to be fastened together by bolts in the through direction.

[0011] Optionally, it also includes a connector, wherein the first limiting end and the second limiting end are respectively connected to the first main beam and the second main beam via the connector.

[0012] Optionally, the inner ring has a first keyway extending in the through direction; the coupling also includes a connecting rod, one end of which has a second keyway on its outer surface, and the connecting rod is adapted to pass through a limiting opening and engage with the first keyway.

[0013] Optionally, the diameter of the limiting opening is determined according to the angle between the first main beam and the second main beam.

[0014] Optionally, the housing includes an inverted U-shaped first sub-housing, a U-shaped second sub-housing, and a Y-shaped third sub-housing. The lower end of the first sub-housing, the upper end of the second sub-housing, and the upper end of the third sub-housing are fixedly connected together, and the lower end of the second sub-housing and the Y-shaped bifurcation area of ​​the third sub-housing are fixedly connected to form a first receiving cavity.

[0015] Optionally, the lower end of the second sub-box and the third sub-box are fixedly connected by rivets.

[0016] Optionally, the support assembly also includes a column, with the lower end of the third sub-box fixedly connected to the upper end of the column.

[0017] Optionally, the Y-shaped bifurcation area of ​​the third sub-box is provided with a Y-shaped convex hull extending along the bifurcation direction.

[0018] Optionally, the number of bosses is 4-6, and they are evenly distributed on the same large circle of the inner rotating ring.

[0019] Optionally, the cross-section of the boss is circular, and the surface where the boss contacts the bottom of the groove is spherical.

[0020] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a photovoltaic tracking bracket system, comprising: multiple main beams for fixing and supporting photovoltaic modules; and at least one of the aforementioned photovoltaic tracking bracket connectors, wherein at least two adjacent main beams serve as a first main beam and a second main beam, respectively, and are interconnected via the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector.

[0021] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a photovoltaic tracking bracket connector installation method, which involves installing the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector and adjacent first and second main beams according to the following steps: installing support components and couplings; and fixing the first and second main beams to the couplings respectively.

[0022] Optionally, the housing of the support assembly includes an inverted U-shaped first sub-housing, a U-shaped second sub-housing, and a Y-shaped third sub-housing. The support assembly also includes a column. The steps of installing the support assembly and the coupling include: setting the column; fixing the second and third sub-housings together to obtain a pre-installed assembly; placing the coupling on the pre-installed assembly and fixing the first sub-housing to the pre-installed assembly so that the coupling is located in the first receiving cavity; and fixing the lower end of the third sub-housing to the upper end of the column.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages: Adjacent main beams are connected by a coupling to achieve torque transmission between them, and the angles between the adjacent main beams and the horizontal plane are adjusted to adapt to the sloping terrain; the coupling includes an inner rotating ring and an outer rotating ring, and by setting evenly distributed bosses on the inner rotating ring, and the surface where the bosses contact the bottom of the groove of the outer rotating ring is a spherical surface, torque can be effectively transmitted between the inner and outer rotating rings, and good structural strength is achieved; the housing is divided into a first sub-box, a second sub-box, and a third sub-box, and the second and third sub-boxes are quickly installed using rivets. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this application; they are incorporated into and constitute a part of this application. The drawings illustrate embodiments of this application and, together with this specification, serve to explain the principles of this application. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the main beam and the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector in one embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector in one embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support component in one embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the rotating outer ring in one embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector and main beam in one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating inner ring in one embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present application in which the inner rotating ring is embedded in the outer rotating ring;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first limiting end in one embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second limiting end in one embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting rod and the base in one embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the installation process of the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector, the first main beam, and the second main beam in one embodiment of this application; and

[0036] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the first main beam and the second main beam under sloping terrain in one embodiment of this application.

[0037] Reference numerals: Photovoltaic tracking bracket connector 100, support assembly 11, column 111, housing 112, first sub-housing 1121, second sub-housing 1122, third sub-housing 1123, Y-shaped protrusion 11231, first receiving cavity 1124, coupling 12, outer rotating ring 121, second receiving cavity 1211, groove 1212, threaded hole of outer rotating ring 1213, inner rotating ring 122, boss 1221, first key Groove 1222, first limiting end 123, limiting opening 1231, first limiting end threaded hole 1232, second limiting end 124, second limiting end threaded hole 1241, first connecting hole 1242, connecting rod 125, second keyway 1251, base 126, second connecting hole 1261, connector 127, first connector 1271, second connector 1272, first main beam 200 and second main beam 300. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, these drawings can be applied to other similar scenarios without creative effort. Unless obvious from the context or otherwise specified, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same structures or operations.

[0039] As indicated in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may include plural forms. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of explicitly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0040] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0041] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0042] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0043] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, these terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. In addition, although the terminology used in this application is selected from commonly known and used terms, some terms mentioned in this application's specification may have been chosen by the applicant according to his or her judgment, and their detailed meanings are explained in the relevant sections of this description. Moreover, this application should be understood not only through the actual terms used, but also through the meaning implied by each term.

[0044] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as "on another component," "connected to another component," "coupled to another component," or "in contact with another component," it can be directly on, connected to, coupled to, or in contact with that other component, or there may be an intervening component. In contrast, when a component is referred to as "directly on another component," "directly connected to," "directly coupled to," or "directly in contact with" another component, there is no intervening component. Similarly, when a first component is referred to as "electrically contacting" or "electrically coupled to" a second component, there is an electrical path between the first and second components that allows current to flow. This electrical path may include capacitors, coupled inductors, and / or other components that allow current to flow, even if there is no direct contact between the conductive components.

[0045] This application discloses a photovoltaic (PV) tracking bracket system, which includes multiple main beams and at least one PV tracking bracket connector. The main beams are used to fix and support the PV modules. (Refer to...) Figure 1Two adjacent main beams serve as the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300, respectively, and are interconnected via a photovoltaic tracking bracket connector 100, meaning the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector 100 connects the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300. It should be noted that, although... Figure 1 Only two main beams and one photovoltaic tracking bracket connector 100 are shown, but a photovoltaic tracking bracket system can contain more than two main beams and a corresponding number of photovoltaic tracking bracket connectors 100. Furthermore, the photovoltaic tracking bracket system can be a single-axis tracking system or a multi-axis tracking system composed of multiple single-axis tracking systems. In a single-axis tracking system, each main beam is connected sequentially via a photovoltaic tracking bracket connector 100, and one main beam is driven to rotate by a single driver, while the remaining main beams rotate synchronously via the photovoltaic tracking bracket connectors 100. In a multi-axis tracking system, the individual single-axis tracking systems do not affect each other, and the drivers of each single-axis tracking system are controlled by a corresponding TCU (Tracker Control Unit), while a NCU (Network Control Unit) of the multi-axis tracking system controls all TCUs corresponding to that multi-axis tracking system. See below for reference. Figure 2-10 The structure of the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector 100 is described in detail.

[0046] First refer to Figure 2 The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector 100 includes a support assembly 11 and a coupling 12. The support assembly 11 includes a column 111 and a housing 112 having a through-hole first receiving cavity. Further reference... Figure 3 The housing 112 includes an inverted U-shaped first sub-housing 1121, a U-shaped second sub-housing 1122, and a Y-shaped third sub-housing 1123. The lower end of the first sub-housing 1121, the upper end of the second sub-housing 1122, and the upper end of the third sub-housing 1123 are fixedly connected together, and the lower end of the second sub-housing 1122 and the Y-shaped bifurcation area of ​​the third sub-housing 1123 are fixedly connected to form a first receiving cavity 1124. The lower end of the third sub-housing 1123 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the column 111. Preferably, the Y-shaped bifurcation area of ​​the third sub-housing 1123 is provided with a Y-shaped protrusion 11231 extending along the bifurcation direction, so that the third sub-housing 1123 has higher support strength.

[0047] Continue to refer to Figure 2 The coupling 12 includes a rotating outer ring 121, a rotating inner ring 122, a first limiting end 123, a second limiting end 124, a connecting rod 125, a base 126, and a connecting member 127. See further reference. Figure 4 The outer ring 121 has a second receiving cavity 1211. See further reference. Figure 3 and Figure 5 The outer ring 121 is located within the first receiving cavity 1124, and rotates about the through direction a-a' of the second receiving cavity 1211 as its axis of rotation. Preferably, the outer surface of the outer ring 121 is spherical, allowing it to rotate omnidirectionally about the first receiving cavity 1124 as its center. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The second receiving cavity 1211 penetrates both sides of the rotating outer ring 121 (hereinafter referred to as scenario A). However, in some embodiments, the second receiving cavity 1211 does not need to penetrate both sides of the rotating outer ring 121, that is, only an opening needs to be provided on one side of the rotating outer ring 121 (hereinafter referred to as scenario B). The differences between the coupling 12 in these two different scenarios will be explained later.

[0048] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The inner rotating ring 122 is located within the second receiving cavity 1211 of the outer rotating ring 121. See further details. Figure 6 The outer surface of the inner rotating ring 122 is provided with at least one boss 1221, and the inner surface of the second receiving cavity 1211 is provided with grooves 1212 corresponding to each boss 1221 to restrict the movement of the boss 1221 within the corresponding groove 1212. Furthermore, the coupling 12 is configured such that when the second main beam 300 rotates about the extension direction of the main beam as the rotation axis, the boss 1221 is adapted to abut against the groove 1212, and the inner rotating ring 122 connected to the second main beam 300 is adapted to transmit the received torque through the sidewall of the groove 1212 abutting against the boss 1221 to the outer rotating ring 121 connected to the first main beam 200, so that the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300 rotate synchronously. It should be noted that during the aforementioned rotation process, the driver directly drives the second main beam 300 to rotate, or the torque is transmitted along the direction from the second main beam 300 to the first main beam 200 when the driver drives the rotation of each main beam in the single-axis tracking system. In other embodiments, the driver may also directly drive the first main beam 200 to rotate, or the torque may be transmitted along the direction from the first main beam 200 to the second main beam 300 when the driver drives the rotation of each main beam in the single-axis tracking system. In this case, the first main beam 200 rotates with its main beam extension direction as the rotation axis, and drives the second main beam 300 to rotate synchronously through the coupling 12. Furthermore, during the aforementioned rotation process, the first main beam 200 is connected to the outer rotating ring 121, and the second main beam 300 is connected to the inner rotating ring 122. However, in other embodiments, the first main beam 200 may be connected to the inner rotating ring 122, and the second main beam may be connected to the outer rotating ring 121. In this case, synchronous rotation of the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300 can also be achieved.

[0049] Continue to refer to Figure 6Preferably, the number of bosses 1221 on an inner rotating ring 122 is 4-6. The more bosses 1221 there are, the stronger the torque transmission effect; however, as the number increases, the slope adaptability worsens. Therefore, when the number of bosses 1221 is 4-6, the inner rotating ring 122 simultaneously considers slope adaptability and torque transmission effect. Preferably, all bosses 1221 on the inner rotating ring 122 are evenly distributed on the same large circle of the inner rotating ring 122, thereby balancing the force on the entire inner rotating ring 122 and the entire outer rotating ring 121 when transmitting torque, preventing uneven load distribution. It should be noted that the large circle is the intersection of the plane passing through the center of the inner rotating ring 122 and the outer surface of the inner rotating ring 122. For example, when the inner rotating ring 122 is a sphere, the large circle is the circle with the largest circumference on the outer spherical surface of the inner rotating ring 122. Preferably, the cross-section of the boss 1221 (… Figure 6 The surface indicated by the arrow 1221 is circular, and the surface where the boss 1221 contacts the bottom of the groove 1212 is spherical, thereby dispersing the stress on the boss 1221 when transmitting torque and improving the structural strength of the rotating inner ring 122.

[0050] The above embodiments have described the respective structural configurations of the inner rotating ring 122 and the outer rotating ring 121. The following will continue to refer to... Figure 7 The specific details of the interlocking structure between the inner rotating ring 122 and the outer rotating ring 121 are provided. Specifically, the inner rotating ring 122 has four bosses 1221 evenly distributed on the same large circle, and the outer rotating ring 121 has four grooves 1212 corresponding to the four bosses 1221. The cross-section of the bosses 1221 is circular, and the surface of the bosses 1221 that contacts the bottom of the grooves 1212 is spherical. The bottom of the grooves 1212 fits against this spherical surface, and the width of the grooves 1212 matches the diameter of the circle. That is, when the inner rotating ring 1222 is embedded in the outer rotating ring 121, each boss 1221 abuts against the bottom of the corresponding groove 1212 and the two sides adjacent to the bottom of the groove.

[0051] Continue to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 Since the inner rotating ring 122 and the outer rotating ring 121 are not fixedly connected, there is a risk that the inner rotating ring 122 may detach from the outer rotating ring 121 when subjected to bending moment or axial load during the operation of the coupling 12. Therefore, to prevent the inner rotating ring 122, which is embedded in the outer rotating ring 121 and located in the second receiving cavity 1211, from detaching from the outer rotating ring 121 during rotation, a corresponding limiting component needs to be provided for the outer rotating ring 121. Specifically, for scenario A, refer to... Figure 5 The coupling 12 includes a first limiting end 123 and a second limiting end 124. Further reference... Figure 8 The first limiting end 123 is fixedly located on the first side of the rotating outer ring 121. Figure 5The outer ring (right side of the rotating inner ring) has a first limiting end with a limiting opening 1231. The limiting opening 1231 corresponds to the second receiving cavity 1211 in the through direction a-a'. The diameter of the limiting opening 1231 is smaller than the diameter of the inner rotating ring 122. For example, refer to... Figure 7 , Figure 7 The inner ring 122 rotates in the direction of the extension of the first keyway 1222. Figure 7 Projection in the direction perpendicular to the paper plane Figure 7 On paper, the maximum distance between two points on the outer contour of the projection of the inner rotating ring 122 is the diameter of the inner rotating ring 122. Furthermore, referring to... Figure 8 , Figure 8 The example shown illustrates that the limiting opening 1231 is circular, and the diameter of this circle is the diameter of the limiting opening 1231. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the limiting opening 1231 can be other shapes (e.g., rectangular). In this case, if the first limiting end 123 is fixed to the outer rotating ring 121, and the shape of the limiting opening 1231 cannot allow the inner rotating ring 122 to disengage from the outer rotating ring 121, then it is equivalent to the diameter of the limiting opening 1231 being smaller than the diameter of the inner rotating ring 122. Continuing to refer to... Figure 9 The second limiting end 124 is fixedly located on the second side of the rotating outer ring 121 opposite to the first side. Figure 5 The second limiting end 124 (on the left side of the rotating outer ring) is used to prevent the rotating inner ring 122 from disengaging from the second side of the rotating outer ring 121. It should be noted that in scenario B, the second receiving cavity 1211 does not penetrate the rotating outer ring 121; in this scenario, the rotating outer ring 121 is equivalent to... Figure 5 In scenario A, the second limiting end 124 and the outer rotating ring 121 are integrally formed, so the coupling 12 only needs to include the first limiting end 123 to prevent the inner rotating ring 122 from detaching from the outer rotating ring 121. Furthermore, compared to scenario B, the outer rotating ring 121 in scenario A is easier to manufacture, and the separate design of the first limiting end 123, the second limiting end 124, and the outer rotating ring 121 can reduce installation difficulty and increase installation speed.

[0052] Preferred, refer to Figure 4 , Figure 8 and Figure 9The first limiting end 123, the rotating outer ring 121, and the second limiting end 124 each have at least one corresponding threaded hole. That is, the threaded hole 1232 of the first limiting end, the threaded hole 1213 of the rotating outer ring, and the threaded hole 1241 of the second limiting end are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, so as to be fastened together by bolts in the through direction a-a'. For example, by passing a long bolt through the corresponding threaded hole 1232 of the first limiting end, the threaded hole 1213 of the rotating outer ring, and the threaded hole 1241 of the second limiting end in sequence, the fastened connection of the first limiting end 123, the rotating outer ring 121, and the second limiting end 124 has better overall structural strength.

[0053] Preferred, refer to Figure 5 The surfaces of the first limiting end 123 and the second limiting end 124 that contact the inner rotating ring 122 are both spherical surfaces, and these two spherical surfaces are in contact with the second receiving cavity 1211 (see reference). Figure 4 The outer surface of the inner ring 122 is the same surface of the same sphere, so that the inner ring 122 has a larger range of rotation in the outer ring 121.

[0054] Continue to refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The interior of the rotating inner ring 122 has a through direction a-a' along the second receiving cavity 1211. Figure 7 The first keyway 1222 extends (perpendicular to the paper plane). Further refer to... Figure 8 and Figure 10 The outer surface of one end of the connecting rod 125 has a second keyway 1251, and the connecting rod 125 is adapted to pass through the limiting opening 1231 and cooperate with the first keyway 1222. Specifically, if the second keyway 1251 is used as an external spline and the first keyway 1222 is used as an internal spline, then the spline connection between the internal spline and the external spline is the cooperation between the connecting rod 125 and the first keyway 1222.

[0055] Preferred, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 8The diameter of the limiting opening 1231 is determined by the angle between the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300. Specifically, when the connecting rod 125 has a certain length and cooperates with the first keyway 1222, the angle of rotation of the inner ring 122 within the outer ring 121, i.e., the angle between the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300, can be considered as the angle between the extension direction of the connecting rod 125 and the penetration direction a-a'. Obviously, when the extension direction of the connecting rod 125 has the maximum angle with the penetration direction a-a', the connecting rod 125 contacts the limiting opening 1231. Therefore, the required angle between the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300 can be achieved by correspondingly increasing or decreasing the diameter of the limiting opening 1231. For example, the diameter of the limiting opening 1231 meets the requirement of arranging the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300 on terrain with a slope of 5° to 6°.

[0056] Continue to refer to Figure 10 The end of the connecting rod 125 furthest from the second keyway 1251 is connected to the base 126. See further details. Figure 5 The connector 127 includes a first connector 1271 and a second connector 1272. The two ends of the first connector 1271 are respectively fixedly connected to the first main beam 200 and the second limiting end 124. Further, for example, refer to... Figure 9 The first connecting member 1271 is provided with a connecting hole corresponding to the first connecting hole 1242 on the second limiting end 124, and then the first connecting member 1271 and the second limiting end 124 are connected by bolts. Similarly, the end of the first main beam 200 that is connected to the first connecting member 1271 is also provided with corresponding bolt holes, and then fixedly connected by bolts. The two ends of the second connecting member 1272 are fixedly connected to the second main beam 300 and the base 126, respectively. For example, further refer to Figure 10 The second connector 1272 is provided with a connecting hole corresponding to the second connecting hole 1261 on the base 126, and then the second connector 1272 and the base 126 are connected by bolts. Similarly, the end of the second connector 1272 that is connected to the second main beam 300 is also provided with corresponding bolt holes, and then fixedly connected by bolts.

[0057] The following describes the installation process of the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector 100, the first main beam 200, and the second main beam 300 in the photovoltaic tracking bracket system described in the above embodiments. Flowcharts are used in this application to illustrate the operations performed according to the installation process. It should be understood that the preceding or following operations are not necessarily performed precisely in sequence. Instead, various steps can be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. Furthermore, other operations may be added to these processes, or one or more steps may be removed from these processes. Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of the installation process of the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector, the first main beam, and the second main beam in one embodiment of this application. Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the first and second main beams under sloping terrain in one embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 11 and Figure 12 The installation process includes the following steps.

[0058] Step S1 involves installing the support assembly 11 and the coupling 12. Specifically, step S1 includes the following sub-steps: Step S11 involves setting up the column 111; Step S12 involves fixing the second sub-box 1122 and the third sub-box 1123 together to obtain a pre-installed assembly; Step S13 involves placing the coupling 12 on the pre-installed assembly and fixing the first sub-box 1121 to the pre-installed assembly, so that the coupling 12 is located within the first receiving cavity 1124; Step S14 involves fixing the lower end of the third sub-box 1123 to the upper end of the column 111. Preferably, in step S12, the lower end of the second sub-box 1122 and the third sub-box 1123 are fixedly connected by rivets, thereby achieving rapid installation and saving installation time. Step S2 involves fixing the first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300 to the coupling 12 respectively. Specifically, the first main beam 200 and the second limiting end 124 are connected by the first connector 1271, and the second main beam 300 and the base 126 are connected by the second connector 1272. It should be noted that during the above installation process, except for the lower end of the second sub-box 1122 and the third sub-box 1123 which are fixedly connected by rivets, the connection of the other components is achieved by bolts.

[0059] Reference Figure 12 After the column 111 is securely installed, the penetration direction b-b' of the first receiving cavity 1124 remains unchanged. After the first main beam 200 is connected to the coupling 12, the extension direction of the first main beam 200 is the same as the penetration direction a-a' of the second receiving cavity. After the second main beam 300 is connected to the coupling 12, the extension direction of the second main beam 300 is the same as the extension direction c-c' of the connecting rod 125. Further refer to... Figure 5 For terrain with a certain slope, by rotating the outer ring 121 within the first receiving cavity 1124, a certain angle is formed between the penetrating direction a-a' and the penetrating direction b-b', thus allowing the first main beam 200 to adapt to the sloping terrain. Similarly, by rotating the inner ring 122 within the outer ring 121, a certain angle is formed between the extending direction c-c' and the penetrating direction a-a', thus allowing the second main beam 300 to adapt to the sloping terrain. Therefore, the coupling 12 enables both the connected first main beam 200 and the second main beam 300 to adapt to the sloping terrain.

[0060] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above disclosure is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application, and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0061] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of the application. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different locations in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the application can be appropriately combined.

[0062] Some aspects of this application can be executed entirely by hardware, entirely by software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or by a combination of hardware and software. The aforementioned hardware or software may be referred to as a "data block," "module," "engine," "unit," "component," or "system." The processor may be one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DAPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, aspects of this application may manifest as computer products residing in one or more computer-readable media, including computer-readable program code. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, etc.), optical discs (e.g., compressed CDs, digital multifunction DVDs, etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives, etc.).

[0063] A computer-readable medium may contain a propagated data signal containing computer program code, for example, on baseband or as part of a carrier wave. This propagated signal may take various forms, including electromagnetic, optical, and so on, or suitable combinations thereof. A computer-readable medium can be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can be connected to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device to enable communication, propagation, or transmission of a program for use. The program code located on the computer-readable medium can be propagated through any suitable medium, including radio, cable, fiber optic cable, radio frequency signals, or similar media, or any combination of the above media.

[0064] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments, the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present application sometimes combines multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of the present application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments contain fewer features than all the features of the single embodiments disclosed above.

[0065] In some embodiments, numbers describing the quantity of components and attributes are used. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of embodiments are modified in some examples with the terms "approximately," "approximately," or "generally." Unless otherwise stated, "approximately," "approximately," or "generally" indicates that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may be changed depending on the characteristics required by individual embodiments. In some embodiments, numerical parameters should take into account specified significant digits and employ a general method of digit reservation. Although the numerical ranges and parameters used to confirm their breadth of scope in some embodiments of this application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, such values ​​are set as precisely as feasible.

[0066] Although this application has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate this application, and various equivalent changes or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, any changes or modifications to the above embodiments within the essential spirit of this application will fall within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic tracking bracket connector, characterized in that, The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector, used to connect adjacent first and second main beams, includes: Support assembly, including a housing having a through first receiving cavity; A coupling, connecting the first main beam and the second main beam, includes a rotating inner ring and a rotating outer ring having a second receiving cavity, wherein... The outer rotating ring is located inside the first receiving cavity, and the outer rotating ring rotates about the through direction of the second receiving cavity as the axis of rotation; The rotating inner ring is located in the second receiving cavity. The outer surface of the rotating inner ring is provided with at least one boss. The inner surface of the second receiving cavity is provided with grooves corresponding to each of the bosses to restrict the movement of the bosses in the corresponding grooves.

2. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coupling is configured such that when the second main beam rotates about the extension direction of the main beam as the axis of rotation, the boss is adapted to abut against the groove, and the inner rotating ring connected to the second main beam is adapted to transmit the torque received through the side wall of the groove abutting against the boss to the outer rotating ring connected to the first main beam, so that the first main beam and the second main beam rotate synchronously.

3. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the rotating outer ring is spherical, so that the rotating outer ring can rotate in all directions with the first receiving cavity as the rotation center.

4. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coupling includes a first limiting end fixedly located on the first side of the rotating outer ring. The first limiting end has a limiting opening, which corresponds to the second receiving cavity in the through direction. The diameter of the limiting opening is smaller than the diameter of the rotating inner ring.

5. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The coupling also includes a second limiting end, which is fixedly located on the second side of the outer rotating ring opposite to the first side. The second limiting end is used to prevent the inner rotating ring from disengaging from the outer rotating ring on the second side.

6. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first limiting end, the rotating outer ring, and the second limiting end each have at least one corresponding threaded hole, so as to be fastened together by bolts in the through direction.

7. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a connector, wherein the first limiting end and the second limiting end are respectively connected to the first main beam and the second main beam through the connector.

8. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The interior of the rotating inner ring has a first keyway extending along the through direction; The coupling also includes a connecting rod, one end of which has a second keyway on its outer surface. The connecting rod is adapted to pass through the limiting opening and cooperate with the first keyway.

9. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in any one of claims 4-8, characterized in that, The diameter of the limiting opening is determined according to the angle between the first main beam and the second main beam.

10. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes an inverted U-shaped first sub-housing, a U-shaped second sub-housing, and a Y-shaped third sub-housing. The lower end of the first sub-housing, the upper end of the second sub-housing, and the upper end of the third sub-housing are fixedly connected together, and the lower end of the second sub-housing and the Y-shaped bifurcation area of ​​the third sub-housing are fixedly connected to form the first receiving cavity.

11. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The lower end of the second sub-box and the third sub-box are fixedly connected by rivets.

12. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The support assembly also includes a column, and the lower end of the third sub-box is fixedly connected to the upper end of the column.

13. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The Y-shaped bifurcation area of ​​the third sub-box is provided with a Y-shaped protrusion extending along the bifurcation direction.

14. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of bosses is 4-6, and they are evenly distributed on the same large circle of the inner rotating ring.

15. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The boss has a circular cross-section, and the surface where the boss contacts the bottom of the groove is spherical.

16. A photovoltaic tracking bracket system, characterized in that, include: Multiple main beams are used to fix and support the photovoltaic modules; as well as At least one photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in any one of claims 1-15, wherein at least two adjacent main beams serve as the first main beam and the second main beam, respectively, and are interconnected by the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector.

17. A method for installing a photovoltaic tracking bracket connector, characterized in that, Install the photovoltaic tracking bracket connector as described in any one of claims 1-15, and the adjacent first and second main beams according to the following steps: Install the support assembly and the coupling; The first main beam and the second main beam are respectively fixedly connected to the coupling.

18. The photovoltaic tracking bracket connector installation method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The housing of the support assembly includes an inverted U-shaped first sub-housing, a U-shaped second sub-housing, and a Y-shaped third sub-housing. The support assembly also includes a column. The steps for installing the support assembly and the coupling include: The column is installed; The second sub-box and the third sub-box are fixedly connected to obtain a pre-installed assembly; The coupling is placed on the pre-installation assembly, and the first sub-box is fixedly connected to the pre-installation assembly so that the coupling is located in the first receiving cavity; The lower end of the third sub-box is fixedly connected to the upper end of the column.

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