Nut positioner for fastening purline on rotating shaft of solar tracker

Abstract

The utility model relates to a nut positioner for fastening a purline on a rotating shaft of a solar tracker, which is provided with a fastening plate fastened in an inner groove of the purline, a first through hole arranged in the bottom of the fastening plate, and a second through hole arranged in the inner groove of the purline, the present invention relates to a positioner for a plate having a first through-hole coinciding with the hole of the nut and in which the nut remains in an operative fastening position, the positioner comprising a body having a second through-hole having: a geometry corresponding to the outer geometry of the nut, the body of the positioner being able to fit in the plate in a mounting position; and the positioning device is used for maintaining the alignment of the first through hole in the plate and the hole in the nut, and the hole in the nut is aligned with the screw hole in the purline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present utility model relates to the technical field of devices or fittings intended for the installation of photovoltaic panels or modules. More specifically, the present utility model relates to a part for facilitating the positioning of components involved in fastening purlins, which components hold the photovoltaic panels to the rotating shaft of a solar tracker. Background Art

[0002] In the field of photovoltaic panels, it is known that a solar tracker includes a ground support column and a support structure for photovoltaic modules or panels, which support structure is connected to said column by means of a rotating shaft so as to orient the panels optimally towards the sun. The above support structure may include so-called support or fastening purlins, which are of U-shaped profile having wings at the ends, the frame of the solar panel being supported and fastened, for example, by means of screws, rivets, bolts, etc. at the wings, and the groove or cavity of the "U" shape facing upwards. Depending on the preferred fastening of the purlin to the rotating shaft, holes are made at the bottom of the groove of the purlin, and bolts are inserted through these holes to fasten the purlin to the shaft. These bolts are sometimes inserted from above into the holes in the purlin and then tightened once a plate surrounding the rotating shaft has been arranged, thus fastening the nut from below.

[0003] However, in other types of installations, the nut is fastened from above, in other words, the bolt is inserted into the hole in the purlin, where the nut is located inside the groove of the purlin (which groove also has a reinforcement in the form of a U-shaped plate with the nut placed inside), in order to then tighten the bolt. The complication of this type of installation is that parts as small as the nut and the internal fastening plate have to be manually positioned in uncomfortable positions, and furthermore, these parts have to coincide exactly in their final position to allow the screw or bolt to pass through smoothly.

[0004] In addition to these difficulties, with the aim of shortening the installation time, it has been envisaged that the modules will be previously installed on the purlins, and then the set of purlins plus the solar panels will be installed at the position of the tracker on the rotating shaft of the solar tracker arranged in its final position by means of the support column. Thus, the following problem arises: in order to achieve this, it will be necessary for the nut that enters inside the fastening plate and thus inside the purlin to have been placed in a stable manner and without the possibility of moving in its installation position, so as to coincide with the fastening hole in the purlin, such that the operator only has to pass the bolt or screw through the coinciding holes in the purlin, the fastening plate and the nut. Therefore, for this type of project, it would be advantageous to have a positioning device that will align the hole in the purlin, the first through-hole in the fastening plate and the hole in the nut, and at the same time will hold the nut stationary, such that when the corresponding bolt is tightened, the nut will not have the freedom to rotate.

[0005] In view of this requirement, a locator is provided that achieves the above object and has an affordable cost due to the time savings it provides in the final installed assembly. Thus, the solar panel can be pre-installed on the fastening purlin, and then the operator only has to place the entire structure on the rotating shaft and tighten the two elements together by conventional means. SUMMARY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0006] For the purpose stated in the previous section, the object of the present utility model is a nut locator for fastening a purlin to the rotating shaft of a solar tracker, the nut locator having: a fastening plate fastened in the inner groove of the purlin, the plate being U-shaped and having a first through hole in its bottom, the first through hole coinciding with the hole of the nut and in the operative fastening position the nut being retained therein, in the operative fastening position the locator includes a body having a second through hole, the second through hole having: a geometry corresponding to the external geometry of the nut, the body of the locator being capable of being assembled in the plate in the installation position; and positioning means for maintaining the alignment of the first through hole in the plate and the hole in the nut, and the hole in the nut and the screw hole in the purlin.

[0007] It is known that the U-shaped fastening plate is used to reinforce the fastening of the purlin, which is also U-shaped and has two upper wings for fastening the solar panel; thus, the locator is fastened inside the purlin by frictional engagement with the inner surface of the vertical wall of the purlin. Thus, due to the positioning means that guides the operator to align the nut with the fastening hole in the purlin, and by keeping the nut inside the second through hole in the locator body, the nut is made to coincide with the fastening hole in the purlin. In this way, since the geometry of the second through hole corresponds to the external geometry of the nut, the nut can be arranged in a fixed manner for tightening from the bottom, thus facilitating the assembly and maintenance tasks.

[0008] According to the features of the present utility model, the positioning means of the locator is in the form of at least one protrusion that can be snap-fitted into a corresponding hole provided in the purlin to arrange the locator in alignment with the screw hole in the purlin.

[0009] Due to this protrusion, and preferably having two protrusions (one corresponding to each side wall of the purlin), the protrusions project to fit into a recess or hole in the side wall of the purlin in the operative installation position. In this way, the operator can guide the locator together with the nut and the fastening plate until it clip-fits into the hole in the side wall of the purlin, thus ensuring the alignment of the nut with the fastening hole.

[0010] To make it easier to interpret the claims and understand the accompanying specification, it should be noted that the "operative position" refers to the position of the device of the present utility model when placed to fasten the components involved in said fastening together (and substantially as they will be positioned for proper operation of the solar tracker), in other words, disregarding the minor repositioning distance after tightening the screws or bolts used.

[0011] Regarding the above, modifiers such as "upper", "lower", "upward", "downward", etc. consider the position of the solar tracker and its support components as a reference when the tracker is mounted on its corresponding (multiple) support columns.

[0012] According to another feature of the present utility model, the locator includes at least one upward flange and preferably includes two flanges (one on each side of the body), and the flange includes a mating projection of the locator at its end, and the upward flange is flexible.

[0013] The upward flange preferably projects obliquely from the body of the locator towards each corresponding side wall of the purlin; in other words, the two flanges project upward at an inclination along the direction of the vertical wall of the purlin, so that when the projections reach the recesses in the purlin wall, their upper ends (and due to their flexibility) are mated by placing the locator and preventing its movement.

[0014] These recesses or windows in the vertical wall of the purlin are at such a height that when mated with the above-mentioned projections, they align the holes in the nuts at the correct height for tightening.

[0015] Preferably, in order to fit the body of the locator into the fastening plate, it is envisaged that the locator includes two vertically downward flanges (one at each end of the body) so that they are in frictional engagement with the corresponding ends of the plate.

[0016] The two downward flanges of the locator allow the fastening plate to be placed between them, where the free U-shaped edge of the plate contacts or has a minimum gap or is adjusted to the downward flanges of the locator. Thus, in that position, the fastening plate is fixed between the downward flanges, and as previously explained, the holes in the nuts and the first through holes in the plate are aligned.

[0017] According to another feature of the present utility model, the locator includes at least two guiding baffles which project downward from a second through-hole in the body of the locator in such a way that they prevent the nut from rotating. Since the body of the locator is hollow, it is necessary that the baffles project with a dimension approximately equal to the dimension of the above-mentioned downward flange in order to extend the moving fastening of the nut provided by the second through-hole having a geometry corresponding to that of the nut. Preferably, the guiding baffles have an inner profile in the shape of two adjacent faces of the nut. This prevents the nut from rotating and also allows access to the nut through the gap between the baffles for its removal.

[0018] According to another feature of the present utility model, the material of the locator has such flexibility and resistance that it allows the bending and stress experienced (and inferred from the previous feature) by the downward flange and the upward flange in their adjustment or fit with the fastening plate and the purlin.

[0019] Finally, preferably, although not exclusively, the locator of the present utility model is made of a single piece. Description of the Drawings

[0020] The drawings illustrate, by way of non-limiting examples, embodiments of the locator of the present utility model for nuts on purlin fastening plates.

[0021] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing two locators of the present utility model, which are mounted on respective fastening plates and ready to be inserted into a supporting purlin.

[0022] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a top view of the components in, where the locator has been inserted into the supporting purlin.

[0023] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the locator of the present utility model, which is aligned with a nut and a fastening plate ready to be assembled together.

[0024] Figure 4 is a view from one end of the locator of the present utility model, which is mounted on the fastening plate and both elements are inserted into the supporting purlin.

[0025] Figure 5 is Figure 4 a cross-section of the view in. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0026] In the following detailed description, specific details are set forth as examples to assist in interpreting the scope of the claims with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the teachings can be practiced without the said details or with modifications to the said details without affecting the scope defined by the claims.

[0027] Figure 1 A perspective view of two locators 100 is shown, the two locators having two corresponding inner fastening plates 200 and a support purlin 400 for a solar panel. Figure 3 The fastening plate 200 is better shown in more detail therein. The plate 200 has a first through hole 230 in its middle surface 220 and two side walls 210, 210', such that they form a U-shaped fastening plate 200 (in Figure 3 wherein the first through hole 230 is hidden by one of the side walls 210, 210' of the plate 200, and the first through hole is shown in a cross-section in Figure 5 ).

[0028] In a normal fastening procedure, the operator has to place the inner fastening plate 200 inside the groove 401 of the purlin 400 such that the first through hole 230 coincides with another corresponding hole provided in the bottom of the purlin 400 and also shown in Figure 5 just below the hole 230. Next, the installer passes a screw or a bolt from below the purlin 400, thus through the two aligned holes, and tightens a nut 300 on the upwardly protruding end of the bolt until the nut 300 tightens against the middle surface 220 of the plate 200 around the first through hole 230.

[0029] In the item that the locator 100 of the present utility model aims to achieve, the solar panel will have been installed on the purlin 400, specifically on its horizontal wing portions shown in Figure 1 which purlin has its respective mounting holes. For this reason, the final attachment via the nut 300 must be carried out by manually making an action from below the purlin 400 acting on the bolt or the nut (using tools, but manually performed by the operator), whereby devices such as the target locator 100 of the present utility model are essential, as discussed below, which devices hold the nut 300 in its fastening position such that the bolt can be tightened to the nut.

[0030] Figure 3 A preferred embodiment of the locator 100 is shown in. On the one hand, it has two downward flanges 120, 120' which are positioned at a certain distance from each other such that the distance roughly corresponds to the length of the fastening plate 200, so that the two flanges 120, 120' surround the plate 200, as better shown in Figure 1 wherein in one of the preferred embodiments, the distance can be such that the downward flanges 120, 120' fit against the free edges 240, 240' of the fastening plate 200 by friction and / or with a certain elasticity (the elasticity provided by the possible bending of the flanges 120, 120').

[0031] On the other hand, the locator 100 further includes a second through hole 110 and a downward baffle 150, and the downward baffle is used to guide and accommodate the nut 300 so that its hole is aligned with the first through hole 230 of the plate 200. In other words, the baffles 150 are arranged in such a way that they hold the nut 300 without freedom of movement (especially in its rotational direction) and in which these through holes are aligned. Figure 1 This assembly of the locator 100, the fastening plate 200 and the nut 300 is shown, and the above-mentioned components are assembled for insertion so that the first through hole 230 of the plate 200 is also aligned with the groove 401 of the purlin 400 or another corresponding hole at the bottom of the opening.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment (which corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in the figures), the locator 100 includes two upward flanges 130, 130', and these two upward flanges project upward at a certain inclination (as Figure 4 and Figure 5 better shown in), and thus end up being assembled in the recesses or windows 420, 420' in the side walls of the purlins 410, 410' by means of corresponding protrusions 140, 140', so that the recesses 420, 420' define the correct positions for aligning the nut 300 with the screw holes 430 in the purlin 400. These flanges 130, 130' are flexible and have elastic recovery ability so as to be assembled in the windows 420, 420'.

[0033] Figure 2 The appearance of the purlin 400 shown from the top is shown, and the purlin has two plates 200 and their corresponding locators 100 and nuts 300.

[0034] The upward flanges 130, 130' and the downward flanges 120, 120' can have any shape as long as it fulfills the functions described in the technical features of the claims. However, in a preferred embodiment, the shape is generally rectangular for the downward flanges 120, 120' and trapezoidal for the upward flanges 130, 130'. The downward flanges 120, 120' can have another shape as long as at least a part of the flanges 120, 120' contacts (or almost contacts, with a minimum gap) a part of the free edges 240, 240' of the plate 200 to fix the plate 200 immobile therebetween. Similarly, the flanges 130, 130' can have a shape, which is, for example, triangular, rectangular or any other shape that uses the walls 410, 410' of the purlin 400 to complete the task of fixing immobile.

[0035] As for the downward baffle 150, in a preferred embodiment and as Figure 3As better shown in, they consist of two elements which descend from the edge of the second through-hole 110 in the locator 100 to the edge of the first through-hole 230 in the plate 200. The internal shape of these two baffles 150 partially coincides with the external shape of the nut 300 so as to thus guide and position the nut. The baffle 150 can be made of different physical structures (for example, several downward protrusions that are thinner and more numerous than the baffle 150 shown in the figures) to capture the nut 300, or in another extreme case, have a completely closed conduit on its contour which has the shape of the nut 300.

[0036] Preferably, the locator 100 is manufactured in one piece, although the locator can be obtained by assembling two or more separately manufactured parts.

Claims

1. A nut locator (100) for fastening a purlin (400) to a rotating shaft of a solar tracker, characterized in that, The nut locator (100) has: a fastening plate (200) fastened in an inner groove (401) of the purlin (400), the fastening plate (200) being U-shaped and having a first through hole (230) in its bottom (220), the first through hole (230) coinciding with the hole of the nut (300) and the nut (300) being retained therein in an operative fastening position, in which the nut locator (100) includes a body having a second through hole (110), the second through hole (110) having a geometry corresponding to the external geometry of the nut (300), the body of the nut locator (100) being capable of being assembled in the fastening plate (200) in an installation position; and positioning means for maintaining alignment of the first through hole (230) in the fastening plate (200) and the hole in the nut (300), the hole in the nut (300) being aligned with a screw hole (430) in the purlin (400).

2. The nut locator (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The positioning means is in the form of at least one projection (140, 140') which can snap into a corresponding hole provided in the purlin (400) to arrange the nut locator (100) in alignment with the screw hole (430).

3. The nut positioner (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, It includes at least one upward flange (130, 130') on each side of the body, the at least one upward flange having the projection (140, 140') at its end, the upward flange (130, 130') being flexible.

4. The nut locator (100) according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, It includes two vertically downward flanges (120, 120') for assembly in the ends of the fastening plate (200).

5. The nut locator (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that, It includes at least two guide baffles (150) which project downward from the second through hole (110) in the body of the nut locator (100) in such a way that they prevent the nut (300) from rotating.

6. The nut positioner (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The material of the nut locator (100) has suitable flexibility and resistance to withstand the bending and stress experienced by the downward flanges (120, 120') and / or upward flanges (130, 130') during their adjustment with the fastening plate (200) and the purlin (400).

7. The nut positioner (100) according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, It is made in one piece.

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