Steel corner brace
The steel angle bracket, which uses a rivetless riveting process and a sunken structure design, solves the problems of easy deformation and high precision requirements of traditional angle brackets, achieving better connection effect and stability, and is suitable for steel frame photovoltaic modules.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing steel-framed photovoltaic module corner brackets are prone to deformation during connection and fixing, making it difficult to maintain the required precision. Furthermore, the material thickness and strength requirements are high, which cannot effectively limit misalignment and result in poor fixing performance.
The fixed ends A and B are connected by a rivetless riveting process. The steel angle code design with a symmetrical structure is achieved by using a sunken structure and rivet points, combined with flanges, guide plates and limit hooks. The rivet points are made by pressing tongue and deep drawing processes to enhance the connection stability and guiding effect.
It improves the stability and fixing effect of the connection, reduces the requirements for processing precision, enhances the pull-out force and shear force, prevents the steel angle bracket from falling off and deforming, and improves the overall structural stability and safety of the photovoltaic module.
Smart Images
Figure CN224083475U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of photovoltaic module technology, specifically to a steel corner bracket for a steel frame photovoltaic module. Background Technology
[0002] During the manufacturing process of photovoltaic modules, the modules need to be framed to ensure structural stability and airtightness. Sealant is used for fixing during framing, and the sealant gradually hardens after framing by absorbing moisture from the air. Corner brackets are typically used at the four corners of the frame for permanent fixation, ensuring the frame dimensions of the photovoltaic modules and providing some stability when the modules are subjected to loads during outdoor use.
[0003] Currently, most photovoltaic modules on the market use aluminum alloy frames. However, with the development of the industry, steel frames are gaining increasing market share due to their lower cost. Existing steel frames are mostly open-type structures with steel corner brackets at both ends. These corner brackets are made of the same material as the steel frame—hot-dip galvanized aluminum-magnesium steel strip—and are integrally formed using continuous stamping equipment. Traditional corner brackets typically consist of two mutually perpendicular fixed ends, connected and fixed by a mortise and tenon joint.
[0004] However, this traditional mortise and tenon joint has the following drawbacks: it cannot restrict misalignment in the vertical direction, which can easily lead to deformation of the corner bracket and poor fixed connection effect; the fit and size accuracy requirements are high, and it is difficult to ensure that the two fixed ends are perpendicular to each other; and it is necessary to use materials with high thickness and strength. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by proposing a steel angle bracket, comprising a fixed end A and a fixed end B vertically connected. Fixed end A and fixed end B are connected by a recessed structure, which includes a recessed plate A and a recessed plate B. One end of the recessed plate A is integrally stamped with the lower plate A of the fixed end A, and the other end of the recessed plate A abuts against the top surface of the lower plate B of the fixed end B. The recessed plate A and the lower plate B are connected by a rivet B. One end of the recessed plate B is integrally stamped with the upper plate A of the fixed end A, and the other end of the recessed plate B abuts against the bottom surface of the upper plate B of the fixed end B. The recessed plate B and the upper plate B are connected by a rivet C.
[0006] Except for the sinking structure that connects them, the fixed ends A and B are symmetrical structures.
[0007] The rivet points B and C are rivetless joints.
[0008] The fixed end A includes a front corner guard, which is integrally stamped with the C-shaped groove via a transition section. The C-shaped groove includes an upper plate A, a side plate, and a lower plate B.
[0009] The upper plate A is provided with a limiting hook on its side.
[0010] The lower plate B has a flange on its side, and the angle between the flange and the lower plate A is 45°~90°.
[0011] The lower plate B has a guide plate at one end and a recessed plate A at the other end. The inclined edges on both sides of the lower plate B intersect the bottom bending lines of the side plate and the flange.
[0012] The inner end face of the lower plate B is provided with rivet point D and rivet point A. The steel angle bracket is connected to the steel frame through rivet point D and rivet point A. The end of rivet point D is made by pressing with a pressure tongue, and the root of rivet point D is made by deep drawing and stamping.
[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:
[0014] 1. The two fixed ends are fixed by a rivetless riveting process. The size and position of the rivet point are less affected by the machining accuracy. It can achieve a good connection effect in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Compared with the traditional mortise and tenon connection, it has lower requirements for machining accuracy, better connection and fixing effect, and stronger pull-out force and shear force.
[0015] 2. The two inclined sides of the ends of the lower plate A and the lower plate B intersect with the edge lines of the side plate and the guide plate. The two sides can play a better guiding effect when framing. Compared with the traditional technology, which has no guide plate on the outside and guides by setting pressure ribs at the ends, the process window is larger and the frame assembly is less likely to explode.
[0016] 3. The inner sides of the lower plate A and the lower plate B are provided with flanges, and are set at a certain angle with the vertical direction, which makes it easy to adjust the overall width of the lower plate A and the lower plate B to match the size of the frame cavity. This is something that traditional technology does not have.
[0017] 4. Rivet points D and A use a tongue-pressing process, while rivets B and C use a deep-drawing process. This approach has both strong pull-out force and strong process adaptability. In contrast, traditional techniques use either a tongue-pressing process or a deep-drawing process, which cannot simultaneously achieve the above effects.
[0018] 5. The hooks on the upper plate A and upper plate B cooperate with the grooves on the side wall of the frame to effectively prevent the steel angle brackets from tilting outward, improve the stability of the steel angle brackets, and prevent the steel angle brackets from falling off or deforming. This is something that traditional technology does not have. Attached Figure Description
[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the steel angle bracket of this utility model.
[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the steel angle bracket and the fixed end of this utility model.
[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the steel corner bracket corner protector sidewall, fixed end side plate, and transition section of this utility model.
[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower flat plate rivet point of the steel angle bracket fixing end of this utility model.
[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flat plate hook on the steel angle bracket of this utility model.
[0024] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a traditional steel angle bracket.
[0025] In the diagram: 1. Corner guard, 2. Transition section, 3. Limiting hook, 4. Upper plate A, 5. Side plate, 7. Lower plate A, 8. Guide plate, 9. Fixed end A, 10. Rivet point D, 11. Rivet point A, 12. Flanged edge, 13. Sunken plate A, 14. Rivet point B, 15. Rivet point C, 16. Sunken plate B, 17. Upper plate B, 18. Lower plate B, 19. Fixed end B. Detailed Implementation
[0026] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent. To better illustrate this embodiment, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual dimensions of the product. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.
[0027] Example 1, as shown in the figure: A steel angle bracket includes a fixed end A9 and a fixed end B19 connected vertically. The fixed end A9 and the fixed end B19 are connected by a recessed structure, and the recessed structure includes a recessed plate A13 and a recessed plate B16. The fixed end A9 and the fixed end B19 are connected by the recessed plate A13 and the recessed plate B16. One end of the recessed plate A13 is integrally stamped with the lower plate A7 of the fixed end A9, and the other end of the recessed plate A13 abuts against the top surface of the lower plate B18 of the fixed end B19. The recessed plate A13 and the lower plate B18 are connected by a rivet point B14. One end of the recessed plate B16 is integrally stamped with the upper plate A4 of the fixed end A9, and the other end of the recessed plate B16 abuts against the bottom surface of the upper plate B17 of the fixed end B19. The recessed plate B16 and the upper plate B17 are connected by a rivet point C15. The fixed ends A9 and B19 are symmetrical structures except for the sinking structure they connect to. The rivet points B14 and C15 are riveted without rivets. The fixed end A9 includes a front corner guard 1, which is integrally stamped with the C-shaped groove via a transition section 2. The C-shaped groove includes an upper plate A4, a side plate 5, and a lower plate B18. The upper plate A4 has a limiting hook 3 on its side. The lower plate B18 has a flange 12 on its side, with an angle of 45° to 90° between the flange 12 and the lower plate A7. One end of the lower plate B18 has a guide plate 8, and the other end is a sinking plate A13. The inclined edges on both sides of the lower plate B18 intersect with the bottom bending lines of the side plate 5 and the flange 12. The inner end face of the lower plate B18 is provided with rivet point D10 and rivet point A11. The steel angle bracket is connected to the steel frame through rivet point D10 and rivet point A11. The end of rivet point D10 is made by pressing with a pressure tongue, and the root of rivet point D10 is made by deep drawing and stamping.
[0028] A steel angle bracket for use in steel-framed photovoltaic modules is disclosed. The angle bracket is integrally formed from hot-dip galvanized aluminum-magnesium steel strip through continuous die punching and continuous stamping bending. It includes a corner protector 1 and mutually perpendicular fixed ends A9 and B19. The height of the corner protector 1 is 0-5mm lower than the height of the matching steel frame. The corner protector 1 is connected to the outer side plates 5 of the fixed ends A9 and B19 via a transition section 2 that is horizontally inclined and vertically rectangular. The two sidewalls of the corner protector 1 are parallel to the side plates 5 of the fixed ends A9 and B19, and the angle between them and the transition section 2 is 0°-90°. The upper plate A4 and lower plate A7 of the fixed end A9 are stamped and protruded at their roots and extend towards the fixed end B19 to form a recessed plate A13 and a recessed plate B16. The depth of the recessed plate A13 and the recessed plate B16 is slightly greater than the plate thickness, and the length and width are 3-20mm. The recessed plate A13 and the recessed plate B16 are connected and fixed to the upper plate B17 and the lower plate B18 of the fixed end B19 by a rivetless riveting process. The rivet points B14 and C15 can be circular, rectangular or other shapes, and their size, quantity and position are adapted according to the space and pull-out force requirements.
[0029] Furthermore, the side plate 5 is perpendicular to the lower plate A7, the bending angle of the flange 12 is 45°-90°, and the overall height of the flange 12 is 1-8mm. The upper plate A4 and the lower plate A7 are bent horizontally towards the fixed end A9 at a position 0-10mm from the end to form a guide plate 8.
[0030] Furthermore, the lower plate A7 has two or more rivet points at appropriate positions for connection with rivet points D10 on the frame C surface. The rivet point A11 near the fixed end A9 is formed by a tongue-cutting process. The rivet point D10 away from the fixed end A9 is formed by a deep-drawing process, and its outer wall is tapered.
[0031] Furthermore, a limiting hook 3 is provided near the root of the upper plate A4. The limiting hook 3 protrudes laterally by 2-10mm along the upper plate A4, bends downward at 0°-90° at the root, and bends upward at 90°-120° at the end to engage with the groove provided at the end of the side wall of the frame. This prevents the steel angle bracket from tilting outward, improves stability, and avoids the steel angle bracket from falling off or deforming during use, thus ensuring the overall structural stability and safety of the photovoltaic module.
[0032] This utility model proposes a compact steel angle bracket that uses a rivetless riveting process to fix two fixed ends. The size and position of the rivet points are less affected by processing precision, and it can achieve good connection effects in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Compared with traditional mortise and tenon connections, it has lower requirements for processing precision, better connection and fixation effect, and stronger pull-out and shearing forces. The two beveled edges of the ends of the lower plate A7 and lower plate B18 intersect with the edges of the side plate 5 and guide plate 8, which can provide a good guiding effect on both sides during frame assembly. Compared with the traditional technology that does not have a guide plate 8 on the outside and uses pressure ribs at the ends for guidance, the process window is larger and the frame assembly is less prone to breakage. The inner sides of the lower plate A7 and lower plate B18 are provided with flanges 12, which are set at a certain angle to the vertical direction, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the overall width of the lower plate A7 and lower plate B18 and match the lower dimensions of the frame cavity. This is something that traditional technology does not have. Rivet points D10 and A11 utilize a tongue-pressing process, while rivets B14 and C15 employ a deep-drawing process. This combination provides both strong pull-out force and high process adaptability, whereas traditional techniques use a uniform tongue-pressing or deep-drawing process, which cannot simultaneously achieve these benefits. The hooks on upper plate A4 and upper plate B17 engage with the grooves on the side walls of the frame, effectively preventing the steel angle brackets from tilting outwards, improving their stability, and preventing them from falling off or deforming—a feature absent in traditional techniques.
[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments were selected and described in detail to better illustrate the technical solution of this utility model patent, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the details shown. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art to the technical solution of this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope should be covered by the claims of this utility model.
Claims
1. A steel corner brace comprising a fixed end A (9) and a fixed end B (19) connected perpendicularly, characterized in that: The fixed end A (9) and the fixed end B (19) are connected by a sinking structure, and the sinking structure comprises a sinking plate A (13) and a sinking plate B (16), the fixed end A (9) and the fixed end B (19) are connected by the sinking plate A (13) and the sinking plate B (16), one end of the sinking plate A (13) and the lower flat plate A (7) of the fixed end A (9) are an integral stamping structure, and the other end of the sinking plate A (13) abuts against the top end surface of the lower flat plate B (18) of the fixed end B (19), the sinking plate A (13) and the lower flat plate B (18) are connected by rivet points B (14), one end of the sinking plate B (16) and the upper flat plate A (4) of the fixed end A (9) are an integral stamping structure, and the other end of the sinking plate B (16) abuts against the bottom end surface of the upper flat plate B (17) of the fixed end B (19), the sinking plate B (16) and the upper flat plate B (17) are connected by rivet points C (15).
2. A steel corner bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed end A (9) and the fixed end B (19) are symmetrical structures except the sinking structure.
3. A steel corner bracket according to claim 1, wherein: The rivet points B (14) and the rivet points C (15) are rivet-free riveting.
4. A steel corner bracket according to claim 1, wherein: The fixed end A (9) comprises a front end corner guard (1), the corner guard (1) and the C-shaped groove are an integral stamping structure through a transition section (2), and the C-shaped groove comprises an upper flat plate A (4), a side plate (5) and a lower flat plate B (18).
5. A steel corner code according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side surface of the upper flat plate A (4) is provided with a limiting hook (3).
6. A steel corner code according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side surface of the lower flat plate B (18) is provided with a flange (12), and the included angle between the flange (12) and the lower flat plate A (7) is 45°-90°.
7. A steel corner code according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the lower flat plate B (18) is provided with a guide plate (8), and the other end of the lower flat plate B (18) is the sinking plate A (13), and the end side bevels of the lower flat plate B (18) intersect with the bottom bending edge lines of the side plate (5) and the flange (12).
8. A steel corner bracket according to claim 7, wherein: The inner side end surface of the lower flat plate B (18) is provided with rivet points D (10) and rivet points A (11), the steel corner code is connected with the steel frame by the rivet points D (10) and the rivet points A (11), the end part of the rivet points D (10) is made of a tongue pressing stamping, and the root part of the rivet points D (10) is made of a deep drawing stamping.