A snap fastener and its junction box, photovoltaic module

Abstract

This application discloses a buckle, its junction box, and a photovoltaic module. The buckle includes two fixing parts, each with a slot for accommodating cables. The extension directions of the slots of the two fixing parts are set at an angle, denoted as α, satisfying 5° < α < 90°. A main body connects the two fixing parts and has a guide groove for accommodating cables. The angle between the slots of the two fixing parts (5° < α < 90°) ensures that the two ends of the cable extend at an angle, thereby keeping the box and connector connected to the two ends of the cable away from each other. This helps avoid interference between the connector and the box / test block when the robotic arm grasps the connector, which would otherwise occur if the connector is too close to the test block.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic technology, and in particular to a snap fastener and its junction box, and a photovoltaic module. Background Technology

[0002] In response to the increasingly severe environmental pollution caused by the use of traditional fossil fuels, the green and renewable energy industry has developed rapidly in recent years. Solar power generation technology, which uses the photovoltaic effect to generate electricity from light, is an important green energy technology. Currently, photovoltaic modules, composed of multiple solar cells, are widely used as the basic photovoltaic power generation unit in various photovoltaic power generation systems.

[0003] To transmit the electricity generated by photovoltaic (PV) modules to external power lines, junction boxes are typically installed on the PV modules. A junction box consists of a housing, cables, and connectors connected in sequence. The junction box body is electrically connected to the solar cell circuitry inside the PV module, and the positive and negative connectors of adjacent PV modules are interconnected, thereby enabling power transmission.

[0004] However, in related technologies, the cable length of the junction box during automatic line testing is between 15-50mm. If it is not constrained, the cable length will exceed the limit of the photovoltaic module. If a U-shaped buckle is used, the connector will be too close to the test block, and the robotic arm will interfere with the box and the test block when it grabs the connector. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a snap-fit, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A buckle comprises two fixing parts, each fixing part having a slot for accommodating a cable; the extending directions of the slots of the two fixing parts are arranged at an angle; wherein the angle between the extending directions of the two slots is denoted as α, and satisfies: 5°<α<90°; and a main body connected between the two fixing parts, the main body having a guide groove for accommodating the cable.

[0007] In some embodiments, the included angle α between the extending directions of the slots of the two fixing parts satisfies: 10°≤α≤80°.

[0008] In some embodiments, the main body includes a placement wall and a guide wall, with the guide groove formed between the placement wall and the guide wall. When the buckle is installed on the photovoltaic module, the placement wall can fit against the photovoltaic module, and the guide wall is located on the outside of the curved cable.

[0009] In some embodiments, the guide groove includes a straight segment and a curved segment. The straight segment extends in a straight line and the extension direction of the straight segment is consistent with the extension direction of the connected slot. The curved segment extends in a curved manner to connect the two straight segments.

[0010] In some embodiments, the main body further includes a retaining wall connected to the placement wall, the retaining wall being spaced apart from the fixing part, and the retaining wall being disposed opposite to the guide wall.

[0011] In some embodiments, the fixing part is provided with a stop protrusion, which is located at the opening of the slot.

[0012] In some embodiments, the buckle further includes a reinforcing rib that connects the two fixing parts to maintain the relative positions of the two fixing parts.

[0013] In some embodiments, the main body has a hollow area that penetrates the main body.

[0014] A second aspect of this application provides a junction box, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0015] A junction box includes a box body; a cable, one end of which is connected to the box body; and a latch as described above, at least a portion of which is secured to the cable.

[0016] A third aspect of this application provides a photovoltaic module, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0017] A photovoltaic module includes the clips as described above or the junction box as described above.

[0018] Compared with related technologies, one or more embodiments of this application include at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0019] (1) The extension directions of the slots of the two fixing parts are set at an angle of 5° < α < 90° so that the two ends of the cable extend at an angle, thereby making the box and connector connected to the two ends of the cable far apart from each other. This helps to avoid the connector and the test block being too close together, which would cause the robotic arm to interfere with the box and the test block when grasping the connector.

[0020] (2) The main body has a guide groove to accommodate the cable, so that the cable can be kept bent and extended, which helps to improve the stability of the cable bending. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below only involve some embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a U-shaped buckle in related technologies.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a junction box according to some embodiments of the present application, in which the cable is secured to a clip.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a front view of a snap fastener according to some embodiments of this application.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a junction box installed on a photovoltaic module according to some embodiments of this application.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of section A.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a junction box and test block installed on a photovoltaic module according to some embodiments of this application.

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of section B.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a front perspective view of a bayonet according to some embodiments of this application.

[0030] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional view of the back of the bayonet according to some embodiments of this application.

[0031] Figure 10 This is a side perspective view of a bayonet according to some embodiments of this application.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Buckle; 10. Fixing part; 11. Slot; 12. Bottom wall; 13. Inner wall; 14. Outer wall; 15. Stop protrusion; 20. Main body; 21. Guide groove; 211. Straight section; 212. Bending section; 22. Placement wall; 23. Guide wall; 231. Extension structure; 24. Holding wall; 30. Reinforcing rib; 40. Hollow area; 2. Junction box; 50. Box body; 60. Cable; 70. Connector; 3. Photovoltaic module; 4. Test block. Detailed Implementation

[0033] In related technologies, the cable length of the junction box during automatic line testing is between 15-50mm. If it is not constrained, the cable length will exceed the limit of the photovoltaic module, which is not conducive to the transfer of the photovoltaic module on the automatic line. If a U-shaped buckle is used, the cable is bent 180°, and the box and connector at both ends of the cable are relatively close, while the test block is placed on top of the box. In other words, the connector and the test block are close to each other, and the robotic arm will interfere with the box and the test block when it grabs the connector.

[0034] Based on the above, in order to reduce the risk of interference between the robotic arm and the housing 50 and the test block 4 when the robotic arm grasps the connector 70, one or more embodiments of this application provide a latch 1. (Refer to...) Figures 2 to 10 The clip 1 includes a main body 20 and two fixing parts 10. Each fixing part 10 has a slot 11 for accommodating a cable 60, thereby clamping the cable 60 to the fixing part 10. (See reference...) Figure 2 and Figure 3 The two fixing parts 10 have their slots 11 extending at an angle, so that the two ends of the cable 60 extend at an angle. The extending directions of the slots 11 are as follows: Figure 3 As shown by the dotted line, the included angle between the extension directions of the two slots 11 is denoted as α, which satisfies: 5°<α<90°; the main body 20 is connected between the two fixing parts 10, and the main body 20 has a guide groove 21, which can accommodate the cable 60, so that the cable 60 is kept bent and extended, which is beneficial to improving the bending stability of the cable 60.

[0035] This should be understandable, see reference. Figures 3 to 7 The two fixing parts 10 have their slots 11 extending at an angle of 5° < α < 90° so that the two ends of the cable 60 extend at an angle. This allows the box 50 and connector 70, which are connected to the two ends of the cable 60 respectively, to be far apart from each other. This helps to avoid the connector 70 being too close to the test block 4, which would cause the robotic arm to interfere with the box 50 and test block 4 when grasping the connector 70. This allows the automatic line to run more smoothly and improves the efficiency of automated production and the quality of automated testing of photovoltaic modules 3.

[0036] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 The included angle α between the extending directions of the slots 11 of the two fixing parts 10 satisfies: 10°≤α≤80°. It should be understood that the equipment on the automated production line has a recognition range. If the position of the connector 70 exceeds the recognition range of the equipment, it will be difficult for the robotic arm to successfully grasp the connector 70 for detection. In this embodiment, the extending directions of the slots 11 of the two fixing parts 10 are set at an included angle of 10°≤α≤80°, which allows the connector 70 to be kept within the recognition range of most equipment, thereby improving the applicability of the latch 1 and increasing the success rate of the robotic arm grasping the connector 70.

[0037] In some embodiments, refer to Figures 8 to 10 The main body 20 includes a placement wall 22 and a guide wall 23. A guide groove 21 for placing the cable 60 is formed between the placement wall 22 and the guide wall 23. When the buckle 1 is installed on the photovoltaic module 3, the placement wall 22 can fit against the photovoltaic module 3. The guide wall 23 is located on the outside of the curved cable 60. Thus, through the synergistic effect of the guide wall 23 and the placement wall 22, the cable 60 can be limited, so that the cable 60 maintains a preset bending radius, thereby improving the uniformity and aesthetics of the wiring of the photovoltaic module 3.

[0038] In at least one embodiment, reference Figures 8 to 10 Each fixing part 10 includes a bottom wall 12, an inner side wall 13, and an outer side wall 14. The inner side wall 13 and the outer side wall 14 are connected to opposite sides of the bottom wall 12 to form a groove 11 between the inner side wall 13, the bottom wall 12, and the outer side wall 14. In this way, the cable 60 is accommodated within the groove 11 and clamped between the inner side wall 13 and the outer side wall 14. Further, as... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the placement wall 22 connects the bottom walls 12 of the two fixing parts 10, and the guide wall 23 connects the outer walls 14 of the two fixing parts 10, so that the extension directions of the slots 11 of the two fixing parts 10 are set at an angle. Under the condition that the surfaces of the bottom wall 12 and the placement wall 22 are flush, both the bottom wall 12 and the placement wall 22 can fit against the surface of the photovoltaic module 3, thereby increasing the bonding area between the buckle 1 and the photovoltaic module 3, and improving the connection strength and connection reliability between the buckle 1 and the photovoltaic module 3.

[0039] In at least one embodiment, such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the placement wall 22 and the guide wall 23 are connected by an arc-shaped transition, which can enhance the structural strength of the main body 20 and make the shape of the guide groove 21 fit the cable 60 better. It also helps to avoid structural abrupt changes between the placement wall 22 and the guide wall 23, thereby reducing stress concentration and improving the structural strength and reliability of the buckle 1.

[0040] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the guide groove 21 includes a straight segment 211 and a curved segment 212. The straight segment 211 extends in a straight line, and the extension direction of the straight segment 211 is consistent with the extension direction of the connected slot 11. The curved segment 212 extends in a curved manner to connect the two straight segments 211. It should be understood that... Figure 3 and Figure 8As shown, the cable 60 is guided to bend at a preset bending radius by the bending section 212; the cable 60 is guided to extend in a straight line by the straight section 211, making the cable 60 more suitable for passing through the slot 11 of the fixing part 10, and the clamping force of the inner side wall 13 and the outer side wall 14 of the fixing part 10 on the cable 60 can be more balanced.

[0041] In at least one embodiment, the extension direction of the straight segment 211 is tangent to the extension direction of the curved segment 212, so that the straight segment 211 and the curved segment 212 can transition smoothly, which helps to avoid excessive bending or twisting of the cable 60.

[0042] In some other embodiments, the guide groove 21 includes only the bending section 212, and the extension direction of the snap-fit ​​groove of the fixing part 10 is tangent to the extension direction of the bending section 212, so that the fixing part 10 and the main body 20 can be smoothly transitioned, which helps to avoid excessive bending or twisting of the cable 60.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 and Figure 10 As shown, the main body 20 also includes a retaining wall 24, which is connected to the placement wall 22. The retaining wall 24 is spaced apart from the fixing part 10 and is disposed opposite to the guide wall 23. When the cable 60 is bent and installed in the guide groove 21, the retaining wall 24 is located inside the cable 60, which can clamp the cable 60 between the retaining wall 24 and the guide wall 23. This helps to prevent the cable 60 from slipping out of the guide groove 21 and improves the reliability of the buckle 1 in fixing the cable 60.

[0044] In at least one embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, the retaining wall 24 is connected to the placement wall 22 and located at the bend 212 of the guide groove 21, thereby limiting the bend of the cable 60 and reducing the risk of the cable 60 slipping out of the guide groove 21. Furthermore, compared to the retaining wall 24 connecting the inner walls of the two fixing parts 10, in this embodiment, the retaining wall 24 is only provided at the bend 212 of the guide groove 21, which reduces the weight of the buckle 1 and also reduces the amount of raw materials used in manufacturing the buckle 1, thereby lowering the manufacturing cost of the buckle 1.

[0045] It is worth mentioning that the retaining wall 24 can also be connected to the placement wall 22 and located at the straight segment 211 of the guide groove 21; the main body 20 can have one or more retaining walls 24 spaced apart, and this application does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0046] In at least one embodiment, such as Figure 8As shown, the guide wall 23 has an extension structure 231 at a position opposite to the retaining wall 24, which locally raises the guide wall 23, thereby improving the reliability of the cable 60 being clamped between the guide wall 23 and the retaining part.

[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 and Figure 10 As shown, the fixing part 10 is provided with a stop protrusion 15. That is, the opposing surfaces of the inner sidewall 13 and the outer sidewall 14 of the fixing part 10 are respectively provided with stop protrusions 15, or one of the inner sidewall 13 and the outer sidewall 14 is provided with a stop protrusion 15. The stop protrusion 15 is located above the slot 11, so that when the cable 60 is placed in the slot 11, the stop protrusion 15 is located above the cable 60 or abuts against the cable 60, thereby keeping the cable 60 in the slot 11. It should be understood that when the robotic arm grips the connector 70, the cable 60 will generate stress away from the bottom wall 12. In this embodiment, by providing the stop protrusion 15, the risk of the cable 60 slipping off the fixing part 10 during the automated production process can be reduced.

[0048] In at least one embodiment, the width of the slot 11 is smaller than the diameter of the cable 60. That is, the distance between the inner wall 13 and the outer wall 14 of the fixing part 10 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the cable 60, thereby enabling the cable 60 to be more reliably clamped between the inner wall 13 and the outer wall 14, reducing the risk of the cable 60 slipping out of the slot 11 during the automated production process.

[0049] In some embodiments, reference Figures 8 to 10 The buckle 1 also includes a reinforcing rib 30, which connects the two fixing parts 10 to maintain the relative position of the two fixing parts 10. In other words, the included angle of the extension direction of the slot 11 of the two fixing parts 10 is maintained at a preset angle, which helps to avoid the buckle 1 from being deformed due to the stress of the cable 60. This allows the connector 70 to be kept in a position that the device can recognize.

[0050] In some embodiments, reference Figures 8 to 10 The main body 20 has a hollow area 40 that penetrates through the main body 20. While ensuring the structural strength of the main body 20, the weight of the buckle 1 can be reduced. In addition, the amount of raw materials used in the manufacture of the buckle 1 can be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the buckle 1.

[0051] A junction box 2, such as Figure 2As shown, the device includes a housing 50, a cable 60, and the aforementioned clip 1. One end of the cable 60 is connected to the housing 50, and the other end of the cable 60 is connected to the connector 70. At least a portion of the cable 60 is fixed to the clip 1 so that the housing 50 and the connector 70 at both ends of the cable 60 are far apart from each other. This helps to avoid interference between the connector 70 and the test block 4 when the robotic arm grasps the connector 70, which would otherwise be caused by the connector 70 being too close to the test block 4.

[0052] A photovoltaic module 3 includes the aforementioned clip 1 or junction box 2. The clip 1 secures the cable 60 of the photovoltaic module 3, which helps to prevent the connector 70 from being too close to the test block 4, thus avoiding interference between the robotic arm and the box 50 and the test block 4 when the robotic arm grasps the connector 70, thereby improving the automation of the photovoltaic module 3 production. It also makes the wiring of the photovoltaic module 3 more uniform and neat.

[0053] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A buckle, characterized in that, include: Two fixing parts, each of which has a slot for accommodating a cable; The two fixing parts have their slots extending at an angle to each other; wherein the angle between the two slots is denoted as α, and satisfies: 5° < α < 90°; The main body is connected between the two fixing parts and has a guide groove for accommodating cables.

2. The buckle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The included angle α between the extending directions of the slots of the two fixing parts satisfies: 10°≤α≤80°.

3. The buckle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main body includes a placement wall and a guide wall, with the guide groove formed between the placement wall and the guide wall. When the buckle is installed on the photovoltaic module, the placement wall can fit into the photovoltaic module, and the guide wall is located on the outside of the curved cable.

4. The buckle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The guide groove includes a straight segment and a curved segment. The straight segment extends in a straight line and the extension direction of the straight segment is consistent with the extension direction of the connected slot. The curved segment extends in a curved manner to connect the two straight segments.

5. The buckle as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The main body also includes a retaining wall, which is connected to the placement wall. The retaining wall is spaced apart from the fixing part and is disposed opposite to the guide wall.

6. The buckle as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The fixing part is provided with a stop protrusion, which is located at the opening of the slot.

7. The buckle as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The buckle also includes a reinforcing rib that connects the two fixing parts to maintain their relative positions.

8. The buckle as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The main body has a hollow area that extends through the main body.

9. A junction box, characterized in that, include: Box body; A cable, one end of which is connected to the housing; As described in any one of claims 1-8, at least a portion of the cable is secured to the clip.

10. A photovoltaic module, characterized in that, include: The snap-fit ​​as described in any one of claims 1-8 or the junction box as described in claim 9.

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