Device for fixing photovoltaic panels to a ribbed sheet and buildings with such sheets

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for fixing photovoltaic panels on a corrugated sheet as well as to a building equipped with such sheets.

[0002] Here, the term "building" refers to any construction, regardless of the building material used, its shape, size, and / or use. This includes industrial, commercial, or agricultural buildings; public buildings, such as administrative, healthcare, educational, or other types of buildings; and private buildings, such as single-family homes or apartment buildings.

[0003] Here, the term "corrugated sheet metal" refers to any rectangular or square plate, regardless of its constituent material (e.g., metal or other), featuring a regular or random alternation of positive and negative ridges across its entire surface. The positive ridges, or "ribs," can have various cross-sections, such as trapezoidal, rectangular, square, or rounded. The term "rib" will be used predominantly hereafter. The negative ridges are flat areas or grooves with a flat or rounded bottom. These negative ridges may or may not be identical to the positive ridges and may or may not be mirrored. In all cases, these sheets are used to cover at least part of a building, roof, or facade, whose orientation and characteristics allow for the installation of photovoltaic panels.

[0004] Photovoltaic panels are attached to corrugated metal sheets once the sheets are in place on the building, as they form part of the roof structure. The attachment must allow for the mounting and removal of the photovoltaic panels without affecting the sheet metal's attachment to the building and without compromising the roof or facade's watertightness. FR-A-3 004 242 describes a system for attaching photovoltaic panels to the ribs of a metal sheet. The system includes a bracket with wings that conform to the shape of the ribs. A screw secures the bracket to the rib by passing through a hole in the rib's apex. The upper face of the bracket has two parallel sides that clamp a panel mounting rail. The rails are secured by bolts inserted into holes in the sides. A hole in the bottom of the device is used to attach the device to the rib.Such fixing must be done outside the areas where the sheet metal is attached to the roof, therefore requiring prior planning. FR-A-2 962 194 discloses a fixing of photovoltaic panels using a rail placed on the top of each rib, along its entire length. At least the ends of each rail include a bracket with a shape complementary to that of the rib and fixed to the ends of the ribs. WO-A-2012 / 096 344 discloses a photovoltaic panel support fixed directly to the top of certain sheet metal ribs. The face of the support bearing on the rib has a shape complementary to the top of the rib. DE-A-2020-090-04269 describes a photovoltaic panel support with a shape complementary to that of the rib and capping it.The base of the support rests on the top of the rib and includes two guide tabs between which a rail for holding a photovoltaic panel is placed while being free in translation for optimal positioning.

[0005] The various known solutions ensure effective retention on the rib, thanks to the complementary shapes of the supports and the sheet metal ribs. However, installing the supports on the rib crests requires careful planning to prevent the support from resting on the screws that fasten the sheet metal to the building, as these screws are placed, more or less regularly, on the rib crests. Furthermore, the photovoltaic panel support is generally attached to the sides of both the support and the rib. Such a fastening method is not ergonomically optimal for the operator.

[0006] The invention aims to provide a solution for simply fixing a photovoltaic panel onto the ribs of a corrugated sheet without the need for a layout plan, while optimizing the ergonomics of installing this solution and respecting manufacturing costs.

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a device for fixing photovoltaic panels on a sheet metal having at least one rib, said sheet metal being fixed to a building, said device comprising at least one ribbed sheet metal fixed by screwing to the building by a bracket covering the top of a rib, a main body open at the ends and in the upper part, the bottom of the main body being of a shape complementary to the top of the rib of the sheet metal, characterized in that the bottom of the main body is provided with at least one opening defining a passage between the bottom of the main body and the top of the rib when the device is in position on the ribbed sheet metal and in that the width of the opening made in the bottom of the main body is greater than the width of a bracket for fixing the top of the rib of the sheet metal.

[0008] Thanks to the invention, the device can be positioned anywhere on the top of a rib, as the opening allows the screws for attaching the sheet metal to the building to pass through. There is no longer any need to plan the layout, which saves time when installing the fixing devices and therefore the photovoltaic panels.

[0009] According to advantageous, but not mandatory, aspects of the invention, such a device may include one or more of the following features:

[0010] The opening in the bottom is formed by at least one through orifice.

[0011] The opening in the bottom is formed by at least one cutout made on at least one end of the bottom.

[0012] The opening is equipped with a removable cover to mask the opening.

[0013] The width of the bottom is greater than the width of the top of the sheet metal rib.

[0014] At least one end portion of the outer wall of the main body is supported by a lateral wall of the rib.

[0015] At least a portion of the end part is supported on a portion of an interrib zone.

[0016] The base is fitted with at least one fixing screw on the top, the screw being accessible through the open part of the main body.

[0017] The invention also relates to a building equipped with at least one corrugated sheet metal provided with at least one photovoltaic panel fixing device conforming to any one of the preceding characteristics.

[0018] The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [ Fig.1 ] is a perspective view of a photovoltaic panel mounting device according to an embodiment of the invention in place on a rib of a corrugated sheet, the sheet being partially illustrated, [ Fig.2 ] is a cross-sectional view, at another scale, along section plane II, part of the device being in another configuration of the invention, [ Fig.3 ] is a cross-sectional view, at a different scale, similar to the figure 2 , according to another embodiment of the invention, [ Fig.4 ] is a cross-sectional view, similar to the figure 3 according to another embodiment of the invention and [ Fig.5 ] is a cross-sectional view similar to the figure 2 , according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0019] There figure 1 Figure 1 illustrates a device for fixing photovoltaic panels in place on a rib 2 of a corrugated sheet, shown here partially. This rib 2 has a trapezoidal cross-section in this example. Alternatively, the shape and / or dimensions of the rib may differ from those illustrated. Similarly, a sheet may have a set of identical or different ribs. In all cases, the fixing device 1 is adapted, by its shape and dimensions, to the geometric configuration of the rib(s) of the sheet to which it will be fixed.

[0020] Device 1 comprises a main body 3 open at the top and at the ends. The main body 3 is generally rectangular in cross-section. Alternatively, it has a different cross-sectional configuration, for example, square. In all cases, the open part 4 of the main body 3 is oriented upwards, facing the figures 1 et 2 , that is, oriented towards the photovoltaic panel when it is in place on device 1. According to the embodiments illustrated in figures 1 et 2 The open portion 4 of the main body 3 is narrower than the portion 5 of the main body 3, which forms its base. The internal walls 6 of the main body 3 are not straight at their free ends, which define the opening 4 of the main body 3, but are inclined towards each other, thus inwards towards the interior of the body 3. This configuration defines an opening narrower than the rest of the volume of the body 3. In other words, this configuration of the body 3 defines a rail. This rail allows the insertion, with one degree of translational freedom illustrated by the double arrow F, of a part 7 into the internal volume of the body 3, enabling the device to be attached to a photovoltaic panel (not shown).

[0021] In addition to a translational degree of freedom along the main body 3, it is also possible to rotate, according to the double arrow F1 at the figure 2 , part 8 of part 7, depending on the position of the photovoltaic panel. The figures 1 et 2 These two different positions of part 8 represent a housing for a connecting element fixed to a photovoltaic panel. Part 8 is locked in position and prevented from moving by means of a screw 9. Alternatively, the locking is achieved by other means known per se.

[0022] The base 5 of the main body 3 has a shape and dimensions complementary to the shape and dimensions of the apex 10 of the rib 2 to which it is attached. Here, since the rib 2 is trapezoidal, the base 5 is generally rectangular and flat, with a shape complementary to that of the apex 10, which in this case is flat. The length of the base 5 defines the length of the device and is variable, adapted to the length of the corrugated sheet and / or the photovoltaic panel. The width L5 of the base 5 is slightly greater than the width L10 of the apex 10. Thus, the base 5, and therefore the main body 3, extends laterally beyond the apex 10 on both sides. At least one through-hole 11 is provided in the base 5, defining an access opening to the internal volume of the body 3. The hole 11 can be rounded, oval, rectangular, or other shape. Alternatively, several orifices 11, of identical or different dimensions and / or shapes, aligned or not, are provided on the bottom 5.In another embodiment, a movable or hinged cover allows the opening 11 to be exposed or concealed. In yet another embodiment, instead of an opening in the bottom, there is at least a cutout extending from one end of the bottom 5. In all cases, according to the invention, the bottom 5 is partially open over a portion of its surface. The presence of this opening or cutout allows the device 1 to be positioned anywhere on the crest 10 of the rib 2, whether or not at a point of attachment of the rib 2 to a building, thus defining free access to the interior of the main body 3.

[0023] Indeed, as is particularly apparent in the figure 2 The fixing of a sheet metal panel to a building is achieved by a bracket 12 that fits over a rib 2 from its apex 10 and holds the rib 2, and therefore the sheet metal, in place with a screw 13. It should be noted that not only is the width L5 of the base 5 greater than that L12 of the bracket 12, but the same is true for the width L11 of the opening 11. Thus, the dimensions of the opening 11 are sufficient to allow free passage of the bracket 12 and the head of the screw 13 through the opening 11 and therefore into the lower space of the body 3. Therefore, whether or not the apex 10 of the rib 2 has raised areas formed by the screws 13 that secure the bracket 12, and thus fix the sheet metal to the building, it is no longer necessary to plan the layout to position the photovoltaic panel fixing device 1 only in areas without screws. 13 and of knight 12.

[0024] Device 1 is secured to rib 2 by at least one screw 14 inserted into the solid part of the base 5 and securing the latter to the top 10. As shown in the figure 1 This fastening is easy since it is done in a direction illustrated by arrow D, generally perpendicular to the apex 10 of the rib, from the open part 4 of the main body 3. In other words, an operator positioned on the roof can fasten the devices 1 with a vertical movement directed towards the sheet metal, which is ergonomically optimal, avoiding any twisting movement of the operator. Such a fastening solution is preferable to the known method of attaching to the sides of device 1 and rib 2, which forces the operator into a less ergonomic position.

[0025] It is also noted that the external walls 15 of the main body 3 extend towards the base of the rib 2, beyond the bottom 5. The external walls 15 of the main body 3 are complementary in shape to those of the lateral walls 16 of the rib 2. Thus the ends 17 of the walls 15 are oriented angularly and bear against the walls 16 of the rib 2. The terminal part 18 of the ends 17 is folded outwards so as to bear against at least a portion 19 of the interrib zone. In other words, at least one external wall 15 of the body 3 is supported by at least one of the lateral walls 16 of the rib 2. This limits the lateral movements of the device 1 while allowing a longitudinal displacement of the latter along the rib 2. Advantageously the two external walls 15 are of complementary shapes to the lateral walls 16 of the rib 2 and thus support each side of the latter.

[0026] Figures 3 and 4 represent two other embodiments of the invention. The elements identical to the embodiments of figures 1 à 4 retain the same references. In particular, for ease of reading, rib 2 and screw 13, which secures the bracket 12 to the apex 10 of rib 2, are identical. The same applies to part 8, which secures a photovoltaic panel, and its locking screw 9.

[0027] To the figure 3 The main body 20 has vertical and parallel internal walls 21. These are connected to external walls 22 with a configuration similar to walls 15 and 17. The walls 22 thus rest on the lateral walls 16 of the rib 2. The upper ends 23 of the walls 22 are inclined outwards, the two ends 23 thus forming a V. The open part of the body 20 is capped by a piece 24 provided with a hole for the screw 9. This piece 24, whose shape complements the ends 23, is slidably mounted along the device in the direction of the double arrow F24. In other words, the figure 3 illustrates an embodiment where the photovoltaic panel securing piece fits over the body 20 by sliding on the latter instead of entering, as in the figures 1 et 2 , inserted and sliding into body 2.

[0028] There figure 4 represents a variant of the first embodiment. Reinforcements 25 connect the external walls 26 and internal walls 27 of the main body 28. The upper part of the main body 28 receives, on the side of the open volume of the body 28, a washer or a ring 29. This ring 29 holds the end of the screw 9 in place while allowing its translation within the body 28 according to the double arrow F29. The figure 4 illustrates a version in which, compared to the version illustrated in figures 1 et 2 , the mechanical resistance of device 30 is improved, the reinforcements 25 ensuring the rigidity of the whole and limiting any phenomenon of twisting or accidental separation of the walls 26, 27 of the body 28.

[0029] There figure 5This illustrates another, preferred, embodiment of the invention. Here, the rail body 31 has a reinforced configuration compared to other embodiments, with internal reinforcements 32. A bracket 33 is positioned on the upper opening of the body 31. A screw 34 passes vertically through the bracket 33 and provides height-adjustable support for a mounting element 35 of a photovoltaic panel (not shown). The bracket 33 is generally in the shape of an inverted U, the open portion of which is partially inserted into the opening of the rail body 31. Thus, the bracket 33 includes two hook-shaped tabs 36 that engage with the underside of the walls defining the rail opening. This configuration allows the bracket 33 to be held on the body 31 while permitting its movement along the rail.A flat plate, not shown, is placed between the rail opening and the bracket 33. The bracket fits into a central opening in the plate, the shape and dimensions of which complement those of the bracket 33. The plate is also equipped with at least four hook-shaped tabs that engage with the underside of the walls defining the rail opening. This locks the bracket in position, preventing it from moving along the rail and only allowing it to move under a strong force. In other words, the tab and the bracket 33, thanks to the hook-shaped tabs, ensure that the panel is clipped onto the rail while allowing movement when the bracket 33, and therefore the photovoltaic panel, is deliberately pushed. Furthermore, the flat, metallic plate provides contact between the various metallic components, thus grounding the photovoltaic panel.

[0030] The invention, in addition to the absence of layout planning, thus allowing faster fixing of photovoltaic panels, allows fixing from the top of the device 1 onto the ribs 2 of a sheet, which improves ergonomics for the operator.

Claims

1. A device (1, 30) for fastening photovoltaic panels onto a metal sheet having at least one rib (2), said metal sheet being fastened onto a building, said device (1, 30) comprising at least the ribbed metal sheet fastened by screwing onto the building by a staple capping the apex of the rib, a main body (3, 20, 28) open at the ends and at the top part, the base (5) of the main body (3, 20, 28) having a shape complementary to the apex (10) of the rib (2) of the metal sheet, characterized in that the base (5) of the main body (3) has at least one opening (11) defining a passage between the base (5) of the main body (3, 20, 28) and the apex (10) of the rib (2) when the device (1, 30) is in position on the ribbed metal sheet, and in that the width (L11) of the opening (11) arranged in the base (5) of the main body (3, 20, 28) is greater than the width (L12) of the fastening staple (12) of the apex (10) of the rib (2) of the metal sheet.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening in the base (5) is formed by at least one through orifice (11).

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening in the base (5) is formed by at least one cut-out arranged on at least one end of the base (5).

4. The device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the opening (11) is equipped with a removable cover masking the opening.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the width (L5) of the base (5) is greater than the width (L10) of the apex (10) of the rib (2) of the metal sheet.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one end part (17) of the external wall (15) of the main body (3) is resting on a lateral wall (16) of the rib (2).

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least one portion (18) of the end part (17) is resting on one portion (19) of an inter-rib zone.

8. The device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the base (5) has at least one fastening screw (14) on the apex (10), the screw (14) being accessible through the open part (4) of the main body (3).

9. A building equipped with at least one ribbed metal sheet having at least one fastening device (1) for photovoltaic panels conforming to any one of the previous claims.