Solar panel disposal device

Abstract

To provide a solar panel disposal device having new structure and enabling efficient recycling of removed solar panels.SOLUTION: In a solar panel disposal device 12, a device frame 16 mounted on an automobile 14 is provided with two pairs of engaging claws 72 capable of engaging with a pair of short side frames 4 and a pair of long side frames 5 of a frame member 3 of a solar panel 1 from their insides, respectively, in a manner to be able to move close to and separated from each opposite direction. To a pair of short side frames 4 and a pair of long side frames 5 of the solar panel 1 supported close to the engaging claws 72 in the vertical direction by vertical direction drive means 96, a pair of engaging claws 72 are engaged from their insides, respectively, and each pair of engaging claws 72 is driven to the separating direction by using horizontal direction drive means 30 to withdraw the frame member 3 from a laminate panel body 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solar panel disposal device for disposing of solar panels. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the demand for clean energy that does not require fossil fuels has increased, and solar panels that generate electricity using sunlight as an energy source are becoming more widespread. Solar panels include a laminated panel body including solar cells formed of, for example, silicon crystals, compound semiconductors such as gallium arsenide, or amorphous silicon, a cover glass that covers the surface of the solar cells, and a metal frame member that surrounds the outer periphery of the laminated panel body.

[0003] Incidentally, solar panels generally have a useful life of about 25 years, and solar panels that have exceeded their useful life must be promptly removed from the perspective of safety, effective land use, etc. At present, there are few solar panels that have exceeded their useful life, but due to the rapid spread of solar panels, it is predicted that in the future it will become necessary to remove many solar panels.

[0004] Conventionally, removed solar panels were crushed and then disposed of in landfills, but recycling is now required due to environmental considerations. The most common method of recycling solar panels is to crush the entire panel, then separate it for recycling, but there is a problem that it is difficult to improve the accuracy of sorting when separating panels after crushing, resulting in a low recycling rate.

[0005] Meanwhile, a separation method is also being considered in which solar panels are disassembled, separated, and then crushed for recycling. In this separation method, the recycling rate can be significantly increased by removing the metal frame members from the laminated panel body. For example, it is being considered to separate the frame members from the laminated panel body semi-automatically using a solar panel dismantling device described in Japanese Patent No. 6964910 (Patent Document 1). The dismantling device in Patent Document 1 places and fixes the solar panel on a mounting part, and pushes the frame members of the solar panel toward the outer periphery of the solar panel using a pushing member, thereby separating the frame members from the laminated panel body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6964910 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The solar panel dismantling device of Patent Document 1 is installed and used in a processing facility away from the site where the solar panels are removed, and the removed solar panels must be loaded onto a truck and transported to the processing facility. However, after the inventors' studies, they found that the thickness dimension of the frame members of a solar panel is larger than the laminated panel body, and when multiple solar panels are stacked in the thickness direction and transported by truck, the overlapping of the frame members makes the panels bulky in the thickness direction, resulting in poor transport efficiency.

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a solar panel disposal device with a novel structure that enables efficient recycling of removed solar panels.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle equipped with the solar panel disposal device, which is equipped with the solar panel disposal device described above. Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a novel solar panel disposal method that enables efficient recycling of removed solar panels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The following describes preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention, but the embodiments described below are merely illustrative and may be combined with one another as appropriate, and the multiple components described in each embodiment may be recognized and used independently as far as possible, and may also be combined with any of the components described in another embodiment as appropriate. As a result, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments may be realized.

[0011] The first aspect is A solar panel disposal device for disposing of a solar panel having a structure in which a laminated panel body is surrounded by a metal frame member, the device comprising an equipment frame mounted on a vehicle traveling on the site where the solar panel is installed, the equipment frame being provided with a support member that supports the solar panel from below, and the equipment frame being provided with two pairs of engaging claws that are arranged in opposing states in two orthogonal axial directions within a horizontal plane located above the support member and that are engageable from the inside with a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames of the frame member of the solar panel, the engaging claws being provided with the engaging claws being movable toward and away from each other in the opposing directions, The solar panel supported by the support member is provided with a vertical drive means for moving the solar panel closer to and farther away from the two pairs of engaging claws in the vertical direction, and a horizontal drive means for driving the two pairs of engaging claws in the approaching and moving away directions in each opposing direction.The vertical drive means engages each pair of engaging claws from the inside with the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames of the solar panel supported by being brought closer to the two pairs of engaging claws in the vertical direction, and the horizontal drive means drives each pair of engaging claws in the moving away direction, thereby detaching the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames from the laminated panel main body.

[0012] According to the vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device constructed according to this embodiment, the solar panel is brought closer to the two pairs of engagement claws in the vertical direction by the vertical drive means, and the two pairs of engagement claws are engaged with a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames of the frame member of the solar panel by the horizontal drive means and driven in the direction away from each other, so that the long side frames and the short side frames of the frame member can be easily removed from the laminated panel body. Therefore, compared to a case where a worker manually removes the frame member from the laminated panel body at the site where the solar panel is installed, the frame member can be easily separated from the laminated panel body in a short time. Furthermore, by separating the laminated panel body and the metal frame member before crushing, the laminated panel body and the frame member can be accurately separated and recycled, and the recycling efficiency is significantly improved, especially compared to a crushing method of separating after crushing.

[0013] In addition, since the solar panel disposal device according to this embodiment is an on-board type that has an apparatus frame that is mounted on a vehicle, it can be easily brought to the site where the solar panels are installed, and the laminated panel body and the frame member, which are thicker than the laminated panel body, can be separated from each other at the site. Therefore, the laminated panel body and the frame member, which are thicker than the laminated panel body, can be loaded separately onto a truck or the like for transportation, thereby improving transportation efficiency.

[0014] Furthermore, since the solar panel disposal device can be mounted on an automobile, it can be easily transported to the site where the solar panels are installed, making it easy to separate the frame components on-site.

[0015] In the second aspect, in the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in the first aspect, the drive unit main body constituting the vertical drive means and the drive unit main body constituting the horizontal drive means are arranged to fit within a rectangular planar frame having the maximum width dimension and maximum length dimension of the device frame.

[0016] According to the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed according to this embodiment, the drive unit main body of the vertical drive means and the drive unit main body of the horizontal drive means are contained within the device frame without protruding from the device frame in the horizontal direction, making it difficult for the weight balance to be extremely unbalanced. Therefore, for example, when the solar panel disposal device is mounted on a truck by placing the device frame on the truck bed, it is possible to suppress adverse effects on the traveling performance of the truck, and it is easy to ensure traveling stability even if the installation site of the solar panels is on a slope or uneven ground.

[0017] The third aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in the first or second aspect, in which a drive unit main body constituting the vertical drive means and a drive unit main body constituting the horizontal drive means are arranged so that, when projected in the vertical direction, they fit within an area that overlaps with the solar panel supported by the support member.

[0018] According to the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed according to this embodiment, the drive unit main body of the vertical drive means and the drive unit main body of the horizontal drive means are contained within an area that overlaps with the solar panel in the vertical projection, so that extremely unbalanced weight balance is unlikely to occur. Therefore, for example, when the solar panel disposal device is mounted on a truck by placing the device frame on the bed of the truck, it is possible to suppress adverse effects on the traveling performance of the truck, and it is easy to ensure traveling stability even if the installation site of the solar panels is on a slope or uneven ground.

[0019] A fourth aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the horizontal direction drive means includes a single drive device body and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive output of the drive device body to each of the two pairs of engagement claws and drives the two pairs of engagement claws in the approaching and separating directions in each opposing direction. The present invention is configured to include the above.

[0020] According to a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed in accordance with this embodiment, two pairs of engaging claws can be driven by a single drive unit main body, which simplifies the structure and reduces weight compared to a case in which a drive unit main body is provided for each engaging claw, and also reduces energy consumption during operation.

[0021] A fifth aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the support member has a plurality of support rods that support the laminated panel body of the solar panel at three or more points from below.

[0022] According to the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed in accordance with the present embodiment, the laminated panel body is supported at points by support rods, allowing for stable support with little wobble, even if the underside of the laminated panel body is not flat due to damage, for example.

[0023] A sixth aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which the vertical driving means raises and lowers the support member in the vertical direction.

[0024] With a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the drive structure of the engaging claws, which is driven by a horizontal drive means, does not need to be raised and lowered by a vertical drive means, and the part that is raised and lowered by the vertical drive means can be made simple in structure and lightweight.

[0025] A seventh aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein at least one of the two pairs of engaging claws is capable of adjusting the relative distance in the opposing direction.

[0026] According to the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed in accordance with the present embodiment, the relative distance between the engaging claws in the opposing direction can be adjusted to easily accommodate the disassembly and processing of multiple types of solar panels of different sizes.

[0027] The eighth aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in the seventh aspect, in which the engaging claws are detachable and replaceable, making it possible to adjust the relative distance in the opposing direction.

[0028] According to the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed according to this embodiment, the relative distance in the opposing direction of the engaging claws can be easily adjusted by replacing the engaging claws.

[0029] A ninth aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in any one of the first to eighth aspects, which is equipped with a panel conveying device that sends the solar panel from outside the equipment frame toward the support position of the solar panel by the support member.

[0030] According to a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed in accordance with the present embodiment, the panel transport device can easily transport the solar panels from outside the equipment frame to an appropriate support position supported by the support members, making the disassembly of the solar panels easier.

[0031] A tenth aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in any one of the first to ninth aspects, which is provided with an anti-fly-out portion located on the outer periphery of the solar panel and which limits the amount of displacement of the frame member that has detached from the laminated panel main body toward the outer periphery from the laminated panel main body.

[0032] According to the vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device constructed according to this embodiment, the frame members separated from the laminated panel body toward the outer periphery by the engagement claws can be prevented from flying out significantly toward the outer periphery from the laminated panel body by the flying out prevention parts. Therefore, scattering of the frame members separated from the laminated panel body is suppressed, and the frame members can be easily collected.

[0033] An eleventh aspect is the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in the tenth aspect, wherein the anti-fly-out portion is integrally provided on the engaging claw.

[0034] According to a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed in accordance with the present embodiment, by providing an anti-protrusion portion on the engagement claws that detach the frame members from the laminated panel body, the protrusion of the frame members can be quickly restricted at a position close to the laminated panel body.

[0035] A twelfth aspect is a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the horizontal driving means is provided with an operation control device that drives the pair of engaging claws that engage with the pair of short side frames of the frame member from the inside in a separating direction to detach the pair of short side frames from the laminated panel main body, and drives the pair of engaging claws that engage with the pair of long side frames of the frame member from the inside in a separating direction to detach the pair of long side frames of the laminated panel main body from which the pair of short side frames have been detached.

[0036] According to a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed in accordance with the present embodiment, the short side frames and long side frames are sequentially removed from the laminated panel body, allowing the frame member to be removed from the laminated panel body and disassembled into a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames.

[0037] In addition, by removing the pair of short side frames prior to the pair of long side frames, each frame can be disassembled more easily. That is, since the short side frames and the long side frames are generally fixed to the laminated panel body, the fixing force of the long side frame, which has a longer side length, to the laminated panel body is greater than that of the short side frame. In addition, the short side frames and the long side frames are also fixed to each other between adjacent frames. Therefore, by first removing the short side frames, which have a smaller fixing force to the laminated panel body, the fixing force between adjacent frames can be removed when removing the long side frames, and the force required to remove the long side frames can be reduced, which can reduce the size of the power source that drives the horizontal driving means and the amount of deformation of the short side frames and the long side frames.

[0038] A thirteenth aspect is a vehicle equipped with an on-site processing solar panel disposal device, characterized in that an on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in any one of the first to twelfth aspects is installed in the vehicle, and the device frame is fixed to the vehicle body.

[0039] According to a vehicle equipped with a solar panel disposal device for on-site processing constructed in accordance with this embodiment, since the solar panel disposal device is installed, the solar panel disposal device can be easily brought to the solar panel installation site by simply driving the vehicle to the solar panel installation site.

[0040] In addition, since the solar panel disposal device has an equipment frame, the solar panel disposal device can be easily mounted on an automobile by fixing the equipment frame of the solar panel disposal device to the vehicle body.

[0041] The fourteenth aspect is a vehicle equipped with an on-site processing solar panel disposal device as described in the thirteenth aspect, the overall dimensions of which are within the standard dimension range for a standard automobile.

[0042] A vehicle equipped with an on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed according to this embodiment can be driven with a driver's license for a standard vehicle because its overall dimensions fall within the standard dimension range for a standard vehicle.

[0043] A fifteenth aspect is a method for disposing of solar panels having a structure in which a laminated panel body is surrounded by metal frame members, comprising the steps of: (a) removing the frame members from the laminated panel body for each of a plurality of solar panels at the site where the solar panels are installed, and disassembling the frame members into a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames; (b) assembling a plurality of the laminated panel bodies from which the frame members have been removed and which are in a single state, stacked on top of each other; (c) assembling a plurality of frame members consisting of the short side frames and the long side frames that have been removed from the laminated panel body and disassembled; (d) transporting the plurality of assembled laminated panel bodies by truck together to a laminated panel processing facility; and (e) transporting the plurality of assembled frame members by truck together to a metal processing facility.

[0044] According to the solar panel disposal method of this embodiment, the frame members of the removed solar panel are removed from the laminated panel body at the site where the solar panel is installed, and the laminated panel bodies are bundled together in a stacked state and transported by truck to a laminated panel processing facility, so that the laminated panel bodies can be efficiently removed from the solar panel installation site. Also, the frame members removed from the laminated panel body are disassembled into a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames, and the short side frames and the long side frames are bundled together and transported by truck to a metal processing facility, so that the frame members can be efficiently removed from the solar panel installation site.

[0045] A sixteenth aspect is a method for disposing of solar panels as described in the fifteenth aspect, in which, at the site where the solar panels are installed, the frame members are removed from the laminated panel body for each of a plurality of solar panels, and the frame members are disassembled into the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames, using a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device as described in claim 1 or 2.

[0046] According to the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device constructed according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain the effects achieved by using the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device described in any one of the first to twelfth embodiments.

[0047] A seventeenth aspect is a solar panel disposal device for disposing of a solar panel having a structure in which a laminated panel main body is surrounded by a metal frame member, the device comprising an installation device frame, the device frame being provided with a support member that supports the solar panel from below, the device frame being provided with two pairs of engaging claws that are arranged in opposing states in two orthogonal axial directions in a horizontal plane located above the support member and that are engageable from the inside with a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames of the frame member of the solar panel, respectively, and that are movable in the approaching and separating directions in each opposing direction, and the solar panel supported by the support member is moved relatively close to and separated from the two pairs of engaging claws in the up-down direction. The solar panel is provided with a vertical driving means and a horizontal driving means for driving the two pairs of engaging claws in respective opposing directions toward and away from each other, and each pair of engaging claws is engaged from the inside with the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames of the solar panel which are supported by the vertical driving means in such a way that they approach each other in the vertical direction relative to the two pairs of engaging claws, and the horizontal driving means drives each pair of engaging claws in the separating direction, thereby detaching the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames from the laminated panel main body, and is characterized in that a protrusion prevention portion which is located on the outer periphery of the solar panel and limits the amount of displacement of the frame member which has detached from the laminated panel main body toward the outer periphery from the laminated panel main body is provided integrally with the engaging claws.

[0048] According to the solar panel disposal device constructed according to this embodiment, the frame members separated from the laminated panel body toward the outer periphery by the engagement claws can be prevented from flying out too far from the laminated panel body toward the outer periphery by the fly-out prevention portion. Therefore, scattering of the frame members separated from the laminated panel body is suppressed, and the frame members can be easily collected. Moreover, by providing the fly-out prevention portion to the engagement claws that detach the frame members from the laminated panel body, the fly-out of the frame members can be quickly restricted at a position close to the laminated panel body. Effect of the Invention

[0049] According to the present invention, efficient recycling of removed solar panels can be achieved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0050] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle equipped with a solar panel disposal device for on-site treatment according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] Plan view of the vehicle with the on-site solar panel disposal device shown in Figure 1 [Diagram 3] Right side view of the vehicle with the on-site solar panel disposal device shown in Figure 1 [Figure 4] Rear view of the vehicle with the on-site solar panel disposal device shown in Figure 1 [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper disassembly device constituting the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of the upper disassembly device shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the upper cracker shown in FIG. [Figure 8] Right side view of the upper disassembly device shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a lower support device constituting the vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of the lower support device shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a right side view of the lower support device shown in FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a bottom view of the lower support device shown in FIG. [Figure 13] An enlarged view of the main parts explaining the frame member removal process using the vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main part of a vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0051] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0052] 1 to 4 show automobile 10 equipped with an on-site treatment solar panel disposal device as a first embodiment of the present invention. Automobile 10 equipped with an on-site treatment solar panel disposal device is structured such that an on-board on-site treatment solar panel disposal device 12 (hereinafter referred to as solar panel disposal device 12) is mounted on automobile 14. In the following description, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction in FIG. 3 which is the vertical up-down direction, the front-rear direction refers to the left-right direction in FIG. 3 which is the front-rear direction of automobile 14, and the left-right direction refers to the left-right direction in FIG. 2 which is the left-right direction of automobile 14.

[0053] The solar panel disposal apparatus 12 is an apparatus used for disposing of the solar panels 1, and has a structure in which an upper disassembly device 18 and a lower support device 20 are attached to an apparatus frame 16.

[0054] The device frame 16 is formed by combining elongated steel materials, for example, and includes a pair of front and rear rectangular frame parts 22, 22, lower connecting parts 24, 24 that connect the rectangular frame parts 22, 22 to each other in the front-rear direction at both corners of the lower side, and upper connecting parts 26, 26 that connect the rectangular frame parts 22, 22 to each other in the front-rear direction at the left-right middle of the upper side. The rectangular frame parts 22, 22 are rectangular in shape with the outer dimensions in the left-right direction larger than the outer dimensions in the up-down direction, and are connected to a loading platform 140 (described later) of the automobile 14 by support legs 28 that extend downward from both corners of the lower side. The device frame 16 is mounted on the loading platform 140 of the automobile 14 by fixing the support legs 28 to the loading platform 140. The outer dimensions of the device frame 16 are set to fit within the standard dimensions of a standard automobile. In this embodiment, the outer dimensions in the up-down direction of the device frame 16 are set to be equal to or smaller than the maximum dimension in the up-down direction of the automobile 14, the outer dimensions in the left-right direction are set to be equal to or smaller than the maximum dimension in the left-right direction of the automobile 14, and the outer dimensions in the front-rear direction are set to be equal to or smaller than the maximum dimension in the front-rear direction of the automobile 14. In particular, the outer dimensions in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the device frame 16 are set to be smaller than the outer dimensions in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the cargo bed 140 of the automobile 14, and are sized to fit on the cargo bed 140.

[0055] The upper disassembly device 18 is equipped with a horizontal drive device 30 as a horizontal drive means for driving a plurality of engaging claws 72, which will be described later. As shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the horizontal drive device 30 has a structure in which a horizontal output device 34 as a drive device main body and a horizontal transmission mechanism 36 as a transmission mechanism are disposed on the inner periphery of a frame-shaped mounting member 32 that is rectangular in shape when viewed in the vertical direction. The frame-shaped mounting member 32 is formed by combining four linearly extending steel members into a rectangular frame shape, and is rectangular in shape with the front-to-back outer dimensions being larger than the left-to-right outer dimensions when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0056] The horizontal output device 34 is an actuator that generates a drive output by being supplied with a power source such as an external power source, and in this embodiment, is an electric linear actuator. That is, the horizontal output device 34 in this embodiment is a hydraulic cylinder including a piston rod 38 having a longitudinal axis and a cylinder 40 into which one end of the piston rod 38 is inserted, and the piston rod 38 moves relative to the cylinder 40 in the axial direction by supplying or discharging mineral oil, which is a working fluid, to or from the cylinder 40 by a hydraulic pump (not shown). Note that the working fluid of the horizontal output device 34 is not limited to mineral oil, and may be other liquids or gas such as air. Also, the horizontal output device 34 is not limited to a linear actuator, and may be, for example, an electric motor that outputs a rotational driving force.

[0057] The cylinder 40 of the horizontal output device 34 is attached to a first plate member 42. The first plate member 42 is flat and longitudinally elongated. Its rear portion is fixed to the cylinder 40 by being overlapped with the lower surface of the cylinder 40. A first longitudinal slit 44 is formed in the front portion, which is elongated in the longitudinal direction and penetrates the piston rod 38 below the piston rod 38. A plate-shaped guide portion 46 is provided at the front end of the first plate member 42 so as to protrude upward. The front end portion of the piston rod 38 is inserted axially slidably into a circular hole that penetrates the guide portion 46 in the longitudinal plate thickness direction. This allows the piston rod 38 to be guided by the guide portion 46 when driven in the axial direction, thereby suppressing axial wobble of the piston rod 38. A part of the front portion of the first plate member 42 protrudes outward to both the left and right, and the protruding portions are formed with first lateral slits 48 that penetrate the vertical direction and extend linearly in the lateral direction.

[0058] A second plate member 50 is disposed below the first plate member 42. The second plate member 50 is a plate material that is L-shaped when viewed in the vertical direction, and includes a second front-rear slit 52 that penetrates in the vertical plate thickness direction and extends linearly in the front-rear direction, and a second left-right slit 54 that penetrates in the vertical plate thickness direction and extends linearly in the left-right direction. The second plate member 50 is disposed below the front part of the first plate member 42 and is disposed approximately parallel to the first plate member 42, with the second front-rear slit 52 positioned to overlap the first front-rear slit 44 when projected in the vertical direction.

[0059] The piston rod 38 of the horizontal output device 34 is connected to the horizontal transmission mechanism 36. The horizontal transmission mechanism 36 is a link device having a plurality of links connected to each other by pins. The horizontal transmission mechanism 36 includes a front link device 56a, a rear link device 56b, a left link device 56c, and a right link device 56d.

[0060] More specifically, an output member 58 extending downward is fixed to the middle of the piston rod 38, and the output member 58 protrudes downward through the first front-rear slit 44 of the first plate member 42. The lower end of the output member 58 is connected to a first front link 60a extending forward from the output member 58, a first rear link 60b extending rearward from the output member 58, a first left link 60c extending leftward from the output member 58, and a first right link 60d extending rightward from the output member 58. The front-rear, left-right first links 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d are each formed in a longitudinal plate shape, and circular holes for pin connection are formed at both ends, penetrating in the vertical plate thickness direction. One end of each of the front, rear, left and right first links 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d is pivotally supported by an output member 58, and is permitted to rotate relative to the output member 58 about an axis extending in the vertical direction.

[0061] The other end of the first front link 60a opposite to the output member 58 is pin-joined to one end of the second front link 62a so as to allow relative rotation around the vertical axis. The second front link 62a is a longitudinal plate-like structure with circular holes formed at both ends, similar to the first front link 60a, and extends forward beyond the front end of the first front link 60a. The pins joining the first front link 60a and the second front link 62a are inserted into the second left and right slits 54 of the second plate member 50, so that the displacement direction of the connection portion between the first front link 60a and the second front link 62a is limited to the left and right direction.

[0062] The other end of the second front link 62a is connected to the front drive member 64a. The front drive member 64a is a longitudinal member that extends linearly in the left-right direction, and the other end of the second front link 62a is connected to the center part in the left-right direction. The second front link 62a is pin-joined to the front drive member 64a, and is allowed to rotate around the vertical axis at the joint.

[0063] When the piston rod 38 is driven in the forward / backward direction, the output of the piston rod 38 is transmitted to the front drive member 64a via the front link device 56a, which includes a first front link 60a and a second front link 62a, so that the front drive member 64a is moved in the forward / backward direction.

[0064] Two front connecting rods 66a, 66a, each of which is in the shape of a circular rod, are fixed to the front drive member 64a so as to extend rearward from both ends in the left-right direction and penetrate the front edge of the frame-shaped mounting member 32 in the front-rear direction. The front ends of the front connecting rods 66a, 66a protruding forward from the frame-shaped mounting member 32 are fixed to the front claw holding member 68a. The front claw holding member 68a is an elongated member that extends linearly in the left-right direction. Since the front connecting rods 66a are allowed to be displaced relative to the frame-shaped mounting member 32 in the front-rear direction, the front claw holding member 68a moves in the front-rear direction together with the front drive member 64a as the front drive member 64a moves in the front-rear direction.

[0065] The other end of the first rear link 60b, which is the end opposite to the output member 58, is pin-connected to the rear driving member 64b, and rotation about the vertical axis at the joint is permitted. When the piston rod 38 is driven in the front-rear direction, the output of the piston rod 38 is transmitted to the rear driving member 64b via the rear link device 56b including the first rear link 60b, and the rear driving member 64b is moved in the front-rear direction.

[0066] Two rear connecting rods 66b, 66b each having a circular rod shape are fixed to the rear driving member 64b so as to extend rearward from both left and right end portions and penetrate the rear side of the frame-shaped mounting member 32 in the front-rear direction. The rear ends of the rear connecting rods 66b, 66b protruding rearward from the frame-shaped mounting member 32 are fixed to the rear claw holding member 68b. The rear claw holding member 68b is an elongated member extending linearly in the left-right direction. Since the rear connecting rods 66b are allowed to be displaced relative to the frame-shaped mounting member 32 in the front-rear direction, the rear claw holding member 68b moves in the front-rear direction together with the rear driving member 64b as the rear driving member 64b moves in the front-rear direction.

[0067] When the piston rod 38 is driven, the front driving member 64a and the rear driving member 64b are driven in opposite directions in the front-rear direction, and the front claw holding member 68a and the rear claw holding member 68b are also driven in opposite directions in the front-rear direction. That is, when the front driving member 64a (front claw holding member 68a) moves forward, the rear driving member 64b (rear claw holding member 68b) moves rearward, and when the front driving member 64a (front claw holding member 68a) moves rearward, the rear driving member 64b (rear claw holding member 68b) moves forward.

[0068] The other end of the first left link 60c opposite the output member 58 is pin-joined to one end of the second left link 62c so as to allow relative rotation around the vertical axis. The second left link 62c is, like the first left link 60c, a longitudinal plate with circular holes formed at both ends, and extends leftward beyond the left end of the first left link 60c. The pin joining the first left link 60c and the second left link 62c is inserted into the first left-right slit 48 on the left side of the first plate member 42, so that the displacement direction of the connection portion between the first left link 60c and the second left link 62c is limited to the left-right direction.

[0069] The other end of the second left link 62c is connected to the left drive member 64c. The left drive member 64c is a longitudinal member that extends linearly in the front-rear direction, and the other end of the second left link 62c is connected to a central portion in the front-rear direction. The second left link 62c is pin-joined to the left drive member 64c, and is allowed to rotate about a vertical axis at the joint.

[0070] When the piston rod 38 is driven in the forward / rearward direction, the output of the piston rod 38 is transmitted to the left driving member 64c via the left link device 56c including the first left link 60c and the second left link 62c, so that the left driving member 64c is moved in the left / right direction.

[0071] Three left connecting rods 66c, 66c, 66c each having a circular rod shape are fixed to the left driving member 64c so as to extend leftward from the center and both ends in the front-rear direction, and penetrate the left side of the frame-shaped mounting member 32 in the left-right direction. The left ends of the left connecting rods 66c, 66c, 66c protruding leftward from the frame-shaped mounting member 32 are fixed to the left claw holding member 68c. The left claw holding member 68c is an elongated member that extends linearly in the front-rear direction. Since the left connecting rods 66c are allowed to displace relative to the frame-shaped mounting member 32 in the left-right direction, the left claw holding member 68c moves left-right together with the left driving member 64c as the left driving member 64c moves left-right.

[0072] The other end of the first right link 60d opposite the output member 58 is pin-joined to one end of the second right link 62d so as to allow relative rotation around the vertical axis. The second right link 62d is, like the first right link 60d, a longitudinal plate with circular holes formed at both ends, and extends rightward beyond the right end of the first right link 60d. The pin joining the first right link 60d and the second right link 62d is inserted into the first left-right slit 48 on the right side of the first plate member 42, so that the displacement direction of the connection portion between the first right link 60d and the second right link 62d is limited to the left-right direction.

[0073] The other end of the second right link 62d is connected to the right drive member 64d. The right drive member 64d is a longitudinal member that extends linearly in the front-rear direction, and the other end of the second right link 62d is connected to a central portion in the front-rear direction. The second right link 62d is connected to the right drive member 64d by a pin, and is allowed to rotate about a vertical axis at the joint.

[0074] When the piston rod 38 is driven in the forward / backward direction, the output of the piston rod 38 is transmitted to the right driving member 64d via the right link device 56d, which includes a first right link 60d and a second right link 62d, so that the right driving member 64d is moved in the left / right direction.

[0075] Three right connecting rods 66d, 66d, 66d each having a circular rod shape are fixed to the right driving member 64d so as to extend leftward from the center and both ends in the front-rear direction and penetrate the right side of the frame-shaped mounting member 32 in the left-right direction. The right ends of the right connecting rods 66d, 66d, 66d protruding rightward beyond the frame-shaped mounting member 32 are fixed to the right claw holding member 68d. The right claw holding member 68d is an elongated member that extends linearly in the front-rear direction. Since each right connecting rod 66d is allowed to be displaced relative to the frame-shaped mounting member 32 in the left-right direction, the right claw holding member 68d moves left-right together with the right driving member 64d as the right driving member 64d moves left-right.

[0076] When the piston rod 38 is driven, the left driving member 64c and the right driving member 64d are driven in opposite left-right directions, and the left claw holding member 68c and the right claw holding member 68d are also driven in opposite left-right directions. That is, when the left driving member 64c (left claw holding member 68c) moves leftward, the right driving member 64d (right claw holding member 68d) moves rightward, and when the left driving member 64c (left claw holding member 68c) moves rightward, the right driving member 64d (right claw holding member 68d) moves leftward.

[0077] In the horizontal drive device 30 of this embodiment, the output of one horizontal output device 34 is applied to the front, rear, left and right claw holding members 68a, 68b, 68c, 68d by the horizontal transmission mechanism 36, respectively, so that the pair of claw holding members 68a, 68b in the front-rear direction and the pair of claw holding members 68c, 68d in the left-right direction can be driven in the mutual approaching direction and the mutual separating direction, respectively. In this embodiment, when the front and rear claw holding members 68a, 68b move in the mutual approaching direction, the left and right claw holding members 68c, 68d move in the mutual separating direction, and when the front and rear claw holding members 68a, 68b move in the mutual separating direction, the left and right claw holding members 68c, 68d move in the mutual approaching direction.

[0078] The front, rear, left and right claw holding members 68a, 68b, 68c, 68d extend in the longitudinal direction and have substantially the same cross-sectional shape. That is, each claw holding member 68 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape as a whole, and has locking grooves 70, 70 that open on both sides in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction. The locking grooves 70 extend linearly with a substantially constant rectangular cross section over the entire length of the claw holding member 68. The locking grooves 70 are located above the vertical center of the claw holding member 68, and the fixing position of the connecting rod 66 to the claw holding member 68 is located below the locking grooves 70.

[0079] The horizontal drive device 30 thus constructed is provided with an engagement claw 72. The engagement claw 72 is attached to the front, rear, left and right claw holding members 68a, 68b, 68c, and 68d, respectively. The engagement claw 72 is made of a metal material such as steel, and extends linearly with a substantially constant cross-sectional shape. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the engagement claw 72 is integrally provided with a rectangular flat connecting plate portion 74 that extends in a substantially perpendicular direction, a mounting portion 76 that protrudes upward from one end of the connecting plate portion 74 in the width direction, and a claw portion 78 that protrudes downward from the other end of the connecting plate portion 74 in the width direction.

[0080] The mounting portion 76 is integrally provided with a rectangular plate-shaped outer abutment portion 80 extending upward from the connecting plate portion 74, an upper abutment portion 82 extending from the upper end of the outer abutment portion 80 and facing the connecting plate portion 74 at a distance in the up-down direction, an inner abutment portion 84 extending downward from an end of the upper abutment portion 82 opposite the outer abutment portion 80, and a locking protrusion 86 protruding from the lower end of the inner abutment portion 84 toward the outer abutment portion 80 and facing the upper abutment portion 82 at a distance in the up-down direction. Then, the claw holding member 68 is inserted into an end opening in the length direction of the mounting portion 76, and the outer abutment portion 80, the upper abutment portion 82, and the inner abutment portion 84 of the mounting portion 76 are overlapped on the surface of the claw holding member 68, and the locking protrusion 86 is inserted into the locking groove 70 of the claw holding member 68, whereby the engaging claw 72 is attached to the claw holding member 68. Therefore, the engagement claw 72 is attached to the claw holding member 68 in a state in which it can move in the length direction of the claw holding member 68. In this embodiment, two engagement claws 72, 72 are attached to the front and rear claw holding members 68a, 68b at positions spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and three engagement claws 72, 72, 72 are attached to the left and right claw holding members 68c, 68d at positions spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. In order to prevent the engagement claw 72 from unintentionally falling off the claw holding member 68, a fall-off prevention mechanism that limits the amount of displacement of the engagement claw 72 in the length direction relative to the claw holding member 68 can also be provided. The fall-off prevention mechanism can be realized, for example, by providing a removable stop pin that penetrates the claw holding member 68 on the outer side of the length direction relative to the engagement claw 72 in a protruding state, and engaging the stop pin with the engagement claw 72.

[0081] The claw portion 78 is in the form of a plate extending in the vertical direction. The lower surface of the claw portion 78 is an inclined surface 88 inclined in the width direction of the engagement claw 72, and the inclined surface 88 is inclined downward toward the outside in the width direction. As a result, the edge on the outside in the width direction of the lower end of the claw portion 78 forms an acute angle. The angle θ (see FIG. 6) of the outside edge in the width direction of the claw portion 78 is preferably set within the range of 90°<θ≦30°, and more preferably within the range of 80°≦θ≦45°. The claw portion 78 is located on the inside of the inner abutment portion 84 of the mounting portion 76 in the width direction of the engagement claw 72. The width direction of the engagement claw 72 is the front-rear direction for the engagement claws 72 attached to the front and rear claw holding members 68a, 68b, and is the left-right direction for the engagement claws 72 attached to the left and right claw holding members 68c, 68d.

[0082] The engaging claws 72, 72 attached to the front claw holding member 68a and the engaging claws 72, 72 attached to the rear claw holding member 68b can be displaced in the direction of approaching and separating from each other in the front-rear direction by the horizontal drive device 30. Also, the engaging claws 72, 72, 72 attached to the left claw holding member 68c and the engaging claws 72, 72, 72 attached to the right claw holding member 68d can be displaced in the direction of approaching and separating from each other in the left-right direction by the horizontal drive device 30. In this way, the engaging claws 72, 72 attached to the front claw holding member 68a and the engaging claws 72, 72 attached to the rear claw holding member 68b form a pair in the front-rear direction, and the engaging claws 72, 72, 72 attached to the left claw holding member 68c and the engaging claws 72, 72, 72 attached to the right claw holding member 68d form a pair in the left-right direction. The two pairs of engaging claws 72 are driven simultaneously in mutually approaching and mutually separating directions by the output of one horizontal output device 34 constituting the horizontal drive device 30.

[0083] The upper disassembly device 18 thus constructed is supported by the device frame 16, as shown in Figures 1 to 4. That is, a frame connecting member 90 fixed to the upper connecting portion 26 of the device frame 16 and extending downward is connected at its lower end to a frame-shaped mounting member 32 of the horizontal drive device 30, and the frame-shaped mounting member 32 is supported in a suspended state by the upper connecting portion 26 via the frame connecting member 90. In this embodiment, two frame connecting members 90, 90 spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction are connected to both left and right side portions of the frame-shaped mounting member 32, respectively, and the frame-shaped mounting member 32 is supported by the device frame 16 at four points in the circumferential direction.

[0084] 4, horizontal output device connecting members 92 extending inward in the left-right direction are fixed to the rear frame connecting members 90, 90, and the left and right inner ends of the horizontal output device connecting members 92, 92 are connected to the first plate member 42 fixed to the horizontal output device 34. As a result, the horizontal output device 34 is supported by the device frame 16 via the first plate member 42 and the horizontal output device connecting members 92, 92. As a result, the upper disassembly device 18 is fixedly supported by the device frame 16. The second plate member 50 is connected and fixed to the first plate member 42.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 2, the horizontal output device 34 of the horizontal drive device 30 is disposed so as to fit within a rectangular planar frame (lightly shaded portion in Fig. 2) having the maximum width and length dimensions of the device frame 16 when projected in the vertical direction. The horizontal output device 34 is also disposed so as to fit within an area overlapping with the solar panel 1 shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 2 when projected in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, since one horizontal output device 34 drives the engaging claws 72 in four directions, it is possible to achieve a more compact size compared to the case where multiple horizontal output devices are provided.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, the lower support device 20 includes a support member 94 and a vertical drive device 96 serving as a vertical drive means.

[0087] The support member 94 includes a support plate portion 98 that is generally flat. As shown in FIG. 12, the support plate portion 98 is substantially X-shaped with four arms 100 that protrude in all directions when viewed in the vertical direction. The support plate portion 98 includes a through hole 102 that penetrates in the vertical direction at the tip portion of each arm portion 100, and a cylindrical guide tube member 104 that protrudes downward from the opening periphery of the through hole 102 is fixed to the lower surface of the support plate portion 98. In addition, a link support portion 106 is attached to the lower surface of the middle portion of each arm portion 100 of the support plate portion 98. The link support portion 106 is formed in a concave shape that opens downward, and includes a pair of support pieces that protrude downward from the support plate portion 98 and face each other in the width direction of the arm portion 100. The method of fixing the guide tube member 104 and the link support portion 106 to the support plate portion 98 is not particularly limited, but they can be fixed, for example, by bolt fixing, welding, mechanical engagement, etc.

[0088] The support member 94 includes four support rods 108, 108, 108, 108 inserted into the through holes 102 of the support plate portion 98. The upper portion of each support rod 108 is formed in a circular rod shape and is inserted into the through holes 102 of the support plate portion 98 from below, and the lower end portion is provided with an output side joint portion 110 that is pin-joined to a second link 124 described later by sandwiching it from both sides in the thickness direction. The support rods 108 are inserted into the through holes 102 and the inner hole of the guide tube member 104 with a gap therebetween, and are capable of relative displacement in the vertical direction with respect to the support plate portion 98. The upper end surface of the support rods 108 is flush or can be flush with the upper surface of the support plate portion 98 at the bottom dead center, and the upper portion protrudes above the support plate portion 98 at the top dead center.

[0089] The vertical drive device 96 includes a vertical output device 112 as a drive device main body. The vertical output device 112 is an actuator similar to the horizontal output device 34. The vertical output device 112 of this embodiment is a hydraulic linear actuator including a cylinder 114 and a piston rod 116, and generates a drive output by the piston rod 116 moving in an expanding and contracting manner relative to the cylinder 114. In the vertical drive device 96, the cylinder 114 is fixed to be superimposed on the lower surface of the central portion of the support plate portion 98, and the piston rod 116 protrudes downward from the cylinder 114, and generates a drive output in the vertical direction.

[0090] A vertical transmission mechanism 118 is connected to the piston rod 116 of the vertical output device 112. The vertical transmission mechanism 118 includes a first link 122 having four connecting arm portions 120, 120, 120, 120, and four second links 124, 124, 124, 124 connected to each of the four connecting arm portions 120, 120, 120, 120, respectively.

[0091] The first link 122 has a central cylindrical portion 126 that is fixed in an externally fitted state to the lower end of the piston rod 116, and connecting arm portions 120, 120, 120, 120 extend radially from four points in the circumferential direction of the central cylindrical portion 126. The connecting arm portion 120 extends from the central cylindrical portion 126 to the outer periphery, bends at the end, and extends upward, and a groove-shaped input side joint portion 128 is provided at the upper end. The input side joint portion 128 has a pair of mounting pieces that are spaced apart and opposed to each other, and a circular pin insertion hole is formed that penetrates the mounting pieces in opposing directions.

[0092] The second link 124 is generally in the form of a longitudinal plate, and is formed in a V-shape by providing a bent portion 130 bent in the width direction at a portion of the middle in the longitudinal direction. The second link 124 has pin insertion holes penetrating in the thickness direction at both ends in the longitudinal direction and at the bent portion 130 at the middle in the longitudinal direction. One end of the second link 124 is inserted between a pair of opposing attachment pieces at the input side joint 128 of the first link 122 and is pin-joined to the first link 122, and the bent portion 130 provided midway in the longitudinal direction is inserted between the opposing surfaces of a pair of support pieces at the link support portion 106 fixed to the support plate portion 98 and is pin-joined to the link support portion 106.

[0093] The support rod 108 is attached to the other end of the second link 124. That is, the other end of the second link 124 is inserted into an output side joint 110 provided at the lower end of the support rod 108 and is pin-jointed so that the angle can be changed.

[0094] When the piston rod 116 of the vertical output device 112 is driven and displaced in the vertical direction, the first link 122 fixed to the piston rod 116 is displaced in the vertical direction together with the piston rod 116. The second link 124 connected to each connecting arm portion 120 of the first link 122 swings around a pin support point by the link support portion 106 set at the middle of the length direction as a fulcrum as one end of the second link 124 is displaced in the vertical direction, and the other end of the second link 124 swings around the fulcrum. The support rod 108 connected to the other end of the second link 124 is displaced in the vertical direction in accordance with the swing of the other end of the second link 124, and the protruding height of the support rod 108 upward from the upper surface of the support plate portion 98 changes. In short, the vertical drive device 96 transmits the output of the vertical output device 112 to the support rod 108, which is a part of the support member 94, by the vertical transmission mechanism 118, thereby raising and lowering the support member 94 (support rod 108) in the vertical direction. 9 to 11 show the support rod 108 protruding upward to its maximum extent, but when the piston rod 116 moves upward from the illustrated state, the support rod 108 moves downward, and the height at which the support rod 108 protrudes upward from the support plate portion 98 becomes smaller.

[0095] The pin insertion hole provided at the other end of the second link 124 is elongated and extends in the length direction of the second link 124, and a pin connecting the second link 124 and the support rod 108 is inserted into the pin insertion hole, thereby forming a cam mechanism at the connection between the second link 124 and the support rod 108. This cam mechanism converts the swinging displacement of the second link 124 into a linear displacement of the support rod 108 in the vertical direction, thereby preventing malfunction caused by the support rod 108 being pressed against the inner surface of the through hole 102.

[0096] 1 to 3, the lower support device 20 is connected to the lower connecting portion 24 by a pair of vertical output device connecting members 132, 132 fixed to the cylinder 114 of the vertical output device 112 and extending outward to both the left and right sides, and is supported by the device frame 16. In this embodiment, the vertical drive device 96 protrudes downward from the lower end of the device frame 16, but may be disposed so as to be located above the lower end of the device frame 16, for example.

[0097] As is clear from Fig. 2, the vertical output device 112 of the vertical drive device 96 is arranged so as to fit within a rectangular planar frame (lightly ink-shaded portion in Fig. 2) having the maximum width and length dimensions of the device frame 16 when projected in the vertical direction. The vertical output device 112 is also arranged so as to fit within an area overlapping with the solar panel 1 shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 2 when projected in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the lifting and lowering drive of the support member 94 is realized by one vertical output device 112, so that the device can be made more compact than when multiple vertical output devices are provided.

[0098] The solar panel disposal device 12 constructed as described above is used for disposing of solar panels 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the solar panel 1 is shaped like a generally rectangular plate overall, and includes a plate-shaped laminated panel body 2 including solar cells, and a rectangular frame member 3 attached so as to surround the outer periphery of the laminated panel body 2. The frame member 3 is formed from a metal such as an aluminum alloy, and is composed of a pair of short side frames 4,4 and a pair of long side frames 5,5.

[0099] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the removed solar panel 1 is inserted from the rear between the upper disassembly device 18 and the lower support device 20 in the solar panel disposal device 12, and is placed on the upper surface of the support plate portion 98 of the lower support device 20. As a result, the solar panel 1 is supported from below by the support member 94. The solar panel 1 supported by the support member 94 spreads in a substantially orthogonal direction (horizontal direction), and a pair of short side frames 4, 4 and a pair of long side frames 5, 5 in the frame member 3 are arranged to face each other in two orthogonal axial directions in the same horizontal plane. When placing the solar panel 1 on the support plate portion 98, it is desirable to position the support rod 108 at the lowest point in order to facilitate insertion.

[0100] Although not explicitly shown in the drawings, for example, a panel conveying device may be provided that sends the solar panel 1 from the rear to the front and assists in inserting the solar panel 1 onto the support member 94. The panel conveying device may employ, for example, various known conveyors, and a roller conveyor may be preferably employed. Note that the panel conveying device may passively assist in the insertion of the solar panel 1 by reducing frictional resistance, for example, but is preferably one that actively sends the solar panel 1 by power.

[0101] When the solar panel 1 is inserted to an appropriate position on the support member 94 and the solar panel 1 is superimposed on the support plate portion 98, the vertical output device 112 is operated to protrude the support rod 108 above the support plate portion 98. As a result, the four corners of the laminated panel body 2 of the solar panel 1 are supported at points by the support rods 108, and the solar panel 1 is lifted upward and approaches the engagement claws 72. Since the solar panel 1 is supported at points by the support rods 108, the support of the solar panel 1 is more stable even if the lower surface of the solar panel 1 is wavy or has unevenness. In particular, in this embodiment, since the solar panel 1 is supported at four points by the four support rods 108, 108, 108, 108, even if one support rod 108 hits a recess on the lower surface of the solar panel 1 and cannot support the solar panel 1 well, the other three support rods 108, 108, 108 can stably support the solar panel 1. However, the number, shape, and horizontal placement positions of the support rods are not limited, and for example, at least one of the multiple support rods may be adjustable in position in the horizontal plane. Also, at least one of the support rods may be elastically adjustable in vertical position via a coil spring or spring member. With such a configuration, it becomes easy to appropriately respond to stable support of a deformed solar panel 1, for example.

[0102] In a state where the solar panel 1 is lifted by the vertical drive device 96 and approaches the engaging claw 72 in the vertical direction, the engaging claw 72 is inserted into the inner periphery of the frame member 3 above the laminated panel main body 2, as shown in FIG. 13. The engaging claw 72 may be pressed against the upper surface of the laminated panel main body 2, or the solar panel 1 may be sandwiched between the engaging claw 72 and the support rod 108 in the vertical direction and held in a positioned state. However, in this embodiment, the upper disassembly device 18 is provided with an abutment portion (not shown) that abuts against the upper surface of the laminated panel main body 2, and the laminated panel main body 2 is sandwiched between the abutment portion and the support rod 108 in the vertical direction, thereby holding the solar panel 1 in a positioned state. Such an abutment portion (not shown) may, for example, elastically abut or be movable in the vertical direction.

[0103] Then, by moving the engagement claws 72 located on the inner periphery of the frame member 3 toward the outer periphery by output from the horizontal output device 34, the claw portions 78 of the engagement claws 72 engage with the upper end portion of the frame member 3 from the inside. By driving the engagement claws 72 engaged with the upper end portion of the frame member 3 further toward the outer periphery, the frame member 3 is pushed toward the outer periphery by the claw portions 78 of the engagement claws 72, and the short side frame 4 or the long side frame 5 of the frame member 3 is removed outward from the laminated panel main body 2. As a result, the frame member 3 is separated from the laminated panel main body 2.

[0104] In this embodiment, the front and rear pairs of engagement claws 72 are simultaneously driven apart in opposite directions in the front-rear direction, so that the front and rear short side frames 4, 4 are simultaneously removed. In addition, the left and right pairs of engagement claws 72 are driven closer to each other in the left-right direction when the front and rear pairs of engagement claws 72 are driven apart outward in the front-rear direction, and are driven apart outward in the left-right direction when the front and rear pairs of engagement claws 72 are driven closer to each other in the front-rear direction. Therefore, by one reciprocating operation of the piston rod 116 in the horizontal output device 34, the front and rear pairs of engagement claws 72 and the left and right pairs of engagement claws 72 are each driven apart outward once, so that the pair of short side frames 4, 4 and the pair of long side frames 5, 5 are sequentially removed from the laminated panel main body 2. In this way, the pair of engagement claws 72 in the front-to-rear direction operates to simultaneously remove the short side frames 4, 4 on both the front and rear sides, and the pair of engagement claws 72 in the left-to-right direction operates to simultaneously remove the long side frames 5, 5 on both the left and right sides, thereby canceling out the reaction force caused by pressing the engagement claws 72 against the frame member 3. This makes it possible to relatively reduce the fixing strength of the solar panel disposal device 12 (device frame 16) to the vehicle and the fixing strength of the upper disassembly device 18 to the device frame 16, etc.

[0105] In this embodiment, the horizontal drive device 30 is controlled to drive each pair of front and rear engaging claws 72 in the direction away from each other to detach the pair of short side frames 4, 4 from the laminated panel main body 2, and then drive each pair of left and right engaging claws 72 in the direction away from each other to detach the pair of long side frames 5, 5 from the laminated panel main body 2 in a state in which the pair of short side frames 4, 4 has been detached. In this embodiment, the operation control device that controls the operation of the horizontal drive device 30 is composed of an output control device of the horizontal output device 34 and a link device of the horizontal transmission mechanism 36. For example, four horizontal output devices 34 may be provided, and the outputs of the four horizontal output devices 34 may be applied to the front, rear, left and right claw holding members 68 without passing through the horizontal transmission mechanism, and in that case, the operation control device may be composed of the output control devices of the horizontal output devices 34.

[0106] In addition, since the short side frame 4 and the long side frame 5 are sequentially removed from the laminated panel main body 2, the frame member 3 can be removed from the laminated panel main body 2 and disassembled into a pair of short side frames 4,4 and a pair of long side frames 5,5. In particular, in this embodiment, the pair of short side frames 4,4 are removed prior to the pair of long side frames 5,5, so that each frame can be disassembled more easily. That is, since each frame 4,5 is generally fixed to the laminated panel main body 2, the fixing force of the long side frame 5, which has a longer side length, to the laminated panel main body 2 is greater than that of the short side frame 4. In addition, each frame 4,5 is also fixed between adjacent frames. Therefore, by first removing the short side frames 4,4 which have a smaller fixing force to the laminated panel main body 2, the fixing force between adjacent frames can be removed when removing the long side frame 5, reducing the force required to remove the long side frame 5, and the horizontal output device 34 can be further downsized, and the deformation amount of each frame 4,5 during removal can be reduced. In addition, in this embodiment, by first removing the short side frame 4 as described above, it is possible to ensure a larger stroke amount of the engagement claws 72 when removing the long side frames 5,5 compared to the stroke amount of the engagement claws 72 when removing the short side frames 4,4, and the larger stroke amount makes it possible to advantageously ensure the moving speed of the engagement claws 72 when abutting against the long side frame 5, and as a result, the horizontal output device 34 can be further downsized.

[0107] In this way, by removing the metal frame member 3 from the laminated panel main body 2, it becomes possible to efficiently recycle the laminated panel main body 2 and the frame member 3. Moreover, the frame member 3 can be removed from the laminated panel main body 2 semi-automatically using the output of the horizontal output device 34 and the vertical output device 112. Therefore, compared to removing them manually, it is possible to shorten the work time, reduce the labor, and stabilize the separated state of the laminated panel main body 2 and the frame member 3.

[0108] Furthermore, by transmitting the output of one horizontal output device 34 to each of the engaging claws 72 on the four sides by the horizontal transmission mechanism 36, the short side frames 4, 4 and long side frames 5, 5 provided on the four sides of the solar panel 1 can be removed from the laminated panel body 2 by the single horizontal output device 34. Therefore, compared to a case where a plurality of horizontal output devices (for example, four horizontal output devices that output in all four directions) are provided, the solar panel disposal device 12 can be made lighter and consume less energy. This is a great advantage in that it can be mounted on a small automobile 14, and it can easily be realized to drive the automobile 14 into mountainous areas where the solar panels 1 are installed, or to drive on rough ground within the site where the solar panels 1 are installed.

[0109] In the solar panel disposal device 12 of this embodiment, the engagement claw 72 can be removed from the claw holding member 68 by sliding the engagement claw 72 in the length direction of the claw holding member 68. Therefore, the engagement claw 72 can be appropriately replaced, for example, when the engagement claw 72 is worn or damaged due to long-term use, or when it is desirable to use another engagement claw with a different shape or structure. By utilizing such replacement of the engagement claw 72, for example, when the solar panel disposal device 12 is used for a plurality of types of solar panels 1 of different sizes, the distance between the claw portions 78 of the pair of engagement claws arranged opposite each other in the front-rear direction or left-right direction can be adjusted by appropriately replacing the coupling plate portion 74 with another engagement claw having a different width dimension, and the distance between the claw portions 78 can be easily optimized for each size of solar panel 1.

[0110] Also, the engagement claw 72 shown in this embodiment can be replaced with an engagement claw 134 having a different structure as shown in Fig. 14. The engagement claw 134 is integrally provided with a jump-out prevention portion 136 for preventing the frame member 3 separated from the laminated panel main body 2 from jumping out to the outer periphery. The jump-out prevention portion 136 is plate-shaped and extends downward, opposite the outer contact portion 80, at the outer end of the connecting plate portion 74 in the width direction. It is desirable that the lower end of the jump-out prevention portion 136 protrudes further downward than the lower end of the claw portion 78, but it may be located above the lower end of the claw portion 78.

[0111] When the frame member 3 of the solar panel 1 is removed from the laminated panel main body 2 by the engagement claw 134, the jump-out prevention portion 136 is located on the outer side of the frame member 3 opposite to the claw portion 78, and is overlapped with the outer peripheral surface of the frame member 3 in a close or abutting state with a gap. When the claw portion 78 is pressed against the frame member 3 to separate the frame member 3 from the laminated panel main body 2 to the outer periphery side, the frame member 3 that has been forcefully separated from the laminated panel main body 2 may jump out to the outer periphery side. However, if the engagement claw 134 having such a jump-out prevention portion 136 is adopted, the frame member 3 that is about to jump out to the outer periphery side abuts against the jump-out prevention portion 136, and the amount of displacement to the outer periphery side is limited. Therefore, the frame member 3 removed from the laminated panel main body 2 can be prevented from scattering around, making it easy to collect the frame member 3.

[0112] The claw portion 78 of the engaging claw 134 is provided at its lower end with a protruding portion 138 that protrudes toward the frame member 3. The protruding portion 138 has a jagged tip surface with repeated up and down projections, which prevents the claw portion 78 from slipping and unintentionally losing contact with the frame member 3 when the frame member 3 is pressed, thereby stabilizing the operation of separating the frame member 3.

[0113] 1 to 4, the solar panel disposal device 12 is mounted on a loading platform 140 that constitutes a part of the vehicle body of an automobile 14. That is, the device frame 16 is placed on the upper surface of the loading platform 140, and each support leg 28 is fixed to the loading platform 140 with bolts or the like to form an automobile 10 equipped with a solar panel disposal device for on-site processing, on which the solar panel disposal device 12 is mounted. Then, by driving the automobile 10 equipped with a solar panel disposal device for on-site processing to a site where a solar panel 1 is installed, the solar panel disposal device 12 can be transported to the site, and the laminated panel main body 2 and the frame member 3 can be disassembled on-site.

[0114] The overall dimensions of the automobile 10 equipped with the solar panel disposal device for on-site processing, which is equipped with the solar panel disposal device 12, are within the standard dimensions of a Japanese standard automobile, and it can be driven with a Japanese standard driver's license. In addition, the height, width, and length of the solar panel disposal device 12 are smaller than the maximum height, width, and length of the automobile 14, respectively, and therefore it can be driven in the same way as the automobile 14 before it is equipped with the solar panel disposal device for on-site processing, which is equipped with the solar panel disposal device 12. In particular, the width and length of the solar panel disposal device 12 are smaller than the width and length of the loading platform 140 of the automobile 14, and it fits on the loading platform 140 without protruding from the loading platform 140 to the outer periphery.

[0115] Meanwhile, the laminated panel body 2 and the frame member 3 (short side frame 4 and long side frame 5) separated by the solar panel disposal device 12 are transported by truck to a panel processing facility and a metal processing facility, respectively. Below, an on-site processing type solar panel disposal method will be described.

[0116] First, at the site where the solar panels 1 are installed, a panel disassembly process is performed for each of the multiple solar panels 1, in which the frame member 3 is removed from the laminated panel body 2 and the frame member 3 is disassembled into a pair of short side frames 4, 4 and a pair of long side frames 5, 5. In this process, the solar panel disposal device 12 according to this embodiment may be used, or, for example, the frame member 3 may be removed from the laminated panel body 2 manually by an operator.

[0117] Next, a panel sorting process is carried out in which the multiple laminated panel bodies 2 in a single state from which the frame members 3 have been removed are stacked on top of each other and organized in a stacked state. The assembled laminated panel bodies 2 may be bound together by a band or the like for a certain number of sheets, for example. In addition, the laminated panel bodies 2 may be organized on a pallet for a forklift, for example, to make it easier to load them onto a truck using a forklift.

[0118] In addition, a frame sorting process is carried out in which a plurality of frame members 3 (short side frames 4 and long side frames 5) in a single state that have been removed and disassembled from the laminated panel main body 2 are bundled together. The bundled frame members 3 may be bound together by a certain number of pieces using a string, band, chain, or the like, for example.

[0119] Next, a panel transport process is carried out in which the assembled multiple laminated panel bodies 2 are loaded onto a truck and the laminated panel body 2 is transported by truck to a panel processing facility. Also, a frame transport process is carried out in which the assembled multiple frame members 3 (short side frames 4 and long side frames 5) are loaded onto a truck and the frame members 3 are transported by truck to a metal processing facility. In this way, the laminated panel body 2 and the frame members 3 disassembled on-site are loaded onto separate trucks and transported to separate processing facilities. Then, the laminated panel body 2 is recycled at the panel processing facility, and the short side frames 4 and long side frames 5 are recycled at the metal processing facility.

[0120] In this way, by disassembling the laminated panel body 2 and the frame member 3 on-site where the solar panel 1 is installed, the laminated panel body 2 and the frame member 3 can be loaded onto separate trucks and transported by truck to separate destinations. Therefore, the laminated panel body 2 and the frame member 3, which require different recycling processes, can be efficiently transported to their respective processing facilities.

[0121] In addition, since the laminated panel body 2 in a standalone state with the frame members 3 removed is substantially flat, no gaps are formed by the frame members 3 when the panels are assembled in a stacked state, and the height in the stacking direction is reduced. Therefore, the laminated panel body 2 can be loaded onto a truck in a space-efficient manner, improving the efficiency of truck transportation.

[0122] Furthermore, the frame member 3 in a standalone state separated from the laminated panel main body 2 is further disassembled into a short side frame 4 and a long side frame 5, and is made into a long, slender member that extends in a straight line with an approximately hook-shaped cross section.By stacking or bundling multiple pieces together, they can be loaded onto a truck in a space-efficient manner, thereby making truck transportation more efficient.

[0123] In addition, in the on-site processing type solar panel disposal method as described above, in which the laminated panel body 2 in a standalone state and the frame member 3 in a standalone state are separately collected, and the laminated panel body 2 is transported by truck to a panel processing facility using a truck carrying the laminated panel body 2, and the frame member 3 is transported by truck carrying the frame member 3 to a metal processing facility using a truck carrying the frame member 3, it is not necessarily necessary to use the solar panel disposal apparatus 12 of this embodiment, and for example, the frame member 3 may be manually removed from the laminated panel body 2 by an operator as in the conventional method.

[0124] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific description. For example, since the vertical drive device is only required to be able to change the vertical distance between the solar panel placed on the support member and the engagement claw, the vertical drive device may be capable of raising and lowering the engagement claw side to move the engagement claw closer to and away from the solar panel in the vertical direction.

[0125] The connection structure of the upper disassembly device 18 and the lower support device 20 to the equipment frame 16 shown in the above embodiment is merely an example and is not particularly limited. In addition, the structure of the equipment frame 16 itself may be appropriately changed.

[0126] The number, size, shape, etc. of the engaging claws are not limited to those exemplified in the above embodiment. Specifically, for example, only one longer engaging claw may be attached to the claw holding member 68, or more engaging claws than those in the above embodiment may be attached.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the structure has been described in which the left and right engagement claws move inwardly and left and right while the front and rear engagement claws move outwardly and forwardly, but the front, rear, left and right engagement claws may all move outward. Specifically, for example, by separately providing a drive unit main body for driving the front and rear engagement claws and a drive unit main body for driving the left and right engagement claws, the front and rear engagement claws and the left and right engagement claws can be driven outward at the same time.

[0128] As shown in the above embodiment, it is desirable that the engaging claws are detachably attached to the claw holding member 68 so as to be replaceable, but for example, they may be fixedly provided in a non-detachable manner.

[0129] The jump-out prevention portion 136 provided integrally with the engagement claw 134 shown in FIG. 14 is merely one example, and for example, the jump-out prevention portion can also be provided in a location separate from the engagement claw. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 10 Vehicle equipped with solar panel disposal device for on-site processing (first embodiment) 12 Vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device 14. Automobiles 16 Equipment Frame 18 Upper Disassembly Device 20 Lower support device 22 Rectangular frame 24 Lower connection part 26 Upper connection part 28 Support legs 30 Horizontal drive device (horizontal drive means) 32 Frame-shaped mounting member 34 Horizontal output device (drive unit, operation control unit) 36 Horizontal transmission mechanism (transmission mechanism, operation control device) 38 Piston rod 40 Cylinder 42 First plate member 44 First front and rear slits 46 Guide part 48 First left and right slits 50 Second plate member 52 Second front and rear slits 54 Second left and right slits 56a Front linkage 56b Rear link device 56c Left linkage device 56d Right linkage device 58 Output member 60a 1st front link 60b First rear link 60c first left link 60d First Right Link 62a Second front link 62c Second left link 62d Second right link 64a Front drive member 64b Rear drive member 64c Left drive member 64d Right drive member 66 Connecting rod 66a Front connecting rod 66b Rear connecting rod 66c Left connecting rod 66d Right connecting rod 68 Claw holding member 68a Front claw holding member 68b Rear claw holding member 68c Left claw holding member 68d Right claw holding member 70 Locking groove 72 Engagement Claw 74 Connecting plate part 76 Mounting part 78 Claw 80 Outer contact part 82 Upper contact part 84 Inner contact part 86 Locking protrusion 88 Slope 90 Frame connecting member 92 Horizontal output device connecting member 94 Support member 96 Vertical drive device (vertical drive means) 98 Support plate part 100 Arm 102 Through hole 104 Guide tube member 106 Link support 108 Support Rod 110 Output side joint 112 Up / down output device (drive unit body) 114 Cylinder 116 Piston rod 118 Up and down transmission mechanism 120 Connecting arm part 122 First Link 124 Second Link 126 Central cylindrical section 128 Input side joint 130 Bend 132 Upper and lower output device connecting member 134 Engagement claw (another embodiment) 136 Jump-out prevention part 138 Protrusion 140 Cargo Bed 1. Solar panels 2. Laminated panel body 3 Frame members 4 Short side frame 5 Long side frame

Claims

1. A solar panel disposal device for disposing of solar panels having a structure in which a laminated panel body is surrounded by a metal frame member, The solar panel is provided with an apparatus frame to be mounted on a vehicle traveling in the site where the solar panel is installed, The device frame is provided with a support member that supports the solar panel from below, The device frame is provided with two pairs of engaging claws that are arranged in opposing relation to each other in two orthogonal axial directions in a horizontal plane located above the support member and that are engageable from the inside with a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames of the frame member of the solar panel, and are movable in the approaching and separating directions in each opposing direction, a vertical drive means for moving the solar panel supported by the support member relatively closer to and farther away from the two pairs of engaging claws in the vertical direction, a horizontal driving means for driving the two pairs of engaging claws in respective opposing directions toward and away from each other, A vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device, characterized in that each pair of engaging claws is engaged from the inside with the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames of the solar panel which are supported by being brought close to the two pairs of engaging claws in the vertical direction by the vertical driving means, and the horizontal driving means drives each pair of engaging claws in a separating direction, thereby detaching the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames from the laminated panel body.

2. 2. A vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device as described in claim 1, wherein a drive unit main body constituting the vertical drive means and a drive unit main body constituting the horizontal drive means are arranged to fit within a rectangular planar frame having a maximum width dimension and a maximum length dimension in the device frame.

3. 3. A vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein a drive unit main body constituting the vertical drive means and a drive unit main body constituting the horizontal drive means are arranged so as to fit within an area that overlaps with the solar panel supported by the support member when projected in the vertical direction.

4. The horizontal driving means A single drive unit body; a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving output of the drive unit body to each of the two pairs of engaging claws, and for driving the two pairs of engaging claws in the approaching and separating directions in the respective opposing directions; The vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

5. 3. The solar panel disposal device according to claim 1, wherein the solar panel is disposed of at least one of the solar panels.

6. The vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vertical driving means raises and lowers the support member in the vertical direction.

7. 3. The vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two pairs of engaging claws is capable of adjusting the relative distance in the opposing direction.

8. 8. The vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device according to claim 7, wherein the engaging claws are detachable and replaceable, thereby making it possible to adjust the relative distance in the opposing direction.

9. 3. The vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a panel transport device that transports the solar panel from outside the equipment frame toward the support position of the solar panel by the support member.

10. 3. The solar panel disposal device for on-site processing mounted on a vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising an anti-fly-out portion located on the outer periphery of the solar panel and limiting the amount of displacement of the frame member detached from the laminated panel body toward the outer periphery from the laminated panel body.

11. The vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device according to claim 10 , wherein the anti-jump-out portion is integrally provided on the engaging claw.

12. In the horizontal direction driving means, The pair of engaging claws that are engaged with the pair of short side frames of the frame member from the inside are driven in a separation direction to detach the pair of short side frames from the laminated panel main body, The pair of engaging claws that are engaged with the pair of long side frames of the frame member from the inside are driven in a separating direction to separate the pair of long side frames of the laminated panel main body from which the pair of short side frames have been separated.

3. The vehicle-mounted on-site solar panel disposal device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an operation control device.

13. 3. A vehicle equipped with an on-site treatment solar panel disposal device, comprising: an on-board type on-site treatment solar panel disposal device according to claim 1 or 2; and the device frame is fixed to a vehicle body.

14. 14. A vehicle equipped with a solar panel disposal device for on-site processing according to claim 13, wherein the overall dimensions are within the standard dimension range of a normal automobile.

15. A method for disposing of a solar panel having a structure in which a laminated panel body is surrounded by a metal frame member, comprising: At the site where the solar panels are installed, removing the frame member from the laminated panel body for each of the solar panels and disassembling the frame member into a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames; A step of stacking the plurality of laminated panel bodies from which the frame members have been removed and which are in a single state, in a stacked state; a step of assembling together a plurality of frame members each including the short side frame and the long side frame that have been removed from the laminated panel body and disassembled; A step of transporting the collected laminated panel bodies by truck to a laminated panel processing facility; transporting the assembled frame members together on a truck to a metal processing facility; A method for disposing of solar panels on-site, comprising:

16. 16. An on-site processing solar panel disposal method as described in claim 15, wherein, at the site where the solar panels are installed, when removing the frame members from the laminated panel body for each of a plurality of solar panels and disassembling the frame members into the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames, a vehicle-mounted on-site processing solar panel disposal device as described in claim 1 or 2 is used.

17. A solar panel disposal device for disposing of solar panels having a structure in which a laminated panel body is surrounded by a metal frame member, It is equipped with a device frame for installation, The device frame is provided with a support member that supports the solar panel from below, The device frame is provided with two pairs of engaging claws that are arranged in opposing relation to each other in two orthogonal axial directions in a horizontal plane located above the support member and that are engageable from the inside with a pair of short side frames and a pair of long side frames of the frame member of the solar panel, and are movable in the approaching and separating directions in each opposing direction, a vertical drive means for moving the solar panel supported by the support member relatively closer to and farther away from the two pairs of engaging claws in the vertical direction, a horizontal driving means for driving the two pairs of engaging claws in respective opposing directions toward and away from each other, the pair of engaging claws are engaged from the inside with the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames of the solar panel which are supported by being brought close to the two pairs of engaging claws in the vertical direction by the vertical driving means, and the pair of engaging claws are driven in a separating direction by the horizontal driving means, thereby detaching the pair of short side frames and the pair of long side frames from the laminated panel body, A solar panel disposal device characterized in that a jump-out prevention portion is integrally provided on the engaging claw, which is located on the outer periphery of the solar panel and limits the amount of displacement of the frame member from the laminated panel body toward the outer periphery when the frame member detaches from the laminated panel body.

Images