Installation structure of roof member and method for manufacturing roof member unit

Abstract

To improve efficiency of installation work of a roof member, and prevent damages to the installed roof member.SOLUTION: There is provided an installation structure of a roof member, wherein a plurality of trestles 6 are installed in parallel in an eaves ridge direction of a roof 201, a support part 12 of a vertical frame part 3 having a plurality of engagement parts 20 having the equal length and a lower support part 23 is fixed to an edge part 2c of the short side of a PV module 2, each of a support part 26 of a horizontal frame part 4 (4a) having an upper stage inside engagement part 30 and a lower stage inside engagement part 31 having the equal length, and a support part 35 of a horizontal frame part 4 (4b) having an upper stage outside engagement part 39 and a lower stage outside engagement part 40 having the equal length is fixed to an edge part 2d of the long side thereof, the vertical frame part 3 and the horizontal frame part 4 are connected to each other through a connection part 42 and thereby a PV module body 5 is formed, then a plurality of engagement parts 20 of the vertical frame part 3 of the PV module body 5 are engaged with a plurality of projections 63 for engagement of frame support parts 54 of two adjacent trestles 6, and the PV module body 5 is installed in the trestles 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1-1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a roof member installation structure and a method for manufacturing a roof member unit that facilitates the installation of roof members and prevents damage to the installed roof members. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the eco-consciousness of using solar energy, a clean energy source that is kind to the global environment, in daily life to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.As a result, an increasing number of households are adopting systems in which thin, heat-collecting glass roofing materials are installed on the roofs of their homes, the outside air taken in from the eaves is heated by the surface of the heat-collecting glass roofing material, and the heated air is brought into the room, or systems in which solar cell modules, a type of thin, roofing material that generates electricity from sunlight, are installed and cooking, hot water supply, air conditioning, and other systems are all run on electricity.

[0003] Known structures for installing the above-mentioned thin roofing material on the roof of a home include an installation structure in which a solar cell module 2, which is a type of thin roofing material, is supported by a mounting base 6 fixed onto the roof 201 and installed as a roofing material, and a drainage structure for the mounting base 6 provided with a drainage channel for draining rainwater, etc. that has entered the installation structure for the solar cell module 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-155434 A

[0005] The conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 above has a structure in which a vertical frame portion 3 and a horizontal frame portion 4, which are frame members that surround a solar cell module 2, are fixed and connected with screws 14. This results in a large number of parts, which is costly, and in addition, the work of tightening the screws in the connection process must be done manually, which requires a lot of manpower and time.

[0006] Furthermore, when a load is applied to the surface of the solar cell module 2 installed on the roof underlayment 202, causing it to bend and deform, the end faces and corners at the edge 9 of the solar cell module 2 come into contact with the left-side frame portion 3a, the right-side frame portion 3b, etc., and become damaged, such as cracking, resulting in a malfunction that reduces the power generation function of the solar cell module 2. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and aims to provide an installation structure for a thin roofing member that can easily attach a frame member around a thin roofing member (solar cell module) to form a roofing member unit, and can improve the efficiency of the installation work on the roof substrate by reducing the number of steps in the work and shortening the work time. Another aim is to provide an installation structure for a thin roofing member that can prevent the edge of the roofing member (solar cell module) from coming into contact with the frame member and being damaged, and prevent the deterioration of its function, even if the roofing member (solar cell module) is bent due to a load. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is a roofing member installation structure for installing a roofing member on a roof foundation, the roofing member having a thin plate-like roofing member, a left-side frame portion and a right-side frame portion which are vertical frame portions, an upper-side frame portion and a lower-side frame portion which are horizontal frame portions, a connecting portion, and a mounting base, the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion each having a first main portion which is cylindrical in cross section, a first support portion which forms a first support groove which opens in either the left or right direction, a plurality of locking portions which extend to a position which is approximately equal to the other of the left and right directions, and a locking portion which is located at a position which is approximately equal to the other of the left and right directions in the same direction as the locking portions. and a lower support part extending to a position adjacent to the upper frame part and having inclined end faces at both front and rear ends, the upper frame part and the lower frame part each having a second trunk part having a cylindrical cross section and a second support part forming a second support groove opening in either the left or right direction, and each having inclined end faces at both front and rear ends, and one of the upper frame part and the lower frame part has an upper outer locking part and a lower outer locking part extending to a position approximately equal to the second support part in the opposite direction, and the other has a locking part extending to a position approximately equal to the second support part in the opposite direction, The roof member has an upper inner locking portion and a lower inner locking portion that can be fitted with the upper side locking portion and the lower outer side locking portion, and the edge of the short side of the roof member is inserted and fixed into the first support groove filled with adhesive in the vertical frame portion, and the edge of the long side of the roof member is inserted and fixed into the second support groove filled with adhesive in the horizontal frame portion, and the ends of the approximately L-shaped connecting portions are inserted into both ends of the first main portion of the vertical frame portion and both ends of the second main portion of the horizontal frame portion, so that the inclined end faces at both ends of the vertical frame portion and the inclined end faces at both ends of the horizontal frame portion are fixed to each other. a roof member unit is formed by connecting the frames in a tightly contacted state, the frames have a base portion and a frame support portion provided with a plurality of locking projections protruding in the left and right directions from a support portion erected on the base portion, and the roof member unit is installed between the frames adjacent to each other in the girder direction with the plurality of locking projections of the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion of the roof member unit respectively supported by the plurality of locking projections of the frame support portions of the frames installed in the eaves-ridge direction so as to be parallel to each other on the roof substrate,The roof material units installed on the upper and lower tiers are connected to each other in a state in which the upper tier outer locking portion and the lower tier outer locking portion of either the lower frame portion of the roof material unit installed on the upper tier side or the upper frame of the roof material unit installed on the lower tier side are fitted with the upper tier inner locking portion and the lower tier inner locking portion of the other.

[0009] In addition, the invention of claim 2 of the present application is characterized in that the first support groove formed by the first support portion of the vertical frame portion and the second support groove formed by the second support portion of the horizontal frame portion have a vertical width at their entrance side narrower than the vertical width at their rear side and are formed slightly wider than the thickness of the roof member.

[0010] The invention according to claim 3 of the present application is characterized in that a bulge is formed on a bottom surface of the first support groove of the vertical frame portion and the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion.

[0011] In addition, the inventions of claims 4 and 5 are characterized in that a guide protrusion extending in the opposite direction to the second support part is provided on one of the upper frame part and the lower frame part, and a gutter part is provided on the other part at a position lower than the guide protrusion and extending in the opposite direction to the second support part, and a drainage channel is formed in the front-to-rear direction of the base part of the frame.

[0012] In addition, the inventions of claims 6 to 9 are characterized in that at least one protrusion is provided on either or both of the upper surfaces of the multiple locking protrusions in the frame support portion of the frame base and the bottom surfaces of the multiple locking portions of the vertical frame portion supported on the upper surface.

[0013] The invention of claim 10 is a method for manufacturing a roof member unit as described in claim 1 or claim 2, comprising the steps of: filling the second support grooves of the top and bottom frame members, which are the horizontal frame members, with the adhesive; pushing the top and bottom frame members upright on a work surface toward the roof member fixed horizontally on the work surface using a plate-shaped jig, and inserting and fixing the edges of the upper and lower long sides of the roof member into the second support grooves of the top and bottom frame members; inserting and fixing one end of the connecting portion from both ends of the left and right frame members, which are the vertical frame members, into the first trunk portion; and fixing the left and right frame members to the first trunk portion. and filling the first support groove of the right-side frame part with the adhesive, respectively; and using a plate-shaped jig to push the left-side frame part and the right-side frame part upright on a work surface toward the roof member fixed horizontally on the work surface, and inserting and fixing the edges of the short sides of the left and right sides of the roof member into the first support grooves of the left-side frame part and the right-side frame part, while inserting and fixing the other ends of the connecting parts fixed to both ends of the left-side frame part and the right-side frame part from both ends of the top-side frame part and the bottom-side frame part into the second core part, thereby connecting the top-side frame part and the bottom-side frame part to both ends of the left-side frame part and the right-side frame part. Effect of the Invention

[0014] From the above, according to the invention of claim 1, a roof member unit is formed by fixing the edge of the roof member to the first support groove of the vertical frame portion and the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion, while inserting and connecting L-shaped connecting parts from both ends of the first main part of the vertical frame portion and the second main part of the horizontal frame portion. This makes it easier to attach the frame member around the roof member, and reduces the number of steps in the attachment process to shorten the work time, thereby improving the productivity of thin-plate roof member units and improving the efficiency of installation work on the roof substrate.

[0015] In addition, the upper edge frame portion and the lower edge frame portion can be connected by inserting and fitting the upper inner locking portion and the lower inner locking portion provided on one of the upper edge frame portion and the lower outer locking portion provided on the other frame portion between them, thereby preventing rainwater from entering between the upper edge frame portion of the roof material unit installed on the lower side and the lower edge frame portion of the roof material unit installed on the upper side.

[0016] According to the inventions of claims 1, 2 and 10, the multiple locking parts and lower support parts provided on the left and right frame parts, the upper outer locking parts and lower outer locking parts provided on either the top or bottom frame part, and the upper inner locking parts and lower inner locking parts provided on the other are structured to extend to approximately equal positions in the left-right direction, so that the respective tips of the multiple locking parts and lower support parts, the respective tips of the upper outer locking parts and lower outer locking parts, and the respective tips of the upper inner locking parts and lower inner locking parts are simultaneously in contact with the plate-shaped jig pressed against them. Therefore, by pushing out the plate-shaped jig, the vertical frame parts and the horizontal frame parts upright on the work surface can be moved horizontally in a stable state, and the work of attaching the frame member around the roof member can be performed by a machine, and the productivity of the roof member unit can be further improved.

[0017] According to the invention of claim 2, the first support groove formed by the first support part of the vertical frame part and the second support groove formed by the second support part of the horizontal frame part are structured so that the vertical width at the back side is wider than the vertical width at the inlet side, so that by inserting the edge of the roof member into the first support groove and the second support groove filled with adhesive, the adhesive is easily pushed into the back side of the support groove, and the support grooves can be filled evenly and sufficiently. As a result, the adhesive surrounds the periphery near the edge of the roof member, so that it is possible to prevent rainwater and the like from entering the first support groove of the vertical frame part and the second support groove of the horizontal frame part, and it is possible to prevent the edge of the roof member from coming into contact with the first support groove of the vertical frame part or the second support groove of the horizontal frame part and being damaged even if the roof member is deformed by a load.

[0018] In addition, because the vertical width at the entrance side of the first support groove of the vertical frame portion and the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion is slightly wider than the thickness of the roof member, when the edge of the roof member is inserted into the first support groove and the second support groove filled with adhesive, the adhesive is less likely to overflow from the narrow gap between the roof member and the vicinity of the entrance of these support grooves, and is more likely to flow into areas that are not sufficiently filled. In addition, because the adhesive is also filled in the narrow gap between the roof member and the vicinity of the entrance of the first support groove of the vertical frame portion or the vicinity of the entrance of the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion, even if the roof member is deformed by a load, the roof member can come into contact with the first support groove of the vertical frame portion or the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion to prevent damage.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 3, a bulge is formed on the bottom surface of the first support groove of the vertical frame portion and the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion, thereby minimizing the contact area between the edge of the roof member and the first support groove of the vertical frame portion or the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion, and preventing damage to the edge of the roof member due to contact with the first support groove of the vertical frame portion or the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion.

[0020] In addition, according to the inventions of claims 4 and 5, a guide protrusion is provided on either the upper frame portion or the lower frame portion, and a gutter portion is provided on the other, and a drainage channel is formed in the front-to-back direction of the base portion of the frame. Therefore, even if rainwater infiltrates through the gap between the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion, the rainwater can be guided into the gutter portion and can be discharged from both ends of the gutter portion into the drainage channel formed in the base portion of the frame, so that rainwater that has infiltrated into the installation structure of the roof member can be reliably discharged to the outside.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the inventions of claims 6 to 9, a structure is provided in which at least one protrusion is provided on either or both of the upper surfaces of the multiple locking protrusions on the frame support part of the frame and the bottom surfaces of the multiple locking parts of the vertical frame part supported on the upper surfaces, thereby making it possible to prevent rainwater from entering through the gaps between the locking protrusions of the frame and the locking parts of the vertical frame part. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1-1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a solar cell module body used in the installation structure for a solar cell module according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 1-2] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the solar cell module body. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the line II arrow. [Diagram 3] 11 is a perspective view of a left-side frame portion used in a solar cell module body. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of an upper frame portion used in a solar cell module body. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view of a lower frame portion used in a solar cell module body. FIG. [Figure 6-1] 13 is a side view showing a state in which a jig is applied to and pushed out from a left-side frame portion of the solar cell module body. FIG. [Figure 6-2] 13 is a side view showing a state in which a jig is applied to and pushed out from an upper frame portion of the solar cell module body. FIG. [Figure 6-3] 13 is a side view showing a state in which a jig is placed on and pushed out from a lower frame portion of the solar cell module body. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view of a stand used in an installation structure for a solar cell module according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a joint gutter to be attached to the stand. [Figure 9-1] FIG. 13 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the state when the joint gutter is attached to the stand. [Figure 9-2] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the joint gutter is attached to the stand. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II. [Figure 11-1] FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the solar cell module body installed on the stand. [Figure 11-2] 11-2 is a partial enlarged view of the solar cell module body of FIG. 11-1 when a load is applied thereto. [Figure 12-1] 13 is a partial enlarged view of a solar cell module body installed on a stand according to another embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12-2] 12-2 is a partially enlarged view of the solar cell module body of FIG. 12-1 when a load is applied thereto. [Figure 13] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV. [Figure 15] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view in the eaves direction near the ridge of the solar cell module installation structure according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 16] 1 is a perspective view of a solar cell module installation structure according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The installation structure of the thin roof member according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 16. Note that, although an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below, the present invention is not limited thereto. Also, the same components in each figure are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0024] An embodiment of the present invention is a PV module installation structure 1 that uses a solar cell module (hereinafter referred to as a "PV module") 2, which is a type of thin-plate roofing material, and is a structure in which the PV module 2 is installed on a roof base 202 of a roof 201 via a vertical frame portion 3, a horizontal frame portion 4, and a mounting base 6.

[0025] The PV module 2 shown in Figures 1-1 and 1-2 is a commonly used monocrystalline silicon PV module or polycrystalline silicon PV module. This PV module 2 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view with a pair of vertical short sides and a pair of horizontal long sides, and is formed in the shape of a thin plate. Solar cells are arranged on the front surface 2a side, while an electrode box is arranged on the back surface 2b side, and a terminal cable (not shown) extends from the electrode box for electrical connection with other PV modules 2.

[0026] The vertical frame portion 3 is made up of a left-side frame portion 3a and a right-side frame portion 3b. The left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b are frame members that are fixed to the periphery of the PV module 2 while covering the short-side edges 2c on the left and right sides of the PV module 2.

[0027] 3 and 6-1 designate the left-side frame portion 3a, which is a rod-shaped metal frame member made of thin steel plate or aluminum alloy. The overall length of the left-side frame portion 3a is slightly longer than the short side of the PV module 2. The left-side frame portion 3a has a main portion 11 extending in the vertical direction, and a support portion 12 and a locking portion 20 are provided above the main portion 11.

[0028] The main part 11 is a cylindrical body with a vertically elongated, generally rectangular cross section, and has an internal hollow portion 11a with a vertically elongated, generally rectangular cross section formed therein, the hollow portion 11a being provided over the entire length of the left-side frame portion 3a. A support portion 12 is provided above the main part 11, over the entire length of the main part 11. The support portion 12 is made up of an upper support portion 13, a lower support portion 14, and an upright portion 16.

[0029] A standing portion 16 is provided so as to extend upward from the upper surface of the main portion 11, and an upper support portion 13 is provided at the upper end of the standing portion 16, and a lower support portion 14 is provided at a distance downward from the upper support portion 13 and shares a member with the upper surface of the main portion 11. The upper support portion 13 and the lower support portion 14 are formed so as to extend to the right from the standing portion 16 by approximately equal lengths. The upper support portion 13, the lower support portion 14, and the standing portion 16 form a support groove 18 having an approximately U-shaped cross section that opens to the right side, into which the edge portion 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 is inserted and supported. The width in the vertical direction at the tip side of the upper support portion 13 and the lower support portion 14 (the entrance side of the support groove 18) is formed to be slightly wider than the thickness of the PV module 2, as shown in FIG. 11-1 and the like. In this embodiment, the thickness of the PV module 2 is about 85% of the width in the vertical direction at the tip end sides of the upper support part 13 and the lower support part 14.

[0030] In addition, on the lower surface side of the upper support part 13 and the upper surface side of the lower support part 14, horizontal surfaces 13a, 14a are formed on the tip side of the upper support part 13 and the lower support part 14, respectively, while on the base side (the back side of the support groove 18), inclined surfaces 13b, 14b are formed such that the width of the support groove 18 in the vertical direction gradually increases as it advances toward the base direction. In addition, a step part 13c is formed at the boundary between the horizontal surface 13a of the upper support part 13 and the inclined surface 13b. In addition, a bulging part 16a is formed on the right side surface of the standing part 16, which is the bottom surface of the support groove 18, and curves and protrudes toward the entrance side (right direction). This bulging part 16a is formed by a gently curved surface that protrudes to the rightmost direction from approximately the center in the vertical direction.

[0031] By inserting the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 into this support groove 18 up to the vicinity of the bulge 16a and bringing the surface 2a into contact with the horizontal surface 13a of the upper support part 13, a gap 18a is provided between the support groove 18 and the periphery near the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2. In particular, since the upper support part 13 is formed with the inclined surface 13b and the step 13c, the vertical cross-sectional area of ​​the gap 18a between the inclined surface 13b of the upper support part 13 and the surface 2a portion near the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 is large.

[0032] Therefore, the support groove 18 is filled with an adhesive 19 such as silicone having weather resistance and elasticity, and the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 is inserted up to the vicinity of the bulge 16a while the adhesive 19 is solidified with the front surface 2a in contact with the horizontal surface 13a of the upper support part 13. As shown in Figure 11-1, the left-side frame part 3a can be fixed to the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 without the back surface 2b, the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c, and the upper and lower corners 2c2 coming into contact with the support groove 18.

[0033] Specifically, by inserting the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 after filling the support groove 18 with adhesive 19 such as silicone, the adhesive 19 is pushed by the edge 2c into the back of the support groove 18, which is wider in the vertical direction, and flows through the gap 18a into the places in the support groove 18 (gap 18a) that are not sufficiently filled. Therefore, the adhesive 19 can be made to be evenly and sufficiently filled in the support groove 18 (gap 18a), and can also be made to surround the periphery near the edge 2c.

[0034] In particular, the adhesive 19 filled in the gap 18a between the inclined surface 13b of the upper support part 13 and the front surface 2a portion near the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 has a large vertical cross-sectional area. Also, the vertical width of the gap 18a between the rear surface 2b of the PV module 2 and the horizontal surface 14a of the lower support part 14 is narrow, and the adhesive 19 is unlikely to spill out of the support groove 18 through the gap 18a, so the adhesive 19 tends to flow into areas of the support groove 18 that are not sufficiently filled.

[0035] In this way, by ensuring that the adhesive 19 is evenly and sufficiently filled in the support groove 18 (gap 18a), it is possible to reliably prevent rainwater, etc. flowing down the surface 2a of the PV module 2 from entering the support groove 18 (gap 18a).

[0036] Moreover, by filling the gap 18a evenly and sufficiently with the adhesive 19 as described above, it is possible to prevent contact between the support groove 18 and the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 inserted into the support groove 18. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11-1, since the adhesive 19 surrounds the periphery near the edge 2c, the back surface 2b of the PV module 2, the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c of the left short side, and the upper and lower corners 2c2 are not in contact with the support groove 18. Also, even if the PV module 2 is bent and deformed due to a load applied to its front surface 2a, the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c and the upper and lower corners 2c2 are not in contact with the support groove 18.

[0037] For example, when a load is applied to the surface 2a of the PV module 2 due to snow accumulation or the like, and the PV module 2 is significantly bent and deformed downward, as shown in Fig. 11-2, the end face 2c1 at the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 moves rightward while tilting to the right, and the upper and lower corners 2c2 at the edge 2c also move rightward and upward accordingly. However, since the gap 18a is provided around the vicinity of the edge 2c as described above, and the gap 18a between the surface 2a portion near the edge 2c and the inclined surface 13b of the upper support part 13 is particularly large, and the gap 18a is filled with the elastic adhesive 19, even if the end face 2c1 and the upper and lower corners 2c2 at the edge 2c move as described above, the adhesive 19 in the gap 18a deforms accordingly to absorb the pressure, so that the end face 2c1 and the upper and lower corners 2c2 at the edge 2c do not come into contact with the support groove 18.

[0038] In addition, the narrow gap 18a between the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 and the horizontal surface 14a of the lower support part 14 is also filled with elastic adhesive 19. Therefore, even if the PV module 2 bends downward and deforms, the adhesive 19 in the gap 18a deforms accordingly and absorbs the pressure, so that the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 does not come into contact with the support groove 18.

[0039] On the other hand, if the PV module 2 is bent and deformed upward due to strong winds, the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 moves to the right while tilting to the left, and accordingly, the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the edge 2c also move to the right and downward. However, due to the presence of adhesive 19 filled in the surrounding gaps 18a near the edge 2c, even if the end face 2c1 and the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the edge 2c move as described above, the adhesive 19 in the gaps 18a deforms accordingly and absorbs the pressure, so that the end face 2c1 and the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the edge 2c do not come into contact with the support groove 18.

[0040] Furthermore, due to the presence of adhesive 19 filling the gap 18a between the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 and the horizontal surface 14a of the lower support part 14, even if the PV module 2 is bent and deformed upward, the adhesive 19 in the gap 18a is deformed and stretched accordingly, so that the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 does not come into contact with the support groove 18.

[0041] In this way, by preventing contact between the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 and the end faces 2c1 and the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the left short side edge 2c and the support groove 18, it is possible to prevent the end faces 2c1 and the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the back surface 2b and edge 2c, which have weak strength, from coming into contact with the support groove 18 and cracking, which would result in a decrease in the power generation function of the PV module 2.

[0042] Moreover, the adhesive 19 surrounding the vicinity of the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 has a large vertical cross-sectional area, and in particular, the adhesive 19 filled between the inclined surface 13b of the upper support part 13 and the surface 2a portion near the edge 2c has a large vertical cross-sectional area and a sufficiently thick structure in the vertical direction, so that even if the end face 2c1 and the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the left edge 2c of the PV module 2 move within the support groove 18 as described above, the adhesive 19 can be prevented from being cut or damaged in the vertical direction by the end face 2c1 and the corners 2c2. Therefore, it is possible to maintain a state in which it is possible to prevent infiltration of rainwater, etc., flowing down on the surface 2a of the PV module 2 into the support groove 18 (gap 18a).

[0043] When the PV module 2 bends and deforms as described above, the front surface 2a and back surface 2b portions near the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 inserted into the support groove 18 are curved to prevent them from cracking due to contact with the lower corner at the tip of the upper support part 13 extending to the right and the upper corner at the tip of the lower support part 14.

[0044] As another embodiment, the support groove 18 may be filled with an adhesive 19 such as silicone, and the left short side edge 2c of the PV module 2 may be inserted until part of the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c comes into contact with the most protruding part (top) of the bulge 16a formed in the support groove 18 of the left-side frame part 3a, as shown in Fig. 12-1, while the left-side frame part 3a is fixed to the left short side edge 2c of the PV module 2 in a state in which the surface 2a comes into contact with the horizontal surface 13a of the upper support part 13. At this time, since the bulge 16a is formed by a curved surface, the area of ​​the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c that comes into contact with the bulge 16a is kept very small.

[0045] In this case, as in the case where the end face 2c1, etc., of the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 does not contact the support groove 18 of the left frame portion 3a, a gap 18a is provided between the support groove 18 and the periphery near the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2, so that the adhesive 19 can be spread evenly and sufficiently inside the support groove 18 (gap 18a) and the adhesive 19 can surround the periphery near the edge 2c. This makes it possible to reliably prevent rainwater, etc., flowing down the front surface 2a of the PV module 2 from entering the support groove 18 (gap 18a), and also makes it possible for the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the back surface 2b and edge 2c of the PV module 2 not to contact the support groove 18.

[0046] In addition, even if the PV module 2 is bent and deformed significantly downward due to a load applied to its front surface 2a, or if it is bent and deformed upward due to a strong wind as shown in Figure 12-2, the rear surface 2b, end face 2c1 at the edge 2c, and upper and lower corners 2c2 of the PV module 2 are not in contact with the support groove 18 due to the surrounding gap 18a near the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 and the presence of adhesive 19 filled in said gap 18a.

[0047] Furthermore, when the PV module 2 that has been bent upward or downward and deformed returns to its original state shown in Fig. 12-1, the reaction to the bending causes the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 to collide with the bulging portion 16a of the support groove 18, but even then, only a part of the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c collides with the top of the bulging portion 16a of the support groove 18, and the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the edge 2c do not come into contact with the support groove 18. In addition, the impact caused by the collision between the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c and the bulging portion 16a of the support groove 18 is absorbed by the adhesive 19 that surrounds the periphery near the edge 2c.

[0048] Therefore, when the support groove 18 is filled with adhesive 19 such as silicone and the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 is inserted into the support groove 18 to fix the left-side frame portion 3a, even if part of the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c is in contact with the bulge 16a of the support groove 18, the contact area between the end face 2c1 of the edge 2c and the support groove 18 can be minimized, and the adhesive 19 surrounding the area near the edge 2c absorbs the impact caused by such collisions. This prevents the weak end face 2c1 of the edge 2c from coming into contact with and colliding with the support groove 18 and cracking, which would otherwise cause a decrease in the power generation function of the PV module 2.

[0049] Furthermore, the adhesive 19 filled between the surface 2a near the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2 and the inclined surface 13b of the upper support part 13 has a large vertical cross-sectional area and a sufficiently thick thickness in the vertical direction, so that even if the end face 2c1 and the upper and lower corners 2c2 of the left edge 2c of the PV module 2 move within the support groove 18 as described above, the adhesive 19 can be prevented from being cut or damaged in the vertical direction by the end face 2c1 and the corners 2c2. This makes it possible to prevent rainwater and the like flowing down the surface 2a of the PV module 2 from entering the support groove 18 (gap 18a) and maintain that state.

[0050] 3, the upper support part 13 and the lower support part 14 are formed so that their front-to-rear lengths become shorter toward the right (tip direction) with the front and rear ends of the upper support part 13 and the lower support part 14 inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the left-to-right direction in a plan view. Similarly, the front and rear ends of the main part 11 located below the lower support part 14 are formed so that their front-to-rear length becomes shorter toward the right with the front and rear ends inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the left-to-right direction in a plan view.

[0051] Meanwhile, a locking portion 20 is provided over the entire length of the standing portion 16. This locking portion 20 is made up of an upper locking portion 21 provided at the upper end of the standing portion 16 and a lower locking portion 22 provided below and spaced apart.

[0052] These upper and lower locking portions 21 and 22 are intended to be engaged with the upper and lower locking protrusions 63a and 63b of the frame 6 when the left-side frame portion 3a is supported on the frame support portion 54 of the frame 6 described later to install the PV module 2, and are arranged to extend approximately horizontally to the left from the standing portion 16 and to be approximately parallel to each other.

[0053] The upper and lower locking portions 21 and 22 are formed to extend from the standing portion 16 to approximately equal positions (approximately equal lengths) in the leftward direction, and a flat surface is formed at their tip ends. The upper and lower locking portions 21 and 22 are formed so that their front-rear lengths increase as they move leftward (toward the tip), and the front ends of the upper and lower locking portions 21 and 22 are formed to be inclined at an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the left-right direction in a plan view. Therefore, the front end faces of the upper support portion 13, the lower support portion 14, the standing portion 16, the upper and lower locking portions 21 and 22, and the main portion 11 are formed to be flush with each other, forming an inclined end surface. On the other hand, the rear ends of the upper and lower locking portions 21 and 22 are formed to be approximately parallel to the left-right direction in a plan view. Therefore, the rear end faces of the upper support portion 13, the lower support portion 14, the standing portion 16 and the main portion 11 are formed to have inclined end faces that are flush with each other.

[0054] Furthermore, on the bottom surface of the lower locking part 22, two small protrusions 22a are provided approximately parallel over the entire length in the front-to-rear direction of the lower locking part 22 to prevent rainwater from entering between the frame 6 and the left-side frame part 3a when the PV module 2 is installed by supporting the left-side frame part 3a on a frame support part 54 of the frame 6 described below. Furthermore, the protrusions 22a are formed in an approximately semicircular cross section to prevent the frame 6 from being scratched and rusting when the PV module 2 is installed. The number of protrusions 22a may be one or three or more, but it is preferable to have multiple protrusions in order to prevent rainwater from entering due to capillary action.

[0055] In addition, by providing the protrusion 22a as described above and reducing the contact area between the frame 6 and the left-side frame portion 3a, the surface pressure on the contact surface increases and the coefficient of friction decreases compared to when the protrusion 22a is not present, thereby reducing the effort required to install the PV module 2.

[0056] A lower support part 23 is provided over the entire length of the main part 11 near the lower end of the left side surface of the main part 11. This lower support part 23 is provided so as to extend approximately horizontally to the left from the left side surface of the main part 11, and is provided so as to be approximately parallel to the upper locking part 21 and the lower locking part 22.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 6-1, the position of the tip of the lower support part 23 extending leftward is the same as the position of the tip of the upper locking part 21 and the lower locking part 22 extending leftward. A flat surface is formed at the tip of the lower support part 23. As a result, by pressing a plate-like jig 300a having a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape and a total length longer than the length in the front-rear direction of the upper locking part 21 of the left frame part 3a from the locking part 20 side (left side) of the left frame part 3a standing upright on the work surface 301, which is a horizontal plane, the jig 300a contacts the tips of the upper locking part 21, the lower locking part 22, and the lower support part 23 at the same time and is perpendicular to the work surface 301. Then, by applying a horizontal force to the jig 300a and pushing the jig 300a to the right, the left frame part 3a can be moved horizontally on the work surface 301 in a stable state to the right.

[0058] Further, the front and rear ends of the lower support portion 23 are formed so as to be approximately parallel to the left-right direction in a plan view.

[0059] Furthermore, the position of the lower support part 23 need only be a spaced position below the lower engaging part 22 so that the left-hand frame part 3a can be moved horizontally on the work surface 301 in a stable state when pushed out by the jig 300a, and does not have to be near the lower end part of the main part 11.

[0060] Furthermore, in the left-side frame portion 3a of this embodiment, a step portion 13c such as that formed at the boundary between the horizontal surface 13a and the inclined surface 13b of the upper support portion 13 is not formed in the lower support portion 14, but a step portion may be formed at the boundary between the horizontal surface 14a and the inclined surface 14b, as in the upper support portion 13.

[0061] On the other hand, the right-side frame part 3b, into which the right short-side edge part 2c of the PV module 2 is inserted, has a structure symmetrical to the left-side frame part 3a shown in Fig. 3. Therefore, in the following, the names and symbols of the parts of the right-side frame part 3b will be the same as those of the corresponding parts of the left-side frame part 3a. The right-side frame part 3b is also made of a steel plate or an aluminum alloy, just like the left-side frame part 3a.

[0062] The horizontal frame portion 4 is made up of an upper frame portion 4a and a lower frame portion 4b. The upper frame portion 4a and the lower frame portion 4b are frame members that are fixed to the periphery of the PV module 2 while covering the upper and lower long side edges 2d of the PV module 2.

[0063] 4 and 6-2 denotes an upper frame portion 4a, which is a rod-shaped metal frame member made of a thin steel plate or aluminum alloy. The overall length of the upper frame portion 4a is slightly longer than the long side of the PV module 2. The upper frame portion 4a has a main portion 24 extending in the vertical direction, and a support portion 26 is provided above the main portion 24.

[0064] The main part 24 is a cylindrical body with a vertically elongated, generally rectangular cross section, and has a vertically elongated, generally rectangular hollow section 24a formed on the inside thereof, the hollow section 24a being provided over the entire length of the upper frame section 4a. The main part 24 and the hollow section 24a correspond to the main part 11 and the hollow section 11a of the left frame section 3a (right frame section 3b), respectively, and are of generally the same shape and size as each other.

[0065] A support portion 26 is provided over the entire length of the trunk portion 24 above the trunk portion 24. The support portion 26 is made up of an upright portion 25, an upper support portion 27, and a lower support portion 28.

[0066] An upright portion 25 is provided so as to extend upward from the upper surface of the main portion 24, and an upper support portion 27 is provided at its upper end, and a lower support portion 28 is provided at a distance downward from the upper support portion 27 and shares a member with the upper surface of the main portion 24. The upper support portion 27 and the lower support portion 28 are formed so as to extend approximately equal lengths in the right direction from the upright portion 25. The upper support portion 27, the lower support portion 28 and the upright portion 25 correspond to the upper support portion 13, the lower support portion 14 and the upright portion 16 in the left-side frame portion 3a (right-side frame portion 3b), respectively, and have approximately the same shape and size as one another.

[0067] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, the upper support part 27 has a horizontal surface 27a, an inclined surface 27b, and a step part 27c, the lower support part 28 has a horizontal surface 28a and an inclined surface 28b, and the standing part 25 has a bulge part 25a. The upper support part 27, the lower support part 28, and the standing part 25 form a support groove 29 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that opens to the right side for inserting and supporting the edge part 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2, and the bulge part 25a formed on the right side surface of the standing part 25, which is the bottom surface of the support groove 29, curves and protrudes toward the entrance side (right direction). The vertical width of the tip side (entrance side of the support groove 29) of the upper support part 27 and the lower support part 28 is formed to be slightly wider than the thickness of the PV module 2, as shown in Fig. 13, etc. In this embodiment, the thickness of the PV module 2 is about 85% of the width in the up-down direction at the tip end sides of the upper support part 27 and the lower support part .

[0068] Therefore, by inserting the edge 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2 into the support groove 29 up to the vicinity of the bulge 25a and bringing the surface 2a into contact with the horizontal surface 27a of the upper support part 27, a gap 29a is provided between the support groove 29 and the periphery near the edge 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2. In particular, since the upper support part 27 is formed with the inclined surface 27b and the step part 27c, the vertical cross-sectional area of ​​the gap 29a between the inclined surface 27b of the upper support part 27 and the surface 2a near the edge 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2 is large.

[0069] Therefore, the support groove 29 is filled with an adhesive 19 such as silicone having weather resistance and elasticity, and the edge 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2 is inserted up to the vicinity of the bulge 25a, so that the adhesive 19 is evenly and sufficiently filled in the support groove 29 (gap 29a) and surrounds the periphery near the edge 2d, while the front surface 2a of the PV module 2 is in contact with the horizontal surface 27a of the upper support part 27 and the adhesive 19 is solidified, so that the adhesive 19 is also filled in the narrow gap 29a between the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 and the horizontal surface 28a of the lower support part 28. Therefore, the back surface 2b, the end surface 2d1 of the edge 2d, and the upper and lower corners 2d2 of the PV module 2 are not in contact with the support groove 29, and the upper frame part 4a can be fixed to the edge 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2.

[0070] The upper frame portion 4a may be fixed to the upper long edge portion 2d of the PV module 2 with part of the end face 2d1 of the edge portion 2d in contact with the most protruding portion (top) of the bulging portion 25a of the upper frame portion 4a.

[0071] This produces the same effect as when the left-side frame portion 3a is fixed to the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2. In other words, it is possible to reliably prevent rainwater and the like running down the surface 2a of the PV module 2 from entering the support groove 29 (gap 29a), and to prevent contact between the support groove 29 and the end face 2d1 and upper and lower corners 2d2 at the edge 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2 inserted into the support groove 29, thereby preventing a decrease in the power generation function of the PV module 2 due to cracks.

[0072] In addition, because the adhesive 19 surrounding the edge 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2 has a large vertical cross-sectional area and is sufficiently thick in the vertical direction, even if the PV module 2 bends in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 11-2 and the end face 2d1 and the upper and lower corners 2d2 of the edge 2d move within the support groove 29, the adhesive 19 can be prevented from being cut or damaged in the vertical direction by the end face 2c1 and the corners 2c2. Therefore, it is possible to maintain a state in which rainwater, etc., flowing down the surface 2a of the PV module 2 is prevented from entering the support groove 29 (gap 29a).

[0073] In addition, when the PV module 2 is bent and deformed in the vertical direction, the front surface 2a and back surface 2b portions near the edge 2d of the upper long side of the PV module 2 inserted into the support groove 29 are curved to prevent them from cracking due to contact with the lower corner at the tip of the upper support part 27 extending to the right and the upper corner at the tip of the lower support part 28.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 4, the upper support part 27 and the lower support part 28 are formed so that their front-rear length becomes shorter toward the right (tip direction) with the front and rear ends of the upper support part 27 and the lower support part 28 inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the left-right direction in a plan view. Also, the main part 24 located below the lower support part 28 is formed so that its front-rear length becomes shorter toward the right with the front and rear ends inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the left-right direction in a plan view. Therefore, the upper support part 27, the lower support part 28, the standing part 25 and the main part 24 have inclined end faces such that their front and rear end faces are flush with each other.

[0075] An upper inner locking portion 30 is provided over the entire length of the standing portion 25 at a position slightly below the upper end, while a lower inner locking portion 31 is provided over the entire length of the left side surface of the main portion 24 at a position slightly above the lower end. These upper inner locking portion 30 and lower inner locking portion 31 are provided so as to extend substantially horizontally to the left and are provided so as to be substantially parallel to each other.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 6-2, the upper inner locking portion 30 and the lower inner locking portion 31 are formed to extend to substantially the same position (substantially the same length) in the leftward direction. The front and rear ends of the upper inner locking portion 30 and the lower inner locking portion 31 are formed to be substantially parallel to the left-right direction in a plan view.

[0077] These upper inner locking portion 30 and lower inner locking portion 31 are portions for inserting and fitting between the upper outer locking portion 39 and lower outer locking portion 40 of the lower frame portion 4b described later, and to facilitate this insertion operation, the tip of the upper inner locking portion 30 is formed with an inclined surface 30a that slopes downward toward the tip, and the tip of the lower inner locking portion 31 is formed with an inclined surface 31a that slopes upward toward the tip.

[0078] The lower inner locking portion 31 has two notches 31b for fixing the upper frame portion 4a to the roof 201 with screws 44. The notches 31b are U-shaped and open toward the tip of the lower inner locking portion 31. In this embodiment, the notches 31b are provided in two locations, but may be provided in more locations.

[0079] 13 and 15, by providing the cutout portions 31b in this manner, the upper frame portion 4a can be fixed to the auxiliary crosspieces 203 installed on the roof base 202 of the roof 201 at the position of the cutout portions 31b with screws 44. Also, since the upper frame portion 4a can be removed from the auxiliary crosspieces 203 by loosening the screws 44 that secure the upper frame portion 4a without completely removing them, it is possible to shorten the time required to remove the PV module 2 installed on the roof 201 and also shorten the time that workers spend working on the roof 201, thereby ensuring the safety of the workers.

[0080] A gutter section 32 is provided over the entire length of the main part 24, slightly below the middle section in the vertical direction on the left side surface of the main part 24. This gutter section 32 is provided so as to extend leftward from the left side surface of the main part 24, and is made up of a vertical support section 32a and an inclined section 32b, and is formed in a generally dogleg-shaped cross section. Therefore, rainwater can be stored in a running water section 32c formed between the gutter section 32 and the main part 24, and the stored rainwater can be discharged from both ends of the gutter section 32 in the front-rear direction.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 6-2, the position of the vertical support portion 32a of the gutter portion 32 extending to the left is the same as the position of the tip portions of the upper inner locking portion 30 and the lower inner locking portion 31 extending to the left. As a result, by pressing a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular, plate-like jig 300b, whose total length is longer than the length in the front-rear direction of the upper inner locking portion 30 of the upper frame portion 4a from the upper inner locking portion 30 side (left side) of the upper frame portion 4a that is upright on the work surface 301, which is a horizontal plane, the jig 300b contacts the tip portions of the upper inner locking portion 30 and the lower inner locking portion 31 and the vertical support portion 32a of the gutter portion 32 at the same time, and is in a vertical state with respect to the work surface 301. Then, by applying a horizontal force to the jig 300b and pushing the jig 300b to the right, the upper frame portion 4a can be horizontally moved to the right in a stable state.

[0082] 4, the front and rear ends of the gutter section 32 are formed to be inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the left-right direction in a plan view so that the length of the gutter section 32 in the front-to-rear direction increases as it progresses leftward (toward the vertical support section 32a), as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, both front and rear end faces of the gutter section 32 are formed to be flush with the inclined end faces of both front and rear end faces of the upper support section 27, the lower support section 28, the standing section 25, and the main section 24.

[0083] In the upper frame portion 4a of this embodiment, the step portion 27c formed at the boundary between the horizontal surface 27a and the inclined surface 27b of the upper support portion 27 is not formed in the lower support portion 28, but a step portion may be formed at the boundary between the horizontal surface 28a and the inclined surface 28b, as in the upper support portion 27.

[0084] 5 and 6-3 denotes a lower frame portion 4b, which is a rod-shaped metal frame member made of a thin steel plate or aluminum alloy. The overall length of the lower frame portion 4b is slightly longer than the long side of the PV module 2. The lower frame portion 4b has a main portion 33 extending in the vertical direction, and a support portion 35 is provided above the main portion 33.

[0085] The main part 33 is a cylindrical body with a vertically elongated, generally rectangular cross section, and has a vertically elongated, generally rectangular hollow section 33a formed on the inside thereof, the hollow section 33a being provided over the entire length of the lower frame section 4b. The main part 33 and the hollow section 33a correspond to the main part 11 and the hollow section 11a of the left frame section 3a (right frame section 3b), respectively, and are of generally the same shape and size as each other.

[0086] A support portion 35 is provided over the entire length of the main portion 33 above the main portion 33. The support portion 35 is made up of an upright portion 34, an upper support portion 36, and a lower support portion 37.

[0087] An upright portion 34 is provided so as to extend upward from the upper surface of the main portion 33, and an upper support portion 36 is provided at its upper end, and a lower support portion 37 is provided at a distance downward from the upper support portion 36 and shares a member with the upper surface of the main portion 33. The upper support portion 36 and the lower support portion 37 are formed so as to extend approximately equal lengths in the right direction from the upright portion 34. The upper support portion 36, the lower support portion 37 and the upright portion 34 correspond to the upper support portion 13, the lower support portion 14 and the upright portion 16 in the left-side frame portion 3a (right-side frame portion 3b), respectively, and have approximately the same shape and size as one another.

[0088] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, the upper support part 36 has a horizontal surface 36a, an inclined surface 36b, and a step part 36c, the lower support part 37 has a horizontal surface 37a and an inclined surface 37b, and the standing part 34 has a bulge part 34a. The upper support part 36, the lower support part 37, and the standing part 34 form a support groove 38 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that opens to the right side for inserting and supporting the edge part 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2, and the bulge part 34a formed on the right side surface of the standing part 34, which is the bottom surface of the support groove 38, curves and protrudes toward the entrance side (right direction). The width in the vertical direction at the tip side (entrance side of the support groove 38) of the upper support part 36 and the lower support part 37 is formed to be slightly wider than the thickness of the PV module 2, as shown in Fig. 13, etc. In this embodiment, the thickness of the PV module 2 is about 85% of the width in the up-down direction at the tip end sides of the upper support portion 36 and the lower support portion 37.

[0089] Therefore, by inserting the edge 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2 into the support groove 38 up to the vicinity of the bulge 34a and bringing the surface 2a into contact with the horizontal surface 36a of the upper support part 36, a gap 38a is provided between the support groove 38 and the periphery near the edge 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2. In particular, since the upper support part 36 is formed with the inclined surface 36b and the step part 36c, the vertical cross-sectional area of ​​the gap 38a between the inclined surface 36b of the upper support part 36 and the surface 2a near the edge 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2 is large.

[0090] Therefore, the support groove 38 is filled with an adhesive 19 such as silicone having weather resistance and elasticity, and the edge 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2 is inserted up to the vicinity of the bulge 34a, so that the adhesive 19 is evenly and sufficiently filled in the support groove 38 (gap 38a) and surrounds the periphery near the edge 2d, while the front surface 2a of the PV module 2 is in contact with the horizontal surface 36a of the upper support part 36 and the adhesive 19 is solidified, so that the adhesive 19 is also filled in the narrow gap 38a between the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 and the horizontal surface 37a of the lower support part 37. Therefore, the back surface 2b, the end surface 2d1 of the edge 2d, and the upper and lower corners 2d2 of the PV module 2 are not in contact with the support groove 38, and the lower frame part 4b can be fixed to the edge 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2.

[0091] The lower frame portion 4b may be fixed to the lower long side edge 2d of the PV module 2 with part of the end face 2d1 of the edge portion 2d in contact with the most protruding part (top) of the bulging portion 34a of the lower frame portion 4b.

[0092] This produces the same effect as when the left-side frame portion 3a is fixed to the edge 2c of the left short side of the PV module 2. In other words, it is possible to reliably prevent rainwater and the like running down the surface 2a of the PV module 2 from entering the support groove 38 (gap 38a), and to prevent contact between the support groove 38 and the end face 2d1 and the upper and lower corners 2d2 at the edge 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2 inserted into the support groove 38, thereby preventing a decrease in the power generation function of the PV module 2 due to cracks.

[0093] Furthermore, because the adhesive 19 surrounding the edge 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2 has a large vertical cross-sectional area and is sufficiently thick in the vertical direction, even if the PV module 2 bends in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 11-2 and the end face 2d1 and the upper and lower corners 2d2 of the edge 2d move within the support groove 38, the adhesive 19 can be prevented from being cut or damaged in the vertical direction by the end face 2c1 and the corners 2c2. Therefore, it is possible to maintain a state in which rainwater, etc., flowing down the surface 2a of the PV module 2 is prevented from entering the support groove 38 (gap 38a).

[0094] In addition, when the PV module 2 is bent and deformed in the vertical direction, the front surface 2a and back surface 2b portions near the edge 2d of the lower long side of the PV module 2 inserted into the support groove 38 are curved to prevent them from cracking due to contact with the lower corners at the tip of the upper support part 36 extending to the right and the upper corners at the tip of the lower support part 37.

[0095] 5 and 6-3, the upper support part 36 and the lower support part 37 are formed so that their front-to-rear lengths become shorter toward the right (tip direction) with the front and rear ends of the upper support part 36 and the lower support part 37 inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the left-to-right direction in a plan view. Also, the main part 33 located below the lower support part 37 is also formed so that its front-to-rear length becomes shorter toward the right with the front and rear ends inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the left-to-right direction in a plan view.

[0096] An upper outer locking portion 39 is provided at the upper end of the standing portion 34 over its entire length, while a lower outer locking portion 40 is provided at the lower end of the left side surface of the main portion 33 over its entire length. These upper outer locking portion 39 and lower outer locking portion 40 are provided to extend approximately horizontally to the left and are provided to be approximately parallel to each other. The vertical width between the bottom surface of the upper outer locking portion 39 and the top surface of the lower outer locking portion 40 is provided to be approximately the same as or slightly narrower than the vertical width between the top surface of the upper inner locking portion 30 and the bottom surface of the lower inner locking portion 31 of the upper frame portion 4a.

[0097] The upper outer locking portion 39 and the lower outer locking portion 40 are formed to extend to substantially the same position (substantially the same length) in the leftward direction. The upper outer locking portion 39 is formed so that its front-to-rear length increases as it advances leftward (toward the tip), with the front and rear ends of the upper locking portion 39 inclined at an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the left-to-right direction in a plan view. On the other hand, the front and rear ends of the lower outer locking portion 40 are formed so as to be substantially parallel to the left-to-right direction in a plan view.

[0098] These upper outer locking portion 39 and lower outer locking portion 40 are portions for inserting and fitting the upper inner locking portion 30 and lower inner locking portion 31 of the upper frame portion 4a by sandwiching them from the outside, as described above. To facilitate this insertion operation, the tip of the upper outer locking portion 39 is formed with an inclined surface 39a that slopes upward toward the tip, and the tip of the lower outer locking portion 40 is formed with an inclined surface 40a that slopes downward toward the tip.

[0099] The lower outer locking portion 40 has two notches 40b for fixing the lower frame portion 4b to the roof 201 with screws 44. The notches 40b are formed in a U-shape and open toward the tip of the lower outer locking portion 40. When the upper inner locking portion 30 and the lower inner locking portion 31 of the upper frame portion 4a are inserted between the upper outer locking portion 39 and the lower outer locking portion 40 of the lower frame portion 4b so as to sandwich them from the outside, and the upper frame portion 4a and the lower frame portion 4b are fitted together as described above, the notches 40b of the lower outer locking portion 40 are provided at positions corresponding to the notches 31b formed in the lower inner locking portion 31 of the upper frame portion 4a.

[0100] In this embodiment, the notches 40b are provided in two places, but they may be provided in more places. In that case, similarly to the above, they are provided at positions corresponding to the notches 31b formed in the lower inner locking portion 31 of the upper frame portion 4a when the upper frame portion 4a and the lower frame portion 4b are fitted together.

[0101] 13 and 14, by providing the cutouts 40b in this manner, the lower frame part 4b can be fixed to the auxiliary crosspieces 203 provided on the roof base 202 of the roof 201 at the position of the cutouts 40b with screws 44. Moreover, the lower frame part 4b can be removed from the auxiliary crosspieces 203 by loosening the screws 44 that secure the lower frame part 4b without completely removing them, which shortens the time it takes to remove the PV module 2 installed on the roof 201 and also shortens the time that workers spend working on the roof 201, ensuring the safety of the workers.

[0102] A guide projection 41 is provided over the entire length of the standing portion 34, spaced below the upper outer locking portion 39 located at the top end of the standing portion 34. The guide projection 41 is provided so as to extend substantially horizontally to the left from the standing portion 34, and is provided so as to be substantially parallel to the upper outer locking portion 39 and the lower outer locking portion 40.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 6-3, the position of the tip of the guiding projection 41 extending leftward is the same as the position of the tip of the upper outer locking portion 39 and the lower outer locking portion 40 extending leftward, and a flat surface is formed at the tip. As a result, by pressing the horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular, plate-shaped jig 300c, whose total length is longer than the length in the front-rear direction of the upper outer locking portion 39 of the lower frame portion 4b from the upper outer locking portion 39 side (left side) of the lower frame portion 4b that is upright on the work surface 301 that is a horizontal plane, the jig 300c contacts the tips of the upper outer locking portion 39, the lower outer locking portion 40, and the guiding projection 41 at the same time and is perpendicular to the work surface 301. Then, by applying a horizontal force to the jig 300c and pushing the jig 300c to the right, the lower frame portion 4b can be horizontally moved to the right in a stable state.

[0104] The guide projection 41 has its front and rear ends inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the left and right direction in a plan view so that its length in the front-rear direction increases as it advances to the left (tip direction). Therefore, the upper support part 36, the lower support part 37, the standing part 34, the upper outer locking part 39, the guide projection 41 and the main part 33 have inclined end faces so that both front and rear end faces are flush with each other.

[0105] In the lower frame portion 4b of this embodiment, the step portion 36c formed at the boundary between the horizontal surface 36a and the inclined surface 36b of the upper support portion 36 is not formed in the lower support portion 37, but a step may be formed at the boundary between the horizontal surface 37a and the inclined surface 37b, as in the upper support portion 36.

[0106] With the above structure, the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b, which is the vertical frame portion 3, and the upper-side frame portion 4a or the lower-side frame portion 4b, which is the horizontal frame portion 4, are connected and fixed around the periphery of the PV module 2, thereby forming a solar cell module body (hereinafter referred to as the "PV module body") 5, which is a roof member unit. As an example of a specific method of forming the PV module body 5, as shown in FIG. 1-1, the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b are arranged on the left and right of the PV module 2, and the upper-side frame portion 4a and the lower-side frame portion 4b are arranged above and below the PV module 2.

[0107] Next, the support groove 29 of the upper frame portion 4a and the support groove 38 of the lower frame portion 4b are filled with adhesive 19 such as silicone in advance, and as shown in Figures 6-2 and 6-3, jigs 300b, 300c are pressed by an automatic device against the upper inner engagement portion 30 side of the upper frame portion 4a, which is upright on the work surface 301, and the upper outer engagement portion 39 side of the lower frame portion 4b, respectively, and the jigs 300b, 300c are pushed out and moved horizontally toward the PV module 2, which is fixed in a horizontal position on the work surface 301, thereby inserting the upper long side edge 2d into the support groove 29 of the upper frame portion 4a and the lower long side edge 2d into the support groove 38 of the lower frame portion 4b, so that the horizontal surface 27a of the upper support portion 27 of the upper frame portion 4a and the horizontal surface 36a of the upper support portion 36 of the lower frame portion 4b are in contact with the surface 2a of the PV module 2, and the adhesive 19 is solidified. In this manner, the PV module 2 is fixed in a state in which the upper long side edge 2d is supported by the support portion 26 of the upper frame portion 4a, and the lower long side edge 2d is supported by the support portion 35 of the lower frame portion 4b.

[0108] Next, one end of the connecting portion 42 is inserted into both ends of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b and fixed. As shown in Fig. 1-1, this connecting portion 42 is an L-shaped member in a plan view having a substantially uniform plate thickness, and the shape and size of its vertical cross section are substantially the same as the shape and size of the inner hollow portion 11a of the main portion 11 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b, the inner hollow portion 24a of the main portion 24 of the upper-side frame portion 4a, and the inner hollow portion 33a of the main portion 33 of the lower-side frame portion 4b. The connecting portion 42 is made of a steel plate or an aluminum alloy.

[0109] Therefore, one end of the connecting part 42 can be fixed to both ends of the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame part 3b by inserting and pushing one end of the connecting part 42 all the way into the inner hollow parts 11a of the main parts 11 from both ends of the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame part 3b. Similarly, one end of the connecting part 42 can be inserted and pushed all the way into the inner hollow parts 24a, 33a of the main parts 24, 33 from both ends of the upper-side frame part 4a and the lower-side frame part 4b, and fixed to both ends of the upper-side frame part 4a and the lower-side frame part 4b.

[0110] Next, the support grooves 18 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b are filled with adhesive 19 such as silicone in advance, and as shown in FIG. 6-1, an automatic device presses a jig 300a against the locking portions 20 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b which are stood upright on the work surface 301, and the jig 300a is pushed out and moved horizontally toward the PV module 2 which is fixed in a horizontal position on the work surface 301, thereby inserting the left short edge 2c into the support groove 18 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right short edge 2c into the support groove 18 of the right-side frame portion 3b, so that the horizontal surfaces 13a of the upper support portions 13 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b are in contact with the surface 2a of the PV module 2 and the adhesive 19 is allowed to solidify. In this manner, the PV module 2 is fixed in a state in which the short-side edge 2c is supported by the supports 12, 12 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b, respectively.

[0111] At the same time, the other ends of the connecting parts 42 fixed to both ends of the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame part 3b are inserted and fixed into both ends of the top-side frame part 4a and the bottom-side frame part 4b that are already fixed to the long-side edge part 2d of the PV module 2. This makes it possible to connect the top-side frame part 4a and the bottom-side frame part 4b to both ends of the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame part 3b, and form the PV module body 5, as shown in FIG.

[0112] At this time, the front and rear ends of the left-side frame portion 3a, right-side frame portion 3b, top-side frame portion 4a and bottom-side frame portion 4b each have inclined end faces that are inclined at an angle of approximately 45° to the left-right direction when viewed in a plane, as described above, so that the inclined end faces at both ends of the left-side frame portion 3a and right-side frame portion 3b are tightly connected to the inclined end faces at both ends of the top-side frame portion 4a and bottom-side frame portion 4b without any gaps.

[0113] As a result, at the joints 43 at both ends of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b, the support grooves 18 are in the same position as the support grooves 29 of the upper frame portion 4a and the support grooves 38 of the lower frame portion 4b, and overlap with each other, so that the support grooves 18, 29, and 38 are connected (communicated). Therefore, the adhesive 19 filled in the gap 18a in the support groove 18 and the adhesive 19 filled in the gaps 29a and 38a in the support grooves 29 and 38 are connected to each other and integrated. This makes it possible to prevent rainwater, etc., flowing down the surface 2a of the PV module 2 from entering the support grooves 18, 29, and 38 from the joints 43 at both ends of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b.

[0114] Furthermore, when connecting the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b, which is the vertical frame portion 3, to the top-side frame portion 4a or the bottom-side frame portion 4b, which is the horizontal frame portion 4, it is desirable that no step occurs at the joint 43 between the upper support portion 13 of the left-side frame portion 3a (right-side frame portion 3b) and the upper support portion 27 of the top-side frame portion 4a, or at the joint 43 of the upper support portion 36 of the bottom-side frame portion 4b, as shown in Figures 1-2, etc.

[0115] By eliminating the step, rainwater is prevented from being blown over during wind and rain and accumulating at the joint 43 between the left-side frame portion 3a (right-side frame portion 3b) and the top-side frame portion 4a, or at the joint 43 of the bottom-side frame portion 4b. Rainwater is prevented from seeping in between the joints 43, and a PV module body 5 with a highly aesthetic design can be produced.

[0116] Furthermore, the thicknesses and provided positions (heights) of the upper locking portions 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b and the upper outer locking portion 39 of the bottom frame portion 4b, and the thicknesses and provided positions (heights) of the lower locking portions 22 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b and the guiding protrusion 41 of the bottom frame portion 4b are substantially equal. As a result, when the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b are supported by a frame support portion 54 of the rack 6 described below and the PV module body 5 is installed, the upper outer locking portion 39 and the guiding protrusion 41 of the bottom frame portion 4b can be installed without interfering with the upper locking protrusion 63a and the lower locking protrusion 63b of the frame support portion 54.

[0117] 2 and 11-1, the adhesive 19 filled in the gaps 18a, 29a, 38a in the support grooves 18, 29, 38 has a large vertical cross-sectional area and a sufficiently thick vertical thickness. Therefore, even if a load is applied to the PV module body 5 due to snowfall, strong winds, earthquakes, or the like, and a force is applied that causes the left-side frame part 3a or the right-side frame part 3b, which is the vertical frame part 3, and the upper-side frame part 4a or the lower-side frame part 4b, which is the horizontal frame part 4, which are connected at the joint 43, to shift vertically or horizontally, the adhesive 19 filled in the gaps 18a in the support grooves 18 of the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame part 3b, and the adhesive 19 filled in the gaps 29a in the support groove 29 of the upper-side frame part 4a and the gaps 38a in the support groove 38 of the lower-side frame part 4b can be prevented from being cut or damaged vertically. As a result, it is possible to maintain a state in which rainwater, etc. flowing down the surface 2a of the PV module 2 is prevented from entering the support grooves 18, 29, 38 through the joints 43 at both ends of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b.

[0118] The above structure also enables the upper frame part 4a and the lower frame part 4b to be connected to each other. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 13, the upper inner locking part 30 and the lower inner locking part 31 of the upper frame part 4a are inserted between the upper outer locking part 39 and the lower outer locking part 40 of the lower frame part 4b and pushed all the way in to fit them together, and the tip part of the upper inner locking part 30 and the tip part of the lower inner locking part 31 of the upper frame part 4a are abutted against the rising part 34 and the main part 33 of the lower frame part 4b, while the tip part of the upper outer locking part 39 and the tip part of the lower outer locking part 40 of the lower frame part 4b are abutted against the rising part 25 and the main part 24 of the upper frame part 4a, thereby connecting them to each other.

[0119] At this time, the vertical support portion 32a of the gutter portion 32 of the upper frame portion 4a abuts against the main portion 33 of the lower frame portion 4b, and the tip portion of the guide protrusion portion 41 of the lower frame portion 4b abuts against the standing portion 25 of the upper frame portion 4a. Also, the gutter portion 32 of the upper frame portion 4a is located lower than the guide protrusion portion 41 of the lower frame portion 4b.

[0120] Furthermore, by connecting the top frame part 4a and the bottom frame part 4b in this manner, the top surface of the top inner locking part 30 of the top frame part 4a and the bottom surface of the top outer locking part 39 of the bottom frame part 4b are in close contact with each other without any gaps, and the bottom surface of the lower inner locking part 31 of the top frame part 4a and the top surface of the lower outer locking part 40 of the bottom frame part 4b are in close contact with each other without any gaps, resulting in a strong connection between them. This makes it possible to prevent rainwater from entering between the top frame part 4a and the bottom frame part 4b even during wind and rain.

[0121] Furthermore, even if rainwater seeps in between the underside of the upper outer engagement portion 39 of the lower frame portion 4b and the upper surface of the upper inner engagement portion 30 of the upper frame portion 4a, the rainwater will flow down onto the upper surface of the guiding protrusion 41 of the lower frame portion 4b and can be guided and discharged to both front-to-rear ends of the guiding protrusion 41.

[0122] Furthermore, even if rainwater infiltrates between the tip of the guiding protrusion 41 of the lower frame portion 4b and the upright portion 25 of the upper frame portion 4a, the rainwater is guided and flows down into the flow section 32c formed between the gutter section 32 of the upper frame portion 4a and the main part 24, and can be discharged from both front-to-rear ends of the gutter section 32 into the upper drainage section 71a of the upper flange portion 64a of the frame 6, as described below, making it possible to discharge the infiltrating rainwater outside the PV module installation structure 1.

[0123] In this embodiment, an upper inner locking portion 30 and a lower inner locking portion 31 are provided on the upper frame portion 4a, and an upper outer locking portion 39 and a lower outer locking portion 40 are provided on the lower frame portion 4b, but it is also possible that an upper outer locking portion 39 and a lower outer locking portion 40 are provided on the upper frame portion 4a, and an upper inner locking portion 30 and a lower inner locking portion 31 are provided on the lower frame portion 4b.

[0124] In addition, in this embodiment, the rain gutter portion 32 is provided on the upper frame portion 4a and the guide protrusion portion 41 is provided on the lower frame portion 4b, but the guide protrusion portion 41 may be provided on the upper frame portion 4a and the rain gutter portion 32 may be provided on the lower frame portion 4b.

[0125] When the top frame part 4a and the bottom frame part 4b are connected, it is desirable that there be no step between the top surface of the upper outer locking part 39 of the bottom frame part 4b and the top surface of the standing part 25 of the top frame part 4a with which the upper outer locking part 39 abuts, as shown in Fig. 13. By eliminating the step, it is possible to prevent rainwater from being blown in during wind and rain and accumulating at the position where the standing part 25 of the top frame part 4a and the upper outer locking part 39 of the bottom frame part 4b abut, to prevent rainwater from entering between the top frame part 4a and the bottom frame part 4b, and to provide a PV module installation structure 1 with a highly designed and beautiful appearance.

[0126] In this embodiment, the vertical frame portion 3 and the horizontal frame portion 4 are formed from a metal such as a steel plate or an aluminum alloy, but may be formed from a resin such as a plastic.

[0127] Reference numeral 6 in Fig. 7 denotes a frame for supporting the PV module body 5. The frame 6 is made of a base part 53 and a frame support part 54, and is a rod-shaped metal member made of a thin steel plate or an aluminum alloy.

[0128] The bottom plate portion 55 forming the base portion 53 is a flat plate-like portion having a vertically elongated, generally rectangular shape, and is provided over the entire length of the mounting frame 6. A partition portion 56 extending perpendicularly to the bottom plate portion 55 is provided over the entire length of the bottom plate portion 55 at a position slightly inward from both left and right ends of the bottom plate portion 55 (mounting frame 6). A drainage channel 59 is formed by the partition portion 56, the bottom plate portion 55, and support columns 58 of the frame support portion 54 described below, and the drainage channel 59 plays a role in discharging rainwater that flows in to the outside of the PV module installation structure 1.

[0129] In addition, it is desirable that the height of the partition portion 56 is formed as high as possible so that even if a large amount of rainwater flows into the drainage channel 59 of the base portion 53, the rainwater can be discharged outside the PV module installation structure 1, but the height should be such that the partition portion 56 does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the main part 24 of the upper frame portion 4a and the bottom surface of the main part 33 of the lower frame portion 4b when the PV module body 5 is installed on the mounting base 6 as described below.

[0130] In addition, screw holes 60 for fixing the mount 6 onto the roof base 202 of the roof 201 are provided at multiple locations along the front-rear direction of the bottom plate portion 55 (mount 6) on both left and right ends of the bottom plate portion 55.

[0131] Further, at the corners formed by the bottom plate portion 55 and the partition portion 56, tapping holes 61 having a generally C-shaped cross section that open toward both left and right ends of the bottom plate portion 55 are provided over the entire length of the mount 6. As a result, by lining up two mounts 6, 6 in a straight line and inserting both ends of a cylindrical, elongated pin 57 into each of the tapping holes 61, 61 while abutting the end faces of the mounts 6 against each other, the mounts 6 can be continuously connected, and a case where a long mount 6 needs to be installed can also be accommodated.

[0132] 7 and other figures, the back surface 62 of the bottom plate portion 55 is provided with a plurality of continuous wavy projections and recesses in the left-right direction, and the projections and recesses are provided over the entire longitudinal length of the bottom plate portion 55. By providing such projections and recesses on the back surface 62, it is possible to prevent rainwater from penetrating between the back surface 62 of the bottom plate portion 55 and the roof foundation 202 due to capillary action.

[0133] The frame support section 54 is formed from a support column section 58 and a locking projection 63 consisting of an upper locking projection 63a and a lower locking projection 63b. Specifically, the support column section 58 extending upward perpendicularly to the bottom plate section 55 (the stand 6) is provided over the entire length of the bottom plate section 55 at the center of the bottom plate section 55 in the left-right direction. The upper locking projection 63a is provided slightly below the upper end of the support column section 58, and the lower locking projection 63b is provided below the upper locking projection 63a with a gap therebelow, both of which extend over the entire length of the support column section 58.

[0134] These upper and lower locking protrusions 63a, 63b are thin plate-like portions for locking the locking portions 20 (upper locking portion 21 and lower locking portion 22) of the left-hand and right-hand frame portions 3a, 3b, and are arranged to extend approximately horizontally and of approximately equal length from the support portion 58 to the left and right, respectively, and are arranged to be approximately parallel to each other.

[0135] An upper flange portion 64a is provided slightly below the middle of the support portion 58, and a lower flange portion 64b is provided below that with a gap, each extending over the entire length of the support portion 58. The upper flange portion 64a and the lower flange portion 64b are thin plate-shaped portions for draining rainwater that has entered the PV module installation structure 1, and are provided to extend approximately equal lengths in the left and right directions from the support portion 58. The left-right widths of the upper flange portion 64a and the lower flange portion 64b are also formed wider than the left-right widths of the upper locking protrusions 63a and the lower locking protrusions 63b.

[0136] On the upper surfaces 65a of the left and right upper locking projections 63a, 63a, two small projections 66 are provided along the entire length in the front-rear direction to prevent rainwater from entering between the upper locking projections 63a and the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame 3b when the PV module body 5 is installed by supporting the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame 3b on the locking projections 63 of the mount 6. In addition, the projections 66 have a curved surface at their tips to prevent the upper locking projections 63a of the mount 6 and the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame 3b from coming into contact with each other and becoming scratched and rusted when the PV module body 5 is installed. The number of projections 66 may be one or three or more, but it is preferable to have a plurality of projections in order to prevent rainwater from entering due to capillary action.

[0137] Furthermore, by providing the protrusion 66 as described above and reducing the contact area between the frame 6 and the left-hand frame portion 3a or the right-hand frame portion 3b, the surface pressure of the contact surface increases and the coefficient of friction decreases compared to when the protrusion 66 is not present, thereby reducing the effort required to install the PV module body 5.

[0138] With the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to install the PV module body 5 by supporting the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame 3b on the locking protrusion 63 of the frame 6. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10, a bottom surface of the upper locking part 21 of the left-side frame part 3a or the right-side frame 3b faces an upper surface 65a of the upper locking protrusion 63a of the locking protrusion 63 of the frame 6, and the bottom surface of the lower locking part 22 of the left-side frame part 3a or the right-side frame 3b faces an upper surface 65b of the lower locking protrusion 63b of the locking protrusion 63 of the frame 6, and the bottom surface of the lower locking protrusion 63b of the locking protrusion 63 of the frame 6 is engaged with the upper surface. As a result, the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame part 3b can be supported at two points, the upper locking protrusion 63a and the lower locking protrusion 63b of the frame 6, and therefore the PV module body 5 can be stably installed.

[0139] Furthermore, as described above, the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b are supported at two points, the upper locking protrusion 63a and the lower locking protrusion 63 of the locking protrusion 63 of the frame 6, so that when installing the PV module body 5, the PV module body 5 can be slid in a stably manner to the desired position on the locking protrusion 63.

[0140] Furthermore, even if a force acts on the PV module body 5 to move it in the girder direction G of the roof 201 (hereinafter referred to as "girder direction G") when sliding the PV module body 5 as described above, the respective tips of the upper locking portion 21, the lower locking portion 22 and the lower support portion 23 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b are in contact with the frame support portion 54 (pillar portion 58) of the frame 6, so that movement of the PV module body 5 in the girder direction G is limited. This makes it possible to prevent the PV module body 5 from falling off the locking protrusions 63 of the frame 6, allowing the worker to perform the installation work safely.

[0141] Curved surfaces are formed on the tip of the upper locking protrusion 63a and the tip of the lower locking protrusion 63b, which extend leftward and rightward, respectively, from the support 58. These curved surfaces allow the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame part 3b to be smoothly slid and installed relative to the upper-side locking protrusion 63a and the lower-side locking protrusion 63b of the locking protrusion 63 of the stand 6, and also prevent the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame part 3b from being damaged and rusting.

[0142] Furthermore, when the PV module body 5 is supported by the upper locking protrusions 63a and the lower locking protrusions 63b extending respectively to the left and right from the support portion 58, as shown in Figure 10, the flat surfaces of the tips of the upper locking portions 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b abut against the side of the support portion 58, so that the upper surfaces of the upper locking portions 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b and the upper end surface of the support portion 58 form a flush plane without any steps, and the upper surfaces 65a of the upper locking protrusions 63a, 63a extending respectively to the left and right of the support portion 58 are covered.

[0143] This prevents rainwater from being blown in during wind and rain and accumulating at the position where the support portion 58 abuts the upper engaging portion 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b, and prevents rainwater from entering the PV module installation structure 1 between the support portion 58 and the upper engaging portion 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b, while also allowing for the PV module installation structure 1 to have a highly aesthetically pleasing design.

[0144] Furthermore, when the PV module body 5 is supported by the upper locking protrusions 63a and the lower locking protrusions 63b extending leftward and rightward from the support pillars 58, the lower locking portions 22 of the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b of the PV module body 5 are inserted into the gaps 69 formed between the upper locking protrusions 63a and the lower locking protrusions 63b, which are the locking protrusions 63. This limits the vertical movement of the lower locking portions 22 even when a force that moves the PV module body 5 in the vertical direction is applied. This prevents the PV module body 5 from being blown upward by a strong wind and coming off the locking protrusions 63 of the frame 6, allowing the worker to perform the installation work safely.

[0145] The protrusions 22a may be provided on the upper surface 65b of the lower locking protrusion 63b of the frame 6 facing the bottom surface, instead of on the bottom surface of the lower locking portion 22 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b, or on both surfaces thereof. The protrusions 66 may be provided on the bottom surface of the upper locking portion 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b facing the upper surface 65a, instead of on the upper surface 65a of the upper locking protrusion 63a of the frame 6, or on both surfaces thereof.

[0146] Furthermore, when providing protrusions 22a and protrusions 66 on both opposing surfaces as described above, care should be taken to support the left-hand frame portion 3a and the right-hand frame portion 3b on the locking protrusions 63 of the mounting base 6 and to position the protrusions 22a and 66 so that they do not collide with each other when installing the PV module body 5.

[0147] The upper flange portions 64a, 64a extending leftward and rightward from the support portion 58, respectively, are bent in two stages so as to gently slope downward from the support portion 58 toward the tip portion 70a and then slope upward near the tip portion 70a, as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 10. The left and right upper flange portions 64a, 64a and the support portion 58 form upper drainage portions 71a, 71a, which are drainage portions 71, on the left and right sides of the support portion 58. Therefore, rainwater that has flowed down into the upper drainage portions 71a flows away from the support portion 58 and flows toward the downstream side while flowing near the tip portion 70a.

[0148] In addition, since the corners of the support column 58 and the left and right upper flanges 64a, 64a have inclined surfaces 73, rainwater that runs down the side of the support column 58 from above does not stay at the corners, but flows down through the upper drainage section 71a to the downstream side while moving away from the support column 58. Therefore, at the joints 84c of the upper flanges 64a provided on the left and right of each support column 58, 58 among the joints 84 between the above-water side rack 6 and the below-water side rack 6, the rainwater that has flowed down through the upper drainage section 71a is unlikely to enter the gaps between the support columns 58 of the frame supports 54, 54 between the above-water side rack 6 and the below-water side rack 6 from the corners (inclined surfaces 73) of the support column 58 and the left and right upper flanges 64a, 64a.

[0149] 7 and 10, the lower flanges 64b, 64b extending from the support 58 to the left and right are gently inclined downward from the support 58 to the tip 70b, and then are bent upward at about 2 / 3 of the total width of the lower flange 64b. The lower flanges 64b and the support 58 form lower drainage sections 71b, 71b on the left and right. Rainwater that flows down into the lower drainage sections 71b flows away from the support 58 and flows down to the water downstream while collecting in the lowest recessed section 72 in the lower flange 64b.

[0150] In addition, the lower flanges 64b, 64b provided on the left and right sides of the support 58 are inclined downward from the support 58 to the tip 70b, so that rainwater flowing down the lower drainage section 71b of the lower flange 64b does not stay near the base of the lower flange 64b, but flows down the lower drainage section 71b to the downstream side while moving away from the support 58. Therefore, at the joints 84d of the lower flanges 64b provided on the left and right sides of each support 58, 58 among the joints 84 between the above-water side rack 6 and the below-water side rack 6, rainwater flowing down the recessed portion 72 of the lower drainage section 71b is unlikely to enter the gaps of the support 58 of each frame support 54, 54 between the above-water side rack 6 and the below-water side rack 6 from the bases of the left and right lower flanges 64b, 64b.

[0151] At both ends of the base 6 in the front-rear direction, between the position where the upper flange portion 64a is provided on the support portion 58 and the position where the lower flange portion 64b is provided, and immediately below the upper flange portion 64a, a cut portion 74 for inserting a joint gutter 8 described below is formed. This cut portion 74 is formed by cutting out the support portion 58 in a horizontally elongated substantially rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction of the base 6.

[0152] In this embodiment, the pedestal 6 is made of metal such as a steel plate or an aluminum alloy, but may be made of resin such as plastic. In this embodiment, the pedestal 6 has a structure in which two locking protrusions, the upper locking protrusion 63a and the lower locking protrusion 63b, which are the locking protrusions 63 of the pedestal 6, support two locking parts, the upper locking part 21 and the lower locking part 22, which are the locking parts 20 of the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame 3b, but may have a structure in which three or more locking protrusions of the pedestal 6 support three or more locking parts of the left-side frame part 3a and the right-side frame 3b.

[0153] Reference numeral 8 denotes a joint gutter, which is a metal member formed from a thin steel plate or an aluminum alloy, and is a member used when installing and connecting a plurality of racks 6 in the eaves-ridge direction H (hereinafter referred to as the "eaves-ridge direction H") of the roof 201. The joint gutter 8 is a member in which a plurality of gutter portions 92, a protrusion portion 78, and a groove portion 80 are integrally formed.

[0154] More specifically, the joint gutter 8 is a generally cylindrical member extending in the front-rear direction as shown in Fig. 8. The upper part of the joint gutter 8 is generally W-shaped when viewed from the front, and a protrusion 78 protruding upward in a generally triangular shape is provided on an upper surface 76a at the center in the left-right direction, while a groove 80 that is generally U-shaped when viewed from the front and opens downward is provided on a lower surface 79a at the center in the left-right direction, over the entire length of the joint gutter 8 in the front-rear direction.

[0155] Further, on both the left and right sides of the protrusion 78, upper gutter sections 92a, which are gutter sections 92 from the protrusion 78 to the upper end section 81, are provided over the entire length of the joint gutter 8 in the front-to-rear direction, and an upper flow section 82a, which is a gutter-shaped flow section 82 through which rainwater can pass in the front-to-rear direction, is formed on the upper surface 76a side of the upper gutter section 92a. This upper gutter section 92a gently slopes downward from the protrusion 78 to the left and right upper end sections 81, 81, and is bent in two stages so as to slope upward near a position slightly closer to the upper end section 81 than approximately the center of the overall width of the upper gutter section 92a in the left-to-right direction, with the lowest part being provided at a position slightly closer to the upper end section 81 than approximately the center of the overall width of the upper gutter section 92a in the left-to-right direction.

[0156] Therefore, rainwater that flows down into the upper flow sections 82a of the upper gutter sections 92a on the left and right sides of the protrusion 78 flows down toward the water downstream while collecting at a position slightly closer to the upper end 81 than approximately the center of the overall width of the upper gutter section 92a in the left-right direction. The width between the left and right upper end sections 81, 81 is wider than the width between the tips 70a, 70a of the left and right upper flange sections 64a provided on the support columns 58 of the frame 6. The left and right upper end sections 81, 81 are also located higher in the up-down direction than the protrusions 78 (see FIG. 10).

[0157] In addition, the lower part of the joint gutter 8 is provided with a lower gutter section 92b, which is a gutter section 92 that is approximately J-shaped and inverted J-shaped when viewed from the front, hanging down from the undersides 79a near the upper ends 81, 81 of the left and right upper gutter sections 92a, respectively, and with its lower ends 83 facing inward, over the entire length of the joint gutter 8 in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0158] Furthermore, on the inner peripheral surface 76b side of the left and right lower gutter sections 92b, lower flow sections 82b are formed which are gutter-shaped flow sections 82 through which rainwater can pass in the front-rear direction. These lower gutter sections 92b extend downward from a position fixed to the upper gutter section 92a, gently slope downward from a bent section 87 near the lower end to the lower end section 83, and are bent in two stages near the approximate center of the overall width of the lower gutter section 92b in the left-right direction so as to slope upward inward, with the lowest part being located at the approximate center of the overall width of the lower gutter section 92b in the left-right direction.

[0159] Therefore, rainwater that flows down into the lower flow section 82b of the left and right lower gutter sections 92b flows down toward the water downstream while collecting at approximately the center of the overall width of the lower gutter section 92b in the left and right direction. Also, the space I surrounded by the upper gutter section 92a and the lower gutter section 92b of the joint gutter 8 is formed to be large enough to accommodate the left and right lower flange sections 64b, 64b provided on the support sections 58 of the frame 6 when the joint gutter 8 is attached to the frame 6 (see FIG. 10).

[0160] With the above-mentioned structure, the joint gutter 8 can be attached to the mount 6 as shown in Figs. 9-1, 9-2, 10, etc. Specifically, when a plurality of mounts 6 are installed and connected in the eaves-ridge direction H, the protrusions 78 at both ends in the front-rear direction of the joint gutter 8 are inserted into the cut parts 74 of the support parts 58 of the mount 6 on the above-water side and the mount 6 on the below-water side, respectively, and the groove parts 80 are fitted into the lower edges of the cut parts 74. Then, the upper flow part 82a of the upper gutter part 92a of the joint gutter 8 is positioned between the upper flange part 64a and the lower flange part 64b of the mount 6, and the lower flow part 82b of the lower gutter part 92b of the joint gutter 8 is positioned between the lower flange part 64b and the bottom plate part 55, and the mounts 6, 6 are connected with the joint gutter 8 erected between the mount 6 on the above-water side and the mount 6 on the below-water side.

[0161] When the joint gutter 8 is attached to the mount 6 in this manner, at a joint 84c between the left and right upper flange portions 64a, 64a provided on the respective support portions 58 of the mount 6 on the above-water side and the mount 6 on the below-water side, the entire joint 84c is covered by the upper gutter portion 92a of the joint gutter 8 from the underside 85a side of the upper flange portions 64a of both mounts 6. Also, at a joint 84d between the left and right lower flange portions 64b, 64b provided on the respective support portions 58 of the mount 6 on the above-water side and the mount 6 on the below-water side, most of the joint 84d is covered by the lower gutter portion 92b of the joint gutter 8 from the underside 85b side of the lower flange portions 64b of both mounts 6.

[0162] In this embodiment, the two lower gutter portions 92b, 92b cover the seam 84d from the tip portion 70b of the lower flange portion 64b to the recess portion 72, but the lower gutter portion 92b may be formed so as to cover the entire seam 84d of the lower flange portion 64b.

[0163] As described above, by forming the cut portion 74 immediately below the position where the upper flange portion 64a of the support portion 58 of the frame 6 is provided and attaching the joint gutter 8 to the cut portion 74, rainwater that penetrates into the gap between the support portions 58 of the frame support portions 54 of the above-water side frame 6 and the below-water side frame 6 and flows down is divided to the left and right by the upper protrusion portion 78 of the joint gutter 8 and is guided to the upper flow portion 82a of the upper gutter portion 92a on the left and right, and can flow down from the upper flow portion 82a to the lower drainage portion 71b of the lower flange portion 64b provided on the left and right of the support portion 58 of the below-water side frame 6. Therefore, as described later, rainwater can be discharged from the lower end of the frame 6 installed closest to the eaves portion 206 without passing over the joints 84e of the base portions 53, 53 of the joints 84 between the above-water side frame 6 and the below-water side frame 6.

[0164] In this embodiment, the joint gutter 8 is made of a metal such as a steel plate or an aluminum alloy, but may be made of a resin such as a plastic.

[0165] Next, a method of installing the PV module installation structure 1 according to the present invention on the roof foundation 202 will be described. The roof 201 has a roof foundation 202 formed by laying a waterproof sheet 205 such as roofing on a sheathing board 204 laid over the entire surface of the roof, and the mounting base 6 is first installed on top of the roof foundation 202. As shown in Fig. 16, the mounting base 6 is installed on the roof 201 facing in the eaves-ridge direction H, and is installed from near the eaves end 206 to near the ridge 209, and is fixed onto the roof foundation 202 with screws 93 through screw holes 60 in the bottom plate 55.

[0166] At this time, multiple (three in this embodiment) mounts 6 are installed while being connected in the eaves-ridge direction H. Specifically, the mounts 6 are lined up continuously in a straight line in the eaves-ridge direction H, and both ends of a single elongated cylindrical pin 57 are inserted into the tapping holes 61, 61 of the mounts 6 on the above-water side and the below-water side, respectively, to connect them, and the mounts 6, 6 are installed so that no gaps are generated between them (see Figures 9-1 and 9-2).

[0167] In addition, when connecting the above-water side frame 6 and the below-water side frame 6 in the eaves-ridge direction H, as described above, the protrusions 78 of the joint gutter 8 are inserted into the cut portions 74 formed in the support portions 58 of both frames 6, 6, and the groove portions 80 are fitted into the lower edges of the cut portions 74, respectively, and the joint gutter 8 is connected in an erected state between the two frames 6, 6.

[0168] Further, the mounts 6 are installed in parallel in multiple rows at equal intervals in the girder direction G on the roof foundation 202. At this time, the distance between adjacent mounts 6, 6 in the girder direction G is approximately the same as the length of the horizontal frame parts 4 (upper frame part 4a, lower frame part 4b), and the mounts 6 are installed to the fullest extent in the girder direction G on the roof foundation 202.

[0169] Furthermore, when the PV module body 5 is installed on the mounting base 6, auxiliary crosspieces 203 are installed on the roof foundation 202 to prevent the horizontal frame portion 4 from bending downward and to support the PV module body 5. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 16, between the mounting bases 6, multiple rows of auxiliary crosspieces 203 with a vertically elongated, generally rectangular cross section are installed in parallel with the mounting bases 6 in the eaves-ridge direction H from near the eaves end portion 206 to near the ridge portion 209, and fixed onto the roof foundation 202 with nails 94 or the like.

[0170] Next, a position is determined on the auxiliary crosspiece 203 at the eaves end portion 206 for installing the eaves end member 102, which is a long, tubular member with a roughly sector-shaped cross section made of steel plate or aluminum alloy so that rainwater that has run down over the PV module body 5 can flow down to under the eaves, and the eaves end member 102 is fixed to the auxiliary crosspiece 203 with screws 96 via fasteners 95, as shown in Fig. 14. At this time, the eaves end member 102 is installed so as to be erected between the adjacent racks 6 in the girder direction G, and the eaves end member 102 is also fixed to the upper locking protrusion 63a of the rack 6 with screws 97 via the screw holes 103.

[0171] Then, the above work is repeated between all the adjacent racks 6 in the girder direction G to fix the multiple eaves end members 102 at the eaves end portion 206, and both ends of a single elongated cylindrical pin 104 are inserted into the tapping holes 105 of the adjacent eaves end members 102, 102, respectively, to connect and install the adjacent eaves end members 102.

[0172] Next, the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b, which is the vertical frame portion 3, and the upper-side frame portion 4a or the lower-side frame portion 4b, which is the horizontal frame portion 4, are connected via the connecting portions 42 as described above, while being fixed to the peripheral edges 2c, 2d of the PV module 2 to prepare a PV module body 5, which is a roofing material unit. Note that the same number of PV module bodies 5 as those to be installed on the roof 201 are prepared.

[0173] Next, at the upper end of the row of racks 6 installed closest to either the left or right sleeve portion 208 of the roof 201 in the eaves-ridge direction H, and the row of racks 6 adjacent to that row in the girder direction G, as shown in Figure 10, the bottom surfaces of the upper locking portions 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b of the first-stage PV module body 5 (the PV module body 5 installed closest to the eaves end portion 206) are engaged with the upper surfaces 65a of the upper locking protrusions 63a of the racks 6, and the bottom surfaces of the lower locking portions 22 of the left-side frame portions 3a and the right-side frame portions 3b are engaged with the upper surfaces 65b of the lower locking protrusions 63b of the racks 6, thereby supporting the first-stage PV module body 5 on the frame support portions 54 of the two adjacent racks 6, 6.

[0174] Then, the PV module body 5 is slid toward the eaves portion 206 and moved to the vicinity of the lower end of the frame 6 installed closest to the eaves portion 206. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the lower frame portion 4b is fixed to the auxiliary crosspiece 203 with the screws 44 at the two notches 40b of the lower outer locking portion 40 so that the inclined surface 39a at the tip of the upper outer locking portion 39 of the lower frame portion 4b of the first stage PV module body 5 comes into contact with the inclined surface at the rear end 106 of the eaves member 102 that slopes downward toward the rear end. Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the upper frame portion 4a is fixed to the auxiliary crosspiece 203 with the screws 44 at the two notches 31b of the lower inner locking portion 31. This fixes the PV module body 5 so that it does not move in the eaves-ridge direction H and the girder direction G. In this way, the installation of the first stage PV module body 5 on the frame 6 is completed.

[0175] At this time, as shown in Fig. 10, it is preferable that the flat surfaces of the tips of the upper and lower locking portions 21, 22 of the left and right frame portions 3a, 3b are in contact with the frame support portion 54 (pillar portion 58) of the stand 6, but they may be in a state where there is a small gap without contact. Also, the bottom surface of the main portion 24 of the upper frame portion 4a and the bottom surface of the main portion 33 of the lower frame portion 4b are supported by the auxiliary crosspieces 203.

[0176] Next, the second-stage PV module body 5 (the PV module body 5 to be installed second, counting from the eaves end portion 206 side) is installed on the mounting base 6. Specifically, at the upper end of the row of two adjacent mounting bases 6, 6 on which the first-stage PV module body 5 is installed, the second-stage PV module body 5 is supported by the frame support parts 54 of those two mounting bases 6, 6 in the same manner as for the first-stage PV module body 5, and the PV module body 5 is moved while sliding toward the eaves end portion 206.

[0177] Then, as shown in Figure 13, the upper inner locking portion 30 and the lower inner locking portion 31 of the upper frame portion 4a of the first stage PV module body 5 are inserted and fitted between the upper outer locking portion 39 and the lower outer locking portion 40 of the lower frame portion 4b of the second stage PV module body 5, and the second stage PV module body 5 is pushed toward the eaves direction until the tip of the upper inner locking portion 30 and the tip of the lower inner locking portion 31 of the upper frame portion 4a abut the rising portion 34 and the main portion 33 of the lower frame portion 4b and the tip of the upper outer locking portion 39 and the tip of the lower outer locking portion 40 of the lower frame portion 4b abut the rising portion 25 and the main portion 24 of the upper frame portion 4a, thereby connecting the first stage PV module body 5 and the second stage PV module body 5 without any gaps.

[0178] At this time, the screw 44 fixing the lower inner engagement portion 31 of the upper frame portion 4a of the first stage PV module body 5 is accommodated in the cutout portion 40b of the lower outer engagement portion 40 of the lower frame portion 4b of the second stage PV module body 5.

[0179] Next, the upper frame portion 4a of the second stage PV module body 5 is fixed to the auxiliary crosspiece 203 with screws 44 at the two notched portions 31b of its lower stage inner engaging portion 31, thereby fixing the second stage PV module body 5 so as not to move in the eaves-ridge direction H and the girder direction G. Finally, the terminal cable provided on the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 of the first stage PV module body 5 and the terminal cable provided on the back surface 2b of the PV module 2 of the second stage PV module body 5 are electrically connected to complete the installation of the second stage PV module body 5 on the rack 6.

[0180] When installing the third or subsequent tier PV module bodies 5 on the mount 6, similarly to the case of installing the second tier PV module body 5 on the mount 6, the following steps are repeated: supporting the PV module body 5 on the frame support parts 54 of the two mounts 6, 6 and sliding it towards the eaves part 206; fitting and connecting the upper frame part 4a of the PV module body 5 located in the lower tier with the lower frame part 4b of the PV module body 5 located in the upper tier; fixing the PV module body 5 with screws 44; and electrically connecting the PV modules 2 of the PV module body 5 located in the lower tier and the PV module body 5 located in the upper tier, to install the PV module bodies 5 to the fullest extent in the eaves ridge direction H. This allows the PV module bodies 5 to be installed continuously without gaps in the eaves ridge direction H of the roof 201.

[0181] Then, the installation work of the PV module bodies 5 is performed as described above in all spaces between adjacent racks 6 in the girder direction G. This allows the PV module bodies 5 to be installed continuously in the girder direction G of the roof 201 as well, resulting in a PV module installation structure 1 with a highly designed and beautiful appearance as a whole.

[0182] Next, as shown in Fig. 16, between the rack 6 installed closest to the sleeve section 208 at both the left and right ends in the girder direction G and the sleeve section 208, a ridge member 210, a roofing material, etc. are used for rainproofing. In addition, in order to prevent rainwater flowing down the ventilation ridge board 212 of the ventilation ridge 211 near the ridge section 209 of the roof 201 from infiltrating into the inside of the PV module installation structure 1 from between the ventilation ridge board 212 and the topmost PV module body 5 (the PV module body 5 installed closest to the ridge section 209), a long ridge member 117 made of a steel plate or an aluminum alloy and having a substantially L-shaped cross section is installed so as to span all between the adjacent racks 6, and is fixed to the upper locking protrusion 63a of the rack 6 with a screw 98 through a screw hole 118 and also fixed to the upper inner locking part 30 of the upper frame part 4a as well. At this time, the ridge member 117 is installed so that the short side portion 119 is hidden under the ventilation ridge board 212 of the ventilation ridge 211 installed in the ridge portion 209 of the roof 201.

[0183] Furthermore, on the underside of the long side portion 120 of the ridge member 117, a locking portion 121 is provided substantially perpendicular to the long side portion 120 over almost the entire length except for the vicinity of both longitudinal ends. Therefore, when fixing the ridge member 117 as described above, the locking portion 121 of the ridge member 117 is brought into contact with the tip portion of the upper inner locking portion 30 of the upper frame portion 4a of the uppermost PV module body 5, while the bottom surface of the ridge member 117 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the upper support portion 27 of the upper frame portion 4a. This makes it possible to prevent the ridge member 117 from slipping off from the upper surface of the upper support portion 27 of the upper frame portion 4a.

[0184] The above structure can prevent rainwater from entering the PV module installation structure 1. Even if rainwater enters the inside of the PV module installation structure 1, the rainwater can be reliably discharged to the outside of the PV module installation structure 1.

[0185] Specifically, as shown in Figures 10 and 11-1, when the PV module body 5 is installed on the frame 6, if rainwater infiltrates between the flat surface of the tip of the upper engagement portion 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b and the upper end side surface of the support portion 58, the rainwater will flow into the gap 89 formed between the upper surface 65a of the upper engagement protrusion 63a of the frame 6 and the bottom surface of the upper engagement portion 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b.

[0186] At this time, the two protrusions 66, 66 provided on the upper surfaces 65a of the left and right upper locking projections 63a, 63a are in contact with the bottom surfaces of the upper locking portions 21, 21 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b, preventing rainwater from entering the inside of the PV module installation structure 1 due to capillary action or the like. Therefore, the rainwater flows down through the gap 89 to the water side of the frame 6.

[0187] In addition, if more rainwater flows into the gap 89, the rainwater will climb over the protrusion 66 provided on the upper surface 65a of the upper stage locking protrusion 63a of the frame 6, flow down from the tips of the left and right upper stage locking protrusions 63a, 63a onto the upper surfaces of the lower stage locking portions 22, 22 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b, and further flow into the gap 90 formed between the bottom surfaces of the lower stage locking portions 22, 22 of the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b and the upper surfaces 65b of the left and right lower stage locking protrusions 63b, 63b of the frame 6.

[0188] At this time, the two protrusions 22a, 22a provided on the bottom surface of the lower locking parts 22, 22 of the left-side frame part 3a or the right-side frame part 3b are in contact with the upper surfaces 65b of the left and right lower locking protrusions 63b, 63b of the frame 6, thereby preventing rainwater from penetrating further into the PV module installation structure 1 due to capillary action or the like. Therefore, the rainwater flows down to the downstream side of the frame 6 through the upper surfaces and gaps 90 of the lower locking parts 22, 22 of the left-side frame part 3a or the right-side frame part 3b.

[0189] Furthermore, when a larger amount of rainwater flows into the gap 90, the rainwater passes through the protrusions 22a provided on the bottom surfaces of the lower locking portions 22, 22 of the left-side frame portion 3a and the right-side frame portion 3b, flows down from the tips of the left and right lower locking protrusions 63b, 63b onto the upper surfaces of the lower support portions 23, 23 of the left-side frame portion 3a or the right-side frame portion 3b, and further flows down into the upper drainage portions 71a of the left and right upper flange portions 64a, 64a of the frame 6. The rainwater then flows down inside the upper drainage portions 71a to the downstream side while moving away from the support columns 58 of the frame 6.

[0190] Furthermore, if rainwater infiltrates into the PV module installation structure 1 through the gap between the upper frame 4a and the lower frame portion 4b of the horizontal frame portion 4 (between the upper inner engagement portion 30 of the upper frame portion 4a and the upper outer engagement portion 39 of the lower frame portion 4b), the rainwater will flow down onto the upper surface of the guiding protrusion 41 of the lower frame portion 4b, and then flow down from both ends onto the upper surfaces of the lower engagement portions 22, 22 of the left frame portion 3a or right frame portion 3b, or flow down into the gap 90 from the joint 43 between the lower frame portion 4b and the left frame portion 3a or right frame portion 3b.

[0191] Rainwater also enters between the tip of the guide protrusion 41 of the lower frame part 4b and the rising part 25 of the upper frame part 4a, and flows down into the running water part 32c of the rain gutter part 32 of the upper frame part 4a. Then, the rainwater flows down from both ends of the rain gutter part 32 onto the upper surface of the lower support parts 23, 23 of the left frame part 3a or the right frame part 3b, and further into the upper drainage parts 71a of the left and right upper flange parts 64a, 64a of the frame 6, or directly into the upper drainage parts 71a of the left and right upper flange parts 64a, 64a (see FIG. 10).

[0192] Rainwater that has flowed into the gaps 89, 90 as described above in the above-water side of the platform 6 and rainwater that has flowed into the upper drainage portion 71a of the upper flange portion 64a flows into the joint 84 between the platform 6 located closest to the ridge of the roof 201 and the platform 6 located below the water (the platform 6 located second from the ridge of the roof 201).

[0193] Rainwater that flows through the gap 89 in the frame 6 on the above-water side either flows over the joint 84a of the upper engagement protrusion 63a and directly falls into the gap 89 in the frame 6 on the below-water side, or penetrates into the joint 84a and flows down into the gap 90 below, or flows into the gap between the support parts 58 of the above-water and below-water frames 6, 6.

[0194] In addition, rainwater that has flowed through the gap 90 in the frame 6 on the above-water side either flows over the joint 84b of the lower engagement protrusion 63b and directly falls into the gap 90 in the frame 6 on the below-water side, or penetrates into the joint 84b and flows down onto the upper surface of the lower support part 23 of the lower left-side frame part 3a (right-side frame part 3b) or onto the upper drainage part 71a of the upper flange part 64a, or flows into the gap between the support parts 58 of the above-water side and below-water side frames 6, 6.

[0195] Furthermore, rainwater that has flowed down the upper drainage section 71a of the upper flange section 64a of the frame 6 on the above-water side either flows over the joint 84c of the upper flange section 64a and directly falls into the upper drainage section 71a of the upper flange section 64a of the frame 6 on the below-water side, or penetrates the joint 84c and falls into the upper flow section 82a of the upper gutter section 92a of the joint gutter 8 located below. Furthermore, rainwater that has flowed down into the upper flow section 82a of the upper gutter section 92a of the joint gutter 8 flows down from the below-water end of the upper gutter section 92a into the lower drainage section 71b of the lower flange section 64b of the frame 6 on the below-water side.

[0196] Furthermore, rainwater that has infiltrated into the joints 84a, 84b as described above and flowed into the gap between the support columns 58 of the above-water and below-water stands 6, 6 travels downward along the support columns 58 and flows down onto the protrusions 78 at the top of the joint gutter 8 (see Figs. 9-1 and 10, etc.). Because the protrusions 78 protrude upward in a roughly triangular shape, the rainwater that flows down is split to the left and right and flows into the upper-stage running water sections 82a, 82a of the upper-stage gutter sections 92a, 92a provided on the left and right of the protrusions 78. The rainwater that has flowed in then flows down from the below-water end of the upper-stage gutter section 92a into the lower-stage drainage section 71b of the lower-stage flange section 64b of the below-water stand 6.

[0197] Next, into the joint 84 between the second mounting base 6 counting from the ridge side of the roof 201 and the mounting base 6 located below the waterline (the mounting base 6 located closest to the eaves 206 of the roof 201), rainwater that has flowed into the gaps 89, 90 as described above in the mounting base 6 on the above-water side, and rainwater that has flowed into the upper drainage portion 71a of the upper flange portion 64a and the lower drainage portion 71b of the lower flange portion 64b flows.

[0198] Then, the rainwater that has flowed through the gaps 89, 90 of the above-water side frame 6 either flows over the joints 84a, 84b between the above-water side and below-water side frame 6, 6 and flows down into the gaps 89, 90 of the below-water side frame 6 as is, or penetrates the joints 84a, 84b and flows down into the upper-stage drainage section 71a of the upper-stage flange section 64a, or flows into the gaps between the support columns 58 of the above-water side and below-water side frame 6, 6 and proceeds downward to flow into the upper-stage running water section 82a of the upper-stage gutter section 92a of the joint gutter 8. Then, the rainwater that has flowed into this upper-stage running water section 82a flows down from the below-water end of the upper-stage gutter section 92a to the lower-stage drainage section 71b of the lower-stage flange section 64b of the below-water side frame 6.

[0199] On the other hand, rainwater flowing down the lower drainage section 71b of the lower flange section 64b of the frame 6 on the above-water side flows over the joint 84d of the lower flange section 64b and directly down to the lower drainage section 71b of the lower flange section 64b of the frame 6 located below the water, or penetrates the joint 84d and flows down to the lower inflow section 82b of the lower gutter section 92b of the joint gutter 8 located below. The rainwater that flows down to the lower inflow section 82b of the lower gutter section 92b flows down from the below-water end of the lower gutter section 92b into the drainage channel 59 of the base section 53 of the frame 6 on the below-water side.

[0200] Rainwater that flows down into the lower drainage section 71b of the lower flange section 64b of the underwater side frame 6 and into the drainage channel 59 of the base section 53 of the underwater side frame 6 is ultimately drained from the underwater end of the frame 6.

[0201] Thus, according to the PV module installation structure 1 of the present invention, even if the length of the roof 201 in the eaves-ridge direction H is long and multiple racks 6 are connected in the eaves-ridge direction H on the roof 201, the joint gutter 8 is attached to the joint 84 of the racks 6, 6 on the water side and the water side as described above, so that rainwater does not pass over the joint 84e of the base parts 53 of those racks 6, 6. Therefore, rainwater that has infiltrated into the PV module installation structure 1 can be reliably discharged to the outside of the PV module installation structure 1 without leaking from the joint 84e of the base parts 53 of the racks 6, 6 on the water side and the water side. This also makes it possible to prevent rainwater leaking from the roof 201 and corrosion of the sheathing board 204, and to provide a PV module installation structure 1 with high drainage properties.

[0202] Furthermore, according to the PV module installation structure 1 of the present invention, there is no water leakage from the joints 84e of the base parts 53 of the above-water and below-water mounts 6, 6, so it is possible to omit the work of sealing the gaps of the joints 84e of the above-water and below-water mounts 6, 6 with a silicone material, which is a work to prevent water leakage from the joints 84e of the base parts 53 of the mounts 6, 6. Therefore, the time taken by the worker to install the mount 6 on the roof 201 can be shortened, and the safety of the worker can be ensured. [Explanation of symbols]

[0203] 1 PV module installation structure 60 screw holes 2 PV module 61 tapping hole 2a Front 62 Back 2b Back side 63 Locking protrusion 2c,2d Edge 63a Upper locking protrusion 2c1,2d1 End face 63b Lower locking protrusion 2c2,2d2 Corner 64 Flange 3 Vertical frame section 64a Upper flange section 3a Left frame section 64b Lower flange section 3b Right side frame part 65a, 65b Top surface 4 Horizontal frame part 66 Protrusion part 4a Upper frame part 69 Gap 4b Lower frame portion 70a, 70b Tip portion 5 PV module body 71 Drainage section 6 Stand 71a Upper drainage section 8 Joint gutter 71b Lower drainage section 11,24,33 Main part 72 Recessed part 11a,24a,33a Inner cavity 73 Slanted surface 12,26,35 Support section 74 Cut section 13,27,36 Upper support part 78 Projection part 13a,27a,36a Horizontal surface 80 Groove 13b,27b,36b Inclined surface 81 Upper end 13c,27c,36c Stepped section 82 Flowing section 14,28,37 Lower support part 82a Upper water flow part 14a,28a,37a Horizontal surface 82b Lower flow area 14b,28b,37b Slope 83 Lower end 16,25,34 Standing part 84 Seam 16a,25a,34a Swelling part 84a,84b,84c,84d,84e Seam 18,29,38 Support groove 85a,85b Bottom surface 18a, 29a, 38a Gap 87 Bend 19 Adhesive 89,90 Gap 20 Locking portion 92 Groove portion 21 Upper stage locking portion 92a Upper stage gutter portion 22 Lower locking portion 92b Lower gutter portion 22a Protrusion 93,96,98 Screw 23 Lower support part 94 Nail 30 Upper inner locking part 95 Locking device 31 Lower inner locking portion 102 Eaves member 31b, 40b Notch 117 Ridge member 32 Gutters 201 Roof 32a Vertical support part 202 Roof base 32b Slope section 203 Auxiliary beam 32c Running water section 204 Field board 39 Upper outer locking part 205 Waterproof sheet 40 Lower outer locking part 206 Eaves part 41 Guiding protrusion 208 Sleeve 42 Connecting section 209 Building section 43 Joint 210 Eaves member 44 Screw 211 Ventilation tower 53 Foundation 212 Ventilation ridge board 54 Frame support part 300a, 300b, 300c jig 55 Bottom plate part 301 Work surface 56 Partition G Row direction 57 Pin H Eaves Ridge Direction 58 Support column I space 59 Drainage Channel

Claims

1. A roof member installation structure for installing a roof member on a roof foundation, the roof member having a thin plate shape, a left side frame portion and a right side frame portion which are vertical frame portions, an upper side frame portion and a lower side frame portion which are horizontal frame portions, a connecting portion, and a mounting base; the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion are frame members having a first trunk portion having a cylindrical cross section, a first support portion forming a first support groove opening in either the left or right direction, a plurality of locking portions extending to a substantially equal position in the other left or right direction, and a lower support portion extending in the same direction as the locking portions to a substantially equal position, and having inclined end faces on both front and rear ends thereof; the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion are frame members each having a second trunk portion having a cylindrical cross section and a second support portion forming a second support groove opening in either the left or right direction, and each having an inclined end surface at both front and rear ends thereof; one of the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion has an upper outer locking portion and a lower outer locking portion extending to a substantially equal position in the opposite direction to the second support portion, and the other has an upper inner locking portion and a lower inner locking portion extending to a substantially equal position in the opposite direction to the second support portion and capable of engaging with the upper outer locking portion and the lower outer locking portion, The edge of the short side of the roof member is inserted and fixed into the first support groove filled with adhesive in the vertical frame portion, and the edge of the long side is inserted and fixed into the second support groove filled with adhesive in the horizontal frame portion, The ends of the generally L-shaped connecting portions are inserted into both ends of the first trunk portion of the vertical frame portion and both ends of the second trunk portion of the horizontal frame portion, and the inclined end faces of both ends of the vertical frame portion and the inclined end faces of both ends of the horizontal frame portion are connected in a tight contact state to form a roof member unit; The stand has a base portion and a frame support portion provided with a plurality of locking projections protruding in the left-right direction from a support portion erected on the base portion, The roof material units are installed between the adjacent mounting bases in the girder direction in a state in which the plurality of locking portions of the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion of the roof material unit are supported by the plurality of locking protrusions of the frame support portions of the plurality of mounting bases installed in the eaves-ridge direction so as to be parallel to each other on the roof substrate, and the roof material units are installed between the mounting bases adjacent to each other in the girder direction in a state in which the plurality of locking protrusions of the frame support portions of the plurality of mounting bases are supported by the plurality of locking protrusions of the frame support portions of the plurality of mounting bases installed in the eaves-ridge direction so as to be parallel to each other on the roof substrate, The roof material units installed on the upper and lower levels are connected to each other in a state in which the upper outer locking portion and the lower outer locking portion of either the lower frame portion of the roof material unit installed on the upper level or the upper frame of the roof material unit installed on the lower level are fitted to the upper inner locking portion and the lower inner locking portion of the other. Installation structure for roof components.

2. A roof member installation structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that the first support groove formed by the first support portion of the vertical frame portion and the second support groove formed by the second support portion of the horizontal frame portion have a vertical width at their entrance side narrower than the vertical width at their rear side and are slightly wider than the thickness of the roof member.

3. 3. The roof member installation structure according to claim 1, wherein a bulge is formed on the bottom surface of the first support groove of the vertical frame portion and the second support groove of the horizontal frame portion.

4. A roof member installation structure as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that a guide protrusion extending in the opposite direction to the second support portion is provided on either the upper edge frame portion or the lower edge frame portion, and a gutter portion extending in the opposite direction to the second support portion at a position lower than the guide protrusion is provided on the other, and a drainage channel is formed in the front-to-back direction of the base portion of the frame.

5. A roof member installation structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that a guide protrusion extending in the opposite direction to the second support portion is provided on either the upper edge frame portion or the lower edge frame portion, and a gutter portion extending in the opposite direction to the second support portion at a position lower than the guide protrusion is provided on the other, and a drainage channel is formed in the front-to-back direction of the base portion of the frame.

6. A roof member installation structure as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that at least one protrusion is provided on either or both of the upper surfaces of the multiple locking protrusions in the frame support portion of the frame base and the bottom surfaces of the multiple locking portions of the vertical frame portion supported on the upper surface.

7. The roof member installation structure described in claim 3, characterized in that at least one protrusion is provided on either or both of the upper surfaces of the multiple locking protrusions in the frame support portion of the frame base and the bottom surfaces of the multiple locking portions of the vertical frame portion supported on the upper surface.

8. The roof member installation structure described in claim 4, characterized in that at least one protrusion is provided on either or both of the upper surfaces of the multiple locking protrusions in the frame support portion of the frame base and the bottom surfaces of the multiple locking portions of the vertical frame portion supported on the upper surface.

9. A roof member installation structure as described in claim 5, characterized in that at least one protrusion is provided on either or both of the upper surfaces of the multiple locking protrusions in the frame support portion of the frame base and the bottom surfaces of the multiple locking portions of the vertical frame portion supported on the upper surface.

10. A method for manufacturing a roof member unit according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the steps of: filling the second support grooves of the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion, which are the horizontal frame portions, with the adhesive; a step of pushing the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion, which are upright on a work surface, toward the roof component fixed in a horizontal state on the work surface using a plate-shaped jig, and inserting and fixing the edges of the upper and lower long sides of the roof component into the second support grooves of the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion; a step of inserting one end of the connecting portion into the first trunk portion from both ends of the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion, which are the vertical frame portions, and fixing the one end of the connecting portion to the first trunk portion; filling the first support grooves of the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion with the adhesive; a step of pushing the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion upright on a work surface toward the roof component fixed in a horizontal state on the work surface using a plate-shaped jig, inserting and fixing the edge portions of the short sides on the left and right sides of the roof component into the first support grooves of the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion, while inserting and fixing the other ends of the connecting portions fixed to both ends of the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion from both ends of the top-side frame portion and the bottom-side frame portion into the second core portion, thereby connecting the top-side frame portion and the bottom-side frame portion to both ends of the left-side frame portion and the right-side frame portion; A method for manufacturing a roof member unit, comprising the steps of:

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