Solar panel mounting fixtures

Abstract

To provide a photovoltaic power generation panel fitting tool capable of facilitating fitting of a photovoltaic power generation panel on a photovoltaic power generation panel support frame and having very high resistance to looseness.SOLUTION: A photovoltaic power generation panel fitting tool 1 includes: a panel retainer member 2 having a planar bolt fastening part 21 formed with a bolt insertion hole 21a, a planar panel position regulation part 22 regulating a position of a side face of the photovoltaic power generation panel P and a planar panel retainer part 23 retaining an outer edge of the surface of the photovoltaic power generation panel P; a bolt member 3 for a male screw part 31 to insert into the bolt insertion hole 21a and having a polygonal tool hole 32a at a head part 32 thereof; a fixing member 4 formed with a female screw part 41 connected with the male screw part 31 of the bolt member 3 and positioned and fixed on a photovoltaic power generation panel support frame; and a bolt cap member 5 having a polygonal top part 51, a side part 52 and a protrusion part 53 and arranged for the protrusion part 53 to be fitted into the tool hole 32a and cover the head part 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solar power generation panel mounting fixture for mounting a solar power generation panel to a solar power generation panel support frame. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, solar power generation systems that generate electricity using sunlight have been introduced worldwide. Solar power generation systems use a large number of solar panels supported by solar panel support frames installed outdoors (for example, on the ground or a roof).

[0003] Photovoltaic panel mounting fixtures for mounting photovoltaic panels to photovoltaic panel support frames can be of various shapes. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a photovoltaic panel mounting fixture including: panel fastening members (intermediate panel holding metal fittings and end panel holding metal fittings in Patent Document 1, intermediate holding members and end holding members in Patent Document 2) each having a bolt fastening portion with a bolt passage hole (a portion of a U-shaped member and a portion of an L-shaped member in Patent Document 1, and a first opposing plate portion and a second opposing plate portion in Patent Document 2), a panel position restricting portion (a portion of a U-shaped member and a portion of an L-shaped member in Patent Document 1, and a first panel positioning portion and a second panel positioning portion in Patent Document 2), and a panel holding portion (a ridge-side protruding piece and an eaves-side protruding piece in Patent Document 1, and a first extending portion and a second extending portion in Patent Document 2); a bolt member (a bolt member in Patent Document 1, and a bolt in Patent Document 2); and a fixing member (an intermediate spacer fixing metal fitting and an end fixing metal fitting in Patent Document 1, and a nut in Patent Document 2) each having a female thread. These solar panel mounting fixtures can mount a solar panel to a solar panel support frame by clamping the outer edge of the solar panel between the panel pressing portion and the solar panel support frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-173491 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-117901 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, photovoltaic panel support frames and photovoltaic panels installed outdoors are often subjected to strong pressure from wind, rain, snow, etc., and as a result, the photovoltaic panel mounting fixtures are in an environment where they are likely to loosen.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a solar panel mounting fixture that can easily mount a solar panel to a solar panel support frame and is very unlikely to loosen. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the solar panel mounting device according to claim 1 comprises: a panel pressing member having a plate-shaped bolt fastening portion in which a bolt insertion hole is formed, a plate-shaped panel position restricting portion that restricts the position of a side surface of the solar panel, and a plate-shaped panel retaining portion that presses an outer edge portion of the surface of the solar panel; a bolt member having a male thread portion that passes through the bolt insertion hole of the panel retaining member and having a polygonal tool hole in a head portion; a fixing member having a female thread portion that is coupled to the male thread portion of the bolt member and is positioned and fixed to a solar panel support frame that supports the back surface of the solar panel; and a bolt cap member having a polygonal top portion, side portions, and protrusion portion in a plan view, the protrusion portion being fitted into the tool hole of the bolt member, and the top portion and the side portion being arranged to cover the head of the bolt member. The top portion of the bolt cap member has two sides that are parallel and of equal length in a plan view, and the vertical width, which is the distance between the two sides, is greater than the horizontal width perpendicular thereto, and the distance from the center of the top portion to the inner wall of the panel position regulating portion of the panel pressing member is smaller than the distance from the center of the top portion to the vertical end and larger than the distance from the center of the top portion to the horizontal end. do.

[0008] Claim 2 The solar panel mounting fixture according to claim 1In the photovoltaic panel mounting fixture described above, the corners at both ends of the two sides of the top portion of the bolt cap member are formed at equal obtuse angles.

[0009] Claim 3 The solar panel mounting fixture according to claim 1 or 2 In the photovoltaic panel mounting fixture described in , a notch is provided on the opposite side of the top portion in one of the side surfaces continuous with the two sides.

[0010] Claim 4 The solar panel mounting fixture described in claim 1 to 3 In the photovoltaic panel mounting fixture described in any one of the above, the tool hole of the bolt member is hexagonal, and the protrusion of the bolt cap member is hexagonal in bottom view. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the photovoltaic panel mounting fixture of the present invention, the photovoltaic panel can be easily mounted to the photovoltaic panel support frame, and the mounting fixture can be made extremely unlikely to come loose. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a reduced plan view showing an example of a state in which the solar power generation panel mounting fixture according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the use state of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 2B] 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2A, showing an example of a state in which the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same is used. FIG. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the use state of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 3B] 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3A, showing an example of a state in which the photovoltaic panel mounting fixture of the same is used. FIG. [Figure 4A]FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 4C] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the other solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the other solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 5C] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the other solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 6A] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of bolt members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the first and second embodiments. [Figure 6B] 10A and 10B are front views showing examples of bolt members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 6C] 10A and 10B are bottom views showing examples of bolt members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 7A] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of fixing members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the first and second embodiments. [Figure 7B] 10A and 10B are front views showing examples of fixing members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 7C] 10A and 10B are bottom views showing examples of fixing members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the first and second embodiments. [Figure 8A] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of bolt cap members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and second embodiments. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a bolt cap member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and other embodiments. [Figure 8C] 10A and 10B are bottom views showing examples of bolt cap members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. [Figure 8D]FIG. 10 is a rear view showing an example of the bolt cap member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and other examples. [Figure 8E] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing an example of a bolt cap member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and other examples. [Figure 8F] FIG. 10 is a left side view showing an example of a bolt cap member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and other examples. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a state when a bolt member of the one solar panel mounting fixture of the same embodiment is screwed into a fixing member. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a state when a bolt member of the other solar panel mounting fixture of the same is screwed into a fixing member. [Figure 11] This is a plan view showing an example of the use state of one of the solar panel mounting fixtures mentioned above, in which (a) shows the bolt cap member that is fitted after the bolt member has been screwed into the fixing member, turned to the left, and (b) shows the bolt cap member that is turned to the right. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the use of another solar panel mounting fixture of the same type, in which (a) shows the bolt cap member that is fitted after the bolt member has been screwed into the fixing member, rotated to the left, and (b) shows the bolt cap member that is fitted after the bolt member has been screwed into the fixing member, rotated to the right. [Figure 13] This is a plan view showing an example of the use state of one of the solar panel mounting fixtures mentioned above, where (a) shows the bolt cap member rotated to the maximum to the left under pressure, and (b) shows the bolt cap member rotated to the maximum to the right. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the use of another solar panel mounting fixture of the same type, in which (a) shows the bolt cap member rotated to the maximum extent to the left under pressure, and (b) shows the bolt cap member rotated to the maximum extent to the right. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Photovoltaic panel mounting fixtures 1, 1' according to the embodiments of the present invention are used to mount a photovoltaic panel PA to a photovoltaic panel support frame SU. The photovoltaic panel PA receives sunlight on its front surface. The photovoltaic panel support frame SU supports the back surface of the photovoltaic panel PA.

[0014] For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the photovoltaic panel support frame SU can be configured with a plurality of long rod-shaped members (hereinafter referred to as base rails) SUa arranged in a row (four in a horizontal (left-right) direction in Fig. 1), and a plurality of photovoltaic panels PA can be mounted vertically and horizontally (three vertically and three horizontally in Fig. 1). The length and number of base rails SUa are determined according to the size or number of photovoltaic panels PA to be mounted.

[0015] The solar power generation panel mounting fixtures 1, 1' can be arranged at appropriate locations on the base rail SUa, as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, the base rails SUa are arranged only horizontally, but it is also possible to arrange the base rails SUa vertically as well and arrange the solar power generation panel mounting fixtures 1, 1' on them.

[0016] The photovoltaic panel mounting fixture 1 is used where the photovoltaic panels PA are adjacent to each other, and the photovoltaic panel mounting fixture 1' is used where the photovoltaic panels PA are not adjacent to each other.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the solar panel mounting fixture 1 includes a panel retaining member 2, a bolt member 3, a fixing member 4, and a bolt cap member 5. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the solar panel mounting fixture 1' includes a panel retaining member 2', a bolt member 3, a fixing member 4, and a bolt cap member 5. The same bolt member 3, fixing member 4, and bolt cap member 5 can be used for the solar panel mounting fixtures 1 and 1'. In addition, in the solar panel mounting fixture 1' shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the solar panel PA is positioned on the right side, but by rotating the panel retaining member 2' 180 degrees, the solar panel PA can be positioned on the left side. In addition, in FIGS. 2A and 3A (and FIGS. 11 to 14 described below), the head 32 of the bolt member 3, which is hidden by the bolt cap member 5, is depicted with a dashed line.

[0018] As shown in Figures 4A to 4C and 5A to 5C, the panel holding members 2, 2' have bolt fastening portions 21, panel position restricting portions 22, and panel holding portions 23. There are two panel position restricting portions 22 that are provided symmetrically in the panel holding member 2, while there is only one of the two panel position restricting portions 22 in the panel holding member 2'. There are also two panel holding portions 23 that are provided symmetrically in the panel holding member 2, while there is only one of the two panel holding portions 23 in the panel holding member 2'. In the panel holding members 2, 2', the bolt fastening portions 21, panel position restricting portions 22, and panel holding portions 23 are usually molded integrally.

[0019] The bolt fastening portion 21 is plate-shaped. The bolt fastening portion 21 is oriented approximately parallel to the surface of the solar power generation panel PA to be attached. The bolt fastening portion 21 has a bolt insertion hole 21a formed therein. When the bolt member 3 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 21a and fixed, the center of the bolt insertion hole 21a basically becomes the center of the bolt member 3.

[0020] The panel position restricting portion 22 is plate-shaped. The panel position restricting portion 22 is formed on the end (long side) of the bolt fastening portion 21 so as to be approximately perpendicular thereto, and is oriented approximately perpendicular to the surface of the photovoltaic panel PA to be attached. As a result, the panel position restricting portion 22 (more specifically, its outer wall 22a) restricts the position of the side surface of the photovoltaic panel PA.

[0021] The panel pressing portion 23 is plate-shaped. The panel pressing portion 23 is formed at the end of the panel position restricting portion 22 so as to be approximately perpendicular thereto, and is oriented approximately parallel to the surface of the attached solar panel PA. The outer edge of the surface of the solar panel PA overlaps the panel pressing portion 23 and is disposed outward from the outer wall 22a of the panel position restricting portion 22. This allows the panel pressing portion 23 to press down on the outer edge of the surface of the solar panel PA. In the examples of the panel pressing portion 23 shown in Figures 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, etc., a taper is provided at the end on the surface side.

[0022] As shown in Figures 6A to 6C, the male thread portion 31 of the bolt member 3 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 21a of the bolt fastening portion 21 of the panel retaining member 2, 2'. The bolt member 3 also has a polygonal tool hole 32a in the head portion 32. The tool hole 32a is a hole into which a tool is fitted, and in many cases is a hexagonal (regular hexagonal) hole into which a hexagonal wrench or the like is fitted.

[0023] The outer surface of the head 32 of the bolt member 3 can be made substantially circular in plan view, and fine vertical grooves or the like can be added as appropriate. The head 32 is located on the inner wall 22b side, which is opposite to the outer wall 22a side of the panel position restricting portion 22 of the panel pressing member 2, 2′.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, the fixing member 4 has a female thread portion 41 formed thereon to be coupled with the male thread portion 31 of the bolt member 3. The fixing member 4 is fixed in position to the solar power generation panel support frame SU. For example, a central protrusion 4a may be formed in the fixing member 4, and a linear gap SUaa may be formed in the base rail SUa, into which the central protrusion 4a may fit to fix the fixing member 4 in position (see FIGS. 2B and 3B). Note that the specific shape of the fixing member 4 may vary depending on the configuration of the solar power generation panel support frame SU (base rail SUa, etc.) to be fixed in position. Note that the gap SUaa in FIG. 2B etc. is indicated by attaching the symbol SUaa to both sides that form it.

[0025] 8A to 8F, the bolt cap member 5 has a top portion 51, a side portion 52, and a protruding portion 53. The bolt cap member 5 is arranged so that the protruding portion 53 is fitted into the tool hole 32a of the bolt member 3 and the top portion 51 and the side portion 52 cover the head portion 32 of the bolt member 3. The bolt cap member 5 can be made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, or hard resin.

[0026] The top portion 51 has a polygonal shape in a plan view. The top portion 51 has two sides 51a and 51b that are parallel and of equal length in a plan view. The top portion 51 has corners 51ac and 51ad at both ends of the side 51a, and corners 51be and 51bf at both ends of the side 51b. The top portion 51 has a vertical width (the distance between the two sides 51a and 51b) that is greater than its horizontal width (the distance between the two sides 51g and 51h, described later in this embodiment) that is perpendicular to the vertical width. In other words, the distance S from the center of the top portion 51 to the vertical end (side 51a or side 51b) is greater than the distance T to the horizontal end (side 51g or side 51h).

[0027] When the bolt cap member 5 is fitted into the tool hole 32a of the bolt member 3, the center of the bolt member 3 coincides with the center of the top portion 51, and the distance U (see FIGS. 4A and 5A) from the center of the top portion 51 (the center of the bolt member 3 and the center of the bolt insertion hole 21a) to the inner wall 22b of the panel position restricting portion 22 of the panel retaining member 2, 2' is smaller than the distance S from the center of the top portion 51 to the vertical end and larger than the distance T from the center of the top portion 51 to the horizontal end. This allows the bolt cap member 5 to be fitted into the tool hole 32a of the bolt member 3 at the correct angle. Note that it is preferable that the difference between the distance U to the inner wall 22b of the panel position restricting portion 22 and the distance T from the center of the top portion 51 to the horizontal end be small so as to prevent foreign matter from getting caught.

[0028] In this embodiment, the corners 51ac, 51ad, 51be, and 51bf are formed at equal obtuse angles, which ensures the necessary thickness for the strength of the side portion 52, as will be described in detail later, and also makes it easy to set the lateral width T to an appropriate size.

[0029] More specifically, in this embodiment, sides 51c and 51d contact side 51a to form corners 51ac and 51ad, sides 51e and 51f contact side 51b to form corners 51be and 51bf, side 51g contacts sides 51c and 51e to form a rounded corner, and side 51h contacts sides 51d and 51f to form a rounded corner.

[0030] The side portion 52 is formed on the outer periphery of the top portion 51 so as to be approximately perpendicular to the top portion 51. In detail, the side portion 52 has a side surface 52a continuing with the side 51a of the top portion 51, a side surface 52b continuing with the side 51b, a side surface 52c continuing with the side 51c, a side surface 52d continuing with the side 51d, a side surface 52e continuing with the side 51e, a side surface 52f continuing with the side 51f, a side surface 52g continuing with the side 51g, and a side surface 52h continuing with the side 51h (see FIGS. 8B, 8D, 8E, and 8F). The inner wall of the side portion 52 is sized so that the head 32 of the bolt member 3 can be fitted therein (see FIG. 8C).

[0031] Cutouts (partially removed portions) 52aa and 52ba are provided on the side surfaces 52a and 52b opposite the top portion 51. By inserting a tool (such as a flathead screwdriver) into these cutouts and lifting them up, it becomes easier to remove the bolt cap member 5. It is also possible to provide only one of the cutouts 52aa and 52ba.

[0032] The protrusion 53 is formed at the center of the top portion 51, on the inside of the side portion 52 so as to be approximately perpendicular to the top portion 51. The protrusion 53 has a shape and size that corresponds to the tool hole 32a of the bolt member 3, and in most cases is hexagonal in bottom view. The protrusion 53 comes into contact with the inner wall of the tool hole 32a when fitted into the tool hole 32a. In addition, the two sides 51a, 51b of the top portion 51 can be arranged parallel to the two sides of the protrusion 53 (two sides of the hexagon).

[0033] The solar power panel mounting fixture 1 (or 1') configured as described above is placed with the solar power panel PA aligned with and placed on the solar power panel support frame SU (such as the base rail SUa), and the bolt members 3 are screwed into the fixing members 4. The outer edge of the surface of the solar power panel PA is pressed by the panel pressing portion 23 of the panel pressing member 2 (or 2'), and the solar power panel PA is sandwiched between the panel pressing portion 23 and the solar power panel support frame SU. This allows the solar power panel PA to be mounted on the solar power panel support frame SU.

[0034] 9 and 10, when the bolt member 3 is screwed into the fixing member 4, the tool hole 32a in the head 32 of the bolt member 3 is exposed on the same side as the surface of the solar power generation panel PA (usually diagonally upward), so an operator can easily insert a tool there and screw it in. This makes it possible to easily attach the solar power generation panel PA to the solar power generation panel support frame SU.

[0035] The bolt cap member 5 is fitted onto the head 32 of the bolt member 3 after the bolt member 3 has been screwed into the fixing member 4. The angle of the fitted bolt cap member 5 corresponds to the angle of the tool hole 32a when the bolt member 3 has been screwed into the fixing member 4. If the tool hole 32a is a hexagonal hole, the orientation (angle) can vary within a range of up to 30 degrees to the left (see FIGS. 11(a) and 12(a)) and 30 degrees to the right (see FIGS. 11(b) and 12(b)) from the orientation (angle) shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A.

[0036] After the solar panel PA is attached to the solar panel support frame SU by the solar panel mounting fixture 1, if the solar panel support frame SU and the solar panel PA are subjected to strong pressure from wind, rain, snow, or the like, the bolt member 3 may rotate (loosen or tighten). In this case, the bolt cap member 5 rotates following the bolt member 3, and when any of the corners 51ac, 51ad, 51be, and 51bf contacts the inner wall 22b of the panel position regulating portion 22, further rotation can be prevented (see FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b) and 14(a) and 14(b)). In this way, by preventing rotation in the loosening direction, the solar panel mounting fixture 1 can be made extremely difficult to loosen. Furthermore, by preventing rotation in the tightening direction, overtightening can also be prevented.

[0037] The above describes a solar panel mounting fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described, and various design modifications are possible within the scope of the matters described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1,1' Solar Panel Mounting Tool 2, 2' Panel retaining member 21 Bolt fastening part 21a Bolt insertion hole 22 Panel position control part 22a Panel position control section outer wall 22b Inner wall of panel position control section 23 Panel retainer 3 Bolt components 31 Male thread 32 Head 32a Tool hole 4 Fixing member 4a Central protrusion of fixing member 41 Female thread 5 Bolt cap material 51 Heaven 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d, 51e, 51f, 51g, 51h Sides of the heavens 51ac, 51ad, 51be, 51bf Corners of the heavens 52 Side 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d, 52e, 52f, 52g, 52h side 52aa, 52ba Side notch 53 Protrusion PA solar power panel SU solar panel support frame SUa base rail SUaa Base rail gap S Distance from the center of the top to the vertical edge T Distance from the center of the top to the horizontal edge U Distance from the center of the bolt insertion hole (center of the bolt member and center of the top of the bolt cap member) to the inner wall of the panel position control part

Claims

1. a panel pressing member having a plate-shaped bolt fastening portion having a bolt insertion hole formed therein, a plate-shaped panel position restricting portion that restricts the position of a side surface of the solar panel, and a plate-shaped panel pressing portion that presses an outer edge portion of a surface of the solar panel; a bolt member having a male thread portion inserted through the bolt insertion hole of the panel pressing member and having a polygonal tool hole in a head portion; a fixing member having a female screw portion formed thereon to be coupled to the male screw portion of the bolt member, the fixing member being positioned and fixed to a solar panel support frame supporting a rear surface of the solar panel; a bolt cap member having a polygonal top portion, side portions, and protrusion portion in a plan view, the protrusion portion being fitted into the tool hole of the bolt member, and the top portion and the side portions being arranged to cover the head of the bolt member; Equipped with The top portion of the bolt cap member has two sides that are parallel and of equal length in a plan view, and the vertical width, which is the distance between the two sides, is greater than the horizontal width perpendicular thereto, A solar panel mounting device in which the distance from the center of the top portion to the inner wall of the panel position regulating portion of the panel pressing member is smaller than the distance from the center of the top portion to the vertical edge and larger than the distance from the center of the top portion to the horizontal edge.

2. The solar panel mounting fixture according to claim 1, A solar panel mounting fixture in which the corners at both ends of the two sides of the top portion of the bolt cap member are set at equal obtuse angles.

3. The solar panel mounting fixture according to claim 1 or 2, A solar panel mounting fixture in which a notch is provided on the opposite side of the top portion on either of the side surfaces continuous with the two sides.

4. The solar panel mounting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The tool hole of the bolt member is hexagonal, and the protrusion of the bolt cap member is hexagonal in bottom view.

Images