Ridge cover

Abstract

To provide a ridge cover capable of placing a roof material on top of the ridge of the solar cell module.SOLUTION: The ridge cover is used by being fixed along the ridge of a solar cell module installed on the roof of a building. When installing on the roof, the eaves side edge of the roof material adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module can be placed. The ridge cover has a plane part positioned on the eaves side of the ridge side edge of the solar cell module.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a ridge cover that can be placed over the ridge of a solar cell module so that a roofing material can be placed on it. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there are solar cell modules that are placed on sheathing boards on the roofs of buildings (Patent Document 1). Roofing materials such as roof tiles are placed around the solar cell modules.

[0003] When installing general-purpose solar cell modules that are not shaped to match the roofing material (for example, tile-shaped solar cell modules) on the roof of a building, the frame material of the solar cell module may not be sized to support the roofing material, or there may be protrusions protruding from the frame material, making it difficult to ensure a flat surface of a certain width on which to place the roofing material. In such cases, it has been common to place a cover to waterproof the sheathing boards in the gap between the solar cell module and the roofing material adjacent to the ridge side (Figure 6 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-4528 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, providing such a cover reduces the area available for installing solar cell modules. In addition, the cover disrupts the overall appearance of the roof, leaving room for improvement in terms of aesthetics.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a ridge cover that can be placed over the ridge of a solar cell module so that a roofing material can be placed on it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The ridge edge cover of the present invention is used by fixing it along the ridge edge of a solar cell module installed on the roof of a building, and when installed on the roof, it can support the eaves side end of the roofing material adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module, and has a flat surface located on the eaves side of the ridge side edge of the solar cell module.

[0008] With this configuration, the roofing material adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module can be supported by the flat portion. And because the flat portion overlaps the solar cell module, the roofing material can be placed on top of the ridge side of the solar cell module so that the ridge-side edge of the solar cell module and the eave-side edge of the roofing material are not separated in the beam direction.

[0009] The ridge edge cover may also have a rising portion that rises upward at the ridge side end of the planar portion when installed.

[0010] With this configuration, the rising portion of the ridge edge cover can waterproof the sheathing boards from rainwater that has been blown in.

[0011] In addition, the ridge edge cover may be in the form of a long, thin plate, and multiple ridge edge covers may be connected and fixed longitudinally to one or multiple solar cell modules lined up in the longitudinal direction, and the connection may be made so that the longitudinal ends overlap in the thickness direction with other ridge edge covers adjacent in the longitudinal direction.

[0012] This configuration makes it possible to waterproof the spaces between multiple ridge side covers.

[0013] In addition, the ridge edge cover may have a through hole through which a fastener passes to fix the ridge edge cover to the ridge edge of the solar cell module, and the through hole may be a long hole extending in a direction along the ridge edge when installed.

[0014] According to this configuration, the position of the ridge edge cover can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction relative to the solar cell module within the range of the elongated hole in the ridge edge cover.

[0015] In addition, the ridge cover may be in the form of a long, thin plate, and multiple units may be connected and fixed longitudinally to one or multiple solar cell modules lined up in the longitudinal direction, and may be provided with removable hooks for connecting the roof material or accessory parts used together with the roof material or the solar cell modules during installation.

[0016] According to this configuration, the hook can be used when connecting the accessory member, and when it is not required, the hook can be removed from the ridge edge cover.

[0017] The ridge edge cover may be in the form of a long, narrow plate, and a waterproof sealant extending in the longitudinal direction may be attached to the surface facing the solar cell module.

[0018] According to this configuration, the waterproof sealant can waterproof the ridge edge of the solar cell module.

[0019] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a ridge edge cover that allows a roofing material to be placed over the ridge edge of a solar cell module. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a ridge side cover according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the ridge edge cover. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged right side view of the ridge edge cover. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the ridge edge cover. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the ridge edge cover. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the ridge edge cover with the hook attached thereto, as viewed from one side. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the ridge edge cover with the hook attached thereto, viewed from the other side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the ridge edge cover with the hook attached thereto. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the installation of the ridge edge cover. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. Note that the directions expressed in the following description are those in terms of the arrangement on the roof R of a building.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 9, the ridge edge cover 1 is used by being fixed along the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2 installed on the roof R of a building. In other words, the ridge edge cover 1 is directly fixed to the solar cell module 2. The roof R to which this embodiment is applied is a sloped roof, extending from the eaves (bottom) side to the ridge (top) side.

[0023] The solar cell module 2 is plate-shaped and is arranged, for example, with its power-generating surface facing the sun. The solar cell module 2 has a different shape from the roofing material 3, and is rectangular when viewed directly facing the roof. Specifically, the solar cell module 2 comprises a power-generating surface that generates electricity and a frame material that supports the power-generating surface. As shown in FIG. 10 , a bracket 22 is formed to protrude from the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2. The bracket 22 is provided to support the solar cell module 2 and secure it to the roofing surface 4. The roofing material 3 is, for example, a roof tile.

[0024] The ridge edge cover 1 is made of sheet metal such as steel plate. The outer surface of the ridge edge cover 1 is painted or plated as necessary. The ridge edge cover 1 may be made of other materials such as a resin molded product, as long as it is strong enough to support the weight of the roof material 3 adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module 2.

[0025] 1, when installed on the roof R, the ridge edge cover 1 has a flat portion 10 on which the eave side end portion 30 of the roofing material 3 adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module 2 can be placed. With this ridge edge cover 1, by placing the roofing material 3 adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module 2 on the flat portion 10, the roofing material 3 adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module 2 can be supported by the flat portion 10, so that the roofing material 3 can be placed overlapping the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2 when facing directly against the power generation surface of the solar cell module 2. Note that in order to avoid affecting power generation efficiency, the position of the roofing material 3 relative to the solar cell module 2 is such that it does not cover the power generation surface of the solar cell module 2.

[0026] The ridge edge cover 1 is, for example, in the form of a long, narrow plate (see Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5). As shown in Fig. 3, the ridge edge cover 1 has a rising portion 11 that rises upward at the ridge side end 100 when the flat portion 10 is installed on the roof R (when fixed to the solar cell module 2). This rising portion 11 makes it possible to waterproof the sheathing boards 4 from rainwater that has blown in. Specifically, the rising portion 11 can prevent moisture from penetrating into the sheathing boards 4 through between the ridge side end 100 and the roofing material 3 during rainfall, etc.

[0027] Furthermore, the ridge edge cover 1 has through holes 12 through which fasteners (e.g., screws) for fixing the ridge edge cover 1 to the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2 pass (see FIG. 1). The through holes 12 are elongated holes 12 that extend in a direction along the ridge edge 20 when the ridge edge cover 1 is installed on the roof R. The position of the ridge edge cover 1 can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction relative to the solar cell module 2 within the range of these elongated holes 12. By adjusting the position of the ridge edge cover 1 in the longitudinal direction in this way, the ridge edge cover 1 can be positioned so that it does not protrude from the longitudinal direction of the solar cell module 2, and the ridge edge cover 1 can be prevented from interfering with the installation of the roof material 3 in the longitudinal direction. The elongated holes 12 may be located, for example, in any position other than the ridge-side end 100 of the ridge edge cover 1.

[0028] The ridge edge cover 1 has, for example, a plurality of elongated holes 12 (for example, two elongated holes 12) provided with a gap in the longitudinal direction. The two elongated holes 12 are arranged symmetrically with respect to an imaginary line passing through the center in the longitudinal direction of the ridge edge cover 1. By fixing the ridge edge cover 1 to the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2 with these plurality of elongated holes 12, the ridge edge cover 1 can be stably fixed to the ridge edge 20.

[0029] The flat portion 10 of the ridge edge cover 1 has, in addition to the ridge side end portion 100, an eave side end portion 101 and a connecting portion 102 that connects the ridge side end portion 100 and the eave side end portion 101 (see FIG. 2). That is, the ridge side end portion 100 is continuous with the ridge side edge of the connecting portion 102, and the eave side end portion 101 is continuous with the eave side edge of the connecting portion 102.

[0030] The connecting portion 102 is a flat plate-shaped portion, and has a long hole 12 formed therein.

[0031] The ridge side end 100 (rising portion 11) extends diagonally upward relative to the connecting portion 102 (see Figure 6). The area near the boundary between the ridge side end 100 and the connecting portion 102 forms an angle. Specifically, the angle between the rising portion 11 and the connecting portion 102 is an obtuse angle. As a result, when the underside of the roofing material 3 abuts against the rising portion 11, it can respond by deforming so that the angle between the rising portion 11 and the connecting portion 102 widens.

[0032] The eaves-side end portion 101 has a first eaves-side portion 1011 extending substantially perpendicular to the connecting portion 102, and a second eaves-side portion 1012 extending from the extending end of the first eaves-side portion 1011 toward the eaves side substantially parallel to the connecting portion 102 (see FIG. 3). The area near the boundary between the eaves-side end portion 101 and the connecting portion 102 is a curved surface. The eaves-side end portion 101 also has a third eaves-side portion 1013 extending from the extending end of the second eaves-side portion 1012 toward the ridge side substantially parallel to the connecting portion 102. The area near the boundary between the first eaves-side portion 1011 and the second eaves-side portion 1012 and the area near the boundary between the second eaves-side portion 1012 and the third eaves-side portion 1013 are both curved surfaces.

[0033] Furthermore, a waterproof sealant 6 extending in the longitudinal direction (the longitudinal direction of the ridge edge cover 1) is attached to the surface 14 of the ridge edge cover 1 facing the solar cell module 2 (specifically, the power generation surface) (see Figures 2 and 3). This waterproof sealant 6 makes it possible to waterproof the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2. The waterproof sealant 6 is made of soft resin (for example, EPDM).

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the ridge edge cover 1 is provided with a detachable hook 5 for connecting the roofing material 3 or accessory members (various metal fittings, etc.) used together with the roofing material 3 or the solar cell module 2 when installing it on the roof R. In the ridge edge cover 1 to which the hook 5 is attached (a ridge edge cover unit comprising the ridge edge cover 1 and the hook 5), the hook 5 can be used when connecting accessory members, and the hook 5 can be removed from the ridge edge cover 1 when it is not needed.

[0035] When the hooking device 5 is attached to the ridge edge cover 1, the eaves side end 50 of the hooking device 5 is raised when attached to the roof R (see Figure 8). This raised position allows the eaves side end 50 to abut against the eaves side edge 31 of the roof material 3, stably holding the roof material 3. Furthermore, the plate-like portion of the accessory can be sandwiched between the ridge edge cover 1 and the hooking device 5, and in this case, the raised eaves side end 50 makes it easy to guide the plate-like portion between the ridge edge cover 1 and the hooking device 5.

[0036] The hook 5 is, for example, a plate-shaped member, and in this embodiment, is made of sheet metal. The hook 5 has a through hole 51 (for example, one through hole 51) formed therein.

[0037] The through holes 51 are, for example, "daruma holes" as shown in the figure. Because the through holes 51 are daruma holes, when the hooks 5 are fastened with screws through the through holes 51, they can be removed from the ridge edge cover 1 simply by shifting the hooks 5 without loosening the screws. Therefore, the hooks 5 can be removed after the roofing material 3 is placed on the ridge edge cover 1. When removing the hooks 5, the screws may be removed together, or they may be left in the ridge edge cover 1. The hooks 5 can also be removed from the ridge edge cover 1 even after the ridge edge cover 1 has been attached to the solar cell module 2. The removed hooks 5 can be reused for other purposes, such as as fastening hardware (hooks) for sheet metal members around the roof R. This eliminates the need to discard the hooks 5 removed from the ridge edge cover 1, which is economical.

[0038] The hooking device 5 can be made to be visually distinguishable from the ridge edge cover 1 by, for example, being uncolored or having a different color from the ridge edge cover 1, and the position of the hooking device 5 on the ridge edge cover 1 can be easily identified. This allows workers to intuitively align the roofing material 3 with the hooking device 5, improving workability.

[0039] In this embodiment, the hooking devices 5 are attached to the longitudinal ends of the ridge edge cover 1 (see FIG. 6). Specifically, a plurality of (e.g., two) hooking devices 5 are attached to one ridge edge cover 1. For example, one hooking device 5 is attached to one longitudinal end of the ridge edge cover 1, and the other hooking device 5 is attached to the other longitudinal end of the ridge edge cover 1. Furthermore, the two hooking devices 5 are attached at positions that sandwich the elongated hole 12 (e.g., two elongated holes 12) of the ridge edge cover 1.

[0040] Furthermore, when installed on the roof R, most of the ridge edge cover 1 is fixed closer to the eaves than the ridge-side edge 21 of the solar cell module 2 (see FIG. 9). This ridge edge cover 1 supports the roof material 3 adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module 2 at the flat portion 10, and is fixed closer to the eaves than the ridge-side edge 21 of the solar cell module 2, so that the ridge-side edge 21 of the solar cell module 2 and the eave-side edge 31 of the roof material 3 can be kept close together in the crossbeam direction. Note that the dimension (width) of the ridge edge cover 1 in the crossbeam direction is, for example, kept inside the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2 (specifically, the dimension in the crossbeam direction of the member used as a base when installing the solar cell module 2, etc.).

[0041] The length of the ridge edge cover 1 in the longitudinal direction is 5 mm to 10 mm longer than the working width (width of the power generating surface) of the solar cell module 2, and adjacent ridge edge covers 1 in the longitudinal direction are arranged overlapping each other (see Figure 11). The overlap dimension (dimension in the longitudinal direction) between adjacent ridge edge covers 1 in the longitudinal direction is, for example, 5 mm or more.

[0042] The length of the ridge edge cover 1 in the longitudinal direction may be approximately the same as the working width (width of the power generating surface) of the solar cell module 2, or may be shorter than the working width (width of the power generating surface) of the solar cell module 2. If the length of the ridge edge cover 1 in the longitudinal direction is shorter than the working width (width of the power generating surface) of the solar cell module 2, the ridge edge cover 1 is less likely to get in the way before installation.

[0043] In this embodiment, the ridge edge cover 1 is fixed by screws to brackets 22 formed to protrude from the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2 (see FIG. 10). When this is done, a waterproof sealant 6 is sandwiched between the ridge edge cover 1 and the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2, thereby waterproofing the space between the ridge edge cover 1 and the solar cell module 2.

[0044] In this embodiment, multiple ridge edge covers 1 are connected and fixed longitudinally to one solar cell module 2 or to multiple solar cell modules 2 lined up in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 11). A solar cell array is formed by assembling multiple electrically connected solar cell modules 2. Specifically, multiple ridge edge covers 1 (ridge edge covers 1a, 1b) are connected and fixed longitudinally to one solar cell module 2. This connection is made so that the longitudinal end of ridge edge cover 1a overlaps in the thickness direction with the other ridge edge cover 1b adjacent in the longitudinal direction. Since adjacent ridge edge covers 1a, 1b overlap in this way, and the waterproofing mechanism (specifically, the rising portion 11 and the waterproof sealant 6) is continuous in the longitudinal direction without any gaps (spaces), waterproofing between multiple ridge edge covers 1a, 1b is possible.

[0045] The ridge edge cover of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the configuration of one embodiment can be added to the configuration of another embodiment, or part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, part of the configuration of one embodiment can be deleted.

[0046] The ridge edge cover 1 in the above embodiment has the rising portion 11 rising upward at the ridge side end 100, but the flat portion 10 including the ridge side end 100 may be a flat plate. In this case, a waterproof sealant may be placed on the upper surface of the ridge side end 100 to waterproof the sheathing boards 4.

[0047] Furthermore, the ridge edge cover 1 in the above embodiment has a long hole 12 extending in a direction along the ridge edge 20 when installed on the roof R, as a through hole 12 through which a fastener passes to fix the ridge edge cover 1 to the ridge edge 20 of the solar cell module 2, but it may also have a through hole other than a long hole (for example, a round hole).

[0048] Furthermore, although the ridge edge cover 1 in the above embodiment has two elongated holes 12 arranged symmetrically with respect to an imaginary line passing through the center of the ridge edge cover 1 in the girder direction, it may have three or more elongated holes 12. For example, the ridge edge cover 1 may have four elongated holes 12 arranged symmetrically with respect to an imaginary line passing through the center of the ridge edge cover 1 in the girder direction.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the hooking device 5 is detachable from the ridge edge cover 1, but the hooking device 5 may be fixed so that it cannot be detached. Also, the ridge edge cover 1 does not have to be provided with the hooking device 5, in which case an accessory member may be connected to a claw portion formed by cutting out a part of the ridge edge cover 1.

[0050] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, multiple ridge edge covers 1 are connected and fixed longitudinally to one or multiple solar cell modules 2 lined up in the longitudinal direction, and this connection is made so that the longitudinal end of the ridge edge cover 1a overlaps in the thickness direction with the other ridge edge cover 1b adjacent to it in the longitudinal direction, but it is also possible for the longitudinal end of the ridge edge cover 1a to abut against the end of the other ridge edge cover 1b adjacent to it in the longitudinal direction, and the abutting portion may have an interlocking (fitting) structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1, 1a, 1b... Ridge edge cover, 2... Solar cell module, 3... Roofing material, 4... Sheathing board, 5... Hook, 6... Waterproof sealant, 10... Flat portion, 11... Rising portion, 12... Through hole (long hole), 14... Opposing surface, 20... Ridge edge, 21... Ridge side edge, 30... Eaves side edge, 31... Eaves side edge, 50... Eaves side edge, 51... Through hole, 100... Ridge side edge, 101... Eaves side edge, 102... Connection portion, 1011... First eaves side portion, 1012... Second eaves side portion, 1013... Third eaves side portion, R... Roof

Claims

1. It is separate from the solar cell modules installed on the roof of the building. When installed on the roof, the ridge edge cover is fixed along the ridge edge of the solar cell module via brackets formed on the solar cell module, and can be used to place the eaves side end of the roofing material adjacent to the ridge side of the solar cell module, and has a flat portion located on the eaves side of the ridge side edge of the solar cell module.

2. The ridge edge cover according to claim 1 , wherein the flat portion has a rising portion that rises upward at a ridge side end portion when installed.

3. It is a long, thin plate-like A plurality of solar cell modules are connected and fixed in the longitudinal direction to one or a plurality of solar cell modules arranged in the longitudinal direction, The ridge edge cover according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection is made so that an end portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps in the thickness direction with another ridge edge cover adjacent in the longitudinal direction.

4. a through hole through which a fastener for fixing the ridge edge cover to the ridge edge of the solar cell module passes; The ridge edge cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the through hole is an elongated hole extending in a direction along the ridge edge when installed.

5. It is a long, thin plate-like A plurality of solar cell modules are connected and fixed in the longitudinal direction to one or a plurality of solar cell modules arranged in the longitudinal direction, A ridge edge cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, provided with a detachable hook for connecting the roof material or an accessory member used together with the roof material or the solar cell module during installation.

6. It is a long, thin plate-like The ridge edge cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a waterproof sealant extending in the longitudinal direction is attached to a surface facing the solar cell module.

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