Solar power panel movable mechanism

Abstract

To provide a solar power generation panel movable mechanism in which a plurality of solar power generation panels arranged in parallel can be stood or tilted simultaneously, the solar power generation panels in a standing state can be stably supported, and a drive shaft is housed in a channel-shaped guide rail supporting the solar power generation panels in a rotatable manner such that a height in an up-down direction is not required, and, for example, installation on a roof floor or a roof is preferable.SOLUTION: A drive shaft 3 formed of a screw shaft is housed in a channel-shaped guide rail 2 supporting a solar power generation panel 10 in a rotatable manner, a slide base block 6 formed of a nut is screwed into the drive shaft 3 in the channel-shaped guide rail 2, one end of the solar power generation panel 10 is coupled with another portion via a hinge, and the solar power generation panel 10 and the slide base block 6 are coupled with a panel support arm 8 shaft-fixing an end.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a movable mechanism for a solar power generation panel, for example, a solar power generation panel movable mechanism for standing the solar power generation panel as a snow accumulation countermeasure in a heavy snow area.

Background Art

[0002] Solar power generation has attracted attention from the perspective of decarbonization and is becoming more widespread.

[0003] Solar power generation panels used for solar power generation increase the power generation amount as the incident sunlight increases. Therefore, various types of mounts for solar power generation panels that can change the tilt angle of the solar cell module (solar power generation panel) according to the solar altitude that changes with the season have been proposed as shown in the following patent documents.

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a power generation fence as an example of a fence-shaped solar power generation panel mount, in which a plate-shaped solar power generation panel is provided inclined upward along the extending direction of the fence near the upper end of the extended fence, and the inclination angle of the plate-shaped solar power generation panel can be changed.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a mount for a solar cell module in which a solar cell module is hung between vertically erected columns at intervals so as to be tiltable. Outside the snowfall period, the solar cell module is tilted toward the sun, and during the snowfall period, the installation angle of the solar cell module can be changed vertically to prevent snow accumulation on the solar cell module.

[0006] Patent Document 3 discloses a mechanism for raising and lowering one end of a solar power generation panel using a drive shaft to make the installation angle of the solar power generation panel vertical, for example, using an extendable arm (piston) connected to a support column (frame).

[0007] Patent Document 4 discloses a mechanism that uses a long, slidable jack with a rectangular cross-section (Patent Document 4), among other things. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the tilt angle of a plate-shaped solar power generation panel is changed by a rotating mechanism so that the intensity of sunlight is maximized within the movable range.

[0009] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, while considering power generation efficiency, does not demonstrate how to prevent snow accumulation on modules in snowy regions. With snowfall without wind, snow accumulates on tilted solar cell modules, resulting in no power generation at all, let alone reduced efficiency. Furthermore, in heavy snowfall areas, there is a problem of the solar cell modules themselves being damaged by the weight of the accumulated snow.

[0010] The solar cell mounting frame disclosed in Patent Document 2 requires removing the bolts from the fixing holes of the arm support bar that secures the panel mounting arms to release the fixation and change the solar power generation panel to a vertical position. After that, it is necessary to insert bolts through the fixing holes to fix the solar power generation panel in a vertical position, which is an extremely complicated procedure.

[0011] On the other hand, the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 do not involve the same complexity as the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 when it comes to changing and fixing the installation angle of solar power generation panels.

[0012] However, there was a problem with the structure of solar power generation panels when they were fixed vertically and subjected to strong winds, making them structurally unstable.

[0013] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional example and provide a movable solar power generation panel mechanism that can simultaneously raise or tilt multiple parallel solar power generation panels, stably support the solar power generation panels in the raised position, and, since the drive shaft is housed inside a channel-shaped guide rail that rotatably supports the solar power generation panels, does not require vertical height, making it suitable for installation on rooftops and other similar locations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] To achieve the above objective, the present invention as described in claim 1 houses a drive shaft by a screw shaft inside a channel-shaped guide rail that rotatably supports a solar power generation panel, a slide base block by a nut is screwed onto the drive shaft inside the channel-shaped guide rail, one end of the solar power generation panel is hinged to another location, and the solar power generation panel and the slide base block are connected by a panel support arm whose end is pivotally attached. An engine for rotationally driving the drive shaft can be attached to the other end of the drive shaft via a screw drive joint hexagonal head box. The panel support arm consists of upper and lower arms forming the hypotenuse of a triangle and a diagonal arm that connects these upper and lower arms via a cross joint using a universal joint at their connection point. The upper and lower arms and the diagonal arm are foldable, with the lower end of the diagonal arm pivotally attached to the slide base block, and the tip of the upper arm pivotally attached to the upper part of the solar power generation panel on the panel support arm. This is the gist of it.

[0015] According to the present invention as described in claim 1, when the drive shaft is rotated, the slide base block moves inside the channel-shaped guide rail, reducing the relative distance between the pivot point of the slide base block on the solar power generation panel and the hinge connection at one end of the solar power generation panel, and the panel support arm rises up, rotating and raising the solar power generation panel.

[0016] Furthermore, when tilting a solar power generation panel, rotating the drive shaft in the opposite direction causes the ride base block to move inside the channel-shaped guide rail. This increases the distance between the axis attachment point of the ride base block to the solar power generation panel and the hinge connection of one end of the solar power generation panel to the outside of the channel-shaped guide rail, causing the panel support arm to tilt and rotate the solar power generation panel to tilt.

[0017] When the solar power generation panel is in the erected state, the solar power generation panel is supported in a truss structure by the channel-shaped guide rail, the panel support arm, and the solar power generation panel, and can be supported in a stable state against strong winds and the like.

[0018] In addition, since the drive shaft is housed inside the channel-shaped guide rail that rotatably supports the solar power generation panel without being arranged outside, it does not take up space, is present together with the channel-shaped guide rail, and the entire device does not require height in the vertical direction. For example, it can also be installed on a rooftop or a roof.

[0019] Further, according to the present invention, an engine can be attached to one end of the connecting shaft, and the connecting shaft can be driven by this engine. Furthermore, if the engine is a power tool, there is no need to install an engine according to the number of solar power generation panels. Also, it becomes possible to follow the position of the engine as the drive shaft moves, and a complicated mechanism is not required.

[0020] Furthermore, the panel support arm can support the upper part of the solar power generation panel in the erected state of the solar power generation panel to ensure a more stable state. Also, since the panel support arm can be folded or expanded, it does not get in the way when the solar power generation panel is standing up or tilting stably.

[0021] The present invention according to claim 2 has a gist that the channel-shaped guide rail supports the solar power generation panel so as to be reversibly rotatable from a horizontal state to a vertical state.

[0022] According to the present invention described in claim 2, in order to prevent the solar power generation panel from being damaged by the weight of the snow accumulated on the solar power generation panel during the snowfall period, the solar power generation panel can be easily set to a vertical position to prevent snow from accumulating on the solar power generation panel.

[0023] Also, even when the solar power generation panel is fixed vertically and receives strong winds, it has a structurally stable structure.

[0024] The present invention according to claim 3 has a gist that the panel support arm is axially attached to the solar power generation panel. Upper end and is configured to be axially attached thereto.

[0025] According to the present invention described in claim 3, by the panel support arm supporting the upper end portion of the solar power generation panel, the solar power generation panel can be stably erected or rotated for tilting.

[0026] The present invention according to claim 4 has a gist that 1 to 50 solar power generation panels are arranged in parallel.

[0027] \n According to the present invention described in claim 4, a plurality of solar power generation panels can be simultaneously and parallelly erected or tilted by a single drive shaft.

Advantages of the Invention

[0028] As described above, the solar power generation panel movable mechanism of the present invention can simultaneously erect or tilt a plurality of parallel solar power generation panels, can stably support the solar power generation panels in the erected state, and the drive shaft is housed inside the channel-shaped guide rail that rotatably supports the solar power generation panel, so no height is required vertically. For example, it is suitable for installation on rooftops, roofs, etc.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] [Figure 1] It is a side view showing an embodiment of the solar power generation panel movable mechanism of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a front view of the slide base block storage portion. [Figure 3] It is a side view of the slide base block storage portion. [Figure 4] It is a plan view of the slide base block storage portion. [Figure 5] It is a plan view of the axially attached portion of the panel support arm to the solar power generation panel. [Figure 6] It is a side view of the axially attached portion of the panel support arm to the solar power generation panel. [Figure 7] This is an external perspective view of the movable solar power generation panel mechanism of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a plan view of the panel support arm. [Figure 9] This is a plan view of the cross metal fitting portion of the panel support arm. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the solar power generation panel movable mechanism of the present invention, in which a drive shaft 3 by a screw shaft is housed inside a channel-shaped guide rail 2 that rotatably supports the solar power generation panel 10.

[0031] The photovoltaic power generation panel 10 is a roughly rectangular panel for photovoltaic power generation in the illustrated example. The bottom and sides of the photovoltaic power generation panel 10 are detachably reinforced by a panel reinforcement frame 20, and the photovoltaic cell portion is held by the frame 20 (see Figure 5).

[0032] Furthermore, since the frame 20 is detachable from the solar cell portion of the solar power generation panel 10, the solar power generation panel movable mechanism 1 can be applied not only when installing a new solar power generation panel 10, but also to an existing solar power generation panel 10.

[0033] The channel-shaped guide rail 2 is a C-channel rail with an upward-facing opening, as shown in Figure 2, and is made of metal such as aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

[0034] The drive shaft 3, which is a screw shaft, is a rod-shaped body having a helical groove all around its circumference, and is supported horizontally and rotatably within the channel-shaped guide rail 2 by partition walls 9 arranged at appropriate intervals. These partition walls 9 act as stoppers to prevent the slide base block 6 described below from moving any further.

[0035] A slide base block 6, which has a wheel-shaped roller bearing 4 and a nut 5 that is capable of moving by this bearing as its main body, is screwed onto the drive shaft 3 inside the channel-shaped guide rail 2.

[0036] Furthermore, if the slide base block 6 can slide smoothly within the channel-shaped guide rail 2, other means such as a resin material with low frictional resistance can be used instead of the roller bearing 4.

[0037] The slide base block 6 has a clevis joint 7 attached to the main body, which is a nut 5. The clevis joint 7 has a top plate with a nut hole drilled in the bifurcated rotating piece.

[0038] In the figure, 8 is a panel support arm. In the illustrated example, a full-circumference screw, which is a rod-shaped body with a spiral groove around its entire circumference, is used for this support arm. However, the threaded portion may be only near the end, and it does not necessarily have to be a full-circumference screw.

[0039] The panel support arm 8 is capable of supporting the top of the solar power generation panel 10 to raise it upright, and the panel support arm 8 itself is foldable.

[0040] As shown in Figure 9, the panel support arm 8 consists of an upper arm 8a and a lower arm 8b that form the hypotenuse of a triangle, and a diagonal arm 8c that connects the upper arm 8a and the lower arm 8b at their joints via a cross fitting 13 made of a universal joint.

[0041] The diagonal arm 8c is a support arm bush rod, and these upper arm 8a, lower arm 8b, and diagonal arm 8c are foldable by a cross fitting 13 with a universal joint.

[0042] As shown in Figure 7, the cross fitting 13 has the upper arm 8a and the rotating part of the lower arm 8b attached to the support shaft 13a, and the support shaft 13a is rotatably installed at the tip of the diagonal arm 8c.

[0043] The lower end of the diagonal arm 8c is pivotally attached to the slide base block 6, and the tip of the upper arm 8a is pivotally attached to the top of the solar power generation panel 10.

[0044] Furthermore, the lower end of the lower arm 8b has a wheel-shaped roller bearing 4, and a slide base block 6, which has a nut 5 as its main body and is thus capable of moving, is screwed onto the drive shaft 3 inside the channel-shaped guide rail 2.

[0045] A slide roller 4' is attached to the lower end of the diagonal arm 8c so that it can slide within the channel-shaped guide rail 2. Note that the lower end of the diagonal arm 8c does not necessarily need to be screwed onto the drive shaft 3, and it may also be axially attached to the side of the channel-shaped guide rail 2 without the slide roller 4'.

[0046] On the other hand, a clevis plate 11 is provided at the upper end of the solar power generation panel 10, and one end of the panel support arm 8 is screwed into a clevis joint 7 provided on the slide base block 6, while the other end of the panel support arm 8 is pivotally attached to the clevis plate 11. In this way, the solar power generation panel 10 and the slide base block 6 are connected by the panel support arm 8, which is pivotally attached to its end.

[0047] The clevis plate 11 is fixed to a clevis mounting frame 24, which is stretched across the frame 20 of the solar power generation panel 10 and secured with reinforcing plate fixing bolts 22, using clevis fixing bolts 23.

[0048] Figure 1 shows the solar power generation panel 10 installed tilted horizontally towards the sun, with the upper arm 8a and lower arm 8b bent and folded.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, the channel-shaped guide rail 2 is installed on the mounting frame 30 on which the solar power generation panels 10 are installed. Various types of mounting frames 30 can be used depending on the installation location of the solar power generation panels 10, but the example shown in the figure is one in which C-shaped steel beams are assembled to an existing C-shaped steel beam that serves as a girder.

[0050] The frame 20 of the solar power generation panel 10 is provided with a panel mounting device that allows the solar power generation panel 10 to be reversibly rotated and fixed to the mounting frame 30 from a horizontal position to a vertical position.

[0051] The panel mounting fixture consists of a panel mounting fixture base and a panel hinge. The panel hinge has two blades on a single axis, with the frame 20 fixed to one blade and the other blade fixed to the panel mounting fixture base.

[0052] The panel mounting bracket is detachably attached to the C-shaped steel member, and the panel mounting bracket base is fixed to the C-shaped steel member of the frame 30.

[0053] The panel hinge only needs to be able to fix the solar power generation panel 10, which is attached to the frame 20, to the mounting base 30 so that it can rotate. For example, it may be a flat hinge, a flag hinge, or a long hinge (piano hinge).

[0054] Furthermore, the hinge connection of the solar power generation panel 10 is not limited to the mounting frame 30. If the mounting frame 30 is not available, hinge hardware can be installed at other locations, for example, on the outside of the channel-shaped guide rail 2, and one end of the solar power generation panel 10 can be hinged to the outside of the channel-shaped guide rail 2 in this way.

[0055] On the other hand, an engine 21 that rotates the drive shaft 3 can be attached to the other end of the drive shaft 3 via a screw drive joint hexagonal head box 12.

[0056] If the engine 21 is a power tool, such as a rechargeable electric drill or electric screwdriver, it can be operated by hand, and if it is rechargeable, it is possible to drive (rotate) the drive shaft 3 using the engine 21 without securing a power source, which is preferable.

[0057] Furthermore, by screwing the slide base blocks 6 to a single drive shaft 3 at appropriate intervals, multiple blocks, for example, 1 to 50 blocks, can be installed in parallel on one of the channel-shaped guide rails 2.

[0058] Next, the usage and operation will be described. When the drive shaft 3 is rotated clockwise by the engine 21, the slide base block 6 moves inside the channel-shaped guide rail 2, reducing the distance between the pivot point of the slide base block 6 on the solar power generation panel 10 and the hinge connection at one end of the solar power generation panel 10. At the same time, the panel support arm 8 rises up, rotating and raising the solar power generation panel 10.

[0059] When the drive shaft 3 of the engine 21 rotates clockwise, the slide base block 6 moves inside the channel-shaped guide rail 2, causing the pivot point at the lower end of the diagonal arm 8c of the slide base block 6 to move, and the diagonal arm 8c acts as a support arm bush rod.

[0060] This pushes the joint between the upper arm 8a and the lower arm 8b, unfolding the bent and folded upper arm 8a and lower arm 8b, and consequently rotating the solar power generation panel 10 to stand upright.

[0061] When the solar power generation panel 10 is standing vertically, the upper arm 8a and the lower arm 8b form a straight line, and with the upper arm 8a and the lower arm 8b forming the base of a right-angled triangle, the diagonal arm 8c becomes a line extending from the center of this base to the vertex, thus ensuring stable strength as a truss structure.

[0062] On the other hand, to tilt the solar power generation panel 10, rotating the drive shaft 3 in the opposite direction (counterclockwise) causes the slide base block 6 to move inside the channel-shaped guide rail 2, and this slide base block 6 pulls the diagonal arm 8c, which acts as a pull rod, folding the upper arm 8a and lower arm 8b at the cross fitting 13. This rotates and tilts the solar power generation panel 10.

[0063] Such upright and tilting of the solar power generation panel 10 can be used to move the solar power generation panel 10 in response to changes in the angle of sunlight.

[0064] Furthermore, it can be used in the following way: During the spring and autumn seasons when there is no snowfall, the solar power generation panels 10 are installed tilted horizontally or to the south towards the sunlight.

[0065] On the other hand, when it snows in winter, snow accumulates on the solar power generation panels 10, and depending on the amount of snow, the weight of the snow can cause the solar power generation panels 10 to deform or become damaged. Therefore, in late autumn or early winter when snowfall begins, the solar power generation panels 10 are positioned vertically to prevent damage from snow accumulation.

[0066] By orienting the solar power generation panel 10 vertically, the risk of damage from strong winds can also be reduced.

[0067] On the other hand, when spring arrives and snowfall is no longer expected, the solar power generation panels 10 will be returned to a horizontal position to increase power generation efficiency.

[0068] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0069] The present invention provides a solar power generation panel movable mechanism 1 that allows the solar power generation panel 10 to be easily positioned vertically during snowfall, preventing damage to the solar power generation panel 10 due to the weight of accumulated snow, and also provides a structurally stable solar power generation panel movable mechanism 1 that can withstand strong winds while the solar power generation panel 10 is fixed vertically. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1…Moving mechanism for solar power generation panels 2…Channel-shaped guide rails 3…Drive shaft 4… Roller bearings 4'... Slide roller 5... Nut 6…Slide base block 7... Clevis joint 8... Panel support arm 8a... Upper arm 8b... Lower arm 8c... Diagonal arm 9...Partition body 10…Solar power generation panels (solar panels) 11... Clevis plate 12...Hexagonal headbox for screw drive joint 13…Cross fittings 13a...Spindle 20...frames 21... Engine 22, 23… Fixing bolts 24...Mounting frame for clevis 30… Stand

Claims

1. A movable solar power generation panel mechanism characterized by housing a drive shaft by a screw shaft inside a channel-shaped guide rail that rotatably supports a solar power generation panel, screwing a slide base block with a nut into the inside of the channel-shaped guide rail, hinge-connecting one end of the solar power generation panel to another location and connecting the solar power generation panel and the slide base block with a panel support arm whose end is pivotally attached, and allowing an engine that rotates the drive shaft to be attached to the other end of the drive shaft via a screw drive joint hexagonal head box, the panel support arm consisting of upper and lower arms that form the hypotenuse of a triangle and a diagonal arm that connects these upper and lower arms via a cross joint by a universal joint at their connection point, the upper and lower arms and the diagonal arm being foldable, the lower end of the diagonal arm pivotally attached to the slide base block, and the tip of the upper arm pivotally attached to the upper part of the solar power generation panel on the panel support arm.

2. The solar power generation panel movable mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the channel-shaped guide rail supports the solar power generation panel so that it can be reversibly rotated from a horizontal to a vertical position.

3. The movable solar power generation panel mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the panel support arm is pivotally attached to the upper end of the solar power generation panel.

4. A movable solar power generation panel mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein 1 to 50 solar power generation panels are arranged in parallel.

Images