FIXING CLIP FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC FRAME WITH INSERT MOUNTING AND THEN SLIDE INTO A SLOT IN A SUPPORT WALL

Abstract

A fixing clip (10) adapted for fixing a photovoltaic frame (100) to the front face of a support wall (201) comprises a support head (11) and a counter-support foot (12) forming a jaw (15) capable of simultaneously receiving transversely a segment of the support wall (201) and a segment of the photovoltaic frame (100). The counter-support foot (12) comprises at least one lateral support flange (16) positioned longitudinally to bear longitudinally against a rear face of the support wall (201) when the photovoltaic frame (100) and the support wall (201) are transversely engaged in the jaw (15). The support head (11) comprises at least one hooking element (17) adapted to hook the photovoltaic frame (100) in order to transversely immobilize the photovoltaic frame (100) in the jaw (15).The support head (11) and / or the counter-support foot (12) includes at least one mechanical tensioning wing whose elastic deformation and / or displacement, resulting from the transverse engagement action of the photovoltaic frame segment (100) and the support wall segment (201) in the determined interval (14) between the support head (11) and the counter-support foot (12), allows the support head (11) and the counter-support foot (12) to exert a longitudinal clamping of the photovoltaic frame (100) and the support wall (201) in the jaw (15).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing clip adapted for fixing a photovoltaic frame against a front face of a support wall.

[0002] One possible application in view concerns one where the support wall is formed by one of the wings of a load-bearing beam itself intended to be kept away from the ground by means of any footing adapted to the load-bearing beam and the ground. STATE OF PRIOR ART

[0003] It is a known problem to have to fix each photovoltaic frame of a photovoltaic installation to one or more supporting beams. One known technique consists of using a plurality of fixing clips to secure each photovoltaic frame, where each fixing clip holds the photovoltaic frame with which it cooperates against a front face of a support wall delimited by one of the supporting beams.

[0004] It is also known that, in order to meet certain regulatory requirements, a fixing clip must have the ability to bring the photovoltaic frame and the support wall to the same electrical potential.

[0005] As an example, document EP-A1-2867541, filed on behalf of the applicant, describes a photovoltaic frame mounting device comprising a one-piece mounting element for connecting the photovoltaic frame to an elongated support. The mounting element includes a body with a pair of slots for receiving a segment of the photovoltaic frame, a pair of flexible wings that snap into the elongated support and have a U-shaped hollow section into which the body fits when the flexible wings snap into place, and a flexible tab arranged in the upper part of the body to notch the photovoltaic frame to secure it within the slots.

[0006] While this solution is effective in terms of the resulting robust mounting, a drawback is that the only adjustment possible during assembly relies on the position of each mounting element along each of the elongated supports. This leads to assembly difficulties, and the photovoltaic system can only be installed on relatively flat terrain, which is a limiting factor for its development.

[0007] In addition to addressing the above problem, further difficulties include ensuring that the fixing staples are easy for the installer to use, inexpensive for obvious cost reasons, and provide very high resistance to the fixing, whether against pull-out forces which can be around 120kg per fixing staple or against shear forces which can also be high.

[0008] These resistance issues to pull-out and shear forces are becoming increasingly complex to manage due to the current trend of developing increasingly larger photovoltaic frames in order to reduce the assembly costs of photovoltaic installations.

[0009] Similar to those described in documents US2006 / 102820A1 and US3298646A, solutions exist that employ a fastening clip containing a support head and a counter-support foot connected by a body to define a jaw. However, these solutions are not suitable for mounting photovoltaic panels and do not offer sufficient robustness to meet the requirements for pull-out and shear resistance. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention aims to provide a fixing clip suitable for fixing a photovoltaic frame against a front face of a support wall which addresses the problems stated above in relation to the prior art.

[0011] In particular, the aim of the invention is to provide a fastening clip that meets at least one of the following objectives: to be economical, to facilitate easy assembly, to make installations possible on uneven terrain, to be very robust against pull-out and shearing.

[0012] This goal can be achieved using a fixing clip adapted for attaching a photovoltaic frame to the front face of a support wall; the fixing clip is a single piece of electrically conductive metal shaped to delimit: a support head; a counter-support foot; a connecting body linking the counter-support foot to the support head so that the support head and the counter-support foot are offset from each other along a longitudinal direction of the fixing clip by a determined interval, the connecting body being adapted to pass through the thickness of the support wall through a slot made in the support wall, by longitudinal insertion of the support head through the slot to position the support head and the counter-support foot respectively on either side of the support wall, and to slide along the slot by an overall sliding movement of the fixing clip along a transverse direction of the fixing clip; fixing clip in which the determined interval between the support head and the counter-support foot is adapted so that the support head and the counter-support foot constitute a jaw capable of jointly receiving transversely a segment of the support wall and a segment of the photovoltaic frame in a configuration where the photovoltaic frame is supported against the front face of the support wall, in which the counter-support foot comprises at least one lateral support wing positioned longitudinally to bear longitudinally against a rear face of the support wall when the photovoltaic frame and the support wall are transversely engaged in the jaw, in which the support head includes at least one suitable attachment element for hooking the photovoltaic frame in order to immobilize the photovoltaic frame transversely in the jaw, in which the support head and / or the counter-support foot includes at least one mechanical tensioning wing whose elastic deformation and / or displacement, resulting from the transverse engagement action of the photovoltaic frame segment and the support wall segment in the interval determined between the support head and the counter-support foot, allows the support head and the counter-support foot to exert a longitudinal clamping of the photovoltaic frame and the support wall in the jaw, in which the connecting body consists of two lateral walls delimited by the fixing clip, offset from each other along a lateral direction of the fixing clip and connected to each other at one of their longitudinal ends at the level of the support head by a folding zone, their opposite longitudinal ends being independent of each other at the level of the counter-support foot, said at least one lateral support wing being integral with one of the lateral walls of so as to extend laterally in projection relative to the lateral wall to which it is attached.

[0013] Some preferred but not exhaustive aspects of this fastening clip are as follows.

[0014] The support head may include an upper arm extending transversely in cantilever from the folding area and directly above the counter-support foot in the longitudinal direction.

[0015] Said at least one mechanical tensioning wing may be constituted by said at least one lateral support wing and said at least one lateral support wing is then inclined so as to form an angle with respect to the lateral direction and is connected to the lateral wall to which it is attached by an elastically deformable curved zone such that the lateral support wing is capable of lowering longitudinally, at least by elastic deformation of said elastically deformable curved zone, under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic frame segment and the support wall segment in the interval determined between the support head and the counter-support foot.

[0016] Each of the lateral support wings can be subdivided along the transverse direction into at least one upper lateral support wing and at least one lower lateral support wing, said at least one upper lateral support wing projecting out on the side of the support head, along the longitudinal direction, relative to said at least one lower lateral support wing.

[0017] The attachment element may include a retaining lug and a shoulder attached to the upper arm, offset from each other along the transverse direction along the upper arm, and defining between them a notch which opens on the inside side of the jaw and adapted to receive a rib of the photovoltaic frame.

[0018] The side walls can be inclined so as to form an angle with the longitudinal direction to approach each other when approaching the bending area, the side walls being likely to approach each other laterally by elastic deformation of the bending area, the elastic return of the material of the bending area ensuring a lateral return of the side walls outwards in the lateral direction.

[0019] Each side wall may include a lateral retaining projection capable of butting against the front face of the support wall, at the level of the edges of the slot, after the longitudinal insertion of the support head through the slot.

[0020] The support head may comprise two independent flexible wings where each flexible wing is connected to the upper arm by a folded area so as to extend each towards the counter-support foot at an angle to the longitudinal direction, the two flexible wings converging towards each other as they approach the upper arm, each flexible wing being capable of moving laterally apart, by elastic deformation of said folded area and / or by intrinsic elastic deformation of the flexible wing, under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic frame segment and the support wall segment in the interval determined between the support head and the counter-support foot and said at least one mechanical tensioning wing is constituted by the two flexible wings.

[0021] The hooking element may include a series of hooking teeth staggered transversely along a distal edge of the flexible wing opposite its proximal edge linked to the folded area, the hooking teeth being adapted to notch the photovoltaic frame segment under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic frame segment in the interval determined between the support head and the counter-support foot.

[0022] A photovoltaic installation is also proposed comprising at least one photovoltaic frame, at least one support wall defining a front face against which the photovoltaic frame rests and in which at least one slot is provided, and at least one such fixing clip inserted in the slot so that the connecting body passes through the thickness of the support wall through the slot to position the support head and the counter-support foot respectively on either side of the support wall, and slid along the slot by an overall sliding movement of the fixing clip following the transverse direction of the fixing clip to jointly engage transversely a segment of the support wall and a segment of the photovoltaic frame in the interval determined between the support head and the counter-support foot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Other aspects, objectives, advantages, and features of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: THE figures 1 and 2 illustrate, in front and rear perspective respectively, a first example of a fastening clip according to the invention, figures 3 And 4 show the fastening clip of the figures 1 and 2 in the mounted state on a support wall by insertion through a slot, the figures 5 and 6 show the fastening clip of the figures 1 to 4 , after sliding to occupy a state where it ensures the support of a photovoltaic frame, the figure 7 illustrated in perspective before a second example of a fastening clip according to the invention, the figures 8 and 9 show the fastening clip of the figure 7in its mounted state on a support wall by insertion through a slot, the Figure 10 shows the fastening clip of the figures 7 to 9 , after sliding to occupy a state where it ensures the support of a photovoltaic frame, the figure 11 illustrates in rear perspective a third example of a fastening clip according to the invention, the figure 12 illustrated in perspective before a fourth example of a fastening clip according to the invention, the figure 13 illustrated in perspective before a fifth example of a fastening clip according to the invention, the figure 14 illustrates in perspective before a sixth example of a fastening clip according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION METHODS

[0024] On the figures 1 to 14 In the rest of the description, the same references represent identical or similar elements. Furthermore, the different embodiments and variants are not mutually exclusive and may be combined.

[0025] THE figures 1 and 2 represent a first example of a fastening clip 10 according to the invention. The figure 7 represents a second example of a fastening clip 10 according to the invention. The figure 11 represents a third example of a fastening clip 10 according to the invention. The figure 12 represents a fourth example of a fastening clip. The figure 13 represents a fifth example of a fastening clip 10 according to the invention, which is a variant of that of the figure 12 . There figure 14 represents a sixth example of a fastening clip 10 according to the invention, which is a variant of that of the figure 7 The remaining figures show how the fixing clips 10 of the first two examples are used in operation.

[0026] Each fixing clip 10 allows, on the one hand, to hold a photovoltaic frame 100 with which it cooperates against a front face of a support wall 201, on the other hand, to put the photovoltaic frame 100 and the support wall 201 at the same electrical potential.

[0027] As can be seen from figures 3 to 6 And 8 à 10 The support wall 201 may, in particular, be one of the flanges of a load-bearing beam 200, itself intended to be held at a distance from the ground by means of any support (not shown) adapted to the load-bearing beam 200 and the ground conditions. However, the nature of the system in which the support wall 201 is arranged is not limiting, and this system may be of any type, depending on the application.

[0028] A photovoltaic installation is intended to include a plurality of photovoltaic frames 100. Each photovoltaic frame 100 is, for example, held in support against a first support wall 201 attached to a first load-bearing beam 200 by means of at least two fixing clips 10 offset along this first load-bearing beam 200 and against a second support wall 201 attached to a second load-bearing beam 200 by means of at least two additional fixing clips 10 offset along this second load-bearing beam 200.

[0029] On the figures 5, 6 , 9 And 10 Only a portion of the structural frame of the 100 photovoltaic chassis is shown. This portion of the structural frame may, in particular, be in the form of a metal profile, the cross-section of which differs depending on the embodiment of the figures 5 and 6 and the method of implementation of figures 9 And 10It is specified that the photovoltaic frame 100 is not inherently limiting in terms of the diversity of possible applications regarding the types of photovoltaic frames 100 that can be held in place by the fixing clips 10 described in this document. However, photovoltaic frames 100 fixed using these fixing clips 10 can be quite large if necessary, for example, with a width between 1 m and 1.5 m and a length between 1.5 m and 2.5 m, which is a significant advantage in terms of cost and ease of installation.

[0030] Each of the 10 fixing clips figures 1 to 11is a part formed from an electrically conductive metallic material. This part is a single piece. It can, for example, result from a cutting operation of a pattern from a sheet or strip of said electrically conductive metallic material, then successive folding operations of this pattern until the final shape of the fastening clip 10 is achieved. Each fastening clip 10 is thus shaped to define a support head 11, a counter-support foot 12 and a connecting body 13 linking the counter-support foot 12 to the support head 11.

[0031] The way in which the fixing clip 10 is shaped is such that the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12 are offset from each other along a longitudinal direction X of the fixing clip 10 by a determined interval 14.

[0032] For clarity, an orthogonal reference frame is associated with each fixing clip 10, including the longitudinal direction X as mentioned above, a lateral direction Y and a transverse direction Z.

[0033] The connecting body 13 is adapted to pass through the thickness of the support wall 201 through the thickness of a slot 202 provided in the support wall 201, by inserting the support head 11 through the slot 202 along the longitudinal direction X to position the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12 respectively on either side of the support wall 201.

[0034] For example the figures 3 And 4 for the first example of a 10 fixing clip and the figure 8The second example of a fixing clip 10 illustrates the situation obtained after the longitudinal insertion of the support head 11 through the thickness of the slot 202. The support head 11 is located in front of the front face of the support wall 201 while the counter-support foot 12 is located behind the rear face of the support wall 201.

[0035] The connecting body 13 is also adapted to slide, once it has been previously inserted longitudinally in the manner described in the preceding paragraph, along all or part of the length of the slot 202 by an overall sliding movement of the fixing clip 10 along the transverse direction Z of the fixing clip 10.

[0036] Advantageously, the length of the slot 202 is greater than the dimension of the fixing clip 10 in the transverse direction, the gap between these two dimensions being adjusted and intentionally large enough to allow for adjustment of the position occupied by the photovoltaic frame 100 relative to the support wall 201 in a given direction, typically oriented along an East-West axis. This facilitates the installation of the photovoltaic system on uneven ground.

[0037] The determined interval 14 between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12 is adapted so that the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12 constitute a jaw 15 capable of jointly receiving transversely a segment of the support wall 201 and a segment of the photovoltaic frame 100 in a configuration where the photovoltaic frame 100 is supported against the front face of the support wall 201.

[0038] For example the figures 5 and 6 for the first example of a 10 fixing clip and the Figure 10 for the second example of fixing clip 10 illustrate the situation obtained at the end of a transverse sliding movement of the fixing clip 10 carried out until a segment of the support wall 201 and a segment of the photovoltaic frame 100 are placed together inside the jaw 15, i.e. between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12.

[0039] In each of the six examples of the fastening clip 10, the counter-support foot 12 includes at least one lateral support wing 16 positioned longitudinally to bear longitudinally against a rear face of the support wall 201 when the photovoltaic frame 100 and the support wall 201 are transversely engaged in the jaw 15. The bearing of said at least one lateral support wing 16 against the rear face of the support wall 201 is visible on the figure 3 .

[0040] In each of the six examples of fixing clip 10, the support head 11 includes at least one hooking element 17 adapted to hook the photovoltaic frame 100 in order to immobilize the photovoltaic frame 100 transversely in the jaw 15 once the segment of the support wall 201 and the segment of the photovoltaic frame 100 have jointly been placed inside the jaw 15 by transverse sliding of the fixing clip 10.

[0041] Among other things, the first and second examples of the fixing clip 10 differ from each other in the way in which the hooking element 17 is arranged. These arrangements will be detailed later.

[0042] In each of the six examples of fixing clip 10, it includes at least one mechanical tensioning wing whose elastic deformation and / or displacement, resulting from the transverse engagement action of the photovoltaic frame segment 100 and the support wall segment 201 in the determined interval 14 between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12, allows the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12 to exert a longitudinal clamping of the photovoltaic frame 100 and the support wall 201 in the jaw 15.

[0043] The first and second examples of the fastening clip 10 also differ from each other with regard to the arrangement of at least one mechanical tensioning wing. These arrangements will be detailed later.

[0044] According to a particular, non-limiting embodiment, which corresponds to each of the six examples of fastening staple 10 shown in figures 1 to 14The connecting body 13 consists of two lateral walls 18 delimited by the fixing clip 10, offset from each other along the lateral direction Y of the fixing clip 10 and connected to each other at one of their longitudinal ends at the level of the support head 11 by a folding zone 19. The opposite longitudinal ends of the two lateral walls 18 are, however, independent of each other at the level of the counter-support foot 12. Said at least one lateral support wing 16 is integral with one of the lateral walls 18 so as to extend laterally in projection relative to it.

[0045] These technical provisions ensure that the fixing clip 10 has the advantage of being simple to manufacture and therefore economical, of allowing good lateral support of the wings 16, 23 and of offering very high resistance to both tensile pull-out in the longitudinal direction X and to shear in the lateral direction Y.

[0046] In particular, each fixing clip 10 can include two lateral support wings 16 respectively attached to the two side walls 18 at the level of the counter-support foot 12. Each lateral support wing 16 is for example arranged in the extension of the end of the side wall 18 to which it is attached by being connected to it by a folding area.

[0047] In each of the six examples of the fastening clip 10, the support head 11 includes an upper arm 20 extending transversely in cantilever from the folding zone 19 and vertically from the counter-support foot 12 along the longitudinal direction X. Thus, the jaw 15 adopts a general U-shape in the (X, Z) plane, the bottom of which is materialized by the connecting body 13 which links the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12.

[0048] In the first example of a fixing clip 10, the hooking element 17 includes a retaining lug 171 and a shoulder 172 attached to the upper arm 20 by being offset from each other along the transverse direction Z along the upper arm 20, and defining between them a notch 173 which opens out on the inside side of the jaw 15 and adapted to receive a rib 101 of the photovoltaic frame 100, typically attached to the structural frame.

[0049] Still in the first example of fixing clip 10, said at least one mechanical tensioning wing is constituted by said at least one lateral support wing 16. Each lateral support wing 16 is inclined so as to form an angle with respect to the lateral direction Y and is connected to the lateral wall 18 to which it is attached by an elastically deformable curved zone 21 such that the lateral support wing 16 is capable of lowering longitudinally, at least by elastic deformation of this elastically deformable curved zone 21 or even by intrinsic elastic deformation of the lateral support wing 16, under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic frame segment 100 and the support wall segment 201 in the interval determined 14 between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12.

[0050] In the first example of a fastening clip 10, the side walls 18 are inclined so as to form an angle with the longitudinal direction X to approach each other as they approach the folding zone 19. The folding zone 19 has a certain elasticity such that the side walls 18 are likely to approach each other laterally, by elastic deformation of the folding zone 19, the elastic springback of the material of the folding zone 19 ensuring a lateral springback of the side walls 18 outwards along the lateral direction Y.

[0051] A primary function of this lateral movement of the side walls 18, achieved through an outward elastic return, is to allow them to move closer together during the insertion of the fastening clip 10 through the slot 202. The folding zone 19 acts as an external lateral return of the side walls 18 towards the edges of the slot 202. More generally, the possibility of elastic movement of the side walls 18, possibly accompanied, where possible as in the example of the figure 1 , 12 Or 13The possibility of elastic displacement of the lateral support wings 16 creates overall elasticity and a restoring function in the longitudinal direction X, which is very useful: not only do these displacement possibilities facilitate the installation of a segment of the support wall 201 and a segment of the photovoltaic frame 100 in the jaw delimited between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12 by sliding the fixing clip 10 along the transverse direction Z by modifying the predetermined interval 14, but this also increases the elasticity of the fixing clip 10 (lower stiffness, greater elastic deformation) in the longitudinal direction X, as well as the range of thicknesses of the support wall 201 and the frame 100 tolerated by a fixing clip 10. This ultimately increases the universality of the fixing clip 10 and dampens the resonant vibrations of the photovoltaic panel. 100.

[0052] In each of the six examples of 10 fastening clips illustrated on the figures 1 to 12 The fixing clip 10 includes retaining elements configured to prevent the fixing clip 10 from being pulled longitudinally out of the slot 202, for example by the simple effect of gravity, after its longitudinal insertion, in order to ensure positive locking of the fixing clip 10 in the configuration in which the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12 are respectively on either side of the support wall 201. By positive locking, it is meant here that the fixing clip 10 remains longitudinally locked in the slot 202, after insertion, as long as no human action tending to release the fixing clip 10 is applied.

[0053] In the first example of a fastening clip 10, the retaining elements take the form of a lateral retaining projection 22 formed, for example by stamping, in each of the side walls 18 so as to be able to abut against the front face of the support wall 201, at the edges of the slot 212, after the longitudinal insertion of the bearing head 11 through the thickness of the slot 202. The same applies to the examples of Figures 12 And 13 .

[0054] In the second example of the fastening clip 10, the support head 11 comprises two independent flexible wings 23, each of which is connected to the upper arm 20 by a folded section 24 so as to extend at an angle towards the counter-support foot 12, forming an angle with the longitudinal direction X. The two flexible wings 23 converge towards each other as they approach the upper arm 20. Each flexible wing 23 is susceptible to laterally moving apart, through elastic deformation of the folded section 24 and / or through intrinsic elastic deformation of the flexible wing 23, under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic frame segment 100 and the support wall segment 201 in the defined gap 14 between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12. The same applies to the example of the figure 14 .

[0055] In the second and sixth examples of 10 fastening staples figures 7 And 14 , said at least one mechanical tensioning wing is constituted by the two flexible wings 23. The flexible wings 23 also constitute the previously defined retaining elements, advantageously eliminating the requirement for the presence of lateral retaining projections 22, unlike the examples of fixing clips 10 of the Figures 1 , 12 And 13 for reasons of simplicity of manufacture and cost.

[0056] Each flexible wing 23 can be perforated, as illustrated, to improve its elastic deformation capabilities.

[0057] Regardless of how said at least one mechanical tensioning wing is constructed, its presence ensures that the photovoltaic frame 100 is held under tension against the front face of the support wall 201. In addition to the advantages related to the mechanical resistance of the fixing obtained, this makes it more reliable to bring the photovoltaic frame 100 and the support wall 201 to the same electrical potential, conferred by the intrinsic electrical conductivity characteristics of the fixing clip 10.

[0058] Still in the second and sixth examples of 10 fastening staples figures 7 And 14The hooking element 17 comprises a series of hooking teeth 174 staggered transversely along a distal edge of the flexible wing 23 opposite its proximal edge linked to the folded area 24. The hooking teeth 174 are adapted to notch the photovoltaic frame segment 100 under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic frame segment 100 in the determined interval 14 between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12.

[0059] Thus, the determined interval 14 then corresponds to the space between the hooking teeth 174 and the lateral support wings 16. This determined interval 14 is significantly smaller than in the case of the first example of a fixing clip 10, making it, for example, suitable for engaging a photovoltaic frame segment 100 in the form of a flat base, unlike the case of the first example where the photovoltaic frame segment 100 has the rib 101 already mentioned.

[0060] In each of the first and second examples of the fixing clip 10, each side wall 18 has, at the connection between the connecting body 13 and the counter-support foot 12 which is itself cantilevered transversely with respect to the counter-support foot 12, an inclined edge forming an angle with respect to the transverse direction Z in order to limit the internal stresses suffered by the connecting clip 10 in this area, in order to avoid as much as possible the risks of breakage in this area.

[0061] The third example of a 10-point fastening clip, with reference to the figure 11This differs from the second example in that the connecting body 13 defines at least one recess 25 adapted to receive and retain a complementary part of an applicator (not shown) independent of the fastening clip 10, where said applicator has the ability to act as a sacrificial wedge for implementing the overall sliding movement of the fastening clip 10 along the transverse direction Z by striking the applicator, typically with a hammer. Such a recess 25 can, for example, be obtained by a lateral inflection in the form of a hollow formed in each side wall 18 in a given area of ​​its height.

[0062] Alternatively, mounting can be achieved using a suitable tool inserted not above the plane of the support wall 201 in the X direction, but below it. The tool can be quite simple, for example, a plate bent at a right angle, one end of which has a slot with a width substantially equal to the width of the slot 202. Inserting the fixing clip 10 into this tool in the transverse Z direction helps to compress the side walls 18 until they touch and then facilitates not only the insertion of the fixing clip 10 into the support wall 201 in the longitudinal X direction, but also the insertion of the fixing clip 10 in the transverse Z direction onto the superimposed support wall segment 201 and photovoltaic frame segment 100.By removing the tool along the Z direction in the opposite direction to the assembly, which is made possible either by the hook of the hooking element 17 that retains the fixing clip 10 relative to the photovoltaic frame 100, the elastic clamping in the transverse Z direction of the support wall 201 and the photovoltaic frame 100 is established. The fixing clip 10 of the . Figures 12 And 13 adapt very well to this method, because the elastically deformable curved zone 21 is set back along the Y direction relative to the counter-support foot 12.

[0063] The fourth example of a fastening staple 10, which is shown on the figure 12 , is, for its part, a variant of the first example shown on the figures 1 to 6 The 10 fixing clip of the figure 12 differs from the fastening clip 10 in the way each of the lateral support wings 16 is formed. Indeed, on the figure 12It can be seen that each of the lateral support wings 16 is subdivided along the transverse direction Z into at least one upper lateral support wing 161 and at least one lower lateral support wing 162. By way of example, as shown on the figure 12Each lateral support wing 16 is transversely subdivided into a single upper lateral support wing 161 and two lower lateral support wings 162, the upper lateral support wing 161 being, for example, located between the two lower lateral support wings 162 along the transverse direction Z. The angle formed by said at least one upper lateral support wing 161 with respect to the lateral direction Y is greater than the angle formed by said at least one lower lateral support wing 162 with respect to the lateral direction Y. The difference between these angles is typically adjusted by a control of the elastically deformable curved zone 21 which connects each of the upper and lower lateral support wings 161, 162 to the lateral wall 18.Thus, said at least one upper lateral support wing 161 is projecting upwards (i.e. on the side of the support head 11), along the longitudinal direction X, relative to said at least one lower lateral support wing 162.Therefore, at the time of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic frame segment 100 and the support wall segment 201 in the determined interval 14 between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12, said at least one upper lateral support wing 161 will come to rest against the lower face of the support wall 201, causing a longitudinal lowering of said at least one upper lateral support wing 161 at least by elastic deformation of the elastically deformable curved area 21 or even by intrinsic elastic deformation of the upper lateral support wing 161, even before the establishment of a contact between said at least one lower lateral support wing 162 and the lower face of the support wall 201.

[0064] Under normal operating conditions where only the support of the photovoltaic frame 100 is sought in conjunction with the electrical potential being equalized between the photovoltaic frame 100 and the support wall 201, only said at least one upper lateral support wing 161 is in contact with the rear face of the support wall 201 and acts as a mechanical tensioning wing.However, under exceptional conditions of use where the photovoltaic frame 100, thus held, is subjected to very high external forces, for example in high wind conditions, causing the photovoltaic frame 100 to lift relative to the support wall 201, this results in the application of very high forces (significantly higher than during the previously mentioned normal conditions of use) of the photovoltaic frame 100 on the fixing clip 10, these forces tending to lift the fixing clip 10 longitudinally relative to the support wall 201 being transmitted by the fixing clip 10 to the support wall 201 via the counter-support foot 12. During these exceptional conditions of use, at least one lower lateral support flange 162 comes into contact against the rear face of the support wall 201, in addition to each upper lateral support flange 161 already in contact.This leads to a longitudinal lowering of each lower lateral support wing 162 at least by elastic deformation of the elastically deformable curved area 21 or even by intrinsic elastic deformation of the lower lateral support wing 162.

[0065] Thus, in the fourth example of the figure 12 The fastening clip 10 comprises two levels of longitudinal stiffness applicable by the jaw 15. A first level of longitudinal stiffness is exerted by said at least one upper lateral support flange 161. This first level of stiffness is lower than the longitudinal stiffness exerted by the jaw 15 in the case of the first example, because said at least one upper lateral support flange 161 has a greater capacity to bend and / or deform than each one-piece lateral support flange 16 used in the fastening clip 10 of the figure 1The second level of stiffness is greater than the first level and is exerted by the union of said at least one upper lateral support wing 161 and said at least one lower lateral wing 162. In this advantageous arrangement, said at least one upper lateral support wing 161 and said at least one lower lateral support wing 162 are considered as forming part of said at least one mechanical tensioning wing which comprises the fixing clip 10.

[0066] The fifth example of a fastening staple 10, which is shown on the figure 13 , is itself a variant of the fourth example shown on the figure 12 It differs from them first of all in that, unlike the examples of fastening clips visible on the Figures 1 And 12where the length of the support head 11 and the length of the counter-support foot 12 along the transverse direction Z are substantially equal, the length of the counter-support foot 12 measured along the transverse direction Z is here greater, for example by 10 to 30%, than the transverse length of the support head 11. This further prevents the risk of the fixing clip 10 coming undone from the support wall 201 should the support wall 201 move apart. Another difference from the example of the figure 13 and that of the figure 12 consists of the arrangement of the upper lateral support wing 161 and the lower lateral support wing 162. Indeed, in the example of the figure 13, each of the lateral support wings 16 is subdivided along the transverse direction Z into a single upper lateral support wing 161 and a single lower lateral support wing 162, the upper lateral support wing 161 being arranged completely towards the front, that is to say opposite to the bottom of the jaw.

[0067] The sixth example of a fastening staple 10, which is shown on the figure 14 , is, for its part, a variant of the second example shown on the figure 7 It differs from it in that, unlike the example of the fixing clip 10 visible on the figure 7where the length of the support head 11 and the length of the counter-support foot 12 along the transverse direction Z are substantially equal, the length of the counter-support foot 12 measured along the transverse direction Z is here greater, for example by 10 to 30%, than the transverse length of the support head 11. This makes it possible to further prevent the risks of the fixing clip 10 coming unbuttoned out of the support wall 201 in the event that the support wall 201 should move away.

[0068] The invention also relates to a photovoltaic installation comprising at least one photovoltaic frame 100, at least one support wall 201 defining a front face against which the photovoltaic frame 100 rests and in which at least one slot 202 is provided, and at least one fixing clip 10 as described above inserted into the slot 202. This insertion of the fixing clip 10 is such that the connecting body 13 passes through the thickness of the support wall 201 through the slot 202 to position the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12 respectively on either side of the support wall 201.The fixing clip 10 is then slid along the slot 202 by an overall sliding movement of the fixing clip 10 along the transverse direction Z of the fixing clip 10 to jointly engage transversely a segment of the support wall 201 and a segment of the photovoltaic frame 100 in the determined interval 14 between the support head 11 and the counter-support foot 12.

[0069] Each fixing staple 10 described in this document is economical, promotes easy assembly, enables installations on uneven ground, and is very robust against pull-out and shearing.

[0070] The slots 202, by adjusting the position of the fixing clip 10 along the slot 202 in which it is mounted, advantageously allow a first adjustment of the position of the photovoltaic frame 100 relative to the support wall 201 in a first direction, typically oriented along an East-West axis. At the same time, each fixing clip 10 offers a second adjustment of the position of the photovoltaic frame 100 relative to the support wall 201 in a second direction, typically oriented along a North-South axis, by adjusting the position of the photovoltaic frame 100 relative to the support head 11 along the lateral Y direction of the fixing clip 10.These two independent and combinable adjustment options greatly facilitate the assembly operations of the photovoltaic installation and make it advantageously possible to install photovoltaic systems on uneven terrain.

[0071] An additional advantage is that the assembly described in this document operates with a slot 202 having a very narrow width, for example, between 5 and 7 mm. Indeed, the presence of a narrow slot 202 prevents a significant reduction in the strength of the load-bearing beam 200 that defines the support wall 201, ultimately allowing for competitive production costs for the load-bearing beams 200 of the installation.

Claims

1. A fastening staple (10) adapted for fastening of a photovoltaic framework (100) against a front face of a support wall (201), the fastening staple (10) consisting of an electrically-conductive metallic part integrally made in one piece shaped so as to delimit: - a bearing head (11); - a counter-support foot (12); - a linking body (13) linking the counter-support foot (12) to the bearing head (11) so that the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12) are shifted from each other along a longitudinal direction (X) of the fastening staple (10) by a determined interval (14), the linking body (13) being adapted to cross the thickness of the support wall (201) through a slot (202) formed in the support wall (201), by longitudinal insertion of the bearing head (11) through the slot (202) so as to position the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12) respectively on either side of the support wall (201), and to slide along the slot (202) by an overall sliding movement of the fastening staple (10) in a transverse direction (Z) of the fastening staple (10); wherein the determined interval (14) between the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12) is adapted such that the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12) constitute a jaw (15) likely to transversely receive both a segment of the support wall (201) and a segment of the photovoltaic framework (100) in a configuration where the photovoltaic framework (100) bears against the front face of the support wall (201), wherein the counter-support foot (12) comprises at least one bearing lateral flange (16) positioned longitudinally so as to bear longitudinally against a rear face of the support wall (201) when the photovoltaic framework (100) and the support wall (201) are transversely engaged in the jaw (15), wherein the bearing head (11) comprises at least one hooking element (17) adapted to hook the photovoltaic framework (100) in order to transversely immobilize the photovoltaic framework (100) in the jaw (15), wherein the bearing head (11) and / or the counter-support foot (12) comprises at least one mechanical tensioning flange where an elastic deformation and / or a displacement thereof, resulting from the action of transverse engagement of the photovoltaic framework (100) segment and of the support wall (201) segment in the determined interval (14) between the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12), enables the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12) to exert a longitudinal tightening of the photovoltaic framework (100) and of the support wall (201) in the jaw (15), the fastening staple being characterized in that the linking body (13) is constituted by two lateral walls (18) delimited by the fastening staple (10), shifted from each other in a lateral direction (Y) of the fastening staple (10) and connected to each other at one of their longitudinal ends at the bearing head (11) by a folding area (19), their opposite longitudinal ends being independent of each other at the counter-support foot (12), said at least one bearing lateral flange (16) being secured to one of the lateral walls (18) so as to extend laterally in projection with respect to the lateral wall (18) to which it is secured.

2. The fastening staple (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bearing head (11) comprises an upper arm (20) extending transversely in a cantilevered manner from the folding area (19) and directly below the counter-support foot (12) in the longitudinal direction (X).

3. The fastening staple (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said at least one mechanical tensioning flange is constituted by said at least one bearing lateral flange (16) and in that said at least one bearing lateral flange (16) is inclined so as to form an angle with respect to the lateral direction (Y) and is connected to the lateral wall (18) to which it is secured by an elastically-deformable curved area (21) such that the bearing lateral flange (16) is likely to come down longitudinally, at least by elastic deformation of said elastically-deformable curved area (21), under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic framework (100) segment and of the support wall (201) segment in the determined interval (14) between the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12).

4. The fastening staple (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the bearing lateral flanges (16) is split in the transverse direction (Z) into at least one upper bearing lateral flange (161) and into at least one lower bearing lateral flange (162), said at least one upper bearing lateral flange (161) projecting on the bearing head (11) side, in the longitudinal direction (X), with respect to said at least one lower bearing lateral flange (162).

5. The fastening staple (10) according to any one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the hooking element (17) comprises a retaining lug (17) and a shoulder (172) secured to the upper arm (20) while being shifted from each other in the transverse direction (Z) along the upper arm (20), and delimiting therebetween a notch (173) which opens onto the inside of the jaw (15) and adapted to receive a rib (101) of the photovoltaic framework (100).

6. The fastening staple (10) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the lateral walls (18) are inclined so as to form an angle with the longitudinal direction (X) so as to get close to each other by getting close to the folding area (19), the lateral walls (18) being likely to laterally approach each other by elastic deformation of the folding area (19), the elastic return of the material of the folding area (19) ensuring a lateral return of the lateral walls (18) outwardly in the lateral direction (Y).

7. The fastening staple (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that each lateral wall (18) comprises a holding lateral projection (22) likely to abut against the front face of the support wall (201), at the edges of the slot (202), after the longitudinal insertion of the bearing head (11) through the slot (202).

8. The fastening staple (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the bearing head (11) comprises two flexible flanges (23) independent of each other where each flexible flange (23) is connected to the upper arm (20) by a folded area (24) so as to extend each towards the counter-support foot (12) in an inclined manner by forming an angle with the longitudinal direction (X), the two flexible flanges (23) converging towards each other by getting close to the upper arm (20), each flexible flange (23) being likely to be separated laterally, by elastic deformation of said folded area (24) and / or by intrinsic elastic deformation of the flexible flange (23), under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic framework (100) segment and of the support wall (201) segment in the determined interval (14) between the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12) and in that said at least one mechanical tensioning flange is constituted by the two flexible flanges (23).

9. The fastening staple (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the hooking element (17) comprises a series of hooking teeth (174) transversely staggered along a distal edge of the flexible flange (23) opposite to its proximal edge linked to the folded area (24), the hooking teeth (174) being adapted to cut into the photovoltaic framework (100) segment under the action of the transverse engagement of the photovoltaic framework (100) segment in the determined interval (14) between the bearing head (11) and the counter-support foot (12).