GARAGE

Abstract

The invention relates to a garage (1) comprising: a roof section configured so that several solar cell modules are arranged parallel in one of the first directions and the second direction intersecting the first; and a first crossbar (13) arranged along the first direction and installed so that it is inclined in the first direction. The first crossbar (13) comprises: several crossbar details (20), each of which includes: a column-shaped section (22) formed internally with a hollow section (21) along its longitudinal direction; and a pair of side bars (23) arranged at the edges of the upper surface of the column-shaped section (22) along its transverse direction; and a connecting detail (30) fitted into the hollow section (21) of the crossbar detail (20) to connect adjacent crossbar details (20).The upper surface of the column-shaped part (22) and the pair of side walls (23) form a concave part (40), in which both ends of the upper surface (311) of the jointing element (30) in its horizontal direction are designed with protrusions configured so that they are higher than the lowest position of the upper surface (311) of the jointing element (30), and the protrusions are arranged along the vertical direction of the jointing element (30). The garage of this invention can (if the crossbar is made of multiple bar segments) prevent leakage of rainwater or similar from between adjacent elements without the need for waterproofing treatment at the joint locations.

Description

carport

[0001] The present invention relates to a carport.

[0002] In a photovoltaic power generation system using a solar cell module, sufficient sunlight is required to generate a large amount of power. For this reason, solar cell modules have been installed on sunny roofs such as residential roofs and building roofs. In recent years, however, solar cell modules installed on the roof of a carport have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the carport with solar cell modules described in Patent Document 1, the vertical rails are supported by a pair of posts so that they slope downward from the front to the rear of the parking lot, and multiple horizontal rails, which are holding members, hold each of the multiple solar cell modules so that there are no gaps in the vertical direction and gaps along the horizontal rails in the horizontal direction.

[0004] JP 2021-14764 A

[0005] Typically, when constructing a carport for back-to-back parking (where two cars are parked back to back), the upper sash (vertical rail) supporting the solar cell modules that form the roof must be approximately 10–12 m long, covering the entire length of two cars. However, because a single upper sash would be difficult to manufacture, transport, and install, an upper sash composed of multiple components with joints is used. However, condensation can drip from the joints between these components, and rainwater passing above the sash can penetrate the sash through small gaps at the joints and drip from below. In this case, a sealant must be applied to the inner surface of the recess at the joint to prevent water leakage, which requires time-consuming construction. Thus, conventional carports, which use multiple sashes, have the problem of water leakage even when the roof is installed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a carport that can suppress leakage of rainwater and other liquids between adjacent members without applying waterproofing treatment to the joint positions when the crosspieces are made up of multiple members.

[0007] The carport of the present invention comprises a roof member having a plurality of solar cell modules arranged in a row in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a first batten arranged along the first direction and installed at an angle in the first direction, wherein the first batten comprises a plurality of batten members each having a columnar portion with a hollow portion formed therein along its longitudinal direction and a pair of side walls arranged along the longitudinal direction on the short-side edge of the upper surface of the columnar portion, and a coupling member that fits into the hollow portions of the batten members to connect adjacent batten members, wherein a recess is formed by the upper surface of the columnar portion and the pair of side walls, and each of the short-side ends of the upper surface of the coupling member has a raised portion arranged along the longitudinal direction of the coupling member, each raised portion being configured to be higher than the lowest point of the upper surface of the coupling member.

[0008] In the carport of the present invention, the first slat comprises a plurality of slat members each having a columnar portion with a hollow portion formed therein along its length and a pair of side walls provided along the length of the shorter edge of the upper surface of the columnar portion, and a coupling member that fits into the hollow portion of the slat member to connect adjacent slat members, and at both ends of the shorter side of the upper surface of the coupling member, raised portions are provided along the length of the coupling member, each of which is configured to be higher than the lowest point on the upper surface of the coupling member.As a result, even if water enters the slat members from the joint position between the slat members, the water collects in the gap on the recess side of the coupling member, and water can be prevented from dripping directly below the carport from the joint position of the slat members without the need for waterproofing treatment at the joint position.

[0009] Preferably, the crosspiece further includes a side hollow portion within the side wall portion that is continuous with the hollow portion, and the rising portion is a joint wall portion that is fitted into the side hollow portion. With this configuration, the joint member and the crosspiece are sufficiently fixed, and by fitting the joint member into the side hollow portion, the joint member itself forms the wall surface of the gap, which further prevents water from moving outward from the joint position of the crosspiece and dripping directly below the carport.

[0010] The depth of the recess is preferably 20 to 50 mm. When the depth of the recess is 20 to 50 mm, fallen leaves can easily flow away without adhering to the recess, and the recess can function favorably as a drainage channel.

[0011] It is preferable that a side gap be provided between the inner wall surface constituting the side hollow portion of the side wall and the joint wall surface portion. Also, it is preferable that a recess be provided on the upper surface of the side wall. By providing such a side gap or recess, it is possible to prevent water from entering the joint due to capillary action.

[0012] According to the carport of the present invention, when the crosspieces are made up of multiple members, leakage of rainwater and the like from between adjacent members can be suppressed without applying waterproofing treatment to the joint positions.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a carport according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a solar cell module has been removed from the carport according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partial schematic side view of the carport according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the carport according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial schematic side view of the carport according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of a crosspiece member according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a front view of a joint member according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a front view of a crosspiece member according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic view for explaining locations where water passes in each region of the upper crosspiece according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a front view of a crosspiece member according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Hereinafter, a carport according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0015] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. used in this specification are used to distinguish a certain component from other components, and are not intended to limit the number, order, or priority of the components. For example, the presence of the terms "first element" and "second element" does not mean that only two elements, "first element" and "second element," are employed, nor does it mean that the "first element" must precede the "second element." Furthermore, although the same reference numerals are used for the same components in each embodiment, when distinguishing between the same components based on their installation positions, alphabets such as "a," "b," etc. are added to the reference numerals to distinguish them.

[0016] 1 to 5, a carport 1 according to a first embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the carport 1 includes support columns 11, lower rails 12, and upper rails (first rails) 13 as support members, and a roof member that functions as the roof of the carport 1 and is made up of a plurality of solar cell modules 14.

[0017] In this embodiment, the support posts 11 are installed in four rows along the first direction shown in FIG. 1 and three rows along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, for a total of 12 support posts 11 that are erected perpendicular to the ground. Four lower rails 12 are fixed to the three support posts 11 that are erected along the second direction. That is, in the carport 1, as shown in FIG. 3, two lower rails 12a, 12b are fixed to three support posts 11 via connectors 111a, 111b, respectively, so that they are parallel to each other along the second direction. At this time, the connector 111a of the lower rail 12a is adjusted and installed so that it is higher by a desired height than the connector 111b of the lower rail 12b, so that the lower rail 12a is fixed at a higher position than the lower rail 12b.

[0018] Thirteen upper crosspieces 13, which are parallel to each other and extend in the first direction, are fixed to the upper portions of the lower crosspieces 12a and 12b by connecting members 121a and 121b (see FIG. 3 ) in a state in which they are suspended from the two lower crosspieces 12a and 12b. The thirteen upper crosspieces 13 are spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals. Because the lower crosspieces 12a and 12b extend in the second direction and the upper crosspieces 13 extend in the first direction, the upper crosspieces 13 and the lower crosspieces 12 form a right angle in a top view.

[0019] Solar cell modules 14, each rectangular in top view, are fixed on the upper rails 13. In this embodiment, the solar cell modules 14 are arranged side by side along the first and second directions in five rows along the first direction and twelve columns along the second direction. Specifically, each long side of each solar cell module 14 is placed on an upper rail 13 and is installed between adjacent upper rails 13.

[0020] Each solar cell module 14 is installed so that its upper rail 13 is inclined in the first direction, and as shown in FIG. 3 , the solar cell modules 14 are also installed so that they are continuously inclined in the first direction. In FIG. 3 , identical solar cell modules are designated solar cell modules 14a, 14b, and 14c from the top of the slope. That is, in the carport 1, the solar cell modules are installed so that the left end of solar cell module 14a in FIG. 3 is the highest and the right end of solar cell module 14c in FIG. 3 is the lowest. This configuration allows rainwater to flow over the surface of each solar cell module 14 in the direction of the slope, i.e., from solar cell module 14a on the top of the slope to solar cell module 14c on the bottom of the slope.

[0021] In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the lower crosspieces 12a and 12b are each a single rod-shaped member that is long in the second direction, but the lower crosspieces 12a and 12b may also be formed by joining two or more short rod-shaped members, for example.

[0022] The upper rails 13 are installed on the lower rails 12a and 12b. The connectors 111a of the lower rails 12a are adjusted and installed so that they are higher than the connectors 111b of the lower rails 12b by a desired height. Therefore, each upper rail 13 installed on the lower rails 12a and 12b is also fixed to the lower rails 12a and 12b at an inclination such that the lower rail 12a side is higher and the lower rail 12b side is relatively lower. That is, the upper rails 13 are fixed so as to be inclined in a first direction. The inclination from the lower rail 12a side to the lower rail 12b side is referred to as the inclination direction in this embodiment, with the higher side being the upper inclination side and the lower side being the lower inclination side.

[0023] A small gap is provided between each solar cell module 14 to accommodate its own dimensional tolerance and to prevent the solar cell modules 14 from coming into contact with each other due to shaking or vibration. The upper crosspiece 13 faces through this gap. The upper crosspiece 13 is composed of two crosspiece members 20 in the first direction, and each crosspiece member 20 is connected by fitting a joint member 30. That is, as shown in FIG. 5 , crosspiece member 20a and crosspiece member 20b are connected by the joint member 30 to form the upper crosspiece 13. Each crosspiece member 20 has a recess 40 formed on its upper surface. When the upper crosspieces 13 are connected by the joint member 30, the recess 40 functions as a continuous rain gutter for the upper crosspiece 13. Rainwater passes through the recess 40 of each crosspiece member 20 and is discharged from the lower end of the lowest crosspiece member 20.

[0024] The configurations of the crosspiece members 20 and joint members 30 that constitute the upper crosspiece 13 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. The crosspiece members 20 that constitute the upper crosspiece 13 include a hollow rectangular columnar portion 22 with a hollow portion 21 formed therein along its longitudinal direction. A pair of side walls 23 are provided along the longitudinal direction at the short edge 222 of the top surface 221 of the columnar portion 22. A plate-like portion 231 is provided at the top of each side wall 23. The top surface of the plate-like portion 231 is formed so that it is parallel to the bottom surface of the upper crosspiece 13, and the solar cell module 14 is placed on this plate-like portion 231. A recess 40 is defined by the pair of side walls 23 and the top surface 221 of the columnar portion 22.

[0025] A side hollow portion 24 is also formed inside each side wall 23. The side hollow portions 24 and the hollow portion 21 are continuous to form a single hollow region 25 within the crosspiece member 20. The columnar portion 22 is provided with reinforcing portions 224 extending along both corners in the short direction on the bottom surface 223 side. Therefore, the hollow portion 21 has a substantially hexagonal shape in cross section, and hollow end hollow portions 225 are also formed between each reinforcing portion 224 and the columnar portion 22. Note that, since both ends of the crosspiece member 20 are open, the hollow regions 25 are also open at both ends of the crosspiece member 20.

[0026] The joint part 30 is configured so that it can connect adjacent crosspiece members 20 together by fitting into the hollow region 25. Therefore, the joint part 30 is configured with a shape that corresponds to the hollow region 25. That is, the joint part 30 is composed of a joint main body 31 that is generally hexagonal in front view and configured to be inserted into the hollow portion 21, and a pair of joint wall surface portions 32 that are provided on an upper surface 311 of the joint main body 31 and configured to be inserted into the side hollow portions 24. The pair of joint wall surface portions 32 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the joint part 30.

[0027] When joining adjacent crosspieces 20 by inserting the coupling member 30 into the hollow region 25 of one crosspiece 20a, the coupling member 30 is inserted into the hollow region 25 of the other crosspiece 20b, and the opposite end of the coupling member 30 is then inserted into the hollow region 25 of the other crosspiece 20b, thereby fastening the adjacent crosspieces 20 together. In this case, the recess 40 is locally discontinuous at the boundary between the crosspieces 20a and 20b, and the coupling member 30 is exposed at this boundary.

[0028] 8, the two can be further firmly fixed together by a fixing member 33. When the joint member 30 is inserted into the crosspiece member 20, a gap 41 is formed between the crosspiece member 20 and the joint member 30, which is play between the members. The gap 41 is U-shaped around the recess 40. The gap 41 between the crosspiece member 20 and the joint member 30 functions as a rain gutter, as will be described below.

[0029] Using Figures 5 and 9, we will explain how rainwater flows from the upstream side to the downstream side of the upper rail 13 when it rains. For ease of understanding, Figure 5 does not show the slope of the upper rail 13, but the upper side of the slope is the left side in the figure, and the right side of the slope is the right side in the figure. From the upstream side of the upper rail 13, the region where the coupling member 30 of the rail member 20a is not inserted is referred to as Region A, the region where the coupling member 30 of the rail member 20a is inserted is referred to as Region B, the region where the coupling member 30 of the rail member 20b is inserted is referred to as Region C, and the region where the coupling member 30 of the rail member 20b is not inserted is referred to as Region D. Each region corresponds to (A) to (D) in Figure 9, respectively. Region A is located at the most upstream position, and Region D is located at the most downstream position.

[0030] In regions A and B, as shown in Figure 9, water W flows from upstream to downstream in the recess 40 regardless of whether or not the coupling member 30 is present. When the water W moves from region B to region C, most of the water W flows directly through the recess 40, but some of the water W may leak downward and / or to the side from the joint (the discontinuous portion, or joint position) between the crosspiece 20a and the crosspiece 20b. However, in this embodiment, the coupling member 30 is present between the crosspiece 20a and the crosspiece 20b, and the coupling member 30 is configured to provide a gap 41 between the coupling member 30 and the crosspiece 20b. Therefore, even if water leaks from the recess 40, the water W moves through this gap 41.

[0031] Of the water W that reaches region D from region C, the water W flowing through the recess 40 in region D passes directly through the recess 40. On the other hand, the water W flowing through the gap 41 in region C falls directly into the hollow portion 21 of the crosspiece member 20, since there is no coupling member 30 in region D, and flows through the hollow portion 21, and is discharged outside at the most downstream side.

[0032] When two crosspiece members 20 are connected to form one upper crosspiece 13 as in this embodiment, if the crosspiece members 20 are connected without the coupling member 30 of the present invention, rainwater may leak downward from between the crosspiece members 20a and 20b. However, in this embodiment, the crosspiece members 20a and 20b are connected by the coupling member 30, and the coupling member 30 forms a gap 41 that functions as a rain gutter through which water can pass below the recess 40. This prevents water leakage from the upper crosspiece 13 within the carport 1 without waterproofing the joint position. Furthermore, even if water leakage occurs between the crosspiece members 20a and 20b due to hydrostatic pressure, the water pressure difference disappears when the water level in the gap 41 becomes equal to the water level in the recess 40, and water leakage from the recess 40 can be stopped.

[0033] Furthermore, since the joint wall surface portion 32 is also inserted into the side hollow portion 24 formed in the side wall 23, the joint wall surface portion 32 acts as a wall, making it difficult for the water W in the gap 41 to leak outward. Therefore, water leakage is effectively suppressed.

[0034] The depth of the recess 40 is preferably 20 to 50 mm. This range allows fallen leaves to easily flow away without adhering to the recess 40, and the recess 40 can preferably function as a drainage channel. More preferably, the depth of the recess 40 is 30 to 50 mm, and in this embodiment, it is 34 mm.

[0035] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 10. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0036] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a side gap 52 larger than the play is provided between an inner wall surface 51 of the side hollow portion 24 of the side wall 23 on the recess 40 side and the joint wall portion 32, and in that a depression 53 is provided in each of the upper plate-shaped portions 231 of the pair of side walls 23. The side gap 52 is larger than the play and is large enough to prevent capillary action, thereby retaining water (not shown in FIG. 10 ) and preventing water from leaking sideways from above due to capillary action between the upper end of the joint wall portion 32 and an inner wall surface 54 corresponding to the upper surface of the inner wall surface of the side wall 23. If the depression 53 were not provided in the upper surface 231 of the side wall 23, the upper surface 231 would be in close contact with the lower surface of the outer frame of the solar cell module 14, but in reality, a small gap exists due to the unevenness of the contact surface. Therefore, this gap may cause capillary action, and water that should flow into recess 40 may pass through the small gap due to capillary action and be discharged to the outside from upper surface 231. In this embodiment, by providing depression 53 on upper surface 231 of side wall 23, this capillary action can be interrupted, and water that is discharged to the outside from upper surface 231 can also be suppressed.

[0037] Furthermore, the crosspiece 20 is configured so that a side gap 52 is formed across the fitting region between the crosspiece 20 and the coupling member 30. In this embodiment, in order to form the side gap 52, the side wall 23 of the crosspiece 20 is thicker than in the first embodiment, and as a result, the side wall 23 protrudes toward the recess 40.

[0038] The recesses 53 may be provided over the entire longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped portion 231, or may be provided only around the joint. Furthermore, a plurality of recesses 53 may be provided spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the coupling part 30, or may be provided spaced apart from one another in the lateral direction of the coupling part 30.

[0039] Specifically, the distance between the inner wall surface 51 on the recess 40 side and the joint wall surface portion 32, i.e., the width of the side gap 52, is, for example, 2 to 10 mm, preferably 3 to 5 mm, and in this embodiment, it is 3 mm. A width greater than 10 mm has the advantage of increasing the volume that can hold water and suppressing the occurrence of capillary action, but the width of the crosspiece 20 becomes too large, which may increase the price of the crosspiece 20. On the other hand, a width less than 2 mm may reduce the effect of suppressing capillary action. Furthermore, the width of the recess 53 is, for example, 2 to 10 mm, and in this embodiment, it is 3 mm. The depth of the recess 53 is, for example, 2 to 10 mm, and in this embodiment, it is 3 mm. In this embodiment, the recess 53 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, but is not limited thereto and may be, for example, an arc-shaped cross-section.

[0040] The carport 1 according to the present invention has been described above, but the carport 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In each of the above-described embodiments, the coupling member 30 is configured to have a coupling wall portion 32. However, it is sufficient if a pair of raised portions, each configured to be higher than the lowest point of the upper surface 311, is formed at both ends of the upper surface 311 in the short direction of the coupling member 30. For example, a coupling member without the coupling wall portion 32 may have raised portions in which the center of the upper surface 311 of the coupling member is low and both ends are higher, resulting in a curved upper surface 311 as a whole, in a longitudinal cross-sectional view. Furthermore, the shape of the hollow portion 21 is not limited, and it may be configured to be wider without providing the reinforcing portion 224. Furthermore, a groove recessed relative to the upper surface may be provided on the upper surface of the coupling member 30 to enlarge the larger gap 41. The shape of the side hollow portion 24 is also not limited.

[0041] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Carport 11 Support 12 Lower rail 13 Upper rail (first rail) 14 Solar cell module 20 Rail member 21 Hollow portion 22 Column-shaped portion 23 Side wall 24 Side hollow portion 25 Hollow area 30 Joint member 31 Joint main body portion 32 Joint wall surface portion 33 Fixing member 40 Recess 41 Gap 51 Inner wall surface 52 Side gap 53 Depression 54 Inner wall surface W Water

Claims

1. A carport comprising: a roof member having a plurality of solar cell modules arranged side by side in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a first rung arranged along the first direction and installed at an angle in the first direction, wherein the first rung comprises a plurality of rung members having a columnar section having a hollow section formed therein along its longitudinal direction and a pair of side walls arranged along the longitudinal direction of an edge of a short side of an upper surface of the columnar section; and a coupling member which fits into the hollow sections of the rung members to connect adjacent rung members, wherein a recess is formed by the upper surface of the columnar section and the pair of side walls, and wherein both ends of the short side of the upper surface of the coupling member are each provided with a raised section extending along the longitudinal direction of the coupling member.

2. A carport as described in claim 1, characterized in that the batten member further has a side hollow portion within the side wall portion that is continuous with the hollow portion, and the raised portion is a joint wall portion that is fitted into the side hollow portion.

3. A carport as described in claim 1, characterized in that the depth of the recess is 20 to 50 mm.

4. A carport as described in claim 2, characterized in that a side gap is provided between the inner wall surface constituting the side hollow portion of the side wall and the joint wall surface portion.

5. A carport as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a recess is provided on the upper surface of the side wall.

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