Solar battery module, installation structure for solar battery module, roof with power generating function of the installation structure, and method of installing solar battery module

• US 7,297,867 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
• Inventors: Nomura, Takuji, Tomita, Hirohiko, Hatsukaiwa, Teruki
• Primary Examiner(s): Phasge; Arun S.
• Application Number:
  US10/332,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20030184257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 136/251, 136/244, 521/733, 257/433
• US Class Current: 136/251
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6002 by using hooks
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/40 using plate-like mounting elements, e.g. profiled or corrugated plates; Plate-like module frames extending in directions away from a supporting surface F24S25/10
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/60 Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 40/44 Draining rainwater or condensation
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A solar battery module capable of assuring the fluid-tight structure of the roof panels adjacent to each other in lateral direction, realizing a weathering between the modules, eliminating a process for providing a seal member between the ends of the modules adjacent to each other, and facilitating an assembly operation, wherein a recessed part extending from the ridge side to the eaves side of the solar battery module is formed at lateral one end thereof, a projected part in the shape of coming into the recessed part is formed at the other end, and a waterproof means for suppressing the rain water invaded onto the upper surface of the projected part from circulating to the lower surface thereof is installed on the projected part in the state of being inserted into the corresponding recessed part of the solar battery module disposed adjacently to the side.

Claims

1. A solar battery module which is a single solar battery module comprising a solar battery constituting

a roofing member and a supporting stand, which is provided on an eaves-side end of a back face of the solar battery module and whereby the solar battery is fixed to a main roof structure via the supporting stand, a plurality of the solar battery modules being capable of being disposed in mutually adjacent fashion on the main roof structure, in which:

a mounting groove that receives a ridge-side end of a solar battery of a solar battery module that is adjacently disposed on the eaves side is formed in said supporting stand and

a recessed part that extends from the eaves side to the ridge side is formed in one left or right side end of the solar battery module,

a projecting part of a shape that is capable of entering said recessed part is formed on the other side end of the solar battery module and

waterproofing means is provided that, in a condition in which said projecting part is inserted into a corresponding recessed part of an adjacently disposed solar battery module, prevents circulation of rainwater invading to an upper surface of said projecting part to a lower surface.

2. The solar battery module according to claim 1 wherein said recessed part is formed between the solar battery and a thermally insulating support member for backing purposes provided on the lower surface of the solar battery.

4. The solar battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said waterproofing means comprises a gutter construction wherein a projecting end is higher on a upper surface side than in other portions of the projecting end.

5. The solar battery module according to claim 4 wherein said waterproofing means forms said gutter construction by the projecting end being bent in practically U-shape on the upper surface side.

6. The solar battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a plurality of shoe members are disposed at the bottom of said supporting stand facing the main roof structure, and the thickness of the shoe members is set such that, when the solar battery modules are laid over a roof lateral end waterproofing material of the main roof structure, the bottom of the supporting stand which is raised by these shoe members does not crush a bent-back portion of said roof lateral end waterproofing material.

7. The solar battery module according to claim 6 wherein the thickness of the shoe members is set to 4 to 5 mm.

8. The solar battery module according to claim 6 wherein the shoe members are provided in positions covering apertures of screw holes formed in the bottom of the supporting stand.

9. The solar battery module according to claim 8 wherein the shoe members are provided with an increased thickness portion by means of a step, the apertures of the screw holes being positioned at these increased thickness portions.

10. The solar battery module according to claim 6 wherein the shoe members are moldings having elasticity.

11. The solar battery module according to claim 10 wherein the shoe members are of JISA hardness 50 to 70.

12. The solar battery module according to claim 10 wherein the shoe members are made of EPDM or chloroprene.

13. The solar battery module according to claim 6 wherein the shoe members are specially shaped extrusion moldings.

14. The solar battery module according to claim 6 wherein a leading end location on the ridge side on the bottom face of the shoe members is a sliding surface.

15. The solar battery module according to claim 14 wherein the leading end location on the ridge side on the bottom face of the shoe members has one-sided tacky adhesive tape stuck onto it and a continuous remaining part of the tacky adhesive tape is stuck onto the supporting stand.

16. The solar battery module according to claim 15 wherein said one-sided tacky adhesive tape is provided with a surface having sliding properties.

3. A solar battery module which is a single solar battery module comprising a solar battery constituting a roofing member, a mounting member provided on a lower surface of the solar battery by joining at an upper surface of the mounting member, a thermally insulating supporting member for backing formed of elastic material provided on a lower surface of said mounting member by joining at the upper surface of the thermally insulating supporting member and a supporting stand, which is provided on an eaves-side end of a lower surface of said mounting member and whereby said solar battery is fixed to a main roof structure via the supporting stand, a plurality of the solar battery modules being capable of being disposed in mutually adjacent fashion on the main roof structure, in which:

a mounting groove that receives a ridge-side end of a solar battery of a solar battery module that is adjacently disposed on the eaves side is formed in said supporting stand and

a recessed part is formed by a gap that extends along, from the eaves side to the ridge side, between the lower surface of said solar battery and the upper surface of the thermally insulating supporting member, which gap is faced by one side end of said mounting member, in one left or right side end of the solar battery module,

a projecting part of a shape that is capable of entering said recessed part is formed on the other side end of the solar battery module by a location that projects outwards beyond said solar battery and thermally insulating support member, which location is on the other side end of said mounting member and

waterproofing means is provided that, in a condition in which said projecting part is inserted into a corresponding recessed part of an adjacently disposed solar battery module, prevents circulation of rainwater invading to a upper surface of said projecting part to a lower surface.

17. An installed solar battery module structure wherein a plurality of solar battery modules are disposed and installed on a main roof structure, in which:

each solar battery module comprises;

a solar battery constituting a roofing member and a supporting stand, which is provided on a eaves-side end of a back face of the solar battery and whereby the solar battery is fixed to the main roof structure via the suuporting stand,

in which a mounting groove that receives the ridge-side end of a solar battery of a solar battery module that is adjacently disposed on the eaves side is formed in said supporting stand,

a recessed part that extends from the eaves side to the ridge side is formed in one left or right side of the solar battery module,

a projecting part of a shape that will enter said recessed part is formed on the other side end of a solar battery module and

waterproofing means is provided that, in a condition in which said projecting part is inserted into a corresponding recessed part of an adjacently disposed solar battery module, prevents circulation of rainwater invading to an upper surface of said projecting part to a lower surface,

a gasket capping the ridge side end of a solar battery of a solar battery module adjacently disposed on said eaves side and formed with a prescribed length is mounted in the interior of a mounting groove of said supporting stand and

a joint portion of adjacent ends in gaskets of each of mutually adjacent battery modules on the left and right sides is positioned corresponding to the upper surface of the projecting part of a solar battery module disposed adjacently on the eaves side of the solar battery modules or the projecting part inserted into said recessed part.

18. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 17 wherein said recessed part is formed between a solar battery module and a thermally insulating support member for backing provided on the lower surface side of the solar battery.

20. The installed solar battery module structure according to any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein a sealing member for sealing joints is provided in a location where the joint portion of said gasket ends is positioned in said mounting groove.

21. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 20 wherein said sealing member is provided in a condition compressed along the longitudinal direction of the gaskets by the ends of both adjacent gaskets.

22. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 21 wherein the gaskets are mounted between pre-mounted sealing members in said mounting groove and the ridge side end of a solar battery of a solar battery module adjacently disposed on the eaves side is inserted into the gaskets.

23. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 21 wherein said sealing members are compressed at both ends along the longitudinal direction of the gaskets by mounting gaskets of a length dimension greater than the separation between the opposite side faces of these sealing members between sealing members mounted beforehand in said mounting groove, by bending and deformation.

24. The installed solar battery module structure according to any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein water flow checking means is provided extending along both supporting stands of mutually adjacently disposed solar battery modules on the left and right sides that prevents invasion of rainwater between the both supporting stands, the both supporting stands being linked by the water flow checking means.

25. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 24 wherein the water flow checking means is constituted by a water flow checking metal element which is a structural member made of metal having durability, the supporting stands of the solar battery modules being mutually electrically connected thereby through the water flow checking metal elements.

26. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 25 wherein the water flow checking metal element is constituted by a plate-shaped structural member made of metal having durability, screw securing portions that are fixed in respective adjacent supporting stands being provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction thereof.

27. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 26 wherein a slot whereby temporary securing is effected slidably along the longitudinal direction with respect to the supporting stand in a screw securing portion at one end of the water flow checking metal element and in a screw securing portion at the other end an open hole that is C-shaped in plan view and that receives the shank of a loosened mounting screw is provided in a supporting stand adjacent to said supporting stand and the screw securing portion of the one end having said slot is fixed after the screw securing portion at the other end has been fixed by a mounting screw received in said open hole.

28. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 27 wherein an engagement portion that is engaged by the finger of a worker during sliding is provided in the vicinity of the screw securing portion at the one end of the water flow checking metal element.

29. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 28 wherein the water flow checking metal element is constituted of stainless steel sheet whose surface has been color-painted or chemically colorized and where a conductive portion that is not color-painted or chemically colorized is provided at the mounting screw fixing positions of the screw securing portions.

30. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 26 wherein the screw securing portions are fixed using mounting screws whereby the solar batteries are fixed to the supporting stands.

31. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 25 wherein the electrical resistance between the supporting stands is less than 0.1Ω

.

32. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 25 wherein at least one of the supporting stands is grounded to earth by means of a water flow checking metal element having an earthing function.

33. A roof having a power-generating function having an installed solar battery module structure according to claim 32 wherein the water flow checking metal element having an earthing function has its one end connected with the supporting stand of a solar battery module that is laid over a roof lateral end waterproofing material and has its other end connected with the roof lateral end waterproofing material.

34. The installed solar battery module structure according to any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein said waterproofing means comprises a gutter construction wherein the projecting part is higher on an upper surface side of the projecting part than in other portions of the projecting part.

35. The installed solar battery module structure according to claim 34 wherein said waterproofing means forms said gutter construction by the projecting part being bent in practically U-shape on the upper surface side of the projecting part.

36. The installed solar battery module structure according to any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein a plurality of shoe members are disposed at the bottom of said supporting stand facing the main roof structure, and the thickness of the shoe members is set such that, when the solar battery modules are laid over a roof lateral end waterproofing material of the main roof structure, the bottom of the supporting stand which is raised by the shoe members does not crush a bent-back portion of said roof lateral end waterproofing material.

37. A roof having a power-generating function having an installed solar battery module structure according to claim 36.

19. An installed solar battery module structure wherein a plurality of solar battery modules are disposed and installed on a main roof structure, in which:

each solar battery module comprises;

a solar battery constituting a roofing member, a mounting member provided on a lower surface of the solar battery by joining at an upper surface of the mounting member, a thermally insulating supporting member for backing formed of elastic material provided on a lower surface of said mounting member by joining at an upper surface of the thermally insulating supporting member and a supporting stand, which is provided on an eaves-side end of the lower surface of said mounting member and whereby said solar battery is fixed to the main roof structure via the supporting stand, a plurality of the solar battery modules being disposed in mutually adjacent fashion on the main roof structure,

in which a mounting groove that receives a ridge-side end of a solar battery of a solar battery module that is adjacently disposed on the eaves side is formed in said supporting stand and

a recessed part is formed by a gap that extends along, from the eaves side to the ridge side between the lower surface of said solar battery and the upper surface of the thermally insulating supporting member, which gap is faced by one side end of said mounting member, in one left or right side end of the solar battery module,

a projecting part of a shape that will enter said recessed part is formed on the other side end of a solar battery module by a location that projects outwards beyond said solar battery and thermally insulating support member, which location is on the other side end of said mounting member,

waterproofing means is provided that, in a condition in which said projecting part is inserted into a corresponding recessed part of an adjacently disposed solar battery module, prevents circulation of rainwater invading to an upper surface of said projecting part to the lower surface

a gasket fitted onto the ridge side end of the solar battery of the solar battery module adjacently disposed on said eaves side and formed with a prescribed length is mounted in the interior of the mounting groove of said supporting stand and

a joint portion of adjacent ends in gaskets of each of mutually adjacently disposed battery modules on the left and right sides is positioned corresponding to the upper surface of the projecting part of a solar battery module disposed adjacently on the eaves side of the solar battery modules or the projecting part inserted into said recessed part.