Connecting member for installing photovoltaic cell module

• US 8,382,513 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yanegijutsukenkyujo Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Yanegijutsukenkyujo Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Shuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon, Edwin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD C
• Application Number:
  US12/991,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 439/507, 439/92, 136/251, 136/244
• US Class Current: 439/507
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/022 Sealing means between support elements, e.g. overlapping arrangements; Gap closing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6003 by clamping
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/20 Peripheral frames for modules
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/35 by means of profiles with a cross-section defining separate supporting portions for adjacent modules
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/61 for fixing to the ground or to building structures
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/65 for coupling adjacent supporting elements, e.g. for connecting profiles together
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/67 for coupling adjacent modules or their peripheral frames for fixing modules or their peripheral frames to supporting elements F24S25/63
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 40/80 Accommodating differential expansion of solar collector elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A connecting member 10 for connecting ends of adjacently arranged photovoltaic cell modules 4 fixed in a state in which the ends of the photovoltaic cell modules 4 each obtained by supporting an outer periphery of a photovoltaic cell panel 2 by frame bodies 3a and 3b are floating, including a plate-like upper piece 11, a plate-like lower piece 12 opposed to the upper piece 11 and a connecting piece 13 for connecting end sides on the same side of the lower piece 12 and the upper piece 11, where the connecting member 10 is capable of being fitted to the ends of the frame bodies 3a facing the same direction in the adjacent photovoltaic cell modules 4 so as to sandwich the same from a direction perpendicular thereto by the upper piece 11 and the lower piece 12.

Claims

1. A connecting member for connecting a pair of photovoltaic cell modules adjacent to each other, each having a photovoltaic cell panel and a frame body supporting an outer periphery of the photovoltaic cell panel, a pair of frame bodies adjacent to each other having respective ends thereof facing each other fixed in a state where a pair of photovoltaic cell panels are substantially parallel to roof material and are floating above the roof material, the connecting member comprising:

a plate-like upper piece;

a plate-like lower piece substantially parallel to the plate-like upper piece;

a connecting piece connecting the plate-like lower piece and the plate-like upper piece at identical side edges in such a manner that the plate-like upper piece, the plate-like lower piece, and the connecting piece are formed in a substantially C-shaped cross section; and

a disengagement prevention portion formed in a claw shape such that at least one corner of the plate-like upper piece is bent obliquely downwards or at least one corner of the plate-like lower piece is bent obliquely upwards, so that the disengagement prevention portion is configured to prevent release of elastic fit between the connecting member and the ends of the frame bodies facing each other by biting into the ends of the frame bodies facing each other and sandwiched by the plate-like upper piece and the plate-like lower piece, whereby release of the elastic fit is harder than the elastic fit;

wherein each of the frame bodies, having an edge and a pair of ends opposite to each other, includes a concave portion opening outward along the edge between the pair of ends, and a bottom portion extending along the edge between the pair of ends, and

each of the frame bodies is fixed to the roof material by a fixing member including a supporting portion to be inserted into the concave portion of said each of the frame bodies, a seat portion substantially parallel to the supporting portion having an upper surface to be mounted with the bottom portion of said each of the frame bodies and a bottom surface to be fixed to the roof material, and an upright portion connecting the supporting portion and the seat portion, whereby

the frame bodies adjacent to each other are capable of being connected at respective ends thereof facing each other by the connecting member, and also are capable of being fixed to the roof material at respective edges thereof by the fixing members.

2. The connecting member according to claim 1, wherein

the connecting member is capable of being fitted to the ends of the frame bodies facing each other so as to sandwich the concave portions and bottom portions of respective ends of the frame bodies by the plate-like upper piece and the plate-like lower piece.

3. The connecting member according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cable holding portion configured to hold, below the ends of the frame bodies facing each other, an electric cable extending from the photovoltaic cell module.

4. A connecting member for connecting a pair of photovoltaic cell modules adjacent to each other, each having a photovoltaic cell panel and a frame body supporting an outer periphery of the photovoltaic cell panel, a pair of frame bodies adjacent to each other having respective ends thereof facing each other fixed in a state where a pair of photovoltaic cell panels are substantially parallel to roof material and are floating above the roof material, the connecting member comprising:

a plate-like upper piece;

a plate-like lower piece substantially parallel to the plate-like upper piece;

a connecting piece connecting the plate-like lower piece and the plate-like upper piece at identical side edges in such a manner that the plate-like upper piece, the plate-like lower piece, and the connecting piece are formed in a substantially C-shaped cross section; and

a disengagement prevention portion formed in a claw shape such that at least one corner of the plate-like upper piece is bent obliquely downwards or at least one corner of the plate-like lower piece is bent obliquely upwards, so that the disengagement prevention portion is configured to prevent release of elastic fit between the connecting member and the ends of the frame bodies facing each other by biting into the ends of the frame bodies facing each other and sandwiched by the plate-like upper piece and the plate-like lower piece, whereby release of the elastic fit is harder than the elastic fit; and

a V-shaped notch formed at a substantially center portion in a longitudinal direction of said upper piece on an end side opposite to said connecting piece.