Solar Battery Module Device and Method of Installing the Same

• US 20080264470A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Ohno, Toshiaki, Takahashi, Futoshi, Masuda, Hiroto
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/251
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 1/29 Means for connecting or fastening adjacent roofing elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 2001/3458 on the upper or lower transverse edges of the roof covering elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2020/13 Overlaying arrangements similar to roof tiles
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/014 Methods for installing support elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/016 Filling or spacing means; Elastic means
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/15 using bent plates; using assemblies of plates
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/20 Peripheral frames for modules
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/632 Side connectors; Base connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 80/70 Sealing means
• 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 device (14), wherein an bottom-side end part (22) is fixed onto a placing surface (23) by fitting the top-side end part (19) as one-side of a rectangular shape of a rectangular flat plate-like solar battery module (16) to the engagement part (20) of an upper frame (21) forming a frame (17) from the lower side of a roofer and by fitting a fixing cover (27) to a lower frame (24) in a state in which the bottom-side end part (22) as the opposite-side of the rectangular shape of the solar battery module (16) is placed on the placing surface (23) of the lower frame (24) forming the frame (17). According to the solar battery module device of the present invention, operations such as installation work and maintenance and inspections for the device can be easily and safely performed without damaging the solar battery module (16).

Claims

1. A solar battery module device, comprising:

a rectangular plate-shaped solar battery module; and

an installing member for installing the solar battery module on a sloping roof,

the installing member comprising

an upper frame disposed on the roof and having an engagement part in which a top-side end part serving as one side of a rectangular shape of the solar battery module is fitted from the lower side in the sloping direction of the roof,

a lower frame disposed below the upper frame in the sloping direction of the roof and having a placing surface on which a bottom-side end part serving as the opposite side of the rectangular shape of the solar battery module is placed with the top-side end part of the solar battery module fitted in the engagement part of the upper frame, and

a fixing cover detachably mounted on the lower frame for fixing the bottom-side end part on the placing surface.

2. The solar battery module device according to claim 1, wherein

the lower frame has a plate-shaped extended part extended in a slopingly downward direction of a surface of the solar battery module to be mounted on the lower side in the sloping direction of the roof, and

the fixing cover has a plate-shaped mounting part overlapped with the extended part and mounted thereon, and a fixing part abutted against an end surface and an upper surface of the bottom-side end part of the solar battery module for fixing the bottom-side end part to the lower frame with the mounting part mounted on the extended part.

3. The solar battery module device according to claim 2, wherein a projection abutted against the end surface of the bottom-side end part of the solar battery module is formed on the fixing part.

4. The solar battery module device according to claim 3, wherein the projection has a slant with the end surface of the bottom-side end part of the solar battery module.

5. The solar battery module device according to claim 1, wherein a projection abutted against an end surface of the top-side end part fitted in the engagement part of the upper frame of the solar battery module is formed on the engagement part.

6. The solar battery module device according to claim 5, wherein the projection has a slant with the end surface of the top-side end part of the solar battery module.

7. The solar battery module device according to claim 1, wherein a projection for snow stop is formed on an upper surface of the fixing cover.

8. The solar battery module device according to claim 1, wherein the engagement part of the upper frame has

a supporting part abutted against a lower surface of the top-side end part of the solar battery module for supporting the end part from below,

a pressing part located above the supporting part in the sloping direction of the roof and abutted against an upper surface of the end part supported from below by the supporting part, and

a groove part located at a position above the supporting part in the sloping direction of the roof and opposite to the pressing part and recessed toward the roof compared with the supporting part.

9. The solar battery module device according to claim 8, wherein an elastic member is used to stop water between the solar battery module and the upper frame.

10. The solar battery module device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the top-side end part and the bottom-side end part of the solar battery module is mounted on at least one of the upper frame and the lower frame through a conductive fitting integrally formed of a plate material having a plate-shaped upper surface part abutted against the upper surface of the end part, a plate-shaped lower surface part abutted against the lower surface of the end part, claw parts respectively extending upward and downward in the thickness direction of a plate from both the parts, and a connecting part for connecting the upper surface part and the lower surface part.

11. The solar battery module device according to claim 10, wherein the connecting part is a cushioning part elastically deformable.

12. The solar battery module device according to claim 1, wherein

the installing member comprises right and left side frames for respectively holding the right and left sides of the rectangular shape of the solar battery module, both the side frames are respectively formed in such shapes that when a plurality of installing members are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the sloping direction of the roof, the right side frame in the left installing member and the left side frame in the right installing member are overlapped with each other, and

the installing members are respectively provided with protruding parts that are overlapped with and conductively connected to each other when they are arranged in the direction perpendicular to the sloping direction of the roof with both the side frames overlapped with each other.

13. A method of installing the solar battery module device according to claim 8 on a sloping roof, comprising:

(a) fixing an installing member on the roof;

(b) inserting the top-side end part of the solar battery module into the groove part of the engagement part of the upper frame in the fixed installing member through an opening between the supporting part and the pressing part;

(c) rotating the bottom-side end part of the solar battery module downward with the vicinity of the top-side end part used as its support for placing the bottom-side end part on a placing surface of the lower frame, and supporting the top-side end part from below by the supporting part as well as abutting the pressing part against an upper surface of the end part; and

(d) mounting a fixing cover on the lower frame to fix the bottom-side end part of the solar battery module.

14. The method of installing the solar battery module device according to claim 13, further comprising

inserting an elastic member into an area between the solar battery module and the upper frame.