JP7722657B2 - Solar panel mounting fixtures - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a solar panel mounting fixture for attaching a solar panel to a solar panel support frame.

In recent years, solar power generation systems that generate electricity using sunlight have been introduced worldwide. Solar power generation systems use a large number of solar panels supported by solar panel support frames installed outdoors (e.g., on the ground or roof).

Solar panel mounting fixtures for attaching solar panels to solar panel support frames can come in a variety of shapes. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose solar panel mounting fixtures that include panel fastening members (intermediate panel clamping brackets and end panel clamping brackets in Patent Document 1, intermediate clamping members and end clamping members in Patent Document 2) that have bolt fastening portions with bolt passage holes (parts of a U-shaped member and part of an L-shaped member in Patent Document 1, and first and second opposing plate portions in Patent Document 2), panel positioning members (parts of a U-shaped member and part of an L-shaped member in Patent Document 1, and first and second panel positioning portions in Patent Document 2), and panel clamping members (ridge-side protruding pieces and eaves-side protruding pieces in Patent Document 1, and first and second extending portions in Patent Document 2), as well as bolt members (bolt members in Patent Document 1, bolts in Patent Document 2), and female-threaded fixing members (intermediate spacer fixing brackets and end fixing brackets in Patent Document 1, and nuts in Patent Document 2). These solar panel mounting fixtures allow the solar panel to be attached to the solar panel support frame by clamping the outer edge of the solar panel between the panel clamp and the solar panel support frame.

JP 2019-173491 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-117901

However, solar panel support frames and solar panels installed outdoors are often subjected to strong pressure from wind, rain, snow, etc., putting solar panel mounting fixtures in an environment where they are prone to loosening.

The present invention was made in light of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a solar panel mounting fixture that allows solar panels to be easily attached to a solar panel support frame and is extremely resistant to loosening.

In order to achieve the above object, the solar panel mounting fixture according to claim 1 comprises a panel pressing member having a plate-shaped bolt fastening portion with a bolt insertion hole formed therein, a plate-shaped panel position restricting portion that restricts the position of the side surface of the solar panel, and a plate-shaped panel pressing portion that presses the outer edge of the surface of the solar panel; a bolt member having a male screw portion that passes through the bolt insertion hole of the panel pressing member and a polygonal tool hole in its head; a fixing member having a female screw portion that is coupled to the male screw portion of the bolt member and is positioned and fixed to a solar panel support frame that supports the back surface of the solar panel; and a bolt cap member having a top portion, side portions, and a protrusion, the protrusion being fitted into the tool hole of the bolt member so that the top portion and side portions cover the head of the bolt member, wherein the top portion of the bolt cap member has two sides that are parallel and of equal length in a plan view, the vertical width, which is the distance between the two sides, being greater than the horizontal width perpendicular thereto, and the distance from the center of the top portion to the inner wall of the panel position regulating portion of the panel pressing member is smaller than the distance from the center of the top portion to the vertical end and greater than the distance from the center of the top portion to the horizontal end .

The solar power generation panel mounting fixture of claim 2 is the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of claim 1 , wherein the corners at both ends of the two sides of the top part of the bolt cap member are set at equal obtuse angles.

The solar power generation panel mounting fixture according to claim 3 is the solar power generation panel mounting fixture according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a cutout portion is provided on the opposite side of the top portion on either of the side surfaces continuous with the two sides.

The solar power generation panel mounting fixture described in claim 4 is the solar power generation panel mounting fixture described in any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the tool hole of the bolt member is hexagonal, and the protrusion portion of the bolt cap member is hexagonal in bottom view.

The solar panel mounting fixture of the present invention makes it easy to mount a solar panel to a solar panel support frame and makes it extremely difficult for the panel to come loose.

FIG. 2 is a reduced plan view showing an example of a state in which the solar power generation panel mounting fixture according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the use state of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2A, showing an example of the state in which the solar power generation panel mounting fixture is used. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the use state of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3A, showing an example of the state in which the solar power generation panel mounting fixture is used. FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the other solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the other solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing an example of a panel pressing member of the other solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of bolt members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the first and second embodiments. 10A and 10B are front views showing examples of bolt members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. 10A and 10B are bottom views showing examples of bolt members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of fixing members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the first and second embodiments. 10A and 10B are front views showing examples of fixing members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. 10A and 10B are bottom views showing examples of fixing members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of bolt cap members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and second embodiments. FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a bolt cap member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and other embodiments. 10A and 10B are bottom views showing examples of bolt cap members of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same. FIG. 10 is a rear view showing an example of the bolt cap member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and other examples. FIG. 10 is a right side view showing an example of a bolt cap member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and other examples. FIG. 10 is a left side view showing an example of a bolt cap member of the solar power generation panel mounting fixture of the same as the first and other examples. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a state when a bolt member of the one solar panel mounting fixture of the same embodiment is screwed into a fixing member. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a state when a bolt member of the other solar panel mounting fixture of the same is screwed into a fixing member. 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the use state of one of the solar panel mounting fixtures, in which (a) shows the bolt cap member that is fitted after the bolt member has been completely screwed into the fixing member, rotated to the left, and (b) shows the bolt cap member that is fitted after the bolt member has been completely screwed into the fixing member, rotated to the right. 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the use of another solar panel mounting fixture of the same type, in which (a) shows the bolt cap member that is fitted after the bolt member has been completely screwed into the fixing member, rotated to the left, and (b) shows the bolt cap member that is fitted after the bolt member has been completely screwed into the fixing member, rotated to the right. 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the use state of one of the solar panel mounting fixtures, in which (a) shows the bolt cap member rotated to the maximum extent to the left under pressure, and (b) shows the bolt cap member rotated to the maximum extent to the right. 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the use of another solar panel mounting fixture of the same type, in which (a) shows the bolt cap member rotated to the maximum extent to the left under pressure, and (b) shows the bolt cap member rotated to the maximum extent to the right.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Photovoltaic panel mounting fixtures 1, 1' according to embodiments of the present invention are used to mount a photovoltaic panel PA to a photovoltaic panel support frame SU. The photovoltaic panel PA receives sunlight on its front surface. The photovoltaic panel support frame SU supports the back surface of the photovoltaic panel PA.

For example, as shown in Figure 1, the solar panel support frame SU can be configured with multiple long rod-shaped members (hereinafter referred to as base rails) SUa arranged horizontally (four in the horizontal direction in Figure 1), and multiple solar panels PA can be attached vertically and horizontally (3 vertically and 3 horizontally in Figure 1). The length and number of base rails SUa are determined according to the size or number of solar panels PA to be attached.

As shown in Figure 1, the solar panel mounting fixtures 1, 1' can be placed at appropriate locations on the base rail SUa. In Figure 1, the base rails SUa are arranged only horizontally, but it is also possible to arrange them vertically as well and place the solar panel mounting fixtures 1, 1' on them.

The solar panel mounting fixture 1 is used where the solar panels PA are adjacent to each other, while the solar panel mounting fixture 1' is used where the solar panels PA are not adjacent to each other.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the solar panel mounting fixture 1 comprises a panel retaining member 2, a bolt member 3, a fixing member 4, and a bolt cap member 5. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the solar panel mounting fixture 1' comprises a panel retaining member 2', a bolt member 3, a fixing member 4, and a bolt cap member 5. The same bolt members 3, fixing members 4, and bolt cap members 5 can be used for the solar panel mounting fixtures 1 and 1'. In addition, in the solar panel mounting fixture 1' shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the solar panel PA is positioned on the right side, but by rotating the panel retaining member 2' 180 degrees, the solar panel PA can be positioned on the left side. Note that in Figures 2A and 3A (and Figures 11 to 14 described below), the head 32 of the bolt member 3, which is hidden by the bolt cap member 5, is depicted with a dashed line.

As shown in Figures 4A to 4C and 5A to 5C, the panel holding members 2, 2' have a bolt fastening portion 21, a panel position restricting portion 22, and a panel holding portion 23. There are two panel position restricting portions 22 arranged symmetrically in the panel holding member 2, while only one of the two is present in the panel holding member 2'. There are also two panel holding portions 23 arranged symmetrically in the panel holding member 2, while only one of the two is present in the panel holding member 2'. In the panel holding members 2, 2', the bolt fastening portions 21, panel position restricting portions 22, and panel holding portions 23 are typically molded integrally.

The bolt fastening portion 21 is plate-shaped. The bolt fastening portion 21 is oriented approximately parallel to the surface of the solar panel PA to be attached. The bolt fastening portion 21 has a bolt insertion hole 21a formed therein. When the bolt member 3 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 21a and fixed, the center of the bolt insertion hole 21a basically coincides with the center of the bolt member 3.

The panel position restricting portion 22 is plate-shaped. It is formed on the end (long side) of the bolt fastening portion 21 so as to be approximately perpendicular to it, and is oriented approximately perpendicular to the surface of the solar power generation panel PA to be attached. As a result, the panel position restricting portion 22 (more specifically, its outer wall 22a) restricts the position of the side surface of the solar power generation panel PA.

The panel retaining portion 23 is plate-shaped. The panel retaining portion 23 is formed at the end of the panel position restricting portion 22 so as to be approximately perpendicular to it, and is oriented approximately parallel to the surface of the attached solar panel PA. The outer edge of the surface of the solar panel PA overlaps with the panel retaining portion 23 and is positioned outside the outer wall 22a of the panel position restricting portion 22. This allows the panel retaining portion 23 to press down on the outer edge of the surface of the solar panel PA. Note that in the examples of the panel retaining portion 23 shown in Figures 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, etc., a taper is provided at the end on the surface side.

As shown in Figures 6A to 6C, the male thread portion 31 of the bolt member 3 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 21a of the bolt fastening portion 21 of the panel retaining member 2, 2'. The bolt member 3 also has a polygonal tool hole 32a in the head 32. The tool hole 32a is a hole into which a tool is fitted, and is often a hexagonal (regular hexagonal) hole into which a hex wrench or the like is fitted.

The outer surface of the head 32 of the bolt member 3 can be approximately circular in plan view, and fine vertical grooves can be added as appropriate. The head 32 is located on the inner wall 22b side of the panel positioning portion 22 of the panel retaining member 2, 2', opposite the outer wall 22a side.

As shown in Figures 7A to 7C, the fixing member 4 has a female thread 41 that connects to the male thread 31 of the bolt member 3. The fixing member 4 is fixed in position to the solar panel support frame SU. For example, a central protrusion 4a can be formed on the fixing member 4, and a linear gap SUaa can be formed in the base rail SUa so that the central protrusion 4a fits into it, thereby fixing the fixing member 4 in position (see Figures 2B and 3B). The specific shape of the fixing member 4 can vary depending on the configuration of the solar panel support frame SU (base rail SUa, etc.) to be fixed in position. The gap SUaa in Figure 2B and other figures is indicated by the symbol SUaa attached to both sides that form it.

As shown in Figures 8A to 8F, the bolt cap member 5 has a top portion 51, side portions 52, and a protrusion 53. The bolt cap member 5 is positioned so that the protrusion 53 fits into the tool hole 32a of the bolt member 3 and the top portion 51 and side portions 52 cover the head portion 32 of the bolt member 3. The bolt cap member 5 can be made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, or hard resin.

Top portion 51 has a polygonal shape in a planar view. Top portion 51 has two sides 51a and 51b that are parallel and of equal length in a planar view, with corners 51ac and 51ad at both ends of side 51a and corners 51be and 51bf at both ends of side 51b. Top portion 51 has a vertical width (the distance between two sides 51a and 51b) that is greater than its horizontal width (the distance between two sides 51g and 51h, described later in this embodiment) perpendicular to the vertical width. In other words, the distance S from the center of top portion 51 to the vertical end (side 51a or side 51b) is greater than the distance T to the horizontal end (side 51g or side 51h).

When the bolt cap member 5 is fitted into the tool hole 32a of the bolt member 3, the center of the bolt member 3 coincides with the center of the top portion 51, and the distance U (see Figures 4A and 5A) from the center of the top portion 51 (the center of the bolt member 3 and the center of the bolt insertion hole 21a) to the inner wall 22b of the panel position restricting portion 22 of the panel retaining member 2, 2' is smaller than the distance S from the center of the top portion 51 to the vertical edge and larger than the distance T from the center of the top portion 51 to the horizontal edge. This allows the bolt cap member 5 to be fitted into the tool hole 32a of the bolt member 3 at the correct angle. It is preferable that the difference between the distance U to the inner wall 22b of the panel position restricting portion 22 and the distance T from the center of the top portion 51 to the horizontal edge be small to prevent foreign objects from becoming trapped.

In this embodiment, the corners 51ac, 51ad, 51be, and 51bf are formed at equal obtuse angles. Making the angles obtuse in this way ensures the necessary thickness for the strength of the side portions 52, which will be described in detail later, and also makes it easy to set the lateral width T to an appropriate size.

More specifically, in this embodiment, sides 51c and 51d contact side 51a to form corners 51ac and 51ad, and sides 51e and 51f contact side 51b to form corners 51be and 51bf. Side 51g contacts sides 51c and 51e to form a rounded corner, and side 51h contacts sides 51d and 51f to form a rounded corner.

The side portion 52 is formed on the outer periphery of the top portion 51 so as to be approximately perpendicular to the top portion 51. In detail, the side portion 52 has a side surface 52a that continues with the edge 51a of the top portion 51, a side surface 52b that continues with the edge 51b, a side surface 52c that continues with the edge 51c, a side surface 52d that continues with the edge 51d, a side surface 52e that continues with the edge 51e, a side surface 52f that continues with the edge 51f, a side surface 52g that continues with the edge 51g, and a side surface 52h that continues with the edge 51h (see Figures 8B, 8D, 8E, and 8F). The inner wall of the side portion 52 is sized so that the head 32 of the bolt member 3 fits inside it (see Figure 8C).

Notches (partially removed portions) 52aa and 52ba are provided on the side surfaces 52a and 52b opposite the top portion 51. By inserting a tool (such as a flathead screwdriver) into these portions and lifting them up, it becomes easier to remove the bolt cap member 5. It is also possible to provide only one of the notches 52aa and 52ba.

The protrusion 53 is formed at the center of the top portion 51, on the inside of the side portion 52 so as to be approximately perpendicular to the top portion 51. The protrusion 53 has a shape and size that corresponds to the tool hole 32a of the bolt member 3, and is often hexagonal in bottom view. The protrusion 53 contacts the inner wall of the tool hole 32a when fitted into the tool hole 32a. In addition, the two sides 51a, 51b of the top portion 51 can be arranged parallel to the two sides of the protrusion 53 (two sides of the hexagon).

The solar panel mounting fixture 1 (or 1') configured as described above is placed with the solar panel PA aligned with the solar panel support frame SU (such as the base rail SUa), and the bolt members 3 are screwed into the fixing members 4. The outer edge of the surface of the solar panel PA is held down by the panel holding portion 23 of the panel holding member 2 (or 2'), and the solar panel PA is sandwiched between the panel holding portion 23 and the solar panel support frame SU. This attaches the solar panel PA to the solar panel support frame SU.

When the bolt member 3 is screwed into the fixing member 4, the tool hole 32a in the head 32 of the bolt member 3 is exposed on the same side as the surface of the solar panel PA (usually diagonally upward), as shown in Figures 9 and 10, so an operator can easily insert a tool there and screw it in. This makes it possible to easily attach the solar panel PA to the solar panel support frame SU.

The bolt cap member 5 is fitted onto the head 32 of the bolt member 3 after the bolt member 3 has been screwed into the fixed member 4. The angle of the fitted bolt cap member 5 corresponds to the angle of the tool hole 32a when the bolt member 3 has been screwed into the fixed member 4. If the tool hole 32a is a hexagonal hole, the orientation (angle) can vary within a range of up to 30 degrees left (see Figures 11(a) and 12(a)) or 30 degrees right (see Figures 11(b) and 12(b)) from the orientation (angle) shown in Figures 2A and 3A.

After the solar panel PA is attached to the solar panel support frame SU using the solar panel mounting fixture 1, if the solar panel support frame SU and the solar panel PA are subjected to strong pressure from wind, rain, snow, or the like, the bolt member 3 may rotate (loosen or tighten). In this case, the bolt cap member 5 rotates along with the bolt member 3, and when any of the corners 51ac, 51ad, 51be, and 51bf contacts the inner wall 22b of the panel positioning portion 22, further rotation is prevented (see Figures 13(a) and (b) and Figures 14(a) and (b)). In this way, by preventing rotation in the loosening direction, the solar panel mounting fixture 1 is made extremely difficult to loosen. Furthermore, by preventing rotation in the tightening direction, over-tightening can also be prevented.

The above describes a solar panel mounting fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and various design modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1' Solar power generation panel mounting fixture 2, 2' Panel pressing member 21 Bolt fastening portion 21a Bolt insertion hole 22 Panel position restricting portion 22a Outer wall of panel position restricting portion 22b Inner wall of panel position restricting portion 23 Panel pressing portion 3 Bolt member 31 Male thread portion 32 Head portion 32a Tool hole 4 Fixing member 4a Central protrusion portion of fixing member 41 Female thread portion 5 Bolt cap member 51 Top portion 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d, 51e, 51f, 51g, 51h Side of top portion 51ac, 51ad, 51be, 51bf Corner portion of top portion 52 Side portion 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d, 52e, 52f, 52g, 52h Side surface 52aa, 52ba Notch on side 53 Protrusion PA Photovoltaic power generation panel SU Photovoltaic power generation panel support stand SUa Base rail SUaa Gap between base rails S Distance from the center of the top part to the vertical end T Distance from the center of the top part to the horizontal end U Distance from the center of the bolt insertion hole (center of the bolt member and center of the top part of the bolt cap member) to the inner wall of the panel position regulating part

Claims (4)

a panel pressing member having a plate-shaped bolt fastening portion having a bolt insertion hole formed therein, a plate-shaped panel position restricting portion that restricts the position of a side surface of the solar panel, and a plate-shaped panel pressing portion that presses an outer edge portion of a surface of the solar panel;
a bolt member having a male thread portion inserted through the bolt insertion hole of the panel pressing member and having a polygonal tool hole in a head portion;
a fixing member having a female screw portion formed thereon to be coupled to the male screw portion of the bolt member, the fixing member being positioned and fixed to a solar panel support frame supporting a rear surface of the solar panel;
a bolt cap member having a polygonal top portion, side portions, and protrusion portion in a plan view, the protrusion portion being fitted into the tool hole of the bolt member, and the top portion and the side portions being arranged to cover the head of the bolt member;
Equipped with
The top portion of the bolt cap member has two sides that are parallel and of equal length in a plan view, and the vertical width, which is the distance between the two sides, is greater than the horizontal width perpendicular thereto,
A solar panel mounting device in which the distance from the center of the top portion to the inner wall of the panel position regulating portion of the panel pressing member is smaller than the distance from the center of the top portion to the vertical edge and larger than the distance from the center of the top portion to the horizontal edge . The solar panel mounting fixture according to claim 1 ,
A solar panel mounting fixture in which the corners at both ends of the two sides of the top portion of the bolt cap member are set at equal obtuse angles. The solar panel mounting fixture according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A solar panel mounting fixture in which a notch is provided on the opposite side of the top portion on either of the side surfaces continuous with the two sides. The solar panel mounting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The tool hole of the bolt member is hexagonal, and the protrusion of the bolt cap member is hexagonal in bottom view.