Patent Application
20120261526
The present invention relates to a frame-like holder for a solar panel.
Solar panels hold the solar cells used to directly generate electric energy and they constitute the core of a solar module. Solar panels can be flexibly laminated in place or else applied rigidly onto glass cover panes. They are joined to a substrate, usually a pitched roof or a flat roof, by means of a frame-like holder that is either arranged under the solar panels (formation of a solar module without a frame) or else wraps around the edge of the solar panel (formation of a solar module with a frame). The solar module is brought to the installation site in its completely assembled state and is mounted onto the substrate. All solar modules have electric cables with which they are connected to each other and ultimately to a current-collecting device such as, for example, a transformer or a battery. During the installation, the free electric cables can be a source of hindrance or even of danger for the technicians. Broken electric cables are laborious to repair. Even after the installation, electric cables on the substrate can be a source of hindrance. For this reason, the state of the art provides cable holders that affix and secure the electric cables on the frame-like holder of the solar module.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,406,800 B2 describes a framed solar panel in which cables run between the individual frames through grooves that are located in the front wall of the frame profile but that do not extend along the profile, but rather, run orthogonally to it (see
German utility model 20 2008 009 758 U1, in
Such screw channels are also described in European patent application EP 1 146 297 A1 (see
Japanese laid-open document JP 11062143 A likewise describes a frame with groove-shaped channels. This frame, however, serves to concurrently hold two solar panels and can be deformed to a certain extent by the grooves. Once the solar panels have been put in place, a fixation piece is centrally pressed in, which then latches into guide grooves. The deformation of the grooves underneath generates a restoring force when the fixation piece is pressed in, thus affixing the fixation piece and the two solar panels.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides a frame-like holder for a solar panel including a substantially L-shaped profile having at least one first leg that is orthogonal relative to the solar panel in an installed position of the solar panel and at least one second leg that adjoins the at least one first leg at an end of the at least one second leg that faces away from the solar panel. A cable holder is integrated into a front face of the at least one second leg of the L-shaped profile, the cable holder including a groove extending along the front face and being configured to receive and secure the at least one electric cable.
Exemplary embodiments of the frame-like holder according to the present invention will be explained in greater detail below for purposes of elucidating the invention. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. Other features and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings which illustrate the following:
An aspect of the present invention provides a frame-like holder for a solar panel in which electric cables can be held in a simple and yet reliable manner.
In an embodiment, the present invention includes a basically L-shaped profile with at least one leg that is orthogonal relative to the solar panel and with at least one parallel leg that adjoins the orthogonal leg at its end facing away from the solar panel, and with a cable holder on the front face of the parallel leg for purposes of holding at least one electric cable.
In the frame-like holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cable holder is integrated into the front face of the parallel leg of the L-shaped profile and consists of a groove that runs along the front face into which the electric cable can be inserted and secured. As a result, the electric cable runs along the frame-like holder. The holder according to an embodiment of the present invention reliably prevents cables from dangling freely or from straddling the frame during the storage and transportation of the solar module as well as during and after the installation. In the groove, the electric cable is reliably protected against damage. Here, the groove can be present either in sections or continuously in the front face of the parallel leg of the L-shaped profile. The electric cable is secured, even when the groove is present in sections. The groove is appropriately interrupted in the area of other structural elements such as, for example, supports for the frame-like holder on the substrate, since in these areas, it is at times difficult to insert the electric cable. The cable is secured especially reliably when the groove is configured to be continuous and the electric cable is inserted into the groove along the greatest possible distances. Also in the case of a continuous groove, there can be segments in inaccessible places into which the electric cable cannot be inserted.
In an embodiment, the inserted electric cable is held in place, or clamped in the groove, essentially by means of simple frictional contact. For this purpose, it is advantageous for the groove to have a rounded cross section. The depth of the groove can be configured as a function of the design of the L-shaped profile. In particular, the groove can be configured to be of such a depth that only one cable can be inserted into it. However, it is also possible to employ a deeper groove into which, for example, two electric cables can be inserted, one on top of the other. In order to ensure a secure clamping of both electric cables, it is advantageous for the cross section of the groove to be rounded in the form of a figure eight. If the front face of the parallel leg is sufficiently wide, it is, of course, possible to insert two or more electric cables into appropriate grooves along the height of the front face.
It is likewise advantageous for the electric cable to be securely installed in the corners. The electric cable cannot be installed completely in sharp corners since it would then kink. Fundamentally speaking, the electric cable can be freely pulled through the corner from the groove in the parallel leg of one L-shaped profile over to the groove in the parallel leg of the other L-shaped profile. For this purpose, appropriate lateral cutouts must be provided in the grooves. However, a corner piece can be arranged between the grooves for each corner, and it likewise has a groove and also securely holds and guides the electric cable through the corner. In this context, the corner pieces are particularly easy to provide if the frame-like holder is configured so as to be rectangular and to have right-angled inside corners.
The frame-like holder of the invention is based on an L-shaped profile. In other words, the basic structure of the profile is shaped like an “L” with one leg positioned orthogonally to the solar panel and with another leg positioned in parallel and being shorter than the orthogonal leg. Here, the one parallel leg is located at the end of the orthogonal leg facing away from the solar panel and it serves to support the solar panel on the substrate and not to support the solar panel in the frame-like holder. For this purpose, preferably another parallel leg of the L-shaped profile can be provided which adjoins the orthogonal leg at its end facing the solar panel and which can be attached under the edge area of the solar panel. This configuration gives rise to a so-called “frameless” holder for the solar panel in which the profile runs underneath the solar panel and consequently is not visible from above. This prevents dirty edges on the solar panel, in addition to which it gives the installed solar panels a smooth overall appearance. However, it is also possible to provide two additional parallel legs on the L-shaped profile which adjoin the orthogonal leg at its end facing the solar panel and which surround the edge area of the solar panel in a U-shaped manner. This creates a frame for the solar panel that is very secure and that also protects the solar panel along its peripheral side edge. The support function of the solar panel on the substrate is taken over by the orthogonal leg of the L-shaped profile. In order to improve the stability of the profile, preferably another orthogonal leg can be provided that runs parallel to the first parallel leg. Other embodiments of the L-shaped profile, for instance, additional steps or bores can be easily created, for example, out of aluminum, by means of the continuous casting method, for which purpose reference is hereby made to the embodiments.
In one embodiment, the electric cables are already held in place in the groove exclusively due to friction. In order to secure them additionally, for instance, also when tensile forces are exerted on the electric cable, it is advantageous to provide simple clips or other latching elements, for instance, simple bolts, for purposes of securing the electric cable in the groove, whereby these clips can be simply clipped onto the groove or else flipped or slid over it. Moreover, advantageously and preferably, the L-shaped profile can be fastened to the substrate by means of a screw that passes through a bore into a cutout of the L-shaped profile. In order to distribute the force of the screw head, a washer is also placed into the cutout. Additional information can be gleaned from the embodiments that follow.
As a rule, the electric cable 10 already stays in the groove 09 due to frictional contact.
Reference numerals that are not shown in a given figure can be seen in the other figures. The embodiments of the invention shown are to be considered as examples. Other embodiments of the invention are likewise possible.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
