LAURI, Luciano (Sunerg Solar S.r.l, Via Donnini 51, Cinquemiglia - Città di Castello, I-06010, IT)
| CLAIMS 1) Profiled joint (1 ; 2; 5, 5') for seating one or more panels (3) to be installed on the roof or on the outside walls of a building, comprising: a support surface (10; 50) provided with through holes (101 ; 501) for the fixing to the pitch of said roof or to said outside walls, a profile making at least one cavity (11, 12; 51, 51 ') suitable for seating the edge of said one or more panels (3), characterised in that said profile forms two cavities (1 1 , 12; 51 , 51 '): - one cavity (1 1 , 51) open downstream and suitable for seating the top edge of a panel (3) to be installed downstream, one cavity (12, 51 ') open upstream and suitable for seating the bottom edge of a panel (3) to be installed upstream. 2) Profiled joint (1 ; 2; 5, 5') according to the previous claim, characterised in that said two cavities (1 1 , 12) are placed on planes parallel to one another, the cavity (1 1) open downwards being overlapped by the cavity (12) open upwards. 3) Profiled joint (1 ; 2; 5, 5') according to the previous claim, characterised in that the panel (3) seated in said cavity (12) open upstream protects the underlying through holes (101) from rain water infiltrations. 4) Profiled joint (1 ; 2; 5, 5') according to any previous claim, characterised in that on the bottom of said cavity (12) open upstream there may be provided a drainage hole (121 ) for rain water optionally penetrated in said joint (1). 5) Profiled joint (1; 2; 5, 5') according to claim 1 , characterised in that said two cavities (51 , 51 ') are placed onto the same plane, said joint (5, 5') consisting of the coupling of a first joint (5) with a second joint (5') positioned overturned onto said first joint (5). 6) Profiled joint (1 ; 2; 5, 5') according to the previous claim, characterised in that said coupling between the first (5) and the second joint (5') takes place by jointing by plastic deformation of reciprocal coupling means (502, 503) consisting of a groove (5021) and a ribbing (5022) of said first joint (5) suitable for coupling respectively with a ribbing (5032) and a groove (5031) of said second joint (5'). 7) Profiled joint (1 ; 2; 5, 5') according to claims 5 and 6, characterised in that the through holes (501) are protected from rain water infiltrations by a ribbing (504) and by the overlying second joint (5'). 8) Profiled joint (1 ; 2; 5, 5') according to any previous claim, characterised in that it is provided with portions (100; 500) acting as drainage channels for collecting and conveying any rain water penetrated in said joint (1 , 2; 5, 5'), said portions (100; 500) being comprised between the profile forming the cavities (11, 12; 21 ; 5, 5') and a ribbing (103; 504). 9) Profiled joint (1 ; 2; 5, 5') according to any previous claim, characterised in that in a sequence of joints (1) placed at a distance from one another substantially equal to the longitudinal dimension of the panels (3) to be installed, the more upstream joint (2) may consist of a joint provided with a single cavity (21) open downstream and suitable for seating the top edge of a panel (3) to be installed downstream, the upstream through holes (101) of said joint (2) being able to be covered with the roofing elements (4) coating the remaining parts of the roof. |
DESCRIPTION
The object of the present invention is a jointing means for installing solar panels.
The invention relates to the field of using solar energy for civil and industrial applications by the use of solar panels, in particular photovoltaic panels, to be installed on the roofs or walls of buildings. Most of the times, solar panels are mounted on roofs above the covering mantle, or on the walls outside the curtain surface, leaving the function of waterproofing against rain water to the pre-existing wall structures.
Generally, the mounting takes place through a frame and trestles connected to the building structure by quite complicated brackets. There are also provided mounting means that provide for the integration of the panels into the building structures: in these cases, the solar panels and frames thereof are also intended for waterproofing the surface they lay on.
All of these mounting methods should provide for at least: quick laying of the panel support structure; easy mounting, removal, maintenance of panels; - modularity; waterproofing.
The laying of such solar panels takes place with standardised methods and means, which implies poor possibility of adapting to the needs of a specific case. The problem occurs especially in the case of installation on curvilinear or irregular roofing, for which ad hoc changes to the normally used installation means must be set up, or there would be a poor architectural integration with the roofing, or worse, waterproofing problems at the panel fixing points.
The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for installing the solar panels in a quick and effective manner, integrating them with the building roofing and ensuring the roofing waterproofing and proper outflow of rain waters.
Another object is to provide means for favouring the installation of solar panels on curved or irregular surfaces.
A further object is to provide a system for ensuring the seal and the adherence of flexible solar panels on rolled sections. These and other objects, which shall appear clearly hereinafter, are achieved with a profiled joint according to claim 1.
Other advantages may be further achieved by the additional features of the dependent claims.
Further features of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description of some preferred embodiments thereof, according to the patent claims and illustrated, by way of a non-limiting example, in the annexed drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a side section view of a first joint according to the invention; figure 2 shows a side section view of a version of the joint according to the invention; - figure 3 shows a schematic view of a first possibility of operating use of the joint according to the invention; figure 4 shows a schematic view of a second possibility of operating use of the joint according to the invention; figure 5 shows a perspective view of the version of the joint of fig. 2; - figure 6 shows a side section view of a second joint according to the invention; figure 7 shows a side section view of a possibility of operating use of the joint of fig. 6.
The features of the finding shall now be described using the references contained in the figures. Hereinafter, the term "panel" shall be used to refer to a photovoltaic solar panel. Photovoltaic panels may consist of stiff or flexible modules, the last mentioned are very thin films glued on an adhesive support, in turn glued on a backing plate, for example a stiff or flexible metal sheet. However., nothing prevents the present invention from being used also for installing other types of solar panels having similar structural and dimensional features, such as for example photo-thermal solar panels or simply substantially flat sheets made of glass or other material.
With particular reference to fig. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates the joint suitable for receiving the edges of two panels 3. Said joint 1 consists in a profiled element, which may be made of metal or other material suitable for being exposed to the air and to the atmospheric agents.
Taking as a reference the inclination of the roof pitch from the ridge line to the gutter line and as a consequence, the direction of installation of joint 1, it exhibits a support surface 10 divided into an upstream portion and a downstream portion. Reference 10. M indicates said upstream portion, externally delimited by a reinforcing ribbing 102 and provided with through holes 101 for fixing joint 1 to the underlying pitch of the building roof. Said reinforcing ribbing 102 may also be used as support point for an outer fixing bracket, to be used for positioning said joint 1 as an alternative to the through holes 101. Reference numeral 103 indicates a further ribbing having a function of both reinforcement but above all, of edge for a portion 100 suitable for acting as rain water outflow channel optionally penetrated in said joint 1.
Reference numeral 10. V indicates the portion downstream of joint 1, consisting of a profile that forms two cavities 1 1 and 12 placed on planes parallel to one another; more precisely, cavity 1 1 is open downstream whereas cavity 12 has an upstream opening. Preferably, but not necessarily, for compactness reasons of said joint 1, cavity 12 overlies cavity 1 1 and said downstream portion 10.V has a substantially S-shaped section. Said cavities 1 1 and 12 are suitable for seating the edges of two panels 3 installed in a sequence; always taking as a reference the inclination of the roof pitch from the ridge line to the gutter line, cavity 12 of joint 1 seats the edge of panel 3 upstream, whereas cavity 11 seats the edge of panel 3 to be installed downstream. Therefore, as more clearly shown in fig. 3, the same solar panel 3 is installed on the roof pitch by arranging its top and bottom edges respectively in cavity 1 1 of an upstream joint 1 and in cavity 12 of another downstream joint 1.
Each joint 1, as mentioned above, is constrained to the roof pitch by a common fixing means, for example a screw, inserted in through hole 101, which is away from rain water infiltrations as it is covered by the overlying solar panel 3, the bottom edge whereof is seated in cavity 12. As an alternative, as mentioned above, the positioning of joint 1 may also take place through a fixing bracket outside the upstream portion 10.M, using the reinforcement ribbing as a support point 102. The positioning of multiple joints 1 in a sequence, arranged at a distance from one another substantially equal to the longitudinal dimension of solar panel 3, allows installing said panels in the number required to cover the desired roof surface, starting from downstream towards upstream according to the following operations: a) fixing a first joint 1 to the roof, b) inserting the bottom edge of a first panel 3 in the upstream cavity 12 of said first joint 1 , c) inserting the top edge of said first panel 3 in the downstream cavity 11 of a second joint 1 resting on the roof, d) fixing said second joint 1 , e) repeating operations b), c) and d) up to ending the installation of panels 3.
The first and the last joint, that is, joint 1 arranged more upstream and joint 1 arranged more downstream of said sequence, shall have one of the two cavities not engaged by the edges of panels 3: in particular, joint 1 arranged more upstream shall remain with cavity 12 empty, whereas joint 1 arranged more downstream shall have cavity 1 1 free. However, this is not a drawback at all since said free cavities can easily be used for jointing roof tiles, bent tiles or other tiles 4 (of the same type used for covering the remaining building roof), through known materials capable of being moulded, such as for example bitumen sheaths, lead sheets, galvanised metal sheets. However, it is possible to provide for a version of the joint usable as more upstream joint. Figs. 2 and 5 show said version, wherein joint 2 substantially reproduces the profile of joint 1 with the exception that it is not provided with cavity 12. Therefore, the support surface
20 to the pitch of said joint 2 is also divided into an upstream portion and a downstream portion.
Reference numeral 20.M indicates said upstream portion, whereas reference numeral 20. V indicates the downstream portion of joint 2, consisting in a profile substantially shaped as a
C, by which a cavity 21 is obtained, open downstream and suitable for receiving the top edge of panel 3.
The upstream portion 20. M and the relevant through holes 101 may be directly covered, without the need for mouldable jointing material, with roof tiles, bent tiles or other tiles 4, in order to ensure the waterproofing of said through holes 101 to rain water, since said upstream portion 20. M, in this case, is not sheltered by an overlying panel 3 as is the case with joint 1.
In both versions of joint, any rain water optionally penetrated therein is collected by portion
100, allowing the sliding thereof by the entire length of said joints 1, 2 and the conveying on the surrounding roofing elements. In order to favour the outflow of rain water and the roof pitch waterproofing, special drainage holes 121 may be made on the bottom of cavity
12 of joint 1.
The use of joints 1, 2, for installing panels 3 on the pitch, be it inclined or not, of a building roof has been dealt with so far. Of course, said joints may also be used for the vertical installation of panels 3 on the outside building walls.
Figs. 6 and 7 show a version of the joint especially suitable for the vertical installation of solar panels 3.
Such joint 5 is again provided with a support surface 50 suitable for being fixed adjacent to the building wall. As with the other versions of joint described above, this time taking the wall verticality as a reference, said support surface exhibits a first portion 50. M (provided with one or more reinforcing ribbings 504 and with through holes 501, away from rain water infiltrations once installed, as shall be explained hereinafter) and a second portion
50.V consisting of a substantially C-shaped profile, wherethrough a cavity 51 is obtained, suitable for seating the edge of panel 3. Joint 5 is provided with special coupling means 502, 503 for the reciprocal jointing by plastic deformation with the coupling means 503, 502 of an identical joint 5', arranged overturned as shown in fig. 7 and suitable for receiving the edge of a further panel 3, to be installed on top of the first one.
Said coupling means 502, 503 (respectively made on the end of portion 50.M and on the top outer corner of the C-shaped profile of cavity 51) each comprise a groove 5021, 5031 and a ribbing 5022, 5032: groove 5021 is suitable for coupling with ribbing 5032 of the overturned joint 5', whereas ribbing 5022 is suitable for coupling with groove 5031 of said overturned joint 5'. In the practice, each pair of joints 5-5', considered as a whole, provides two opposite cavities 51, 51 ', wherein panels 3 to be installed vertically on the building wall may be inserted. Joint 5, fixed to the wall by through holes 501, supports the overlying joint 5' and in a sequence of joints for installing multiple panels 3, it carries out both the function of joint positioned on top of said sequence and of joint positioned at the base: in this last mentioned case, said joint 5 must be fixed to the wall in opposite direction, that is, with cavity 51 open upwards, and with portion 50. M directed downwards.
Such version of joint 5 is also usable on horizontal roofing or having inclined pitch, and it allows installing the panels coplanar to one another, as an alternative to the installation as roof tile allowed by joint 1. From the above description it is easy to note that the main advantage of the present invention consists in the quick and easy installation of panels 3 through the use of joints 1, 2 and 5, in a manner architecturally integrable with the building roofing. A second type of advantages may be found in the total waterproofing of the fixing points 101 to the roof pitch or to the building outside wall, either because protected by the overlying panel 3 or because they may be covered with roof tiles, bent tiles or other tiles 4, of the same type used for covering the remaining surface of the building roof. The fixing points 501 of joint 5, on the other hand, are protected by ribbing 504 and by the overlying joint 5'.
A further advantage lies in the possibility of using said joints 1, 2, for installing panels 3 on curved or irregular surfaces, a possibility that so far could only be carried out using special fixing means or manufactured on purpose. Fig. 4 shows this particular method of installation of the flexible panels glued on a metal sheet. By positioning two joints 1 in an opposite manner at the ends of the irregular surface to be surmounted (or, more simply, into the opposite roof pitches, at the sides of the ridge line), it is possible to insert panel 3 into cavities 12 of said opposite joints 1. Cavity 11 of each joint 1 may then be used as described above, that is, seating the top edge of a further panel 3, and so on, up to completing the panel installation.
Another advantage allowed by the present invention, always associated to the type of flexible panel glued on a metal sheet, is the fact that cavities 11 , 12, 21, 51 of joints 1, 2, 5 ensure a firm positioning of the edges of said flexible panels 3, also in the case of detachment thereof from the underlying metal sheet. The top inner profiles of cavities 11, 12, 21 among the other things, may be provided with special bumps 110, 120, 210 suitable for receiving the thickness of the diodes provided on panels 3.