INSTALLING PANELS

The invention is related to a system comprising installed panels, wherein a number of rectangular panels are connected to elongated support elements, the panel having a first long edge and parallel thereto a second long edge and two parallel short edges perpendicular to said long edges, wherein a panel comprises a rectangular plate like element, the system being provided with connection members for attaching a panel to the support elements, wherein two or more first connection members are present along said first long edge of a panel and two or more second connection members are present along the second long edge of a panel, and wherein each connection member comprises two parts being attachable to each other, wherein one of said parts is attached to a panel and the other part is attached to a support element, wherein said two parts of each first connection member are able to rotate with respect to each other around an axis parallel to said long edges of the panel when these two parts are attached to each other and wherein said two parts of each second connection member engage each other in such manner that they cannot move with respect to each other in a direction perpendicular to the plate like element of the panel after they are moved towards each other. Such system is described in publication WO 00/12839A1 .

The outer surface of an existing building can be covered with panels in order to improve the appearance of the building. For example, an old or damaged wall can be covered by plates of high pressure laminate, being a material that can have any color or combination of colors, and being a weather resistant material. The outer surface of a new building, or a part of the outer surface, can be formed by such plates, whereby the panels can be an integrated portion of the building. The system according to the invention can also be used for installing panels in a horizontal plane, for example suspending from a ceiling or on a horizontal roof.

Furthermore, the system according to the invention can be used for installing solar panels against the outer surface of a building, or for making solar panels an integrated portion of the building, so forming a portion of the outer surface of the building. The system can be used for installing panels in a vertical plane or for installing panels on an inclined roof. The system can also be used for installing panels apart from a building, for example on the ground and forming an inclined surface of a number of panels, for example as the case may be with solar panels.

In case the rectangular panel is square, whereby the said long edges and the said short edges are equal, two long opposite edges is to be understood as two opposite sides, and the two short edges are to be understood as the other sides. In general, the panels are rectangular, but the rectangular panel may have a missing portion, for example when the panel has to be installed at the location where a chimney on a roof is present, while the panels should surround that chimney.

An object of the invention is a system comprising installed rectangular panels being connected with support elements, whereby an efficient connection between the panels and the support elements is achieved without the use of tools, when the panels are installed on the support elements.

Another object of the invention is a system comprising installed rectangular panels being connected to support elements, whereby the panels can be installed in an efficient manner in a tiled mutual relation, whereby the panels have partly an overlap.

Another object of the invention is a system comprising installed rectangular panels being connected to support elements, whereby an installed panel can be easily removed without removing the surrounding panels.

In order to comply with one or more of these objects, a panel comprises a holder being attached to the back side of the plate like element of the panel, wherein the holder is provided with parts of the first connection member and with parts of the second connection members, and wherein a part of said first connection member comprises a bar extending parallel to said long edges of the panel and wherein the other part of the first connection member comprises a portion engaging said bar by contacting two opposite sides of the bar in such way that the panel can move in a direction parallel with respect to the short edges of the panel. Thereby, each part of each connection member can be an integrated portion of a support element, or can be an integrated portion of the holder being located at the backside of the plate like element. Because said first connection members allow a movement of the panel in its plane, the second connection members define the location of the installed panel.

In order to install a panel against the support elements, the parts of the first connection members are attached to each other, so that the panel can rotate with respect to the support elements around an axis near its first long edge and parallel to that edge, and, furthermore, the panel can be displaced parallel to its plane.

Subsequently, by rotating the panel, the two parts of the second connection members are brought towards each other, where after these two parts engage each other automatically, so that the panel is fixed against the support element. In case of a tiled relationship of the panels, whereby the first long edge of a panel is located at the backside of a higher adjacent panel, the lower located panel can be installed after the higher located panel is installed, because the upper long edge of that panel can be moved behind a neighboring higher located panel while the first connection members of that lower located panel are in an engaged position. An advance of such installation is that the installation can start with attaching the higher array of panels to the support elements, and subsequently the lower array of panels. So, the installation of the panels can start at the top of the roof, being an important advantage.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the holder comprises two or more elongated holder members located at the backside of the plate like element and extending parallel to said short edges of the panel, wherein at least two holder members are provided with a part of a first connection member and with a part of a second connection member. The holder can be glued against the remainder part of the panel, but can also be fixed in any other suitable manner. The holder members can be identical molded parts made of plastic, and the parts of the connection members can be an integrated portion of such molded holder member. In a more preferred embodiment, the holder comprises three said holder members, each provided with a part of said first connection member and with a part of said second connection member. Thereby, each of the three holder members extend along a support element.

The bar can be an integrated portion of a holder member, however, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, said bar is attached to a support element, wherein the length of the bar is less than two times the dimension of the support element in the direction of said long edges of the panel. Thereby, the support elements can be provided with the bars during production of the support elements, and the holder of the panel can be provided with the other part of the first connection members when the panels or the holder members are manufactured, enabling an easy and efficient installation of the panels.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a part of said second connection member comprises a pivot member being able to pivot around a pivot axis extending parallel to said plate like element, wherein said pivot member is able to engage a portion of the other part of the second connection member by turning around said pivot axis from a disengaged position into an engaged position, and wherein said pivot member is able to disengage said portion of the other part of the second connection member by turning around said pivot axis from said engaged position into said disengaged position. Thereby, spring means can be present in order to push the pivot member in its engaged position when it approaches the other part of the second connection member. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said pivot axis extend parallel to said long edges of the panel. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shape of the pivot member is such that its center of gravity is located at one side of the vertical plane trough the pivot axis of the pivot member, so that the gravitation pushes the pivot member in its engaged position. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pivot member is provided with a surface being inclined with respect to a plane through said pivot axis and perpendicular to the plate like element of the panel, which surface can contact said other part of the second connection member when the two parts of the second connection member are moved towards each other, in order to push the pivot member in its disengaged position. Said surface can be a part of the edge of the pivot member. So, after the first connection members are attached to each other, the further installation of a panel take place by rotating the panel, whereupon the two parts of the second connection member approach each other and engage each other

automatically, after the pivot member is brought in its disengaged position, and subsequently in its engaged position. This will be further elucidated when describing an embodiment of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said pivot member is provided with a cam having a surface to be pushed by means of a separate disengaging tool in order to rotate the pivot member from its engaged position into its disengaged position, said surface of said cam being located near the back side of the plate like element. The disengaging tool has such shape that it can be moved behind an edge of the panel in order to reach said surface of the cam of the pivot member and push against it in order to bring the pivot member in its disengaged position, whereupon the panel can be rotate into an inclined position with respect to the support elements, and then be removed from the support elements, without removing the surrounding panels. This will be further elucidated when describing an embodiment of the invention.

The panels can be positioned next to each other to the support elements.

However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, adjacent panels are positioned in a tiled relationship, whereby the first long edge of a panel is located at the backside of an adjacent panel. In particular when the panels are installed on an inclined roof, the overlap of the panels prevent rainwater from penetrating behind the panels other than between the short edges of the panels. However, behind the short edges are the support elements forming a gutter for draining away the rainwater.

In case a panel has to be removed, said disengaging tool can be moved between the overlapping portion of the panels, so that it can reach said surface of said cam of the pivot member in order to push the pivot member into its disengaged position. Another advantage of locating the first long edge of the lower panel behind the plate like element of the higher panel is the fact that when installing overlapping panels on an inclined roof or against vertical support elements, the panels can be installed starting with the highest horizontal array of panels, and subsequently the adjacent lower array of panels and so on. Such installation is much easier and more efficient than starting with the lowest array and working from a lower level to a higher level, as is the case with roofing tiles.

Preferably, the support elements are elongated elements having a length of more than two times the length of said short edges of the panels and extending parallel to said short edges, so that a solid support of the panels can be achieved. And, preferably, the panel is attached to three support elements, two located near the ends of the long edges of the panel and one in the middle of the long edges.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least a number of the panels are solar panels, wherein the plate like element comprises a glass plate provided with a number of photovoltaic cells at its backside. The system according to the invention is in particular suited for installing solar panels, because it makes it possible to replace easily a panel surrounded by other panels in case of a defective panel.

Preferably, the edge of the plate like element is the rectangular edge of the panel, so that the panel is not provided with a surrounding frame, which is often the case with solar panels. Preferably, the short edge of the panel is at least 0.6 meter and in the long edge of the panel is at least 1 .2 meter. The solid installation of the panels permits such large panels.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system comprising a first horizontal array of panels and next to that array a second horizontal array of panels, wherein adjacent short edges of panels in said first array are positioned in the middle of the long edges of panels in the second array.

Furthermore, the invention is related to a rectangular panel for installing against elongated support elements as is described in anyone of the preceding claims, the panel having a first long edge and parallel thereto a second long edge and two parallel short edges perpendicular to said long edges, wherein the panel comprises a rectangular plate like element and is provided with parts of connection members for attaching the panel to said support elements being provided with other parts of said connection members, wherein two or more parts of said first connection members are present along said first long edge of the panel and two or more parts of said second connection members are present along said second long edge of the panel, wherein two or more elongated holder members located at the back side of the plate like element and extending parallel to said short edges of the panel are attached to the back side of the plate like element, and wherein at least two holder members are each provided with a part of the first connection member and a part of the second connection member. Preferably, the holder of the panel is provided with pivot members as described in any one of claims 4-7.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, three elongated holder members are present, each provided with a part of the first connection member and a part of the second connection member.

Furthermore, the invention is related to a method for installing panels against elongated support elements, the panel having a first long edge and parallel thereto a second long edge and two parallel short edges perpendicular to said long edges, whereby the panel comprises a rectangular plate like element and is to be attached with connection members to said support elements, whereby the panel is provided with parts of a first connection member and with parts of a second connection member, whereby parts of two or more first connection members are present along said first long edge of the panel and two or more parts of second connection members are present along said second long edge of the panel, whereby other parts are attached to said support elements, whereby the two parts of each first connection member are able to rotate with respect to each other around an axis parallel to said long edges of the panel after connecting these two parts with each other, and whereby said two parts of each second connection member engage each other in such manner that they cannot move with respect to each other in a direction perpendicular to the plate like element of the panel, whereby two or more elongated holder members are attached to the back side of the plate like element and extend parallel to said short edges of the panel, and whereby at least two holder members are each provided with a part of a first connection member and a part of a second connection member, and whereby a part of said first connection member comprises a bar extending parallel to said long edges of the panel, and whereby the other part of the first connection member comprises a portion engaging said bar by contacting two opposite sides of the bar in such way that the panel can move in a direction parallel with respect to the short edges of the panel, whereby the parts of first connection members of a panel are connected with each other and subsequently the panel is rotated so that the parts of the second connection members approach each other and then engage each other.

The invention will now be further elucidated by means of a description of an embodiment of a system comprising installed solar panels, whereby reference is made to the drawing comprising schematic and diagrammatical figures, whereby:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of installed solar panels; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a support element;

Figure 3 is a side view of installed solar panels, and

Figure 4 shows an enlarged portion of figure 3.

Figure 1 shows the positioning of solar panels 1 ,2,3 on an inclined roof of a building. Only five support elements 4 and three solar panels 1 ,2,3, are reproduced in figure 1 . The support elements 4 are attached to the inclined roof and the panels 1 ,2,3, are mounted against the support elements 4. The panels 1 ,2 are positioned in a lower horizontal array of panels and panel 3 is a panel of the adjacent higher array of panels. The panels 1 ,2,3 are arranged in a tiled mutual relation, whereby the panels have partly an overlap. That means that the higher edge 5 of the panels 1 ,2 of the lower array is positioned behind the lower portion 6 of the higher array of panels 3. The solar panels 1 ,2,3, has a rectangular front plate of glass and behind the glass are photovoltaic cells, located in the lower part of the panel, indicated with rectangle 7. So, the portion of the panels 1 ,2 of the lower array positioned behind the higher array of panels 3 is not provided with photovoltaic cells.

Each panel 1 ,2,3 is connected to three support elements 4. At the backside of each panel 1 ,2,3 are three elongated holder members 14 (not shown in figure 1 ) glued to the remainder part of the panel and located along the support elements 4. Each holder member 14 is connected with the support elements 4 near its lower end and near its higher end, as will be further explained hereafter.

Figure 2 shows an elongated (oblong) support element 4 in perspective view. The support element 4 is made of steel and can be attached to a building or to another object by means of screws, bolts or other fastening means. At its front side, the support element 4 is provided with bars 8,9 in transverse direction. Each bar 8,9 is a part of a connection member 12,13 for attaching the panels 1 ,2,3 to the support elements 4, as will be explained hereafter.

Figure 3 shows two installed panels 10,1 1 in side view, and figure 4 is an enlarged portion of figure 3. The two panels 10,1 1 are mounted against support elements 4 by means of first connection members 12 and second connection members 13. Each panel 10,1 1 has three oblong holder members 14, one along each of the three support members 4 to which the panels 10,1 1 are mounted. The holder members 14 are glued against the plate like element 15 of the panels 10,1 1. So, each panel 10,1 1 is connected with three first connection members 12 and three second connection members 13 to the support elements 4. Plate like element 15 is a rectangular glass plate provided with photovoltaic cells at its back side in common with further means for electrically connecting the cells in strings and with a junction box, as is usual with a solar panel. A further glass plate may form the back side of the plate like element 15, to which glass plate the holder members 14 are glued. Instead of a further glass plate also a cover foil of other material can be used.

First connection member 12 has two parts being a bar 8 attached to support element 4 and a clip 16 attached to holder member 14. Clip 16 is a metal strip shown in side view in the figures 3,4. Clip 16 engages bar 8, so that the panel 10,1 1 can not move in a direction perpendicular to its plane, but can rotate around bar 8. Bar 8 has two parallel flat portions 21 at opposite sides, so that the bar 8 is being clamped in clip

16 when the panel 1 1 rotates to its position parallel to the support elements 4, and can not move in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate like element 15.

Second connection member 13 has also two parts, a bar 9 attached to support element 4 and a pivot member 17 being able to rotate around shaft 18 (pivot axis). The figures 3,4 show pivot member 17 in its engaged position, whereby pivot member 17 engages bar 9, so that the panel 10,1 1 is firmly connected with the support element 4.

The panels 10,1 1 are installed on the support elements 4 as follows. The two parts 8,16 of first connection member 12 are brought near each other while the plane of the panel (10,1 1 ) is held inclined with respect to the support elements 4. Then the panel 10,1 1 is moved in such way that the clip 16 becomes in engagement with bar 8 on the support element 4. Thereafter panel 10,1 1 is rotated around bar 8 so that the two parts 9,17 of the second connection member 13 approaches each other. Thereby, bar 8 becomes in a clamping position in clip 16, because the distance of the flat portions 21 at opposite sides of bar 8 is less than the diameter of the cylindrical surface of bar 8. Pivot member 17 is provided with an edge 19 (figure 4), so that pivot member

17 rotates to its disengaged position when the two parts 9,17 of the second connection member 13 approach each other. The shape of the pivot member 17 is such that its center of gravity is located at the right side of the vertical plane trough the pivot axis 18 of pivot member 17, so that the gravitation pushes and keeps the pivot member 17 in its engaged position, which position is shown in the figures 3,4. In addition thereto, or as an alternative embodiment, spring means can be present in order to push and keep the pivot member 17 in its engaged position.

In order to remove a panel (10,1 1 ) from the support elements 4, the pivot member 17 is provided with a cam 20 (figure 4) having a surface extending up to the lower site of plate like element 15, so that said surface of cam 20 can be pushed to the left direction by means of a disengaging tool that is moved between the two

overlapping plate like elements 15. The pivot member 17 rotates thereby in its disengaged position. The surface to be pushed may be located at any place that can be reached by a tool that passes the space between two adjacent panels (10,1 1 ) , also when no overlapping of the panels is present. To remove the panel 10,1 1 , it can then be rotated around bar 8 whereby it moves upwards, so that the two parts 9,17 of the first connection member 12 can be separated by moving the panel 10,1 1 away from bar 9. In this manner a panel 10,1 1 can be removed from the support elements 4 without removing the surrounding panels 10,1 1.

While the invention has been illustrated in the figures and the foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative and exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment.