Technical Field

The present invention relates to a photovoltaic panel for balcony.

Background Art

As is known, a photovoltaic panel is a device capable of converting incident solar energy into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect.

Within the present disclosure we refer to a particular type of photovoltaic panels commonly known as photovoltaic panels for balcony.

The photovoltaic panels for balcony are directly installed on the balcony railing of a building and should not be confused with the photovoltaic panels for window which, on the contrary, are installed in the proximity of a window and attached to a vertical wall of the building.

In particular, the photovoltaic panels for window are used both to regulate the amount of light passing through the window itself and to produce electricity.

A first type of photovoltaic panels for window comprises the so-called photovoltaic blinds.

The photovoltaic blinds comprise a plurality of photovoltaic strips mutually associated through a wire running through the thickness of each photovoltaic strip.

The regulation of the amount of light which can pass through the window is done by placing the wire in different working positions.

For example, when the wire is fully stretched, the photovoltaic strips are arranged so as to completely cover the window; when the wire is fully retracted the photovoltaic strips stack up leaving the window clear.

The photovoltaic blinds do, however, have some drawbacks.

First of all, their manufacturing process is often costly in terms of time and money.

In addition, the photovoltaic blinds of known type do have poor impact resistance and are easily deformed and/or damaged as a result of particularly intense weather conditions such as, e.g., strong wind.

In particular, the presence of the metal wire gives low rigidity to the photovoltaic blinds which can be easily moved by the wind hitting any objects and damaging themselves.

Additionally, the presence of photovoltaic blinds drastically reduces the brightness inside the building.

A second type of photovoltaic panels for window is commonly known as a photovoltaic shutter.

The photovoltaic shutters comprise a frame element and a plurality of lamellar elements made at least partly of a photovoltaic material, which are associated with the frame element and extending internally thereto.

The frame element is attached or mounted in a sliding manner to a vertical wall of the building and is positioned in the proximity of a window.

The photovoltaic shutters do, however, have some drawbacks.

The photovoltaic shutters, especially when immovably associated with the vertical wall of the building, always dim the window, thus limiting the level of visibility for a user located inside the building.

The use of photovoltaic panels for balcony is known to overcome, at least partly, these drawbacks.

The photovoltaic panels for balcony of known type consist of a single slabshaped panel fixed to the balcony railing in a vertical position or inclined by an angle of about 30° with respect to the vertical, thus protruding by overhanging from the balcony by a distance of even 0.5 to 1 meter.

The photovoltaic panels for balcony of known type do have some drawbacks.

First of all, the wind can channel itself between the railing and the photovoltaic panel, thus subjecting it to the so-called “sail effect” with the real risk of detaching it from the railing.

In order to prevent the photovoltaic panel from detaching from the balcony, it is necessary to have attaching means which are particularly complex to make and/or install.

Secondly, the known photovoltaic panels for balcony do not always meet the aesthetic standards of customers and, in detail, change the aesthetic appearance of the building facade, often making it unpleasant to the eye.

For example, an observer outside the building may identify the photovoltaic panel associated with the railing with a canopy, negatively perceiving the aesthetic appearance of the balcony and/or of the building facade.

Again, the photovoltaic panels for balcony of known type limit the visibility of the outdoor environment to a balcony user, especially as far as the portion of the space vertically aligned to the balcony railing is concerned.

In other words, a person looking down from a balcony is unable to see the space below the photovoltaic panel.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to devise a photovoltaic panel for balcony which enables adequate safety conditions to be provided to the users of the balcony and/or to any persons positioned outside the building.

Within this aim, one object of the present invention is to devise a photovoltaic panel for balcony which is resistant to atmospheric agents, such as e.g. strong wind, and which enjoys a satisfactory level of rigidity.

It is a further object of the present invention to devise a photovoltaic panel for balcony which meets the aesthetic standards required by customers.

Again, it is an object of the present invention to devise a photovoltaic panel for balcony which improves the level of visibility of the outside of the building for a user positioned on the balcony and/or inside the building.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a photovoltaic panel for balcony which allows the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art to be overcome within a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as affordable solution.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present photovoltaic panel for balcony having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of some preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of a photovoltaic panel for balcony, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non-limiting example, in the accompanying tables of drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an axonometric view of a photovoltaic panel according to the invention mounted on a balcony railing and made according to a first embodiment;

Figure 2 is an exploded axonometric view of the photovoltaic panel in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional, partly enlarged, view of a photovoltaic panel according to the second embodiment;

Figure 4 is an axonometric view of a photovoltaic panel according to the invention made according to a third embodiment;

Figure 5 is an exploded axonometric view of the photovoltaic panel in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side view of the photovoltaic panel in Figure 4.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a photovoltaic panel for balcony.

The photovoltaic panel 1 comprises: at least one fastening assembly 2 to at least one railing P of a balcony; a plurality of photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 which are associated with the fastening assembly 2, which extend along a substantially horizontal direction of extension S and which are arranged one on top of the other.

Each of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 is arranged on a respective lying plane A which is inclined with respect to the vertical.

The photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 have a substantially slab-shaped conformation and are electrically connected in series to each other to form a photovoltaic string.

The electric connection means between the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are associated with the fastening assembly 2 and, for representation’ sake, are not shown in the figures.

Preferably, the lying planes A of the different photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are substantially parallel to each other and are inclined with respect to the vertical by an angle which is suitable to maximize the amount of solar energy incident on the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3.

Conveniently, at least one of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 comprises: at least one main surface 4 facing upwards and made at least partly of photovoltaic material; at least one secondary surface 5 facing downwards and made at least partly of reflective material.

Preferably, the secondary surface 5 comprises a mirroring foil-shaped element. The reflective material is adapted to reflect the solar radiation towards the main surface 4 of one of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 positioned below.

Preferably, all the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are provided with the main surface 4 made of photovoltaic material so as to transform the solar energy incident on the respective main surface 4 into electricity, by means of the photovoltaic effect.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, all of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3, with the exception of the lowest positioned photovoltaic lamellar element 3, are provided with the secondary surface 5 made of reflective material.

In this way, each photovoltaic lamellar element 3 is able to reflect the solar radiation onto the main surface 4 of the underlying photovoltaic lamellar element 3.

In this way, it is possible to increase the production output of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3, especially in the case wherein the photovoltaic lamellar element 3 partly shadows the underlying photovoltaic lamellar element 3.

The secondary surface 5 of the lowest positioned photovoltaic lamellar element 3 is not made of reflective material because there are no photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 positioned below.

In alternative embodiments, not shown in the figures, it can be envisaged to also implement the aforementioned secondary surface 5 made of a reflective material, so as to improve the aesthetic appearance of the photovoltaic panel 1.

In fact, in such an embodiment, the secondary surface 5 of the photovoltaic lamellar element 3 which is arranged in the lowest position reflects the environment underlying the photovoltaic panel 1, thus enhancing the visual perception by a possible observer positioned below the photovoltaic panel 1 itself.

The photovoltaic panel 1 thus made is integrated in an optimal manner with the environment in which it is installed, because its external surface is partly camouflaged by the reflected image of the surrounding environment. In other words, the photovoltaic panel 1, thus made, blends in with the building on which it is installed from an optical point of view, thus satisfying the requirements of customers and landscape authorities in terms of environmental impact.

The photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 comprise a basic frame made, preferably, of a metal material and associated with the fastening assembly 2.

Preferably, the basic frame comprises a frame element inside which the photovoltaic cells forming the main surface 4 are fitted.

The basic frame thus made protects the photovoltaic cells from impact against any external objects and, in the event of breakage of the photovoltaic cells, it encloses any shattered photovoltaic cells.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, reference is made to the particular condition wherein the railing P, with which the photovoltaic panel 1 is associated, is of the type of a banister, e.g. made of metal.

Thus, the railing P is provided with a plurality of vertical bars associated with a handrail C, i.e. a substantially horizontal bar, which is positioned superiorly to the vertical bars as a closing element thereof.

The railing P also comprises a lower horizontal bar associated with the lower ends of the vertical bars and positioned in the proximity of the balcony landing. The photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are substantially parallel to the handrail C of the railing P.

Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the railing P be different.

For example, the railing P may be made of wood or may consist of a wall made of masonry.

Conveniently, the fastening assembly 2 comprises: at least one front upright 6 having a substantially vertical extension and adapted to abut on the vertical facade of the railing P facing the outside of the balcony, the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 being associated with the front upright 6; at least one rear upright 7 having a substantially vertical extension and adapted to abut on the vertical facade of the railing P facing the inside of the balcony, an upper portion 8 of the front upright 6 and an upper portion 8 of the rear upright 7 being connected to each other to define an inverted U shape.

The front upright 6 comprises a front box-shaped body provided with a front opening 19 and with a front closure element 9 of the front opening 19 itself.

The electric connection means of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are fitted inside the front box-shaped body.

Similarly, the rear upright 7 comprises a rear box- shaped body provided with a rear opening 20 and with a rear closure element 10 of the rear opening 20 itself. The upper portion 8 of the front upright 6 is formed at the point where the upper end of the front box-shaped body is located.

The upper portion 8 of the rear upright 7 is formed at the point where the upper end of the rear box-shaped body is located.

The front upright 6 and the rear upright 7 are arranged in the same plane which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of extension S, and the front portions 8 project upwardly from the railing P itself.

The uprights 6, 7 and the railing P define a sandwich-like structure or a pincerlike structure wherein the railing P is positioned between the uprights 6, 7 and, advantageously, wherein the inverted U-shaped conformation defined by the front upright 6 and by the rear upright 7 is fitted astride of the railing P, in particular of its handrail C.

Conveniently, the fastening assembly 2 comprises at least two front uprights 6 and at least two rear uprights 7, a first end of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 being associated with one of the front uprights 6 and the other end of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 being associated with the other of the front uprights 6.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, there are two front uprights 6 and two rear uprights 7.

Specifically, each front upright 6 is associated with a respective rear upright 7 making up two pairs of uprights 6, 7 positioned at the point where the ends of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are located, respectively.

Advantageously, the fastening assembly 2 comprises at least one bar-shaped element 11 extending along a direction substantially parallel to the direction of extension S and abutted on the upper facade of the railing P.

The bar-shaped element 11 is associated with the uprights 6, 7.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper facade of the railing P corresponds to the surface of the handrail C of the railing P facing upwards.

The bar-shaped element 11 is positioned on the upper facade of the railing P and is placed between the pairs of uprights 6, 7; the upper portions 8 are abutted on the bar- shaped element 11 itself.

The dimensions of the bar-shaped element 11 are variable in relation to the width of the railing P and to the length of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3. Conveniently, the fastening assembly 2 comprises at least one coupling element 12 between the upper portions 8 of the front uprights 6 and the upper portions 8 of the rear uprights 7.

The coupling element 12 is substantially a spacer which is positioned stopping against the bar-shaped element 11 and is placed between each upper portion 8 of a front upright 6 and the respective upper portion 8 of the rear upright 7 with which it is associated.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the fastening assembly 2 comprises two coupling elements 12 positioned between the upper portions 8 of the uprights 6, 7 of each pair of uprights 6, 7, respectively.

Essentially, the upper portions 8 of each pair of uprights 6, 7 and the corresponding coupling element 12 define an inverted U-shaped structure embracing the upper facade of the railing P.

In this way, it is possible both to increase the level of adhesion between the fastening assembly 2 and the railing P, and to improve the level of integration of the fastening assembly 2 to the railing P.

In fact, the coupling elements 12 reduce the gap between the upper portions 8 of the uprights 6, 7 which, especially in the case where the upper facade of the railing P is very wide, may be significant.

In this regard, it should be noted that the size and/or conformation of the coupling elements 12 is variable depending on the dimensions of the upper facade of the railing P, in particular its width.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the coupling elements 12 have a substantially parallelepiped conformation.

In alternative embodiments, not shown in the figures, the coupling elements 12 are substantially plates positioned between the upper portions 8.

This solution is mainly used in the case where the photovoltaic panel 1 is mounted on a railing P, the upper facade of which has a very reduced width.

Advantageously, in the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the fastening assembly 2 comprises connection means 13 of the front uprights 6 to the rear uprights 7.

The connection means 13 comprise: at least one front hole 14 made on a lower portion 15 of the front uprights 6; at least one rear hole 16 made on a lower portion 15 of the rear uprights 7, the rear hole 16 and the front hole 14 being aligned along a substantially horizontal axis; at least one pivot element 17 associated with the front hole 14 and with the rear hole 16.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, each of the two front uprights 6 and each of the two rear uprights 7 are provided with front holes 14 and rear holes 16, respectively, formed on the respective lower portions 15.

Conveniently, the fastening assembly 2 is provided with two pivot elements 17 which can be associated with the front holes 14 and the rear holes 16, respectively, of each pair of uprights 6, 7.

Preferably, the pivot elements 17 are positioned below the lower horizontal bar of the railing P in order to fasten the photovoltaic panel 1 to the railing P.

In this way, the lifting of the photovoltaic panel 1 by an external agent such as, e.g., wind, is hindered by the presence of the pivot elements 17.

Conveniently, the photovoltaic panel 1 is provided with a plurality of front holes 14 and a plurality of rear holes 16 positioned at different heights with respect to the ground.

In this way, the photovoltaic panel 1 can easily adapt to different types of railings P provided with lower horizontal bars positioned at different heights. In addition, the presence of a plurality of holes 14 and 16 positioned at different heights makes it possible to adapt the overall height of the railing P to the safety regulations in force.

In this regard, it should be pointed out that the height of a railing from the balcony landing must exceed a certain value in order to hinder the falls of people leaning over the railing itself.

Buildings that are not of recent construction do not always meet these requirements and the photovoltaic panel 1 allows the overall height of the railing to be adjusted to meet these requirements.

Conveniently, the fastening assembly 2 comprises connection means for connecting the pivot elements 17 to the railing P which are adapted to associate the pivot elements 17 to the horizontal bar of the railing P.

The connection means, not shown in the figures, comprise at least one shimming element adapted to be placed between the pivot elements 17 and the railing P and to limit the clearance present in the coupling between them.

In this way, it is possible to limit the noise generated by the possible flapping of the pivot elements 17 on the railing P, as a result of the movement of the photovoltaic panel 1 by an external agent such as, e.g., wind.

The shimming element is, e.g., of the type of a washer or of a grommet and is positionable between the pivot elements 17 and the horizontal bar of the railing

P.

Advantageously, each of the front uprights 6 comprises a plurality of slots 18 inclined with respect to the vertical.

The photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are insertable by slotting into the slots 18.

In this way, the lying plane A of each photovoltaic lamellar element 3 is inclined with respect to the vertical in a suitable way so as to increase the amount of incident solar energy.

Advantageously, the photovoltaic panel 1 comprises immovable fixing means of the fastening assembly 2 to the railing P.

As described above, the railing P may be different from what shown in the figures and may be, e.g., of the type of a masonry wall.

In this case, it is not possible to use the connection means 13 described previously because the railing P is not provided with a lower horizontal bar to which the fastening assembly 2 can be fastened.

In such circumstances, in order to limit the raising of the photovoltaic panel 1 from the railing P, it is envisaged to use the immovable fixing means (not shown in the figures) which associate the uprights 6, 7 in a fixed manner to the wall of the railing P.

Preferably, the immovable fixing means comprise a plurality of front fixing holes cut into the front uprights 6 and a plurality of rear fixing holes cut into the rear uprights 7.

The immovable fixing means also comprise a plurality of through bolts which are adapted to fix the uprights 6, 7 to the wall of the railing P by fitting themselves into the front and rear through holes.

Alternatively, if it is not possible to drill into the railing P, the immovable fixing means comprise one or more screw pins which are screwed into the photovoltaic panel 1 to their full extension and which push on the inner wall of the railing P so as to exert a counteracting force towards the railing P itself.

A second embodiment of the photovoltaic panel 1 is provided, shown in Figure 3, which is substantially identical to the embodiment in Figures 1 and 2, to the detailed description of which reference is made in full, except for the fact that each of the front uprights 6 comprises, for each of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3, a plurality of slots 18 arranged according to different inclinations with respect to the vertical.

Each photovoltaic lamellar element 3 is insertable in a removable manner in each of the slots 18.

The particular expedient of providing a plurality of slots 18 with a different inclination with respect to the vertical allows choosing which slot 18 to use in order to maximize the amount of solar radiation incident on the main surfaces 4. In other words, it is possible to adjust the inclination of the lying plane A of each photovoltaic lamellar element 3 to the inclination of the sun rays, which may vary in relation to the latitude of the place of installation of the photovoltaic panel 1 and/or in relation to the weather season.

Figures 4 to 6 show a third embodiment of the photovoltaic panel 1 according to the invention wherein photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are provided which are entirely the same as those shown in Figures 1 and 2, to the detailed description of which reference is made in full.

The embodiment of Figures 4 to 6 continues to provide for at least one front upright 6 and at least one rear upright 7 connected to each other to define an inverted U-shaped conformation that is fitted astride of the railing P.

The front upright 6 still has a substantially vertical extension and is adapted to abut on the vertical facade of the railing P facing the outside of the balcony (i.e. the external facade), with the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 being associated with the front upright 6.

Also the rear upright 7 still has a substantially vertical extension and is adapted to abut on the vertical facade of the railing P facing the inside of the balcony (i.e. the internal facade).

Also in the embodiment of Figures 4 to 6, in addition, the fastening assembly 2 comprises two front uprights 6 and two rear uprights 7, with the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 having a first end associated with one of the front uprights 6 and the other end associated with the other front upright 6.

In contrast to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, wherein the front uprights 6 and the rear uprights 7 are separate bodies and assembled together, e.g. by means of the coupling elements 12, the front uprights 6 and the rear uprights 7 shown in Figures 4 to 6 are implemented in the form of one or more monolithic single bodies 21, 22, 23 having a front longitudinal element, defining the front upright 6, a rear longitudinal element, defining the rear upright 7, and a connecting stretch which connects the front longitudinal element to the rear longitudinal element in a U shape.

Advantageously, each front upright 6 and each rear upright 7 consist of e.g., a first monolithic single body 21, a second monolithic single body 22 and a third monolithic single body 23, wherein: the first monolithic single body 21 is shaped as a hollow shell, comprises an inner cavity 24 and, preferably, is made of plastic; the second monolithic single body 22 is housed in the inner cavity 24 of the first monolithic single body 21 and, preferably, is made of metal; the third monolithic single body 23 is associated with the first monolithic single body 21 closing the inner cavity 24 and, preferably, is made of plastic.

In other words, the second monolithic single body 22 represents a metal core placed in a plastic shell consisting of the first monolithic single body 21 and the third monolithic single body 23; the metal core provides strength and resistance, while the plastic shell ensures durability over time, ease of cleaning and a certain aesthetic pleasantness.

Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the monolithic single bodies 21, 22, 23 be present in a different number and/or wherein they are made of different materials from those described.

Conveniently, the front uprights 6 are longer than the rear uprights 7.

In actual facts, the front uprights 6 extend by a vertical dimension which is substantially comparable to the height of the railings P commonly used in modern buildings and which, e.g., is between 0.8 m and 1.1 m, better still between 0.9 m and 1 m, and preferably equal to 0.95 m.

The rear uprights 7, on the other hand, extend by a vertical dimension which is significantly less than the height of the railings P commonly used in modern buildings and which, e.g., is between 0.1 m and 0.3 m, better still between 0.15 m and 0.25 m, and preferably equal to 0.2 m.

This particular expedient allows, on the one hand, to maximize the length of the front uprights 6 and the surface of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 exposed to the sun and, on the other hand, to minimize the length of the rear uprights 7 and the overall size of the photovoltaic panel 1 with respect to the useful surface of the balcony.

Due to their design, the rear uprights 7 have a lower end 25 which, in the configuration of installation on the railing P, is spaced apart from the floor of the balcony.

Conveniently, the photovoltaic panel 1 comprises lighting means 26, 27 associated with the lower end 25 of the rear uprights 7, which allow lighting the balcony area in the proximity of the photovoltaic panel 1.

The lighting means 26, 27 comprise, e.g., a light source 26, e.g. arranged inside the first monolithic single body 21 and, preferably, of the low consumption type.

Conveniently, the light source 26 is connected to a power supply battery 27, of the rechargeable type and electrically connected to the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3; in actual facts, a part of the electricity produced by the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 is used to charge the power supply battery 27 during the day and to power the light source 26 during the night, so as to illuminate even only partly the balcony and make the photovoltaic panel 1 more aesthetically pleasing.

Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the light source 26 is powered by means of the normal electric network and/or by means of a different type of power supply battery (e.g., non-rechargeable batteries or the like).

Furthermore, the embodiment in Figures 4 to 6 differs from the embodiment in Figures 1 and 2 by the fact that no bar-shaped element 11 is provided for; in actual facts, the front uprights 6 and the rear uprights 7 are joined together only by means of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3.

It is therefore useful to emphasize that, similarly to the embodiment in the Figures 1 and 2, the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 comprise a basic frame, which in the Figures 4 and 5 is shown with the reference number 28 and which preferably consists of a frame element inside which the photovoltaic cells of the main surface 4 are fitted; the basic frames 28 of the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 allow stably connecting the two front uprights 6 to define a robust and resistant structure.

Also in the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6, each of the front uprights 6 comprises a plurality of slots 18 inclined with respect to the vertical, wherein the photovoltaic lamellar elements 3 are insertable by slotting in.

The embodiment in Figures 4 to 6, furthermore, differs from the embodiment in Figures 1 and 2 by the fact that the connection means 13 are not provided for and by the fact that the fastening assembly 2 comprises clamping means 29 for clamping the uprights 6, 7 to the handrail C of the railing P.

The clamping means 29 consist, e.g, of at least one pair of jaws which can be placed on opposite sides of the handrail C, in particular one above and one below, and which can be clamped stably thereon.

The clamping means 29 are fixed to the uprights 6, 7; in this regard, the clamping means 29 are housed in the space between each front upright 6 and each rear upright 7 and connected thereto rigidly and stably.