U.S. patent application number 12/850257 was filed with the patent office on 2011-02-17 for roof mounting support for photovoltaic modules on uneven roofs.
This patent application is currently assigned to Adensis GmbH. Invention is credited to BERNHARD BECK.
Application Number | 20110036028 12/850257 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43587738 |
Filed Date | 2011-02-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110036028 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BECK; BERNHARD |
February 17, 2011 |
ROOF MOUNTING SUPPORT FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES ON UNEVEN ROOFS
Abstract
A mounting support for mounting at least one photovoltaic module
having a glass pane on a top side of an, in particular, uneven roof
panel includes an elongated strip which can be rolled up and/or
unrolled in a roll-up/unroll direction. At least two attachment
means for the photovoltaic module are disposed on the strip with a
modular dimension. The bottom side of the support is provided in
the region of the attachment means with a protruding padding to
compensate for uneven roof areas. The top side of the attachment
means is provided with a supporting location or surface for edges
of the photovoltaic module. The mounting support can be packaged as
a roll and attached in a simple and effective manner on uneven and
rough roof shingles.
Inventors: |
BECK; BERNHARD; (Volkach OT
Dimbach, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HENRY M FEIEREISEN, LLC;HENRY M FEIEREISEN
708 THIRD AVENUE, SUITE 1501
NEW YORK
NY
10017
US
|
Assignee: |
Adensis GmbH
Dresden
DE
|
Family ID: |
43587738 |
Appl. No.: |
12/850257 |
Filed: |
August 4, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/173.3 ;
52/745.21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24S 25/636 20180501;
Y02B 10/10 20130101; H02S 20/23 20141201; Y02E 10/47 20130101; F24S
2025/019 20180501; F24S 2025/018 20180501; F24S 25/30 20180501;
Y02B 10/20 20130101; Y02E 10/50 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/173.3 ;
52/745.21 |
International
Class: |
E04D 13/18 20060101
E04D013/18; E04B 1/38 20060101 E04B001/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 17, 2009 |
DE |
10 2009 037 720.4 |
Claims
1. A mounting support for mounting at least one photovoltaic module
having a glass pane on a top side of a roof panel, comprising: an
elongated strip constructed to be rolled up or unrolled, or both,
in a roll-up/unroll direction, at least two attachment means
disposed on the strip a having a modular dimension for attachment
of the at least one photovoltaic module, a supporting location for
an edge of the photovoltaic module disposed on a top side of the
attachment means, and a padding protruding from a bottom side of
the support disposed in a region of the attachment means to
compensate for uneven areas of the roof panel.
2. The mounting support of claim 1, wherein the strip forms a
longitudinal rail which has a width greater than a width of the at
least two attachment means, with the longitudinal rail connecting
with one another two respective attachment means with a spacing
defined by the modular dimension.
3. The mounting support of claim 1, wherein a plurality of
attachment means is attached on the strip, with the strip having a
length exceeding one meter, and wherein the spacing between the
attachment means as defined by the modular dimension is between 60
cm and 125 cm.
4. The mounting support of claim 1, comprising two mutually
parallel strips having at least four attachment means forming a
rectangle.
5. The mounting support of claim 4, further comprising transverse
rails, which connect corresponding opposing attachment means with
one another.
6. The mounting support of claim 5, comprising more than two strips
producing a grid, wherein the at least four attachment means are
disposed at nodes of the rectangles which are arranged in a
checkerboard pattern.
7. The mounting support of claim 1, wherein the strip and the at
least two attachment means form an integral injection-molded
part.
8. The mounting support of claim 5, wherein the strip, the at least
four attachment means and the transverse rails form an integral
injection-molded part.
9. The mounting support of claim 1, wherein the padding is made of
a material selected from the group consisting of an elastic
material, a hydrophobic material, and a sealing compound.
10. The mounting support of claim 1, wherein the padding has a
structure exerting a spring force, or comprises a chamber that is
open at the bottom side of the support and filled with a material
capable of flowing under pressure, or a combination thereof.
11. The mounting support of claim 1, wherein a top side of the
attachment means has two supporting locations or supporting
surfaces which are separated from each other by a separation wall
operating as a stop.
12. The mounting support of claim 1, wherein the at least two
attachment means comprise a material region of reduced thickness or
a bore for lead-through of a screw.
13. The mounting support of claim 12, wherein the material region
of reduced thickness or the bore is located in a central region of
the attachment means.
14. The mounting support of claim 1, wherein the at least two
attachment means comprise a blind hole located in a central region,
wherein the blind hole or a sleeve inserted in blind hole has an
interior thread, further comprising a material region of reduced
thickness or bores arranged mirror-symmetrically next to the blind
hole in spaced-apart relationship.
15. The mounting support of claim 4, wherein the attachment means,
when viewed from the top, form a rectangle having edges with a
length ranging between 5 cm and 12 cm.
16. The mounting support of claim 1, further comprising in addition
to the attachment means a clamping part which, after installation,
exerts on the photovoltaic module a force directed towards the
supporting location.
17. The mounting support of claim 5, wherein at least one of the
strip, the attachment means or the transverse rail has an
integrated electric cable or is provided with clips for routing an
electric cable.
18. A method for mounting a photovoltaic system having a plurality
of photovoltaic modules on an uneven roof panel applied on a wooden
structure with a mounting support which includes an elongated strip
constructed to be rolled up or unrolled, or both, in a
roll-up/unroll direction, at least two attachment means disposed on
the strip a having a modular dimension for attachment of the at
least one photovoltaic module, a supporting location or a
supporting surface for an edge of the photovoltaic module disposed
on a top side of the attachment means, and a padding protruding
from a bottom side of the mounting support disposed in a region of
the attachment means to compensate for uneven areas of the roof
panel, comprising the steps of: attaching a first part of the
attachment means with screws to the wooden structure, placing an
edge of a first photovoltaic module on the supporting surfaces of
the first part of the attachment means, placing a second part of
the attachment means on the roof panel such that the edge of the
first photovoltaic module is arranged on the supporting location or
a supporting surface of the second part of the attachment means,
and attaching the second part of the attachment means with screws
to the wooden structure, wherein the padding seals damage to the
roof panel caused by the screw-attachment to the wooden
structure.
19. A method for mounting a photovoltaic system having a plurality
of photovoltaic modules on an uneven roof panel applied on a wooden
structure with a mounting support which includes at least one
elongated strip constructed to be rolled up or unrolled, or both,
in a roll-up/unroll direction, at least two attachment means
disposed on the at least one strip a having a modular dimension for
attachment of the at least one photovoltaic module, a supporting
location or a supporting surface for an edge of the photovoltaic
module disposed on a top side of the attachment means, and a
padding protruding from a bottom side of the mounting support
disposed in a region of the attachment means to compensate for
uneven areas of the roof panel, comprising the steps of: attaching
a first part of the attachment means with screws to the wooden
structure, placing a second part of the attachment means on the
roof panel in such a manner that the at least one strip is under
tension, attaching the second part of the attachment means with
screws to the wooden structure, and placing and clamping the
photovoltaic modules on the supporting location or supporting
surface of the attachment means, wherein the padding seals damage
to the roof panel caused by the screw-attachment to the wooden
structure.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein a clamping part associated with
the attachment means and constructed for clamping and affixing the
photovoltaic modules is mounted on the wooden structure at the same
time the attachment means are attached with screws.
21. The method of claim 18, wherein are plurality of strips are
arranged in form of a rectangular grid forming a checkerboard
pattern, further comprising cutting the rectangular grid to a size
corresponding to an existing roof shape and roof size before
installation.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein are plurality of strips are
arranged in form of a rectangular grid forming a checkerboard
pattern, further comprising cutting the rectangular grid to a size
corresponding to an existing roof shape and roof size before
installation.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the priority of German Patent
Application, Serial No. 10 2009 037 720.4, filed Aug. 17, 2009,
pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), the content of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if fully set
forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a mounting support for
mounting a photovoltaic module having a glass pane on the top side
of an, in particular, uneven roof panel.
[0003] The following discussion of related art is provided to
assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention,
and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is
prior art to this invention.
[0004] Presently, two approaches are used for installing a solar
collector system on a flat roof or an inclined roof, as described
with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As illustrated in FIG. 1, concrete
blocks 1 are placed on the roof and a corresponding support
structure 3, on which conventional photovoltaic modules made of
glass are mounted, is connected with the concrete blocks 1.
Disadvantageously, this structure is heavy and must be taken into
consideration in the static design. Moreover, large quantities of
material are required. Conversely, this approach has advantageously
a high efficiency, because photovoltaic modules with one or two
glass panes can be installed at a favorable angle.
[0005] According to the second approach, a mounting foil 7 is glued
onto the flat roof and is subsequently joined with a module foil 9.
This embodiment has a small roof load and low material costs;
however, the efficiency of module foils is low. Installation is
simple and advantageous, because the foil 7, 9 needs only to be
installed in a single roll-up/unrolling direction 11 and joined
with the roof panel by gluing or welding.
[0006] For example, EP-A-08 018 443 discloses a support having the
shape of an elongated strip. The bottom side of the support has a
substantially planar structure and can therefore be readily joined
with the roof panel. The top side of the support is interrupted by
openings which extend transversely to a roll-up/unrolling direction
from one edge to the other, thereby forming segments delimited by
the openings. In one part of the segments, a respective attachment
means for the photovoltaic modules is integrated, wherein the
photovoltaic modules are arranged with respect to one another in
the roll-up/unrolling direction in a predetermined grid pattern.
The support is only suitable for roofs with a flat, smooth roof
panel made of, for example, foil, copper sheets or galvanized
sheets, because the support is glued or welded to the roof panel.
In addition, the support must extend across a large area, because
the support must be able to absorb the load of the photovoltaic
modules, as well as snow and wind forces.
[0007] It would be desirable to address this problem and to obviate
other prior art shortcomings by providing a support for PV modules
which is used only to orient and adjust the individual PV modules,
which is capable of absorbing forces, provided that the roof
construction can sustain the forces. It would furthermore be
desirable to provide a support that can be rolled up and unrolled,
which can be readily transported and handled due to its low weight,
thereby allowing a precise orientation of the PV modules with
respect to one another. The support should also be usable on uneven
and rough surfaces. This additional characteristic property is
advantageous in particular with roofs having roof panels made of
shingles which are uneven at their overlaps, for example have a
step or a shoulder, making gluing or welding impossible. This
applies particularly to roofs widely used in the USA which are made
of sand-coated roofing felt shingles, but also to domestic roofs
covered with wooden shingles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a mounting
support for mounting at least one photovoltaic module having a
glass pane on a top side of a roof panel, includes an elongated
strip constructed to be rolled up or unrolled, or both, in a
roll-up/unroll direction, at least two attachment means disposed on
the strip a having a modular dimension for attachment of the at
least one photovoltaic module, a supporting location for an edge of
the photovoltaic module disposed on a top side of the attachment
means, and a padding protruding from a bottom side of the support
disposed in a region of the attachment means to compensate for
uneven areas of the roof panel.
[0009] According to another aspect of the invention, a method for
mounting a photovoltaic system having a plurality of photovoltaic
modules on an uneven roof panel applied on a wooden structure with
a mounting support with the mounting support described above
includes the steps of attaching a first part of the attachment
means with screws to the wooden structure, placing an edge of a
first photovoltaic module on the supporting surfaces of the first
part of the attachment means, placing a second part of the
attachment means on the roof panel such that the edge of the first
photovoltaic module is arranged on the supporting location or a
supporting surface of the second part of the attachment means, and
attaching the second part of the attachment means with screws to
the wooden structure. The padding seals damage to the roof panel
caused by the screw-attachment to the wooden structure.
[0010] According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method
for mounting a photovoltaic system having a plurality of
photovoltaic modules on an uneven roof panel applied on a wooden
structure with the mounting support described above includes the
steps of attaching a first part of the attachment means with screws
to the wooden structure, placing a second part of the attachment
means on the roof panel in such a manner that the at least one
strip is under tension, attaching the second part of the attachment
means with screws to the wooden structure, and placing and clamping
the photovoltaic modules on the supporting location or supporting
surface of the attachment means. The padding hereby also seals
damage to the roof panel caused by the screw-attachment to the
wooden structure.
[0011] In the simplest embodiment, the aforementioned support
includes a strip having along its length or at its ends respective
attachment means, which are spaced by a distance determined by the
modular pattern or the modular dimension. The spacing corresponds
essentially to the height of the PV modules to be mounted plus
one-time the gap between adjacent modules. Depending on the
employed module, a different modular dimension can be selected. It
is important that the modular dimension is always adapted to the
dimensions of the module. In other words, when the PV module is
mounted on the edge, the aforementioned width defines the modular
dimension. A potentially different (i.e., shorter) modular
dimension may be selected when the module is attached on the bottom
side of the PV module. The padding protrudes a certain height from
the bottom side of the support, wherein the height is selected so
that the thickness is at least twice the thickness of conventional
roof shingles, in addition to an upsetting distance which is
required for pressing the padding form-fittingly and moisture-tight
onto the uneven, sand-coated roof shingle. In the subsequently
described installation of the support, the padding is, depending on
its relative position to the shingle, pressed against the shingle
or into the step or gap formed by an overlap. The top side of the
support facing the sky is provided with one or more supporting
surfaces, which serve as placement or supporting surface for the PV
module to be installed. With the invention, photovoltaic modules
based on glass technology can advantageously be used without the
need for a heavy substructure.
[0012] According to a modified embodiment of this basic pattern, a
plurality of attachment means is attached on a strip having a
length exceeding one meter, and the modular dimension forms a
spacing of between 60 cm and 125 cm between the attachment means.
The term "exceeding one meter" is intended to indicate that at
least two PV modules can be attached on top of one another on the
same strip. In practice, the strip may have a length of several
meters, e.g., 20 to 50 meters, and may be cut to the desired length
at the installation site. For example, several strips having a
length of 7 meters, which then extend parallel to one another, can
be cut for a roof having a length between roof ridge and gutter of
8 meters, with the plurality of attachment means forming respective
rectangles. Likewise, in a modified embodiment having this
arrangement of parallel strips, more than two mutually parallel
strips may be provided which form a grid pattern where the
attachment means are located at the nodes of rectangles arranged in
a checkerboard pattern.
[0013] In particular, with this grid shape of the support,
transverse rails are advantageously provided which connect the
opposing attachment means with each other. The strips themselves
should, compared to the dimensions of the attachment means, form a
relatively wide longitudinal rail connecting pairs of respective
attachment means with each other. This width is required so that
the position of the attachment means is maintained during the
screw-down operation without rotating the attachment means.
However, the strip should not protrude over the width of the
attachment means. If the attachment means forms, in a top view, a
rectangle with edges having lengths in a range between 5 cm and 12
cm, then a width of the strips (referred above also as longitudinal
rail) should be between 8 cm 12 cm and the width of the transverse
rails between 1 cm and 3 cm. A different, i.e. wider, width of the
transverse rail may be selected if due to the employed material a
rotation lock of the attachment means during screw-down can only be
attained by stiffening the grid in a second direction. A small
thickness of the strips and of the transverse rails should be
selected, so that they are flexible and can be easily rolled up or
unrolled. A thickness between 0.5 mm to 2 mm is sufficient because
the thickness is required only for adjusting the attachment means.
This takes into consideration that the support should be easy and
comfortable to handle, facilitating a correct orientation and
positioning of the attachment means, which are only subsequently
joined with the roof panel and the structure underneath.
[0014] If the grid it is not too wide, i.e., for example, the width
is adapted for a single PV module up to a maximum of three PV
modules (corresponding to two to four attachment means positioned
side by side), then the strips, the transverse rails and the
attachment means may form an integral injection-molded plastic
part. Assuming a module width of 120 cm and a position of each of
the attachment means of 30 cm from the edge of the narrow side of
the module for a spacing between modules of 5 cm, then the grid
width will be about 70 cm for a single PV module installed
width-wise (distance 60 cm plus twice half the width of the
attachment means itself which has a width of 10 cm), and of 195 cm
for two PV modules installed side-by-side, and additionally 125 cm
for each additional adjacently installed PV module. With a 50 m
long rolled-up grid for a single module width, adjustment and
attachment supports for 77 PV modules can be provided with a height
of the PV module of 60 cm. With a 195 cm wide grid for two adjacent
PV modules already for 150 for PV modules, with a 220 cm wide grid
for three adjacent PV modules for 231 PV modules, etc.
Advantageously, the support, in particular when implemented as an
injection molded part, is provided with means for routing an
electric cable. This may be accomplished either with clamps or
clips, in which the conventional wiring cables for the PV modules
are snapped in, or the electrical cables themselves are connected
with the injection molded part, for example integrated therein, so
that only their terminals are routed to the outside, or the cables
are permanently mechanically attached, for example glued or welded,
to the top side of the strips and rails.
[0015] PV modules with metallic frames may not require attachment
means with a rubber support. However, for grounding, the attachment
means or at least parts of the strip should be made of metal.
[0016] The padding on the bottom side of the mounting support
should have at least one of the following characteristic
properties: it is made of an elastic material, it is made of a
hydrophobic material, it has a structure exerting a spring force,
it has a chamber that is open towards the bottom and filled with a
material capable of flowing under pressure, and/or it is made of a
sealing mass, for example cellular rubber impregnated with bitumen.
Because the padding comes into contact with rainwater, the material
must be insoluble in water. It may be, for example, a swelling
material which swells when exposed to moisture. In this way, the
sealing action of the padding increases over time. A structure
exerting a spring force provides, for example, that the padding is
made of an elastic material and provided with cavities. During
compression, the cavities have the tendency to return to their
original shape and therefore provide a sealing effect.
Advantageously, the cavities or chambers are provided with a lower
opening oriented towards the roof panel. A material which becomes
liquid under pressure and is squeezed out of the opening may be
introduced into this chamber. This is particularly advantageous
when a gap is encountered accidentally. In this case, the sealing
compound contained in the pockets or pores enters the gap in a
liquid state.
[0017] For attaining a defined height of the PV module on the
attachment means, the top side of the attachment means is provided
with one or two supporting locations for the edge of the PV module,
for example for the two edges of adjacent PV modules. To prevent
point loads on the glass of the installed PV module, the supporting
locations may advantageously be configured as supporting surfaces
which are separated from each other by a separation wall operating
as a stop. The separation wall prevents the two edges of adjacent
PV modules, which are clamped using the same attachment means, from
striking each other. The separation wall may also be formed in two
parts, with one part for one photovoltaic module and another part
for the other adjacent photovoltaic module. The gap between the
separation parts, which can also be viewed as forming separate
stops, should be as large as possible to reduce material use and
weight. To facilitate the attachment means to be screwed to the
wooden roof structure, the material is thinned, preferably in the
central region of the attachment means, and can be easily
penetrated by a self-threading screw.
[0018] The support for PV modules having a metal frame can be
completely prepared in the factory, because the clamping part is
narrower than the module spacing, because the module frames can
also withstand point loads. An opening for penetration of the screw
is also advantageous, in particular if the opening is sized so that
the tip of the screw can be easily screwed in and securely held in
place. With this approach, a clamping part which after installation
exerts on the photovoltaic module a force directed towards the
supporting surface should be added to the attachment part before.
The clamping part should be somewhat narrower than the spacing
between two adjacent PV modules. In this way, the clamping part can
already be installed in the factory together with the screw
inserted into the opening. When the PV module is placed onto the
supporting surfaces of the attachment means, the clamping parts are
initially rotated in a longitudinal direction parallel to the
module edge and are then rotated perpendicular to the module edge
after the placement of the PV module, before the screw is screwed
into the wooden structure, in particular the wooden covering boards
of a shingled roof, and tightened, whereby the PV module is clamped
down.
[0019] According to a variant of the aforedescribed solution using
a screw, several screws may be used, wherein the attachment means
is provided in the central region with a blind hole, which alone or
an inserted sleeve have an interior thread, and wherein in addition
to the blind hole two spaced-apart thinned regions or recesses are
provided in the material which are arranged mirror-symmetrically in
relation to the blind hole. With this variant, the force required
to clamp the PV module is advantageously not transferred to the
roof panel and its substructure, but remains entirely inside the
attachment means and is absorbed by the machine screw which
tightens the clamping part in the direction towards the attachment
means.
[0020] Regarding the method for installing the photovoltaic module,
the object is solved according to a first embodiment of the
invention in that in a first method step a first part of the
attachment means is screwed down on the wooden structure, that in a
second method step one edge of the photovoltaic module is placed on
the supporting surfaces of the first part of the attachment means,
that in a third method step a second part of the attachment means
is placed on the roof panel such that the edge of the previously
placed photovoltaic module facing the one edge is placed on the
supporting surfaces of the second part of the attachment means, and
that in a fourth method step the second part of the attachment
means is screwed down on the wooden structure, wherein the padding
seals any damage to the roof panel caused when the screws are
screwed into the wooden structure. With this installation method,
the strips or longitudinal rails of the mounting support can be
dimensioned to be somewhat longer than required for the exact
spacing. The attachment means is then no longer used to set the
spacing at the same time: because one edge of the PV module already
makes contact with the stop of one attachment means, whereas the
stop of the other attachment means only needs to be moved to the
other edge of the module, where it is fixed in place.
[0021] The second embodiment of the invention is different in that
the object is solved in that in a first method step a first part of
the attachment means is screwed down to the wooden structure, that
in a second method step a second part of the attachment means is
placed on the roof panel in such a manner that the strip(s) and
optionally the transverse rails is/are under tension, that in a
third method step the second part of the attachment means is
screwed down to the wooden structure, and that in a fourth method
step the photovoltaic modules are placed on the supporting surfaces
of the attachment means where they are clamped, wherein the padding
seals any damage to the roof panel caused when the screws are
screwed into the wooden structure. With this installation method,
the complete substructure for the PV modules can be finished first,
before subsequently all PV modules are placed sequentially or, when
using several installers, concurrently onto the support in a single
operation and fixed with the associated clamping part.
[0022] As described above, with both approaches, the clamping means
associated with the attachment means for clamping and affixing the
photovoltaic modules can be installed at the same time the
attachment means are screwed down on the wooden structure. In
addition, with both variants, the grid can advantageously already
be cut to size according to the available roof shape and roof size
before installation, possibly already at the manufacturing site of
the mounting support, before the grid is installed, thereby
forestalling any inconvenience during the actual installation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0023] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of
currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 a conventional installation method for photovoltaic
modules on a flat roof;
[0025] FIG. 2 conventional installation method for a photovoltaic
foil on a flat roof;
[0026] FIG. 3 a cross-section through a detail of a mounting
support according to the invention with two installed attachment
means;
[0027] FIG. 3a a detailed view of FIG. 3 with a single-screw
embodiment;
[0028] FIG. 3b a detailed view of FIG. 3 with a three-screw
embodiment;
[0029] FIG. 4 a basic arrangement of the mounting support according
to the invention;
[0030] FIG. 5 a modification of the basic arrangement enlarged to
an elongated strip;
[0031] FIG. 6 a modification of the basic arrangement enlarged to a
rectangle;
[0032] FIG. 7 a modification of the basic arrangement enlarged to
the shape of a rope ladder;
[0033] FIG. 8 a modification of the basic arrangement enlarged to a
grid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0034] Throughout all the figures, same or corresponding elements
may generally be indicated by same reference numerals. These
depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the
invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be
understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that
the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols,
phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views.
In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an
understanding of the present invention or which render other
details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.
[0035] Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIGS. 3, 3a
and 3b, there is shown with the reference symbol 11a mounting
support for mounting rigid photovoltaic modules 13 on an uneven
roof panel. The roof panel is composed of a plurality of shingles
15 which are nailed in overlapping relationship onto a wooden
substructure 17, typically with roofing nails (not shown). The
shingles 15 may be made of sand-coated roofing felt, wood, or other
suitable materials. Due to the overlap, a step 19 is formed in the
overlap region, which for an installation of the shingles 15 with
an offset is maximally twice the shingle thickness.
[0036] The photovoltaic modules 13 are to be installed on this type
of roof panel. To this end, the mounting support 11 is composed of
a strip 21 having attachment means 23 arranged in regular
intervals, the so-called modular dimension. Each attachment means
23 has on its top side two supporting surfaces 25, which each
support an edge of adjacent PV modules 13. The two supporting
surfaces 25 are separated from each other by a separation wall 27
which prevents adjacent modules 13 from striking each other and
also operates as a stop during installation of the PV modules 13.
The attachment means 23 has on its bottom side a padding 29 made of
an elastic material, operating as a seal when compressed. In the
illustrated exemplary embodiment, the padding 29 extends across the
entire underside of the attachment means 23. It would also be
sufficient to use a round or rectangular padding 29 with a diameter
or edge length between 5 mm and 20 mm, as described below when
discussing its functionality.
[0037] Each of two attachment means 23 are connected with one
another by way of the longitudinal rail or strip 21. To illustrate
the two variants shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, FIG. 3 shows on the
right side a single-screw variant and on the left side the
three-screw variant. It should be noted that in reality the support
is always equipped with only a single type of attachment means 23.
In the illustrated embodiment, the strip 21 and the attachment
means 23 are manufactured as a single part, for example, by an
injection molding process.
[0038] The variant illustrated on the light side in FIG. 3a
includes a bore 31 located in the central region of the attachment
means 23. The bore 31 extends perpendicular to the supporting
surfaces 25 and is preferably implemented so as to terminate before
the padding 29 or to slightly penetrate into the padding. A screw
33 is inserted through the bore 31, and the thread of the screw 33
is screwed into the wooden structure 17 located underneath the
shingles 15. A clamping part 35, which has at its bottom side a
rubber part 37 to prevent sliding and scratching of the PV modules
13, is provided as an accessory to the attachment means 23. A
protective foil (not shown) similar to the rubber part 37 can be
applied on the supporting surfaces 25 of the attachment means 23
before installation of the PV module 13.
[0039] The diameter of the bore 31 may be larger than the outside
diameter of the screw 33, allowing the screw 33 to move freely
inside the bore 31. To prepare the mounting support 11 for
installation ahead of time, the diameter of the bore 31 should be
slightly smaller than the diameter of the exterior thread of the
screw 33. In this case, the clamping part 35 can already be
positioned during manufacture of the support 11 and can be rolled
up together with the mounting support 11, held in place by the
screw 33.
[0040] As seen clearly in FIG. 3a, the padding 29 is compressed
after the clamping part is pressed against the PV module 13 and
protects the region where the screw 33 penetrates the shingles 15
from incursion of moisture.
[0041] The complementing FIG. 3b shows the three-screw variant,
where the central bore 31 is replaced with a blind hole 38, with
the bottom of the blind hole 38 terminating a safe distance from
the underside of the attachment means 23. If the material from
which the attachment means 23 is made has a sufficiently high
firmness, then the inside of the blind hole 38 can be directly
provided with an interior thread. The clamping forces are then
directly introduced into the attachment means 23. Conversely, if
the attachment means 23 is made of a softer plastic, then a metal
sleeve should be anchored therein during manufacture of the
attachment means 23, whereby the clamping forces are then
transmitted indirectly via the sleeve to the attachment part
23.
[0042] FIG. 4 shows a top view onto the basic component of the
mounting support 11 in the smallest unit of the strip 21, which
forms only a single longitudinal rail, having only one respective
attachment means at each of its ends. The PV module 13 is installed
on the roof panel by installing two of these basic components next
to each other.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows the next larger structure, wherein the strip 21
has the length of several meters and includes several attachment
means 23. The attachment means 23 are spaced from one another with
an identical distance A, thereby forming a modular dimension A. The
strip 21 then includes a plurality of longitudinal rails 21a to 21e
which each connect two corresponding adjacent attachment means 23
with one another.
[0044] FIG. 6 shows two adjacent basic components according to FIG.
4, wherein two strips 21 and 21' are arranged next to each other
and the opposing attachment means 23 and 23' are connected in pairs
by way of a transverse rail 39.
[0045] A still more complex structure of the mounting support 11
which is prefabricated as a single piece is shown in FIG. 7. The
row structure of FIG. 5 is combined with the rectangular structure
of FIG. 6, forming a structure similar to a rope ladder. In other
words: all attachment means 23 and 23' located along the strips 21
and 21' at the same position in the strip 21, 21' are connected in
pairs via a respective transverse rail 39.
[0046] The largest possible type of mounting support 11 is obtained
when several of the ladder-shaped arrangements of strips 21, 21'
and attachment means 23, 23' shown in FIG. 7 are combined next to
one another into a grid 41, as illustrated in FIG. 8. This Figure
also shows the connection scheme of the involved 16 PV modules. The
positive terminals of the PV modules are indicated by a plus-sign
and the negative terminals with a minus-sign. The cable connections
are indicated by continuous thick lines, which need only be
connected from one module 13 to the next module 13; a longer
connection is sometimes required which can be implemented via
external cables with clamps formed on the rails or with electric
cables integrated in the rails.
[0047] FIG. 4 shows another electric cable 43 which is integrated
inside the longitudinal rails 21 and the transverse rail 39.
Alternatively, attachment with an adhesive to the bottom or top
side of the rail 31:39 may be selected. The ends of the electric
cable could either be provided with a first component of a plug
connection, or with a contact pad 45 which provides electrical
contact to the PV module by way of pressure.
[0048] While the invention has been illustrated and described in
connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described
in detail, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown
since various modifications and structural changes may be made
without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of the
present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in
order to explain the principles of the invention and practical
application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best
utilize the invention and various embodiments with various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
* * * * *