JP2015003310A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaning device not requiring rails for moving.SOLUTION: A cleaning device (10) includes: a driving wheel (14) making the cleaning device (10) travel on a surface to be cleaned of a solar cell module (101); a driving part (motor 13) driving the driving wheels (14); and a guide wheel (20) guiding the cleaning device (10) along the surface to be cleaned. At least one driving wheel (14) is mounted on the upper end side from the center between the top end and the bottom end of the solar cell module (101).

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning device, and more particularly to a solar panel cleaning device.

  In recent years, from the viewpoint of environmental protection, an increasing number of houses and buildings are installed with solar panels (solar cells) that convert sunlight into electric power. In addition, oil / nuclear energy alternatives are being discussed on a global scale, and measures for a feed-in tariff system for renewable energy such as solar power are being implemented. In response to such measures, corporations, local governments, electric power companies, etc. are operating larger-scale solar power plants, making use of the generated power in-house, and selling electric power.

  Until now, solar panels were supposed to be able to generate electricity without maintenance, such as being able to remove dirt on the surface due to rain. However, since the solar panel generates power by sunlight, if dirt such as dead leaves or dust adheres to the surface, the amount of power to be generated rapidly decreases. In particular, in areas with low rainfall, such as desert / dry areas, and areas with a lot of sediment such as volcanic ash, yellow sand, and snow, it is necessary to clean the surface of the solar panel in order to generate power efficiently throughout the year. Doing work. Here, considering the installation position of the solar panel and the response to a large-scale solar panel, the cleaning device that cleans the dirt on the surface of the solar panel is self-propelled and cleaned along the row of solar panels (horizontal direction). It is desirable to do.

  The washing machine described in Patent Document 1 moves on the frame by applying a gear to the frame and electrically driving a gear supported by a fixed vehicle. In addition, the solar panel is cleaned by rotating and moving the cleaning mops and jetting water from the cleaning hose.

  In the cleaning apparatus described in Patent Document 2, a traverse rail is installed on the upper side and lower side of the surface to be cleaned, and a frame including a brush for cleaning moves along the traverse rail by the moving means. The moving means includes: a sprocket that is rotationally driven by a movement drive unit (such as a motor) meshes with a traverse chain disposed on the traverse rail, and two pairs of moving wheels sandwich the traverse rail up and down. It moves along the traversing rail by being guided by. In addition, the cleaning device cleans the wall surface by ejecting water and a cleaning stock solution while removing the moisture with a wiper while rotating the brush disposed on the frame.

JP 2010-287867 A (released on December 24, 2010) JP 2002-78648 A (published on March 19, 2002)

  However, in the solar panel cleaning machine described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to clean a large number of panel groups represented by a mega solar power plant. Specifically, the solar panel cleaning machine requires a gear frame having a length approximately equal to the entire length of the row in order to be applied to cleaning a large number of solar panels arranged in a row. Furthermore, in order to clean all the solar panel rows, it is necessary to install gear frames in all rows, or to move the device to another row together with the gear frames, which is very expensive. There is.

  In addition, the cleaning device described in Patent Document 2 requires a traverse rail and a traverse chain having a length approximately equal to the entire length of the column in order to be applied to the cleaning of a large number of solar panels arranged in a row. . Further, in order to clean a plurality of solar panel columns, it is necessary to install a traverse rail in all the columns, and there is a problem that a great cost is required.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cleaning apparatus that does not require a rail for moving.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a cleaning apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a surface to be cleaned in a panel complex including a plurality of panels arranged to be inclined at the same angle with a gap therebetween. A cleaning device that cleans the vehicle while traveling on the surface to be cleaned, a drive wheel that drives the cleaning device, a drive unit that drives the drive wheel, and an upper end of the panel complex. And a guide wheel that guides the cleaning device along the surface to be cleaned, and at least one drive wheel is provided on the upper end side from the center between the upper end and the lower end of the panel complex. It is characterized by.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, a rail or the like is not required for movement of the cleaning device, so that the configuration can be simplified. Therefore, when the surface to be cleaned is composed of a plurality of rows of solar panels, there is an effect that a device that cleans the panel surface while traveling along the rows of solar panels can be provided at a light weight and at a low cost.

  Since no rail is used, the guide wheel contacts the upper end of the panel composite. Depending on the size of the guide wheel, the guide wheel may fit into a gap between adjacent panels. In order to avoid such an inconvenience, the guide wheel may be enlarged, but the cleaning device is enlarged accordingly. Further, when the guide wheel and the driving wheel are largely separated from each other, there is a problem that a rotational force due to the driving force of the driving wheel is generated around the guide wheel that is fitted and stopped in the gap.

  Therefore, the drive wheels are arranged on the upper end side from the center between the upper end and the lower end of the panel composite, so that the drive force of the drive wheels acting on the guide wheels arranged at the upper end of the panel composite is increased. Thereby, even if a guide wheel fits into the gap between adjacent panels, it can be easily pulled out of the gap, and the rotational force to the cleaning device due to the driving force of the driving wheel can be suppressed. Therefore, the guide wheel can be prevented from stopping in the gap, and the driving wheel does not rotate the cleaning device when the cleaning device moves. Thus, the cleaning device can stably run without a rail.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a top view explaining the state of installation of a solar power generation device, (b) is a side view of (a). It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the modification of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on further another embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, a cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the embodiments, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated. In the description of the embodiments, for the sake of convenience of explanation, upper, lower, left, and right expressions are used. However, these expressions are based on the drawings and do not limit the configuration of the invention.

  In the following embodiment, a solar panel cleaning device will be described. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the solar panel cleaning device, and is formed by a plurality of panels arranged with a gap and inclined. It can be used for flat parts.

Embodiment 1
(Solar power generation device 100)
A photovoltaic power generation apparatus 100 that is a cleaning target of a cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 2A is a plan view for explaining a state of installation of the solar power generation apparatus 100, and FIG. 2B is a side view for explaining a state of installation of the solar power generation apparatus 100. The solar power generation device 100 includes a solar cell module 101A, a solar cell module 101B, a gantry 102 for holding the solar cell modules 101A and 101B, and a fixing member 103.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the solar cell module 101 (panel composite) is installed with an inclination with respect to the installation reference plane G. The installation angle and height of the solar cell module 101 with respect to the installation reference plane G are appropriately selected depending on the installation state. In the solar cell module 101, the solar cell modules 101A and 101B are arranged on the upper side and the lower side, respectively, and are inclined at the same installation angle. The installation angle is set to, for example, about 10 to 30 ° in consideration of the power generation amount and the like. The installation reference plane G itself may be inclined like a roof.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the solar cell module 101A is formed with frames 104a1 to 104c1 for protecting the periphery of the solar cell module 101A. Specifically, the solar cell module 101A has a frame 104a1 at the upper end, a frame 104c1 at the lower end, and 104b1 at the right and left ends. The fixing member 103 fixes two solar cell modules 101A adjacent to each other in the left-right direction in FIG. Two adjacent solar cell modules 101 </ b> A are arranged with a gap 105 at a fixed location on the gantry 102.

  The solar cell module 101B is the same size as the solar cell module 101A. The solar cell module 101B is formed with frames 104a2 to 104c2 for protecting the periphery of the solar cell module 101B. Specifically, the solar cell module 101B has a frame 104a2 at the upper end, a frame 104c2 at the lower end, and 104b2 at the right and left ends. The fixing member 103 fixes two solar cell modules 101B adjacent to each other in the left-right direction in FIG. Two adjacent solar cell modules 101 </ b> B are arranged with a gap 105 at a fixed location on the gantry 102. Further, the solar cell module 101B is fixed so that the frame 104c1 and the frame 104a2 face each other so as to be adjacent to the solar cell module 101A in the vertical direction in FIG. 2 to form the solar cell module 101 shown in FIG.

(Configuration of the cleaning apparatus 10)
The configuration of the cleaning apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning apparatus 10. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning apparatus 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cleaning device 10 includes a blade 11 (cleaning body), a holding member 12, a motor 13 (driving unit), a driving wheel 14, a traveling wheel 15, a tank 16, a pump 17, a pipe 18, A battery 19, a guide wheel 20 and a nozzle 21 are provided. The blade 11, the tank 16, the pump 17, the pipe 18, and the nozzle 21 constitute a cleaning mechanism of the cleaning device 10. The motor 13, the driving wheel 14, the traveling wheel 15, the battery 19, and the guide wheel 20 constitute a driving mechanism of the cleaning device 10. The holding member 12 is a holding mechanism in the cleaning device 10.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10 is X, and the direction parallel to the light receiving surface (surface to be cleaned) of the solar cell module 101 and perpendicular to the X direction is Y. The blade 11 advances in the X direction together with the cleaning device 10.

(Cleaning mechanism)
The blade 11 wipes water (liquid) discharged from the nozzle 21 on the light receiving surface. The direction in which the blade 11 extends is desirably slightly inclined with respect to the Y direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10. In the present embodiment, the extending direction of the blade 11 is inclined by about 1 to 5 degrees on the XY plane with respect to the direction Y. As a result, when the cleaning device 10 advances in the traveling direction (X direction), the force that pushes out the sewage (liquid) on the solar cell module 101 wiped off by the blade 11 in the inclination direction of the blade 11 works. Sewage can be discharged smoothly from the surface. In addition, by slightly tilting the blade 11, when the blade 11 climbs over the steps of the frame around the solar cell module 101, it gradually climbs from the point where it hits first, greatly reducing the load at the time of climbing can do. Further, as the inclination of the blade 11 increases, the width of the holding member 12 that houses the blade 11 increases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the width of the holding member 12 that houses the blade 11 is suppressed by reducing the inclination to 1 to 5 degrees, thereby reducing the size of the cleaning device 10.

  The blade 11 is disposed so that the edge of the blade 11 is in uniform contact with the light receiving surface (surface to be cleaned) of the solar cell module 101. Further, the blade 11 is 30 to 45 ° from the normal direction of the plane of the solar cell module 101 to the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10 in order to increase the wiping property of water (liquid) used for cleaning the solar cell module 101. It is desirable to be fixed at an angle. The material of the blade 11 is preferably an elastic material (elastic member) in consideration of water and dirt wiping performance and weather resistance. For example, a rubber blade using EPT rubber, urethane rubber or the like is preferably used as the blade 11. In this embodiment, the blade 11 is used as the cleaning body. However, the cleaning body is not limited to the blade, and a channel brush, a rotating brush, a sponge, or the like may be used instead.

  The pipe 18 is connected to the tank 16 via the pump 17. A water injection port (nozzle 21) for injecting water (liquid) toward the solar cell module 101 is attached to the pipe 18. By driving the pump 17, water (liquid) stored in the tank 16 is supplied to the pipe 18, and sprayed to the surface to be cleaned of the solar cell module 101 through the nozzle 21. In the present embodiment, the nozzle 21 is attached to the pipe 18 in order to spray water (liquid) vigorously and lift the dirt on the surface to be cleaned of the solar cell module 101. It may be an injection port.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, with respect to the advancing speed 250 [mm / s] of the cleaning apparatus 10 and a pump pressure of 1.0 [MPa], water of 2.9 [L / min] is obtained at a pressure of 1.0 [MPa]. It has been confirmed that when the nozzles for spraying are installed at intervals of 400 mm, good cleaning properties are exhibited. Specifically, when the length of the pipe 18 is 1200 mm, it is desirable to install four nozzles 21 at 400 mm intervals. Therefore, it is desirable to install eight nozzles 21 in the cleaning device 10 that connects two pipes. In the present embodiment, the nozzle 21 is of a type that spreads the liquid in a fan shape at 120 degrees, and a pipe having a length of 1200 mm with respect to a solar cell module having a length of 1600 mm in the same direction as the direction in which the pipe 18 extends. 18 is used to uniformly supply the liquid to the surface to be cleaned. However, it is preferable to set the diameter and the number of nozzle holes that are water injection ports according to the maximum pressure of the pump 17 and the traveling speed of the apparatus.

(Drive mechanism)
The drive wheel 14 is attached to the holding member 12 so as to come into contact with the frame 104c1 and the frame 104a2 when the cleaning device 10 is installed in the solar cell module 101. The drive wheel 14 is positioned behind the holding member 12 in the traveling direction (left side in FIG. 1), and is installed so as to be rotationally driven by a motor 13 as will be described later.

  The traveling wheel 15 is attached to the holding member 12 so as to come into contact with the frame 104a1, the frame 104c2, and the frame 104c1 and the frame 104a2 when the cleaning device 10 is installed in the solar cell module 101. Specifically, when the cleaning device 10 is installed in the solar cell module 101, (1) the two traveling wheels 15 come in contact with each other on the frame 104a1 along the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction. 2) Two traveling wheels 15 are in contact with each other on the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction on the frame 104c2, and (3) one traveling wheel 15 is disposed on the frames 104c1 and 104a2. Then, in front of the traveling direction (right side in FIG. 1), the driving wheels 14 are contacted side by side on the same straight line that is substantially parallel to the traveling direction. Further, the traveling wheel 15 is not driven by the motor 13 and is installed to be rotatable. The distance between the solar cell module 101 and the cleaning device 10 is kept constant by the driving wheel 14 and the traveling wheel 15.

  The number of traveling wheels 15 is not limited to the above, and may be set so that the cleaning device 10 can move stably.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the cleaning device 10 is installed in the solar cell module 101, the driving wheel 14 and the one traveling wheel 15 are attached to the holding member 12 so as to be in contact with the frame 104c1 and the frame 104a2. However, the attachment position is not limited to the above position. The driving wheel 14 and the traveling wheel 15 are arranged on the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction, and are in contact with the solar cell module 101 on the upper end 106a side from the center of the upper end 106a and the lower end 106b of the solar cell module 101. That's fine.

  The guide wheel 20 is rotatably installed at a position in contact with the upper end 106a and the lower end 106b of the solar cell module 101 when the cleaning device 10 is installed on the solar cell module 101. In the present embodiment, two guide wheels 20 are installed at the upper end 106a and one guide wheel 20 is installed at the lower end 106b. Here, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the upper end 106a and the lower end 106b of the solar cell module 101 represent the upper surface (reference to FIG. 2) of the frame 104a1 and the lower surface of the frame 104c2, respectively. The guide wheel 20 prevents the cleaning device 10 from dropping or dropping from the solar cell module 101 inclined with respect to the installation reference plane G, and the cleaning device 10 is linear along the upper and lower ends of the solar cell module 101. The stability when proceeding to is increased.

  Note that the number of guide wheels 20 is not limited to the above, and may be set so that the cleaning device 10 can prevent the solar cell module 101 from dropping or dropping.

  In the present embodiment, the driving wheel 14 directly connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 13 rotates in contact with the frame 104c1 and the frame 104a2, and the cleaning device 10 is moved by the grip force (driving force). The drive wheel 14 is desirably a tire with unevenness so that a stable gripping force can be exhibited even when the place of rotation is wet with water. In the present embodiment, an EPT rubber tire having an outer diameter of 120 [mm], which is the drive wheel 14, has a depth of 3.7 [mm] and a width of 2.3 [with respect to a traveling speed of 250 [mm / s] of the cleaning device 10. mm] and a recess having an interval of 6.0 [mm] have been confirmed to exhibit good gripping force. However, the depth, width, and interval of the grooves can be set according to the traveling speed of the cleaning apparatus 10 and the wet state of the surface to be cleaned. In addition to the EPT rubber, other elastic members such as natural rubber and urethane rubber may be used for the material of the drive wheel 14.

  The battery 19 supplies power to the motor 13 and the pump 17. In the present embodiment, the motor 13 and the pump 17 are driven by being supplied with power from the battery 19, but may be directly supplied to the motor 13 and the pump 17 using an external power source. When power is supplied directly to the motor 13 and the pump 17 from an external power source, it is necessary to wire the power cord from the cleaning device 10 to the external power source. In such a case, it is preferable to mount the battery 19 because the power cord may be caught by the solar cell module 101 and obstacles around the solar cell module 101 and hinder the movement of the cleaning device 10.

(Holding mechanism)
The holding member 12 directly or indirectly fixes all the components of the cleaning device 10. The holding member 12 is preferably made of a material having excellent weather resistance since the cleaning device 10 is used outdoors and cleaning is performed using water (liquid). In addition, the cleaning device 10 has a shape that covers the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the rows of solar cell modules 101. Therefore, the length of the holding member 12 in the longitudinal direction is several meters at the longest depending on the number of connected solar cell modules 101. Therefore, the holding member 12 is required to have high rigidity and low weight. In the present embodiment, an aluminum member, which is a lightweight metal member having excellent rust prevention properties, is used as the holding member 12 and a frame structure having excellent rigidity such as a truss structure is used to reduce the weight.

(Movement of cleaning device 10)
When the motor 13 drives the drive wheel 14, the cleaning device 10 moves on the solar cell module 101.

  Here, when the cleaning device is moved (self-propelled) on the solar cell module 101, when the cleaning device moves between the solar cell modules adjacent to each other in the left-right direction of FIG. 2A, FIG. It is necessary to pass through a gap 105 between solar cell modules adjacent in the left-right direction. If the guide wheel 20 and the drive wheel 14 are far apart, the guide wheel fits into the gap 105, so that a rotational force is generated in the cleaning device 10 around the guide wheel 20, and the guide wheel 20 does not come out of the gap 105. Therefore, there is a problem that the cleaning device 10 is stopped.

  In order to solve the above problem, a method of enlarging the guide wheel 20 so that it is difficult to fit in the gap 105 can be considered, but it is difficult to reduce the size of the cleaning device 10. Therefore, as a method of solving the above problem, there is a method of suppressing the rotational force to the cleaning device 10 due to the driving force of the driving wheel 14 when the guide wheel 20 is fitted in the gap 105 so that the guide wheel 20 can easily come out of the gap 105. It becomes effective.

  In order to suppress the rotational force of the cleaning device 10, a method of arranging the drive wheels 14 at the upper and lower ends of the cleaning device 10 and matching the rotational speeds of the upper and lower drive wheels 14 can be considered. In order to make the rotation speeds of the plurality of driving wheels 14 coincide with each other, (1) a method of connecting both driving wheels 14 with a shaft or the like, and (2) a method of providing an individual motor for each driving wheel 14 can be considered. However, in the case of dealing with a large number of panel groups typified by a mega solar power plant, the cleaning device 10 is such that the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1) of the pair of solar cell modules 101A and 101B is about 3.0 m. It will be a big machine. In the case of the method of (1), when it becomes a big machine as mentioned above, the weight of the shaft to connect, cost, etc. will pose a problem. In the case of the method (2), a long shaft or the like is not necessary, but it is difficult to accurately match the rotation speeds of the individual drive wheels 14.

  Therefore, in the cleaning device 10 according to the present embodiment, only one drive wheel 14 is used to suppress the rotational force. Further, when the cleaning device 10 was installed in the solar cell module 101, the drive wheel 14 was installed so as to contact the upper end 106a side from the center of the upper end 106a and the lower end 106b of the solar cell module 101.

  With the above configuration, the distance between the drive wheel 14 and the guide wheel 20 is shortened. Thereby, the rotational force to the washing | cleaning apparatus 10 by the drive force of the drive wheel 14 when the guide wheel 20 fits into the clearance gap 105 is suppressed. Further, the driving force of the driving wheel 14 acting on the guide wheel 20 is increased. Even if the guide wheel 20 fits into the gap 105, it is easy to come out of the gap 105, so that it can be prevented from stopping at the gap 105. Therefore, the driving wheel 14 does not rotate the cleaning device 10 when the cleaning device 10 is moved, and the cleaning device 10 can be stably moved and cleaned.

  Moreover, the cleaning apparatus 10 needs to travel over the gap 105 between the adjacent solar cell modules 101A and 101B. On the other hand, since the driving wheel 14 rotates on the frames 104c1 and 104a2, the cleaning device 10 can easily get over the gap 105.

  Therefore, since the washing | cleaning apparatus 10 can be stably self-propelled on the solar cell module 101, a rail becomes unnecessary and it becomes possible to reduce in price and weight. Further, since only one drive wheel 14 is required, the number of members is reduced, and a light and inexpensive cleaning device can be provided.

[Modification]
With reference to FIG. 4, the cleaning device 10 a will be described as a configuration in which the rotational force due to the driving force of the driving wheel 14 is minimized. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a modified example of the cleaning apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In addition, about the component of the washing | cleaning apparatus 10a, since it is the same as that of Embodiment 1, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The drive wheel 14 is attached to the holding member 12 so as to come into contact with the frame 104a1 when the cleaning device 10a is installed in the solar cell module 101. The drive wheel 14 is positioned behind the holding member 12 in the traveling direction (left side in FIG. 4) and is installed so as to be rotationally driven by the motor 13. In addition, when the cleaning device 10a is installed in the solar cell module 101, (1) the two traveling wheels 15 come in contact with each other on the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction on the frame 104c1 and the frame 104a2. (2) Two guide wheels 20 are in contact with each other on the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction on the frames 104a1 and 104c2, and (3) one wheel is running on the frame 104a1. The wheel 15 contacts the drive wheel 14 side by side on the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction forward (in the right side of FIG. 4) in the traveling direction.

  According to the above configuration, the drive wheel 14 is only one wheel and is installed near the guide wheel 20 that contacts the upper end 106a where the weight of the cleaning device 10a is applied. Therefore, since the driving wheel 14 is driven near the guide wheel 20, when the guide wheel 20 is fitted in the gap 105, the rotational force to the cleaning device 10 a by the driving force of the driving wheel 14 is the smallest. Further, since the driving force from the driving wheel 14 applied to the guide wheel 20 becomes the largest and the guide wheel 20 easily comes out of the gap 105, it is possible to prevent the cleaning device 10a from stopping at the gap 105. Therefore, the driving wheel 14 does not rotate the cleaning device 10a when the cleaning device 10a is moved, and stable cleaning is possible.

[Embodiment 2]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning apparatus 10b according to another embodiment of the present invention. The traveling wheel 15, the tank 16, the pump 17, the pipe 18, and the battery 19 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description and illustration are omitted.

  The cleaning device 10 b includes two drive wheels 14 and two motors 13. The drive wheel 14 is directly connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 13. Further, when the cleaning device 10b is installed in the solar cell module 101, the two drive wheels 14 are the same on the frame 104c1 and the frame 104a2 in parallel with the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10b. Contact side by side on a straight line.

  The present embodiment is a structure in the case where the gripping force is insufficient when the drive wheel 14 is driven by only one wheel in the structure of the first embodiment. Even when there are a plurality of drive wheels 14 and the rotation speeds of the drive wheels 14 are different, the drive wheels 14 are arranged side by side on the same straight line that is substantially parallel to the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10b. The rotational force to the cleaning device 10b due to the driving force of the driving wheel 14 when the guide wheel is fitted to 105 can be suppressed. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, one drive wheel 14 and the other drive wheel 14 are arranged such that the motors 13 directly attached to the shafts of the drive wheels 14 are in different directions. Is arranged. The above configuration is for preventing interference with the pipe 18, the blade 11, and the like, and does not necessarily have to be attached in different directions. In the present embodiment, two motors 13 and two drive wheels 14 are used, but three or more drive wheels 14 and motors 13 may be connected and mounted on the cleaning device 10b.

  Note that the configuration of the present embodiment can be applied to the configuration of a modification of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Specifically, the cleaning device 10 a according to the modification includes two driving wheels 14 by replacing the traveling wheels 15 disposed adjacent to the driving wheels 14 with the driving wheels 14.

[Embodiment 3]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning apparatus 10c according to still another embodiment of the present invention. The traveling wheel 15, the tank 16, the pump 17, the pipe 18, and the battery 19 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description and illustration are omitted.

  The cleaning device 10c includes two drive wheels 14. The two drive wheels 14 are attached so as to be parallel to the traveling direction and rotatable so as to be linked to one motor 13. Specifically, one of the two driving wheels 14 is attached so as to be directly connected to a rotating shaft provided in the motor 13 as in the first embodiment. The other drive wheel 14 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 13 through a timing belt 22 which is an interlocking element, by a shaft incorporated in the drive wheel 14.

  The timing belt 22 is an element that interlocks rotations of parallel axes. In this embodiment, the timing belt 22 is used as the interlocking element, but a timing chain or the like can be used instead.

  In the present embodiment, although the two drive wheels 14 are arranged in parallel, they are arranged at positions slightly staggered from the frame of the solar cell module 101. With the above configuration, when there are steps due to fastening bolts or the like on the frame on which the drive wheels 14 travel, it is possible to travel while avoiding them.

  One drive wheel 14 is installed so as to contact the lower end 106b side from the center of the upper end 106a and the lower end 106b of the solar cell module 101. However, since the rotation speeds of the two drive wheels 14 coincide with each other due to the coupling of the shafts, the gap 105 is obtained even if the two drive wheels 14 are not in contact with each other on the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction. When the guide wheel 20 is fitted, the rotational force to the cleaning device 10c due to the driving force of the driving wheel 14 can be suppressed. Moreover, compared with installing and connecting the driving wheel 14 so as to contact the upper and lower ends of the solar cell module 101, it is possible to make the rotational speed of the driving wheel 14 coincide with each other at low cost and light weight.

  Further, the cleaning device 10 further detects a remaining amount of liquid in the tank 16 to automatically stop and operate, a sensing function to detect the end of the row of the solar cell modules 101 and automatically stop, and / or Alternatively, when there are a large number of rows of solar cell modules 101, a solar cell module washing system can be provided by having a lifter, an automatic guided vehicle, etc. for moving the cleaning device 10 to the next row. With the above configuration, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a lightweight and inexpensive cleaning system that can quickly clean even a large-scale solar panel array.

  The above-described cleaning device 10 is not limited to the solar power generation device 100, and can be suitably applied to a surface to be cleaned that extends long with the same width. For example, it is possible to adapt the cleaning device described above to curved arcades, general household roofs, and corridors.

[Summary]
The cleaning apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention self-travels the surface to be cleaned in the panel composite body (solar module 101) configured by a plurality of panels arranged so as to be inclined at the same angle with a gap therebetween. A cleaning device 10 for cleaning while driving the driving device 14 on the surface to be cleaned, a driving wheel 14 for driving the driving wheel 14 (motor 13), and an upper end of the panel complex. A guide wheel 20 disposed so as to contact and guide the cleaning device 10 along the surface to be cleaned, and the drive wheel 14 is at least from the center of the upper end and the lower end of the panel complex to the upper end side. One is provided.

  According to said structure, the distance of the drive wheel 14 and the guide wheel 20 becomes short. Thereby, the rotational force to the washing | cleaning apparatus 10 by the drive force of the drive wheel 14 when the guide wheel 20 fits into the clearance gap 105 of an adjacent solar cell module can be suppressed. Further, since the driving force of the driving wheel 14 acting on the guide wheel 20 is increased, even if the guide wheel 20 is fitted in the gap 105, it is easy to come out of the gap 105. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the guide wheel 20 from stopping in the gap 105. Therefore, the driving wheel 14 does not rotate the cleaning device 10 when the cleaning device 10 is moved, and the cleaning device 10 can stably run on a plurality of panels with gaps by the driving wheel 14 even without a rail. Therefore, there is an effect that a device for cleaning the surface to be cleaned of the panel while traveling on its own can be provided at a low cost with a light weight.

  The cleaning device according to aspect 2 of the present invention is the above-described aspect 1, wherein a plurality of the drive wheels 14 are provided, and the plurality of drive wheels 14 are provided on the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10b. It may be done.

  According to the above configuration, the driving force of the driving wheel 14 when the guide wheel 20 is fitted in the gap 105 is set by arranging the driving wheel 14 on the same straight line substantially parallel to the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10b. The rotational force to the cleaning device 10b can be suppressed. Therefore, even when the driving force is insufficient, driving wheels can be added to increase the driving force.

  In the cleaning device according to aspect 3 of the present invention, in the above aspect 1 or 2, the driving wheel 14 may include a driving unit (motor 13).

  According to the above configuration, since each drive wheel 14 is provided with a drive unit (motor 13), the drive force of each drive wheel can be increased without increasing the rotational force to the cleaning device. .

  In the cleaning device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in the aspect 1 or 2, a plurality of the drive wheels 14 are provided, and the plurality of drive wheels 14 are interlocking elements that match the rotation speeds of the plurality of drive wheels 14. You may rotate in conjunction with (timing belt 22).

  According to the above configuration, since the rotational speeds of the drive wheels 14 coincide with each other, the guide wheels 20 are in the gap 105 even if the drive wheels 14 are not in contact with each other on the same straight line that is substantially parallel to the traveling direction. When fitted, the rotational force to the cleaning device 10c due to the driving force of the driving wheel 14 can be suppressed. Therefore, when there are obstacles due to the steps of the fastening bolts on the frame on which the drive wheels 14 travel, it is possible to travel while avoiding them.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

  The present invention can be used for cleaning devices and cleaning systems such as solar panels, arcades, general household roofs, and corridors.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cleaning apparatus 10a-10c Cleaning apparatus 11 Blade 12 Holding member 13 Motor (drive part)
14 Driving Wheel 15 Traveling Wheel 16 Tank 17 Pump 18 Piping 19 Battery 20 Guide Wheel 21 Nozzle 22 Timing Belt (Interlocking Element)
100 Photovoltaic power generation device 101 Solar cell module (panel composite)
101A, 101B Solar cell module 102 Base 103 Fixing member 104a1-104c1 Frame 104a2-104c2 Frame 105 Gap 106a Upper end 106b Lower end G Installation reference plane

Claims (4)

A cleaning device that cleans a surface to be cleaned in a panel complex constituted by a plurality of panels arranged to be inclined at the same angle with a gap between each other,
A drive wheel for running the cleaning device on the surface to be cleaned;
A drive unit for driving the drive wheel;
A guide wheel that is arranged to contact the upper end of the panel composite and guides the cleaning device along the surface to be cleaned;
The drive wheel is
At least one cleaning apparatus is provided on the upper end side from the center between the upper end and the lower end of the panel composite. A plurality of the drive wheels are provided,
The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of drive wheels are provided on the same straight line parallel to the traveling direction of the cleaning device.   The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein each of the driving wheels includes a driving unit. A plurality of the drive wheels are provided,
The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of driving wheels are rotated in conjunction with an interlocking element that matches the number of rotations of the plurality of driving wheels.

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