WO2012107796A1

WO2012107796A1 - Clamp connector for fastening plate -like components, particularly solar modules

Info

Publication number: WO2012107796A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/001876
Authority: WO
Inventors: Armin Barth; Gerhard HUBE; Michael Littig; Volker Hindermann; Patrick Delp; Uwe Müller; Ole Strachan
Original assignee: Carl Freudenberg KG
Current assignee: Carl Freudenberg KG
Priority date: 2011-02-11
Filing date: 2011-08-12
Publication date: 2012-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 2013-08-11
Also published as: EP2487436A1

Abstract

A clamp connection (1) for the attachment of solar modules, on rail- shaped carriers (2) provided with guide grooves (5) with margins (6, 7) that protrude inwards into the groove (5). The connection includes a support (3) with at least one support surface (12) present on its upper side, and with a supporting brace (15) which delimits the support surface (12), and with a T-shaped counter bearing (9) present on its lower side (8) which engage behind the protruding margins (6, 7) of the guide groove (5). A clamping cap (4) with a clamping surface (13) covering the support surface (12), and a longitudinal groove (16) grips the upper part of the supporting brace (15), wherein the clamping cap (4) and the support (3) are attached to each other via a latching connection (18, 19, 20).

Description

CLAMP CONNECTOR FOR FASTENING PLATE -LIKE

COMPONENTS, PARTICULARLY SOLAR MODULES

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a PCT International Application of European Patent Application No. EP11 001 120.2, filed on February 11 , 2011. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Clamp connections for the attachment of plate-shaped components are generally known. Today, clamp connections for solar modules have become particularly important. For solar modules, it is especially important that the clamp connections should be very stable, with a view to very high mechanical loads, for example, due to wind or snowfall, and also due the size and the weight of the module. At the same time, no tensions should occur on the modules, because they can lead to crack formations on the modules.

STATE OF THE ART

[0003] For the state of the art, reference can be made to DE 20 2008 002 264 U1 and also US 2009/0200443 A1. These clamp connections are not satisfactory, because they are made up of a plurality of elements that have to be installed on site at high cost. Due to the plurality of individual parts, the handling during assembly is difficult, particularly also because the assembly is made as a rule on carriers that are in an inclined position. The inclined orientation of the carriers leads to the individual parts slipping with respect to each other, requiring constant readjustment.

[0004] In our prior Patent Application EP 09 012 682, an improved clamp connection has been represented, whose design is simple, allowing a facilitated installation. This clamp connection consists substantially of three parts: namely a clamp receiver, a clamping cap, and an attachment screw. The support has a T-shaped counter bearing on its lower side, whose base protrudes from the lower side of the support, and which has a crossbar which, inserted in the guide groove of the carrier, engages behind the protruding margins of the guide groove. In this way, a very simple installation of the clamp support on the carrier is possible. The clamping cap is placed on the clamp receiver, and screwed to the support by means of the attachment screw. In the process, the sides of the modules are gripped and pressed against the support. On the upper side of the support, a supporting brace is present, which is provided at the same time as a spacer for the applied modules.

SUMMARY

[0005] The present disclosure is based on the problem of further improving the clamp connection described in the prior patent application, for the purpose of simplifying its installation, and at the same time making its disassembly more difficult to prevent theft of solar modules. The clamp connection thus should at the same time be provided with an anti-theft device.

[0006] The starting point for the present clamp connection is the clamp receiver described in the above-mentioned prior application. It consists substantially of a support with at least one support surface, present on its upper side, for a component and a supporting brace delimiting the support surface or surfaces. On its lower side, the support has the T-shaped counter bearing, which is inserted with its crossbar in the guide groove. The clamping cap has one or more clamping surfaces, which face the support surfaces, and a longitudinal groove which grips the upper part of the supporting brace. Two clamping surfaces, one on each side, are provided, if two solar modules are to be gripped. One clamping surface is provided, if the clamp connection is to contact the outer solar module. A through hole penetrates the support and clamping cap. According to the invention, the clamping cap and the support are to be connected via a latching connection to each other. Instead of the screw connection, a latching connection is consequently implemented, by means of which the clamping cap and the support are attached to each other in an undetachable manner. In this way, the installation is not only simplified, theft protection is also provided at the same time.

[0007] The latching connection can consist of a latching pin, which has a latching toothing that engages in a latching toothing provided in the bore of the support. The latching toothing on the pin and in the bore consists of sawteeth oriented in an opposite direction. No screw connection is needed; the latching pin needs only to be pressed into the bore, to attach the clamping cap to the support. To achieve mutual alignment of the bore in the clamping cap and in the support, the clamping cap needs only to be placed in such a manner on the support that its side surfaces are mutually aligned. This attachment procedure also has the advantage that different thicknesses of solar modules can be gripped by the clamp connection, because, to achieve this, the latching pin only needs to be pressed at different depths into the bore.

[0008] It is advantageous if an insert is inserted in the lower part of the support, by introducing the sawtooth section into the bore. This insert can be manufactured, for example, from a plastic, in such a manner that, when using a latching pin which also is made of plastic, a very firm connection is achieved between the clamping cap and the support. Moreover, this insert can have lateral brackets which are applied against the lower side of the crossbar of the counter bearing. They correspond then approximately to the shape of the crossbar of the counter bearing. The surfaces of the insert which are located radially outside and point axially upward are preferably provided with an elastomer coating, resulting in an elastic accommodation of the counter bearing in the guide groove of the carrier. This can be produced very simply by vulcanizing the insert on the support.

[0009] An additional embodiment of the present invention can be achieved if the latching connection consists of a latching pin, which has latching lugs at its lower end that engage in cuts at the lower margin of the bore, or on an undercut in the bore. This embodiment is intended primarily for applications, and for modules with constant thickness.

[0010] To facilitate the introduction of the latching pin into the bore provided with the latching toothing, said pin can be provided over the entire length of the saw toothing with at least one longitudinal cut. As a result, an easy compression of the part in question of the latching pin during the introduction of the latter into the bore is facilitated. This slot can also be used with a latching pin that is provided at its end with latching lugs. However, it is preferred to provide two longitudinal slots, so that the latching pin is divided into four. Because the slots are provided, a quadrangular opening is formed in the middle of the latching pin, into which a locking pin can be inserted, which prevents the individual parts of the latching pin from being able to be compressed. Due to an extension of the mentioned opening up to the surface of the latching pin, the possibility exists to introduce the locking pin from above into the latching pin. Here, a locking pin is chosen which has approximately the same length as the latching pin. In this way, a very firm anti-theft device can be achieved.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the support is formed from an elastomer, and the clamping cap from a plastic. The clamping surfaces of the clamping cap are provided here with a silicon coating, to prevent an excessively hard pressing on the inserted module.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In the appended drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are represented diagrammatically. The figures show:

[00 3] Figure 1 is an oblique view of the clamp connection attached to a carrier;

[0014] Figure 2 is a cross section through the clamp connection according to Figure 1 , with a latching connection via a latching toothing;

[0015] Figure 3 is a latching connection by means of a latching pin with latching lugs on a lower part; and

[0016] Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of the latching connection according to Figure 3. EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0017] In Figure 1 , the clamp connection 1 attached to the carrier 2 is shown in the oblique view. In a known manner, solar modules can be inserted in the clamp connection 1 , and clamped therein. The solar modules are not shown in further detail. The clamp connection 1 consists of the support 3 and the clamping cap 4. The carriers 2 are extruded profiles with the guide groove 5, with the protruding margins 6 and 7. In the guide groove 5, a T-shaped counter bearing 9 is present, applied on the lower side of the support 3 (see Figure 2). The base 10 of the counter bearing 9 is adjacent to the lower side 8 of the support 3, while the crossbar 11 lies in the guide groove 5. In the application of the support 3 on the carrier 2, the crossbar 11 is first aligned in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove 5, by having the clamping cap 4 assume a position which is rotated by 90° with respect to the carrier 2. After the introduction of the counter bearing 9 into the guide groove 5, and the twisting of the clamping cap 4 by 90°, the crossbar 11 comes to lie under the protruding margins 6, 7 of the guide groove 5.

[0018] The support 3 is formed from an elastomer. Its surface is provided with longitudinal notches, so that it is very resilient. The clamping cap 4 consists of a plastic. Its clamping surfaces 13 are provided with a silicon coating 14. In this manner, the solar modules are held in a non-destructive manner between the clamping cap 4 and the support 3. The support 3 is provided with a supporting brace 15 which engages in a longitudinal groove 16 of the clamping cap 4. Here, only the upper part of the supporting brace 15 is enclosed by the longitudinal groove 16. In this manner, the clamping cap 4 is connected in an untwistable manner to the support 3. The clamping cap 4 and the support 3 are provided, in the center, with a through bore 17, into which a latching pin 18 is inserted.

[0019] Figure 2 shows a cross section through the center of the clamp connection 1. Here; the latching toothing 19 applied in the lower part of the latching pin 18 can be seen. In the bore 17, which penetrates the support 3, the counter toothing 20 is applied. When the latching pin 18 is pressed into the bore 7, the toothings 19 and 20 mutually engage, and as a result hold the clamping cap 4 on the support 3. The latching toothing 20 in the bore 17 of the support 3 and the latching toothing 19 on the latching pin 18 are sawtooth- shaped with sawteeth oriented in opposite directions. Over the length of the sawteeth applied on the latching pin 18, the latching pin 18 has two longitudinal slots 21 which are mutually arranged in the shape of a cross. These longitudinal slots 21 allow a radial compression of the hook arms 22 formed as a result of the longitudinal slots 21. In the embodiment example according to Figure 2, the sawtooth section 23 in the bore 17 is formed by an insert 24 made of plastic. This insert 24 has lateral brackets 26, which are applied on the lower side of the crossbar 11 of the counter bearing 9. The surfaces of the insert 24 that are located radially outside are enclosed by the elastomer of the support 3. Here, the insert 24 can be vulcanized into the support 3. This latching connection can be used in multiple applications, particularly for solar modules having different thicknesses.

[0020] In Figure 3, which also shows a cross section through the middle of the clamp connection 1 , a latching connection is represented, which is arranged for a given thickness of a solar module. Here, the latching pin 27 has, at its lower end, latching lugs 28, which engage in cuts at the lower margin of the bore 17 or of the insert 24, or in an undercut in the bore 17 or of the insert 24. The latching pin 27, at the lower end, has the longitudinal slots 29 produced in the shape of a cross, which allow a compression of the ends 30 of the pin 27 during the introduction into the bore 17 in the support 3.

[0021] Figure 4 shows an enlargement of a design of a latching lug 28, which represents the lower end of the insert 24. Here, the insert 24 is extended downwards in the shape of a sleeve 31 , and thus, during the pressing in of the latching pin 27, it is applied on the bottom of the guide groove 5 of the carrier 2. In the sleeve 31 of the insert 24, the back cut 32 is located, behind which the latching lug 28 engages during the pressing in.

Claims

1. A clamp connection (1) for the attachment of plate-shaped components on rail-shaped carriers (2) provided with guide grooves (5) with margins (6, 7) that protrude inwards into the groove (5), comprising:

a support (3) with at least one support surface (12) present on its upper side, for a component, and with a supporting brace (15) which delimits the support surface (12), and with a T-shaped counter bearing (9) present on its lower side (8), having crossbars (11) of said counter bearing which can be inserted with alignment in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove (5) in the guide groove (5), and after a rotation by 90° it engages behind the protruding margins (6, 7) of the guide groove (5), and of a clamping cap (4) with clamping surface (13) covering the support surface (12), and a longitudinal groove (16) which grips the upper part of the supporting brace (15), as well as a central through bore (17) which penetrates the clamping cap (4) and the support (3), wherein the clamping cap (4) and the support (3) are attached to each other via a latching connection (18, 19, 20).

2. The clamp connection (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the latching connection (18, 19) consists of a latching pin (18), which has a latching toothing (19) that engages into a latching toothing (20) provided in the bore (17) of the support (3).

3. The clamp connection according to claim 1 , wherein the latching connection (19, 20) in the bore (17) and on the pin (18) has sawtooth-shaped sawteeth oriented in opposite directions.

4. The clamp connection according to claim 1 , wherein the latching pin (18) has at least one longitudinal slot (21), over the length of the saw toothing (19).

5. The clamp connection according to claim 1 , wherein the support (3) is made of an elastomer.

6. The clamp connection according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping cap (4) is made of a plastic.

7. The clamp connection according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping surface (13) of the clamp (4) have a silicon coating (14).

8. The clamp connection according to claim 1 , wherein the sawtooth connection (23) in the bore (17) is formed by an insert (24).

9. The clamp connection according to claim 8, wherein the insert (24) is made of a plastic.

10. The clamp connection according to claim 8, wherein the insert (24) has lateral brackets (26), which are applied on the lower side of the crossbar

(11) of the counter bearing (9).

1 1. The clamp connection according to claim 8, wherein the surfaces of the insert (24), which are located radially outside, are enclosed by the elastomer of the support (3).

12. The clamp connection according to claim 10, wherein the insert (24) is vulcanized into the support (3).

13. The clamp connection according to claim 1 , wherein the latching connection consists of a latching pin (27), which has latching lugs (28) at its end, which engage in cuts (32) on the lower margin of the bore (18) or of the insert (24), or on a back cut (32) in the bore (17) or of the insert (24).