Solar collector, fastening member and method
AssigneeSolarCleantec Oy
InventorAri Järvinen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar energy collector arrangement that includes a plurality of solar collectors arranged in at least two rows and at least two columns, and at least one fastening member. A fastening member in the middle of solar energy collector arrangement is configured to couple to four solar energy collectors around it, and fastening members in an edge area of the solar energy collector arrangement are configured to couple and align two solar energy collectors to each other.
Claims14
A solar energy collector for coupling to a fastening member, the solar energy collector having a generally rectangular shape and including a top surface, a bottom surface and a recess, wherein in at least one corner of the generally rectangular solar energy collector, there is a void defined by a cutting line such that the shape of the solar energy collector deviates from the rectangular shape in a corner region of the solar energy collector, wherein the recess is located in the proximity of the cutting line for coupling the solar energy collector to the fastening member, and wherein the recess is on the top surface and/or the bottom surface of the solar energy collector on an inner side of the cutting line.
A combination comprising at least two solar energy collectors and a fastening member, wherein each of the at least two solar energy collectors has a generally rectangular shape and includes a coupling member, wherein in at least one corner of each of the at least two solar energy collectors, there is a void defined by a cutting line such that the shape of the solar energy collector deviates from the rectangular shape in a corner region of the solar energy collector, and wherein in each of the at least two solar energy collectors, the coupling member is located in the proximity of the cutting line for coupling the solar energy collector to the fastening member, and wherein the fastening member comprises a planar plate and at least two projections projecting from a surface of the planar plate, the at least two projections being received in the coupling members of the at least two solar energy collectors for coupling and aligning the at least two solar energy collectors to each other.
A method of forming a solar energy collector arrangement, comprising:
- providing a plurality of solar energy collectors, each of which has a generally rectangular shape and includes a coupling member, wherein in at least one corner of each of the plurality of solar energy collectors, there is a void defined by a cutting line such that the shape of the solar energy collector deviates from the rectangular shape in a corner region of the solar energy collector, and wherein in each of the plurality of solar energy collectors, the coupling member is located in the proximity of the cutting line;
- providing at least one fastening member having a plurality of projections;
- inserting one of the plurality of projections of the at least one fastening member into the coupling member of a first one of the plurality of solar energy collectors;
- inserting another one of the plurality of projections of the at least one fastening member into the coupling member of a second one of the plurality of solar energy collectors;
- and
- securing the at least one fastening member to a structure;
- wherein the inserting of the projections into the coupling members of the first and second ones of the solar energy collectors mechanically connects together the first and second ones of the solar energy collectors so as to be spaced apart a predetermined distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.