Solar module
Solar module with a plurality of lamellar solar panels, which are mounted on an elongated support to pivot around a common axis and are movable between a first position in which they are superposed to be substantially congruent and parallel to the support, and a second position in which, opened out in a fan formation, they lie substantially adjacent to one another around the said axis, wherein the support can be extended via a closable opening out of a housing, which receives it with the solar panels in the first position.
1. A solar module, comprising:
a housing with a closable opening,
an elongated support, and
a plurality of lamellar solar panels which are mounted on said support to pivot around a common axis and are movable, by rotating over one another, between a first position in which they are superposed to be substantially congruent to one another and parallel to the support, and a second position in which, opened out in a fan formation, they lie substantially adjacent to one another around said common axis,
wherein the support can be extended from a retracted position in which it is received with the solar panels in the first position within said housing, via said opening out of said housing into an extended position in which the solar panels can be moved between their first and second positions.
2. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has the shape of a shallow box with said opening lying on the upper side thereof, wherein the support is mounted to pivot in the housing and in the retracted position lies parallel to and below the upper side and in the extended position is pivoted through the opening.
3. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein the housing forms a sealed tank for installation into the ground to be flush on the upper side.
4. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is fitted with elements for installation into a building facade or a building roof to be flush on the upper side.
5. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is closable with at least one cover that slides approximately parallel to the upper side of the housing.
6. The solar module according to claim 5 , wherein the cover forms a shallow plantable tank.
7. The solar module according to claim 5 , wherein the cover is fitted with a sweeping lip, which slides along the uppermost of the superposed solar panels when it is opened.
8. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein at least one solar panel is fitted on its rear side with a sweeping lip, which slides along the solar panel below it when opening out in a fan formation.
9. The solar module according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of the solar panels is provided with a sweeping lip except for the lowest one.
10. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein the opening of the housing is fitted with a sweeping lip, which slides along the uppermost of the superposed solar panels during extension of the support.
11. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein at its one end the support has a pivot head for mounting the solar panels.
12. The solar module according to claim 11 , wherein the pivot head is fitted with a solar altitude-controlled drive for automatic solar tracking of the solar panels.
13. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein the support is fitted with a solar altitude-controlled drive for automatic solar tracking of the solar panels.
14. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein the solar panels are movable between their first and second positions by means of at least one electric drive.
15. The solar module according to claim 14 , wherein the electric drive has a worm drive engaging a toothed ring of a driven axis.
16. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein the support is retractable and extensible by means of at least one electric drive.
17. The solar module according to claim 16 , wherein the electric drive has a worm drive engaging a toothed ring of a driven axis.
18. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein each solar panel is formed by a planar array of photovoltaic solar cells.
19. A solar module, comprising:
a housing with a closable opening,
an elongated support, and
a plurality of lamellar solar panels which are mounted on said support to pivot around a common axis and are movable between a first position in which they are superposed to be substantially congruent to one another and parallel to the support, and a second position in which, opened out in a fan formation, they lie substantially adjacent to one another around said common axis,
wherein the support can be extended from a retracted position in which it is received with the solar panels in the first position within said housing, via said opening out of said housing into an extended position in which the solar panels can be moved between their first and second positions, and wherein the opening is closable with at least one cover that slides approximately parallel to the upper side of the housing.
20. A solar module, comprising:
a housing with a closable opening,
an elongated support, and
a plurality of lamellar solar panels which are mounted on said support to pivot around a common axis and are movable between a first position in which they are superposed to be substantially congruent to one another and parallel to the support, and a second position in which, opened out in a fan formation, they lie substantially adjacent to one another around said common axis,
wherein the support can be extended from a retracted position in which it is received with the solar panels in the first position within said housing, via said opening out of said housing into an extended position in which the solar panels can be moved between their first and second positions, and wherein the opening of the housing is fitted with a sweeping lip, which slides along the uppermost of the superposed solar panels during extension of the support.
21. A solar module, comprising:
an elongated support;
an array of solar panels, each solar panel having one end mounted to a common axis at one end of the elongated support, the array of solar panels being movable from a first position in which the panels are stacked one on top of the other to a second position in which each panel rotates over an adjacent panel to form an opened fan formation, wherein each panel lies substantially adjacent to one another around the common axis when in the second position.
22. The solar module according to claim 21 , wherein at least one solar panel includes a sweeping lip on its rear side which slides along and cleans a surface of a solar panel below it in the array when moved from the first position to the second position.
23. The solar module according to claim 21 , wherein the array is moved from the first position to the second position by driving the uppermost or lowermost panel with an electric drive wherein each panel entrains the panel lying below or above by an entrainment bar.