IP Library Granted Patent US 10,892,371
Granted Patent B2
US 10,892,371 · App. 14/947,857 · Granted Jan 12, 2021

Solar module construction

Inventor: Christoph Ott (Worb, CH)
Assignee: S. E. TRACK AG
H01L31/042F24S25/13F24S25/16H02S20/00H02S20/23F24S2020/18F24S2025/017Y02B10/10Y02E10/47Y02E10/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,892,371
App. No.
14/947,857
Granted
Jan 12, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solar module construction comprises at least one pyramidal support unit with a triangular base and triangular lateral planes as well as photovoltaic units provided on at least one of the lateral planes of the support unit. The support unit includes a supporting frame which spans the triangular base by means of base struts and the lateral planes by means of lateral struts. At least one of the lateral planes is stretched over with a flexible material. On at least one lateral plane photovoltaic units in the form of flexible solar modules are installed on the membrane. A multiplicity of such solar module constructions together forms a solar module array, preferably with solar module pairs, which are composed of two solar module constructions and form a parallelogram.

Claims (45)

1. A solar module array constructed from a multiplicity of adjacently disposed solar module constructions,

wherein each of the solar module constructions comprises:

a support unit with a triangular base and a plurality of triangular lateral planes,

wherein the support unit forms a pyramidal supporting frame,

wherein the triangular base is spanned by base struts and the triangular lateral planes are spanned by lateral struts;

a first flexible material is stretched over a first of the triangular lateral planes,

a second flexible material is stretched over a second of the triangular lateral planes,

wherein each of the first and second flexible material has at least one feature of transparency, reflectivity, structure, sound absorbency, and tint,

wherein the at least one feature of the first flexible material differs from the at least one feature of the second flexible material,

and photovoltaic units provided on at least one of the triangular lateral planes of the support unit,

wherein the photovoltaic units comprise flexible solar modules attached on an outside surface of the first and/or second flexible material of at least one of the triangular lateral planes,

wherein two adjacently disposed solar module constructions within the solar module array form a solar module pair, in which the bases of the two adjacently disposed solar module constructions within the pair abut one another to form a parallelogram.

2. The solar module array according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second flexible materials is made of a flexible membrane or a flexible plate.

3. The solar module array according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second flexible materials is made of a membrane element, which stretches over each of the first and second triangular lateral planes of the pyramidal supporting frame completely.

4. The solar module array according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second triangular lateral plane provided with solar modules has a region with flexible solar modules and a free region without solar modules, the free region amounting to at least 10% of the triangular lateral plane-provided with solar modules.

5. The solar module array according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second flexible materials is perforated.

6. The solar module array according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second flexible materials has a reinforcement.

7. The solar module array according to claim 1 , wherein the base of the pyramidal supporting frame forms an equilateral triangle and the lateral planes enclose an angle of 60° on a head region of the pyramidal supporting frame.

8. The solar module array according to one claim 1 , wherein the pyramidal supporting frame is constructed modularly from the base struts, the lateral struts and corner connectors, which connect the base struts and the lateral struts and fix the flexible material over the lateral struts to the base.

9. The solar module array according to claim 8 , wherein the modular pyramidal supporting frame has a head connector for connecting the lateral struts, which is installed on the lateral struts at least partially over a membrane in a head region of the solar module construction.

10. The solar module array according to claim 1 , wherein at least two parallel support rods support the solar module constructions, whereby every two parallel support rods carry a multiplicity of solar module pairs.

11. The solar module array according to claim 4 , wherein the free region amounts to between 20% and 35% of the triangular lateral plane-provided with solar modules.

12. The solar module array according to claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second flexible material has a mesh reinforcement.

13. A solar module array constructed from a multiplicity of adjacently disposed solar module constructions,

wherein each of the solar module constructions comprises:

a support unit with a triangular base and a plurality of triangular lateral planes,

wherein the support unit forms a pyramidal supporting frame,

wherein the triangular base is spanned by base struts and the triangular lateral planes are spanned by lateral struts;

a first flexible material is stretched over a first of the triangular lateral planes,

a second flexible material is stretched over a second of the triangular lateral planes,

wherein each of the first and second flexible material has at least one feature of transparency, reflectivity, structure, sound absorbency, and tint,

wherein the at least one feature of the first flexible material differs from the at least one feature of the second flexible material,

and photovoltaic units provided on at least one of the triangular lateral planes of the support unit,

wherein the photovoltaic units comprise flexible solar modules attached on an outside surface of the first and/or second flexible material of at least one of the triangular lateral planes,

wherein at least two parallel support rods support the solar module constructions, whereby every two parallel support rods carry a multiplicity of solar module pairs.

14. The solar module array according to claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second flexible materials is made of a flexible membrane or a flexible plate.

15. The solar module array according to claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second flexible materials is made of a membrane element, which stretches over each of the first and second triangular lateral planes of the pyramidal supporting frame completely.

16. The solar module array according to claim 13 , wherein the first and/or second triangular lateral plane provided with solar modules has a region with flexible solar modules and a free region without solar modules, the free region amounting to at least 10% of the triangular lateral plane-provided with solar modules.

17. The solar module array according to claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second flexible materials is perforated.

18. The solar module array according to claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second flexible materials has a reinforcement.

19. The solar module array according to claim 13 , wherein the base of the pyramidal supporting frame forms an equilateral triangle and the lateral planes enclose an angle of 60° on a head region of the pyramidal supporting frame.

20. The solar module array according to one claim 13 , wherein the pyramidal supporting frame is constructed modularly from the base struts, the lateral struts and corner connectors, which connect the base struts and the lateral struts and fix the flexible material over the lateral struts to the base.

21. The solar module array according to claim 20 , wherein the modular pyramidal supporting frame has a head connector for connecting the lateral struts, which is installed on the lateral struts at least partially over a membrane in a head region of the solar module construction.

22. The solar module array according to claim 16 , wherein the free region amounts to between 20% and 35% of the triangular lateral plane-provided with solar modules.

23. The solar module array according to claim 18 , wherein each of the first and second flexible material has a mesh reinforcement.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE COUNTRY OF ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 037169 FRAME 0375. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST. Recorded Dec 3, 2020
From: OTT, CHRISTOPH
To: S.E. TRACK AG
Reel/Frame 054584/0424 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2015
From: OTT, CHRISTOPH
To: S. E. TRACK AG
Reel/Frame 037169/0375 →
Priority Claims (1)
CH 1791/14 · Nov 20, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160149537A1 · May 26, 2016
Cited By (1)
US 1,089,704