GB1581112A

GB1581112A - Fixing solar collectors on roofs

Info

Publication number: GB1581112A
Application number: GB11827/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Rheinisches Zinkwalzwerk GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Rheinisches Zinkwalzwerk GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1977-03-24
Filing date: 1978-03-23
Publication date: 1980-12-10
Also published as: DK122678A; NL7800429A; SE7803131L; DE2712962A1; FR2384916A1; ES466328A1; NO780727L; IT1093873B; BE865210A; LU79288A1; IT7821499A0

Description

(54) FIXING SOLAR COLLECTORS ON ROOFS (71) We, RHEINISCHES ZINKWALZWERK Gmbll. & Co. KOMMANDITGESELLSCHAFT, a Kommanditgesellschaft organised under the German Federal Republic, of Bahnhofstrasse 90, 4354 Datteln, German Federal Republic, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a building roof with solar collectors fixed thereto.

In view of the world's increasing demand for energy and considering the increasing shortage or the conventional exploited types of energy on the earth, the use of solar collectors is becoming more and more important. Apart from the construction of the solar collectors, it is necessary to provide a suitable and simple method of fixing the solar collectors in a building so as to protect an insulating layer on the back of a collector plate from moisture and to secure a good seal between the solar collector and the building.

To this end, it has been proposed to fix a solar collector in a building by the use of cover strips on the patent glazing principle.

The disadvantage with such a roofing system lies in the butt and overlap joints of the cover strips in respect of their tightness to rainwater. It has been proposed, furthermore, to connect the frames of two adjacent solar collectors together with the aid of plastics profiles puched into corresponding recesses in the frame. Here the connection between the border of the opening in the building and the solar collector is made by edging with a metal strip which is jammed by means of an elastic profile on its longitudinal border on the collector side.

It has also been proposed to set the frames of the solar collectors in the building in the same manner in which soldered or rabbeted window frames are set in residential buildings.

These possible ways which have already been adopted for fixing solar collectors in buildings have the disadvantage of considerable expense for fitting, in the long run there is no guarantee of a completely tight joint between the solar collector and the building in every case and exchanging solar collectors in the event of damage takes considerable time, especially when the solar collectors are fixed individually in the building.

According to the present invention there is provided a building roof with solar collectors fixed thereto, wherein each collector is fixed in place by a combination of substantially L-sectioned clamping strips engaging, with the interposition of packing means, the border of the side of the collector remote from the building, with the foot of the L divided towards the building, substantially U-sectioned frame members, one arm of which engages, with the interposition of packing means, the border of the side the collector nearer the building, the strips and the frame members being so arranged as to leave between the foot of the L of said strips and the base of the U of said frame members, a gap which is open towards the building, elongate fixing members on which said one arm of said frame members rests, means for securing said frame members and fixing members together, the fixing members being located to accept at least the corners of the collector, and a metal strip means secured to the building and having at least one turned down longitudinal rim engaging in said gap.

With this system, solar collectors can be fixed in a building at a relatively reduced cost and can be changed with relatively little effort.

The metal strip means preferably includes strips which are substantially U-shaped in section and have two longitudinal rims each engaging in the gap of two adjacent collectors, thus forming a channel.

The solar collectors are preferably fixed at the edges of the opening of the building in such a way that in each case the unilaterally turned down longitudinal rim of a metal strip which is carried up at the fixing member and at the frame member protrudes into the gap while the other portion of the metal strips rests on the building.

In the region where water accumulates, and in certain, circumstances also over the entire periphery, a sealing insert may be provided to form a seal between the edges of the turned down longitudinal rims of the metal strip and the bottoms of the gaps constituted by surfaces of the clamping strips.

It is convenient if the turned down longitudinal rims of the metal strips are bent over towards the channel, or building, at their upper edge in order to form a reinforcement.

The arrangement of the turned down metal strips produces a channel system where it is convenient if the channels running in the direction of the eaves have a greater depth than the channels running transverse to the eaves direction. This ensures that any rainwater can be drained away satisfactorily.

In those areas in which the channels running along the eaves direction intersect those running transverse to the eaves direction, the channels running transverse the eaves direction are cut and the channel ends soldered into corresponding recesses in the turned down longitudinal borders of the channels running in the direction of the eaves.

It is convenient if the solar collectors are joined to the fixing members by sheet-metal screws which are introduced through the appropriate holes in the covering clamping strip and the frame member and screwed to the fixing member.

An advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present roofing system is that, especially in the case of multiple fitting, the solar collectors can be fitted in a simple manner and exchanged easily by loosening the screws connecting the solar collectors to the fixing profiles. A further advantage is that the turned down longitudinal rims of the metal strips simultaneously constitute the housing for the solar collectors and so it is possible to dispense with the special housing usually employed for solar collectors.

In order to enable the invention to be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example some embodiments thereof, and in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional detail through the corner area of a solar collector fixed in the region of an opening in a building; Figure 2 is a plan view of four solar collectors disposed in a row; Figure 3 is a cross-section along the line I-I in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the intersection of a metal strip running in the direction of the eaves and one running normal to the direction of the eaves, each strip having turned down longitudinal borders.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown part of a solar collector on the marginal area of the covering 1 of which a covering clamping strip 2 rests with the interposition of a packing strip 3, the clamping strip 2 running right round and projecting laterally beyond the covering 1. The outer border area 4 of the covering clamping strip 2 is down-turned so that the strip is substantially L-sectioned and a gap 6 is formed between the foot of the L and the base of a substantially U-sectioned lower frame member 5. The arm of the lower frame member 5 facing the building 7 lies against the flanged border region of a collector plate 8 with the interposition of a packing strip 9. By means of screws which are not shown in the drawings, the covering clamping strip 2 is rigidly connected to the uppermost arm of the U-sectioned lower frame member 5.The lowermost arm of the lower frame member 5 carries the collector plate 8 and rests on a substantially U-sectioned fixing member 12 which is fastened to a building 7 by means of bolts 10 and 11. The solar collector is screwed to the uppermost arm of the fixing member 12 by means of a screw 15 inserted through appropriate holes 13 and 14 in the covering clamping strip 2 and the arms of the U-sectioned lower frame member 5. An insulating layer 15 is located on the back of the collector plate 8. Protruding into the gap 6 which exists between the downwardly extending foot of the L-sectioned covering clamping strip 2 and the base of the U-sectioned lower frame member 5 is the upwardly turned longitudinal border of a metal strip 17 which is also fixed to the building 7.The edge of the upwardly turned longitudinal border of the metal strip 17 is bent over outwardly to form a reinforced rim 18. A sealing member 19 is jammed in between the rim 18 and the opposite surface of the covering clamping strip 2.

Figure 2 shows a plurality of solar collectors 19 of this type of construction, disposed in a row, and inserted in an opening in a building 20, an interspace 21 existing in each case between two neighbouring solar collectors 19.

As shown in Figure 3, a metal strip 22 with turned down reinforced longitudinal rims 33 is disposed in the interspace 21 and so arranged that the longitudinal rims 33 protrude into the gaps 26 formed between the down-turned arms 23 of substantially Lsectioned covering clamping strips 24 and the bases of the substantially U-sectioned lower frame member 25. A fixing member 27, located on the building 20 and on which rest two adjacent solar collectors, has in its middle area a shape which matches the profile of the metal strip 22. A sealing insert 28 is jammed between the edges of the longitudinal borders and the respective opposite surface of the covering clamping strip 24.

Figure 4 is a perspective representation of the intersection of a metal strip 29 running in the direction of the eaves and one 30 running normal to the direction of the eaves, each strip having turned down longitudinal rims 31; parts of covering clamping strips 32 are omitted from this Figure. The metal strip 29 running in the eaves direction has a greater depth than the metal strip 30 running across the eaves direction. The metal strip 30 running across the eaves direction is cut and the two ends are soldered into corresponding recesses in the sides of the metal strip 29 running in the eaves direction, WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1.A building roof with solar collectors fixed thereto, wherein each collector is fixed in place by a combination of substantially L-sectioned clamping stfips engaging, with the interposition of packing means, the border of the side of the collector remote from the building, with the foot of the L directed towards the building, substantially Usectioned frame members, one arm of which engages, with the interposition of packing means, the border of the side of the collector nearer the building, the strips and the frame members being so arranged as to leave between the foot of the L of said strips and the base of the U of said frame members a gap which is open towards the building, elongate fixing members on which said one arm of said frame member rests, means for securing said frame members and fixing members together, the fixing members being located to accept at least the corners of the collector, and a metal strip means secured to the building and having at least one turned down longitudinal rim engaging in said gap.

2. A roof as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the metal strip means includes strips which are substantially U-shaped in section and have two longitudinal rims each engaging in the gap of two adjacent collectors.

3. A roof as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal strip means includes strips which, at the edges of an opening in the building in which the collectors are fitted has a single longitudinal rim engaging in said gap.

4. A roof as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said metal strip means includes metal strips running in the direction of the eaves and having a greater depth than metal strips running transverse to the direction of the eaves.

5. A roof as claimed in Claim 4, wherein in the intersection of the metal strips running in the direction of and transverse to the direction of the eaves, the metal strip running transverse to the eaves direction is broken and the ends are soldered into corresponding recesses in the turned down longitudinal borders of the metal strip running in the direction of the eaves.

6. A roof as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein a sealing insert is provided between the edge of the turned down longitudinal rim of the metal strip means and the bottom of said gap constituted by a surface of the clamping strips.

7. A building roof with solar collectors fixed thereto substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

each strip having turned down longitudinal rims 31; parts of covering clamping strips 32 are omitted from this Figure. The metal strip 29 running in the eaves direction has a greater depth than the metal strip 30 running across the eaves direction. The metal strip 30 running across the eaves direction is cut and the two ends are soldered into corresponding recesses in the sides of the metal strip 29 running in the eaves direction, WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1.A building roof with solar collectors fixed thereto, wherein each collector is fixed in place by a combination of substantially L-sectioned clamping stfips engaging, with the interposition of packing means, the border of the side of the collector remote from the building, with the foot of the L directed towards the building, substantially Usectioned frame members, one arm of which engages, with the interposition of packing means, the border of the side of the collector nearer the building, the strips and the frame members being so arranged as to leave between the foot of the L of said strips and the base of the U of said frame members a gap which is open towards the building, elongate fixing members on which said one arm of said frame member rests, means for securing said frame members and fixing members together, the fixing members being located to accept at least the corners of the collector, and a metal strip means secured to the building and having at least one turned down longitudinal rim engaging in said gap.
2. A roof as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the metal strip means includes strips which are substantially U-shaped in section and have two longitudinal rims each engaging in the gap of two adjacent collectors.
3. A roof as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal strip means includes strips which, at the edges of an opening in the building in which the collectors are fitted has a single longitudinal rim engaging in said gap.
4. A roof as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said metal strip means includes metal strips running in the direction of the eaves and having a greater depth than metal strips running transverse to the direction of the eaves.
5. A roof as claimed in Claim 4, wherein in the intersection of the metal strips running in the direction of and transverse to the direction of the eaves, the metal strip running transverse to the eaves direction is broken and the ends are soldered into corresponding recesses in the turned down longitudinal borders of the metal strip running in the direction of the eaves.
6. A roof as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein a sealing insert is provided between the edge of the turned down longitudinal rim of the metal strip means and the bottom of said gap constituted by a surface of the clamping strips.
7. A building roof with solar collectors fixed thereto substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.