MIRROR UNIT TRANSPORT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING IN A SOLAR FIELD

Abstract

To provide an efficient transportation possibility for mirror units which is reliable and cost-effective in equal measure, end panels are first attached to the end faces of the mirror units such that several of the end panels complement one another so as to form a transport device with which the mirror units can be assembled in order to form a transport unit. The end panels form a support frame, which can be anchored in base rails, in a manner similar to a jigsaw puzzle, the support frame allowing a secure and simple transport of multiple mirror units on a narrow space.

Claims

1. A transport apparatus for mirror units for installation in a solar field, comprising at least one end panel (10) for attachment to an end face (3) of a mirror unit (1), wherein the end panel (10) has a first longitudinal edge (11) having engagement means (12) and a second longitudinal edge (13) having counter-engagement means (14), and the engagement means (12) of the first longitudinal edge (11) interact with the counter-engagement means (14) of the second longitudinal edge (13) of a further end panel (19) having the same construction, wherein the engagement means (12) of the first longitudinal edge (11) of the end panel (10) comprise a back-offset, which ensures that part of the end face (3) of the mirror unit (1) remains not covered by the end panel (10), and into which the counter-engagement means (14) of the second longitudinal edge (13) of an adjacent end panel (19) having the same construction engage and cover the non-covered part of the end face (3) of the mirror unit (1), wherein the end panel (10) has two upright edges (17) having engagement means (18), which interact with similar engagement means (18) of a further end panel (19) having the same construction and rotated by 180.

2. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotation axle or a holder (15) for a rotation axle is assigned to the end panel (10).

3. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one base rail (20) having a longitudinal slot (21) for holding the longitudinal edges (11, 13) of at least one end panel (10), wherein the base rail (20) is elevated on at least one stand element (24).

4. The transport apparatus according to claim 3, wherein engagement means (22) and/or counter-engagement means (23) for force-fit holding of first and/or second longitudinal edges (11, 13) are arranged in the longitudinal slot (21).

5. The transport apparatus according to claim 4, wherein engagement means (22) and counter-engagement means (23) are arranged in the longitudinal slot (21) in an alternating sequence.

6. The transport apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one rolling or sliding element is assigned to the stand element (24).

7. A method for transport of mirror units for installation in a solar field, wherein first, a transport unit (8) is formed from a plurality of mirror units (1), this transport unit (8) is brought to an installation site, and the transport unit (8) is disassembled at the installation site, wherein the individual mirror units (1) are removed and fixed in place in an installation position, wherein the mirror units (1) have an end panel (10) assigned to them on their face ends (3), in each instance, in torque-proof manner, to form the transport unit (8), wherein the end panel (10) has a first longitudinal edge (11) having engagement means (12) and a second longitudinal edge (13) having counter-engagement means (14), and multiple mirror units (1) are stacked one on top of the other, with contacting only of their end panels (10), in such a manner that the engagement means (12) of the first longitudinal edges (11) of the end panels (10) interact with the counter-engagement means (14) of the second longitudinal edges (13) of adjacent end panels (10).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a lowermost mirror unit (1) is inserted into longitudinal slots (21) of two parallel-offset base rails (20) with the first or second longitudinal edges (11, 13) of the end panels (10) assigned to it, which rails are elevated on stand elements (24), in each instance.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the base rails (20) are first covered with a first layer composed of mirror units (1) alternately rotated by 180, and then similar further layers are laid on top, wherein adjacent end panels (10), in each instance, engage into one another at the longitudinal edges (11, 13) and upright edges (17), using their engagement means (12, 18) and counter-engagement means (14).

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the transport unit (8) is dismantled at the installation site by means of a crane apparatus, wherein the mirror units (1) are individually lifted up, layer by layer, and set down onto a support apparatus (4) for installation of the mirror units (1), wherein the support apparatus (4) has a rail arrangement (6) assigned to it, using which mirror units (1) delivered on the support apparatus (4) in the end position are moved to their installation position.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the end panels (10) are moved on the rail arrangement (6) and only removed at the installation position.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the end panels (10) are removed after the mirror units (1) are set down onto the support apparatus (4), and the units are moved to their installation position along the support apparatus (4) using carriages (7).

Description

[0014] The present invention will be explained in greater detail in the following, using an exemplary embodiment.

[0015] The figures show:

[0016] FIG. 1 a detail of a mirror unit having a laterally mounted end panel, in a perspective representation at a slant from above,

[0017] FIG. 2 a base rail in a perspective representation, at a slant from above,

[0018] FIG. 3 a transport unit in a top view from the side, into the end panels used there, wherein one of the end panels is omitted, and the base rail is shown in its cross-sectional representation,

[0019] FIG. 4 a transport unit in a perspective representation at a slant from above, and

[0020] FIG. 5 a transport unit at the installation site, when setting mirror units down onto a support apparatus, also shown, in a solar field, in a perspective representation at a slant from above.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a mirror unit 1, which consists essentially of a housing having a trapezoid cross-section and a mirror 2 attached to it. Only the end face 3 of the housing can be seen, in part, which projects beyond the edges of an end panel 10 attached to the end face 3. This projection is intentional, so as to achieve a counter-hold by means of adjacent end panels 19, wherein parts of the end panel 10 in turn project beyond the mirror unit 1, so as to allow contacting of adjacent mirror units, in turn. Thus, the end panel 10 first has a first longitudinal edge 11, which possesses a backward offset as an engagement means 12. A second longitudinal edge 13, which has a corresponding counter-engagement means 14 in the form of a projection, which, based on its shape, functions as a counter-part to the engagement means 12 on the first longitudinal edge 11, is provided opposite the first longitudinal edge 11. The end panel 10 is connected with the mirror unit 1 by way of a rotational fixation 16, and has a holder 15 into which a rotation axle for rotation of the mirror unit 1 along its longitudinal axis can be placed.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a base rail 20, into which a lowermost layer of mirror units 1 can be inserted. Two of these base rails 20 are set up parallel to and offset from one another for this purpose, wherein the distance of the length of a mirror unit 1 should be provided between them. The base rail 20 shown has visible counter-engagement means 23, which engage into engagement means 12 of end panels 10 to be set onto them. Parts of the first longitudinal edge 11 are inserted into a longitudinal slot 21 of the base rail 20, while the counter-engagement means 23 engage into the engagement means 12 and thereby prevent displacement of the mirror unit 1 and of the end panel 10 connected with it in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal slot 21. The delimitations of the longitudinal slot 21, on the other hand, prevent slipping transverse to the longitudinal slot 21, so that in this way, removing the lowermost layer of mirror units from the base rail 20 is only possible by means of lifting it.

[0023] Engagement means 22 arranged alternating with the counter-engagement means 23 are present but cannot be seen in FIG. 2, wherein mirror units rotated by 180 can be inserted into these engagement means 22, wherein in this case, the counter-engagement means 14 of their second longitudinal edges 13 can be inserted. The base rail 20 furthermore has stand elements 24, which can be provided with casters, if necessary.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a possible transport unit 8, in the case of which into the base rail 20 shown, which is merely shown in a cross-section along the longitudinal slot 21, is filled with four mirror units, arranged alternately next to one another and rotated by 180, as the lowermost layer. Each of the mirror units 1 inserted into the base rail 20 has three further mirror units 1 laid on top of it, wherein the end panels 10, 19 connected with them combine in the manner of a puzzle to form a wall of end panels 10, 19. In the drawing of FIG. 3, one of the end panels 10 is omitted for a better illustration, so that in this position, the reciprocal position of adjacent end faces 3 can be seen. Here, it can easily be perceived that mirror units 1 that are laterally adjacent can be arranged in such a manner, on the basis of their trapezoid cross-section, that the housings of the mirror units 1 overlap one another, so that tight packing of the mirror units 1 in the transport unit 8 can take place.

[0025] The base rail 20, mounted on the stand elements 24, has both engagement means 22 and counter-engagement means 23 in its longitudinal slot, as has already been mentioned. When filling the base rail 20 in the embodiment shown, first a mirror unit 1, with its mirror side facing downward, is laid into each of the existing engagement means 22, and, after all of the mirror units 1 that have been rotated by 180 and have their mirror side facing downward have been laid in place, the remaining spaces, with their counter-engagement means 23, are filled with mirror units 1, the mirror sides of which face upward. As a result, the engagement means 18 arranged on the upright edges 17 engage into one another and connect the respective end panels 10 laterally with one another. After completion of a lowermost layer of mirror units 1, the next layer is layered on top of it, wherein further end panels 19 having the same construction, adjacent one above the other, are oriented in the same orientation as the end panels 10 that lie underneath. The further end panel 19 has an engagement means 12 at its first longitudinal edge 11, which means engages into a counter-engagement means 14 on the second longitudinal edge 13 of the end panel 10 and thereby prevents displacement of the mirror unit 1 in the entire arrangement of the transport unit 8. As shown in the region of the omitted end panel, displacement in the viewing direction or in the direction out of the plane of the figure is effectively prevented by means of the overlap of the respective mirror units with their end faces 3 beyond the adjacent end panels 10, 19.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a complete transport unit 8, consisting of a plurality of mirror units 1, which are arranged, alternately rotated by 180, in layers, on a total of two base rails 20. It can be seen that the end panels 10, which are connected with the mirror units 1, in each instance, represent a side wall that hold the mirror units 1 in position between the two base rails 20. Disassembly of this transport unit 8 is thereby only made possible by means of removal of the individual layers, taking place one after the other, from top to bottom. Transporting of the transport unit 8 can take place, for example, in that a forklift truck moves its fork in between stand elements 24 of the base rail 20, on one side, lifts this side, and brings about a movement of the transport unit 8 by way of casters arranged on the second base rail 20.

[0027] FIG. 5, finally, shows a support apparatus 4, on which the mirror units 1 are supposed to be installed at the installation site. For this purpose, as has already been presented, the mirror units 1 are delivered using a crane cart, and unloaded, and set down onto the support apparatus 4, in each instance, in an end position. The mirror units 1, which have already been freed of the end panel 10 in this position, are moved to their ultimate installation position by means of a carriage 7, where they are released from the carriage and connected in the installation position using their rotational joints, in situ. In the installation position, which they reach by way of displacement of the carriage 7 along a rail arrangement 6, they can be oriented in such a manner, if necessary, that the incident sunlight first hits the mirrors of the mirror units 1 and then an absorber 5 arranged elevated above the support apparatus 4.

[0028] What has been described above is therefore a transport apparatus and a corresponding method, which allows effective transport of mirror units, for which a minimum of transport packaging is required, which packaging can furthermore easily be re-used.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

[0029] 1 mirror unit [0030] 2 mirror [0031] 3 end face [0032] 4 support apparatus [0033] 5 absorber [0034] 6 rail arrangement [0035] 7 carriage [0036] 8 transport unit [0037] 9 crane cart [0038] 10 end panel [0039] 11 first longitudinal edge [0040] 12 engagement means [0041] 13 second longitudinal edge [0042] 14 counter-engagement means [0043] 15 holder [0044] 16 rotation fixation [0045] 17 upright edge [0046] 18 engagement means [0047] 19 further end panel [0048] 20 base rail [0049] 21 longitudinal slot [0050] 22 engagement means [0051] 23 counter-engagement means [0052] 24 stand element