阅读说明：本技术 用于太阳能板的枢转展开驱动器 (Pivoting deployment driver for solar panels ) 是由 E·斯特格尔 A·斯沃泰克 G·扎克 于 2016-09-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于太阳能板(2)的枢转展开驱动器(3),具有底座支承部(9)；旋转台(12),该旋转台绕基本竖直的第一轴线(6)枢转安装在所述底座支承部(9)上；转盘(16),该转盘绕基本水平的第二轴线(7)枢转安装在所述旋转台(12)上,以及展开轴(18),该展开轴绕第三轴线(5)枢转安装在所述转盘(16)上,并且所述太阳能板(2)可以绕前述第三轴线(5)安装在所述展开轴上,使得所述太阳能板能够叠合或展开,其中,所述旋转台(12)绕前述第二轴线(7)承载所述转盘(16)的一端(15),并且与该一端相间隔一定距离地承载至少一个曲柄(20),所述曲柄经由连杆(23)与所述转盘(16)的另一端(24)联接以形成四连杆机构。(The invention relates to a pivoting deployment drive (3) for a solar panel (2), having a base support (9); a rotary table (12) pivotally mounted on the base support (9) about a first substantially vertical axis (6); -a turntable (16) pivotally mounted on the turntable (12) about a second, substantially horizontal axis (7), and-a deployment shaft (18) pivotally mounted on the turntable (12) about a third axis (5), and on which the solar panel (2) can be mounted about the aforementioned third axis (5) such that it can be folded or unfolded, wherein the turntable (12) carries one end (15) of the turntable (16) about the aforementioned second axis (7) and carries at least one crank (20) at a distance therefrom, which crank is coupled with the other end (24) of the turntable (16) via a link (23) to form a four-bar linkage.)

1. A pivoting deployment driver (3) for a solar panel (2), comprising:

a base support part (9),

a rotary table (12) mounted on the base support (9) in a pivoting manner about a first substantially vertical axis (6),

a turntable (16) mounted on the rotary table (12) in a pivoting manner about a substantially horizontal second axis (7), and

-a deployment shaft (18) mounted on said carousel (16) in such a way as to pivot about a third axis (5) and on which said solar panels (2) can be mounted both folded and unfolded about the aforesaid third axis (5), characterized in that,

the rotary table (12) is fitted with a first end (15) of the rotary table (16) around the aforementioned second axis (7) and, at a distance therefrom, with at least one crank (20) coupled with a second end (24) of the rotary table (16) by means of a connecting rod (23) to form a crank-rocker mechanism.

2. The pivoting deployment driver according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting axis (21') of the at least one crank (20) is positioned below the second axis (7) on the rotary table (12).

3. A pivot deployment driver according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary table (12) has two upwardly projecting bearing arms (14) between which the aforementioned first end (15) of the turntable (16) is mounted.

4. The pivoting deployment driver according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one crank (20) comprises two cranks (20), said two cranks (20) being provided with respective connecting rods (23), said second aforesaid end (24) of the carousel 16 being mounted between said connecting rods (23).

5. A pivotal deployment driver according to claim 4, wherein the two cranks (20) are mounted to a common shaft (21) which is mounted in a bearing housing (22) of the rotary table (12).

6. Pivoting deployment driver according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary table (12) is manufactured in one piece.

7. The pivoting deployment driver according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one crank (20) is driven via a first worm gear (28) by a first motor (26, 27) mounted on the rotary table (12).

8. Pivot deployment driver according to claim 1, characterised in that the rotary table (12) is driven by a second motor (29, 30) mounted on the base support (9) via a second worm gear (31).

9. A pivoting deployment driver according to claim 1, characterized in that the deployment shaft (18) is driven by a third motor (32, 33) mounted on the turntable (16) via a third worm gear (34).

10. The pivoting deployment driver according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the deployment shaft (18) can be driven by the turntable (16) or its drive (26-28) via a coupling.

11. The pivoting deployment driver according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the deployment shaft (18) can be driven by the rotary table (12) or its driver (29-31) via a coupling (41, 42).

12. The pivoting deployment driver according to claim 11, characterized in that the coupling (41, 42) is actuated by pivoting of the turntable (16).

13. Pivoting deployment driver according to claim 12, characterized in that the coupling (41, 42) is closed in a rest position of the turntable (16) and is open in a rotational position of the turntable (16) deviating from the rest position.

14. A pivoting deployment driver according to claim 13, characterized in that the coupling (41, 42) is formed by a pinion (41) which is driven by a rotary table (12) via a gear shaft (35), and a ring gear (42), which ring gear (42) is seated on the deployment shaft (18), which ring gear (42) meshes with the pinion (41) when the turntable (16) is pivoted into the rest position, and which ring gear (42) is disengaged from the pinion (41) when the turntable (16) is pivoted out of the rest position.

15. A pivoting deployment driver according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the deployment shaft (18) is rotationally fixable relative to the turntable (16) with a further coupling (43-49).

16. The pivoting deployment driver according to claim 15, characterized in that the further coupling (43-49) is open in a rest position of the turntable (16) and closed in a rotational position of the turntable (16) deviating from the rest position.

17. The pivoting deployment drive according to claim 16, characterized in that the further coupling is a brake disc (45), which brake disc (45) is rotationally fixed with the deployment shaft (18) and spring-loaded against a braking surface (43) of the turntable (16), and which brake disc (45) can be moved away from the braking surface (43) by a drive member (46) of the rotary table (12) when the turntable (16) is pivoted into the rest position.

18. A pivoting deployment driver according to claim 16, characterised in that the further coupling (43-49) is a spring-loaded brake pinion (47), which brake pinion (47) is rotationally fixed but axially movable on the turntable (16) and which has brake teeth (48) for meshing with a toothed ring (42) on the deployment shaft (18), and which brake pinion is pressed against the spring load to disengage from the toothed ring when the turntable (16) is pivoted into the rest position.

19. A support structure for a solar panel, comprising:

a base support;

a turntable mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis relative to the base support;

a plurality of solar panels mounted on the carousel for pivotal movement relative to the carousel about a deployment axis;

at least one crank mounted to pivot relative to the base support; and

a connecting rod coupled between the at least one crank and the turntable such that pivotal movement of the at least one crank pivots the turntable about the horizontal axis.

20. The support structure of claim 19, wherein the turntable is mounted at a first end to pivot about the horizontal axis, and the link is coupled to a second end of the turntable, the second end of the turntable being opposite the first end of the turntable.

21. The support structure of claim 19, wherein the turntable is movable about the horizontal axis between a horizontal position and a vertical position.

22. The support structure of claim 19, comprising first and second cranks and first and second connecting rods, the first and second cranks being mounted to a common shaft arranged to pivot relative to the base support, the first and second connecting rods being coupled between the first cranks and the turntable and between the second cranks and the turntable, respectively.

23. The support structure of claim 19, further comprising a rotary table mounted to the base support for pivotal movement relative thereto about a vertical axis, wherein the at least one crank is pivotally mounted to the rotary table and the turntable is pivotally mounted to the rotary table.

24. The support structure of claim 19, further comprising a deployment shaft mounted to the carousel to pivot relative to the carousel about the deployment axis, wherein the plurality of solar panels are mounted to the deployment shaft such that at least one of the plurality of solar panels is movable with the deployment shaft.

25. The support structure of claim 24, further comprising a rotary table mounted to the base support for pivotal movement relative thereto about a vertical axis, wherein the at least one crank is pivotally mounted to the rotary table and the rotary table is pivotally mounted to the rotary table, and a coupling is provided between the deployment shaft and the rotary table such that movement of the rotary table pivots the deployment shaft about the deployment axis.

26. The support structure of claim 25, wherein movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis engages or disengages the coupler between the unwind shaft and the rotary table.

27. The support structure of claim 24, further comprising a brake disposed to resist movement of the deployment shaft about the deployment axis.

28. The support structure of claim 27, wherein the brake engages and disengages based on movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis.

29. The support structure of claim 28, wherein the brake is disengaged from the turntable in a horizontal position and engages the turntable positioned away from the horizontal position to resist movement of the deployment shaft.

30. The support structure of claim 19, wherein the at least one crank is arranged to pivot about a mounting axis located below the horizontal axis.

31. A support structure for a solar panel, comprising:

a base support;

a rotary table mounted on the base support for pivotal movement about a vertical axis;

a turntable mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis relative to the base support;

a plurality of solar panels mounted on the carousel for pivotal movement relative to the carousel about an unfolding axis between an unfolded position and a folded position; and

a single motor drive configured to move not only the rotary stage about the vertical axis but also the plurality of solar panels about the deployment axis.

32. The support structure of claim 31, further comprising:

at least one crank mounted to pivot relative to the rotary table; and

a connecting rod coupled between the at least one crank and the turntable such that pivotal movement of the at least one crank pivots the turntable about the horizontal axis.

33. The support structure of claim 32, wherein the at least one crank is pivotally mounted to the rotary table and the turntable is pivotally mounted to the rotary table.

34. The support structure of claim 31, wherein the turntable is mounted at a first end to pivot about the horizontal axis, and the link is coupled to a second end of the turntable, the second end of the turntable being opposite the first end of the turntable.

35. The support structure of claim 31, wherein the turntable is movable about the horizontal axis between a horizontal position and a vertical position.

36. The support structure of claim 31, further comprising a coupler disposed between the plurality of solar panels and the rotary table such that movement of the rotary table about the vertical axis pivots at least one solar panel about the deployment axis.

37. The support structure of claim 36, wherein movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis engages and disengages the coupling between the plurality of solar panels and the carousel.

38. The support structure of claim 31, wherein the single motor drive is configured to move the rotary table about the vertical axis, and a coupling between the rotary table and the plurality of solar panels drives at least one solar panel to pivot about the deployment axis with movement of the rotary table about the vertical axis.

39. The support structure of claim 38, further comprising a deployment shaft mounted to the carousel to pivot relative to the carousel about the deployment axis, wherein the plurality of solar panels are mounted to the deployment shaft such that at least one of the plurality of solar panels is movable with the deployment shaft.

40. The support structure of claim 39, wherein the coupler is disposed between the deployment shaft and the rotation stage such that movement of the rotation stage pivots the deployment shaft about the deployment axis.

41. The support structure of claim 40, wherein movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis engages and disengages the coupler between the unwind shaft and the rotary table.

42. The support structure of claim 31, further comprising a brake disposed to resist movement of the plurality of solar panels about the deployment axis.

43. The support structure of claim 42, wherein the brake is engaged and disengaged based on movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis.

44. The support structure of claim 43, wherein the brake is disengaged from the turntable in a horizontal position and engages the turntable positioned away from the horizontal position to resist movement of the deployment shaft.

45. A support structure for a solar panel, comprising:

a base support;

a turntable mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis relative to the base support;

a plurality of solar panels mounted on the carousel for pivotal movement relative to the carousel about an unfolding axis between an unfolded position and a folded position; and

a coupler configured to selectively: coupling at least one solar panel of the plurality of solar panels to a drive for movement of the at least one solar panel about the deployment axis, and decoupling the at least one solar panel from the drive such that the drive is unable to move the at least one solar panel about the deployment axis.

46. The support structure of claim 45, further comprising a rotary table mounted to the base support for pivotal movement relative to the base support about a vertical axis.

47. The support structure of claim 46, further comprising:

at least one crank mounted to pivot relative to the rotary table; and

a connecting rod coupled between the at least one crank and the turntable such that pivotal movement of the at least one crank pivots the turntable about the horizontal axis.

48. The support structure of claim 47, wherein the at least one crank is pivotally mounted to the rotary table and the turntable is pivotally mounted to the rotary table.

49. The support structure of claim 48, wherein the turntable is mounted at a first end to pivot about the horizontal axis, and the link is coupled to a second end of the turntable, the second end of the turntable being opposite the first end of the turntable.

50. The support structure of claim 45, wherein the turntable is movable about the horizontal axis between a horizontal position and a vertical position.

51. The support structure of claim 45, wherein movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis engages and disengages the coupling between at least one of the plurality of solar panels and the drive.

52. The support structure of claim 45, further comprising a rotary table mounted to the base support for pivotal movement relative thereto about a vertical axis, wherein the drive is arranged to move the rotary table about the vertical axis and the coupling is arranged to move at least one solar panel to pivot about the deployment axis with movement of the rotary table about the vertical axis.

53. The support structure of claim 45, further comprising a deployment shaft mounted to the carousel to pivot relative to the carousel about the deployment axis, wherein the plurality of solar panels are mounted to the deployment shaft such that at least one of the plurality of solar panels is movable with the deployment shaft.

54. The support structure of claim 53, further comprising a rotary table mounted to the base support for pivotal movement relative thereto about a vertical axis, wherein the coupler is disposed between the deployment shaft and the rotary table such that movement of the rotary table pivots the deployment shaft about the deployment axis.

55. The support structure of claim 54, wherein movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis engages and disengages the coupler between the unwind shaft and the turntable.

56. The support structure of claim 45, further comprising a brake disposed to resist movement of the plurality of solar panels about the deployment axis.

57. The support structure of claim 56, wherein the brake is engaged and disengaged based on movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis.

58. The support structure of claim 57, wherein the brake is disengaged from the turntable in a horizontal position and engages the turntable positioned away from the horizontal position to resist movement of the plurality of solar panels about the deployment axis.

59. A support structure for a solar panel, comprising:

a base support;

a turntable mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis relative to the base support;

a plurality of solar panels mounted on the carousel for pivotal movement relative to the carousel about an unfolding axis between an unfolded position and a folded position; and

a brake disposed to selectively resist movement of at least one of the plurality of solar panels about the deployment axis.

60. The support structure of claim 59, further comprising a rotary table mounted to the base support for pivotal movement relative to the base support about a vertical axis.

61. The support structure of claim 60, further comprising:

at least one crank mounted to pivot relative to the rotary table; and

a connecting rod coupled between the at least one crank and the turntable such that pivotal movement of the at least one crank pivots the turntable about the horizontal axis.

62. The support structure of claim 61, wherein the at least one crank is pivotally mounted to the rotary table and the turntable is pivotally mounted to the rotary table.

63. The support structure of claim 61, wherein the turntable is mounted at a first end to pivot about the horizontal axis, and the linkage is coupled to a second end of the turntable, the second end of the turntable being opposite the first end of the turntable.

64. The support structure of claim 59, wherein the turntable is movable about the horizontal axis between a horizontal position and a vertical position.

65. The support structure of claim 59, wherein movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis engages and disengages the brake to selectively resist movement of the at least one solar panel about the deployment axis.

66. The support structure of claim 59, further comprising a deployment shaft mounted to the carousel to pivot relative to the carousel about the deployment axis, wherein the plurality of solar panels are mounted to the deployment shaft such that at least one of the plurality of solar panels is movable with the deployment shaft.

67. The support structure of claim 66, further comprising a rotary table mounted to the base support for pivotal movement relative to the base support about a vertical axis, and a coupler disposed between the deployment shaft and the rotary table such that movement of the rotary table pivots the deployment shaft about the deployment axis.

68. The support structure of claim 67, wherein movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis engages and disengages the coupler between the unwind shaft and the rotary table.

69. The support structure of claim 59, wherein the brake engages and disengages based on movement of the carousel about the horizontal axis.

70. The support structure of claim 69, wherein said brake is disengaged from said carousel in a horizontal position and engages said carousel positioned away from said horizontal position to resist movement of said plurality of solar panels about said deployment axis.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a pivoting deployment drive for a solar panel, having a base support; a rotary table pivotally mounted on the base support about a first substantially vertical axis; a turntable pivotally mounted on the turntable about a second, substantially horizontal axis; and a deployment shaft pivotally mounted on the carousel about a third axis, and on which the solar panel may be mounted so as to be able to fold and unfold about the third axis.

Background

Solar panels which can be deployed with such drives and which can be adjusted according to the position of the sun are known, for example, from AT 509.886B 1, AT 512.680B 1 and AT 513.875B 1 of the same applicant. The solar panels in the above-mentioned document can be unfolded from a protected position, in which the individual solar panels are stacked substantially one above the other, into an unfolded operating position and vice versa, by rotating an unfolding shaft on which the solar panels are mounted. For this purpose, the uppermost (or lowermost) solar panel in the stack is non-rotatably connected to the unfolding shaft, while the remaining solar panels are rotatably arranged on the unfolding shaft, and during the unfolding and folding operation the next solar panel is carried along by means of the pawls (dogs), which in turn carries the next solar panel, and so on. In this deployed operational position, the solar panel can be aimed at the sun in azimuth and elevation by pivoting the rotary table and the turntable.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to create a pivoting deployment drive for such solar panels which is simpler than known designs, occupies a smaller space and is less prone to failure.

This object is achieved by a pivotable deployment drive of the type described in the introduction, which is characterized according to the invention in that a rotary table is fitted with one end of the turntable about the aforementioned second axis, and with a distance from this end at least one crank is fitted, which is coupled with the other end of the turntable by means of a connecting rod to form a crank-rocker mechanism.

The construction of the crank-rocker mechanism consisting of a rotary table, a turntable, a crank and a connecting rod results in a very compact and space-saving design in which the turntable can be turned into a rest position, for example for protection purposes, in which position the turntable can be placed substantially parallel to and above the rotary table. For transport purposes, the turntable can be rotated out into a substantially vertical end position, in which the crank and the connecting rod are preferably substantially extended. For example, the forces caused by the impact experienced by the deploying head act on the axis bearing and not on the portion of the crank rocker mechanism at the more sensitive crank axis. At the same time, it requires only extremely few components, in particular cranks and connecting rods, in order to construct the pivoting means for the turntable, thus simplifying manufacture. The use of a crank-rocker mechanism for the turntable also results in an operation that is extremely less prone to faults, since the crank remains fully capable of rotation, so that an accidental overspeed of the motor driving the crank cannot in any way cause the motor or the mechanism to become blocked or damaged.

The mounting axis of the crank is preferably located lower on the turntable than the second axis, and by determining suitable dimensions of the crank, the connecting rod and the effective connecting distance from the turntable and the turntable, the mechanism can be used to pivot the turntable, for example from a horizontal rest position, through any inclined position, to a vertical end position, so that the turntable can follow the position of the sun.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, a particularly robust and space-saving embodiment is provided when the turntable has two upwardly projecting bearing arms between which one end of the turntable is mounted. For the same reason, the two cranks are preferably each provided with a connecting rod between which the other end of the aforementioned turntable is mounted.

In a preferred embodiment, the cranks may be seated on a common shaft, which is mounted in a bearing seat of the rotary table, so that only one drive may be required for both cranks. In this case, the rotary table can be produced in particular in one piece, preferably as a cast part, if the rotary table is provided with the bearing arm and the bearing seat, which considerably simplifies the final assembly of the drive during production.

The pivoting deployment actuator of the present invention may be manually actuated. However, the design of the motor operation, more particularly the design of the fully automatic adjustment of the sun-facing position of the solar panels and the design of the fully automatic folding and unfolding of the solar panels, for example in order to bring them into a protected folding position at night or in the presence of wind and rain, are preferred designs.

The pivoting movement about the aforementioned three axes is implemented for this purpose by means of any drive known in the art, for example a hydraulic or pneumatic drive or an electric servo motor, for example a slow-turning or gear-reduction motor or a stepper motor. Here, any gear mechanism known in the art, such as a planetary gear train and a helical gear such as a planetary helical gear, may be used as the gear mechanism.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an electric motor with a reduction worm gear is used, i.e. one or more of the cranks are driven by a first electric motor mounted on a rotary table, preferably via a first worm gear; and/or the rotary table is driven by a second motor mounted on the base support via a second worm gear; and/or the unwinding shaft is driven by a third motor mounted on the turntable via a third worm gear.

According to a further aspect of the invention, instead of providing a special third drive for the deployment shaft, one of two further drives can additionally be used for this purpose: by selectively coupling the deployment shaft to the turntable or its drive, or to the turntable or its drive, the solar panel can be deployed or stowed during rotation of the turntable in azimuth or pivoting of the turntable in elevation. After the solar panels are deployed or stowed as desired, the couplings can be released again and the drive of the rotary table and the drive of the turntable can be reused only for azimuth and elevation adjustments.

It is particularly advantageous if the following features are provided: the drive of the rotary table is shared for the drive of the deployment shaft, i.e. the deployment shaft can be driven by the rotary table or its drive via a coupling, while the coupling is automatically actuated by pivoting of the turntable. In particular, the coupling is thus closed in the rest position of the turntable and opened in a rotational position of the turntable deviating from the rest position. For example, the rest position of the carousel is its horizontal position, parallel above and superimposed with respect to said rotating table, in which said coupling is closed. The rotary table drive can now be used to deploy solar panels, whereupon they are aligned in their elevation angle with the sun by means of the rotary table drive, and then the coupling is released and the rotary table drive is made available again only for azimuth adjustment.

A preferred practical embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the coupling is formed by a pinion which is driven by a rotary table via a gear shaft and by a toothed ring which is seated on a deployment shaft, which is in engagement with the pinion when the rotary table is pivoted into the rest position and which is disengaged from the pinion when the rotary table is pivoted out of the rest position. This creates an automatic engagement and disengagement of the coupling between the rotary table drive and the unwind shaft as the turntable pivots.

In order to prevent accidental rotation of the deployment shaft upon release of the aforementioned coupling for disengaging the azimuth and elevation drives during operation, according to another preferred feature of the invention, the deployment shaft may be selectively rotationally fixed relative to the carousel via another coupling. The further coupling can also be actuated automatically with the rotary movement of the turntable, more particularly in particular the further coupling is open in the rest position of the turntable and closed in the rotary position of the turntable deviating from the rest position. In a preferred embodiment of this variant, the further coupling used for this purpose may be a brake disc rotationally fixed to the deployment shaft and spring-loaded against a braking surface of the turntable, and said brake disc may be moved away from the braking surface by an actuating member of the rotary table when pivoting the turntable into the rest position, so that the second coupling can be automatically actuated in a non-failure-prone manner. Alternatively, it can also be implemented when the further coupling is a spring-loaded brake pinion which is rotationally fixed on the rotary disk but axially movable and which has brake teeth for meshing with the toothed ring and which is pressed against the spring load out of engagement with the toothed ring when the rotary disk is pivoted into the rest position.

Drawings

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings.

Fig. 1 and 2 each show, in a schematic perspective view from obliquely above, a solar module with deployable solar panels in two different operating positions.

Fig. 3 and 4 show a pivoting deployment drive for the solar module of fig. 1 and 2 in two different operating positions, according to the invention, in particular in a perspective view from obliquely above (fig. 3), and in a perspective view from obliquely below (fig. 4).

Figures 5 to 7 show the pivoting deployment actuator of figures 3 and 4 in side (figure 5), top (figure 6) and rear (figure 7) views; and

fig. 8 to 11 show in section two alternative embodiment variants of the pivoting deployment actuator of fig. 3 to 7 in two different operating positions, respectively.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 and 2 show a solar module 1 with a multiple laminar solar panel 2, said solar panel 2 being mounted on an anchor 4 such that it can be rotated and deployed using a pivoting deployment drive 3. The solar panels 2 can then be unfolded from a first, folded position, shown in figure 1, in which the solar panels 2 are arranged folded one above the other substantially in a stacked manner, to an unfolded position, shown in figure 2, in which the solar panels 2 can be unfolded about a common unfolding axis 5 and then brought into a position in which they are arranged substantially adjacent to one another, and vice versa. Here, by means of the pivoting deployment drive 3, the deployment axis 5 can be adjusted in azimuth about a first substantially vertical axis 6 and in elevation about a second substantially horizontal axis 7 in order to align and track the deployed solar panels 2 with the sun. As shown, the anchor 4 may be of any type, such as a column or bracket as shown, but may also be a building part, a floor anchor, a ship part, a vehicle, a container, etc.

As shown, the solar panels 2 have, for example, the form of circular segments ("petals") preferably with rounded corners and preferably complement each other in their extended position (fig. 2) into a complete circle, although this is not necessary. For example, twelve solar panels 2 are provided, each with a circle segment angle of approximately 30 °, wherein the deployment or pivoting angle of a solar panel 2 relative to its neighboring solar panel 2 is correspondingly approximately 30 °.

Each solar panel 2 has on its upper side a planar array of photovoltaic cells 8, for example produced in crystalline or organic form or using thin film technology. For clarity, the electrical connections and circuitry for solar panels 2 and solar cells 8 are not shown; for example, solar panels 2 are contacted via flexible connecting cables or loop contacts or rigid contact rings on anchors 4 or on pivoting deployment driver 3 and connected with further power transmission electrical systems.

Figures 3 to 9 show in detail the pivoting deployment actuator 3 for the solar panel 2. The pivotable deployment driver 3 comprises a base support 9, here in the form of an annular flange, which base support 9 can be screwed, for example, with a hole 10 onto the upper end of the anchor 4. The rotary table 12 is mounted on the base support 9 via ball bearings 11 such that it can at least pivot, preferably completely rotate about the axis 6.

The turntable 12 has at one end 13 two bearing arms 14, which bearing arms 14 project upwards and are at a distance from each other, and between which one end 15 of a turntable 16 is mounted in a pivoting manner about the axis 7. The turntable 16 may also be mounted on the turntable 12 in another way so that it can pivot, for example by means of a hinge. It should be noted that the terms "rotary table" and "turntable" are not literally related to the shape of the table and the plate, but to the function of the particular assembly, i.e. the rotary table 12 may also have a shape different from the shape of the table, for example it may have a hub shape, a shaft connection plate shape, a block shape, etc.; the turntable 16 may also have a shape other than a plate shape, such as a hub-shaped, web-shaped, block-shaped or arbitrarily shaped support portion.

The deployment shaft 18 is mounted on or in the turntable 16 via a ball bearing 17 in such a way that it can at least pivot, preferably can rotate completely about the deployment axis 5. Only the drive side end of the deployment shaft 18 is shown (in the form of an annular flange) in figures 3 to 9 and the remainder of the deployment shaft 18 (visible in figure 2) may be flanged to that end via a hole 19 and carry the solar panel 2. By rotating the unfolding shaft 18, the solar panels 2 are brought from the folded position (fig. 1) into the unfolded position (fig. 2) and vice versa. To this end, the uppermost (lowermost) solar panel 2 of the stack (fig. 1) may for example be non-rotatably connected to the unfolding shaft 18, while the lowermost (uppermost) solar panel 2 may be non-rotatably connected to the turntable 16, wherein during the unfolding or folding operation each solar panel 2 carries adjacent solar panels 2 with the aid of dragging rails, hooks, pawls or the like until all solar panels 2 have been unfolded or folded.

The solar panels 2 can be cleaned by sliding one over the other in such dragging. For this purpose, each solar panel 2 (except for the lowermost solar panel 2) is provided at its rear side with a sweeping lip which sweeps the respective solar panel 2 arranged below when the solar panel is unfolded. For example, the sweeping lip may be a rubber lip or a brush lip and may at the same time form a trailing rail.

The turntable 16 is pivoted relative to the rotary table 12 by means of at least one (here two) crank 20, which crank 20 is seated on a common shaft 21 and is mounted in a bearing seat 22 of the rotary table 12, more particularly such that the axis 21' of the shaft 21 is placed parallel to and at a distance from the pivot axis 7 of the turntable 16. The bearing support 22 may be formed by or separate from the step area of the bearing arm 14.

The cranks 20 are coupled at their ends remote from the shaft 21 by means of connecting rods 23 to the other ends 24 of the turntable 16 opposite the end 15 at hinge axes 25, respectively.

The four parts consisting of the rotary table 12, the turntable 16, the crank 20 and the connecting rod 23 form a four-bar linkage, more particularly a crank-rocker mechanism, the "crank" of which is formed by the crank 20, the "rocker" of which is formed by the turntable 16, the "frame" of which is formed by the rotary table 2 and the "coupling member" of which is formed by the connecting rod 23. The length of the frame between axis 21' and axis of rotation 7, the length of the rocker between axis of rotation 7 and hinge axis 25, and the effective length of crank 20 and connecting rod 23 determine the kinematic characteristics of the crank-rocker mechanism, as is well known in the art. The aforementioned respective lengths are preferably, but not necessarily, selected so that the turntable 16 performs a substantially 90 ° pivotal movement from a substantially horizontal rest position (fig. 3) to a substantially vertical end position (fig. 4) and back when the crank 20 performs a full rotation.

Here, the axis 21' of the crank 20 is preferably offset from the rotation axis 7 and placed below this rotation axis 7, so that said turntable 16 in the rest position (fig. 3) is placed substantially parallel to the rotation table 12 and above the rotation table 12 when the crank 20 and the connecting rod 23 are in their maximally shortened position. This results in very little space requirement in the rest position (fig. 3). In the maximum rotated-out end position of fig. 4, the crank 20 and the connecting rod 23 are in their maximum extended positions.

In the simplest case, the movement of the pivoting deployment driver 3 about one or more of the axes 5, 6, 7 can be performed manually. However, the movement of one or more axes about the axes 5, 6, 7 is preferably generated by corresponding drives, such as hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, servomotors, stepper motors or the like. A first embodiment is shown in figures 3 to 7 in which a gear reduction electric drive is provided for each of the three movements.

To this end, a first electric motor 26 having a bevel gear 27 mounted with a flange is mounted on the rotary table 12 and drives one of the cranks 20 or its shaft 21 by means of a first worm gear 28. The first worm gear 28 comprises, for example, a worm driven by the electric motor 26 with a bevel gear 27, which engages in a worm wheel situated on the crank 20 or on the shaft 21.

A second electric motor 29 with a flange-mounted bevel gear 30 is mounted on the base support 9 and drives the rotary table 12 by means of a second worm gear 31, the second worm gear 31 for example comprising a worm engaged in a worm gear of the rotary table 12.

A third motor 32 with a flange-mounted bevel gear 33 is mounted on the turntable 16 and drives the unwind shaft 18, again with a third worm gear transmission 34, for example by means of a worm engaged in a worm gear connected to the unwind shaft 18.

It will be appreciated that instead of one or more worm gear transmissions, other suitable gear mechanisms may be used, for example spur gears, planetary gear trains or helical gears such as bevel gears, crown gears or planetary helical gears, more particularly all in one or more gear stages.

Fig. 8 to 11 show a second embodiment variant of the drive for the unrolling shaft 18, in which, more particularly, a separate motorized drive is not provided for it, but the drive of the rotary table 12 is optionally shared for this purpose. For this purpose, a gear shaft 35 having a substantially vertical axis of rotation is mounted in bearings 36, 37 on the turntable 12 and/or one of its bearing blocks 22. The gear shaft 35 has at its lower end a pinion 38 which meshes with a ring gear 39 formed on the outer circumference of a flange 40 of the base support 9. When the turntable 12 is rotated relative to the base support 9 or its flange 40, the gear shaft 35 is set to rotate.

At its upper end, the pinion shaft 35 carries a further pinion 41 which, in the pivoted-down position of the turntable 16 (fig. 8 and 10), meshes with a toothed ring 42 formed on the outer circumference of the deployment shaft 18. In this position, the second motor 29 then drives both the rotary table 12 and the unrolling shaft 18 via the meshing of the pinion 41 and the ring gear 42, so that the solar panels 2 unroll or superimpose about the axis 5 while rotation about the axis 6 takes place.

The pinion 41 and the ring gear 42 then form a coupling between the rotary table 12 or its drive and the unwinding shaft 18, which coupling is closed in the rest position of the turntable 16 shown in fig. 8 and 10. When the turntable is pivoted upwards, the coupling is opened (see fig. 9 and 11), i.e. the pinion 41 and the ring gear 42 are disengaged, so that the motor 29 can now be used again only for rotational driving about the axis 6, i.e. for azimuth adjustment of the solar panel 2.

When the rotary disk 16 is pivoted down or in to the rest position (fig. 8 and 10), respectively, the couplings 41, 42 are closed again, and the electric motor 29 is then used again for folding, for example, the solar panels 2.

If desired, the stacked solar panels 2 can be pivoted downwardly in the stacked position by rotation about the pivot axis 7 so that the solar panels adopt a downwardly depending position as shown in figure 1 in which they are protected from wind and weather.

It should be noted that instead of the second motor 29 of the rotary table drive, the first motor 26 for the rotary table can also be shared for selective driving of the unwinding shaft 18, in which case a similar coupling is provided between the rotary table 16 or its drive 26 and the unwinding shaft 18.

When the couplings 41, 42 of the unfolding axis 18 are released in a position deviating from the rest position (fig. 8 and 10), another coupling can be used to temporarily fix said unfolding axis 18 rotationally with respect to the carousel 16, so as to avoid accidental changes to the folding or unfolding position of the solar panels 2, in particular during their azimuth and elevation adjustments. The other coupling in the variant of fig. 8 and 9 comprises a brake disc 45 non-rotatably connected to the deployment shaft 18 and spring-loaded by a spring 44 against a braking surface 43 of the turntable 16. When pivoting the turntable 16 downwards into the rest position, the brake disc 45 is moved away from the braking surface 43 by means of an actuating member 46 mounted on the rotary table 12, see fig. 8. When pivoting the turntable 16 upwards, the actuating member 46 becomes disengaged from the brake disc 45, so that the brake disc is pressed against the braking surface 43 by the spring 44, thereby rotationally fixing the deployment shaft 18 relative to the turntable 16. Thus, the further coupling 43-46 is opened in the rest position of the turntable 16 and the further coupling 43-46 is closed in its rotational position offset from the turntable 16.

Instead of the shown brake disc/braking surface design of the couplings 43-46, any other kind of coupling that enables the deployment shaft 18 to be temporarily fixed as shown may be used.

For example, according to the variant shown in fig. 10 and 11, the braking function of the further coupling can alternatively be obtained by means of a brake pinion 47 or the like with brake teeth 48, said brake pinion 47 being, for example, non-rotatably but axially movably mounted on the turntable 16 in correspondence with said gear shaft 35 in the position shown in fig. 10, i.e. vertically movably as depicted in fig. 10, said brake pinion 47 being spring-loaded downwards by a spring 49. When the turntable 16 is pivoted upwards (fig. 11), the brake pinion 47 is pressed in a spring-loaded manner, its brake teeth 48 mesh with the toothed ring 42, so that the brake pinion 47 rotationally fixes the toothed ring. In the rest position of the turntable 16 (fig. 10), the brake pinion slides away from the gear shaft 35 against its spring load, thereby releasing the ring gear 42.

It should be noted that the couplings 41, 42 and 43-49 can also be driven manually or by means of an electric drive member which can be controlled, for example, by an electronics unit which also controls the electric motors 26 and 29 accordingly.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented but includes all variations, modifications and combinations falling within the scope of all the appended claims.