Photovoltaic mounting system with sealant injector inlet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10135387-B2
Application number	US-201615079024-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

Photovoltaic mounting systems that form chemical flashings are provided herein. Such mounting systems can include a mounting plate adapted to interface with an off-the-shelf mounting puck so as to allow mounting of the puck on the roof surface without use of traditional roof flashing and/or modification of shingles of the roof surface. Such mounting plates can include a top surface adapted to interface with the puck and a bottom surface that defines a cavity between the mounting plate and the puck in which to form the chemical flashing by injecting a flowable sealant into the cavity via an inlet of the mounting plate that remains accessible from outside the puck during mounting. Such mounting plates can further include features for orienting the plate, directing runoff away from any sealed roof penetrations and filling of the cavity with flowable sealant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic mounting system for mounting photovoltaic modules on a roof surface, the system comprising:
a mounting shell adapted to couple with and support a mounting bracket supporting a photovoltaic module coupling device, wherein the mounting shell includes a through-hole for insertion of a mechanical fastener, a bottom side facing towards the roof and a top side facing away from the roof when mounted thereon, the bottom side having an outer bottom perimeter adapted for placement against a planar roof surface and the top side having a set of coupling orifices for coupling with the mounting bracket; and
a mounting plate adapted to interface with the bottom side of the mounting shell and having a through-hole for passage of the mechanical fastener, wherein the mounting plate comprises at least one inlet accessible from outside the mounting shell when interfaced with the mounting plate mounted against the roof surface with the mechanical fastener extending through the through-hole of each of the mounting shell and the mounting plate, the at least one inlet comprises a nozzle extending upwardly from the mounting plate thereby protruding away from the roof surface when the mounting plate is mounted to the roof surface to facilitate insertion of a distal tip of a caulking or sealant gun such that a flowable sealant is injectable into a cavity between the mounting plate and the roof surface from outside the mounting shell after mounting of the mounting system on the roof surface to allow formation of a chemical flashing,
wherein the mounting plate is dimensioned to allow for mounting of the mounting shell on the roof surface without an underlying planar flashing interleaved with an up-roof course of shingles and without removal or cutting of shingles of the roof surface.

2. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate is adapted to interface with the mounting shell, wherein the mounting shell comprises a conventional, off-the-shelf mounting puck.

3. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the mounting plate includes a plurality of protrusions that interface with a plurality of coupling features of the mounting shell adapted for coupling to the mounting support, wherein the plurality of protrusions are arranged to orient or couple the mounting plate to the mounting shell.

4. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate includes a contoured region that defines the cavity and is received within the mounting shell, wherein the contoured region defines a guide channel extending from the at least one inlet towards the through-hole to facilitate flow of the flowable sealant around any roof surface penetrations near the through-hole during mounting.

5. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a sealant gasket circumscribing a perimeter along a bottom roof facing side of the mounting plate to seal the cavity between the mounting plate and the roof surface during injection of flowable sealant after mounting.

6. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 5 , wherein the sealant gasket is a foam ring defined in a shape corresponding to the cavity and secured to the mounting plate with an adhesive.

7. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate further comprises an outlet in fluid communication with the cavity and extending outside the mounting shell when interfaced with the mounting plate to allow flow of excess sealant out from the cavity when filled.

8. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 7 , wherein the outlet is included within one or more outlets, wherein a total cross-sectional area of the one or more outlets is less than that of the inlet to facilitate filling of the cavity.

9. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one inlet comprises a size and shape suitable for insertion of a distal tip of a standard, off-the-shelf caulking or sealant gun.

10. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 7 , wherein the mounting plate, the at least one inlet and the outlet are integrally formed of a single sheet of metal or a continuous piece of plastic.

11. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting shell comprises a down-roof drainage cut-out along a most down-roof portion of a bottom edge of the mounting shell.

12. A photovoltaic mounting system for mounting photovoltaic modules on a roof surface, the system comprising:
a mounting shell adapted to couple with and support a mounting bracket supporting a photovoltaic module coupling device, wherein the shell includes a through-hole for insertion of a mechanical fastener and a bottom roof facing side having an outer bottom perimeter adapted for placement against a planar roof surface and a top side facing away from the roof when mounted thereon and having a set of coupling orifices for coupling with the mounting bracket, and
a mounting plate adapted to interface with the mounting shell and having a through-hole for passage of the mechanical fastener,
wherein the mounting plate includes a contoured region that defines a cavity between the roof surface and the mounting plate that surrounds the through-hole and includes an inlet in fluid communication with the cavity that is accessible from outside the shell when interfaced with the mounting plate mounted against the roof surface with the mechanical fastener extending through the through-hole of each of the mounting shell and the mounting plate into the roof surface, the inlet comprises a nozzle extending upwardly from the mounting plate thereby protruding away from the roof surface when the mounting plate is mounted to the roof surface to facilitate insertion of a distal tip of a caulking or sealant gun and to facilitate flow of sealant into the cavity and formation of a chemical flashing after mounting of the mounting system to the roof surface,
wherein the mounting plate is dimensioned so that substantially the entire outer perimeter thereof is within about 5 inches or less from the perimeter of the bottom roof facing side of the mounting shell so as to allow mounting of the mounting shell on the roof surface and sealing of any roof penetrations with the chemical flashing without an underlying planar flashing interleaved with an up-roof course of shingles and without removal or cutting of shingles of the roof surface.

13. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 12 , wherein the mounting plate further comprises an outlet in fluid communication with the cavity and arranged to allow flow of excess sealant therethrough when the cavity is substantially filled.

14. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 12 , wherein the mounting plate includes one or more ribs protruding into the cavity and extending in a direction transverse to a sealant flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet so as to inhibit flow of sealant towards the outlet thereby facilitating filling of the cavity.

15. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 14 , wherein the ribs include gapped regions around the through-hole of the mounting plate so as to facilitate sealing about any mechanical fastener extending through the through-hole of the mounting plate.

16. The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 12 ,
wherein a top surface of the mounting plate is shaped to interface with the shell and includes an engagement surface that extends along an angled plane such that, when mounted on the roof surface, a down-roof side of the perimeter of the bottom-facing side of the shell is supported further from the roof surface than an

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Seery Martin
• Bautista Garret

Classifications

• E04D13/00

  Special arrangements or devices in connection with roof coverings; {Protection against birds;} Roof drainage {; Sky-lights} (ventilation tiles E04D1/30; ventilation slabs E04D3/40; internal channels E04F17/00) · CPC title

• H02S20/23 Primary

  specially adapted for roof structures · CPC title

• F24J2/5245

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title

• F24J2002/5294

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic