Package of a supporting device for photovoltaic panels and kit for forming a supporting device for at least one photovoltaic panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10148216-B2
Application number	US-201514736286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2015
Priority date	Jun 11, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A package of a supporting device for photovoltaic panels includes a container and components, for forming the supporting device, packed in the container. The components include at least two frame supports, of which at least one is provided with an inverter attached thereon in advance. Thereby, a user can quickly assemble the supporting device. Furthermore, the inverter is substantially positioned in the container, which is conducive to stabilization in the weight distribution of the components in the container and facilitates the transport of the package. In addition, a kit for forming a supporting device for at least one photovoltaic panel includes components for forming the supporting device. The kit can be provided without a container for accommodating the components. Similarly, the components include at least two frame supports, of which at least one is provided with an inverter attached thereon in advance, which facilitates the assembly of the supporting device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A package of a supporting device capable of supporting photovoltaic panels, the package comprising:
a container;
a first and a second frame support, oppositely disposed in the container, and an accommodating space being formed between the first and the second frame support;
at least two spacers disposed in the container, each spacer having a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, a first indentation at the first side, and a second indentation opposite to the first indentation at the second side, the first frame support being located in the first indentations of the at least two spacers, the second frame support being located in the second indentations of the at least two spacers; and
at least one first and at least one second power inverter, disposed in the accommodating space and attached to the first and the second frame support respectively between two of the at least two spacers.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the first frame support and the second frame support are disposed parallel in a direction, the first frame support has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in the direction, a first interval between the first end and the first power inverter closest to the first end is shorter than a second interval between the second end and the first power inverter closest to the second end, the second frame support has a third end and a fourth end opposite to the third end in the direction, a third interval between the third end and the second power inverter closest to the third end is shorter than a fourth interval between the fourth end and the second power inverter closest to the fourth end, the container has a first container end and a second container end opposite to the first container end in the direction, the first end and the fourth end are disposed at the first container end, and the second end and the third end are disposed at the second container end.

3. The package of claim 2 , wherein the quantity of the at least one first power inverter is equal to or larger than two, and a sum of the first interval and the second interval is equal to an interval between any two adjacent first power inverters.

4. The package of claim 3 , wherein the first interval is equal to the third interval, and the second interval is equal to the fourth interval.

5. The package of claim 1 , wherein the first frame support and the second frame support are disposed parallel in a direction, in which the at least one first and the at least one second power inverter are staggered.

6. The package of claim 1 , the package further comprising a power cable, attached to the first frame support and electrically connected to the at least one first power inverter.

7. The package of claim 6 , wherein the first frame support has a groove, in which the power cable is disposed.

8. The package of claim 6 , wherein the power cable has a terminal connector and a mating terminal connector, opposite to the terminal connector.

9. The package of claim 1 , the package further comprising a fixing member, and a retainer, wherein the fixing member is moveably attached to the first frame support, and the retainer is disposed between the first frame support and the fixing member for maintaining an orientation of the fixing member.

10. The package of claim 9 , wherein the fixing member comprises a pressing part and a sliding part connected to the pressing part, the first frame support has a slot, in which the sliding part is slidably disposed, and the retainer has a notch and is disposed between the first frame support and the pressing part with the sliding part fitting in the notch.

11. The package of claim 1 , the package further comprising a third and a fourth frame support, stacked in the container.

12. The package of claim 11 , the package further comprising a leg supporting structure, for connecting and supporting the first, the second, the third and the fourth frame support in a tilt angle, disposed in the accommodating space.

13. The package of claim 12 , wherein the leg supporting structure comprises a plurality of leg supports, of which each has an angled end, for connecting and supporting the first, the second, the third and the fourth frame support in the tilt angle.

14. The package of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second frame support, and the at least one first and the at least one second power inverter are disposed substantially at a plane.

15. A kit for forming a supporting device capable of supporting at least one photovoltaic panel, the kit comprising:
a first frame support;
a third frame support; and
at least one first power inverter firmly attached to a first position on the first frame support before the kit is placed at a designated installation site, wherein the first frame support has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, a first interval between the first end and the first power inverter closest to the first end is shorter than a second interval between the second end and the first power inverter closest to the second end, and when the first frame support is under assembly at the designated installation site, the first power inverter maintains at the first position.

16. The kit of claim 15 , wherein the quantity of the at least one first power inverter is equal to or larger than two, and a sum of the first interval and the second interval is equal to an interval between any two adjacent first power inverters.

17. The kit of claim 15 , the kit further comprising a second frame support, a fourth frame support, and at least one second power inverter, attached to the second frame support, the second frame support and the fourth frame support being used for being disposed to adjoin and be aligned with the first frame support and the third frame support respectively in a direction wherein the second frame support has a third end and a fourth end opposite to the third end in the direction, the third end is adjacent to the second side, and a third interval between the third end and the second power inverter closest to the third end is shorter than a fourth interval between the fourth end and the second power inverter closest to the fourth end.

18. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the first interval is equal to the third interval, and a sum of the first interval and the second interval is equal to an interval between any adjacent two of the at least one first and the at least one second power inverter when the first frame support and the second frame support are disposed to adjoin and be aligned with each other in the direction.

19. The kit of claim 15 , the kit further comprising a first power cable, attached to the first frame support and electrically connected to the at least one first power inverter.

20. The kit of claim 19 , wherein the first frame support has a groove, in which the first power cable is disposed.

21. The kit of claim 19 , wherein the first power cable has a terminal connector at the first end and a mating terminal connector at the second end.

22. The kit of claim 21 , the kit further comprising a second frame support, and a second power cable, attached to the second frame support, wherein the second frame support has a third end and a fourth end opposite to the third end in the direction, the second power cable has a terminal connector at the third end and a mating terminal connector at the fourth end, and when the first frame support and the second frame support are disposed to adjoin and be aligned with each other,

Assignees

• Darfon Electronics Corp

Inventors

• O'Young Frank
• Chen Yen-Jen

Classifications

• H02S20/23 Primary

  specially adapted for roof structures · CPC title

• Y02B10/14

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H02S40/32

  comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules · CPC title

• Y02B10/12

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H02S20/00

  Supporting structures for PV modules · CPC title