Sun tracking solar energy collection system with torsion lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10174970-B2
Application number	US-201615261062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A rotation locking device for use in a row-level sun tracking solar energy collection system includes a housing, a first locking member, a second locking member, and an actuator. The housing is configured to be mounted to a pile and configured to permit a torque tube to extend through the housing. The first locking member has a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections attached to and rotatable with the torque tube. The second locking member is connected to the housing and has a plurality of mating elements for engaging projections of the first locking member. The actuator is configured to relatively move the first and second locking members between an unlocked position in which the mating elements are disengaged from the projections and a locked position in which the mating elements are engaged with the projections to inhibit rotation of the torque tube with respect to the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sun tracking solar energy collection system comprising:
a torque tube;
first and second piles for supporting the torque tube at first and second spaced positions, respectively;
a plurality of solar energy collecting devices connected to the torque tube;
a drive mechanism mounted to the first pile and configured to rotate the torque tube;
a rotation locking device including:
a housing, mounted to the second pile, through which the torque tube extends;
a first locking member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections attached to and rotatable with the torque tube;
a second locking member connected to the housing and having a plurality of mating elements for engaging the projections of the first locking member; and
an actuator configured to relatively move the first and second locking members between an unlocked position in which the mating elements are disengaged from the projections, and a locked position in which the mating elements are engaged with the projections to inhibit rotation of the torque tube with respect to the housing.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the torque tube includes an axle that extends through the housing and is rotatable about an axis; and
the rotation locking device includes a slider assembly, mounted on the axle, that is rotatable with the axle and is axially movable with respect to the axle.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first locking member includes a first spline plate mounted on the slider assembly and the projections comprise a first set of face splines facing the second locking member;
the second locking member includes a second spline plate mounted on the housing and the mating elements comprise a second set of face splines facing the slider assembly; and
the actuator is coupled to the slider assembly and configured to move the slider assembly between an unlocked position in which the first spline plate of the first locking member is spaced from the second spline plate of the second locking member and the first set of face splines of the first locking member and the second set of face splines of the second locking member are disengaged, and a locked position in which the first spline plate of the first locking member is in contact with the second spline plate of the second locking member and the first set of face splines of the first locking member and the second set of face splines of the second locking member are engaged to inhibit rotation of the axle with respect to the housing.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the axle includes a first set of axial splines on a radial outer surface, and the slider includes a second set of axial splines on a radial inner surface that mate with the first set of axial splines.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the slider assembly includes:
an annular body;
a first end plate attached at a first end of the annular body;
a second end plate attached at a second end of the annular body;
a collar positioned on an outer surface of the annular body between the first end plate and the second end plate;
a first wave spring positioned on the annular body between the collar and the first end plate; and
a second wave spring positioned on the annular body between the collar and the second end plate.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the collar is rotatable with respect to the annular body of the slider.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the slider assembly includes a set of radially outwardly projecting pins, and wherein the housing includes a set of tracks for receiving the pins, each track of the set of tracks defining a ramp that extends in both a circumferential and an axial direction.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the actuator is coupled to the collar of the slider to rotate the collar so that the pins follow the tracks to move the collar in a first axial direction when the collar is rotated in a first circumferential direction and to move the collar in a second axial direction when the collar is rotated in a second circumferential direction.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the collar includes a gear segment, and wherein the actuator includes a pinion gear that engages the gear segment.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the collar includes a drive arm that extends outwardly from the collar, and wherein the actuator includes a linear drive element connected to the drive arm.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotation locking device includes a bearing captured by the housing, the bearing having a smooth inner surface; and
the torque tube extends through the bearing and is rotatable about an axis.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the first locking member comprises a first splined outer surface on the torque tube and a collar with an interior splined surface;
the second locking member comprises a second splined outer surface on the bearing that is axially spaced for the first splined outer surface; and
the actuator is coupled to the collar and configured to move the collar axially between an unlocked position in which the interior splined surface of the collar engages the first splined outer surface but not the second splined outer surface, and a locked position in which the interior splined surface of the collar engages both the first splined outer surface and the second outer splined surface to inhibit rotation of the torque tube with respect to the housing.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the torque tube extends through the housing and is rotatable about an axis;
the first locking member comprises a ruffle disc attached to and rotatable with the torque tube, the ruffle disc having a plurality of circumferentially spaced face splines arranged in an arc with respect to the axis;
the second locking member comprises face splines configured to mate with face splines of the ruffle disc; and
the actuator is configured to move the second locking member axially between an unlocked position in which the face splines of the second locking member are disengaged form the face splines of the ruffle disc, and a locked position in which the face splines of the second locking member are engaged with the face splines of the ruffle disc to inhibit rotation of the torque tube with respect to the housing.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the torque tube extends through the housing and is rotatable about an axis;
the first locking member comprises a sprocket rigidly attached to an outer surface of the torque tube;
the second locking member is mounted on the housing and has a plurality of spaced pins carried in spaced slots; and
the actuator is configured to move the second locking member between an unlocked position in which the pins of the second locking member are disengaged from teeth of the sprocket, and a locked position in which the pins of the second locking member are engaged with teeth of the sprocket to inhibit rotation of the sprocket and the torque tube with respect to the housing.

15. A rotation locking device including:
a housing;
an axle that extends through the housing and is rotatable about an axis;
a first locking member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections attached to and rotatable with the axle;
a second locking member connected to the housing and having a plurality of mating elements for engaging the projections of the first locking member; and
an actuator configured to relatively move the first and second locking members between an unlocked position in which the mating elements are disengaged from the projections, and a locked position in which the mating elements are engaged with the proje

Assignees

• Sunpower Corp

Inventors

• Grushkowitz Tyler
• Lambert Matthew Scott
• Wares Brian
• Schimelpfenig Mark Adam
• Mckibben Nicholas James

Classifications

• F16D2011/004

  using an internal or intermediate axially slidable sleeve, coupling both components together, whereby the intermediate sleeve is arranged internally at least with respect to one of the components · CPC title

• H02S20/32 Primary

  specially adapted for solar tracking · CPC title

• F24S2030/15

  Bearings · CPC title

• F24S2030/11

  Driving means · CPC title

• F24S50/20 Primary

  for tracking · CPC title