Hybrid solar panel mounting assembly with a tilted ledge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10340838-B2
Application number	US-201615352489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2016
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A trim-rail for use in a solar panel mounting assembly is disclosed. The trim-rail includes a tilted spring support ledge on a side of the trim-rail. A photovoltaic module is elastically supportable on the tilted spring support ledge when the photovoltaic module is installed on the tilted spring support ledge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A trim-rail for use in a solar panel mounting assembly, comprising:
a first vertical wall;
a horizontal wall intersecting with the first vertical wall;
a second vertical wall intersecting with the horizontal wall and extending downwardly from the horizontal wall, the second vertical wall having a free end that terminates a distance apart from the horizontal wall, and the second vertical wall being spaced apart from the first vertical wall such that a gap exists therebetween, the gap sized to receive a portion of a footer;
a proximal support portion extending horizontally from the free end of the second vertical wall in a direction away from the gap; and
a tilted spring support ledge integrally joined to, and cantilevered from, the proximal support portion,
wherein a photovoltaic module is elastically supportable on the tilted spring support ledge when the photovoltaic module is installed on the tilted spring support ledge.

2. The trim-rail of claim 1 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge is tilted at an angle ranging from 10-30 degrees to a horizontal plane when the photovoltaic module is not mounted on the tilted spring support ledge.

3. The trim-rail of claim 1 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge is tilted at an angle of approximately 20 degrees to a horizontal plane when the photovoltaic module is not mounted on the tilted spring support ledge.

4. The trim-rail of claim 1 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge includes a tilted portion and a horizontal distal portion.

5. The trim-rail of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the proximal support portion is at least 3 times greater than a thickness of the tilted spring support ledge.

6. The trim-rail of claim 1 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge has a width (W) and a thickness (t) sufficient to provide an elastic, spring-like force that pushes upward on a photovoltaic module when the photovoltaic module is installed on the tilted spring support ledge so as to minimize a gap between an upper bracket of the trim-rail and the photovoltaic module.

7. The trim-rail of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of the width to the thickness (W/t) is greater than or equal to 10.

8. The trim-rail of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of the width to the thickness (W/t) is greater than or equal to 15.

9. A solar panel mounting assembly, comprising:
a trim-rail including:
a first vertical wall,
a horizontal wall intersecting with the first vertical wall,
a second vertical wall intersecting with the horizontal wall and extending downwardly from the horizontal wall, the second vertical wall having a free end that terminates a distance apart from the horizontal wall, and the second vertical wall being spaced apart from the first vertical wall such that a gap exists therebetween, the gap sized to receive a portion of a footer,
a proximal support portion extending horizontally from the free end of the second vertical wall in a direction away from the gap, and
a tilted spring support ledge integrally joined to, and cantilevered from, the proximal support portion, and
a slot defined by the tilted spring support ledge on a lower side of the slot, the second vertical wall on a middle portion of the slot, and a wing on an upper side of the slot.

10. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge is tilted at an angle ranging from 10-30 degrees to a horizontal plane when the photovoltaic module is not supported on the tilted spring support ledge.

11. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge is tilted at an angle of approximately 20 degrees to a horizontal plane when the photovoltaic module is not supported on the tilted spring support ledge.

12. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge includes a tilted portion and a horizontal distal portion.

13. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a photovoltaic module configured to be mounted in the slot upon installation of the solar panel mounting assembly.

14. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 13 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge is deflected when the photovoltaic module is installed in the slot, and
wherein the deflected tilted spring support ledge provides a vertical force that pushes upward on the installed photovoltaic module so as to minimize a gap between the wing and the photovoltaic module.

15. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge has a width (W) and a thickness (t) and wherein a ratio of the width to the thickness (W/t) is greater than or equal to 10.

16. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the tilted spring support ledge has a width (W) and a thickness (t) and wherein a ratio of the width to the thickness (W/t) is greater than or equal to 15.

17. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a footer assembly including the footer, the footer being configured to be clamped in the gap by a tri-drive nut when installed; and
a base track configured to be clamped to the footer assembly when installed.

18. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a photovoltaic module configured to be is mounted in the slot upon installation of the solar panel mounting assembly.

19. A method of mounting a photovoltaic module in a trim-rail, the trim-rail including:
a vertical wall intersecting with, and extending downwardly from, a horizontal wall, the vertical wall having a free end terminating a distance apart from the horizontal wall
a proximal support portion extending from, and transversely to, the free end of the vertical wall,
a tilted spring support ledge integrally joined to, and cantilevered from, the proximal support portion, a thickness of the proximal support portion being greater than a thickness of the tilted spring support ledge, and
a slot defined by the tilted spring support ledge on a lower side of the slot, the vertical wall on a middle portion of the slot, and a wing on an upper side of the slot;
the method comprising steps of:
inserting the photovoltaic module into the slot at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane; and
rotating the photovoltaic module back to the horizontal plane and deflecting the tilted spring support ledge by the photovoltaic module,
wherein the deflecting generates a vertical upward force on the photovoltaic module by the tilted spring support ledge so as to minimize a gap between the wing and the photovoltaic module.

Assignees

• Unirac Inc

Inventors

• Schuit Nathan
• Mayfield Jason
• Gallegos Ernest

Classifications

• F24S25/632

  Side connectors; Base connectors · CPC title

• F24S25/35

  by means of profiles with a cross-section defining separate supporting portions for adjacent modules · CPC title

• F24S2025/801

  having hollow parts with closed cross-section · CPC title

• F24S25/67

  for coupling adjacent modules or their peripheral frames (for fixing modules or their peripheral frames to supporting elements F24S25/63) · CPC title

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title