Height adjustable solar panel mounting assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10461682-B2
Application number	US-201615138018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2016
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus and method for mounting a solar panel in a solar panel mounting assembly is disclosed. The solar panel mounting assembly includes a mounting bracket and a helical drive, where the mounting bracket is vertically adjustable by the helical drive. The helical drive engages with a stanchion that is variably positioned along a base member that is fixed to a roof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar panel mounting assembly, comprising:
a mounting bracket including an upper bracket and a lower bracket, the lower bracket including a first slot and a second slot;
a stanchion including a first vertical arm opposite a second vertical arm, the first vertical arm and the second vertical arm each including teeth protruding from respective inside surfaces thereof, respective outside surfaces thereof being smooth and planar, and the teeth of the first vertical arm facing the teeth of the second vertical arm to define an open central region between the first vertical arm and the second vertical arm; and
a helical drive element disposed inside of the open central region between the first vertical arm and the second vertical arm,
wherein:
the upper and lower brackets are coupled to the helical drive element wherein the mounting bracket is vertically adjustable by rotating the freestanding helical drive element,
the first vertical arm is received by the first slot such that the first vertical arm passes through the first slot when the mounting bracket is vertically adjusted, and
the second vertical arm is received by the second slot such that the second vertical arm passes through the second slot when the mounting bracket is vertically adjusted.

2. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the helical drive element includes an external helical thread extending from a bottom of the helical drive element to a top of the helical drive element.

3. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the teeth on the first vertical arm are vertically offset with respect to the teeth on the second vertical arm.

4. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 3 , wherein:
the stanchion comprises an extruded, planar channel section having a selected longitudinal length,
the front and back surfaces of the channel section are defined by a pair of parallel planes that are separated by said selected longitudinal length, and
an outer diameter of the helical drive element extends radially beyond the first pair of parallel planes defining the front and back surfaces of the stanchion.

5. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 3 , wherein an entirety of the helical drive element is disposed below a top of the stanchion.

6. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tool for rotating the helical drive element,
wherein the helical drive element is rotatable by inserting the tool into a recess in the helical drive element and rotating the tool.

7. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a first hole disposed in the upper bracket and vertically aligned with a second hole disposed in the lower bracket, the first hole and the second hole for receiving at least a portion of the tool.

8. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the helical drive element is vertically movable before or after the assembly has been mounted to a roof.

9. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising;
a base, wherein the stanchion is coupled to the base.

10. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the stanchion is variably positionable along a horizontal longitudinal length of the base.

11. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the base has a length such that no cutting of shingles is required when installing the base on a composition roof with shingles.

12. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the base includes an aperture, and
wherein a lag screw is disposable through the aperture for mounting the base on a roof.

13. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the base includes a horizontal hollow channel that is disposed along a longitudinal length of the base.

14. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the stanchion comprises a hook for locking the stanchion onto a side of the base.

15. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the upper bracket is coupled to the lower bracket, and the upper bracket is positioned directly above the lower bracket.

16. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 15 , wherein an entirety of the helical drive element is disposed below the lower bracket.

17. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the lower bracket includes a coupler which couples the helical drive element to the lower bracket.

18. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 15 , wherein:
a horizontal slot is disposed across a width of the lower bracket, and
a lower end of a vertical wall of the upper bracket is disposed in the horizontal slot.

19. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 15 , wherein:
the lower bracket includes a first stiffening web and a second stiffening web,
the first stiffening web is attached to a first arm of the lower bracket, and
the second stiffening web is attached to a second arm of the lower bracket.

20. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 15 , wherein the upper bracket and the lower bracket are a single, monolithic, integrated structure.

21. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 15 , wherein the upper and lower brackets are not mirror images of each other.

22. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket includes a first panel slot and a second panel slot, and
a first solar panel is mountable in the first panel slot and a second solar panel is mountable in the second panel slot.

23. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the helical drive element is vertically movable along a vertical length of the stanchion between the first vertical arm and the second vertical arm, before or after the stanchion has been attached to a base that is mounted to a roof.

24. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the helical drive element has an aspect ratio of a vertical height to an outer diameter that ranges from 0.8 to 1.2.

25. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the helical drive element has an aspect ratio of an inner diameter to an outer diameter that ranges from 0.5 to 0.9.

26. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the helical drive element includes a square thread that has a pitch length ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 inches/thread.

27. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the helical drive element has a plurality of circumferential facets on a helical thread of the helical drive element.

28. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a bonding pin disposed in the lower bracket of the mounting bracket,
wherein an electrical connection is establishable between a solar panel that is installed in the mounting bracket and the mounting bracket by the bonding pin.

29. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket includes an arm and a micro-inverter is mountable on the arm.

30. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the stanchion includes a horizontal bridge that extends across from a top of the first vertical arm of the stanchion to a top of t

Assignees

• Unirac Inc

Inventors

• Schuit Nathan
• Mayfield Jason
• Nicolaedis Klaus
• Ganshaw Todd

Classifications

• F24S2025/019

  Means for accommodating irregularities on mounting surface; Tolerance compensation means · CPC title

• F24S25/636

  clamping by screw-threaded elements · CPC title

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title

• F24S25/632

  Side connectors; Base connectors · CPC title

• Y02B10/20

  Solar thermal · CPC title