Photovoltaic mounting system with chemical flashing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248367-A1
Application number	US-201514949820-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Photovoltaic mounting systems having sealant injection system are provided herein. Such sealant injection systems provide improved directional control of sealant flow and improved sealing of roof penetrations during mounting with one or more fasteners. Such systems can include a bracket assembly having a removable sealant injection package. The sealant injection package includes a collapsible sealant injection reservoir and is adapted to provide directionally controlled release of sealant upon collapse. Such a system can further include sealant injection guides that direct flow of sealant during mounting and pads or caps that cover and enclose the injected sealant so as to ensure adequate sealing of any roof penetrations and maintain its integrity over time. Such systems further allow for sealant injection packages to be interchanged or replaced as needed and allow for ready removal or replacement of the bracket after mounting while maintaining the seal of any roof penetrations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photovoltaic mounting system comprising:
at least one photovoltaic mounting bracket including a lower base portion adapted for mounting on a roof surface and an upper support portion adapted for supporting a photovoltaic module or associated support component; a sealant injection package comprising a collapsible sealant reservoir containing a flowable sealant therein and adapted for directionally controlled release of the flowable sealant upon collapse of the reservoir, wherein the sealant injection package is removable from the mounting bracket; a mechanical fastener; and a compressing plate disposed adjacent the collapsible sealant reservoir and having a through hole for passage of the mechanical fastener therethrough such that tightening of the fastener into the roof surface during mounting of the bracket to the roof surface moves the plate against the collapsible reservoir, thereby compressing the reservoir to effect directionally controlled release of the flowable sealant between the base portion and the roof surface and around the portion of the fastener penetrating the roof surface.

2 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the compressing plate comprises:
a head of the mechanical fastener, a washer, a nut, an upper plate of the sealant injection package, a cap or plate disposed atop the sealant injection package and separable therefrom, or any combination thereof.

3 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sealant guide for directing flow of the flowable sealant, delivered from the reservoir during collapse, to between the base portion and the roof surface and around a portion of the fastener extending through the roof surface.

4 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 3 , wherein the sealant guide comprises any of:
a hole or slot defined in a bottom surface of the base portion of the bracket, or a shaped component disposed along a bottom of the sealant injection package.

5 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 4 , wherein the shaped component is any of:
an integrated feature disposed along the bottom of the sealant injection package, or a separable component of the sealant injection package that releasably couples with each of the base portion of the bracket assembly.

6 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 1 , wherein the sealant injection package a includes a rigid or semi-rigid outer shell and a frangible portion in fluid communication with the interior of the sealant reservoir and through which the flowable sealant is released when the reservoir is collapsed, wherein the outer shell comprises a cylindrical shell with multiple tiers dimensioned to nest within one another so as to collapse the reservoir when the fastener is torqued into the roof.

7 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 6 further comprising:
a cylindrical cap disposed atop the sealant injection package and below a head or a nut of the fastener such that when the fastener is torqued against the roof, the cap covers the collapsed sealant injection package.

8 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 6 further comprising:
a sealant guide adapted to releasably couple with the base portion of the bracket along an upper side thereof and to releasably couple with a bottom side of the sealant injection package and to releasably couple with a bottom side of the sealant injection package, wherein the sealant guide defines a flow path that directs flow of sealant upon collapse of the reservoir between the base portion and the roof surface and around a portion of the fastener that penetrates the roof surface.

9 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 6 further comprising:
a planar spacer adapted for placement between the base portion of the bracket and the roof surface, the spacer having a through hole to allow passage of the lag bolt therethrough, wherein the spacer defines an enclosed space between the base portion of the bracket and the roof surface so as to contain flow of sealant within the space upon collapse of the sealant reservoir.

10 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 6 wherein the sealant injection package is adapted such that the collapsible cylindrical reservoir is cylindrical and surrounds a through passage extending longitudinally for passage of a lag bolt,
wherein the sealant injection package further includes:
an outer cylindrical shell in which the sealant reservoir is disposed that comprises multiple tiers dimensioned so as to nest within one another when the cylindrical reservoir is collapsed, and
a disc disposed atop the cylindrical sealant reservoir so as to effect uniform collapse of the reservoir when the disc is compressed against the sealant reservoir by torquing of a lag bolt extending through the passage into a roof surface.

11 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 6 wherein the sealant injection package comprises a cylindrical piston with a through-hole through which the fastener extends, the cylindrical piston including a rigid or semi-rigid out shell, a collapsible cylindrical reservoir therein, and a disc atop the cylindrical reservoir for engagement with the fastener for compressing the collapsible reservoir when the fastener is torqued down, and a frangible portion disposed at the bottom of the cylindrical reservoir to effect directionally controlled release of the sealant upon collapse of the reservoir through a sealant injection guide.

12 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 11 , wherein the sealant injection guide includes a protruding ridge along the bottom of the sealant injection package that interfaces with a corresponding hole or slot in the base portion of the bracket.

13 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 1 , wherein the base portion is a rectangular extrusion having a lengthwise channel defined therethrough, wherein the sealant injection dispensing packaging comprises:
one or more collapsible sealant reservoir packets; and a carrier for supporting the one or more sealant reservoir packets, wherein the carrier is slidable into the channel of the base portion to allow insertion, removal and/or replacement of the sealant reservoir packets.

14 . The photovoltaic mounting of claim 13 , wherein the base portion includes an underside channel defining a semi or fully enclosed space between the bottom surface of the base portion and the roof surface into which sealant flows when mounted.

15 . A photovoltaic mounting system having a chemical flashing comprising:
a base portion; a photovoltaic module mounting bracket including at least one photovoltaic coupling device; a collapsible sealant reservoir positioned between the mounting bracket and the base portion; and a mechanical fastener, wherein torquing of the mechanical fastener to attach the photovoltaic mounting system to a roof surface compresses the collapsible sealant reservoir causing sealant to flow under the base portion around the fastener.

16 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 15 , wherein the collapsible sealant reservoir comprises one or more collapsible packets, each packet comprising a collapsible shell defining a container with an open face and a frangible film or membrane sealed to the container across the open face so as to contain the sealant within the packet.

17 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 15 , wherein the collapsible sealant reservoir comprises a cylindrical shaped container having an axial passageway through which the fastener extends.

18 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 17 , wherein the cylindrical shaped cont

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Almy Charles
• Hudson Tyrus Hawkes
• West Jack Raymond

Classifications

• H02S30/10

  Frame structures · CPC title

• H02S20/23 Primary

  specially adapted for roof structures · CPC title

• Y02B10/20

  Solar thermal · CPC title

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title

• F24S25/00

  Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules · CPC title