Photovoltaic mounting system and devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248368-A1
Application number	US-201615007154-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 26, 2016
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 directional control and containment of sealant flow providing improved sealing of roof penetrations of a mounted roof anchor. Such systems can include an anchor having a base and mechanical fastener and a sealant injection package, which includes a collapsible sealant injection reservoir and is adapted to provide directionally controlled release and containment of sealant upon tightening of the mechanical fastener into the roof surface. Such systems can include a sealant carrier that fits into an underside cavity of the anchor base and isolates the sealant injection package from anchoring load paths. The carrier can also define a flow path and sealant area in an underside recessed portion defining a cavity between the carrier and roof surface to provide a more uniform consistent sealant flow to form a chemical flashing about any roof penetration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photovoltaic mounting system for mounting on a roof surface, the system comprising:
an anchor including a base having a first array facing side and a second, opposite roof-facing side and a through-hole extending between the first and second sides, wherein the second side includes a roof contacting surface extending about a perimeter thereof; a mechanical fastener adapted to penetrate a roof surface and extend through the through-hole while engaging the first side of the base so as to anchor the base when the mechanical fastener is torqued into the roof surface; and a sealant injection package disposed within the base portion and comprising a collapsible sealant reservoir containing a flowable sealant therein, wherein the anchor includes a support surface that is adapted to support the sealant injection package spaced apart from the roof surface when the roof contacting surface contacts the roof surface when mounted thereon and that includes an aperture through which the flowable sealant extrudes when the reservoir is collapsed so as to direct the flowable sealant toward a roof penetration through which the mechanical fastener extends, wherein the anchor defines a cavity between the support surface and the roof surface, when mounted thereon, that surrounds the mechanical fastener so as to direct the extruded flowable sealant about the roof penetration through which the mechanical fastener extends.

2 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the sealant injection package further includes:
a compressing plate disposed above the sealant injection package and having a hole aligned with the through-hole of the base for passage of the mechanical fastener so that tightening of the mechanical fastener during mounting compresses the plate against the sealant injection package.

3 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 2 , wherein the hole in the compressing plate is smaller than the aperture in the support surface so that flowable sealant is directed through the aperture in the support surface.

4 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 3 , wherein the aperture in the support surface is larger than the mechanical fastener by between 10 to 300% and the hole in the compressing plate is larger width-wise than the mechanical fastener by less than 25%.

5 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 2 , wherein the compressing plate comprises a plate fittingly receivable in a receptacle in the first side of the base or that is disposed within the cavity of the base portion.

6 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 5 , wherein the compressing plate is disposed within the cavity of the base portion and comprises a planar compressing surface disposed above the collapsible sealant reservoir and an upwardly protruding collar surrounding the hole that extends above an opening of the through-hole in the first side of the base for engagement with the mechanical fastener.

7 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the base further includes one or more support coupling features on the first side of the base, each adapted for interfacing with a corresponding coupling feature of a support foot for supporting a photovoltaic module or an associated coupling component.

8 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more support coupling features includes a plurality of coupling features in differing positions along the first side to allow differing configurations of the support foot.

9 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of support coupling features include at least two rows of support coupling features on opposite sides of the through-hole to allow a range of differing configurations of the support foot.

10 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the collapsible sealant reservoir comprises a packet filled with the flowable sealant that can be punctured by passage of the mechanical fastener therethrough.

11 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 10 , wherein the sealant injection package further includes a carrier that defines the support surface on which the collapsible sealant reservoir is supported, the carrier being dimensioned to fit within the cavity of the base with the aperture in the support surface aligned with the through-hole of the base.

12 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 11 , wherein the carrier includes one or more retaining features for retaining the carrier within the base.

13 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 11 , wherein the sealant injection package further includes a compressible gasket that circumscribes the second side of the base so as to fill any spaces between mating surfaces and contain flowable sealant within the cavity.

14 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 11 , wherein the first side of the base includes a recessed shoulder circumscribing the top opening of the through-hole such that a load path applied by a head of the mechanical fastener during tightening extends to the roof surface through the anchor base via the shoulder so as to reduce any loads applied to the carrier.

15 . A photovoltaic mounting system for mounting on a roof surface, the system comprising:
an anchor including a base defined as a metal shell having a cavity that opens toward an underside of the base and that is circumscribed by a roof contacting surface, wherein the base includes a through-hole; a mechanical fastener adapted to penetrate a roof surface and extend through the through-hole of the base while engaging engage a top surface of the base to anchor the base to the roof when the mechanical fastener is fastened with the roof surface; and a sealant injection package disposed within the cavity of the base, wherein the sealant injection package comprises a:
a collapsible sealant reservoir containing a flowable sealant therein,
a compressing plate disposed atop the collapsible sealant reservoir, and
a carrier having a support surface that supports the collapsible sealant reservoir spaced away from the roof surface and includes an aperture beneath the collapsible reservoir, wherein the carrier further includes a recessed portion on an underside thereof, that defines a cavity into which the flowable sealant is extruded through the aperture when the reservoir is collapsed, wherein the cavity surround the mechanical faster during mounting so as to seal a roof penetration associated with the mechanical fastener.

16 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 15 , wherein the base includes one or more pairs of alignment markers viewable by a user during mounting positioned so as to indicated outer bounds of the cavity defined by the recessed cavity of the carrier so as to allow positioning of the base over any secondary roof penetrations adjacent the mechanical fastener.

17 . The photovoltaic mounting system of claim 15 ,
wherein the base is substantially rectangular in shape and adapted with a main portion and a stepped-up portion along an up-roof side of the rectangular base so that the stepped-up portion engages a first shingle course while the main portion engages an adjacent down-roof shingle course, wherein the base further includes a recessed shoulder portion defined about a top opening of the through-hole so as to be engageable with a head of the mechanical fastener or an associated component, wherein the base further includes an upwardly open groove extending down-roof from the recessed shoulder portion and one or more weep holes or notches in a down-roof side of the rectangular base shell for

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Seery Martin
• Atchley Brian
• Bautista Garret
• Almy Charles

Classifications

• H02S20/23 Primary

  specially adapted for roof structures · CPC title

• F24S25/61

  for fixing to the ground or to building structures · CPC title

• Y02B10/10

  Photovoltaic [PV] · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• F24S2025/021

  Sealing means between support elements and mounting surface · CPC title