Photovoltaic mounting rail connector with drop-down connection to first photovoltaic module and slide-in connection to second photovoltaic module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9673583-B2
Application number	US-201514986033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2015
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A connector for attaching first and second photovoltaic modules to a mounting rail, with a lower body portion that rotates to lock into a mounting rail groove and an upper body portion with a hook that is lowered towards the lower body portion to grasp onto the first photovoltaic module and a key that receives the second photovoltaic module slidably-connected thereon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector for attaching first and second photovoltaic modules to a mounting rail, comprising:
a lower body portion configured to couple with a mounting rail, wherein a pair of lower arms extend from opposite sides of the lower body portion, and a pair of upper arms extend from opposite sides of the lower body portion, and further wherein the pair of lower arms on the lower body portion are dimensioned to be rotated to lock into a groove in the mounting rail;
an upper body portion having a hook and a key respectively extending from opposite sides of the upper body portion; and
a fastener connecting the upper body portion onto the lower body portion, wherein the fastener adjusts a separation distance between the upper and lower body portions of the connector such that the hook can be lowered to connect onto a first photovoltaic module prior to a second photovoltaic module being connected onto the key.

2. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a spring that is in part secured between the lower body portion and the upper body portion, wherein the spring has a spring clip structure that extends around the key.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the pair of lower arms is received inside the groove in the mounting rail and the pair of upper arms is positioned on top of the groove in the mounting rail when the lower body portion is rotated into a locked position within the mounting rail.

4. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the lower body portion comprises a mid-body portion between the upper and lower arms, and the mid-body portion is dimensioned to pass between inwardly facing flanges of the groove in the mounting rail.

5. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the hook on the upper body portion is dimensioned to be inserted into a side groove in the first photovoltaic module when the upper body portion is raised, and then lock down into the side groove when the upper body portion is in a lowered position.

6. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the key on the upper body portion is dimensioned to be slidably inserted into the side groove in the second photovoltaic module, and wherein the spring clip structure on the key locks into the side groove in the second photovoltaic module when the second photovoltaic module is pulled away from the connector.

7. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a grounding for grounding the second photovoltaic module.

8. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the fastener connecting the upper body portion onto the lower body portion is a screw passing through the upper body portion into the lower body portion.

9. The connector of claim 8 , wherein the head of the screw is accessible at the top of the upper body portion.

10. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the upper body portion has a torque protrusion extending upwardly dimensioned to be rotated by a tool to rotate the lower body portion of the connector into a locked position in a side groove of a mounting rail.

11. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the hook and key extend in a direction perpendicular to the pairs of upper and lower arms on the lower body portion.

12. A system for connecting two photovoltaic modules on a mounting rail, comprising:
a first photovoltaic module having a frame with a side groove;
a second photovoltaic module having a frame with a side groove; and
a mounting rail having a top mounting groove;
a connector comprising:
a lower body portion configured to couple with a mounting rail, wherein a pair of lower arms extend from opposite sides of the lower body portion, and a pair of upper arms extend from opposite sides of the lower body portion, and further wherein the pair of lower arms on the lower body portion are dimensioned to be rotated to lock into a groove in the mounting rail;
an upper body portion having a hook configured to couple with the first photovoltaic module frame by a drop-down connection and a key and a spring configured to couple with the second photovoltaic module frame by a slide-in connection; and
a fastener passing through the lower body portion, the spring, and the upper body portion, configured to tighten the lower body portion and the upper body portion closer together when rotated;

wherein the lower body portion of the connector is secured within the top mounting groove and the hook is secured within the first photovoltaic module frame side groove when the fastener is tightened, and further wherein the key and the spring are secured within the second photovoltaic module frame side groove when the second photovoltaic module frame side groove is slid onto the key and the spring.

13. A method of attaching first and second photovoltaic modules onto a mounting rail, comprising:
inserting a lower body portion of a connector into a groove in a mounting rail;
rotating the connector to lock the lower body portion into the groove in the mounting rail;
inserting a hook of an upper body portion of the connector into a side groove on a first photovoltaic module, wherein the hook of the upper body portion is dimensioned to be inserted into the side groove in the first photovoltaic module when the upper body portion is raised, and dimensioned to lock down into the side groove when the upper body portion is in a lowered position;
lowering the hook on the upper body portion of the connector down into the side groove in a first photovoltaic module, thereby securing the first photovoltaic module to the mounting rail; and then
locking a second photovoltaic module onto a key on the connector, thereby securing the second photovoltaic module to the mounting rail.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein lowering the hook down into the side groove in the first photovoltaic module comprises lowering the upper body portion of the connector down towards the lower body portion of the connector.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the upper body portion is lowered towards the lower body portion by rotating a fastener passing into the upper and lower body portions.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the fastener is a screw that is accessible from the top of the upper body portion.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein rotating the connector to lock the lower body portion into the groove in the mounting rail comprises rotating a pair of arms on the lower body portion into the groove in the mounting rail.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein rotating the connector comprises rotating a torque protrusion extending upwardly from the upper body portion with a tool.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein locking the second photovoltaic module onto the key on the connector comprises:
inserting the key into the side groove in the second photovoltaic module when the second photovoltaic module is positioned at an angle to the mounting rail; and then
sliding the second photovoltaic module onto the key.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the key on the connector is on the upper body portion and is dimensioned to be slidably inserted into a side groove in the second photovoltaic module, and wherein a spring clip structure on the key locks into the side groove in the second photovoltaic module when the second photovoltaic module is pulled away from the connector.

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Hudson Tyrus
• Seery Martin
• Broussard River
• Kimberley Malcolm

Classifications

• H02S30/10

  Frame structures · CPC title

• H01R43/16

  for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending · CPC title

• H01R4/64

  Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail · CPC title

• H01R25/142 Primary

  Their counterparts · CPC title

• F24S2025/014

  Methods for installing support elements · CPC title