Support assembly for supporting a solar panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9748891-B2
Application number	US-201514948904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Nov 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A support assembly supports a solar panel. The support assembly includes a first support portion including a first base wall. A first lateral wall is attached to the first base wall and includes a first attachment structure. A second support portion is attached to the first support portion such that the first support portion and the second support portion support the solar panel. The second support portion includes a second base wall. The second base wall is attached to the first base wall of the first support portion. A first attachment wall is attached to the second base wall. The first attachment wall defines a first attachment opening into which the first attachment structure of the first lateral wall is received such that the first attachment wall is attached to the first lateral wall. A method of forming a support assembly for supporting a solar panel is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A support assembly configured to support a solar panel, the support assembly comprising:
a first support portion comprising:
a first base wall lying within a first base plane; and
a first lateral wall attached to the first base wall, the first lateral wall lying within a first lateral plane that is non-planar with respect to the first base plane, the first lateral wall comprising a first attachment structure that lies within a first attachment structure plane that is non-planar with respect to the first lateral plane and the first base plane; and

a second support portion attached to the first support portion such that the first support portion and the second support portion support the solar panel, the second support portion comprising:
a second base wall lying within a second base plane, the second base wall attached to the first base wall of the first support portion; and
a first attachment wall attached to the second base wall, the first attachment wall lying within a first attachment wall plane that is non-planar with respect to the second base plane, the first attachment wall defining a first attachment opening into which the first attachment structure of the first lateral wall is received such that the first attachment wall is attached to the first lateral wall.

2. The support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first attachment structure is integral with the first lateral wall.

3. The support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second base plane is non-planar with respect to the first base plane.

4. The support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first attachment opening extends between a first end and a second end, the first end of the first attachment opening separated a first distance from the second base wall, the second end of the first attachment opening separated a second distance from the second base wall.

5. The support assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.

6. The support assembly of claim 4 , wherein a length of the first attachment opening between the first end and the second end is greater than a width of the first attachment opening.

7. The support assembly of claim 1 , the first support portion comprising:
a second lateral wall attached to the first base wall, the second lateral wall lying within a second lateral plane that is non-planar with respect to the first base plane, the second lateral plane substantially parallel to the first lateral plane.

8. The support assembly of claim 7 , the second lateral wall comprising a second attachment structure that lies within a second attachment structure plane that is non-planar with respect to the second lateral plane and the first base plane.

9. The support assembly of claim 8 , the second support portion comprising a second attachment wall attached to the second base wall, the second attachment wall lying within a second attachment wall plane that is non-planar with respect to the second base plane, the second attachment wall defining a second attachment opening into which the second attachment structure of the second lateral wall is received such that the second attachment wall is attached to the second lateral wall.

10. The support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first lateral wall comprises a third attachment structure that lies within a third attachment structure plane that is non-planar with respect to the first lateral plane and the first base plane.

11. The support assembly of claim 10 , comprising a third support portion attached to the first support portion such that the first support portion and the third support portion support at least one of the solar panel or a second solar panel.

12. The support assembly of claim 11 , the third support portion comprising:
a third base wall lying within a third base plane, the third base wall attached to the first base wall of the first support portion; and
a third attachment wall attached to the third base wall, the third attachment wall lying within a third attachment wall plane that is non-planar with respect to the third base plane, the third attachment wall defining a third attachment opening into which the third attachment structure of the first lateral wall is received such that the third attachment wall is attached to the first lateral wall.

13. A support assembly configured to support a solar panel, the support assembly comprising:
a first support portion comprising:
a first base wall; and
a first lateral wall attached to the first base wall, the first lateral wall lying within a first lateral plane and comprising a first attachment structure that projects outwardly from the first lateral wall, a first end of the first attachment structure attached to the first lateral wall, a second end of the first attachment structure not attached to the first lateral wall, the second end of the first attachment structure spaced a distance from the first lateral wall along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first lateral plane; and

a second support portion attached to the first support portion such that the first support portion and the second support portion support the solar panel, the second support portion comprising:
a second base wall attached to the first base wall of the first support portion; and
a first attachment wall attached to the second base wall, the first attachment wall defining a first attachment opening into which the second end of the first attachment structure of the first lateral wall is received such that the first attachment wall is attached to the first lateral wall.

14. The support assembly of claim 13 , wherein the solar panel is attached to the second support portion.

15. The support assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first attachment wall lies within a first attachment wall plane, the first attachment wall plane substantially parallel to the first lateral plane of the first lateral wall.

16. The support assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first base wall lies within a first base plane and the second base wall lies within a second base plane, and wherein the second base plane is non-planar with respect to the first base plane.

17. The support assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second end of the first attachment structure and the first lateral wall define a channel, an opening edge of the first attachment wall received within the channel when the second end of the first attachment structure is received within the first attachment opening.

18. A method of forming a support assembly for supporting a solar panel, the method comprising:
bending a first attachment structure of a first lateral wall from a first position, in which the first attachment structure lies within a first lateral plane, to a second position, in which the first attachment structure lies within a first attachment structure plane, where the first lateral plane is non-planar with respect to the first attachment structure plane; and
attaching the first lateral wall to a first attachment wall by altering a relative position between the first lateral wall and the first attachment wall, which defines a first attachment opening, such that the first attachment structure in the second position is received within the first attachment opening, wherein the first lateral wall and the first attachment wall, when attached, support the solar panel.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein bending a first attachment structure comprises bending the first attachment structure such that a first end of the first attachment structure is attached to the first lateral

Assignees

• Preformed Line Products Co

Inventors

• Chavez Robert

Classifications

• H02S20/00 Primary

  Supporting structures for PV modules · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• F24S25/16

  Arrangement of interconnected standing structures; Standing structures having separate supporting portions for adjacent modules · CPC title

• F24S25/15

  using bent plates; using assemblies of plates · CPC title

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title