Photovoltaic array mounting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9748893-B2
Application number	US-201514880085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2015
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A system for mounting a photovoltaic array onto short sections of mounting rails such that a section of mounting rail is only installed fewer than all the photovoltaic modules in the array. A single section of mounting rail may support one, two or three photovoltaic modules depending on it's length and position respect to the edge of each module frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting system for a photovoltaic array, comprising:
a first plurality of spanner bars arranged along a first axis and configured to mount a structure along the first axis;
a first plurality of leveling feet, wherein each spanner bar of the first plurality of spanner bars comprises first and second longitudinal ends each configured to support one of the first plurality of leveling feet; and
a first plurality of module-to-module connectors, wherein each leveling foot of the first plurality of leveling feet is configured to support one of the connectors of the first plurality of module-to-module connectors,
wherein each module-to-module connector of the first plurality of module-to-module connectors is configured to support at least two photovoltaic modules along the first axis, such that at least one photovoltaic module spans a longitudinal gap, wherein the longitudinal gap comprises a space along the first axis between the first end of a spanner bar of the first plurality of spanner bars and the second end of an adjacent spanner bar of the first plurality of spanner bars, and wherein the at least one photovoltaic module is supported only by module-to-module connectors along the first axis, wherein the first axis runs underneath the at least two photovoltaic modules.

2. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein a position of the first plurality of leveling feet is adjustable for alignment of the photovoltaic modules along the first axis.

3. The mounting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second plurality of spanner bars arranged along a second axis and configured to mount a structure along the second axis;
a second plurality of leveling feet, wherein each spanner bar of the second plurality of spanner bars comprises two longitudinal ends each configured to support one of the second plurality of leveling feet; and
a second plurality of module-to-module connectors, wherein each leveling foot of the second plurality of leveling feet is configured to support one of the second plurality of module-to-module connectors,
wherein each module-to-module connector of the second plurality of module-to-module connectors is configured to support at least two photovoltaic modules along the second axis, such that at least one photovoltaic module can span a longitudinal gap, wherein one or more longitudinal gaps are present along the second axis between longitudinal ends of the second plurality of spanner bars, and be supported only by module-to-module connectors of the second plurality of module-to-module connectors along the second axis, wherein the second axis runs underneath the at least two photovoltaic modules.

4. The mounting system of claim 3 , wherein a position of the second plurality of leveling feet are adjustable for alignment of the photovoltaic modules along the second axis.

5. The mounting system of claim 3 , wherein one or more longitudinal gaps along the first axis within the first plurality of spanner bars are paired relative to one or more longitudinal gaps along the second axis within the second plurality of spanner bars.

6. The mounting system of claim 3 , wherein one or more longitudinal gaps along the first axis within the first plurality of spanner bars is staggered relative to one or more longitudinal gaps along the second axis within the second plurality of spanner bars.

7. The mounting system of claim 3 , further comprising a second plurality of spaced-apart roof attachment mounts upon which the second plurality of spanner bars are mounted to form the second axis, wherein one or more of the second plurality of spanner bars are mounted onto the second plurality of roof attachment mounts in cantilever.

8. The mounting system of claim 1 , further comprising a first plurality of spaced-apart roof attachment mounts upon which the first plurality of spanner bars are mounted to form the first axis, wherein one or more of the first plurality of spanner bars are mounted onto the first plurality of roof attachment mounts in cantilever.

9. The mounting system of claim 8 , wherein the roof attachment mounts comprise a tile hook and a flashing.

10. The mounting system of claim 8 , wherein the ends of the spanner bars are connected to the roof attachment mounts.

11. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the leveling feet are connected into an upper channel in the spanner bars.

12. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the leveling feet each rotate around a base portion mounted onto the spanner bar.

13. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the module-to-module connectors are rock-it connectors.

14. A mounting system for a photovoltaic array, comprising:
a first plurality of spanner bars configured to mount a structure along a first axis, having one or more spanner bar gaps along the first axis between adjacent members of the first plurality of spanner bars;
a second plurality of spanner bars configured to mount a structure along a second axis, having one or more spanner bar gaps along the second axis between adjacent members of the second plurality of spanner bars, the second axis being parallel to the first axis;
a plurality of leveling feet, wherein each spanner bar of the first plurality of spanner bars and the second plurality of spanner bars comprises ends configured to support one of the plurality of leveling feet; and
a plurality of module-to-module connectors, wherein each leveling foot of the plurality of leveling feet is configured to support at least one of the plurality of module-to-module connectors,
wherein each module-to-module connector of the plurality of module-to-module connectors is configured to support at least two photovoltaic modules, further wherein a first subset of the plurality of the module-to-module connectors support photovoltaic modules along the first axis and wherein a second subset of the plurality of the module-to-module connectors support photovoltaic modules along the second axis, such that at least one photovoltaic module spans one or more spanner bar gaps along either or both of the first axis or the second axis.

15. The mounting system of claim 14 , wherein a position of each of the plurality of leveling feet is adjustable for alignment of the photovoltaic modules along either the first axis or the second axis.

16. The mounting system of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the spanner bar gaps along the first axis within the first plurality of spanner bars are paired relative to one or more of the spanner bar gaps along the second axis within the second plurality of spanner bars.

17. The mounting system of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the spanner bar gaps along the first axis within the first plurality of spanner bars is staggered relative to one or more of the spanner bar gaps along the second axis within the second plurality of spanner bars.

18. The mounting system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a third plurality of spanner bars configured to mount a structure along a third axis, having one or more spanner bar gaps between individual members of the third plurality of spanner bars; and
a fourth plurality of spanner bars configured to mount a structure along a fourth axis, having one or more spanner bar gaps between individual members of the fourth plurality of spanner bars,
wherein each spanner bar of the third plurality of spanner bars and the fourth plurality of spanner bars comprises ends configured to support one of the plurality of leveling feet, and wherein a third subset of the plurality of the module-to-module connectors support photovoltaic modules along the th

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Johansen Emil
• Seery Martin

Classifications

• Y02B10/12

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F24J2/5247

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H02S20/23 Primary

  specially adapted for roof structures · CPC title

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title

• F24S25/613

  in the form of bent strips or assemblies of strips; Hook-like connectors; Connectors to be mounted between building-covering elements · CPC title