Clamp and bowl mounting system for photovoltaic modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9793852-B2
Application number	US-201514800666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2015
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A photovoltaic (PV) mounting hardware support system having a base portion. The system includes a hinged clamp having a first clamp portion hingedly connected to a second clamp portion and operable to lock and unlock the first clamp portion and second clamp portion to the base portion. A beam member is provided and configured as a mount for a PV module coupling device. The beam member is clamped between the first clamp portion and second clamp portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic (PV) mounting system comprising:
a base portion having a first roof-facing side, and an opposite module-facing side, wherein the base portion comprises a lip that circumscribes the perimeter of the base portion curves inward toward a middle portion of the module-facing side;
a hinged clamp comprising:
a first clamp portion comprising a first upper portion and a first flange; and
a second clamp portion comprising a second upper portion and a second flange, wherein the first clamp portion and second clamped portion are connect by a hinge, and, wherein the hinged clamp is configurable to be positioned in a first open position in which the first and second flanges are insertable against the module-facing side of the base portion and ends of the first and second flanges are positioned a first distance apart, and configurable to be positioned in a second closed position in which the ends of the first and second flanges are spread apart to a second distance, greater than the first distance, and engage the lip of the base portion to selectively couple the hinged clamp to the base portion;

at least one locking mechanism formed in the hinged clamp operable to selectively lock the first upper portion to the second upper portion in the second closed position; and
a tubular beam member including a PV coupling device for coupling together frames of at least two photovoltaic modules, wherein the tubular beam member is captured between the first upper portion and the second upper portion when the hinged clamp is locked in the second closed position.

2. The PV mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises a puck having a through-hole formed therein for accepting a mechanical fastener used to mount the base portion to a support structure, wherein the hinged clamp covers a module-facing side of the through hole in the second closed position.

3. The PV mounting system of claim 1 , wherein in the second closed position the first upper portion and the second upper portion form a boxed structure extending upwardly from the base portion.

4. The PV mounting system of claim 1 , wherein interior edges of the first upper portion and the second upper portion comprise a splined clamping surface configured for gripping the tubular beam member.

5. The PV mounting system of claim 4 , wherein the tubular beam member comprises a splined beam surface for gripping the splined clamping surface.

6. The PV mounting system of claim 1 , wherein moving the hinged clamp to the second position spreads the flanges outwardly from each other and into the lip of the base portion.

7. The PV mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the first upper portion and the second upper portion comprise a pair of semi-circular edges in the first open position that form the two circular openings in the second closed position.

8. The PV mounting system of claim 7 , wherein the semi-circular edges together apply a circular compressive force against the tubular beam member in the second closed position.

9. The PV mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the PV module coupling device comprises clamping-style connector.

10. The PV mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the PV module coupling device comprises a rock-it connector.

11. A photovoltaic (PV) mounting hardware support system comprising:
a base portion comprising a circular puck having a through-hole formed therein and adapted to mount to a support structure via a mechanical fastener passing through the through-hole;
a hinged clamp comprising a pair of flanges connected by hinges that in a first open position of the hinges is not locked to the base portion and in a second closed position of the hinges is locked to the base portion; and
a beam member configured as a mount for a PV module coupling device, wherein in the second position of the hinged clamp the beam member is forcibly held between the pair of flanges,
wherein the hinged clamp covers the through hole in the second position, wherein the base portion comprises a lip that the pair of flanges forcibly locks within.

12. The PV system of claim 11 , wherein the hinged clamp comprises a boxed structure for holding the beam member when the hinged clamp is in the second closed position.

13. The PV system of claim 11 , wherein the hinged clamp comprises locking tabs configured to maintain the pair of flanges in the second closed position to secure the beam member.

14. The PV system of claim 11 , wherein the hinged clamp comprises splined surfaces for engaging the beam member.

15. A photovoltaic (PV) mounting hardware support system comprising:
a base portion comprising a circular lip, wherein the lip curves inwardly toward a middle portion of the base portion;
a hinged clamp comprising a first clamp portion hingedly connected to a second clamp portion and operable to lock the first clamp portion and second clamp portion to the base portion by engaging the lip; and
a beam member configured as a mount for a PV module coupling device, wherein the beam member is clamped between the first clamp portion and second clamp portion when the first and second clamp portions engage the lip and are locked to the base portion, wherein the hinged clamp comprises wedges that forcibly lock under the lip of the base portion when the first and second clamp portions are locked to the base portion.

16. The PV system of claim 15 , wherein the hinged clamp comprises a first hinge and a second hinge that hingedly connect the first clamp portion and second clamp portion.

17. The PV system of claim 15 , wherein the hinged clamp closes to form a boxed structure about the beam member.

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Almy Charles
• Hudson Tyrus Hawkes
• Molina David

Classifications

• H02G3/32

  using mounting clamps · CPC title

• F24J2/5256

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24J2002/4665

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H02S20/20

  Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object (H02S20/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16M13/02

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title