Solar panel fire skirt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9878188-B2
Application number	US-201615136793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards fire blocking apparatuses. A fire blocking apparatus for a solar panel is mounted to an underlying mounting surface. The fire blocking apparatus includes a panel support structure sized and shaped to be mounted between a solar panel and the mounting surface thereby supporting and creating a gap between at least a portion of the solar panel and the mounting surface, where at least a portion of the panel support structure comprises a heat or fire sensitive material configured to melt, deform, or warp at a predetermined temperature such that when the structure is mounted between the solar panel and the mounting surface and heated at or above the predetermined temperature, the panel support structure collapses to reduce the gap between the at least a portion of the solar panel and the mounting surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fire blocking apparatus for a solar panel mounted on brackets that separate the solar panel from an underlying mounting surface, the fire blocking apparatus comprising:
a structure comprising a heat or fire sensitive material configured to melt, deform, or warp at a predetermined temperature, the structure having a length, a width and first and second edges spaced apart along opposing ends of the width;
a first edge coupling joint configured to couple the structure directly to an outer edge of a solar panel in a first position that enables ventilation and cooling for the solar panel through a gap between the solar panel and the mounting surface; and
wherein the structure is configured to collapse to block the gap between the solar panel and the mounting surface when coupled to the solar panel in the first position and heated above the predetermined temperature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first edge coupling joint comprises a heat or fire sensitive material configured to melt, deform, or warp at a predetermined temperature.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first edge coupling joint causes the second edge of the structure to make contact with the underlying mounting surface to close the gap when the first edge coupling joint melts, deforms, or warps at the predetermined temperature.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the structure is perpendicular to the roof surface when the first edge coupling joint melts, deforms, or warps at the predetermined temperature.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the structure is made from a deformable material that melts, deforms, or warps at the predetermined temperature.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the structure deforms to make contact with the underlying mounting surface in more than one distinct location when the structure melts, deforms, or warps at the predetermined temperature.

7. A fire blocking system for a solar panel array mounted on brackets that separate the solar panel array from an underlying tilted mounting surface, the apparatus comprising:
(i) a downslope fire blocking apparatus comprising:
a first structure comprising a heat or fire sensitive material configured to melt, deform, or warp at a first predetermined temperature, the first structure having a first structure length, a first structure width and first structure first and second edges spaced apart along opposing ends of the first structure width;
a first structure edge coupling joint positioned at the first structure first edge and configured to couple the first structure to a downslope portion of the solar panel array in a first position that enables ventilation and cooling for the solar panel array through a first gap between the solar array panel and the mounting surface;
wherein the first structure is configured to collapse from the first position to a second position when the first structure is heated above the first predetermined temperature, wherein in the second position the first structure blocks the first gap between the solar panel array and the mounting surface; and

(ii) an upslope fire blocking apparatus comprising:
a second structure comprising a heat or fire sensitive material configured to melt, deform, or warp at a second predetermined temperature, the second structure having a second structure length, a second structure width and second structure first and second edges spaced apart along opposing ends of the width;
a second structure edge coupling joint positioned at the second structure first edge and configured to couple the second structure to an upslope portion of the solar panel array in a third position that enables ventilation and cooling for the solar panel through a second gap between the solar panel array and the mounting surface; and

wherein the second structure is configured to collapse from the third position to a fourth position when the second structure is heated above the second predetermined temperature, wherein in the fourth position the second structure blocks the second gap.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first predetermined temperature is equal to the second predetermined temperature.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first structure edge coupling joint and the second structure edge coupling joint comprise a heat or fire sensitive material configured to melt, deform, or warp at the first and second predetermined temperatures, respectively.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first structure edge coupling joint and second structure edge coupling joint cause the first structure second edge and second structure second edge, respectively, to make contact with the underlying mounting surface to close the first and second gaps when the first and second structure edge coupling joints melt, deform, or warp at the first and second predetermined temperatures.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first and second structures are made from a deformable material that melts, deforms, or warps at the respective first and second predetermined temperatures.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first and second structures each make contact with the underlying mounting surface in more than one distinct location when each of the structures melt, deform, or warp at the first and second predetermined temperatures, respectively.

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Ryba-White Julian
• Scott Damien
• Tarbell Ben

Classifications

• F24J2/5245

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• A62C2/065 Primary

  having as the main closure device materials, whose characteristics undergo an irreversible change under high temperatures, e.g. intumescent · CPC title

• A62C3/16

  in electrical installations, e.g. cableways · CPC title

• Y02B10/20

  Solar thermal · CPC title

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title