DROP-IN CONNECTION APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS

• US 20110000544A1
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SolarCity Corporation (Tesla Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SolarCity Corporation (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: West, John R.
• Application Number:
  US12/830,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20110000544A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/259
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0216 the position of the plates to be connected being adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/02 Ballasting means
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/16 Arrangement of interconnected standing structures; Standing structures having separate supporting portions for adjacent modules
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/20 Peripheral frames for modules
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/61 for fixing to the ground or to building structures
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/613 in the form of bent strips or assemblies of strips; Hook-like connectors; Connectors to be mounted between building-covering elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/67 for coupling adjacent modules or their peripheral frames for fixing modules or their peripheral frames to supporting elements F24S25/63
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/70 with means for adjusting the final position or orientation of supporting elements in relation to each other or to a mounting surface; with means for compensating mounting tolerances
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/24 specially adapted for flat roofs
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/10 Frame structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32606 Pivoted

Abstract

A system and apparatus are disclosed including PV modules having a frame allowing quick and easy assembling of the PV modules into a PV array in a sturdy and durable manner. In examples of the present technology, the PV modules may have a grooved frame where the groove is provided at an angle with respect to a planar surface of the modules. Various couplings may engage within the groove to assemble the PV modules into the PV array with a pivot-fit connection. Further examples of the present technology operate with PV modules having frames without grooves, or with PV modules where the frame is omitted altogether.

Claims

1. A drop-in mounting system for a PV array, said PV array defining a reference plane, said system comprising:

a first connecting component selected from a group comprising PV laminates, PV modules, PV module frames, coupling members, and brackets;

a second connecting component selected from said group and comprising a first bearing portion and a second bearing portion, said first and second bearing portions being offset from each other in a direction substantially parallel to said reference plane;

wherein said bearing portions are adapted to resist relative movement of said connecting components in a direction substantially perpendicular to said reference plane and permit relative movement of said connecting components in a direction substantially parallel to said reference plane.

2. The drop-in mounting system of claim 1, wherein the first connecting component is a coupling member.

3. The drop-in mounting system of claim 2, wherein the second connecting component is a PV module.

4. The drop-in mounting system of claim 1, wherein the first connecting component is a bracket.

5. The drop-in mounting system of claim 4, wherein the second connecting component is a PV module frame.

6. A system of connecting components for a PV array, said PV array defining a reference plane, said system comprising:

a first connecting component selected from a group comprising PV laminates, PV modules, PV module frames, coupling members, and brackets;

a second connecting component selected from said group and comprising an upper bearing portion adapted to resist an upward movement of said first connecting component, and a lower bearing portion adapted to resist a downward movement of said first connecting component;

wherein said bearing portions are adapted to transmit forces to said first connecting component after at least one of said connecting components has been rotated from an angle greater than 2 degrees relative to said reference plane to a position substantially parallel with said plane, a first vector sum of forces transmitted by said upper bearing portion being of substantially opposite direction as a second vector sum of forces transmitted by said lower bearing portion.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said angle is greater than 5 degrees.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said angle is greater than 10 degrees.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said angle is greater than 20 degrees.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said upper and lower bearing portions are offset from each other in a direction substantially parallel to said reference plane.

11. A system of connecting components for a PV array, said PV array comprising one or more PV module rows, each row defining a reference plane, said system comprising:

a first connecting component selected from a group comprising PV laminates, PV modules, PV module frames, coupling members, and brackets;

a second connecting component selected from said group and comprising an upper bearing portion adapted to resist an upward movement of said first connecting component, and a lower bearing portion adapted to resist a downward movement of said first connecting component;

wherein said bearing portions are adapted to transmit forces to said first connecting component after at least one of said connecting components has been rotated from an angle greater than 2 degrees relative to a first reference plane for a first PV module row to a position substantially parallel with said first reference plane, a first vector sum of forces transmitted by said upper bearing portion being of substantially opposite direction as a second vector sum of forces transmitted by said lower bearing portion.

12. A system of connecting components for a PV array, said PV array defining a reference plane, said system comprising:

a first connecting component selected from a group comprising PV laminates, PV modules, PV module frames, coupling members, and brackets, said first connecting component having a first reference point along said reference plane;

a second connecting component selected from said group and comprising an upper bearing portion, a lower bearing portion, and having a second reference point along said reference plane;

wherein said bearing portions are adapted to resist relative movement of said connecting components in a direction substantially perpendicular to said reference plane and to permit relative movement of said connecting components in a direction substantially parallel with said reference plane, such that a distance between said first reference point and said second reference point is variable along said plane.

13. A rail-less mounting system for a PV array, said PV array defining a reference plane, said system comprising:

a first connecting component selected from a group comprising PV laminates, PV modules, PV module frames, coupling members, and brackets;

a second connecting component selected from said group and comprising a first bearing portion and a second bearing portion, said first and second bearing portions being offset from each other in a direction substantially parallel to said reference plane.

14. The rail-less mounting system of claim 13, wherein first bearing portion is an upper surface and the second bearing portion is lower surface lower than the upper surface, the first and second bearing portions adapted to resist movement of PV array perpendicular to the plane.

15. The rail-less mounting system of claim 13, where a first connecting component may engage the second connecting component at an insertion angle, the first and second connecting components thereafter pivoting with respect to each other to a position where the first and second bearing portions resist movement of PV array perpendicular to the reference plane.

16. A coupling for connecting PV modules together, said coupling comprising:

a first engaging portion adapted to simultaneously resist upward and downward forces presented to a first PV module while simultaneously permitting relative movement between said coupling and a frame of said first PV module in a direction substantially perpendicular to a sidewall of said one side of said first PV module frame.

17. A coupling for connecting PV modules, said coupling comprising:

a first engaging portion adapted to engage a first PV module frame and create a grounding connection thereto;

a second engaging portion adapted to engage a second PV module frame along a length of a side of said second PV module frame and create a grounding connection thereto, said length being substantially parallel with a plane of a laminate of said second PV module;

wherein said second engaging portion comprises a grounding tooth, said grounding tooth comprising a length, said grounding tooth length running in a direction substantially parallel with said plane and substantially perpendicular to said frame length.

18. The coupling of claim 17, wherein the first engaging portion is adapted to receive at least two bearing portions, and then pivot relative to the bearing portions down to a relative position where relative movement between first engaging portion and the at least two bearing portions in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the laminate is resisted.

19. The coupling of claim 18, wherein the two bearing portions are offset from each other in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the laminate.

20. The coupling of claim 18, wherein relative movement between the first engaging portion and the at least two bearing portions in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the laminate is permitted.