MOUNT FOR PITCHED ROOF AND METHOD OF USE

• US 20120102853A1
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynoraxx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dynoraxx, Inc.
• Inventors: Rizzo, Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/173.3
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/35 by means of profiles with a cross-section defining separate supporting portions for adjacent modules
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/61 for fixing to the ground or to building structures
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/636 clamping by screw-threaded elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

In one embodiment, there is a mount for a pitched roof. The mount comprises a fastening plate. The fastening plate includes at least one support extending upwardly from the fastening plate to support a pair of mounting surfaces a predetermined distance above the pitched roof. At least a portion of the fastening plate extends laterally from the one or more supports. The pair of mounting surfaces is configured to support at least one photovoltaic panel. The mount further includes a clamp housing between the pair of mounting surfaces and receives a clamp. The clamp comprises a pair of laterally extending clamp plates and at least one clamp stabilizer configured to prevent the clamp plate from tilting when the clamping force is applied.

Claims

1. A mount for a pitched roof, comprising:

a fastening plate;

at least one support extending upwardly from the fastening plate to support a pair of mounting surfaces a predetermined distance above the pitched roof, wherein at least a portion of the fastening plate extends laterally from the one or more supports, the lateral portion of the fastening plate has a plurality of fastening holes in at least two rows on the plate;

wherein the pair of mounting surfaces are configured to support at least one photovoltaic panel wherein at least one of the mounting surfaces is a predetermined distance above the pitched roof;

a clamp housing between the pair of mounting surfaces comprising vertical abutment surfaces defining a spacer and a longitudinally extending clamp receiving channel;

a clamp comprising (i) a pair of laterally extending clamp plates that are configured to cooperate with the pair of mounting surfaces to bear against and clamp at least one solar panel when a clamping force is applied (ii) at least one clamp stabilizer configured to prevent the clamp plate from tilting when the clamping force is applied (iii) clamping rod extending from the mounting plates and the mounting bracket configured to create a clamping force between the mounting surface and the mounting plates, wherein the clamping rod is slidably received into the longitudinally extending clamp receiving channel.

2. The mount of claim 1, wherein the at least one support comprises a pair of mounting blocks that respectively support the pair of mounting surfaces.

3. The mount claim 1, wherein the at least one clamp stabilizer slidably extends perpendicular to the clamp plate and along at least one stabilizer surface in the mount, wherein the at least one clamp stabilizer impinges against the at least one stabilizer surface restricting tilting movement of the clamp plate and the at least one stabilizer while allowing the clamp to slide along the stabilizer surface.

4. The mount of claim 1, wherein the at least one clamp stabilizer is slidably received in a stabilizer channel in the mount, wherein the at least one clamp stabilizer impinges against the at least one stabilizer surface restricting tilting movement of the clamp plate and the at least one stabilizer while allowing the clamp to slide along the stabilizer surface.

5. The mount of claim 1, wherein the clamp stabilizers are guide plates extending perpendicular from the clamp plates into channels to prevent tilting of the clamp plates relative to the mounting surface such that the clamp can clamp one object between one clamp plate and one mounting surface as effectively as clamping a pair of objects between the respective pair of clamp plates and mounting surfaces.

6. The mount of claim 1, wherein the clamping rod is a threaded bolt and nut, and wherein the nut is secured to the mounting bracket in a channel that permits longitudinal movement of the bolt relative to the nut to create a clamping force.

7. The mount of claim 1, wherein the object is a solar panel and the clamp is configured to secure solar panels having a width ranging from at least one inch to three inches.

8. The mount of claim 7, wherein the nut is a square nut and fits into a clamp housing to prevent pivoting of the nut relative to the clamp housing, the clamp housing further extends above the mounting surface and the pair of stabilizer channels are defined by the space between the clamp housing and the mounting blocks on either side of the clamp housing.

9. The mount of claim 1, wherein the fastening plate is adjacent one of the mounting blocks and is not adjacent the other.

10. The mount of claim 1, wherein the fastening plate includes a sealant on the bottom of the fastening plate.

11. The mount of claim 1, wherein the sealant is a strip of butyl mastic rubber.

12. The mount claim 11, wherein the threaded bold is slidably and pivotally received into the clamp hosing and the nut is slidably but not pivotally received in the clamp housing so that the clamp is capable of being positioned at a range of position along the length of the clamp housing.

13. The mount of claim 12, wherein the range of positions is a minimum of one inch and a maximum of the length of the clamp housing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the mounting brackets comprise the mounting bracket defined in claim 1, wherein the step (e) of positioning the second row further comprises aligning each mounting bracket in the second row with a corresponding mounting bracket in the first row and the step (i) of positioning the third row further comprises aligning each mounting bracket in the third row with a corresponding mounting bracket in the second row and a corresponding mounting bracket in the third row.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

(l) slidably adjusting the clamp plates of each of the mounting brackets in the second row with a corresponding clamp plate of the corresponding mounting bracket in the first row; and

(m) slidably adjusting the clamp plates of each of the mounting brackets in the third row with a corresponding clamp plate of the corresponding mounting bracket in the first row and a

14. A method of installing solar panels having a predetermined length, predetermined width and predetermined thickness on a pitched roof comprising:

(a) providing a generally horizontal base line on the pitched roof;

(b) providing a plurality of mounting brackets, wherein each mounting bracket comprises a fastening plate, a pair of supports extending upward from the fastening plate to form support surfaces and a clamp mechanism between the pair of supports, at least a portion of the fastening plate extends laterally outward from the pair of supports and has at least two rows of fastening holes on the at least a portion of the fastening plate;

(c) affixing a first row of mounting brackets along the base line by the fastening plate on one side of the mounting bracket only;

(d) placing a first row of solar panels in the first row of mounting brackets after the step (c) of affixing a first row;

(e) positioning a second row of mounting brackets on an opposite side of the first row of solar panels from the first row of a plurality of mounting brackets to position the second row of mounting brackets a distance equal to the width of the panel, wherein the at least a portion of the fastening brackets of the second row is not beneath the first row of solar panels;

(f) affixing the second row of mounting brackets to the roof by the fastening plate on one side of the second row of mounting brackets without removing the first row of solar panels from the first row of mounting brackets; and

(g) clamping the first row of solar panels to the first row and the second row after the step (f) affixing the second row of mounting brackets.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(h) placing a second row of solar panels in the second row of mounting brackets after the step (f) of affixing the second row;

(i) positioning a third row of mounting brackets on an opposite side of the second row of solar panels from the second row of mounting brackets to position the third row of mounting brackets a distance equal to the width of the panel, wherein the at least a portion of the fastening brackets of the third row is not beneath the second row of solar panels;

(j) affixing the third row of mounting brackets to the roof by the fastening plate on one side of the third row of mounting brackets without removing the second row of solar panels from the second row of mounting brackets; and

(k) clamping the second row of solar panels to the second row and the third row after the step (j) of affixing the third row of mounting brackets.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the mounting brackets are mounting brackets of claim 2.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the mounting brackets are mounting brackets of claim 3.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the mounting brackets are mounting brackets of claim 4.