PHOTOVOLTAIC FRAME FASTENER

• US 20140003861A1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A Raymond Et Compagnie
• Original Assignee: A Raymond Et Compagnie
• Inventors: Cheung, Brian C., DuPont, Luc
• Granted Patent: US 9,331,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/291
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/0473 with hook-like parts gripping, e.g. by expanding, behind the flanges of a profile
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6003 by clamping
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6004 by clipping, e.g. by using snap connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/634 Clamps; Clips
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof 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 403/54 Flexible member is joint component

Abstract

A photovoltaic frame fastener is provided. In one aspect, a photovoltaic frame attachment apparatus includes a strut or rail defining a generally U-shaped channel and a snap-in clip or fastener. In another aspect, a single-piece fastener includes a strut-engaging surface, at least one flexible wing matable with an opening in a strut, a flexible tongue internally projecting in a central manner from a top wall of a body, and a slot adapted to receive a portion of a photovoltaic panel frame. Yet another aspect of a photovoltaic frame fastener includes laterally projecting tabs abutting against a top of a strut.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic frame fastener apparatus comprising a single-piece fastener which further comprises:

a body including a pair of spaced apart photovoltaic frame-receiving slots;

a strut-engaging, snap-in flexible wing coupled to the body; and

a flexible frame-contacting tongue internally and centrally projecting from a top surface of the body, at least one substantially pointed edge of the tongue pointing away from the top surface of the body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising rigid tabs laterally projecting from opposite side walls of the body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an elongated structural strut including an opening, the wing snapping into the opening, and the tabs abutting against surfaces adjacent to the opening to deter over-insertion of the fastener into the strut.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a photovoltaic frame, and the pointed edge of the tongue scoring into the frame in order to secure the frame inside the slots of the fastener.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the edge of the tongue includes two substantially pointed formations spaced apart by a central valley, the tongue is substantially straight and diagonally oriented relative to the top surface of the body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an elongated and structural strut, the strut having a substantially U-shaped end view with its internal surfaces being reverse-turned walls;

a glass photovoltaic panel mounted to a photovoltaic frame, the panel and frame hiding a majority of the fastener from an outside direction when the fastener is completely attached to the strut; and

a second flexible wing coupled to the body of the fastener, the wings removably abutting against edges of the reverse-turned walls.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wing is offset from the body of the fastener along a direction of elongation of a structural strut, further comprising a finger upstanding from the wing and having a smaller width than the wing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wing is directly below the slots and the tongue, and the fastener has substantially vertical length greater than its width and thickness.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tongue is entirely inwardly spaced from all external edges of the body of the fastener.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the strut is mounted to a building roof.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the entire fastener is a single bent sheet of metal.

12. A photovoltaic frame fastening apparatus comprising a fastener further comprising:

a body including a photovoltaic frame-receiving opening;

a flexible wing coupled to the body; and

rigid tabs laterally projecting away from each other from opposite side walls of the body;

the side walls being spaced apart from each other; and

at least one of the tabs being substantially located between the wing and the opening.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein there are at least two of the rigid tabs projecting from each of the side walls, and each of the tabs are spaced away from each other, and the fastener is entirely metallic.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least part of the wing is located substantially between a pair of the tabs.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an elongated structural strut including an opening therein, the wing of the fastener snapping into the opening of the strut and the tabs abutting against an outside surface of the strut.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a photovoltaic frame including a metallic flange which is secured within the opening of the fastener body by engagement of an edge of a flexible tongue integrally bent from the body.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the rigid tabs has a longitudinal dimension at least as long as a transverse dimension projecting away from the corresponding side wall of the body, and planes defined by the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of all of the tabs being substantially parallel to each other.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wing is offset from the body of the fastener along a direction of elongation of a structural strut, further comprising a finger upstanding from the wing and having a smaller width than the wing.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wing is directly below at least a portion of the opening in the body, which is an elongated slot, and the wing further includes a step and a centrally projecting and laterally smaller finger located adjacent at least one of the tabs.

20. A photovoltaic frame fastening apparatus comprising a metallic fastener which further comprises:

a body including a side wall with a slot;

flexible wings coupled to the body; and

a tongue downwardly projecting from a top wall adjacent to the slot;

the tongue including at least two substantially pointed formations spaced apart by a central valley.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising an elongated structural strut including an opening therein, the wings of the fastener snapping into the opening of the strut, and outwardly extending tabs abutting against an outside of the strut.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a photovoltaic frame including a metallic flange which is secured within the slot of the fastener body by engagement of an edge of the tongue integrally bent from the body.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the tongue is entirely inwardly spaced from all external edges of the body of the fastener.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the entire fastener is a single bent sheet of metal.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

a second side wall, the side walls being spaced apart from each other and only connected together by the top wall and an opposite, tapered and overlapping lead-in end;

each of the wings being solely connected to the body adjacent the lead-in end; and

a second and open-ended slot in the body, the slots being aligned for receiving a photovoltaic frame with the tongue located substantially between the slots.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a photovoltaic frame and a roof-mounted structural strut, the frame being inserted into the slot and being engaged by the formations of the tongue in a single linear installation motion that is of less force as compared to an extraction force, and the fastener snapping into an opening of the strut in a single linear installation motion.

27. A photovoltaic frame fastening apparatus comprising a single piece fastener which further comprises:

a top wall;

side walls projecting from the top wall, at least one of the side walls including an elongated photovoltaic frame-receiving slot;

tapered lead-in walls connected to the side walls opposite the top wall;

the side walls being spaced apart from each other with a hollow area therebetween, and front and back edges of the side walls being open;

snap-in wings connected to and externally projecting from the side walls between the slot and the lead-in walls; and

a longitudinal dimension between the top and lead-in walls being larger than lateral and transverse dimensions of the fasteners.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising rigid tabs laterally and oppositely projecting from the side walls, the tabs being substantially parallel to each other.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising an elongated structural strut including an opening, the wings snapping into the opening, and tabs of the fastener abutting against surfaces adjacent to the opening to deter over-insertion of the fastener into the strut.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a photovoltaic frame, and an edge of the tongue internally extending from the top wall scoring into the frame in order to secure the frame inside the slot of the fastener.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising an edge of a flexible tongue projecting from the fastener, the edge including two substantially pointed formations spaced apart by a central valley, and the tongue being diagonally oriented relative to an adjacent section of the fastener.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the entire fastener is a single bent sheet of metal.

33. A photovoltaic frame fastening apparatus comprising:

(a) an elongated structural rail including an opening therein;

(b) a photovoltaic assembly including a glass solar panel and a peripheral frame;

(c) a single-piece and metallic fastener comprising;

(i) two spaced apart side walls connected by a lateral wall;

(ii) a member internally projecting from the fastener and at least a majority of the member being located between the side walls, spaced apart edge sections of the member being removeably secured to the frame; and

(iii) projections flexibly bent outward from the fastener snapping into the opening of the rail.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising at least two rigid tabs projecting from each of the side walls, each of the tabs being spaced away from each other.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the member is a tongue downwardly extending in a diagonal manner from the lateral wall and the tongue is entirely inwardly spaced from all external edges of the fastener, and each of the wings is entirely inwardly spaced from all of the external edges of the fastener.

36. A method of attaching a solar panel frame to a rigid rail, the method comprising:

(a) linearly pushing a single-piece, sheet metal fastener onto a portion of the solar panel frame;

(b) compressing spaced apart projections of a tongue of the fastener into the portion of the frame in order to secure the frame to the fastener;

(c) flexibly snapping wings of the fastener into the rigid rail; and

(d) abutting tabs outwardly projecting from the fastener against an outside surface of the rigid rail.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising pre-assembling the fastener to the frame off-site in a factory.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising pre-assembling the fastener to the frame prior to attachment of the fastener to the rail.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising linearly inserting the frame into elongated slots of the fastener and also into engagement with the projections of the tongue in a single linear motion.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the projections are two substantially pointed distal edges with a valley therebetween, and the edges of the projections score the frame in at least one condition.

41. The method of claim 36, further comprising flexing each of the wings between a pair of the tabs.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising mounting the rail to a building.

43. The method of claim 36, further comprising mounting the rail to the ground.