Connecting Components for Photovoltaic Arrays

• US 20140175244A1
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zep Solar Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: West, John Raymond, Hudson, Tyrus Hawkes, Johansen, Emil
• Granted Patent: US 9,698,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/316.7
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 1/2916 the fastening means taking hold directly on adjacent elements of the same row
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/801 having hollow parts with closed cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/807 having undercut grooves
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/33 forming substantially planar assemblies, e.g. of coplanar or stacked profiles
• 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 25/632 Side connectors; Base connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/634 Clamps; Clips
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/636 clamping by screw-threaded elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/65 for coupling adjacent supporting elements, e.g. for connecting profiles together
• 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: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The invention includes an apparatus for mounting a photovoltaic (PV) module onto a structure where the apparatus includes a base portion, a stud portion, and a coupling portion. The coupling portion includes a male portion that acts as a spring under load and a clip portion that penetrates the PV module frame to create a grounding bond. The apparatus includes a lower jaw, shaped to pry open a groove, and a key portion that can compress to allow for tolerances. The invention further includes a clip with one or more tabs and one or more teeth. The invention further includes a replacement roof tile which includes a support structure with a horizontal flange, a vertical component, a horizontal component, a flashing with an upper surface and a lower surface, and a tile-shaped metal surface having a curvilinear shape that reflects the shapes of adjacent tiles.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mounting a photovoltaic (“

PV”

) module on a structure comprising;

a base portion,

a stud portion, and

a coupling portion wherein a male portion acts as a spring under load and a clip portion penetrates the PV module frame to create a grounding bond.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 with a lower jaw shaped to pry open a groove.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 with a key portion that compresses to allow for tolerances.

4. A method for mounting photovoltaic (“

PV”

) modules on a structure comprising steps;

securing a base of a leveling foot to a substrate or structure;

inserting a key portion of a coupling into a groove of a first PV module at an angle between five and seventy-five degrees;

rotating the first PV module downward toward the substrate or structure until parallel with the substrate or structure, thereby causing the key portion to engage fully the groove, causing spring contraction of the key, and causing spring expansion of the groove;

resting an outside surface of the frame of a second PV module on a top surface of the coupling portion such that the second PV module is at a ninety degree angle to the substrate; and

rotating the second PV module downward until roughly parallel with the first PV module.

5. A clip apparatus comprising:

a clip;

one or more tabs;

one or more teeth;

wherein one or more tabs secure the clip to a coupling portion and one or more teeth penetrate;

(i) a surface of a PV module when the PV module engages the coupling portion, and

(ii) a surface of the coupling portion when the clip engages the coupling portion, thereby creating an electrical ground bond between the clip, the coupling portion, and the PV module.

6. A replacement roof tile comprising:

a support structure comprising a horizontal flange, a vertical component, and a horizontal component;

a flashing with an upper surface and a lower surface; and

a tile-shaped metal surface having a curvilinear shape that reflects a shape of a plurality of adjacent tiles.

7. The replacement tile of claim 6, wherein the replacement roof tile comprises a conical support structure and a flashing with a circular aperture.

8. A method for mounting a replacement roof tile comprising steps:

mounting a support structure on a substrate;

mounting a tile-shaped metal surface on the support structure;

mounting a top arm to the support structure over, above, or atop a tile-shaped metal surface;

mounting a leveling foot onto the top arm; and

mounting a PV module to the leveling foot.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising steps:

wherein the top arm is laterally applied to the support structure and the tile-shaped metal surface.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising steps:

wherein a device connects to the support structure and the tile-shaped metal surface using a coupling.

11. An apparatus for mounting a photovoltaic (“

PV”

) module comprising;

a flashing;

a vertical component; and

a planar component with an upper surface and a lower surface thereby enabling simplified mounting of a PV module on a tiled surface or substrate.

12. A method for connecting a photovoltaic (“

PV”

) array to a surface or structure comprising steps;

installing a crossbar for mounting a plurality of PV modules on a surface or structure; and

laterally engaging a planar component of the crossbar with a device that connects to a upper and lower surfaces of the planar component.