APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND MOUNTING A PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAY

• US 20150068590A1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zep Solar LLC (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: West, Jack Raymond, Haenlein, Hans-Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 9,300,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/251
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/12 Fastening strips or bars to sheets or plates, e.g. rubber strips, decorative strips for motor vehicles, by means of clips friction- grip releasable fastenings in general F16B2/00; fastening rods or tubular parts to flat surfaces at an angle F16B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6006 by using threaded elements, e.g. stud bolts
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/804 U-, C- or O-shaped; Hat profiles
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/807 having undercut grooves
• 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 25/632 Side connectors; Base connectors
• 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 25/67 for coupling adjacent modules or their peripheral frames for fixing modules or their peripheral frames to supporting elements F24S25/63
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/042 PV modules or arrays of single PV cells supporting structures for PV modules H02S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/00 Supporting structures for PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/10 Frame 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/44 Three or more members connected at single locus

Abstract

A photovoltaic (PV) module framing and coupling system enables the attachment of PV modules to a roof or other mounting surface without requiring the use of separate structural support members which attach directly to and span between multiple PV modules in a formed PV array. The apparatus provides a parallel coupling for securely interlocking the outside surfaces of parallel frame members together in a side to side arrangement to form an array with improved structural load distribution. The coupling may attach to a slot in the frame at substantially any position along the length of the frame thereby enabling the interconnection of adjacent PV modules along both an x and y axis. The apparatus may further provide a rotating portion and locking portion, mounting brackets for direct connection to a mounting surface, grounding teeth, and a twist-lock engagement means for interlocking and aligning PV modules in the array.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic array comprising:

a first, second, third, and fourth photovoltaic module each comprising at least one frame member mechanically connected to a photovoltaic laminate;

a coupling member adapted to engage the at least one frame member of each of the first and second photovoltaic modules on a first side of the coupling member, and to engage the at least one frame member of each of the third and fourth photovoltaic modules on a second side of the coupling member, thereby interlocking the four photovoltaic modules near the intersection of their adjacent corners; and

wherein the coupling member is further adapted to hold the four modules elevated above a support surface without any connection between the coupling member and the support surface.

2. The photovoltaic array of claim 1, wherein said coupling member is adapted to form a ground bond between said coupling member and one or more of said photovoltaic modules.

3. The photovoltaic array of claim 2, wherein said coupling member is adapted to form a ground bond by penetrating a surface of the at least one frame member of the one or more photovoltaic modules with a protrusion integral to said coupling member.

4. The photovoltaic array of claim 1, wherein the coupling member is attached to a foot portion adapted to support the coupling member over the support surface.

5. The photovoltaic array of claim 4, wherein the foot portion is further adapted to adjust the height of the coupling member with respect to the support surface.

6. The photovoltaic array of claim 1, wherein the coupling member is adapted to engage a groove formed in the at least one frame member of each of the first, second, third, and fourth photovoltaic modules.

7. The photovoltaic array of claim 6, wherein the coupling member engages at least one of the grooves formed in the frame members with a rotatable portion that is rotatable to lock the coupling member into the groove.

8. The photovoltaic array of claim 1, wherein said coupling member is adapted to transfer a downward force applied on one photovoltaic module to each of the three other interconnected photovoltaic modules.

9. The photovoltaic array of claim 1, wherein the coupling member forms a gap between the photovoltaic modules on the first side and the photovoltaic modules on the second side of the coupling member.

10. The photovoltaic array of claim 1, wherein each of the photovoltaic modules comprises four frame members mechanically connected to a photovoltaic laminate.

11. A coupling device for interconnecting four photovoltaic modules, comprising:

a coupling member adapted to engage respective frame members of a first and a second photovoltaic module on a first side of the coupling member, and to engage respective frame members of a third and a fourth photovoltaic module on a second side of the coupling member, thereby interlocking the four modules near the intersection of the their adjacent corners, wherein the coupling member is further adapted to hold the four photovoltaic modules elevated above a support surface without any connection between the coupling member and the support surface.

12. The coupling device according to claim 11, wherein said coupling member is adapted to form a ground bond between said coupling member and one or more of said photovoltaic modules.

13. The coupling device according to claim 12, wherein said coupling member is adapted to form a ground bond by penetrating a surface of a frame member of the one or more photovoltaic modules with a protrusion integral to said coupling member.

14. The coupling device according to claim 11, wherein said coupling member is adapted to transfer a downward force applied on one photovoltaic module to each of the three other interconnected photovoltaic modules.

15. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein the coupling member is adapted to engage a groove formed in at least one frame member of each of the first, second, third, and fourth photovoltaic modules.

16. The coupling device of claim 15, wherein the coupling member engages at least one of the grooves formed in the four frame members with a rotatable portion that is rotatable to lock the coupling member into the groove.

17. A method of interlocking four photovoltaic modules with a coupling member comprising:

attaching the coupling member to respective frame members of a first and second photovoltaic module on one side of the coupling member so that an outward facing surface of the respective frame member face a first side of the coupling member;

attaching respective frame members of a third and fourth photovoltaic module to a second side of the coupling member so that an outward facing surface of the respective frame members face the attached frame members of the first and second photovoltaic modules and such that all four photovoltaic modules are interconnected near their adjacent corners, wherein the coupling member is further adapted to hold the four modules elevated above a support surface without any connection between the coupling member and the support surface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein attaching the coupling member comprises forming a ground bond between the coupling member and one or more frame members.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein forming a ground bond comprises penetrating a surface of the one or more frame members with a protrusion integral to said coupling member.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein attaching the coupling member to respective frame members of a first and second photovoltaic module comprises engaging a groove formed in at least one frame member of each of the first and second photovoltaic modules.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein engaging a groove comprises rotating a locking connector of the coupling member in a groove formed in the at least one frame member of each of the first and second photovoltaic modules.