Sloped Roof Solar Panel Mounting System

• US 20160268958A1
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unirac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ecolibrium Solar, Inc.
• Inventors: MacRostie, Devin Glen, Wildes, Brian James
• Granted Patent: US 10,340,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/021 Sealing means between support elements and mounting surface
• 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: 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: F24S 40/44 Draining rainwater or condensation
• 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

Abstract

A mounting system for supporting a plurality of photovoltaic modules on a sloped support surface, such as a sloped roof, is disclosed herein. The mounting system may include one or more support surface attachment devices, each support surface attachment device configured to attach one or more photovoltaic modules to a support surface; and one or more module coupling devices, each module coupling device configured to couple a plurality of photovoltaic modules to one another.

Claims

1. A support surface attachment device, said support surface attachment device configured to attach one or more photovoltaic modules to a support surface, said support surface attachment device comprising:

a base assembly configured to be attached to a support surface; and

a clamp assembly configured to engage one or more photovoltaic modules, said clamp assembly including a lower clamp member and an upper clamp member, said upper clamp member connected to said lower clamp member by a fastener member, said lower clamp member including one or more first teeth disposed thereon, and said upper clamp member including one or more second teeth disposed thereon, said one or more first teeth on said lower clamp member configured to engage said one or more second teeth on said upper clamp member when said fastener is being tightened so as to maintain a minimum gap between said upper clamp member and said lower clamp member for receiving one or more photovoltaic module frames of said one or more photovoltaic modules when said one or more photovoltaic modules are pivotably installed into a first side of said clamp assembly; and

wherein said clamp assembly is capable of being selectively positioned along a length of said base assembly prior to being fixed in place relative to said base assembly so as to permit adjustability when said one or more photovoltaic modules are being attached to said support surface.

2. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said upper clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises one or more grooves for receiving a portion of a bonding clip for grounding said one or more photovoltaic modules.

3. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising a spring member disposed between said upper clamp member and said lower clamp member of said clamp assembly, said spring member configured to hold said clamp assembly open for facilitating the installation of said one or more photovoltaic modules into said clamp assembly, and said spring member further configured to enable said clamp assembly to be secured on said base assembly while maintaining said minimum gap between said upper clamp member and said lower clamp member.

4. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising a strut nut threadingly coupled to said fastener member, said strut nut configured to fix said clamp assembly in place relative to said base assembly when said fastener member is tightened.

5. The support surface attachment device according to claim 4, wherein said fastener member comprises a visual indicator line formed on a head portion of said fastener member for indicating an orientation of said strut nut.

6. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising a glider member coupling said upper and lower clamp members of said clamp assembly to said base assembly, said glider member configured to slide relative to said base assembly so as to allow said clamp assembly to be selectively positioned along said length of said base assembly prior to being fixed in place relative to said base assembly.

7. The support surface attachment device according to claim 6, wherein said glider member comprises one or more protrusions or grooves formed in an outer side of said glider member, said one or more protrusions or grooves configured to serve as a visual indicator indicating a height of said clamp assembly relative to said base assembly and/or serve as a means for holding a chalk line during an installation of said one or more photovoltaic modules.

8. The support surface attachment device according to claim 6, wherein said upper and lower clamp members of said clamp assembly are configured to rotate together relative to said glider member, and wherein an upstanding base member of said base assembly is configured to rotate relative to said support surface, whereby the rotation of said upper and lower clamp members relative to said glider member and the rotation of said upstanding base member of said base assembly relative to a flashing member of said support surface attachment device enables a lateral position of said clamp assembly to be adjusted by an installer.

9. The support surface attachment device according to claim 6, wherein said lower clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises one or more ridges disposed on a bottom surface of said lower clamp member, said one or more ridges configured to increase a frictional engagement between said lower clamp member and said glider member so as resist said upper and lower clamp members of said clamp assembly from rotating relative to said glider member when said fastener member is tightened by an installer.

10. The support surface attachment device according to claim 6, wherein said base assembly includes an upstanding base member, said upstanding base member comprising one or more mating grooves and one or more mating protrusions for engaging with one or more mating protrusions and one or more mating grooves of said glider member, wherein a selected engagement between said one or more mating grooves and protrusions of said upstanding base member and said one or more mating grooves and protrusions of said glider member enables said clamp assembly to be selectively positioned at a predetermined height relative to said base assembly prior to being fixed in place relative to said base assembly so as to permit vertical adjustability when said one or more photovoltaic modules are being attached to said support surface.

11. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said upper clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises a first downwardly protruding member and a second downwardly protruding member spaced apart from said first downwardly protruding member by a gap, said second downwardly protruding member being shorter in length than said first downwardly protruding member, and said second downwardly protruding member configured to provide an abutment surface for a skirt member.

12. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said lower clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises one or more mating grooves and one or more mating protrusions for engaging with one or more mating protrusions and one or more mating grooves of a skirt member.

13. The support surface attachment device according to claim 12, wherein said one or more mating protrusions on said lower clamp member are upwardly inclined so as to enable said skirt member to be inserted into said clamp assembly from above during installation, and so as to prevent said skirt member from becoming disengaged from said clamp assembly after said installation of said skirt member.

14. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said upper clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises a pair of downwardly extending lip portions on opposite sides of a top portion of said upper clamp member, a first one of said pair of downwardly extending lip portions being longer than a second one of said pair of downwardly extending lip portions so as to facilitate said one or more photovoltaic modules being pivotably installed into said first side of said clamp assembly.

15. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said lower clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises an upwardly tapered ledge extending outwardly from said first side of said clamp assembly, said upwardly tapered ledge configured to support said one or more photovoltaic module frames of said one or more photovoltaic modules, and said upwardly tapered ledge being configured to function as a spring for applying a compressive force against said one or more photovoltaic module frames of said one or more photovoltaic modules so as to securely retain said one or more photovoltaic modules in said clamp assembly after said one or more photovoltaic modules are pivotably installed.

16. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said base assembly includes an upstanding base member, said upstanding base member including a pair of vertically spaced-apart bottom wall portions, a first of said pair of vertically spaced-apart bottom wall portions comprising a first aperture and a second of said pair of vertically spaced-apart bottom wall portions comprising a second aperture, said first and second apertures of said upstanding base member configured to receive a raised portion of a flashing member therein so as to permit a fastener aperture disposed in said flashing member to be elevated above said support surface, thereby enabling said support surface attachment device to be more leakage resistant.

17. The support surface attachment device according to claim 16, wherein said upstanding base member of said base assembly further comprises one or more base flange portions, said one or more base flange portions having one or more mounting apertures disposed therethrough, said one or more mounting apertures configured to receive one or more respective fasteners for securing said upstanding base member to said support surface.

18. The support surface attachment device according to claim 16, wherein a bottom surface of said upstanding base member comprises one or more ridges disposed thereon, said one or more ridges configured to increase a frictional engagement between said upstanding base member and said flashing member so as prevent said upstanding base member from rotating relative to said flashing member when a base fastener member is tightened by an installer.

19. The support surface attachment device according to claim 18, wherein said one or more ridges disposed on said bottom surface of said upstanding base member are additionally configured to capture and hold sealing tape when said upstanding base member is mounted directly against said support surface.

20. The support surface attachment device according to claim 16, wherein a top surface of said upstanding base member comprises one or more visual installation guide marks configured to facilitate an installation of one or more rows of said one or more photovoltaic modules.

21. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising a flashing member having a fastener aperture configured to receive a base fastener member for attaching an upstanding base member of said base assembly and said flashing member to said support surface, said fastener aperture being disposed through a raised position of said flashing member so that water is prevented from passing through said fastener aperture.

22. The support surface attachment device according to claim 21, further comprising a sealing washer configured to be disposed between a head of said base fastener member and a top rim of said raised position of said flashing member, said sealing washer including an upper portion formed from a first material and a lower portion formed from a second material, said first material forming said upper portion of said sealing washer restricting a deformation of said second material forming said lower portion of said sealing washer so as to prevent said sealing washer from entering said fastener aperture in said flashing member.

23. The support surface attachment device according to claim 22, wherein said lower portion of said sealing washer further comprises a tapered bottom surface so as to tightly engage said top rim of said raised portion of said flashing member and to prevent said second material forming said lower portion of said sealing washer from entering said fastener aperture in said flashing member.

24. The support surface attachment device according to claim 21, wherein said raised portion of said flashing member comprises a circumferential ledge portion, wherein, when said upstanding base member of said base assembly is assembled with said flashing member, a top surface of said circumferential ledge portion of said raised portion of said flashing member is configured to regulate a height of an upper section of said raised portion of said flashing member that is disposed above said circumferential ledge portion so that a top rim of said upper section of said raised portion does not protrude substantially above a top surface of an elevated shelf of said upstanding base member.

25. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising a cantilevered mounting arm coupling said clamp assembly to said base assembly, said cantilevered mounting arm configured to support said clamp assembly in a cantilevered manner from said base assembly so that said clamp assembly is capable of being horizontally offset from said base assembly, thereby allowing one or more edges of said one or more photovoltaic modules to be disposed above a region of said support surface that is unable to accommodate said base assembly.

26. The support surface attachment device according to claim 25, wherein said region of said support surface that is unable to accommodate said base assembly comprises an area at or near a roof ridge, and wherein said cantilevered mounting arm enables one or more additional photovoltaic modules to be installed proximate to said roof ridge.

27. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrical accessory bracket configured to mount an electrical accessory of a photovoltaic system to an upstanding base member of said base assembly, said electrical accessory bracket comprising at least one flange portion configured to attach said electrical accessory bracket to said upstanding base member, said electrical accessory bracket further comprising a bracket base portion comprising one or more mounting apertures for attaching said electrical accessory to said electrical accessory bracket.

28. The support surface attachment device according to claim 27, wherein said at least one flange portion of said electrical accessory bracket is offset from a center position of said bracket base portion in a widthwise direction of said bracket base portion so as to facilitate a connection of one or more wires to said electrical accessory without said upstanding base member of said base assembly interfering with a routing of said one or more wires.

29. The support surface attachment device according to claim 27, wherein said bracket base portion of said electrical accessory bracket comprises a plurality of slots formed therein for accommodating various electrical accessories, and wherein said at least one flange portion of said electrical accessory bracket comprises at least one aperture formed therein for accommodating a grounding lug.

30. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising a conduit mounting member configured to mount electrical conduit of a photovoltaic system to an upstanding base member of said base assembly, said conduit mounting member including a securement portion comprising one or more mounting apertures for attaching said conduit mounting member to said upstanding base member, said conduit mounting member further comprising a conduit mounting portion connected to said securement portion, said conduit mounting portion comprising one or more securement apertures for attaching said electrical conduit to said conduit mounting member.

31. A coupling device configured to attach one or more photovoltaic modules to one or more other photovoltaic modules, said coupling device comprising:

a lower coupling member including at least one ledge extending outwardly from a side surface of said lower coupling member, said lower coupling member further including one or more first teeth disposed thereon; and

an upper coupling member including at least one flange portion extending outwardly from said upper coupling member, said upper coupling member further including one or more second teeth disposed thereon, said upper coupling member being adjustably connected to said lower coupling member by at least one fastening device, said one or more first teeth on said lower coupling member configured to engage said one or more second teeth on said lower coupling member when said at least one fastening device is being tightened so as to maintain a minimum gap between said upper coupling member and said lower coupling member for receiving one or more photovoltaic module frames of said one or more photovoltaic modules when said one or more photovoltaic modules are pivotably installed into a first side of said clamp assembly; and

wherein said one or more other photovoltaic modules are configured to be clamped between said at least one ledge of said lower coupling member and said at least one flange portion of said upper coupling member.

32. The coupling device according to claim 31, wherein said at least one flange portion of said upper coupling member comprises a plurality of spaced-apart apertures disposed thererough, and wherein said at least one fastening device comprises a first and second fastening device, a first one of said plurality of spaced-apart apertures comprising a fastener hole for receiving said first fastening device, and said second one of said plurality of spaced-apart apertures comprising a fastener slot for receiving said second fastening device, said fastener slot providing clearance so as to allow said tightening of one of said first and second fastening devices prior to the tightening of the other of said first and second fastening devices.

33. The coupling device according to claim 32, wherein said at least one flange portion of said upper coupling member comprises a central slot disposed between said first one of said plurality of spaced-apart apertures and said second one of said plurality of spaced-apart apertures, said central slot configured to receive a fastener member for connecting said coupling device to a glider member of a support surface attachment device so that said coupling device is capable of being used with a base assembly of said support surface attachment device for attaching said one or more photovoltaic modules to a support surface.

34. The coupling device according to claim 31, wherein a top surface of said at least one flange portion of said upper coupling member comprises one or more visual installation guide marks to indicate locational limits of mounting said one or more photovoltaic modules within said coupling device.

35. The coupling device according to claim 31, wherein said lower coupling member comprises one or more mating grooves and one or more mating protrusions for engaging with one or more mating protrusions and one or more mating grooves of a skirt member.

36. The coupling device according to claim 35, wherein said one or more mating protrusions of said lower coupling member comprise a plurality of mating protrusions disposed in alternating upward and downward orientations so that said coupling device is capable of remaining in engagement with said skirt member prior to said at least one fastening device being tightened by an installer.

37. The coupling device according to claim 31, wherein said lower coupling member comprises one or more water drainage troughs formed therein for draining water from said one or more photovoltaic modules.

38. A bonding clip configured to ground one or more photovoltaic modules, said bonding clip comprising:

a clip body portion having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to said first surface, said clip body portion further including a plurality of protruding members, at least one of said plurality of protruding members projecting outwardly from said first surface in a first direction, and at least another of said plurality of protruding members projecting outwardly from said second surface in a second direction, said first direction being generally opposite to said second direction; and

one or more clip attachment portions connected to said clip body portion, said one or more clip attachment portions configured to attach said bonding clip to an object on which said bonding clip is mounted.

39. The bonding clip according to claim 38, wherein said plurality of protruding members are arranged in a generally staggered pattern along a length of said clip body portion.

40. The bonding clip according to claim 38, wherein said clip body portion is in the form of a flat plate that does not comprise any folds formed therein.

41. The bonding clip according to claim 38, wherein said one or more clip attachment portions comprise a plurality of bent tab members, said plurality of bent tab members configured to engage with a groove in said object.

42. The bonding clip according to claim 38, wherein said one or more clip attachment portions comprise a pair of flange members, each of said pair of flange members being disposed at an opposite end of said clip body portion;

and wherein, when said bonding clip is installed on said object, a top portion of each of said pair of flange members remains visible to an installer so that an installed condition of said bonding clip is capable of being verified by said installer.

43. A power accessory bracket configured to attach one or more power accessories of a photovoltaic system to one or more frames of one or more photovoltaic modules, said power accessory bracket comprising:

a bracket body portion having a first side and a second side disposed opposite to said first surface;

a first plurality of teeth disposed on said first side of said bracket body portion, said first plurality of teeth configured to engage said one or more frames of said one or more photovoltaic modules; and

a second plurality of teeth disposed on said second side of said bracket body portion, said second plurality of teeth configured to engage one or more mounting members of said one or more power accessories;

wherein said power accessory bracket is configured to provide electrical bonding of said one or more photovoltaic modules to said one or more power accessories.

44. The power accessory bracket according to claim 43, wherein at least one of said first and second pluralities of teeth extend below a bottom surface of said bracket body portion so as to provide said electrical bonding and to accommodate a plurality of different photovoltaic module flange dimensions.

45. The power accessory bracket according to claim 43, wherein said bracket body portion comprises at least one mounting aperture disposed therethrough, said at least one mounting aperture being offset from a center position of said bracket body portion in a widthwise direction of said bracket body portion so as to accommodate a plurality of different photovoltaic module flange dimensions by allowing said power accessory bracket to positioned in two different orientations.

46. The power accessory bracket according to claim 45, wherein said bracket body portion comprises at least one additional aperture formed therein for accommodating one or more components of one or more power accessories.