Height Adjustable Solar Panel Mounting Assembly

• US 20170040931A1
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unirac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unirac Incorporated
• Inventors: NICOLAEDIS, Klaus, SCHUIT, Nathan, MAYFIELD, Jason, GANSHAW, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 10,461,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/019 Means for accommodating irregularities on mounting surface; Tolerance compensation means
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/632 Side connectors; Base connectors
• 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

An apparatus and method for mounting a solar panel in a solar panel mounting assembly is disclosed. The solar panel mounting assembly includes a mounting bracket and a helical drive, where the mounting bracket is vertically adjustable by the helical drive. The helical drive engages with a stanchion that is variably positioned along a base member that is fixed to a roof.

Claims

1. A solar panel mounting assembly, comprising:

a mounting bracket; and

a helical drive, wherein the mounting bracket is vertically adjustable by the helical drive.

2. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the helical drive includes a helical thread extending from a bottom of the helical drive to a top of the helical drive.

3. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket and the helical drive are disposed on a stanchion.

4. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the helical drive engages with grooves of a stanchion.

5. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the helical drive is rotatable by a tool.

6. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein the tool is insertable through an aperture defined by the mounting bracket.

7. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the helical drive is vertically movable.

8. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket is coupled to the helical drive.

9. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a stanchion and a base, wherein the mounting bracket and the helical drive are disposed on the stanchion and wherein the stanchion is coupled to the base.

10. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 9, wherein the stanchion is variably positionable along a longitudinal length of the base.

11. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket includes an upper bracket and a lower bracket and wherein the upper bracket is coupled to the lower bracket.

12. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 3, wherein the stanchion includes a first arm, a second arm, and a base and wherein the first arm and the second arm extend vertically from the base.

13. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket defines a first slot and a second slot and wherein a first solar panel is mountable in the first slot and a second solar panel is mountable in the second slot.

14. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 4, wherein the helical drive is vertically movable along a vertical length of the stanchion.

15. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the helical drive has an aspect ratio of a vertical height to an outer diameter that ranges from 0.8 to 1.2.

16. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 3, wherein the helical drive is movable within a pair of arms of the stanchion.

17. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the helical drive has an aspect ratio of an inner diameter to an outer diameter that ranges from 0.5 to 0.9.

18. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the helical drive includes a square thread that has a pitch length ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 inches/thread.

19. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the helical drive has a plurality of facets on a thread of the helical drive.

20. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 9, wherein the base has a length such that no cutting of shingles is required when installing the base on a composition roof with shingles.

21. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a bonding pin disposed in a lower bracket of the mounting bracket, wherein an electrical connection is establishable between a solar panel that is installed in the mounting bracket and the mounting bracket by the bonding pin.

22. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 12, wherein an outer diameter of the helical drive extends radially beyond the first arm and the second arm of the stanchion.

23. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 11, wherein an entirety of the helical drive is disposed below the lower bracket.

24. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 3, wherein an entirety of the helical drive is disposed below a top of the stanchion.

25. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 11, wherein the lower bracket includes a coupler which couples the helical drive to the lower bracket.

26. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 9, wherein the base defines an aperture and wherein a lag screw is disposable through the aperture.

27. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket includes an arm and wherein a micro-inverter is mountable on the arm.

28. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 12, wherein a lower bracket of the mounting bracket defines a first aperture and a second aperture and wherein the first arm and the second arm of the stanchion are respectively disposed through the first aperture and the second aperture.

29. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 12, wherein the stanchion includes a bridge that extends from a top of the first arm of the stanchion to a top of the second arm of the stanchion and wherein an aperture is defined by the bridge.

30. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 11, wherein a slot is disposed across a width of the lower bracket and wherein a lower end of a vertical wall of the upper bracket is disposed in the slot.

31. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 9, wherein the base defines a hollow channel that is disposed along a center of a longitudinal length of the base.

32. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 11, wherein the lower bracket includes a first stiffening web and a second stiffening web and wherein the first stiffening web is attached to a first arm of the lower bracket and the second stiffening web is attached to a second arm of the lower bracket.

33. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 32, wherein the lower bracket includes a support box, wherein the helical drive is disposed within the support box, and wherein the support box transfers vertical motion of the helical drive to vertical motion of the lower bracket.

34. The solar panel mounting assembly according to claim 3, wherein the stanchion includes a pair of vertical arms, wherein the pair of vertical arms each include alternating teeth and grooves, and wherein the pair of vertical arms are disposed between two parallel planes.

35. The solar panel mounting assembly of claim 11, wherein the upper bracket and the lower bracket are a single, monolithic, integrated structure.

36. A method of mounting a solar panel in a solar panel mounting assembly, wherein the solar panel mounting assembly includes:

a mounting bracket; and

a helical drive, wherein the mounting bracket is vertically adjustable by the helical drive;

and comprising the steps of;

mounting the solar panel in the mounting bracket; and

after the step of mounting, vertically adjusting a height of the mounting bracket by operating the helical drive.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the helical drive includes a helical thread extending from a bottom of the helical drive to a top of the helical drive.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein the step of vertically adjusting the height of the mounting bracket by the helical drive includes rotating the helical drive by a tool.

39. The method according to claim 36, wherein the step of vertically adjusting the height of the mounting bracket by the helical drive includes vertically moving the helical drive.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the step of vertically moving the helical drive includes moving the helical drive along teeth and grooves of a stanchion by rotating the helical drive about a central axis of the helical drive.

41. The method according to claim 38, further comprising the step of inserting the tool through an aperture defined by the mounting bracket and into an aperture defined by the helical drive.

42. A method of mounting a solar panel in a solar panel mounting assembly, wherein the solar panel mounting assembly includes:

a mounting bracket; and

a helical drive, wherein the mounting bracket is vertically adjustable by the helical drive;

and comprising the steps of;

vertically adjusting a height of the mounting bracket by operating the helical drive; and

after the step of vertically adjusting, mounting the solar panel in the mounting bracket.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the steps of:

moving a stanchion along a length of a base member that is fixed to a roof; and

securing the stanchion on the base member before the step of mounting the solar panel in the mounting bracket.

44. A metallic bonding pin for electrically bonding two parts together, comprising:

a cylinder with knurling disposed around a circumference of the cylinder; and

a cap integrally formed with the cylinder, wherein the cap includes an engagement portion and a lip.

45. The metallic bonding pin according to claim 44, wherein the engagement portion includes a sharp point.

46. The metallic bonding pin according to claim 44, wherein the engagement portion includes a hole in a center portion of the engagement portion.