Sloped Roof Solar Panel Mounting System

• US 20170104442A1
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unirac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ecolibrium Solar, Inc.
• Inventors: Bamat, Christopher John, MacRostie, Devin Glen
• Granted Patent: US 10,312,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/021 Sealing means between support elements and mounting surface
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6008 by using toothed elements
• 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: 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 being adjustably connected to said lower clamp member by a fastener member, said upper and lower clamp members defining a panel receiving gap therebetween, said panel receiving gap being continuously adjustable by a user within the range between approximately 32 millimeters and approximately 50 millimeters so as to accommodate any photovoltaic module thickness within said range.

2. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said clamp assembly comprises integrated grounding means, said integrated grounding means configured to provide integrated grounding between adjacent photovoltaic modules.

3. The support surface attachment device according to claim 2, wherein said integrated grounding means of said clamp assembly comprises one or more grounding protrusions or teeth.

4. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said upper clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises at least one downwardly extending portion and said lower clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises at least one upwardly extending portion, said at least one downwardly extending portion of said upper clamp member configured to engage with said at least one upwardly extending portion of said lower clamp member so as to hold open said panel receiving gap for facilitating an insertion of said one or more photovoltaic modules after said fastener member of said clamp assembly has been partially tightened.

5. The support surface attachment device according to claim 4, wherein said at least one upwardly extending portion of said lower clamp member comprises one or more outwardly extending protrusions, said one or more outwardly extending protrusions configured to facilitate the holding open of said panel receiving gap, said one or more outwardly extending protrusions further configured to be deformed and/or severed from the remainder of said upwardly extending portion of said lower clamp member when said fastener member of said clamp assembly is tightened.

6. The support surface attachment device according to claim 4, wherein said at least one downwardly extending portion of said upper clamp member comprises one or more dimples formed in a side surface thereof, said one or more dimples configured to facilitate the holding open of said panel receiving gap.

7. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said clamp assembly is capable of being rotated 360 degrees relative to said base assembly of said support surface attachment device so as to accommodate various photovoltaic module mounting arrangements.

8. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said clamp assembly is capable of being interchangeably used with or without a skirt member of a photovoltaic array.

9. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, wherein said upper clamp member of said clamp assembly comprises at least one skirt receiving groove, said at least one skirt receiving groove configured to receive a downwardly extending edge portion of a skirt member.

10. The support surface attachment device according to claim 9, wherein said fastener member is configured to secure said skirt member to said clamp assembly.

11. 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; and

an upper coupling member including at least one flange portion extending outwardly from said upper coupling member, said upper coupling member being adjustably connected to said lower coupling member by at least one fastening device, said at least one ledge of said lower coupling member and said at least one flange portion of said upper coupling member defining a panel receiving gap therebetween, said panel receiving gap being continuously adjustable by a user within the range between approximately 32 millimeters and approximately 50 millimeters so as to accommodate any photovoltaic module thickness within said range.

12. The coupling device according to claim 11, further comprising integrated grounding means, said integrated grounding means configured to provide integrated grounding between adjacent photovoltaic modules.

13. The coupling device according to claim 12, wherein said integrated grounding means of said coupling device comprises one or more grounding protrusions or teeth.

14. The coupling device according to claim 11, wherein said lower coupling member further comprises at least one drainage slot formed therethrough for draining water from said one or more photovoltaic modules.

15. The coupling device according to claim 11, wherein said lower coupling member comprises one or more water drainage channels formed therein for draining water from one or more drainage weep holes of said one or more photovoltaic modules.

16. The coupling device according to claim 11, wherein said lower coupling member further comprises a plurality of extruded threads formed therein for threadingly engaging a plurality of external threads of said at least one fastening device.

17. The coupling device according to claim 11, wherein said at least one ledge of said lower coupling member comprises a pair of ledges extending outwardly from oppositely disposed outer side surfaces of said lower coupling member, said at least one flange portion of said upper coupling member comprises a pair of flange portions extending outwardly from oppositely disposed outer side surfaces of said upper coupling member, said pair of ledges of said lower coupling member and said pair of flange portions of said upper coupling member allowing said coupling device to be rotated 180 degrees relative to said one or more photovoltaic modules so that said coupling device is capable of being interchangeably used on north and south rows of a photovoltaic array.

18. The coupling device according to claim 11, wherein said coupling device is capable of being interchangeably used with or without a skirt member of a photovoltaic array.

19. The coupling device according to claim 11, wherein said upper coupling member of said coupling device comprises at least one skirt receiving groove, said at least one skirt receiving groove configured to receive a downwardly extending edge portion of a skirt member.

20. A mounting system for supporting a plurality of photovoltaic modules on a support surface, said mounting system comprising:

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 including a clamp assembly, said clamp assembly including a lower clamp member and an upper clamp member, at least one of said upper and lower clamp members including a skirt receiving groove or notch formed therein; and

a skirt member, said skirt member including a downwardly extending edge portion configured to be received within said skirt receiving groove or notch of said at least one of said upper and lower clamp members, the engagement between said skirt member and said clamp assembly of said support surface attachment device being configured to allow said clamp assembly to accommodate any photovoltaic module thickness within a range between approximately 32 millimeters and approximately 50 millimeters.

21. The mounting system according to claim 20, wherein said skirt member comprises a curled lower edge portion, said curled lower edge portion of said skirt member being configured to receive a pin member therein for facilitating an alignment of multiple skirt sections in a photovoltaic array.