Photovoltaic structure mounting apparatus and system having a slider clip
First Claim
1. A photovoltaic structure mounting system, comprising:
- a plurality of beams spaced apart;
a plurality of rails spaced apart and attached to the beams;
at least one angularly adjustable tilt table attached to a support surface and to at least one of the beams; and
at least one pair of first and second clips for holding a photovoltaic structure comprising at least one photovoltaic module, each pair of clips being mounted apart on a respective rail, each said clip comprising;
a clip frame including a bottom extension for securing the clip to the rail, a top extension to hold onto an edge portion of the photovoltaic structure placed between the top extension and the respective rail, and a sidewall connecting one end of the bottom extension to one end of the top extension, the top extension of said first clip being longer than the top extension of said second clip such that the photovoltaic structure can be slid under the support element of the first clip and then be slid under the support element of the second clip; and
a holding element having a vertical barrier abutting the sidewall of the clip frame and connecting one end of a holding element top section to one end of a holding element bottom section,wherein the top extension of each clip frame each comprise a top surface and at least one structural feature located on the top surface which cooperates with the respective holding element to hold the holding element in place with the clip frame.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein is a mounting system and slider clips that support simplified installation of photovoltaic structures. The mounting system comprises a support structure which can be mounted to support columns via an optional tilt table. The support structure comprises a plurality of parallel spaced beams and a plurality of parallel spaced rails that are mounted approximately perpendicular to the beams. Disclosed embodiments describe a collapsible support structure in which the rails are pivotally mounted to the beams. Rails are preassembled with prefabricated slider clips for holding edge portions of the photovoltaic structures. Rails can also be integrally formed with slider clips. Described herein are also methods of installing one or more photovoltaic structures using the mounting system and methods for manufacturing slider clips and a photovoltaic structure mounting system.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic structure mounting system, comprising:
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a plurality of beams spaced apart; a plurality of rails spaced apart and attached to the beams; at least one angularly adjustable tilt table attached to a support surface and to at least one of the beams; and at least one pair of first and second clips for holding a photovoltaic structure comprising at least one photovoltaic module, each pair of clips being mounted apart on a respective rail, each said clip comprising; a clip frame including a bottom extension for securing the clip to the rail, a top extension to hold onto an edge portion of the photovoltaic structure placed between the top extension and the respective rail, and a sidewall connecting one end of the bottom extension to one end of the top extension, the top extension of said first clip being longer than the top extension of said second clip such that the photovoltaic structure can be slid under the support element of the first clip and then be slid under the support element of the second clip; and a holding element having a vertical barrier abutting the sidewall of the clip frame and connecting one end of a holding element top section to one end of a holding element bottom section, wherein the top extension of each clip frame each comprise a top surface and at least one structural feature located on the top surface which cooperates with the respective holding element to hold the holding element in place with the clip frame. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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2. A photovoltaic structure mounting system, comprising:
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a plurality of beams spaced apart; a plurality of rails spaced apart and attached to the beams, wherein the rails are pivotally connected to the beams; and at least one pair of first and second clips for holding a photovoltaic structure comprising at least one photovoltaic module, each pair of clips being mounted apart on a respective rail, each said clip comprising; a clip frame including a bottom extension for securing the clip to the rail, a top extension to hold onto an edge portion of the photovoltaic structure placed between the top extension and the respective rail, and a sidewall connecting one end of the bottom extension to one end of the top extension, the top extension of said first clip being longer than the top extension of said second clip such that the photovoltaic structure can be slid under the support element of the first clip and then be slid under the support element of the second clip; and a holding element having a vertical barrier abutting the sidewall of the clip frame and connecting one end of a holding element top section to one end of a holding element bottom section, wherein the top extension of each clip frame each comprise a top surface and at least one structural feature located on the top surface which cooperates with the respective holding element to hold the holding element in place with the clip frame. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for mounting photovoltaic structures, comprising:
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a plurality of beams spaced apart; and a plurality of rails spaced apart and attached to the beams, each rail having on a top surface of said rail at least one pair of first and second clips, each pair of clips being spaced apart on the respective rail, each said clip comprising; a clip frame including a bottom extension for securing the clip to the rail, a top extension to hold onto an edge portion of a photovoltaic structure, and a sidewall connecting one end of the bottom extension to one end of the top extension, the top extension of said first clip being longer than the top extension of said second clip such that the photovoltaic structure can be slid under the support element of the first clip and then be slid under the support element of the second clip; and a holding element having a vertical barrier abutting the sidewall of the clip frame and connecting one end of a holding element top section to one end of a holding element bottom section, and a flat middle section extending perpendicularly from the vertical barrier away from the holding element bottom section, the flat middle section located between the clip frame bottom extension and the respective rail. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15)
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12. A photovoltaic structure mounting system, comprising:
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a plurality of beams spaced apart; a plurality of rails spaced apart and attached to the beams; and at least one pair of first and second clips for holding a photovoltaic structure comprising at least one photovoltaic module, each pair of clips being mounted apart on a respective rail, each said clip comprising; a clip frame including a bottom extension for securing the clip to the rail, a top extension to hold onto an edge portion of the photovoltaic structure placed between the to extension and the respective rail, and a sidewall connecting one end of the bottom extension to one end of the top extension, the top extension of said first clip being longer than the top extension of said second clip such that the photovoltaic structure can be slid under the support element of the first clip and then be slid under the support element of the second clip; and a holding element having a vertical barrier abutting the sidewall of the clip frame and connecting one end of a holding element top section to one end of a holding element bottom section, wherein the top extension of each clip frame each comprise a top surface and at least one structural feature located on the top surface which cooperates with the respective holding element to hold the holding element in place with the clip frame, wherein each holding element further includes a flat middle section extending perpendicularly from the vertical barrier away from the holding element bottom section, the flat middle section located between the clip frame bottom extension and the respective rail.
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Specification