Solar panel clip and method for attaching a solar panel

• US 8,495,997 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MBL & Sons, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MBL & Sons, Inc.
• Inventors: Laubach, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corboy, William
• Application Number:
  US12/730,652
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 126/621, 126/623, 126/680, 136/244, 248/237, 521/733
• US Class Current: 126/680
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/802 having circular or oval cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/804 U-, C- or O-shaped; Hat profiles
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/13 Profile arrangements, e.g. trusses F24S25/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/65 for coupling adjacent supporting elements, e.g. for connecting profiles together
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/10 Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground H02S20/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for attaching a solar panel to a purlin is disclosed, the solar panel further including a frame having a set of frame holes. The apparatus includes a solar panel clip including a solar panel clip bearing surface, a key formed on the solar panel clip bearing surface, a perpendicular locking surface coupled to the solar panel clip bearing surface, and an upper solar panel spacing section configured to provide an expansion joint. The apparatus also may include a solar panel clip washer mount. A solar panel is positioned on the solar panel clip bearing surface and is secured to the purlin.

Claims

1. A system for securing solar panels to a purlin framing support member, comprising:

a purlin framing support member having a cross-sectional shape;

a solar panel clip having a cross-sectional shape that is the same as the cross-sectional shape of said purlin framing support member and being slideable over said purlin framing support member, said solar panel clip further having an upper solar panel spacing section having a washer mount at a top of said upper solar panel spacing section and having first and second parallel, vertical faces extending downwardly from said top, said first and second parallel, vertical faces having a gap therebetween and a pair of dimples extending out from each vertical face towards the gap;

first and second solar panel bearing platforms, said first solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of said first parallel, vertical face, and said second solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of said second parallel, vertical face;

a first key extending from said first solar panel bearing platform and a second key extending from said second solar panel bearing platform; and

a first locking surface extending perpendicularly from said first solar panel bearing platform and a second locking surface extending perpendicularly from said second solar panel bearing platform, wherein said first and second locking surfaces are abuttable against a purlin framing support member surface and each of said first and second locking surfaces include a bore for attachment to the purlin framing support member surface.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a first hem extending from said first solar panel bearing platform and a second hem extending from said second solar panel bearing platform.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said first key is disposed on a central location of said first solar panel bearing platform and said second key is disposed on a central location of said second solar panel bearing platform.

4. A system for securing solar panels to a purlin framing support member, comprising:

a purlin framing support member having a cross-sectional shape;

a solar panel clip having a cross-sectional shape that is the same as the cross-sectional shape of said purlin framing support member and being slideable over said purlin framing support member, said clip further having an upper solar panel spacing section having a washer mount at a top of said upper solar panel spacing section and having first and second parallel, vertical faces extending downwardly from said top, said first and second parallel, vertical faces having a gap therebetween;

first and second solar panel bearing platforms, said first solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of said first parallel, vertical face, and said second solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of said second parallel, vertical face;

a first key extending from said first solar panel bearing platform and a second key extending from said second solar panel bearing platform; and

a first locking surface extending perpendicularly from said first solar panel bearing platform and a second locking surface extending perpendicularly from said second solar panel bearing platform, wherein said first and second locking surfaces are abuttable against a purlin framing support member surface and each of said first and second locking surfaces include a bore for attachment to the purlin framing support member surface.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a solar panel clip washer.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said solar panel clip further comprises a first hem extending from said first solar panel bearing platform and a second hem extending from said second solar panel bearing platform, said first and second hems slideable onto a surface of said purlin framing support member.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein said first key is disposed on a central location of said first solar panel bearing platform and said second key is disposed on a central location of said second solar panel bearing platform.

8. A method for attaching a first solar panel to an attachment support structure using a solar panel clip, said first solar panel including a frame having a set of frame holes, said attachment support structure including a first horizontal purlin member and a second horizontal purlin member, the method comprising:

positioning a first solar panel clip on said first horizontal purlin member and a second solar panel clip on said second horizontal purlin member, wherein said first solar panel clip and said second solar panel clip are aligned and secured;

positioning said frame of said first solar panel on said first solar panel clip such that a first key on said first solar panel clip is inserted into a first frame hole of said set of frame holes, and a first key on said second solar panel clip is inserted into a second frame hole of said set of frame holes;

positioning a third solar panel clip on said first horizontal purlin member and a fourth solar panel clip on said second horizontal purlin member, wherein said third solar panel clip and said fourth solar panel clip are aligned and secured;

positioning said frame of said first solar panel on said third solar panel clip and said fourth solar panel clip such that a first key on said third solar panel clip is inserted into a third frame hole of said set of frame holes, and a first key on said fourth solar panel clip is interested into a fourth frame hole of said set of frame holes;

positioning a fifth solar panel clip on a third horizontal purlin member;

aligning said fifth solar panel clip with said second solar panel clip and securing said fifth solar panel clip to said third horizontal purlin member;

providing a second solar panel including a frame with a set of frame holes;

positioning said frame of said second solar panel on said second solar panel clip and said fifth solar panel clip such that a second key on said second solar panel clip is inserted into a first frame hole of said set of frame holes of said second solar panel, and a first key on said fifth solar panel clip is inserted into a second frame hole of set of frame holes of said second solar panel, wherein the second solar panel is spaced apart from the first solar panel by a width of an upper solar panel section of the second clip;

positioning a sixth solar panel clip on a third horizontal purlin member, aligning said sixth solar panel clip with said fourth solar panel clip and securing said sixth solar panel clip to said third horizontal purlin member; and

positioning said frame of said second solar panel on said fourth solar panel clip and said sixth solar panel clip such that a second key on said fourth solar panel clip is inserted into a third frame hole of said set of frame holes of said second solar panel, and a first key on said sixth solar panel clip is inserted into a fourth frame hole of set of frame holes of second solar panel, wherein the second solar panel is spaced apart from the first solar panel by a width of an upper solar panel spacing section of the fourth clip.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein after positioning said frame on said third solar panel clip and said fourth solar panel clip, attaching a solar panel washer to each of said first solar panel clip, said second solar panel clip, said third solar panel clip, and said fourth solar panel clip.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the width of the upper solar panel spacing section of the second clip and the width of the upper solar panel spacing section of the fourth clip are the same.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein after positioning said frame on said fourth solar panel clip and said sixth solar panel clip, attaching a solar panel washer to each of said first solar panel clip, said second solar panel clip, said third solar panel clip, said fourth solar panel clip, said fifth solar panel clip, and said sixth solar panel clip.

12. A system for securing solar panels to a purlin framing support member, comprising:

a purlin framing support member having a cross-sectional shape;

a washer;

a clip supporting the washer and adjacent solar panels, the clip including,

a first key and a second key extending outwards from a top surface of the clip, the first and second keys mating with bottom surfaces of the adjacent solar panels,

a third key and a fourth key extending outwards from the top surface, the third and fourth keys limiting movement of the washer along a gap between the adjacent solar panels, and

a bottom surface defined to be slideable over the purlin framing support member;

the clip having a cross-sectional shape that is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the purlin framing support member and being slideable over the purlin framing support member, the clip further having an upper solar panel spacing section having a washer mount at a top of the upper solar panel spacing section and having first and second parallel, vertical faces extending downwardly from the top, the first and second parallel, vertical faces having a gap therebetween;

first and second solar panel bearing platforms, the first solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of the first parallel, vertical face, and the second solar panel bearing platform extending perpendicularly from a lower edge of the second parallel, vertical face;

the first key extending from the first solar panel bearing platform and the second key extending from the second solar panel bearing platform; and

a first locking surface extending perpendicularly from the first solar panel bearing platform and a second locking surface extending perpendicularly from the second solar panel bearing platform, wherein the first and second locking surfaces are abuttable against a purlin framing support member surface and each of the first and second locking surfaces include a bore for attachment to the purlin framing support member surface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the washer includes,

a bottom side disposed over the top surface of the clip between the third and fourth keys,

two vertical faces extending in parallel and upwards from the bottom side of the washer, the two vertical faces abutting a side surface of corresponding adjacent solar panels, and

a lip extending from a top of each of the two vertical faces, each lip disposed over a top surface of corresponding adjacent solar panels.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the bottom surface of the clip includes multiple extensions configured to mate with multiple surfaces of the purlin framing support member.

15. The assembly system of claim 14, wherein one of the multiple extensions of the bottom surface of the clip includes a bearing surface hem.