Solar panel support

• US 9,503,015 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vizco-US, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vizco-US, Inc.
• Inventors: Cantolino, Christopher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wujciak, Alfred J
• Application Number:
  US14/120,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20150340985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 248/224.7, 248/224.51, 248/224.61, 248/151, 248/354.1, 248/354.3, 248/354.5, 403/361, 403/359.6, 403/367, 403/368, 403/371, 403/374.1, 403/377, 403/379.4, 403/379.5, 403/409.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/025 with the expansion of an element inside the tubes due to axial movement towards a wedge or conical element for rods or tubes telescopically engaged F16B7/1463
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/0413 for tubes using the innerside thereof F16B7/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/10 extending in directions away from a supporting surface
• 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 20/20 Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object H02S20/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7018 including separably interposed key

Abstract

A solar panel support comprising an upper coupling member including a hollow sleeve having a tapered inner surface increasing in diameter or cross-sectional dimension from the proximal end to the distal end having a key or wedge decreasing in width from the proximal end to the distal end projecting inwardly from the inner surface thereof and a lower support member including an elongated hollow pole or shaft having a slit or slot formed on the proximal end to receive the key or wedge therein such that when the elongated hollow pole or shaft is slidably received in the hollow sleeve and the key or wedge is aligned with the slit or slot the upper portion of the elongated hollow pole or shaft is squeezed by the hollow sleeve wedging the key within the slit or slot to secure the upper coupling member and lower support member together.

Claims

1. A solar panel support comprising:

an upper coupling member including a hollow sleeve having a tapered inner surface increasing in diameter or cross-sectional dimension from the proximal end to the distal end having a key or wedge decreasing in width from the proximal end to the distal end depending inwardly from the tapered inner surface thereof, said key or wedge including a pair of sides extending between the proximal and distal ends thereof; and

, wherein the upper coupling member receives a post or tubular connector;

a lower support member including a hollow pole or shaft having a slit, slot, or groove formed on the proximal end to receive at least a portion of said key or wedge therein such that when said proximal end of said hollow pole or shaft is slidably received in said hollow sleeve and with said key or wedge slidably received within said slit, slot, or groove, said proximal end of said hollow pole or shaft is compressed inwardly by said tapered inner surface of said hollow sleeve while telescoping into said hollow sleeve until said inward compression against said pole or shaft wedges said sides of said key or wedge in said slit, slot, or groove to secure said upper coupling member and said lower support member together, wherein the lower support member mounts on a fixed surface.

2. The solar panel support of claim 1 wherein said hollow sleeve comprises a hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve and said hollow pole or shaft comprises an elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft less in diameter or cross-section dimension than the diameter or cross-sectional dimension of said distal end portion of said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve such that said proximal end of said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft will slide into said distal end of said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve.

3. The solar panel support of claim 2 wherein a solar panel is secured within said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve.

4. The solar panel support of claim 3 wherein said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft of said lower support member is anchored or supported on a floor, ground, or other surface by a base.

5. The solar panel support of claim 2 wherein said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft of said lower support member is anchored or supported on a floor, ground, or other surface by a base.

6. The solar panel support of claim 1 wherein said upper coupling member further comprises a top portion including a hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve to operatively receive the post or tubular connector attached to a solar panel.

7. The solar panel support of claim 1 wherein said upper coupling member has a top portion including a hollow sleeve and a bottom portion including said hollow sleeve having said tapered inner surface, said top portion and said bottom portion each having a longitudinal center line, and said longitudinal center line of said top portion is offset or inclined relative to said longitudinal center line of said bottom portion.

8. The solar panel support of claim 1 wherein said slit, groove, or slot has a proximal end adjacent to said proximal end of said hollow pole or shaft and an opposing distal end, said slit, groove, or slot decreasing in width from said proximal end to said opposing distal end.

9. The solar panel support of claim 1 wherein said upper coupling member has a top portion including a ball-like coupling member.

10. A solar panel support comprising:

an upper coupling member including a hollow sleeve having a tapered inner surface increasing in diameter or cross-sectional dimension from the proximal end to the distal end having a key or wedge including a proximal end and a distal end, said key or wedge also depending inwardly from the tapered inner surface thereof and having a pair of sides extending between said proximal and distal ends thereof; and

, wherein the upper coupling member receives a post or tubular connector;

a lower support member including a hollow pole or shaft having a slit, slot, or groove including a proximal end and a distal end formed on the proximal end of said hollow pole or shaft to receive at least a portion of said key or wedge therein, the width dimension of said slit, slot, or groove decreasing from said proximal end to said distal end thereof, such that when said proximal end of said hollow pole or shaft is slidably received in said hollow sleeve and with said key or wedge slidably received within said slit, slot, or groove, said proximal end of said hollow pole or shaft is compressed inwardly by said tapered inner surface of said hollow sleeve while telescoping into said hollow sleeve until said inward compression against said pole or shaft wedges said sides of said key or wedge in said slit, slot, or groove to secure said upper coupling member and said lower support member together, wherein the lower support member mounts on a fixed surface.

11. The solar panel support of claim 10 wherein said hollow sleeve comprises a hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve and said hollow pole or shaft comprises an elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft less in diameter or cross-section dimension than the diameter or cross-sectional dimension of said distal end portion of said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve such that said proximal end of said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft will slide into said distal end of said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve.

12. The solar panel support of claim 11 wherein a solar panel is secured within said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve.

13. The solar panel support of claim 12 wherein said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft of said lower support member is anchored or supported on a floor, ground, or other surface by a base.

14. The solar panel support of claim 11 wherein said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft of said lower support member is anchored or supported on a floor, ground, or other surface by a base.

15. The solar panel support of claim 10 wherein the width of said key or wedge decreases from said proximal end to said distal end thereof.

16. A solar panel support comprising:

an upper coupling member including a hollow sleeve having a key or wedge including a pair of sides decreasing in width from the proximal end to the distal end, said key or wedge depending inwardly from the inner surface of said hollow sleeve; and

, wherein the upper coupling member receives a post or tubular connector;

a lower support member including a hollow pole or shaft having a slit, slot or groove formed on the proximal end thereof to receive at least a portion of said key or wedge therein such that when said proximal end of said hollow pole or shaft is slidably received in said hollow sleeve and with said key or wedge slidably received within said slit, slot or groove, said proximal end of said hollow pole or shaft is compressed inwardly by said inner surface of said hollow sleeve while telescoping into said hollow sleeve until said inward compression against said pole or shaft wedges said sides of said key or wedge in said slit, slot or groove to secure said upper coupling member and said lower support member together, wherein the lower support member mounts on a fixed surface.

17. The solar panel support of claim 16 wherein said hollow sleeve comprises a hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve and said hollow pole or shaft comprises an elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft less in diameter or cross-section dimension than the diameter or cross-sectional dimension of said distal end portion of said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve such that said proximal end of said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft will slide into said distal end of said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve.

18. The solar panel support of claim 17 wherein a solar panel is secured within said hollow substantially cylindrical sleeve.

19. The solar panel support of claim 18 wherein said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft of said lower support member is anchored or supported on a floor, ground or other surface by a base.

20. The solar panel support of claim 17 wherein said elongated hollow substantially cylindrical pole or shaft of said lower support member is anchored or supported on a floor, ground or other surface by a base.