Modular sloped roof solar mounting system

• US 9,825,581 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unirac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ecolibrium Solar, Inc.
• Inventors: Wildes, Brian James
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tan
• Application Number:
  US14/541,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20150129517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 248237, 2483164, 24822924, 248500, 2483167, 136244, 136251, 136512, 521733, 52460, 524891, 527411, 52555
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/02 by means of fastening members using screw-thread F16B5/0004 takes precedence; construction of screw-threaded connections F16B25/00 - F16B39/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/61 for fixing to the ground or to building structures
• 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

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 flashing member;

a lower support member disposed on said flashing member, said lower support member configured to rotate relative to said flashing member, and said lower support member configured to be attached to a support surface; and

a clamp assembly configured to engage one or more photovoltaic modules, said clamp assembly configured to be fixed in place relative to said lower support member, said clamp assembly of said support surface attachment device comprising a lower clamp member and an upper clamp member, said upper clamp member connected to said lower clamp member by a threaded fastening device, said lower clamp member of said clamp assembly comprising a pair of ledges extending outwardly from oppositely disposed outer side surfaces of said lower clamp member, one of said pair of ledges comprising a groove disposed therein for receiving a portion of a skirt mounting member;

wherein said clamp assembly is capable of being selectively positioned along a length of said lower support member prior to being fixed in place relative to said lower support member so as to permit adjustability when said one or more photovoltaic modules are being attached to said support surface.

2. The support surface attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising an upper support member in the form of an elongate tubular member, said upper support member configured to operate as a handle for rotating said clamp assembly relative to said lower support member, and thereby lock said clamp assembly in place relative to said lower support member.

3. The support surface attachment device according to claim 2, wherein said threaded fastening device further connects said clamp assembly to said upper support member.

4. The support surface attachment device according to claim 2, further comprising a cam-type locking mechanism that locks said clamp assembly in place relative to said lower support member without the use of tools, said threaded fastening device passing through said cam-type locking mechanism, and said cam-type locking mechanism being disposed beneath said upper support member.

5. 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 an upwardly tapered lower ledge extending from a first outer side of said clamp assembly, said clamp assembly further including an upper flange portion, said upwardly tapered lower ledge and said upper flange portion together defining a clamp recess for receiving an overall thickness of said one or more photovoltaic modules, said overall thickness of said one or more photovoltaic modules being defined between a bottommost surface of said one or more photovoltaic modules and a topmost surface of said one or more photovoltaic modules, wherein said clamp assembly comprises a lower clamp member including said upwardly tapered lower ledge, and an upper clamp member including said upper flange portion, said lower clamp member further including at least one first wall extending upwardly from said upwardly tapered lower ledge, and said upper clamp member further including at least one second wall extending downwardly from said upper flange portion, said at least one first wall of said lower clamp member configured to overlap said at least one second wall of said upper clamp member;

wherein said upwardly tapered ledge is configured to function as a spring for applying a compressive force against said one or more photovoltaic modules so as to securely retain said one or more photovoltaic modules in said clamp assembly, and said upwardly tapered ledge being configured to compensate for a gap resulting from a difference between a height of said clamp recess and said overall thickness of said one or more photovoltaic modules.

6. The mounting system according to claim 5, wherein said clamp assembly is capable of being attached anywhere along a peripheral edge of said one or more photovoltaic modules without requiring a custom profile, said one or more photovoltaic modules having a generally straight side surface extending between said topmost surface and said bottommost surface.

7. The mounting system according to claim 5, further comprising a module coupling device, said module coupling device configured to attach one or more photovoltaic modules to one or more other photovoltaic modules.

8. The mounting system according to claim 5, wherein said mounting system does not include a mounting rail that is configured to span multiple photovoltaic modules.

11. The mounting system according to claim 5, further comprising an additional lower ledge extending outwardly from a second outer side of said clamp assembly, said second outer side of said clamp assembly being disposed opposite to said first outer side of said clamp assembly, said upwardly tapered lower ledge on said first outer side of said clamp assembly having a first length, said additional lower ledge on said second outer side of said clamp assembly having a second length, said first length of said upwardly tapered lower ledge being greater than said second length of said additional lower ledge.

12. The mounting system according to claim 11, wherein said upwardly tapered lower ledge on said first outer side of said clamp assembly has a first width, said first length of said upwardly tapered lower ledge being substantially greater than said first width of said upwardly tapered lower ledge.

14. The mounting system according to claim 5, wherein said support surface attachment device further comprises a lower support member and an upper support member, said clamp assembly of said support surface attachment device being coupled to said upper support member by a fastener member, said clamp assembly being vertically spaced apart from said upper support member by a gap formed by a portion of a length of said fastener member;

and

wherein said upper support member is configured to be selectively positioned along a length of said lower support member prior to being fixed in place relative to said lower support member so as to permit adjustability when said one or more photovoltaic modules are being attached to said support surface.

9. 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, said lower clamp member having an outwardly extending component extending from an outer side of said lower clamp member;

a skirt mounting member, said skirt mounting member comprising a first plurality of protrusions; and

a skirt member, said skirt member comprising a second plurality of protrusions, at least some of said second plurality of protrusions on said skirt member configured to matingly engage at least some of said first plurality of protrusions on said skirt mounting member, wherein the engagement between said first plurality of protrusions and said second plurality of protrusions enables said skirt member to be mounted at various heights relative to said outwardly extending component of said lower clamp member so as to accommodate various heights of said one or more photovoltaic modules.

10. The mounting system according to claim 9, wherein said skirt mounting member comprises a downwardly extending portion configured to engage with a groove in said outwardly extending component of said lower clamp member of said clamp assembly;

and wherein said skirt member is configured to engage with said upper clamp member of said clamp assembly.

13. 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 an upwardly tapered lower ledge extending from a first outer side of said clamp assembly, said clamp assembly further including an upper flange portion, said upwardly tapered lower ledge and said upper flange portion together defining a clamp recess for receiving an overall thickness of said one or more photovoltaic modules, said overall thickness of said one or more photovoltaic modules being defined between a bottommost surface of said one or more photovoltaic modules and a topmost surface of said one or more photovoltaic modules, wherein said clamp assembly comprises a lower clamp member including said upwardly tapered lower ledge, and an upper clamp member including said upper flange portion, said lower clamp member further including a pair of vertical walls extending upwardly from said upwardly tapered lower ledge, and said upper clamp member further including a base portion extending downwardly from said upper flange portion, said base portion of said upper clamp member being received within said pair of vertical walls of said lower clamp member;

wherein said upwardly tapered ledge is configured to function as a spring for applying a compressive force against said one or more photovoltaic modules so as to securely retain said one or more photovoltaic modules in said clamp assembly, and said upwardly tapered ledge being configured to compensate for a gap resulting from a difference between a height of said clamp recess and said overall thickness of said one or more photovoltaic modules.

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

one or more photovoltaic modules, said one or more photovoltaic modules having an overall thickness being defined between a bottommost surface of said one or more photovoltaic modules and a topmost surface of said one or more photovoltaic modules;

a support surface attachment device, said support surface attachment device configured to attach said one or more photovoltaic modules to a support surface, said support surface attachment device including a lower support member, an upper support member, and a clamp assembly coupled to said upper support member by a fastener member, said clamp assembly including an upwardly tapered lower ledge extending from a first outer side of said clamp assembly, said clamp assembly further including an upper flange portion, said upwardly tapered lower ledge and said upper flange portion together defining a clamp recess for receiving said overall thickness of said one or more photovoltaic modules;

wherein said upwardly tapered ledge is configured to function as a spring so as to securely retain said one or more photovoltaic modules in said clamp assembly, and said upwardly tapered ledge being configured to compensate for a gap resulting from a difference between a height of said clamp recess and said overall thickness of said one or more photovoltaic modules.

16. The mounting system according to claim 15, wherein said upper support member is configured to be selectively positioned along a length of said lower support member prior to being fixed in place relative to said lower support member so as to permit adjustability when said one or more photovoltaic modules are being attached to said support surface.

17. The mounting system according to claim 15, wherein said clamp assembly is capable of being attached anywhere along a peripheral edge of said one or more photovoltaic modules without requiring a custom profile, said one or more photovoltaic modules having a generally straight side surface extending between said topmost surface and said bottommost surface.

18. The mounting system according to claim 15, wherein said clamp assembly comprises a lower clamp member including said upwardly tapered lower ledge, and an upper clamp member including said upper flange portion, said lower clamp member further including at least one first wall extending upwardly from said upwardly tapered lower ledge, and said upper clamp member further including at least one second wall extending downwardly from said upper flange portion, said at least one first wall of said lower clamp member configured to overlap said at least one second wall of said upper clamp member.

19. A mounting system for supporting at least one photovoltaic module on a support surface, said mounting system comprising:

a flashing member disposed on a support surface;

a lower support member disposed on said flashing member and a screw mounting the lower support member to the flashing member and securing the lower support member and the flashing member to the support surface;

a clamp assembly configured to engage at least one photovoltaic module, said clamp assembly configured to be fixed in place relative to said lower support member, said clamp assembly comprising a lower clamp member and an upper clamp member, said upper clamp member connected to said lower clamp member, said lower clamp member comprising a first ledge extending outwardly from a first side of said lower clamp member and a second ledge extending outwardly from a second side of said lower clamp member, said second side opposite said first side, said first ledge comprising a groove disposed therein, wherein said clamp assembly is capable of being selectively positioned along a length of said lower support member prior to being fixed in place relative to said lower support member; and

a skirt member mounted to said clamp assembly with a bottom edge of a skirt mount positioned in said groove of said first ledge.

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

a photovoltaic module having an overall thickness being defined between a bottommost surface of said photovoltaic module and a topmost surface of said photovoltaic module;

a support surface attachment device, said support surface attachment device configured to attach said photovoltaic module to a support surface, said support surface attachment device including a lower support member, an upper support member, and a clamp assembly coupled to said upper support member by a fastener member, said clamp assembly including an upwardly tapered lower ledge extending from a first outer side of said clamp assembly, said clamp assembly further including an upper flange portion, said upwardly tapered lower ledge and said upper flange portion together defining a clamp recess for receiving said overall thickness of said photovoltaic module;

wherein said clamp recess has a first height toward an inner side of said clamp recess and a second height toward an outer side of said clamp recess, wherein said first height is greater than said overall thickness; and

wherein said upwardly tapered ledge is configured to function as a spring so as to securely retain said photovoltaic module in said clamp assembly by compensating for a difference between said first height and said overall thickness.