Mounting assembly for mounting a solar panel

• US 9,985,579 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Preformed Line Products Company
• Original Assignee: Preformed Line Products Company
• Inventors: Warin, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterling, Amy J.
• Application Number:
  US15/096,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20170294868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/018 Means for preventing movements, e.g. stops
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/019 Means for accommodating irregularities on mounting surface; Tolerance compensation means
• 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: H02S 20/20 Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object H02S20/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A mounting assembly for mounting a solar panel to a surface includes a mounting base. The mounting base supports a fastener. A module mount has a module mount sidewall supporting the fastener. The module mount is movable with respect to the fastener when the fastener is received through the module mount opening. A first distance between a bottom surface of the module mount and a top surface of the mounting base is adjustable. A mounting clamp has a mounting clamp sidewall defining a mounting clamp opening through which the fastener is received. The mounting clamp is movable with respect to the fastener when the fastener is received through the mounting clamp opening such that a second distance between a bottom surface of the mounting clamp and a top surface of the module mount is adjustable. The solar panel is mounted between the mounting clamp and the module mount.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for mounting a solar panel to a surface, the mounting assembly comprising:

a mounting base configured to be coupled to the surface, the mounting base configured to support a fastener that extends along a fastener axis;

a module mount having a threaded module mount sidewall defining a module mount opening through which the fastener is threadingly received, the module mount configured to be movable with respect to the fastener along the fastener axis when the fastener is received through the module mount opening such that a first distance between a bottom surface of the module mount and a top surface of the mounting base is adjustable, the bottom surface of the module mount not in contact with the top surface of the mounting base, the module mount having a second module mount sidewall defining a locking opening extending along a locking opening axis that is substantially parallel to the fastener axis, the locking opening defined at an outer radial location of the module mount, the module mount having a third module mount sidewall defining a second locking opening extending along a second locking opening axis that is substantially parallel to the fastener axis, the second locking opening defined at a second outer radial location of the module mount that is between about 170 degrees to about 190 degrees from the outer radial location of the locking opening; and

a mounting clamp having a mounting clamp sidewall defining a mounting clamp opening through which the fastener is received, the mounting clamp configured to be movable with respect to the fastener along the fastener axis when the fastener is received through the mounting clamp opening such that a second distance between a bottom surface of the mounting clamp and a top surface of the module mount is adjustable, the solar panel mounted between the bottom surface of the mounting clamp and the top surface of the module mount, wherein the module mount is coupled to the fastener at a first fastener location along the fastener axis and the mounting clamp is coupled to the fastener at a second fastener location along the fastener axis.

2. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the fastener axis is substantially perpendicular to a plane within which the surface lies.

3. The mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein the mounting clamp comprises a mounting sidewall and a mounting ledge, the mounting ledge attached to the mounting sidewall and extending substantially parallel to the plane within which the surface lies.

4. The mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein the second distance is measured between the bottom surface of the mounting ledge and the top surface of the module mount.

5. The mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein the mounting clamp comprises a second mounting sidewall and a second mounting ledge, the second mounting ledge attached to the second mounting sidewall and extending substantially parallel to the plane within which the surface lies.

6. The mounting assembly of claim 5, wherein the mounting clamp sidewall is attached to the mounting sidewall and the second mounting sidewall, the mounting clamp sidewall extending substantially parallel to the mounting ledge.

7. The mounting assembly of claim 1, the module mount having a fourth module mount sidewall defining a third locking opening extending along a third locking opening axis that is substantially parallel to the fastener axis, the third locking opening defined at a third outer radial location of the module mount that is between about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees from the outer radial location of the locking opening.

8. The mounting assembly of claim 7, the module mount having a fifth module mount sidewall defining a fourth locking opening extending along a fourth locking opening axis that is substantially parallel to the fastener axis, the fourth locking opening defined at a fourth outer radial location of the module mount that is between about 170 degrees to about 190 degrees from the third outer radial location of the third locking opening.

9. A mounting assembly for mounting a solar panel to a surface, the mounting assembly comprising:

a mounting base configured to be coupled to the surface, the mounting base having a mounting base sidewall defining a mounting base channel extending along a mounting base channel axis, the mounting base configured to receive a fastener within the mounting base channel, the fastener movable within the mounting base channel along the mounting base channel axis, the fastener extending along a fastener axis that is non-parallel to the mounting base channel axis;

a module mount having a module mount sidewall defining a module mount opening through which the fastener is received, the module mount configured to be movable with respect to the fastener along the fastener axis when the fastener is received through the module mount opening such that a first distance between a bottom surface of the module mount and a top surface of the mounting base is adjustable, the module mount having a top surface wherein a first portion of the top surface of the module mount is a first mounting distance from the top surface of the mounting base and a second portion of the top surface of the module mount is a second mounting distance from the top surface of the mounting base, the first mounting distance less than the second mounting distance, the second portion of the top surface lying within a top surface plane; and

a mounting clamp having a mounting clamp sidewall defining a mounting clamp opening through which the fastener is received, the mounting clamp configured to be movable with respect to the fastener along the fastener axis when the fastener is received through the mounting clamp opening such that a second distance between a bottom surface of the mounting clamp and the top surface of the module mount is adjustable, the solar panel mounted between the bottom surface of the mounting clamp and the first portion of the top surface of the module mount and adjacent a second module mount sidewall extending from the first portion of the top surface of the module mount to the second portion of the top surface of the module mount, the second module mount sidewall configured to engage the solar panel and inhibit movement of the module mount with respect to the mounting base;

wherein the mounting clamp is not intersected by the top surface plane.

10. The mounting assembly of claim 9, the mounting base having a surface wall configured to be coupled to the surface, the mounting base sidewall coupled to the surface wall and extending in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the surface wall.

11. The mounting assembly of claim 10, the mounting base having a second mounting base sidewall coupled to the surface wall and extending in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the surface wall.

12. The mounting assembly of claim 11, the second mount base sidewall spaced a distance apart from the mounting based sidewall and defining the mounting base channel.

13. The mounting assembly of claim 12, the mounting base sidewall comprising an attachment ledge that projects towards the mounting base channel along a direction that is substantially parallel to the surface wall.

14. The mounting assembly of claim 13, the second mounting base sidewall comprising a second attachment ledge that projects towards the mounting base channel along a direction that is substantially parallel to the surface wall.

19. The mounting assembly of claim 9, the top surface plane perpendicular to the fastener axis.

20. The mounting assembly of claim 9, the second portion of the top surface defining a maximum distance of the module mount from the top surface of the mounting base.

15. A mounting assembly for mounting a solar panel to a surface, the mounting assembly comprising:

a mounting base configured to be coupled to the surface, the mounting base configured to support a fastener that extends along a fastener axis;

a module mount having a first module mount sidewall defining a module mount opening through which the fastener is received, the module mount configured to be movable with respect to the fastener along the fastener axis when the fastener is received through the module mount opening such that a first distance between a bottom surface of the module mount and a top surface of the mounting base is adjustable, the module mount having a second module mount sidewall defining a locking opening extending along a locking opening axis that is substantially parallel to the fastener axis;

a mounting clamp having a mounting clamp sidewall defining a mounting clamp opening through which the fastener is received, the mounting clamp configured to be movable with respect to the fastener along the fastener axis when the fastener is received through the mounting clamp opening such that a second distance between a bottom surface of the mounting clamp and a top surface of the module mount is adjustable, the solar panel mounted between the bottom surface of the mounting clamp and the top surface of the module mount; and

a locking structure configured to be received through the locking opening of the module mount, the locking structure configured to be coupled to the mounting base to inhibit rotation of the module mount with respect to the mounting base;

wherein the top surface of the module mount faces the mounting clamp and the bottom surface of the module mount faces the mounting base, the locking opening extending through the top surface and the bottom surface.

16. The mounting assembly of claim 15, the mounting base having a mounting base sidewall defining a mounting base channel extending along a mounting base channel axis, the mounting base configured to receive the fastener within the mounting base channel, the fastener movable within the mounting base channel along the mounting base channel axis.

17. The mounting assembly of claim 16, the locking structure received within the mounting base channel to inhibit rotation of the module mount with respect to the mounting base.

18. The mounting assembly of claim 15, the locking structure comprising a first locking portion and a second locking portion, the first locking portion extending substantially non-linearly with respect to the second locking portion, the first locking portion configured to be received through the locking opening of the module mount, the second locking portion configured to be coupled to the mounting base.