SLIDER CLIP AND PHOTOVOLTAIC STRUCTURE MOUNTING SYSTEM

• US 20110079694A1
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Anthony Bellacicco, John Hartelius, Kyle Kazimir, Michael Monaco
• Original Assignee: John Anthony Bellacicco, John Hartelius, Kyle Kazimir, Michael Monaco
• Inventors: Hartelius, John, Monaco, Michael, Kazimir, Kyle, Bellacicco, John Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,413,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/229.26
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/014 Methods for installing support elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/804 U-, C- or O-shaped; Hat profiles
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/12 using posts in combination with upper profiles
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/40 using plate-like mounting elements, e.g. profiled or corrugated plates; Plate-like module frames extending in directions away from a supporting surface F24S25/10
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/632 Side connectors; Base connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/634 Clamps; Clips
• 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: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49355 Solar energy device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49625 Openwork, e.g., a truss, joist, frame, lattice-type or box beam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4987 Elastic joining of parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49876 by snap fit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49906 Metal deforming with nonmetallic bonding

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.

Claims

1-52. -52. (canceled)

53. A photovoltaic structure mounting system, comprising:

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 having an extending photovoltaic structure support element adapted to hold onto an edge portion of the photovoltaic structure placed between the support element and the respective rail, the support element of said first clip being longer than the support element 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.

54. The system of claim 53, further comprising at least one angularly adjustable tilt table attached to a support surface and to at least one of the beams.

56. The system of claim 53, wherein the rails are pivotally connected to the beams.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the beams are moveable to a relative position adjacent to each other such that the rails are moved from a first orientation approximately perpendicular to the beams to a second orientation substantially oblique to the beams.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the beams are moveable from one position approximately parallel to each other and having a first spacing between the beams to another position approximately parallel to each other and having a second spacing between the beams which is less than the first spacing.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the beams are moveable from one position approximately parallel to each other and having a second spacing between the beams to another position approximately parallel to each other and having a first spacing between the beams which is more than the second spacing.

60. The system as in claim 53, further comprising at least one third clip mounted on the respective rail between each pair of said first and second clips, said third clip having a common support structure for connecting a pair of first and second clips on opposite sides of the common support structure, said first, second and third clips for holding a pair of photovoltaic structures to the respective rail.

55. (canceled)

61-87. -87. (canceled)

88. A support rail for holding a photovoltaic structure, comprising:

an integral structure having a rectangular top surface formed with a first clip for holding an edge of the photovoltaic structure, the first clip having a common support area and a pair of extending panel holding elements each extending in opposite directions from said common support area, one of said panel holding elements extending from said common support area to a greater extent than the other of said panel holding elements.

91. The rail of claim 88, further comprising a resilient material on the inside surfaces of said panel holding elements.

93. The rail of claim 88, wherein the top surface of the integral structure is formed with at least one other clip, and the at least one other clip has an extending panel holding element of the same length as the longer of the pair of extending panel holding elements of the first clip, said first and at least one other clip for holding the photovoltaic structure to the support rail.

94. The rail of claim 88, wherein the top surface of the integral structure is formed with at least one other clip, and the at least one other clip has an extending panel holding element of the same length as the shorter of the pair of extending panel holding elements of the first clip, said first and at least one other clip for holding the photovoltaic structure to the support rail.

89. (canceled)

90. (canceled)

92. (canceled)

95. An apparatus for mounting photovoltaic structures, comprising:

a plurality of beams spaced apart;

a plurality of rails spaced apart and attached to the beams, each rail having on a top surface with at least one pair of first and second clips, each pair of clips being spaced apart on the respective rail, each said clip having an extending photovoltaic structure support element adapted to hold onto an edge portion of a photovoltaic structure, the support element of said first clip being longer than the support element 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.

96. The apparatus of claim 95, wherein said clips are integrally formed on said rails.

97. The apparatus of claim 96, wherein said rails with integrated clips are formed from punch-formed stainless steel.

98. The apparatus of claim 95, further comprising one or more tilt tables attached to a support surface and to at least one of the beams.

99. The apparatus of claim 95, wherein the rails are pivotally connected to the beams.

100. The apparatus of claim 99, wherein the beams are moveable to a relative position adjacent to each other such that the rails are moved from a first orientation approximately perpendicular to the beams to a second orientation substantially oblique to the beams.

101. The apparatus of claim 99, wherein the beams are moveable from one position approximately parallel to each other and having a first spacing between the beams to another position approximately parallel to each other and having a second spacing between the beams which is less than the first spacing.

102. The apparatus of claim 99, wherein the beams are moveable from one position approximately parallel to each other and having a second spacing between the beams to another position approximately parallel to each other and having a first spacing between the beams which is more than the second spacing.

103. The apparatus as in claim 96, further comprising at least one third clip formed integrally on the respective rail between said respective pair of first and second clips, said third clip having a common support structure for integrating a pair of first and second clips on opposite sides of the common support structure, said first, second and third clips for holding a pair of photovoltaic structures to the respective rail.

104-109. -109. (canceled)