Photovoltaic module having bi-directional couplings
AssigneeSunPower Corporation
InventorsLee Gorny, Gabriela Elena Bunea
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photovoltaic (PV) module having bi-directional couplings is described. The bi-directional couplings include a first coupling mounted on a support frame under a first edge of the PV module and a second coupling mounted on the support frame under a second edge of the PV module. The PV module can be a keystone module and the bi-directional couplings of the keystone module can connect to respective couplings of several adjacent PV modules. The bi-directional couplings can form male-to-female connections with the respective couplings to quickly combine the PV modules into a PV module assembly. The PV module assembly includes the bi-directionally connected PV modules supporting each other in both an x-direction and a y-direction.
Claims20
A photovoltaic module assembly, comprising:
- a keystone PV module including a photovoltaic laminate extending along a lateral plane and within a perimeter, wherein the perimeter has a first edge, and a second edge orthogonal to the first edge, and wherein the photovoltaic laminate is mounted on a cantilever support frame including a first coupling attached to a first cantilevered support member of the cantilever support frame and positioned under the first edge, and a second coupling attached to a second cantilevered support member of the cantilever support frame and positioned under the second edge;
- a first lateral PV module mounted on the first coupling;
- and
- a second lateral PV module mounted on the second coupling.
A photovoltaic assembly, comprising:
- a PV module including a photovoltaic laminate mounted on a support frame, the support frame comprising crossing cantilevered support members positioned inside of a perimeter of the PV module, the support frame including a first coupling extending from a first edge of the perimeter and a second coupling extending from a second edge of the perimeter;
- wherein the PV module is attached to an external mounting surface by one or more brackets;
- a first lateral PV module mounted on the first coupling;
- and
- a second lateral PV module mounted on the second coupling;
- wherein the PV module comprises a greater number of brackets than each of the first and second lateral PV modules such that the module at least partially supports the first and second lateral PV modules above the external mounting surface.
A method for assembling a photovoltaic assembly comprising:
- mounting a keystone PV module on an external mounting surface by a first number of brackets;
- the keystone PV module comprising a first coupling supported by a first cantilevered support member and extending underneath a first edge and a second coupling supported by a second cantilevered support member and extending underneath a second edge;
- attaching a first lateral PV module to the first coupling of the keystone PV module;
- mounting the first lateral PV module to the external mounting surface by a second number of brackets;
- attaching a second lateral PV module to the second coupling of the keystone PV module;
- mounting the second lateral PV module to the external mounting surface by a third number of brackets;
- wherein the first number of brackets supporting the keystone PV module above the external mounting surface is greater than each of the second and third number of brackets supporting the first and second lateral PV modules above the mounting surface such that the keystone PV module at least partially supports the first and second lateral PV modules above the mounting surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.