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US 12,009,776 B2Granted
Variable radius under module balanced bearing
AssigneeNextracker LLC
InventorsAlexander W. Au, Ricardo Delgado-Nanez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar tracker bearing and a solar tracker incorporating the bearing, the bearing including at least one rotatable part, the rotatable part including a notch for receiving a torque tube, a slot, formed in the rotatable part and extending below the notch, the slot defining an arc having multiple radii, at least one engagement member configured to be received in the slot, and at least one base configured to secure the engagement member in the slot and to secure the bearing to a pier.
Claims20
A solar tracker bearing comprising:
- a first rotatable part, the rotatable part including a notch for receiving a torque tube;
- a slot, formed in the rotatable part and extending below the notch, the slot defining an arc having at least:
- (i) a first radius along a first arc length of the slot extending at least along a central portion of the slot and (ii) a second radius along a second, different arc length of the slot extending at least outward from both a first slot termination end portion and a second, opposite slot termination end portion and along the first arc length between the first slot termination end portion and the central portion and between the second slot termination end portion and the central portion;
- a first engagement member configured to be received in the slot;
- and
- at least one base configured to secure the engagement member in the slot and to secure the bearing to a pier,
- wherein the slot is configured such that the first rotatable part moves differently, relative to the pier to which the base is configured to be secured, when the engagement member is along the first arc length of the slot than when the engagement member is along the second, different arc length of the slot.
4 more elements
A single axis solar tracker comprising:
- a torque tube;
- a plurality of photovoltaic panels supported by the torque tube;
- a plurality of piers, configured to support the torque tube and the photovoltaic panels;
- and
- a plurality of solar tracker bearings including,
- at least one rotatable part, the rotatable part including a notch for receiving the torque tube;
- a slot, formed in the rotatable part and extending below the notch, the slot defining an arc having at least (i) a first radius along a first arc length of the slot extending at least along a central portion of the slot and (ii) a second radius along a second, different arc length of the slot extending at least outward from both a first slot termination end portion and a second, opposite slot termination end portion and along the first arc length between the first slot termination end portion and the central portion and between the second slot termination end portion and the central portion;
- at least one engagement member configured to be received in the slot;
- and
- at least one base configured to secure the engagement member in the slot and to secure the bearing to one of the plurality of piers,
- wherein the slot is configured such that the first rotatable part moves differently, relative to one of the plurality of piers, when the engagement member is along the first arc length of the slot than when the engagement member is along the second, different arc length of the slot.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.