Back to results
US 12,410,020 B2Granted
Systems and methods for installation of solar panel assemblies
AssigneeGridworks Technology, LLC
InventorsJohn M. Davis, David Garrett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method including loading solar panel assemblies onto a vehicle, transporting the solar panel assemblies on the vehicle to a pile row of a solar project installation site, and individually unloading the solar panel assemblies along the pile row at the installation site to facilitate installation of the solar panel assemblies on the pile row. Other embodiments are described.
Claims32
An apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- and
- stanchion rows configured to hold solar panel assemblies, wherein each one of the stanchion rows is configured to hold a torque tube of a respective solar panel assembly of the solar panel assemblies, and the each one of the stanchion rows comprises respective stanchions,
- wherein the stanchion rows are configured to hold the solar panel assemblies when lengths of torque tubes of the solar panel assemblies are different and when the lengths of the torque tubes are the same.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- and
- stanchion rows configured to hold solar panel assemblies, wherein each one of the stanchion rows is configured to hold a torque tube of a respective solar panel assembly of the solar panel assemblies, and the each one of the stanchion rows comprises respective stanchions,
- wherein:
- each of the respective stanchions of the each one of the stanchion rows comprises a respective saddle configured to receive the torque tube of the respective solar panel assembly held by the each one of the stanchion rows;
- the base comprises one or more respective recesses corresponding to the each one of the stanchion rows;
- and
- the one or more respective recesses are configured to receive a portion of one or more solar panels of the respective solar panel assembly held by the each one of the stanchion rows when the torque tube of the respective solar panel assembly is positioned in the respective saddles of the respective stanchions of the each one of the stanchion rows.
5 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- and
- stanchion rows configured to hold solar panel assemblies, wherein each one of the stanchion rows is configured to hold a torque tube of a respective solar panel assembly of the solar panel assemblies, and the each one of the stanchion rows comprises respective stanchions,
- wherein:
- one or more of the respective stanchions of the each one of the stanchion rows are configured to rotate between an upright position and a lowered position;
- and
- the one or more of the respective stanchions are spring-biased in the upright position.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- transferring a cassette from a first vehicle to an unload queue of a mobile solar panel assembly facility, wherein the cassette comprises slots configured to hold solar panel assemblies, and the slots of the cassette are empty when the cassette is transferred to the unload queue;
- transferring the cassette from the unload queue to a load queue of the mobile solar panel assembly facility;
- while the cassette is in a fill position of the load queue, loading solar panel assemblies from the mobile solar panel assembly facility into the slots of the cassette;
- transferring the cassette with the slots filled with the solar panel assemblies from the load queue to a second vehicle to transfer the solar panel assemblies to an installation site;
- and
- removing the solar panel assemblies from the cassette when the second vehicle arrives at the installation site, comprising individually lifting each respective one of the solar panel assemblies and transferring the each respective one of the solar panel assemblies in a first widthwise direction to a position above a respective installation position along a pile row of the installation site.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- transferring a cassette from a first vehicle to an unload queue of a mobile solar panel assembly facility, wherein the cassette comprises slots configured to hold solar panel assemblies, and the slots of the cassette are empty when the cassette is transferred to the unload queue;
- transferring the cassette from the unload queue to a load queue of the mobile solar panel assembly facility;
- while the cassette is in a fill position of the load queue, loading solar panel assemblies from the mobile solar panel assembly facility into the slots of the cassette;
- and
- transferring the cassette with the slots filled with the solar panel assemblies from the load queue to a second vehicle to transfer the solar panel assemblies to an installation site,
- wherein loading the solar panel assemblies into the slots of the cassette further comprises, for each one of the solar panel assemblies, coupling a respective wire harness to the each one of the solar panel assemblies.
3 more elements
A method comprising;
- transferring a cassette from a first vehicle to an unload queue of a mobile solar panel assembly facility, wherein the cassette comprises slots configured to hold solar panel assemblies, and the slots of the cassette are empty when the cassette is transferred to the unload queue;
- transferring the cassette from the unload queue to a load queue of the mobile solar panel assembly facility;
- while the cassette is in a fill position of the load queue, loading solar panel assemblies from the mobile solar panel assembly facility into the slots of the cassette;
- and
- transferring the cassette with the slots filled with the solar panel assemblies from the load queue to a second vehicle to transfer the solar panel assemblies to an installation site,
- wherein loading the solar panel assemblies into the slots of the cassette further comprises, for each one of the solar panel assemblies, indexing a position of the cassette to align a respective next empty one of the slots with an assembling position of the mobile solar panel assembly facility to facilitate loading of the each one of the solar panel assemblies from the assembling position into the respective next empty one of the slots.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- transferring a cassette from a first vehicle to an unload queue of a mobile solar panel assembly facility, wherein the cassette comprises slots configured to hold solar panel assemblies, and the slots of the cassette are empty when the cassette is transferred to the unload queue;
- transferring the cassette from the unload queue to a load queue of the mobile solar panel assembly facility:
- while the cassette is in a fill position of the load queue, loading solar panel assemblies from the mobile solar panel assembly facility into the slots of the cassette;
- and
- transferring the cassette with the slots filled with the solar panel assemblies from the load queue to a second vehicle to transfer the solar panel assemblies to an installation site,
- wherein:
- the unload queue comprises an unload conveyor configured to move the cassette within the unload queue;
- the load queue comprises a load conveyor configured to move the cassette within the load queue;
- and
- transferring the cassette from the unload queue to the load queue comprises using a transfer conveyor to move the cassette.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- transferring a cassette from a first vehicle to an unload queue of a mobile solar panel assembly facility, wherein the cassette comprises slots configured to hold solar panel assemblies, and the slots of the cassette are empty when the cassette is transferred to the unload queue;
- transferring the cassette from the unload queue to a load queue of the mobile solar panel assembly facility;
- while the cassette is in a fill position of the load queue, loading solar panel assemblies from the mobile solar panel assembly facility into the slots of the cassette;
- and
- transferring the cassette with the slots filled with the solar panel assemblies from the load queue to a second vehicle to transfer the solar panel assemblies to an installation site,
- wherein the cassette comprises drive motors configured to transfer the cassette from the first vehicle to the unload queue, from the unload queue to the load queue, and from the load queue to the second vehicle.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- transferring a cassette from a first vehicle to an unload queue of a mobile solar panel assembly facility, wherein the cassette comprises slots configured to hold solar panel assemblies, and the slots of the cassette are empty when the cassette is transferred to the unload queue;
- transferring the cassette from the unload queue to a load queue of the mobile solar panel assembly facility;
- while the cassette is in a fill position of the load queue, loading solar panel assemblies from the mobile solar panel assembly facility into the slots of the cassette;
- and
- transferring the cassette with the slots filled with the solar panel assemblies from the load queue to a second vehicle to transfer the solar panel assemblies to an installation site,
- wherein:
- the cassette moves in a first widthwise direction within the unload queue;
- the cassette moves in a second widthwise direction with the load queue;
- the second widthwise direction is opposite the first widthwise direction;
- and
- the cassette moves in a lengthwise direction when being transferred from the unload queue to the load queue.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.