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US 12,736,074 B2Granted
Solar panel mounting configuration
AssigneeTamarack Solar Products, Inc.
InventorDavid Katz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Mounting clamps may be utilized to quickly and easily secure solar panel modules relative to mounting rails, which may in turn be secured relative to a mounting surface (e.g., a roof). The mounting clamps may be configured to quickly secure the solar pane modules relative to the mounting rails by tightening a tightening element to pull a clamp element toward the surface of a mounting rail, thereby clamping a portion (e.g., a frame) of a solar panel module between the clamping element and an outer surface of the mounting rail.
Claims20
A mounting system comprising:
- a mounting rail having an interior and comprising:
- flanges positioned at a top portion of the mounting rail and defining a rail channel along a length of the mounting rail;
- a rail splice configured for being positioned partially within the interior of the mounting rail, the rail splice comprising:
- a bottom wall and sidewalls collectively defining an exterior surface of the rail splice;
- and
- a key feature on the exterior surface of the rail splice, the key feature defining a first rail splice portion along a length of the rail splice and a second rail splice portion along the length of the rail splice, wherein the key feature is configured to engage an end of the mounting rail when either the first rail splice portion or the second rail splice portion is positioned within the interior of the mounting rail;
- and
- a mounting clamp for securing one or more modules to the mounting rail, the mounting clamp comprising:
- a clamp component defining a horizontal clamp surface;
- and
- a channel nut configured for being positioned within the interior of the mounting rail, the channel nut comprising:
- a top channel nut portion configured to fit within the rail channel at the top portion of the mounting rail when the channel nut is positioned within the interior of the mounting rail;
- and
- a bottom channel nut portion configured for being positioned below the flanges of the mounting rail and between the sidewalls of the rail splice when the channel nut is positioned within the interior of the mounting rail such that the bottom channel nut portion is spaced from the sidewalls of the rail splice.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.