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US 12,750,002 B1Granted
Solar support structures and methods of assembling and using the same
AssigneePowerShingle, LLC
InventorElliot Jaramillo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Solar panel structures comprising a plurality of photovoltaic panel assemblies, wherein each photovoltaic panel assembly comprises one or more support structures configured to support the panel to resist bending and/or flexing that could be caused by wind, rain or snow, for example, and methods of using the same.
Claims16
A solar panel structure comprising:
- a support structure including a plurality of essentially parallel channel rail supports including a first parallel channel rail support and a second parallel channel rail support;
- a plurality of photovoltaic panel assemblies including a first photovoltaic panel assembly, wherein each of said plurality of photovoltaic panel assemblies comprises a top end edge, a bottom end edge, a first side edge and a second side edge and wherein the first side edge is essentially parallel to and connected to the first parallel channel rail support and the second side edge is essentially parallel to and connected to the second parallel channel rail support;
- a first purlin supporting the plurality of essentially parallel channel rail supports including the first parallel channel rail support and the second parallel channel rail support and attached thereto in an orthogonal arrangement, the first purlin further connected to at least one top end edge support affixed (i) between said first side edge and said second side edge, (ii) on a bottom surface of the first photovoltaic panel assembly, (iii) between the first parallel channel rail support and the second parallel channel rail support and (iv) adjacent the top end edge of the first photovoltaic panel assembly;
- and
- a second purlin supporting the plurality of essentially parallel channel rail supports including the first parallel channel rail support and the second parallel channel rail support and attached thereto in an orthogonal arrangement, the second purlin further connected to at least one bottom end edge support affixed (i) between said first side edge and said second side edge, (ii) on the bottom surface of the first photovoltaic panel assembly, (iii) between the first parallel channel rail support and the second parallel channel rail support and (iv) adjacent the bottom end edge of the first photovoltaic panel assembly.
2 more elements
A solar panel structure comprising:
- a support structure including a plurality of essentially parallel supports including a first parallel support and a second parallel support;
- at least one purlin orthogonal to the plurality of essentially parallel supports and configured to support the plurality of essentially parallel supports;
- and
- a plurality of photovoltaic panel assemblies, wherein each photovoltaic panel assembly comprises a top end edge, a bottom end edge, a first side edge and a second side edge and wherein the first side edge is essentially parallel to and connected to the first parallel support and the second side edge is essentially parallel to and connected to the second parallel support,
- wherein the plurality of photovoltaic panel assemblies comprises a first photovoltaic panel assembly adjacent a second photovoltaic panel assembly;
- wherein the solar panel structure further comprises:
- at least one top end edge support affixed (i) between said first side edge and said second side edge, (ii) on a bottom surface of a first photovoltaic panel assembly, (iii) between the first parallel support and the second parallel support and (iv) adjacent the top end edge of the first photovoltaic panel assembly;
- and
- at least one bottom end edge support affixed (i) between said first side edge and said second side edge, (ii) on the bottom surface of the first photovoltaic panel assembly, (iii) between the first parallel support and the second parallel support and (iv) adjacent the bottom end edge of the first photovoltaic panel assembly;
- at least one alternative top end edge support affixed (i) between said first side edge and said second side edge of the second photovoltaic panel assembly, (ii) on a bottom surface of the second photovoltaic panel assembly, (iii) between the first parallel support and the second parallel support and (iv) adjacent the top end edge of the second photovoltaic panel assembly;
- and
- at least one bottom end edge support affixed (i) between said first side edge and said second side edge of the second photovoltaic panel assembly, (ii) on the bottom surface of the second photovoltaic panel assembly, (iii) between the first parallel support and the second parallel support and (iv) adjacent the bottom end edge of the second photovoltaic panel assembly;
- and
- wherein the at least one alternative top end edge support of the second photovoltaic panel assembly is shorter than the at least one top bottom end edge support of the first photovoltaic panel assembly.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.