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US 2013/0152915 A1Published application
Bearing Assembly For A Solar Collector System
OwnerZachary Marten, Vikas Kotagiriinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solar collector system is provided including a bearing assembly comprising a plurality of wheels or rollers for rollingly engaging a large-diameter support element. Rotation of the large-diameter support element supports tracking of the position of the sun relative to the solar collector system. The bearing assembly may be pre-assembled to the large-diameter support element before the solar collector system leaves the factory, thereby facilitating assembly of the solar collector system in the field, even under adverse conditions.
Claims15
A solar collector system, comprising:
- a movable solar collector surface;
- a support element coupled to the solar collector surface, the support element having a length and having an outer surface that defines a circle in a cross section taken in a plane normal to the length, the support element being rotatable about a longitudinal axis defined along the length thereof;
- a housing assembly having a mounting end and a bearing end, the mounting end comprising a mounting structure for fixedly securing the housing assembly to a base element, the bearing end defining an opening for receiving the support element when the housing assembly and the support element are coupled together such that the housing assembly at least partially encircles a portion of the outer surface of the support element, the encircled portion of the outer surface defining a bearing surface of the support element;
- a pair of first wheels mounted to the bearing end of the housing assembly, each first wheel of the pair of first wheels disposed adjacent to the opening and protruding into the opening for contacting a portion of the bearing surface that faces toward the mounting end of the housing assembly when the housing assembly and the support element are coupled together;
- and,
- at least one second wheel mounted to the bearing end of the housing assembly, the at least one second wheel disposed adjacent to the opening and protruding into the opening for contacting a portion of the bearing surface that faces away from the mounting end of the housing assembly when the housing assembly and the support element are coupled together,
- wherein the housing assembly and the support element are coupleable together prior to securing the housing assembly to the base element.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a solar collector assembly comprising a solar collector surface that is coupled to a cylindrical support element, the cylindrical support element having an outer surface and a length;
- providing a housing assembly having a plurality of wheels mounted thereto including a pair of load bearing wheels and at least a counter load wheel, the housing assembly having a mounting structure for fixedly securing the housing assembly to a base element;
- coupling the housing assembly to the cylindrical support element such that the cylindrical support element is disposed between the pair of load bearing wheels and the at least a counter load wheel;
- and,
- fixedly securing the coupled-together housing assembly and solar collector assembly to a base element via the mounting structure of the housing assembly and a complementary mounting structure of the base element, such that the pair of load bearing wheels rollingly engage the outer surface of the cylindrical support element and bear the weight of the cylindrical support element.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.