# US 2014/0150251 A1 · Unitized photovoltaic assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150251 A1 - Document ID: US20140150251A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/080,383 - Filed: 2013-11-14 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-15 - Inventors: Richard William Erickson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150251A1 ## CPC - F24S 25/632: Side connectors; Base connectors - F24S 25/33: forming substantially planar assemblies, e.g. of coplanar or stacked profiles - F24S 25/61: for fixing to the ground or to building structures - F24S 25/65: for coupling adjacent supporting elements, e.g. for connecting profiles together - F24S 40/20: Cleaning; Removing snow - H02S 20/23: specially adapted for roof structures - H02S 40/10: Cleaning arrangements - H02S 40/32: comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules - H02S 40/36: characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection - H10F 19/90: Structures for connecting between photovoltaic cells, e.g. interconnections or insulating spacers (between thin-film photovoltaic cells on a single substrate H10F19/35) - F24S 2025/016: {Filling or spacing means; Elastic means} - F24S 2025/803: {having a central web, e.g. I-shaped, inverted T- shaped} - Y02B 10/10: Photovoltaic [PV] - Y02B 10/20: Solar thermal - Y02E 10/47: Mountings or tracking - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - Y10T 29/49117: Conductor or circuit manufacturing - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A unitized photovoltaic assembly is disclosed. A unitized photovoltaic assembly consists of a unitary frame designed to retain a plurality of photovoltaic modules. The unitary frame is formed by orienting a plurality of rails in the lateral direction above and mounted to a plurality of struts oriented in the vertical direction. Once the unitary framed is formed, photovoltaic modules slide into slots running the length of the rails and are thus retained in the unitary frame. Also added to the unitary frame are a series of power conversion elements, retaining brackets, mounting brackets, and cleaning elements. The completed unitized photovoltaic assembly can be fabricated off-site, transported as a single unit and installed to a roof or other surface with the use of a specialized lifting frame, also disclosed. Additional unitized photovoltaic assemblies can be mechanically and electrically interconnected to form a complete photovoltaic system. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-19. (canceled) ### Claim 20 A method of installing a photovoltaic system, comprising: providing a prefabricated photovoltaic array comprising a unitary frame supporting a first row of a plurality of photovoltaic modules and a second row of a plurality of photovoltaic modules, the unitary frame comprising a plurality of elongate struts rigidly connected to first, second and third elongate rails that extend transversely across the plurality of elongate struts, the first row of photovoltaic modules being supported by the first and second rails, the second row of photovoltaic modules being supported by the second and third rails, a plurality of electrical components being connected to the unitary frame, and electric wiring supported by the unitary frame and electrically connected to the electrical components and the photovoltaic modules, the electric wiring comprising a polarized connector; engaging the unitary frame of the first photovoltaic array with a lifting frame that is attached to a crane, the lifting frame comprising a support frame having a plurality of spaced apart tabs, engaging the unitary frame with the lifting frame comprising the plurality of spaced apart tabs engaging a corresponding plurality of lifting points on the unitary frame; lifting the prefabricated photovoltaic array as a unit to an installation surface; mounting the prefabricated photovoltaic array to the installation surface; and disengaging the lifting frame from the unitary frame of the first photovoltaic array. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A method as in claim 20 additionally comprising adjusting the position of the lifting frame support frame relative to the crane so that the photovoltaic array is supported at an angle that matches a slope of the installation surface. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A method as in claim 21 additionally comprising: providing a second prefabricated photovoltaic array; engaging the unitary frame of the second photovoltaic array with the lifting frame; lifting the second prefabricated photovoltaic array as a unit to the installation surface adjacent the first prefabricated photovoltaic array; mounting the second prefabricated photovoltaic array to the installation surface; attaching the unitary frame of the first photovoltaic array to the unitary frame of the second photovoltaic array; and attaching the polarized connector of the first photovoltaic array to the polarized connector of the second photovoltaic array. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method as in claim 22, wherein providing each of the first and second prefabricated photovoltaic arrays comprises; fabricating the unitary array by rigidly attaching the rails to the struts; mounting the photovoltaic modules in the unitary frame; connecting the electrical components to the unitary frame; electrically connecting the wiring to the electrical components and the photovoltaic modules; attaching the polarized connector to the electric wiring; attaching the wiring to the unitary frame; testing the electrical components and photovoltaic modules to verify the photovoltaic array is operational; and transporting the prefabricated photovoltaic array to a job site at or adjacent the installation surface. ### Claim 24 A method of installing a photovoltaic array, comprising: lifting a prefabricated photovoltaic array as a unit onto an installation surface, the prefabricated photovoltaic array comprising a unitary frame retaining a plurality of photovoltaic modules; and attaching the prefabricated photovoltaic array to the installation surface; wherein attaching the prefabricated photovoltaic array to the installation surface comprises: sliding one or more of the photovoltaic modules partially out of the unitary frame to gain access to a mount member of the unitary frame; attaching the mount member to the installation surface; and sliding the one or more of the photovoltaic modules back into the unitary frame. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A method as in claim 24, wherein the unitary frame comprises a retaining element that prevents the one or more of the photovoltaic modules from sliding out of the unitary frame, and additionally comprising disengaging the retaining element prior to sliding the one or more of the photovoltaic modules. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A method as in claim 25, wherein lifting the prefabricated photovoltaic array comprises engaging an adjustable lifting frame with the unitary frame and with a crane so that the lifting frame is interposed between the crane and photovoltaic array and supports the photovoltaic array, and adjusting the lifting frame so that the prefabricated photovoltaic array is supported at an angle that matches a slope of the installation surface. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) A method as in claim 25 additionally comprising reengaging the retaining element after sliding the one or more of the photovoltaic modules back into the frame. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) A method as in claim 27, wherein the photovoltaic modules have opposing side edges and opposing end edges, and the opposing side edges are slidably retained in elongate slots formed in the unitary frame. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) A method as in claim 28, wherein the unitary frame comprises a plurality of elongate, spaced apart struts rigidly connected to first and second elongate, spaced apart rails that extend transverse to the struts, the elongate slots being formed in the rails so that a first row of one or more of the photovoltaic modules is suspended between the elongate slots of the first and second rails. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A method as in claim 29, wherein the retaining element extends into a space between the elongate slots of the first and second rails so as to abut one of the end edges of one of the one or more photovoltaic modules. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) A method as in claim 29 wherein a third elongate rail is rigidly attached to the plurality of struts and is spaced from the second rail, and a second row of one or more of the photovoltaic modules is suspended between elongate slots of the second and third rails, and additionally comprising engaging a lifting frame with the unitary frame, wherein the lifting frame comprises a plurality of spaced apart rail supports rigidly attached to a plurality of cross rail supports, and a plurality of tabs attached to the rail supports, wherein engaging the lifting frame with the unitary frame comprises engaging tabs of the lifting frame with at least two of the elongate rails. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) A method as in claim 31, wherein each row of the photovoltaic modules comprises at least two photovoltaic modules, and additionally comprising advancing one of the tabs through a gap between end edges of adjacent photovoltaic modules and into engagement with one of the rails. ### Claim 33 (depends on 24) A method as in claim 24 additionally comprising attaching a plurality of mounting devices to the installation surface prior to lifting the prefabricated photovoltaic array. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) A method as in claim 33, wherein lifting the prefabricated photovoltaic array comprises aligning a plurality of mount members of the frame with a plurality of the mounting devices. ### Claim 35 (depends on 24) A method as in claim 24, wherein the prefabricated photovoltaic array comprises electrical componentry connected to the unitary frame and wired by electrical wiring to the photovoltaic modules. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) A method as in claim 35, wherein the prefabricated photovoltaic array comprises a spray head and tubing connected to the unitary frame. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) A method as in claim 35 additionally comprising providing the prefabricated photovoltaic array by fabricating the unitary frame, mounting the photovoltaic modules in the unitary frame, connecting the electrical componentry to the unitary frame and wiring the electrical componentry to the photovoltaic modules remotely from the installation surface, and additionally comprising transporting the prefabricated photovoltaic array as a unit to the installation surface. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) A method as in claim 37, additionally comprising testing the electrical componentry before transporting the prefabricated photovoltaic array. ### Claim 39 (depends on 35) A method as in claim 35 additionally comprising lifting a second prefabricated photovoltaic array onto the installation surface, attaching the prefabricated photovoltaic array to the installation surface adjacent the first prefabricated photovoltaic array, attaching the unitary frames of the first and second photovoltaic arrays to one another via an interlock, and attaching electrical wiring of the first photovoltaic array to electrical wiring of the second photovoltaic array.