# US 2018/0320835 A1 · Solar powered lighting system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0320835 A1 - Document ID: US20180320835A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/971,531 - Filed: 2018-05-04 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-04 - Assignees: BryCo Solar Systems, LLC - Applicants: BryCo Solar Systems, LLC - Inventors: Bryan Poage - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320835A1 ## CPC - F21L 14/04: carried on wheeled supports - F21L 4/08: characterised by means for in situ recharging of the batteries or cells - F21S 9/032: {the solar unit being separate from the lighting unit} - F21V 21/22: telescopic - H02J 7/35: with light sensitive cells - H02S 10/40: Mobile PV generator systems - H02S 20/30: Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment - H02S 30/20: Collapsible or foldable PV modules - H02S 40/38: Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules - F21W 2131/10: Outdoor lighting - F21W 2131/402: for working places - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - Y02B 20/72: in street lighting - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - Y02E 70/30: Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin - F21L: LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF, BEING PORTABLE OR SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORTATION - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - 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) - F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS - F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED - 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 ## Abstract A portable solar powered illumination system has a housing adapted for transport using at least one pair of wheels coupled to an axle assembly. The housing has a rear facing wall that extends at a selected non-orthogonal angle with respect to a base of the housing. The rear facing wall supports a tri-fold solar panel assembly with first, second and third solar panels. The first solar panel is affixed to the rear facing side wall, and the second and third solar panels hingedly fold onto and away from the first solar panel between retracted and deployed positions. Energy collected by the solar panel assembly is stored by an energy storage device during the day and used by a light assembly for illumination at night. An elevation adjustment device establishes a rotational angle of the housing to maintain the deployed solar panels at a desired angle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable solar powered illumination system comprising: a trailer comprising a trailer base having a front end, a rear end and an intermediate, horizontally extending, planar support portion between the respective front and rear ends, the front end supporting a hitch configured for attachment to a vehicle, and a trailer axle assembly coupled to the planar support portion between the front end and the rear end which supports opposing first and second wheels to facilitate towing of the trailer by the vehicle, the trailer axle assembly rotatable about a trailer axis; an enclosure supported by the trailer base to provide an interior closed housing for the system, the enclosure comprising a front facing wall adjacent the front end, a rear facing wall adjacent the rear end, a first side wall between the front and rear facing walls adjacent the first wheel and an opposing second side wall between the front and rear facing walls adjacent the second wheel, the rear facing wall extending at a selected angle non-orthogonal with respect to the planar support portion, the enclosure further comprising a top cover wall that respectively adjoins a top edge of each of the front and rear facing walls and the first and second side walls; a multi-panel solar collection assembly affixed to and supported by the rear facing wall, comprising: a first solar panel supported by and covering the rear facing wall, the first solar panel having a rectangular shape with a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge adjacent the first side wall and a second side edge adjacent the second side wall; a second solar panel attached, via a first hinge assembly, to the first side edge of the first solar panel; and a third solar panel attached, via a second hinge assembly, to the second side edge of the third solar panel, the second and third solar panels rotatable with respect to the first solar panel between a deployed state and a retracted state, wherein in the retracted state the second and third solar panels are supported by in facing relation to the first solar panel, and wherein in the deployed state the second and third solar panels are rotated away from and face away from the rear wall; an energy storage device housed within the enclosure to store electrical energy collected by the multi-panel solar collection assembly in the deployed state; a light assembly which extends from the enclosure having at least one light source powered by the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device; and an elevation adjustment device connected to the hitch configured to support the front end of the trailer, the elevation adjustment device adjustable to raise or lower the front end and rotate the enclosure about the trailer axis and fixedly maintain the multi-panel solar collection assembly at a selected angle with respect to an underlying base surface that supports the elevation adjustment device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the selected angle of the rear facing wall is between about 40 degrees and about 60 degrees with respect to the planar support portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a first wheel fender attached to the trailer base to cover a top portion of the first wheel, and a second wheel fender attached to the trailer base to cover a top portion of the second wheel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising a first strut configured to extend from the first wheel fender to a back surface of the second solar panel to maintain the second panel at a first panel angle with respect to the first solar panel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, further comprising a second strut configured to extend from the second wheel fender to a back surface of the third solar panel to maintain the third panel at a second panel angle with respect to the first solar panel, wherein the first and second struts are adjustable in length to accommodate a range of angle values for the first and second panel angles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein electrical energy is stored by the energy storage device from the multi-panel solar collection assembly during a charging state, wherein the light assembly illuminates a surrounding area adjacent the system using the stored electrical energy during an illumination state, and wherein the system further comprises a photoelectric detector device configured to switch between the charging state and the illumination state responsive to a detection or absence of ambient light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a surveillance camera configured to obtain video data from a surrounding area adjacent the system, the camera supplied with electrical energy stored by the energy storage device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a power grid tie mechanism to interconnect the system with a separate electrical grid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third solar panels have a center of gravity (COG) in the retracted position that is nominally vertically disposed above the trailer axis about which the first and second wheels rotate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an elongated hitch arm that extends from the front end to support the hitch, and an angle indicator gauge coupled to the hitch arm to provide an indication of a relative angle of the first, second and third solar panels with respect to an underlying base support surface on which the system rests. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the light assembly further comprises a tower which supports the at least one light source at a selected elevation above the enclosure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the tower is telescopic to facilitate different elevational heights for the at least one light source. ### Claim 13 A portable solar powered illumination system comprising: a housing supported by at least two opposing wheels fixed to an axle assembly to facilitate movement of the housing across an underlying surface, the housing having a planar base surface and a rear facing support wall that extends at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to the planar base surface; a solar panel assembly mounted to the rear facing support wall, the solar panel assembly comprising a first solar panel affixed to substantially cover the rear facing support wall, a second solar panel configured for hinged movement with respect to a first side of the first solar panel, and a third solar panel configured for hinged movement with respect to an opposing second side of the first solar panel, the second and third solar panels moveable between a retracted position in which the second solar panel is folded onto and in facing relation with the first solar panel and the third solar panel is folded onto the second solar panel in facing relation with the first solar panel so that the second solar panel is sandwiched between the first and third solar panels; an energy storage device configured to store electrical energy collected by the solar panel assembly in the deployed state; a light assembly having at least one light source powered by the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device; and an elevation adjustment device coupled to a front portion of the planar base surface opposite the rear facing wall and configured to establish a fixed rotational position of the housing with respect to a central axis of the axle assembly and orient the first, second and third solar panels at a selected azimuth. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, characterized as a trailer configured to be towed by a motor vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising a first wheel fender attached to a first side of the housing to cover a top portion of the first wheel, a second wheel fender attached to an opposing second side of the housing to cover a top portion of the second wheel, a first strut configured to extend from the first wheel fender to a back surface of the second solar panel to maintain the second panel at a first panel angle with respect to the first solar panel, and a second strut configured to extend from the second wheel fender to a back surface of the third solar panel to maintain the third panel at a second panel angle with respect to the first solar panel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein electrical energy is stored by the energy storage device from the solar panel assembly during a charging state, wherein the light assembly illuminates a surrounding area adjacent the system using the stored electrical energy during an illumination state, and wherein the system further comprises a photoelectric detector device configured to switch between the charging state and the illumination state responsive to a detection or absence of ambient light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising a surveillance camera configured to obtain video data from a surrounding area adjacent the system, the camera supplied with electrical energy stored by the energy storage device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the first, second and third solar panels have a center of gravity (COG) in the retracted position that is nominally vertically disposed above the axle about which the first and second wheels rotate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising an elongated hitch arm that extends from a front end of the planar base surface opposite the rear facing wall to support a hitch adapted to be coupled to a motor vehicle, the elevation adjustment device comprising a stand that adjustably establishes a relative angle of the hitch arm with respect to an underlying support surface to in turn establish an angle of the first, second and third solar panels. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one light source comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).