# US 2019/0169871 A1 · Systems and apparatuses for carport with integrated precipitation and cable management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0169871 A1 - Document ID: US20190169871A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/936,021 - Filed: 2018-03-26 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01 - Assignees: SunPower Corporation - Applicants: Sunpower Corporation - Inventors: Nicholas J. MCKIBBEN; John KAPLA; Sushrut G. BAPAT; Elizabeth SCHULTE; Gary A. ROSSI; Jeremy MANSELL; Andrew R. WOLF - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169871A1 ## CPC - E04H 6/42: Devices or arrangements peculiar to garages, not covered elsewhere, e.g. securing devices, safety devices {, monitoring and operating schemes; centering devices} - E04H 6/025: {in the form of an overhead canopy, e.g. carports} - E04H 6/08: Garages for many vehicles - E04H 15/34: Supporting means, e.g. frames - H02S 20/10: Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground (H02S20/30 takes precedence) - H02S 20/20: Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object (H02S20/30 takes precedence) - H02S 20/23: specially adapted for roof structures - Y02B 10/10: Photovoltaic [PV] - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - 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) - 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 carport includes a casting, wherein first brace and a second brace on a first side of the casting and a third brace and a fourth brace on a second side of the casting support a canopy. The first brace and the third brace are configured for electrical cable management. Electrical cables disposed within the first brace extend from the canopy through the first side of the casting. Electrical cables disposed within the third brace extend from the canopy through the second side of the casting. The second brace and the fourth brace are configured for precipitation management, wherein a gutter system integrated into the canopy directs precipitation to the second brace and the fourth brace, and the second brace and the fourth brace direct the precipitation from the canopy toward the casting. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A carport, comprising: a casting; a first brace and a second brace on a first side of the casting configured to support a canopy; and a third brace and a fourth brace on a second side of the casting configured to support the canopy, wherein one or more of the first brace and the third brace are configured to manage electrical cables, electrical cables disposed within the first brace extending from the canopy through the first side of the casting, and electrical cables disposed within the third brace extending from the canopy through the second side of the casting, and one or more of the second brace and the fourth brace are configured to manage precipitation, a gutter system integrated into the canopy directing precipitation to the second brace and the fourth brace, the second brace and the fourth brace directing the precipitation from the canopy toward the casting. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The carport of claim 1, wherein the electrical cables are configured to provide alternate current to a charging station integrated in the carport, the charging station being an electric vehicle charging station. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The carport of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the canopy is tilted to a first predetermined angle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The carport of claim 3, wherein lengths of the first brace and the second brace correspond to the first predetermined angle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The carport of claim 1, wherein a second portion of the canopy is tilted to a second predetermined angle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The carport of claim 5, wherein lengths of the third brace and the fourth brace correspond to the second predetermined angle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The carport of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the canopy is tilted at a first predetermined tilt angle and includes a first predetermined number of rows of photovoltaic modules and a second portion of the canopy is tilted at a second predetermined tilt angle and includes a second predetermined number of rows of photovoltaic modules. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The carport of claim 1, wherein the canopy includes a plurality of purlins, each purlin being configured to support a row photovoltaic modules, a crossbeam being positioned perpendicular to each purlin and disposed between the first, second, third, and fourth brace and the plurality of purlins. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The carport of claim 8, wherein the electrical cables for each row of photovoltaic modules are run through the purlins to the crossbeam, and the electrical cables are run through the crossbeam to an inverter, the electrical cables running from the inverter to the first brace through the cross beam. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The carport of claim 8, wherein the purlins are configured to include integrated LED lighting. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The carport of claim 1, wherein the canopy includes a first portion supported by the first and second brace and a second portion supported by the third and fourth brace, the first and second portion of the canopy not being directly connected. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The carport of claim 1, wherein the canopy is tilted at a predetermined tilt angle. ### Claim 13 A support structure, comprising: a casting; a first brace and a second brace on a first side of the casting; and a third brace and a fourth brace on a second side of the casting, wherein one or more of the first brace and the third brace are configured to manage electrical cables, electrical cables disposed within the first brace extending through the first side of the casting, and electrical cables disposed within the third brace extend through the second side of the casting, and one or more of the second brace and the fourth brace are configured to manage precipitation, precipitation flowing through the second brace and the fourth brace directing precipitation toward the casting. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The support structure of claim 13, wherein the electrical cables are configured to provide alternate current to a charging station integrated in the column, the charging station being an electric vehicle charging station. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The support structure of claim 13, wherein the first brace, the second brace, the third brace, and the fourth brace are each manufactured to a predetermined length to support a canopy, the canopy including one or more cross beams, a plurality of purlins, and a plurality of photovoltaic modules. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The support structure of claim 13, wherein lengths of the first brace and the second brace correspond to a first predetermined tilt angle of a first portion of a canopy of the solar power generation assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The support structure of claim 16, wherein lengths the third brace and the fourth brace a second predetermined tilt angle of a second portion of a canopy of the solar power generation assembly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The support structure of claim 13, wherein the casting is configured to support an asymmetric dual-tilt carport, the asymmetric dual-tilt carport having an asymmetric canopy where a first portion of the canopy is longer than a second portion of the canopy, a symmetric dual-tilt carport, the symmetric dual-tilt carport having a symmetric canopy where a first portion of the canopy is the same length as a second portion of the canopy, and a single-tilt carport. ### Claim 19 A dual-tilt carport, comprising: a casting; a first brace and a second brace on a first side of the casting configured to support a first portion of a canopy; and a third brace and a fourth brace on a second side of the casting configured to support a second portion of the canopy, wherein the first portion of the canopy is longer than the second portion of the canopy, wherein one or more of the first brace and the third brace are configured to manage electrical cables, electrical cables disposed within the first brace extending from one or more of the first portion of the canopy and the second portion of the canopy through the first side of the casting, and electrical cables disposed within the third brace extending from one or more of the first portion of the canopy and the second portion of the canopy through the second side of the casting, and one or more of the second brace and the fourth brace are configured to manage precipitation, a gutter system integrated into the first and second portion of the canopy directing precipitation to the second brace and the fourth brace, the second brace and the fourth brace directing the precipitation from the first and second portion of the canopy toward the casting. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The dual-tilt carport of claim 19, wherein the first portion of the canopy is tilted at a first predetermined tilt angle and second portion of the canopy is tilted at a second predetermined tilt angle.