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US 2019/0199271 A1Published application
Improved solar module mounting systems using a module connector and processes thereof
AssigneeGiga Solar FPC
InventorsThomas G. HOOD, Sicco WESTRA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mounting system for mounting a solar module to a support structure is described. The mounting system includes one or more module connectors that couple one or more support rails, to one or more module rails.
Claims19
A mounting system comprising:
- one or more support structure rails (“support rails”), each of which is designed to attach to one or more support structures and includes an extending portion;
- one or more module attachment rails (“module rails”), each of which is designed to attach to one or more modules and includes an engaging surface and sidewalls that are configured to define, inside each of said module rail, a channel cavity, and wherein said sidewalls include one or more internal lip features that extend towards and along a length of said channel cavity, and wherein said internal lip features define one or more locking surfaces;
- one or more module connectors, each of which is designed to couple at least one of said support rail to at least one of said module rail, and each of said module connectors include a support structure receiving portion having defined therein a receiving cavity having inner receiving surfaces, that further includes an outer boundary of a contacting surface, and that further includes one or more connecting portions, each of which includes one or more lockable surfaces;
- and
- wherein, in an assembled configuration of said mounting system, one or more of said module connectors are inserted into one or more of said module rails such that said contacting surface of each of said module connectors contacts said engaging surface of one and/or another of said module rails and one or more of said lockable surfaces of each of said module connectors engages with one or more of said locking surfaces of one and/or another of said module rails to lock one or more of said module connectors inside one or more of said module rails and wherein said extending portion of each of said support rails is received inside each of said receiving cavity of each of said module connectors such that one or more of said module connectors couple to one or more of said support attachment rails.
2 more elements
A process of mounting a module, said process comprising:
- obtaining one or more module rails, each of which includes an engaging surface and sidewalls that are configured to define, inside each of said module rail, a channel cavity, and wherein said sidewalls include one or more internal lip features that extend towards and along a length of said channel cavity, and wherein said internal lip features define one or more locking surfaces;
- securing to one or more modules one or more of said module rails to form one or more module connecting sub-assemblies;
- obtaining one or more support rails, each of which includes an extending portion;
- coupling to one or more support structures one or more of said support structure attachment rails for form one or more support connecting subassemblies;
- connecting, using one or more module connectors, one or more of said module subassemblies and one or more of said support connecting subassemblies, and wherein each of said module connectors includes a support structure receiving portion that has defined therein a receiving cavity having inner receiving surfaces, that further includes an outer boundary of a contacting surface, and that further includes one or more connecting portions, each of which includes one or more lockable surfaces;
- wherein, said connecting includes inserting one or more of said module connectors into one or more of said module rails such that said contacting surface of each of said module connectors contacts said engaging surface of one and/or another of said module rails and one or more of said lockable surfaces of each of said module connectors engages with one or more of said locking surfaces of one and/or another of said module rails to lock one or more of said module connectors inside one or more of said module rails,
- wherein said connecting further includes receiving said extending portion of each of said support rails inside each of said receiving cavity of each of said module connectors such that one or more of said module connectors couple to one or more of said support attachment rails.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.