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US 9,425,732 B2Granted
Solar panel rack
AssigneeIndustrial Origami, Inc.
InventorsMax W. Durney, Keith A. Bell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar panel rack may comprise one or more sheet metal brackets configured to attach solar panels to the solar panel rack. The sheet metal brackets may include clinching tabs configured to be clinched to features on the solar panels to attach the solar panels to the solar panel rack. The sheet metal brackets may further include protrusions configured to facilitate electrical contact between the brackets and the solar panels when the clinching tabs are clinched to features on the solar panels. The sheet metal brackets may additionally or alternatively include positioning tabs configured to contact features on the solar panels to position the solar panels in desired locations on the solar panel rack.
Claims22
A solar panel rack comprising:
- at least first and second hollow sheet metal beams arranged side by side and in parallel with each other to define a plane, each hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis;
- a transverse support comprising two or more notches located in its upper edge;
- two or more first sheet metal brackets, each first sheet metal bracket having an outer cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to an inner cross-sectional shape of a corresponding notch in the transverse support, having an inner cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to the outer-cross sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned in the corresponding notch in the transverse support, and attached to and supporting the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam at least partially within the corresponding notch in the transverse support, each first sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal;
- and
- one or more second sheet metal brackets, each second sheet metal bracket comprising a top panel and oppositely positioned side panels bent downwards from the top panel to form an inner cross-sectional shape conforming to the outer cross-sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned on and attached to the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, and comprising one or more upwardly pointing clinching tabs and one or more upwardly pointing protrusions, each second sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal;
- wherein the clinching tabs are configured to be clinched to features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to attach the solar panel or solar panel assembly to the solar panel rack in a desired location in a plane defined by the solar panel rack, and the protrusions are configured to facilitate electrical contact between the second sheet metal brackets and the solar panel or solar panel assembly when the features on the solar panel or solar panel assembly are clinched by the clinching tabs;
- wherein each second sheet metal bracket is configured to position and attach adjacent corners of four solar panels or solar panel assemblies to the solar panel rack.
4 more elements
A solar panel rack comprising:
- at least first and second hollow sheet metal beams arranged side by side and in parallel with each other to define a plane, each hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis;
- a transverse support comprising two or more notches located in its upper edge;
- two or more first sheet metal brackets, each first sheet metal bracket having an outer cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to an inner cross-sectional shape of a corresponding notch in the transverse support, having an inner cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to the outer-cross sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned in the corresponding notch in the transverse support, and attached to and supporting the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam at least partially within the corresponding notch in the transverse support, each first sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal;
- and
- one or more second sheet metal brackets, each second sheet metal bracket comprising a top panel and oppositely positioned side panels bent downwards from the top panel to form an inner cross-sectional shape conforming to the outer cross-sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned on and attached to the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, and comprising one or more upwardly pointing clinching tabs and one or more upwardly pointing protrusions, each second sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal;
- wherein the clinching tabs are configured to be clinched to features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to attach the solar panel or solar panel assembly to the solar panel rack in a desired location in a plane defined by the solar panel rack, and the protrusions are configured to facilitate electrical contact between the second sheet metal brackets and the solar panel or solar panel assembly when the features on the solar panel or solar panel assembly are clinched by the clinching tabs;
- and
- wherein each second sheet metal bracket comprises one or more tabs configured to engage corresponding slots or other openings in a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam to attach the sheet metal bracket to the hollow sheet metal beam, and one or more downwardly pointing protrusions configured to flex an upper panel of the hollow sheet metal beam to provide an elastic restoring force securing the tabs in the slots or other openings.
5 more elements
A solar panel rack comprising:
- at least first and second hollow sheet metal beams arranged side by side and in parallel with each other to define a plane, each hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis;
- a transverse support comprising two or more notches located in its upper edge;
- two or more first sheet metal brackets, each first sheet metal bracket having an outer cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to an inner cross-sectional shape of a corresponding notch in the transverse support, having an inner cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to the outer-cross sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned in the corresponding notch in the transverse support, and attached to and supporting the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam at least partially within the corresponding notch in the transverse support, each first sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal;
- one or more second sheet metal brackets, each second sheet metal bracket comprising a top panel and oppositely positioned side panels bent downwards from the top panel to form an inner cross-sectional shape conforming to the outer cross-sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned on and attached to the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, and comprising one or more upwardly pointing clinching tabs and one or more upwardly pointing protrusions, each second sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal;
- a third hollow sheet metal beam arranged collinearly with the first or the second hollow sheet metal beam and having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis;
- and
- an expandable and collapsible hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, the expandable and collapsible hollow sheet metal beam configured to be bent along predefined bend lines to assume a collapsed configuration, inserted while in the collapsed configuration into adjoining ends of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams, expanded to a configuration having an outer cross-sectional shape conforming to and tightly fitting an internal cross-sectional shape of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams, then attached to both of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams to couple the collinear hollow sheet metal beams to each other;
- wherein the clinching tabs are configured to be clinched to features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to attach the solar panel or solar panel assembly to the solar panel rack in a desired location in a plane defined by the solar panel rack, and the protrusions are configured to facilitate electrical contact between the second sheet metal brackets and the solar panel or solar panel assembly when the features on the solar panel or solar panel assembly are clinched by the clinching tabs.
5 more elements
A solar panel rack comprising:
- at least first and second hollow sheet metal beams arranged side by side and in parallel with each other to define a plane, each hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis;
- a transverse support comprising two or more notches located in its upper edge;
- two or more first sheet metal brackets, each first sheet metal bracket having an outer cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to an inner cross-sectional shape of a corresponding notch in the transverse support, having an inner cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to the outer-cross sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned in the corresponding notch in the transverse support, and attached to and supporting the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam at least partially within the corresponding notch in the transverse support, each first sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal;
- and
- one or more second sheet metal brackets, each second sheet metal bracket comprising a top panel and oppositely positioned side panels bent downwards from the top panel to form an inner cross-sectional shape conforming to the outer cross-sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned on and attached to the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, and comprising one or more upwardly pointing clinching tabs and one or more upwardly pointing protrusions, each second sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal;
- wherein the clinching tabs are configured to be clinched to features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to attach the solar panel or solar panel assembly to the solar panel rack in a desired location in a plane defined by the solar panel rack, and the protrusions are configured to facilitate electrical contact between the second sheet metal brackets and the solar panel or solar panel assembly when the features on the solar panel or solar panel assembly are clinched by the clinching tabs;
- wherein each second sheet metal bracket comprises one or more upwardly pointing positioning tabs configured to contact features on the solar panel or solar panel assembly to position the solar panel or solar panel assembly in the desired location;
- wherein each second sheet metal bracket comprises one or more tabs configured to engage corresponding slots or other openings in a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam to attach the sheet metal bracket to the hollow sheet metal beam, and one or more downwardly pointing protrusions configured to flex an upper panel of the hollow sheet metal beam to provide an elastic restoring force securing the tabs in the slots or other openings;
- and
- wherein the upwardly pointing protrusion comprise sharp edges or sharp points.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.