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US 9,853,596 B2Granted
Low-slope mounted photovoltaic array
AssigneeSolarCity Corporation
InventorsJack Raymond West, Brian Atchley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photovoltaic array mounting system for a low-slope roof having interchangeable first and second bases, with a short leg extending from the first base at a non-vertical angle and a long leg extending from the second base at a non-vertical angle, wherein the short and long legs support opposite sides of a photovoltaic module such that the module is held at a non-horizontal angle, and wherein rock-in connectors are provided on top of the short and long legs permitting fast and easy system installation.
Claims19
A photovoltaic array mounting system, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of non-horizontal photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module having an upper end and a lower end, each of the upper end and the lower end having an outward facing groove;
- (b) a first base;
- (c) a first leg extending upwardly from the first base;
- (d) a first connector with a male portion at a top of the first leg engaged to the outward facing groove of the lower end of the photovoltaic module to connect the first leg to a single one of the plurality of photovoltaic modules;
- (e) a second base;
- (f) a second leg extending upwardly from the second base, the second leg having a length greater than the first leg;
- and
- (g) a second connector with a male portion at a top of the second leg engaged to the outward facing groove of the upper end of the single one of the photovoltaic modules to connect the second leg to the photovoltaic module;
- wherein the first leg is configured to rotate about a first axis substantially parallel to a surface that the mounting system is configured to be positioned on so as to cause the male portion of the first connector to lock to the outward facing groove of the lower end of the photovoltaic module and the second leg is configured to rotate about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis to cause the male portion of the second connector to lock the outward facing groove of the upper end of the photovoltaic module, wherein a weight of the photovoltaic module keeps the first leg angled inwardly underneath the photovoltaic module so as to keep the first connector locked to the groove of the lower end of the photovoltaic module.
6 more elements
A photovoltaic array mounting system, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of non-horizontal photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module having an upper end and a lower end;
- (b) a first base with a first slot comprising a pair of overhangs that define a first outlet;
- (c) a first leg with a first flared foot shaped to be received in the first slot, the first leg extending upwardly from the first base through the first outlet;
- (d) a first connector at a top of the first leg connecting the first leg to the lower end of a single one of the plurality of photovoltaic modules;
- (e) a second base with a second slot comprising a pair of overhangs that define a second outlet;
- (f) a second leg with a second flared foot shaped to be received in the second slot, the second leg extending upwardly from the second base through the second outlet, the second leg having a length greater than the first leg;
- and
- (g) a second connector at a top of the second leg connecting the second leg to the upper end of the single one of the plurality of photovoltaic modules;
- wherein the first leg is configured to rotate about a first axis substantially parallel to a surface that the mounting system is configured to be positioned on so as to cause the first connector to be locked to the lower end of the photovoltaic module and the second leg is configured to rotate about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis to cause the second connector to be locked to the upper end of the photovoltaic module, wherein a weight of the photovoltaic module keeps the first leg angled inwardly underneath the photovoltaic module so as to keep the first connector locked to a groove of the lower end of the photovoltaic module.
6 more elements
A photovoltaic array mounting system, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of non-horizontal photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module having an upper end and a lower end, each of the upper end and the lower end having an outward facing groove;
- (b) a first base;
- (c) a first leg extending upwardly from the first base;
- (d) a first connector at a top of the first leg connecting the first leg to the lower end of a single one of the plurality of photovoltaic modules;
- (e) a second base;
- (f) a second leg extending upwardly from the second base;
- and
- (g) a second connector at a top of the second leg connecting the second leg to the upper end of the single one of the plurality of photovoltaic modules;
- wherein the first leg is configured to rotate about a first axis substantially parallel to a surface the mounting system is configured to be positioned on to cause a male portion of the first connector to lock to the outward facing groove of the lower end of the photovoltaic module and the second leg is configured to rotate about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis to cause a male portion of the second connector to lock to the outward facing groove of the upper end of the photovoltaic module,
- wherein the second leg comprises a U-shaped configuration formed by a base portion and a pair of upward extensions from the base portion, the base portion and upward extensions being formed from a single piece, and
- wherein the second base comprises a pair of blocks with trenches for receiving the base portion of the second leg, wherein the second leg is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction when received in the pair of trenches, wherein rotation in each of the first and second directions rotates the pair of upward extensions simultaneously.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.