Patent Application
20140091050
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to locking apparatuses and, particularly, to a locking apparatus for mounting photovoltaic modules.
2. Description of Related Art
Photovoltaic modules are mounted to a bracket through locking apparatuses. A locking apparatus includes a plurality of hexagonal nuts received in a slot of the bracket beforehand, and it is often inconvenient to assemble the hexagonal nuts to the locking apparatus because the hexagonal nuts cannot be guided to be correctly and automatically positioned.
Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
The pressing member 20 includes a bottom portion 21 and two side portions 22, extending up from opposite sides of the bottom portion 21. A pressing piece 23 extends outward from a top of each side portion 22, away from the other side portion 22. A through hole 211 is defined in a center of the bottom portion 21. An elongated rib 221 extends inward from an inner surface of each side portion 22.
The mounting member 30 includes a rectangular base 31, a neck portion 32 extending up from a middle of the base 31, a head portion 33 extending up from a top of the neck portion 32, and two resilient arms 34, respectively extending outward and down from opposite sides of a top of the head portion 33. A T-shaped through slot 331 is defined in the head portion 32 in a fore-and-aft direction. Two stepped portions 333 are formed at opposite sidewalls bounding the through slot 331. A through hole 334 is defined in the top of the head portion 33 and communicates with the through slot 331. Each resilient arm 34 includes a main plate 341, that is parallel to the left and right sidewalls of the head portion 33, and an L-shaped engaging portion 343, extending inward and down from a lower portion of the main plate 341. The width of the base 31 in the fore-and-aft direction is less than the width of the opening 104. The length of the base 31 is greater than the width of the opening 104. Therefore, the mounting member 30 can be laterally put in the rack 100 through the opening 104.
The bolt 40 includes a head 41 and a threaded portion 42.
In assembly, the mounting member 30 is laterally put into the opening 104 until the base 31 is received in the rack 100. The mounting member 30 is then rotated 90 degrees to make the top of the base 31 abut the bottom of the limiting plates 103. The engaging portions 343 resiliently abut upper portions of inner surfaces of the limiting plates 103. Thus, the neck portion 32 is located in the opening 104. The nut 50 is inserted in the through slot 331 and supported on the stepped portions 333.
The threaded portion 42 extends through the through hole 211, the resilient member 60, and the through hole 334 in that order, to be screwed into the nut 50. The diameter of the head 41 is less than the space between the side portions 22 and greater than the space between the ribs 221. Thus, after the head 41 is inserted between the side portions 22 by deforming the ribs 221 to pass through the ribs 221, the head 41 is located between the bottom portion 21 and the ribs 221, to make the head 41 retain in the pressing member 20.
The mounting member 30c in
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012103667427 | Sep 2012 | CN | national |
Relevant subject matter is disclosed in a pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/690307 (Attorney Docket No. US46999) filed on Nov. 30, 2012, and entitled “LOCKING APPARATUS”, which is assigned to the same assignee with this patent application.
