Patent Application
20160268965
The present disclosure relates to brackets for mounting elements on structures. In particular, the disclosure relates to mounting brackets for solar panels. In some embodiments, the disclosure may relate to mounting containers to solar panels, the containers capable of supporting or holding AC-DC power converters, wires, and the like.
Within the solar industry there is often a need to attach devices such as, for example, electrical inverters, wire management devices, plumbing pipes, electrical grounding cables and/or the like to solar panels. There are a variety of “snap in place” clips that are used for wire management alone. However, these clips are designed to accommodate and/or support wires. Moreover, there is no common solution for attaching accessories to solar panels.
The present disclosure relates to mounting brackets. In various embodiments, a mounting bracket may comprise a middle portion, a top portion, and a bottom portion. The middle portion may comprise a channel and a lip. The top portion may be operatively coupled to the middle portion. The top portion may comprise a first engagement structure. The top portion may also define a first aperture. The bottom portion may be operatively coupled to the middle portion. The mounting bracket may be configured to mount a container to a structure. The mounting bracket may also be configured to create a bond path between the container and the structure.
In various embodiments, the bottom portion may comprise a second engagement structure. The bottom portion may also define a second aperture. The first aperture may be substantially concentric with the second aperture.
In various embodiments, the first engagement structure may be a tooth. The first engagement structure may be a textured surface. The first engagement structure may also be a fastener.
In various embodiments, the middle portion may be operatively coupled to the top portion by a first bend. The bottom portion may be a lip. The bottom portion may be operatively coupled to the middle portion by a second bend.
In various embodiments, the bottom portion comprises a second engagement structure. The second engagement structure may be a tooth, a fastener, or a textured surface.
In various embodiments, an inverter clip may comprise a first member, a second member, and a third member. The first member may define a channel and a lip. The second member may be operatively coupled to and disposed above the first member. The second member may comprise a first tooth. The second member may also define a first aperture. The third member may be operatively coupled to and disposed below the first member. The third member may comprise a second tooth. The third member may define a second aperture. The inverter clip may be configured to create a bond path between a solar panel and a container.
In various embodiments, the first member may be coupled to the second member by a first bend. The first member may be coupled to the third member by a second bend. A portion of the second member may extends beyond the second bend. In this regard, the second bend is disposed between the first bend and the lip.
In various embodiments, the first member may be operatively coupled to the second member by a hinge pin.
In various embodiments, the first tooth may be configured to engage a metal portion of a frame of the solar panel.
In various embodiments, the first aperture may be concentric with the second aperture. A fastener may be installable through the first aperture and the second aperture to compress the second member and the third member toward the first member.
The forgoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated herein otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments by way of illustration. While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the inventions, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical, chemical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to the order presented. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contact or minimal contact.
In various embodiments and with reference to
Middle portion 130 may include a lip 132. Lip 132 may define a foremost edge of mounting bracket 120. Lip 132 may be integrally formed in middle portion 130. In this regard, lip 132 may be formed or bent as a portion or end of middle portion 130. Lip 132 may also be operatively coupled to middle portion 130.
In various embodiments, first bend 133 may be pliable, moveable, deformable (e.g., elastically deformable or plastically deformable) and/or the like. In this regard, end 142 of the upper portion 140 (i.e., the end of the upper portion 140 opposite first bend 133) may move relative to the middle portion 130 in response to first bend 133 being moved. In this regard, and in response to first bend 133 being loaded, end 142 may contact middle portion 130. Second bend 135 may be similarly pliable, moveable, deformable (e.g., elastically deformable or plastically deformable) and/or the like. In this regard, end 152 of the lower portion 150 (i.e., the end of the lower portion 150 opposite second bend 135) may move relative to the middle portion 130 in response to second bend 135 being moved. In this regard, and in response to second bend 135 being loaded, end 142 may contact middle portion 130.
End 142 of the upper portion 140 may include an engagement structure 144. Engagement structure 144 may be configured to removably couple accessories (e.g., junction boxes, wire management structures, sensors, voltage management equipment, and/or the like) to a structure (e.g., a solar panel or a solar panel mounting system). Engagement structure 144 may also be configured to create an electrically conductive path (e.g., a bond path) between a metal structure, a container, and at least a portion of mounting bracket assembly 110. Engagement structure 144 may be any suitable structure for creating an electrically conductive path. Engagement structure 144 may also be configured to pierce or otherwise penetrate a coating on the metal structure. Engagement structure 144 may also be any suitable structure that is configured to sufficiently engage a metal structure and support a container such as, for example, in a cantilevered configuration. Engagement structure 144 may include one or more teeth including, for example, tooth 143-1, tooth 143-2, and tooth 143-3, and/or the like. In this regard, that shape, type and/or style of engagement structure 144 may be defined based on the width of the mounting bracket 120, the size of the various engagement structures such as, for example, the spacing between adjacent teeth. Engagement structure 144 may also be for example, a fastener, one or more conductive pins and/or the like. Upper portion 140 may be substantially planar, though the teeth at the end 142 extend downwards towards middle portion 130. Similarly, end 152 of the lower portion 150 may include one of more teeth such as, for example, tooth 153-1, tooth 153-2, and/or the like. Lower portion 150 may be substantially planar, though the teeth at the end 152 extend upwards towards the middle portion 130.
In various embodiments, each of upper portion 140, middle portion 130, and lower portion 150 may include apertures extending there through. Upper portion 140 may include an aperture 146 that is sized and shaped to retain, capture, and/or hold at least a portion of a fastener 102. For example, aperture 146 may be a square aperture which is sized to accept a square shoulder or neck of fastener 102 (e.g., where fastener 102 is a carriage bolt) located directly below the head. Middle portion 130 may include a channel 134 which extends between first bend 133 to second bend 135 along a portion of and/or along substantially the entire length of middle portion 130. The channel 134 may be aligned with the aperture 146 in upper portion 140. In this regard, fastener 102, which passes through the aperture 146, may also be capable of passing through the channel 134. Aperture 156 in the lower portion 150 may be sized to accept a portion of fastener 102 (e.g., the shaft of fastener 102). Aperture 156 may also be aligned with aperture 146 and channel 134. In this regard, fastener 102, which passes through the aperture 146 and channel 134, may also be capable of passing through the aperture 156.
In various embodiments and as shown in
In various embodiments and with particular reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments and with reference for
In operation, mounting bracket 920 may be installable on the frame of a structure (e.g. a tab 764 of solar panel 760 as shown in
In various embodiments, mounting bracket 920 may be made of a relatively soft metal as compared to the frame of the structures described herein. For example, mounting bracket 920 may be made of aluminum. In this regard, textured surface 944 may not sufficiently engage the frame to create an electrically conductive path (e.g., a bond path). To create this electrically conductive path, mounting bracket assembly 910 may include a bonding fastener 970. Bonding fastener 970 may be any suitable fastener (e.g., a steel or stainless steel fastener) that can create a bond path between the frame and mounting bracket assembly 910. In this regard, bonding fastener 970 may be configured to engage the frame and/or penetrate any coating on the frame to create an electrically conductive path between the frame and mounting bracket 920.
In various embodiments and with reference to
Lower bracket 1340 may include a central planar panel 1342. When assembled as mounting bracket assembly 1310, lower bracket 1340 may be substantially parallel to upper surface 1322 of upper bracket 1320. Side panels 1346, 1344 may extend upward at an angle from central planar panel 1342 (e.g., approximately between 10 degrees and 90 degrees offset from central planar panel 1342, and, more specifically, approximately 30 degrees offset from central planar panel 1342). When assembled with the upper bracket 1320, the ends of side panels 1346, 1344 can extend towards the respective textured surface 1328, 1326. An aperture 1348 extends through the center of central planar panel 1342. Aperture 1348 may be sized to allow fastener 1302 to pass through aperture 1348. Aperture 1348 may be substantially concentric with and/or may align with aperture 1321. In this regard, fastener 1302 may pass through aperture 1348 to engage the threads defined in aperture 1321.
In various embodiments and when assembled, as shown in
In various embodiments and with reference to
Lower bracket 1840 may include a wire management tray 1880. Wire management tray 1880 may be integrally formed with, operatively coupled to, and/or otherwise attached to lower bracket 1840. Moreover, wire management tray 1880 may include a retention tab 1882. Retention tab 1882 may be configured to retain wiring, cables, and/or the like in wire management tray 1880. Moreover, retention tab 1882 may be position relative to the body portion of lower bracket 1840 to define a channel. In this regard, wires, cables and/or the like may be placed in and retained in a channel defined by wire management tray 1880.
Textured surface 1844 can include cylindrical protrusion 1845 configured to bite into lip 2272 of container 2270 to create an electrically conductive path when assembled. Similarly, textured surface 1846 cab include cylindrical protrusion 1843 configured to bite into the lip 2264 of frame 2260 to create an electrically conductive path when assembled. Cylindrical protrusion 1843 and cylindrical protrusion 1845 may be hardened relative to the rest of the bracket assembly 1810 or relative to the frame lip 2264 and/or container lip 2272. In this regard, cylindrical protrusion 1843 and cylindrical protrusion 1845 may be made from a metal conductive material such as, for example, steel, stainless steel, and/or the like. Cylindrical protrusion 1843 and cylindrical protrusion 1845 can electrically ground container lip 1972, mounting bracket assembly 1810, and/or solar panel frame lip 2264.
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments, mounting bracket assembly 2310 may comprise a beam 2320, and a fastener 2374. Beam 2320 may comprise one or more apertures including, for example, aperture 2322, aperture 2324, and/or the like. Beam 2320 may be configured to operatively couple to body 2303 or height adjustment bracket 2301. In this regard, a fastener 2305 may pass through body 2303, and beam 2320 via aperture 2322 to retain beam 2320 to body 2303.
Beam 2320 may have a substantially rectangular shape with an upper surface 2326. Upper surface 2326 may include various indents and protrusions to align or mate with the height adjustment bracket 2301. At one end, beam 2320 may be fixed to height adjustment bracket 2301 (e.g., via a fastener or epoxy, via a snap-fit, formed integrally with the bracket 2301, and/or the like). At the other end, beam 2320 may include an aperture 2324 extending substantially perpendicular to and through the upper surface 2326. Aperture 2324 may be sized to accept a fastener 2374 such as, for example, a bolt. When assembled, the fastener 2374 passes through an opening in the lip 2372 of a container 2370 (e.g., similar to the containers described herein). Fastener 2374 may pass through aperture 2324 in the beam 2320. Aperture 2324 may be threaded to provide a clamping force; alternatively, a nut (not shown) may clamp container 2370 to beam 2320.
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “various embodiments”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.
Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/177,348, filed on Mar. 10, 2015 and entitled Hardware and wire clip for solar panels, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. This application also claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/259,138, filed on Nov. 24, 2015 and entitled MOUNTING BRACKET ASSEMBLY, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62177348 | Mar 2015 | US | |
| 62259138 | Nov 2015 | US |
