The present invention relates to a mounting system for a photovoltaic module and more specifically, a mounting system that provides adjustability in order to facilitate mounting.
The present invention provides a photovoltaic (“PV”) module mounting system including a standoff adapted to be secured to a support surface, the standoff having an elongate channel extending along a length thereof. A rail attachment member has a portion disposed in the channel. The rail attachment member is positionably adjustable along the length of the rail. An elongate rail is securable to the standoff by the rail attachment member. The position of the rail is adjustable along the length of the standoff and fixedly secured. The elongate rail has a slot extending along a length thereof. The slot accommodates PV panel mounting hardware therein for securing a PV panel to the rail.
The present invention further provides a photovoltaic (“PV”) module mounting system including a standoff adapted to be secured to a support surface. The standoff has an elongate channel formed along a length thereof. An attachment block has a guide member disposed in the standoff channel. The attachment block is positionably adjustable along the length of the standoff. An elongate rail is fixedly securable to the attachment block. The position of the rail is adjustable along the length of the standoff The rail has a slot extending along a length thereof, and the slot accommodates PV panel mounting hardware therein for securing a PV panel to the rail.
The present invention still further provides a photovoltaic (“PV”) module mounting system including a first and a second elongate rail extending in a longitudinal direction and spaced from each other in a transverse direction. The transverse direction is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The rails are supported along their length by a plurality of standoffs. The standoffs include a positionally adjustable rail mounting member for permitting the position of the rails to be adjusted relative to each other in the transverse direction. At least one PV panel extends between the first and second rails and being secured thereto.
With reference to
With additional reference to
The base 20 may further include a generally planar portion 21 extending outwardly from the channel 22, which includes a one or more mounting openings 32. These openings permit the passage of roof fasteners 34 to extend there through in order to fixedly secure the mounting standoff 14 to the mounting surface 16. The mounting openings 32 may have a variety of configurations. For example, the standoffs 14 may include a single mounting opening or a plurality of mounting openings (
With reference to
With reference to
The PV panels of the modules 18 may have mounting holes 53 formed therein and the mounting holes need to align with a mounting portion of the rails. Such adjustability of the rails is desirable so that the rails may be properly positioned to accept the PV modules. The mounting holes 53 may be spaced inwardly from side edges of the PV panels.
With reference to
When securing the rails to a roof or other mounting surface 16, it is possible that due to the desired position of the rail 12, that the standoffs 14 may extend over the front edge of a roof shingle and onto the end of another shingle. In this case the mounting base of the standoff would be uneven. This problem is especially pronounced when the desired standoff position is located at the transition between one course of shingles and another. Accordingly, in the past, an installer would be required to notch the shingles so that the standoffs 14 would be supported against only one shingle. The standoff 14 of the present invention with its positionally adjustable rail fastener overcomes this problem of the prior art by allowing the standoffs to be secured to one course of shingles. In addition, the standoff 14 may be secured on top of one shingle and cantilevered over the lower course of shingles as shown in
Accordingly, a rail 12 may be positioned and secured over the transition between one course of shingles and another by using the standoff of the present invention, without the need for modifying the shingles.
In an alternative embodiment shown in
An attachment block upper surface 86 forms a support upon which the bottom of the rail 12 may rest. The upper surface 86 may include a plurality of spaced mounting holes 88 that are adapted to receive rail mounting hardware 90 which may be in the form of a threaded bolt. The mounting holes 88 are spaced from each other in both the longitudinal direction of the rail X and in the longitudinal direction of the standoff Y. Since there is a plurality of spaced mounting holes 88, if one hole lies in between the rail attachment holes 36, the other mounting hole 88 will be available to fasten the mounting rail 12. Having multiple spaced mounting holes 88 eliminates the need to drill another hole in the rail 12 on site when the mounting holes 88 and rail attachment holes 36 do not align.
The attachment block 70 can be installed in one of two orientations with respect to the standoff 14. This can be achieved by rotating the attachment block 180 degrees with respect to the standoff 14. In this way, the mounting holes 88 may be located virtually anywhere along the length of the attachment block 70.
With reference to
It is within the contemplation of the present invention that a plurality of shims could be placed in the slots with one stacked upon the other in order to fill the space. The shims 92 would be kept in place by attaching the rail 12 to the attachment block 70. With additional reference to
The attachment blocks 70 may be formed of a metallic material such as steel or aluminum and the mounting holes therein may be threaded to receive the rail mounting hardware 90. Alternatively, the attachment block 70 may be formed of a polymer or a composite material.
With reference to
Due to the ability to positionally adjust the fastener 102 in the mounting slot 100, the PV modules may be secured to the rails at various locations along the length of the rails. With this ability to adjust the fastener 102 in the X direction, and the ability to adjust the mounting position of the rail with respect to the standoffs in the Y direction, installation of the PV modules is simplified.
The mounting slot 100 is supported by a support structure 104 which may include a first sidewall 104, a base wall 106 extending generally perpendicular therefrom, and an opposed second sidewall 108 extending from the base wall 106 to the slot 100. The walls of the support structure 104 form an enclosed channel 105 having a generally frusto-triangular cross-section configuration.
Extending from the support structure base 106 is a mounting wall 110 which may include a plurality of mounting holes 112. The holes accommodated rail mounting hardware 90 for securing the rail to the attachment block 70 or can accommodate the rail fastener 30 in the case where an attachment block 70 is not used. In an alternative embodiment, the mounting wall 110 may not include any preformed mounting holes, and the desired mounting hole would be formed therein by an installer.
Extending at a generally obtuse angle from the mounting wall 110 is an upwardly extending wall 112 which at its upper end is connected to a top wall 114 that extends partway toward the support structure 104. Walls 110, 112 and 114 form a wireway 116. Wireway 116 is generally an open channel which allows wiring 118 from the PV modules to be run therein. The channel has an open top 120 which is generally covered when the PV module 18 is attached to the rails 12.
Rails 12 may be secured together end to end by using a splice 130 which extends into the support structure channels 105 of the abutted elongate rails 12. The splice 130 may have a configuration generally similar to the support structure channel 105 so that it fits therein in a generally close relationship.
While the above described mounting system 10 has shown the standoffs 14 secured to rail 12, it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the standoffs 14, either with or without the attachment blocks 70, may be used to secure on a support surface various types of rails, brackets, connectors, and other mounting and securement hardware.
It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/548,147 filed on Oct. 17, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61548147 | Oct 2011 | US |