Solar Panel Rooftop Mounting and Grounding Device
Disclosed is a device for securing, mounting, aligning, and grounding solar panels to a roof mounted rail. The device in combination with a t-bolt, a nut, and a solar panel end-clamp or mid-clamp, secure, mount, align, and ground the solar panels to the roof mounted rail. The device can be inserted into the top of the rail anywhere along its length. After the device and t-bolt are inserted in the rail, the t-bolt rotated so it inserts into a slot at the bottom of the rail thereby securing the device to the rail, assuring the proper orientation of the t-bolt, and preventing further rotation of the t-bolt.
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The present disclosure relates to a device for mounting solar panels. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a device for mounting solar panels, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal panels, to rooftop mounted rails.
Solar panels can be mounted to various types of roof structures, such as pitched shingle, tile, metal, or concrete roofs with rails. For pitched roofs that are rectangular shaped, the rails are often mounted along the length of the roof. The solar panels are generally mounted to the rails along an edge perpendicular to the rails. In addition, it is desirable, and often required by local building codes, to electrically ground the solar panels to the rails.
Aligning and mounting the solar panels to the rails and then assuring that they are properly grounded can often be labor intensive and time consuming. It is therefore desirable for a device that secures, aligns, and grounds the solar panels to the rails that is simple and efficient.
SUMMARYDisclosed is a device for securing, aligning, and grounding solar panels to roof mounted mounting rails that overcomes one or more of the challenges presented in the Background Section. The device in combination with a t-bolt, a nut, and a solar panel end-clamp or mid-clamp, now secure, mount, align, and ground the solar panels to each other and to the roof mounted rail. The device can be inserted into the top of the rail anywhere along its length. After the device and t-bolt are inserted in the rail, the t-bolt is rotated so it inserts into a slot at the bottom of the rail thereby securing the device to the rail and preventing further rotation of the t-bolt.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for mounting a solar panel to a rail includes a t-bolt in conjunction with a mounting device. The mounting device includes a base portion and an alignment portion. The alignment portion projects upward from the base portion. The alignment portion is configured to align at least one side of a solar panel perpendicular to the rail. Grounding pins go through both the top and bottom surface of the base portion, the grounding pins have conical or pointed tips on either end to penetrate the non-conductive oxide layer of the solar panels frames and the mounting rail. When the solar panels are secured to the mounting device base portion on either side of the alignment portion, they are electrically bonded to each other as well as the mounting rail. The apparatus can be configured so that when t-bolt is engaged in a slot in the base portion, and the base portion and t-bolt in combination are both engaged within a slot at the top of the rail, the top surface of the base portion will be parallel with and positioned at or below the top surface of the rail slot. This provides a stable seating surface for the solar panels. In addition, the alignment portion bottom surface will include portions resting against the rail top surface on opposing sides of the rail slot. This arrangement adds stability to the apparatus. The t-bolt is vertically captive within the rail slot and rotatively captive within the base portion slot. This arrangement allows an installer to secure the solar panel to the t-bolt with only a solar panel clamp and a single mounting nut.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for mounting a solar panel to a rail the apparatus includes a t-bolt and a mounting device. The mounting device includes a base portion and an alignment portion that projects upward from the base portion. The base portion and alignment portion are integrally joined and can be integrally formed. The base portion includes a pair of opposing and parallel sides. The bottom surface of the base portion includes a transverse slot. The slot is wider than the width of the t-bolt head and narrower than the t-bolt head length. The alignment portion a pair of opposing sides that are parallel to each other. The pair of opposing parallel sides project perpendicularly upward from the base portion and are oriented perpendicularly transverse with respect to the base portion sides. The alignment portion is positioned with respect to the base portion so that a top surface of the base portion presents a planar top surface on the opposing parallel sides of the alignment portion. The alignment portion also includes an aperture aligned over the base portion slot for pass through a portion of the t-bolt.
This Summary has introduced a selection of concepts in simplified form that are described in greater detail in the Description. The Summary's purpose is to aid in understanding the Description. It is not intended to identify essential features or limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The following description is made with reference to figures, where like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views,
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A device for mounting, aligning and grounding solar panels to roof mounted rails has been described. It is not the intent of this disclosure to limit the claimed invention to the examples, variations, and exemplary embodiments described in the specification. Those skilled in the art will recognize that variations will occur when embodying the claimed invention in specific implementations and environments. It is possible to implement certain features described in separate embodiments in combination within a single embodiment. Similarly, it is possible to implement certain features described in single embodiments either separately or in combination in multiple embodiments. For example,
Claims
1. An apparatus for mounting a solar panel to a rail, the apparatus comprising:
- a t-bolt, the t-bolt includes a t-bolt body, and a t-bolt head, the t-bolt head includes a t-bolt head length, a t-bolt head width, and t-bolt head planar bottom surface, with the threaded t-bolt body projecting perpendicularly from the t-bolt planar bottom surface;
- a mounting device, comprising:
- (a) a base portion, the base portion includes: (i) a base portion length; (ii) a first and second base portion sides opposing and parallel to each other and oriented along the base portion length, the distance between the first and second base portion sides comprising a base portion width, the base portion width is narrower than the t-bolt head length; (iii) a base portion bottom surface including a base portion slot transverse to the first and second base portion sides, the base portion slot is wider than the t-bolt head width and narrower than the t-bolt head length;
- (b) a rigid alignment portion rigidly secured to the base portion, the rigid alignment portion includes: (i) an aperture aligned over the base portion slot and passing a portion of the t-bolt body therethrough; (ii) an alignment portion length oriented along the base portion width and an alignment portion width oriented along the base portion length, the alignment portion length is wider than the base portion width, the alignment portion width is narrower than the base portion length; (iii) an a first and a second alignment portion sides opposing and parallel to each other, projecting perpendicularly upward from the base portion, oriented perpendicularly transverse to the base portion first and second base portion sides, the distance between the first and second alignment portion sides comprising the alignment portion width; (iv) the rigid alignment portion is positioned with respect to the base portion so that a top surface of the base portion presents a planar top surface on opposing sides of the first and the second alignment portion sides; and
- a first position where the t-bolt head planar bottom surface rests flush against the base portion bottom surface within the base portion slot and the t-bolt is rotationally captive within the base portion slot.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- the base portion including a base portion top surface;
- a first grounding pin and second grounding pin each projecting through the base portion top surface and the base portion bottom surface, the first grounding pin and the second grounding pin positioned on the base portion on opposing sides of the rigid alignment portion.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base portion and the rigid alignment portion are integrally formed.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, where in the base portion and the rigid alignment portion are each cuboid shaped.
5-6. (canceled)
7. An apparatus for mounting a solar panel comprising:
- a rail, the rail includes a rail top surface, a rail slot oriented along a length of the rail top surface, and a rail slot cavity, the rail slot cavity includes a top inside surface that is cut longitudinally by the rail slot;
- a t-bolt, including a t-bolt head and a t-bolt body, the t-bolt head includes a planar bottom surface with the t-bolt body projecting perpendicular therefrom;
- a mounting device comprising:
- (a) a base portion, including a base portion length, a base portion width, a base portion top surface, and a base portion bottom surface;
- the base portion bottom surface includes a base portion slot along the base portion width;
- (b) a rigid alignment portion, the rigid alignment portion includes an alignment portion length oriented along the base portion width, the rigid alignment portion is rigidly secured to and projecting upward from the base portion, the rigid alignment portion includes an alignment portion bottom surface and an aperture aligned over the base portion slot with a portion of the t-bolt body passing therethrough; and
- the t-bolt, the mounting device, and the rail configurable into a first position where: the t-bolt is vertically and rotational captive within the rail slot and the base portion slot, the planar bottom surface of the t-bolt head rests flush against the base portion bottom surface within the base portion slot and rests flush against the top inside surface of the rail slot cavity, and the alignment portion bottom surface rests flush against the rail top surface.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:
- a first grounding pin and second grounding pin each projecting through the base portion top surface and the base portion bottom surface, the first grounding pin and the second grounding pin positioned on the base portion on opposing sides of the rigid alignment portion; and
- the position further comprises the first grounding pin and the second grounding pin making electrically conductive contact with the rail and the solar panel.
9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the base portion and the rigid alignment portion are integrally formed.
10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:
- the base portion and the rigid alignment portion are each rectangular cuboid shaped;
- the rigid alignment portion including an alignment portion length; and
- the base portion length is perpendicular to the rigid alignment portion length.
11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:
- the rigid alignment portion includes an alignment portion width oriented along the base portion length; and
- the rigid alignment portion length is wider than the base portion width; and
- the rigid alignment portion width is narrower than the base portion length.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:
- the base portion length is positioned longitudinally along the rail slot; and
- the base portion top is within the rail slot and aligned at or below the rail top surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 15, 2013
Publication Date: Apr 16, 2015
Applicant: SUNMODO CORPORATION (Vancouver, WA)
Inventor: Jun Liu (Camas, WA)
Application Number: 14/054,759