Rail stiffener for supporting a photovoltaic device

- First Solar, Inc.
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Description

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new design for a rail stiffener for supporting a photovoltaic device.

FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of the rail stiffener shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a left side elevational view of the rail stiffener shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front side elevational view of the rail stiffener shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a back side elevational view of the rail stiffener shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the rail stiffener shown in FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the rail stiffener shown in FIG. 1.

The holes on the front and back sides of the rail stiffener are shown in broken lines for illustrative purposes only and represent portions of the rail stiffener that form no part of the claimed design.

Claims

The ornamental design for a rail stiffener for supporting a photovoltaic device, as shown and described.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
D368647 April 9, 1996 Koebbe
D377751 February 4, 1997 Koebbe
D404151 January 12, 1999 Reichel
D407832 April 6, 1999 Dobija
D438448 March 6, 2001 Batting
D446673 August 21, 2001 Wunsche
D474549 May 13, 2003 Krieger
D490697 June 1, 2004 Runnalls
D788234 May 30, 2017 Gregory
D806808 January 2, 2018 Gregory
D891228 July 28, 2020 Zeiser
D902693 November 24, 2020 Freeman
D917077 April 20, 2021 Henderson
Other references
  • Rail Supports. (Design—© Questel) orbit.com. [Online PDF compilation of references] 42 pgs. Print Dates Range Jun. 27, 2023-Dec. 12, 2020 [Retrieved Mar. 4, 2024].
  • Single Aluminum U-Channel 144. Before Mar. 19, 2021. DK Hardware. https://www.dkhardware.com/black-1-4-single-aluminum-u-channel-d631bl-product-5415.html.
  • U-Board Signode. 2024. Signode. https://www.signode.com/en-us/productslist/u-board/.
  • 1120 Series U-Channel. Before 2024. Gobilda. https://www.gobilda.com/1120-series-u-channel-11-hole-288mm-length/.
Patent History
Patent number: D1056823
Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 13, 2021
Date of Patent: Jan 7, 2025
Assignee: First Solar, Inc. (Tempe, AZ)
Inventor: Thomas Truman (Toledo, OH)
Primary Examiner: Garth Rademaker
Assistant Examiner: Suzanne E Tisdell
Application Number: 29/803,617
Classifications