AU2010200545A1

AU2010200545A1 - A system, apparatus and method for securing solar panels to a supporting structure

Info

Publication number: AU2010200545A1
Application number: AU2010200545A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Phil Timbrell
Original assignee: Preformed Line Products Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Preformed Line Products Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-02-13
Filing date: 2010-02-15
Publication date: 2010-09-02

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Standard Patent Applicant: Preformed Lin~e Products (Australia) Pty Ltd - Invention Title: A SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SECUrrNC SOLAR PANELS TO A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: -2 A System, Apparatus and Method for Securing Solar Panels to a Supporting Structure Technical Field 5 The present invention relates generally to a system, apparatus and method for securing solar panels to a supporting structure. 10 Background of the Invention Recent developments in solar technology have resulted in the efficiency of solar cells being greatly improved, thereby making solar power close to being genuinely is competitive with conventional power generation techniques. Government rebates are also being offered in a number of countries making solar power systems more affordable to the general public. 20 As a result of the improved efficiency and government rebates, there now exist a large number of solar panel companies offering a wide range of solar panel products. Due to the increased product selection it follows that nor all solar panels are of like construction and customized 25 installation and securing equipment is often required Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention 30 there is provided an apparatus for securing a solar panel to a supporting structure, the apparatus comprising: a base member arranged to be secured to the supporting structure; and a retaining member including a solar panel engaging a5 portion, the retaining member being secured to the base member such that the distance between the solar panel engaging portion and supporting structure is adjustable for securing solar panels of varying thickness. In an embodiment the base member defines an opening which is shaped so as to closely receive a support portion of 5 the retaining member. In an embodiment the apparatus further comprises a clamp fastening arrangement arranged to fixedly secure the retaining member relative to the base member. 10 In an embodiment the clamp fastening arrangement comprises first and second fastening members, each of the first and second fastening members are coupled to one of the base member and retaining member such that rotation of one of is the fastening members relative to another one of the fastening members causes the solar engaging portion to either move toward, or be allowed to move away from, the supporting structure. 20 In an embodiment the first fastening member comprises a nut having a head arranged to seat on an outer surface of the retaining member and an internally threaded body which extends into the support portion to thereby engage a threaded outer body of the second fastening member which 25 is coupled to the base member. In an embodiment the second fastening member is a bolt, a head of the bolt being retained by a channel or track defined in the supporting structure. 30 In an embodiment the base member comprises an elongate U shaped frame which defines the opening, such that a bottom wall of the frame comprises a hole through which the threaded outer body of the bolt passes to engage to the 35 nut. In an embodiment the nut comprises a T-shaped head.

-4, In an alternative embodiment, the first fastening member of the fastening arrangement comprises a bolt having a head which seats on an outer surface of the retaining 5 member and a threaded outer body which extends into the support portion to engage an internally threaded body of the second fastening member which is coupled to the base member. The second fastening arrangement may be secured (e-g. welded) to the base member, or alternatively may be 10 retained by the supporting structure in the same manner as .previously described for the first embodiment. In an embodiment the bolt comprises a tool engaging portion for facilitating rotation of the bolt. 15 In an embodiment the retaining member comprises an inverted U-shaped frame which defines the support portion and which is arranged to be closely received by the U shaped frame of the base member. In an embodiment the 20 inverted U-shaped frame comprises one or more webs extending between its internal walls. In an embodiment the solar panel engaging portion comprises an outwardly extending end-projection arranged 25 to frictionally engaging an upper surface of the solar panel in use. In an embodiment the base member further comprises a side projection which facilitates securing of the apparatus to 30 the support structure. The side projection may be located adjacent a side wall of the u-shaped frame and seat on. an upper surface of the supporting structure for securing thereto. 35 In an embodiment a side projection fastening arrangement is used to secure the side projection to the supporting structure. In an embodiment the side projection fastening -5 arrangement comprises a slidable insert having a head .arranged to slide and be retained within a channel defined in an upper surface of the supporting structure. A nut is arranged to screw to a threaded body of the slidable 5 insert which passes through a hole defined in the side projection. Again, the slidable insert may be in the form of a T-bolt which has a T-shaped head for easy insertion into the supporting structure channel. 10 In an embodiment the supporting structure is mounted to a roof In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a solar panel securing system is comprising: a supporting.structure; and at least two apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention which, when in use, are arranged to secure at least one solar panel to the supporting 20 structure. In an embodiment the supporting structure comprises a pair of. spaced apart rails arranged to support the at least one solar panel. 25 In an embodiment at least one of the two or more apparatus are secured to a channel defined by each rail via their respective base members. 30 In an embodiment the channels are arranged to slidingly receive a fastening bolt used to secure the adjustable clamps thereto. In an embodiment, the channels are in the form of C-shaped 35 tracks. In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of installing a solar panel comprising the steps of; securing the solar panel to a supporting structure utilising at least one apparatus according to the first 5 aspect of the invention. In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a solar panel array comprising a plurality of solar panels secured to a supporting 1o structure utilising an apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention. In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a retaining arrangement arranged to be is secured to a supporting structure, the retaining arrangement comprising a solar panel engaging portion being arranged to engage a solar panel and an adjustable mechanism arranged such that the distance between the solar panel engaging portion and supporting structure is 20 adjustable for securing solar panels of different thickness. In an embodiment the retaining arrangement is in the form of the retaining member provided by the apparatus in 25 accordance with the first aspect of the invention. In an embodiment the adjustable mechanism is in the form of the base member provided by the apparatus in accordance with the first aspect. 30 In an embodiment the adjustable mechanism further comprises the fastener arrangement provided by the apparatus according to the first aspect which allows the retaining portion to move toward or be pulled apart from 35 the supporting structure.

- 7 Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the 5 accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic of a solar panel securing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention 7 10 Figure 2A shows various engineering views of a base member of a solar panel securing apparatus, according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2B shows various engineering views of a retaining is member of a solar panel securing apparatus, according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2C is a sectional view of a solar panel securing apparatus in use; 20 Figure 3 is an orthographic projection of solar panel securing apparatus mounted to a rail in an open position; and 25 Figure 4 shows various engineering views of fastening arrangements for the solar panel securing apparatus illustrated in Figure 3. Description of Embodiments 30 Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system, apparatus and method for securing a wide range of solar panels, of different thickness, to a common supporting structure. This is achieved by way of an apparatus for 35 securing a solar panel which, in the illustrated embodiment, is in the form of an adjustable end clamp that is mounted to the supporting structure via a base member.

The adjustable end clamp comprises a retaining member which includes a solar panel engaging portion which is secured to the base member such that the distance between the solar panel and supporting structure is adjustable, to 5 thereby accommodate for solar panels of varying thickness. As will be evident from subsequent paragraphs, an advantage which arises from using such a two piece configuration is that a single adjustable end clamp can be used for securing a wide range of differently sized panels 10 without requiring specific clamps for specific panel thicknesses. Before describing embodiments of the adjustable end clamp in any detail, a description of the securing structure 1s which is utilised to support the solar panel, or panel array, will first be described. With reference to Figure 1, the securing structure 20 is in the form of a pair of elongate rails 20a, 20b. The 20 rails 20a, 20b may be secured to a roof or other suitable structure capable of bearing the weight of the solar panel(s). In the Figure 1 embodiment, a plurality of solar panels 100 are being held in place using four adjustable end clamps 10 and a corresponding number of 25 conventional mid-clamps 11. It will be understood that the number of solar panels capable of being held in place is not limited to the number illustrated in Figure 1 and could be more or less depending on the desired implementation 30 Each rail 20 has an upper surface which defines a C-shaped channel 22 (Fig. 2c,. Fig. 3) for receiving a side projection fastening arrangement in the form of a slidable insert 24 coupled to a base member 12 of each of the four 35 clamps 10. With specific reference to Figure 2C, the . slidable insert 24 is in the form of a T-bolt 24 having a T-shaped head which is sized to closely fit within the channel 22 and a threaded body 26 which extends upwardly out of the channel 22 and through an opening formed in a side projection 15 of the base member 12. An advantage of using a bolt having a T-shaped head in accordance with 5 such an embodiment is that the bolt can be readily inserted (e-g. dropped into place) at the desired installation location without having to slide the bolt right the way from the open end of the track, which can be both time consuming and difficult to access in some sites. 10 A nut 30 seated on top of the side projection and having a corresponding thread to that of the T-bolt 24, .fastens over the threaded body 26 to secure the base member 12 to the rail 20, once suitably positioned_ Once secured, the side projection 15 advantageously prevents is lateral/sideways movement of the adjustable end clamp for securely holding the solar panel in place. In more detail, and with reference to Figure 2a, the base member 12 of an adjustable end clamp 10 according to an 20 embodiment of the present invention comprises a side projection 15 for facilitating securing of the clamp 10 to the rail 20. As illustrated the side projection 15, which seats on the rail 20, is located adjacent a U-shaped channel 13 as formed by walls side walls 13a, 13b and 25 bottom wall 13c- The U-shaped channel 13 is arranged to receive a support portion 16 of the retaining member 14 (the seated arrangement is best shown in Figure 3). Both the U-shaped channel 13 and adjacent side projection 15 of the base member 12 are in this embodiment integrally 20 formed from an extrusion of Aluminium, although it will be understood that any sufficiently strong material made from any suitable process could equally -be utilised. In an embodiment, a web or other supporting structure. (e.g. ramp as shown by the dotted line) may be provided where the 35 side projection 15 joins the side wall 13a, for added strength. Any suitable supporting structures are envisaged and could be formed as part of the same - 10 extrusion or as a separate piece, depending on the desired implementation. With reference to Figure 2b, the support portion 16 of the 5 retaining member 14 (which may also be cheaply and easily formed from an Aluminium extrusion) is generally in the form of an inverted U-shaped frame (defined by side walls 14a, 14b and end wall 14c) having an outer wall dimension that is marginally less than the inner wall dimension of io the U-shaped channel 13. An advantage of using co operating elongate U-shaped frames for the base and retaining members is that the amount of wiggle and twist (which are forces frequently experienced by end clamps used to secure roofing solar panels) between the members is is minimized meaning that the clamp is less likely to loosen over time- One or more supporting webs 21 (in the illustrated embodiment only one supporting web is shown) may be included to increase the strength of the U-shaped channel. At its uppermost end, the support portion 16 20 includes a solar panel engaging portion 18 in the form of an outwardly extending arm. The arm 18 extends horizontally away from the supporting portion 16 and is arranged to frictionally engage an upper surface of the solar panel 100 and secure it between the arm 18 and rail 25 20, as shown in Figure 2C. A lower surface 25 of the arm 18 may be serrated, as shown, so as to better grip the upper surface of the solar panel 100. With additional reference to Figure 4, the clamp 10 30 further comprises a clamp fastening arrangement comprising first and second fastening members. In the illustrated embodiment the first fastening member is in the form of a nut 40 having an internally threaded elongate body 42 having a head which seats on an upper surface of the as retaining member 14 and which is arranged to extend through an opening 17 and into a body 19 defined by the inner walls of the support portion 16. When the retaining - 11 member 14 is suitably aligned, the internally threaded elongate body 42 is arranged to engage a second fastening member in the form of a bolt 44 having a correspondingly threaded stem 46 which extends upwardly into the body 19 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the stem 46 of the bolt 44 passes through an opening 23 in a bottom wall 13c of the U-shaped channel and, like the slidable insert, includes a T-shaped head 47 that is positioned within the C-shaped channel defined in the upper surface of the rail 20 10 Fastening of the solar panel 100 to the channel involves rotating the fastening nut 40 using a suitable tool, such as a spanner, until the arm 18 is firmly clamped down on the solar panel to thereby hold it in place is An example methodology for installing a solar panel to a support structure using four end clamps will now be described. In an initial step, the two T-bolts 24, 44 for each clamp are inserted into the C-shaped track of the rail 20 at roughly the desired position of the clamp 10 20 The respective base members 12 are then positioned over the bolts 24, 44 such that the threaded stem- of each bolt passes through the openings 28, 23, respectively. Once the clamps have been suitably positioned (e.g. using a string line, etc.), the nut 30 is tightened over the T 25 bolt 24 for each of the clamps to thereby secure the clamps to the rail 20. In a subsequent step, the solar panel 100 is guided into place (e.g. slid between the base member and retaining portion of each clamp). Once the solar panel has been positioned, the fastening nut 40 on 30 each clamp is rotated (e.g. using a spanner or other suitable tool) until the arm 18 grips down on the solar panel 100 and clamps it securely against the respective rail 20. In an alternative embodiment to that described above, the clamps may be pre-assembled prior to 35 installation (ie. with the T-bolts loosely secure to the base member and the nut used to secure the retaining member to the base already partially engaging the screw - 12 thread of the corresponding T-bolt.) - According to such an embodiment, the installer is not required to carry any loose nuts and washers- The process for securing a pre assembled clamp is much the same as that previously 5 described, with the exception that the whole clamp will be inserted rather than just the T-bolts. It will be understood that the fasteners used to secure the various elements of the apparatus can take many 10 different forms depending only on the desired implementation. For example, in one alternative embodiment a hex shaped bolt could be used in place of the T-bolt. In yet an alternative embodiment, an allen key configuration could be used for the first and/or second 15 fastening configurations. Furthermore, rather than being used to secure solar panels, the end clamps of the invention described herein could be used to secure other flat panel structures. For 20 example, the end clamps could be used to secure insulation panels, on-roof solar water heating panels, etc. Further, the shape of the retaining and base members need not be U-shaped but could be of any particular shape and 25 size that still allows the two members to co-operate in order to achieve the adjustable height functionality, as previously described. For example, the shapes could be elongate square shapes, circular shapes or the like. 30 It is to be understood that, if any prior art.publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country 35. In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the contexu - 13 requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but 5 not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1- An apparatus for securing a solar panel to a supporting structure, the apparatus comprising; s a base member arranged to be secured to the supporting structure; and a retaining member including a solar panel engaging portion, the retaining member being secured to the base member such that the distance between the solar panel 10 engaging portion and supporting structure is adjustable for securing solar panels of different thickness. 2_ An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base member defines an opening which is shaped so as to closely 15 receive a support portion of the retaining member.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a clamp fastening arrangement arranged to fixedly secure the retaining member relative to the base 20 member.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clamp fastening arrangement comprises first and second fastening members, each of the first and second fastening members 23 coupled to one of the base member and retaining member such that rotation of one of the fastening members relative to another one of the fastening members causes solar engaging portion to either move toward, or be allowed to move away from, the supporting structure 30

5- An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first fastening member comprises a nut having a head arranged to seat on an outer surface of the retaining member and an internally threaded elongate body which is arranged to 35 extend into the support portion to thereby engage a threaded body of the second fastening member which is coupled to the base member. - 15 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second fastening member is a bolt, such that a head of the bolt is retained by a channel defined in the supporting structure.

7- An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base member comprises a U-shaped frame which defines the opening, such that a bottom wall of the U-shaped frame comprises a hole through which the threaded outer body of 10 the bolt passes to engage the nut. 8, An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 7, wherein the bolt comprises a T-shaped head. is 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the retaining member comprises an inverted U-shaped frame which defines the support portion and which is arranged to be closely received by the U-shaped frame of the base member. 20

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the inverted U-shaped frame comprises one or more webs extending between its internal walls. 25 11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solar panel engaging portion comprises an outwardly extending end-projection for frictionally engaging an upper surface of the solar panel. 30 12. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base member further comprising a side projection which facilitates securing of the apparatus to the support structure. 35 13. An apparatus as.claimed in claim 10, further comprising a side projection fastening arrangement arranged to secure the side projection to the supporting - 16 - structure.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the side projection fastening arrangement comprises a slidable 5 insert having a head arranged to slide and be retained within a channel defined in an upper surface of the supporting structure.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further 10 comprising a nut arranged to screw to a threaded body of the slidable insert which passes through a hole defined in the side projection

16- An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding is claims, wherein the supporting structure is mounted to a roof- .

17. A solar panel securing system comprising: a supporting structure; and 20 at least two apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which, when in use, are arranged to secure at least one solar panel.to the supporting structure 25 18. A solar panel securing system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the supporting structure comprises a pair of spaced apart rails arranged to support the at least one solar panel. 30 19. A solar panel securing system as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least one of the two or more apparatus are secured to each rail via their respective base members

20- A solar panel securing system as claimed in claim 19 35 or claim 20, wherein an upper surface of each rail defines a C-shaped track arranged to slidingly receive a fastening bolt used to secure the adjustable clamps thereto. - 17 21- A method of installing a solar panel comprising the steps of; securing the solar panel to a supporting structure 5 utilising at least one apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16.

22- A retaining arrangement arranged to be secured to a supporting structure, the retaining arrangement comprising 10 a solar panel engaging portion being arranged to engage the solar panel, and an adjustable mechanism arranged such that the distance between the solar panel engaging portion and supporting structure is adjustable for securing solar panels' of different thickness. 15

23- A solar panel array comprising a plurality of solar panels secured to a supporting structure utilizing an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 and 22. 20 24. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

25. A solar panel securing system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying 25 drawings.