Filing Information

Inventor(s)	John Raymond West ·
Assignee(s)	None listed in document.  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Larry D. Johnson ·
Primary Examiner	Alexa D. Neckel ·
Assistant Examiner	Miriam Berdichevsky ·
Application Number	US11053524
Filing date	02/07/2005
Issue date	09/22/2009
Predicted expiration date	10/03/2026
Patent term adjustment	603
U.S. Classifications	136/251  ·
International Classifications	H02N600  ·
Kind Code	B1
Related U.S. Application Data	CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/542,463, filed 5 Feb. 2004, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/568,513, filed May 5, 2004.

Patent Family

Abstract

An interlocking photovoltaic module mounting system that provides a one piece, integrated photovoltaic module frame portion that is directly mountable to a support structure and interlocks with separate adjoining photovoltaic module frame portions. The apparatus includes a frame member for enclosing the perimeter of a photovoltaic module, having an inside surface and outside surface, with the inside surface including a recess for capture of the panel. The frame member outside surface includes at least one interlocking means for affixation to the complementary outside surface of an adjacent frame-member. The frame member includes a height-adjustable foot portion for supporting the frame member on a roof, so that adjacent frame members may be interlocked to form an array, and the foot portion may be adjusted to level the formed array on the roof.

Independent Claims | See all claims (23)

1. 1. A photovoltaic module array comprising: a first frame member enclosing a single photovoltaic laminate, said first frame member having a plurality of side wall portions each having a top portion, bottom portion, inside surface, and outside surface, said inside surface including a recess for capture of said photovoltaic laminate, at least one of said side wall portions including at least one interlocking means comprising a female receiving portion integrated into said outside surface; a second frame member enclosing a single photovoltaic laminate, said second frame member having a plurality of side wall portions each having a top portion, bottom portion, inside surface, and outside surface, said inside surface including a recess for capture of said photovoltaic laminate, at least one of said side wall portions including at least one interlocking means comprising a female receiving portion integrated into said outside surface; and a discrete male coupling portion interlocking said first frame member female receiving portion and said second frame member female receiving portion, wherein said first frame member female receiving portion comprises an inside surface which positively engages an outside surface of said male coupling portion to resist a downward force on said second frame member.
2. 9. A photovoltaic module array comprising: (a) a plurality of photovoltaic modules; and (b) a plurality of coupling members; wherein each photovoltaic module comprises an integral frame member enclosing a single photovoltaic laminate, said frame member having a plurality of side wall portions each having a top portion, bottom portion, inside surface, and outside surface, said inside surface including a recess for capture of said photovoltaic laminate, at least one of said side wall portions including at least one interlocking means comprising a female receiving portion integrated into said outside surface, each coupling member interlocking a first photovoltaic module and second photovoltaic module and comprising at least two male portions, a first male portion being inserted into the frame member female receiving portion of a first photovoltaic module, and a second male portion being inserted into the frame member female receiving portion of a second photovoltaic module, wherein said first photovoltaic module frame member female receiving portion comprises an inside surface which positively engages an outside surface of said male coupling portion to resist a downward force on said second photovoltaic module frame member.
3. 15. A method for mounting photovoltaic modules to a roof structure, said method comprising the steps of: providing a first frame member enclosing a single photovoltaic laminate, the first frame member having a plurality of side wall portions each having a top portion, bottom portion, inside surface, and outside surface, the inside surface including a recess for capture of the photovoltaic laminate, and at least one of the side wall portions including at least one interlocking means comprising a female receiving portion integrated into the outside surface; providing a second frame member enclosing a single photovoltaic laminate, the second frame member having a plurality of side wall portions each having a top portion, bottom portion, inside surface, and outside surface, the inside surface including a recess for capture of the photovoltaic laminate, and at least one of the side wall portions including at least one interlocking means comprising a female receiving portion integrated into the outside surface; and inserting a discrete male coupling portion into the first frame member female receiving portion and the second frame member female receiving portion to interlock the first frame member and the second frame member in an array above the structure, wherein the first frame member female receiving portion comprises an inside surface which positively engages an outside surface of the male coupling portion to resist a downward force on the second frame member.
4. 19. A photovoltaic module array comprising: a first frame member enclosing a single photovoltaic laminate, said first frame member having a plurality of side wall portions each having a top portion, bottom portion, inside surface, and outside surface, said inside surface including a recess for capture of said photovoltaic laminate, at least one of said side wall portions including at least one interlocking means comprising a female receiving portion integrated into said outside surface, wherein said female receiving portion only opens substantially perpendicularly relative to said side wall portion; a second frame member enclosing a single photovoltaic laminate, said second frame member having a plurality of side wall portions each having a top portion, bottom portion, inside surface, and outside surface, said inside surface including a recess for capture of said photovoltaic laminate, at least one of said side wall portions including at least one interlocking means comprising a female receiving portion integrated into said outside surface, wherein said female receiving portion only opens substantially perpendicularly relative to said side wall portion; and a discrete male coupling portion interlocking said first frame member female receiving portion and said second frame member female receiving portion, wherein said male coupling portion solely spans between immediately adjacent side wall portions in said photovoltaic module array.