Lift-assisted solar panel device

Abstract

A solar panel supported from a frame and biased towards a raised position to assist in lifting to expose the underlying roof area.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Background of the Invention The present invention relates to solar panel devices, and more particularly to solar panel devices adapted for mounting on roofs and the like.

[0002] For some embodiments, applicant has selected a biasing device as a coil spring that tends to lift the panel to a fully raised position, depending on the particular problem being addressed. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the solar panel apparatus of the present invention can be installed as individual installations, in pairs, or fitted together as may be shown in this application. The devices can be installed to open to the right or left as desired. For this commercial embodiment, applicant has selected a frame material that is preferably aluminum with a plain finish. [Background technology]

[0003] Description of the Prior Art Today, solar panel technology is about 60 years old, but the discoveries that led to the solar cell itself began about 200 years ago with the discovery of the relationship between the properties of light and conductivity. The photovoltaic effect is the process by which light is absorbed by a material to generate a voltage. This effect was discovered over 150 years ago.

[0004] In the late 1800s, Charles Fritts created the first solar cell by coating selenium with a thin layer of gold.

[0005] German physicist Hendrik Hertz discovered the photoelectric effect, which uses light to liberate electrons from a solid surface to generate electricity.

[0006] By the mid-1950s, Bell Labs discovered that silicon was more efficient than selenium, producing the first practical solar cells with efficiencies around 6%.

[0007] In the 1970s, rising oil prices and increased demand for solar power led Exxon Corporation to fund research into producing solar cells made from lower quality silicon and cheaper materials.

[0008] Arco Solar built its first solar power plant in Hesperia, California, USA, and gained recognition for generating around 1,000 kilowatts per hour when operating at full capacity.

[0009] In 1995, Thomas Flaude filed a patent application for a retractable sunshade with integrated solar cells for use in recreational vehicles.

[0010] By 2010, power plants in California, USA, generated only 15% of their electricity production from renewable sources. By 2011, total renewable energy production had increased to 27%, with solar power accounting for most of that increase. The efficiency and plummeting price of solar panels contributed to their popularity. The average price of solar power for residential, commercial, and utility-scale projects fell 73% between 2010 and 2016. Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2017. A solar farm near San Luis Obispo, California, USA, is spread across a 7-mile radius. When the sun shines on Topaz Solar Farm, the glowing solar panels generate enough electricity to power all of the homes in a city of nearly 500,000 people.

[0011] These solar power plants naturally create transmission challenges for transmission through the power grid to remote users. Many homes in the Southwest have solar panels installed on their roofs for local use and possible transmission to the power grid.

[0012] A compelling example of the need for practical individual home installations arose from the 2021 winter blackout in Texas, USA. The United States has three power grids: one covering the eastern United States and one covering the western states; the Texas Power Grid covers the entire state. The power grid attracted national attention as extreme energy demand and overloaded, frozen power plants caused widespread blackouts in Texas. Nearly 4.5 million customers were reported to have gone without electricity. Texas was without power for an entire day. Power outage, ushtps: / / poweroutage.us / . Three days later, more than 3.1 million people remained without electricity. Rotating blackouts have become commonplace.

[0013] Utilities have seen the effects of the solar transition. Three privately owned electric utilities in California are reportedly proposing to convert the state to a rooftop solar program, which would result in new connection fees and lower compensation for customers who install panels on their homes. The California Public Utilities Commission acknowledges the growth of the solar industry but believes there is an inequity in customers without rooftop systems paying over $3 billion annually in subsidies to those with rooftop systems. More than one million people have reportedly installed solar panels on their homes thanks to a California program that pays residents for their excess clean electricity. Until now, these installations have represented a barrier to timely access to the underlying roof in emergencies.

[0014] Using solar energy would certainly reduce the need for billions of dollars in additional investment to build or retrofit natural gas-powered power plants, thereby benefiting the economy. In the summer of 2020, California experienced rolling blackouts that left 800,000 homes and businesses without power during a record heat wave, meaning more gas-fired power plants may be needed, even as the state itself tries to move away from fossil fuels.

[0015] The shortage is forcing state regulators to extend the life of older gas-fired power plants in California's Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Redondo Beach, and Oxnard, all of which were scheduled for closure. The closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and several gas-fired power plants further drives the need to incorporate solar energy in California. Therefore, other forms of capturing solar energy are needed.

[0016] The movement toward solar energy has led to a demand for solar panel equipment that is inexpensive to install, convenient to use, and problem-free to operate and repair. Prefabricated solar photovoltaic power sources carried on separate frames for mounting in mobile installations or stationary locations can be cost-effective. A system for fitting together from an adjustable frame is shown in U.S. Patent No. 8,716,889 to Vaidyanathan. While useful for mobile installations, such devices are not suitable for rooftop mounting.

[0017] Electrical grids for distributing electricity over long distances can become overloaded. While helping to reduce the load on the electrical grid, individual rooftop solar panels add complexity to maintaining the roof and the electronics within the panels. Dust and debris often collect underneath the panels. Unbolting and propping up panels to clean underneath poses safety hazards and is time-consuming. Safety concerns arise, particularly in the event of a fire, when firefighters need direct access to the flames by cutting or sawing holes through the roof, as large areas of the roof are covered and inaccessible. The limited access provided by roof-covering panels is a concern for firefighters and insurers, especially when groups of such panels are clustered together over large areas.

[0018] It has been proposed to mount panels on racks that can be elevated and / or tilted for favorable incidence of solar radiation. It has also been proposed to mount such panels in frames so that they can be elevated to access their electronics and the roof below. However, solar panels are relatively heavy, potentially about 20 to 50 pounds per panel, and can be somewhat cumbersome. This, in turn, often presents challenges in lifting or elevating the panels, and workers may be susceptible to back and neck injuries from attempting to manipulate the panels, especially on sloped roofs and the like.

[0019] This problem is exacerbated by steeply pitched roofs and the fact that panels, detached from their frames, can be caught in oncoming winds, acting as sails that expose workers to the dilemma of either letting the wind carry them away and losing the panel, or endangering their own health and safety by clinging to the panel in an attempt to prevent it from detaching and flying free. Panels weighing 20 or 30 pounds pose an undue hazard to workers as well as passersby, whether exposed to the wind and falling to the ground, or even if the worker is holding the panel.

[0020] Workers accessing solar panels, especially on sloped or pitched roofs, are often required to operate in a bent or crouched position, typically bending to one side or the other and placing an uneven load on the back, which strains soft tissue and compresses nerves, especially when lifting the weight of the panels. Props, struts, and frames have been proposed to support solar panels at various selected angles. Workers are still left to manually lift the weight of the panels to access the substrate, thus exposing themselves to personal injury and / or fatigue.

[0021] These problems associated with mounting solar panels on various roof structures have long been recognized. In recognition of these problems, it has been proposed to provide a sub-frame for supporting a solar panel with support struts that adjustably raise one end or side of the sub-frame. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Patent No. 9,038,329 to Pelman. While useful for adjusting the tilt of the panel, such devices still present the challenges and dangers involved in having workers manually lift the panel itself for maintenance, etc., especially when mounted on a sloped or pitched roof. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0022] Other efforts to provide mounting devices for solar panels have led to the proposal of various articulated tracks or frames that can be elevated at one end, the other, or both ends to tilt the panels according to the particular mounting environment. Devices of this type are shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0023867 to Muchow and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0101996 to Mayer. Workers are then forced to climb around the frame, walk on the roof surface, and bend down to access the panels, thus posing a risk of falls and personal injury, exacerbated by the forced lift while bending, possibly pulling to one side, and placing widespread strain on the spine and back discs and soft tissues. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus that provides assistance in lifting panels for repair and maintenance.

[0023] Local fire departments and municipalities have approached the challenge in many different ways. On February 20, 2017, the Belleville News-Democrat published an article recognizing that solar panels, by this time ubiquitous, present new challenges for rooftop solar panels. It's said that one of the first things firefighters do at a structural fire is to shut off the electricity for safety. But what happens when there's no electricity from the grid? How do firefighters ventilate a roof covered in solar panels without getting electrocuted? Is it safe for firefighters in full armor to step on solar panels? According to Fire and Rescue magazine, the answer is no. As solar-powered systems continue to proliferate, the likelihood of firefighters encountering them at structural fires is expected to increase. Therefore, there's a need for viable rooftop solar systems that can be activated to quickly gain access to the underlying roof.

[0024] Local fire departments and municipalities have approached the challenge in many different ways. On February 20, 2017, the Belleville News-Democrat published an article recognizing that solar panels, by this time ubiquitous, present new challenges for rooftop installations. It's said that one of the first things firefighters do at a structural fire is to shut off the electricity for safety. But what happens when there's no electricity from the grid? How do firefighters ventilate a roof covered in solar panels without getting electrocuted? Is it safe for a fully armed firefighter to step on solar panels? (According to Fire and Rescue magazine, the answer is no.) The National Fire Reporting System recognizes that "As solar-powered systems continue to proliferate, the likelihood that firefighters will encounter them at a structural fire increases exponentially." Copyright 2017, the Belleville News-Democrat. Therefore, there is a need for practical rooftop solar systems that can be activated to quickly gain access to the underlying roof. [Means for solving the problem]

[0025] Summary of the Invention The present invention includes a framework having a base associated with one end of the solar panel, and a lifter interposed between the framework and the panel to assist in lifting the panel itself or to further assist in urging one end of the panel into a raised position.

[0026] In some embodiments, workers only need to unlatch and lift one side of the panel under the influence of the lift assist to clean the roof, repair the panel, or access the roof in the unlikely event of a fire.

[0027] The features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a solar panel arrangement embodying the present invention and depicting a row of panels being elevated; FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of a solar panel apparatus embodying the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 showing the various panels being folded over. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, depicting a locked solar panel. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, depicting the solar panel unlocked. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments For the purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made in more detail to the exemplary drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding or similar elements between the different views.

[0030] Typically, previous solar panel devices were mounted on roofs, thus hindering access to the roof for repairs or in the event of a fire when firefighters wanted to roughly drill or cut holes to access the fire. Additionally, workers attempting to access the panels must maneuver on the roof surface, often gripping with the soles of their shoes, especially on sloped roofs, often damaging the roofing, even if it is composite, shake, or cedar shingles.

[0031] The solar panel apparatus of the present invention generally includes a support frame 15 supported on a pole and defining an opening 21 for receiving a solar panel 25. The solar panel 25 has proximal and distal sides and may nest, or alternatively be connected at its proximal side onto one side of the frame 15 and captured by a hinge 27. The proximal side may be associated with the frame so as to nest within a recess or groove, or connected by a latch, or connected by a hinge 27 as shown. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a latching device 29 on the underside of the free end for releasably latching a capture 31 on the frame 15. Those skilled in the art will recognize that attachment to the frame may take many different forms and could also be in the form of a recess in the frame to receive the peripheral edge of the panel, and that the support may be in the form of a spring-loaded kicker attached to the frame to lower from a raised position under the weight of the panel but still provide assistance to the panel.

[0032] The frame 15 may be rectangular to form a rectangular opening 21. One side of the panel 25 may be nested in a groove (not shown) or carried on a hinge 27 incorporating a biasing device such as a coil spring 30 that fits over a hinge rod and has a sufficiently high spring constant to lift the free side of the panel to about 90 degrees without manual assistance when the panel is released from the catch 31. In a preferred embodiment, the catch may be in the form of an open hole formed in the base frame.

[0033] In some embodiments, the spring acting as a biasing device acts as an assist so that only minimal force needs to be applied by the worker to lift the panel.

[0034] For illustrative purposes, applicants will mount inverters 28 on the backside of the free edge of the panel. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, these inverters may take many different forms, such as sting inverters, micro-inverters, power optimizers, etc.

[0035] The frame 15 may be carried on support columns attached to the top of the roof 43 .

[0036] The latching devices 28 may be in the form of spring-loaded rods 32 slidably mounted on the free edges of the respective panels 25 and biased to the right as viewed in Figure 1 by coil springs 46. The right ends of the rods are fitted with diametrically projecting L-shaped latch pins 47 having horizontal legs that align with openings in the respective left ends, and are formed with respective handles 48 for manipulating the rods to latch the pins in respective catches 31 mounted on the frame.

[0037] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the latch may take many different forms, such as a spring-loaded clip, a hook, a crank, etc. In some embodiments, applicant has found the latch unnecessary for performance under calm conditions without being hindered by inclement weather.

[0038] It will be appreciated that in operation, operators may install posts on the roof 43 to support the frames of the various solar panel assemblies in place and orient them in a preferred direction for capturing solar energy.

[0039] The frames may be installed in a desired array across the surface of the roof 43 to position the solar panels in preferred locations and clusters for collecting solar energy. The panels may be closed onto the frames and, in some embodiments, may include latches that latch into place. Then, should the need for roof access arise, for repairs or perhaps for first responders to access the source of a fire, the roof may be cut down, sawed, or otherwise cut through. To release the latches and expose the roof, the free side of each panel may be lifted by grasping the handles 50, all with minimal effort under the influence of the assist springs 46, which help expose the underlying roof. As those skilled in the art will recognize, this release of the latches and lifting of the panels may be accomplished with minimal effort, even with a long-handled tool, to engage releasable fasteners on the handles 48 and / or lifter cleats mounted on the free sides of the panels.

[0040] From the foregoing, it is apparent that the present invention provides an economical and effective solar assembly and method for use in deploying solar panels around the roof of a building and also for easily accessing the electronics on the roof or each panel without excessive strain on workers when lifting and erecting the panels.

[0041] The present invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit and essential characteristics. The described embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. While the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments apparent to those skilled in the art are also within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined solely by reference to the appended claims.

Claims

[Claim 1] a rectangular support frame including base and top cross beams separated by a separation distance, the rectangular support frame including a capture on each side of the base and top cross beams; a solar panel formed with proximal and distal sides, the solar panel having a length greater than the separation distance between a base cross beam and a top cross beam of the rectangular support frame, the solar panel further including a spring-loaded rod slidably mounted on a free edge, the spring-loaded rod carrying L-shaped pins positioned to each engage one capture on the side of the base and top cross beams when the spring-loaded rod moves in a direction parallel to the free edge of the solar panel; a plurality of hinges attaching edges of the solar panel opposite the free edges to the rectangular support frame, at least one of the hinges being located on each base cross beam and at least one of the hinges being located on each top cross beam; a coil spring mounted on the hinge for rotating the solar panel about the hinge, the coil spring having a spring constant sufficient to rotate the free edge of the solar panel into a raised position; whereby rotation of the solar panel about the plurality of hinges is effected when the spring-loaded rod slides longitudinally along the edge of the solar panel opposite the free edge against the bias of a compression spring, causing the L-shaped pins to engage and disengage with their respective captures on the sides of the base and top cross beams to permit rotation of the solar panel.

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