Roof Mount with Embedded Circuit for Remote Installation Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and complexity of solar panel installation, particularly due to the need for specialized training and professional installation, lead to increased expenses and safety concerns, as consumers lack expertise in mounting systems and may install panels incorrectly.
Innovation Solution
A mounting system that allows for safe and proper installation of solar panels without professional assistance, featuring a base with embedded circuit components and a pressure washer mechanism that ensures correct lag bolt insertion and electrical pathway creation, enabling remote detection of proper installation and reducing the need for site-specific engineering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If professional installers are required to ensure safe and proper installation, then installation safety and quality are improved, but installation costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system enables DIY installation through self-aligning components. The L-bracket with pre-configured holes and the extension tube with corresponding alignment features allow consumers to install solar panels themselves without professional assistance, while maintaining installation safety through the objective alignment mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary verification mechanism (electrical continuity test through the lag bolt connection) that objectively confirms proper installation. This mediator replaces the need for professional judgment with a simple, objective test that ensures safety without requiring expert knowledge
2Manufacturing precision
If professional installers are required for solar panel installation, then installation quality is improved, but overall installation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed for consumer self-installation with clear alignment features and simple connection mechanisms. The L-bracket and extension tube automatically align through their geometric features, eliminating the need for professional installers and reducing installation costs while maintaining quality through objective alignment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback through electrical continuity verification. The test light or multimeter reading provides immediate feedback to the installer whether the lag bolt has been properly inserted and is making correct contact, ensuring installation quality without requiring professional expertise
3Ease of manufacture
If consumers attempt to install solar panels without professional assistance, then installation costs are reduced, but installation safety and correctness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical continuity test acts as an intermediary safety verification mechanism. It objectively confirms that the lag bolt is properly inserted and making correct contact with the wooden beam, providing safety assurance without requiring professional knowledge or supervision
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables consumers to perform their own installation with built-in guidance through the alignment features and verification mechanism. The geometric alignment of the L-bracket and extension tube provides self-correcting guidance that ensures safe installation even without professional assistance
4Adaptability or versatility
If traditional mounting methods with multiple components are used, then mounting flexibility is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components. The L-bracket combines mounting hole alignment and structural support functions. The extension tube integrates the electrical conduit pathway and structural extension. The cap seals both the electrical connection and structural opening, reducing the total number of components while maintaining flexibility
Data Source
AI summary
A mount for support of a component on a surface is provided. A base includes a bottom adapted to be supported on the surface, a circuit component, and a data pathway extending from the circuit component. A compressible component is mounted above the base and in electrical contact with the data pathway of the base, the compressible component having an uncompressed state in which the circuit component is not electrically accessible through the compressible component, and a compressed state in which a data pathway is formed through the compressible component such that the data pathway of the base is electrically accessible through the compressible component. The compressible component is adapted to transition from the uncompressed state to the compressed state in response to a lag bolt passing through the compressible component and base and applying sufficient downward pressure to secure the base to the surface.