Solar Panel Clamp Assembly for Below-Purlin Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Installing solar panels on post-and-beam structures is cumbersome, dangerous, and costly due to the need for working from above and drilling into purlins, which increases the risk of injury and installation time.
Innovation Solution
A solar panel clamp system featuring left-handed and right-handed clamps with angled structural arms and clamping structures that allow for secure attachment to purlins from below, using anchor elements like angled pins or fins for one-time connections, enabling safe and efficient installation by allowing panels to be positioned and aligned without manual holding during hole drilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solar panels are installed from above the post-and-beam structure using conventional mounting systems, then the solar panels can be securely attached to the purlins, but the installation process becomes arduous, cumbersome, and dangerous, resulting in higher installation costs and increased risk of installer injury
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp system inverts the conventional installation approach by enabling installation from below the purlins rather than from above. The clamps are designed with lower structural arms that engage the purlin underside and upper structural arms that secure the solar panel mounting assembly from below, allowing installers to work safely at ground level while achieving secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the dimensional approach by introducing angled structural arms (e.g., 45-degree angles) that extend both horizontally and vertically. This angular configuration allows the clamp to engage the purlin from below while maintaining secure connection points for the solar panel, transforming the installation from a vertical overhead operation to a horizontal ground-level operation.
2Reliability
If conventional mounting systems are used that require working from above the post-and-beam structure, then solar panels can be attached to purlins, but installation time and costs increase due to the cumbersome nature of the process
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp system incorporates pre-configured angled structural arms and clamping structures that are designed to automatically align with the purlin and solar panel mounting assembly. The lower structural arm with its specific angle and dimensions is pre-engineered to engage the purlin underside, eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures during installation and reducing installation time while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the mounting system by using specific angles (e.g., 45 degrees) for the structural arms. This angular configuration optimizes the mechanical advantage and engagement geometry, allowing for faster installation while ensuring reliable attachment. The standardized angular design simplifies the installation process and reduces the time required for proper positioning and securing.
3Reliability
If installers work from above the post-and-beam structure to attach solar panels, then the solar panels can be mounted securely, but the probability of installer injury increases due to the dangerous working conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp system fundamentally inverts the installation approach by enabling secure mounting from below the purlins rather than requiring workers to position themselves above the structure. The lower structural arms engage the purlin underside, and the upper structural arms secure the solar panel from below, allowing installers to work safely at ground level while achieving the same secure attachment result.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp design incorporates self-aligning features through its angled structural arms and clamping structures that automatically position themselves during installation. The lower structural arm with its specific angle and dimensions self-engages with the purlin underside, reducing the need for manual positioning and minimizing the time installers spend in potentially hazardous positions, thereby improving safety while maintaining mounting security.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment the present invention includes a solar panel clamp system for mounting solar panels on ground-level and raised purlins. Such systems include left-handed and right-hand clamps that can be attached to opposite sides of solar panel assemblies that include mounting frames. Left-handed clamps can attach to the mounting frame of a solar panel and include surfaces that can rest on the top surfaces of purlins and include a lip or shelf surface onto which the right-handed clamps of a mounting frame of a neighboring solar panel can rest to increase the speed and safety of installing solar panels on raised purlins. Through holes in the left-handed and right-handed clamps can then be used as guide holes for drilling into the purlins. The majority of, if not all of, the solar panel installation using the clamps of the present invention can be completed from underneath the raised purlins.