Solar Panel Mounting Rail With Dual Locking for Wind Uplift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rail-less solar panel mounting systems face challenges with height-adjustment mechanisms, which can be difficult to access due to the position of solar panels and mounting hardware, and are prone to uplift forces during windstorms.
Innovation Solution
A solar panel mounting device with a height-adjuster and a dual-locking mechanism, where the height-adjuster is separate from the dual-locking mechanism and positioned on opposing sides of the center-line, allowing for easy adjustment and providing a stabilizing secondary support surface, enabling independent locking of height and sliding adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a height-adjustment mechanism is integrated into the center of the mounting device, then structural compactness is improved, but accessibility for adjustment becomes difficult due to solar panel position
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device is divided into separate functional components: the height-adjuster mechanism is positioned at one end of the rail while the dual-locking mechanism is positioned at the other end. This segmentation allows each mechanism to be independently accessed and operated without interference from the solar panel position, resolving the accessibility issue while maintaining structural organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanisms are positioned along the lengthwise direction of the rail rather than being concentrated at the center. This spatial redistribution in one dimension (along the rail length) provides better accessibility from the end of the rail, eliminating the need to access mechanisms from beneath or behind the solar panel.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the height-adjuster is positioned along the center-line of the mounting hardware, then structural symmetry is improved, but adjustment accessibility after panel installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The design intentionally breaks the center-line symmetry by positioning the height-adjuster and dual-locking mechanism at opposite ends of the rail. This asymmetric arrangement prioritizes operational accessibility, allowing installers to reach the adjustment mechanisms from the end of the rail without needing to access the area beneath or behind the installed solar panel.
3Device complexity
If a rail-less mounting system is used to simplify installation, then system complexity is reduced, but uplift resistance during windstorms becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two distinct mechanisms into a single rail-less mounting device: a height-adjuster for vertical positioning and a dual-locking mechanism for securing the assembly. This merging maintains the simplicity of rail-less installation while adding the reliability of positive locking to resist uplift forces during windstorms.
Solution Approach 2:
The height-adjuster mechanism provides dynamic adjustability, allowing the mounting device to be positioned at different heights along the rail. This dynamic capability enables optimization of both installation simplicity and wind resistance by allowing the system to be configured for specific site conditions while maintaining the fundamental simplicity of the rail-less approach.
4Device complexity
If height-adjustment and sliding adjustment are combined in a single mechanism, then device simplicity is improved, but independent control of height and position becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device separates the height-adjustment function and the sliding adjustment function into two distinct mechanisms: the height-adjuster for vertical positioning and the dual-locking mechanism for horizontal positioning. This segmentation allows each function to be independently controlled and adjusted without interfering with the other, improving operational ease while maintaining overall device simplicity through functional specialization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution prevents upward movement of solar panels during windstorms, simplifies the adjustment process, and provides additional stability, enhancing the overall installation efficiency and reliability of the mounting system.
Implementation Method 1
The height-adjustment mechanism threadably engages a portion of the upper assembly causing it to separate and extend upward from the base and the roof
Data Source
AI summary
A solar panel mounting device that allows for position adjustment along a base mountable to a roof surface and height-adjustment relative to the roof surface. The solar panel mounting device includes a height-adjuster and a dual-locking mechanism separate from the height-adjuster. The dual-locking mechanism acts as a guide surface during level adjustment and can separately lock the position adjustment and height-adjustment upper limit.