Collapsible Solar Panel Support Frame for Precise Roof Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar panel support systems are costly, labor-intensive, structurally inferior, and mechanically complicated, requiring skilled labor for precise installation, which can lead to misalignment and damage to the panels or the substrate, especially on roofs with varying support parameters.
Innovation Solution
A bi-directional support system with a profiled rail and bolt connectors allows for adjustable attachment to a support joist, enabling easy assembly and precise configuration of solar panels without specialized brackets, accommodating various panel sizes and temperatures, and facilitating easy installation and removal on different substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional support systems use off-the-shelf metal framing channels with C-shaped cross-section and multiple components, then the system can be assembled on-site, but the assembly becomes costly, labor-intensive, and mechanically complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (C-shaped channels, tilt brackets, bolts, nuts, and plates) into a single integrated extruded support member with a complex cross-sectional geometry that incorporates all these elements, eliminating the need for on-site assembly of multiple parts
Solution Approach 2:
The extruded support member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, enables tilting adjustment, facilitates panel attachment, and allows for on-site configurability, all within a single component design
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional support systems require meticulous on-site assembly by skilled labor, then precise alignment can be achieved, but installation becomes labor-intensive and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The support members are designed with pre-formed features (slots, channels, and geometric configurations) that guide alignment during installation, eliminating the need for skilled labor to achieve precise alignment while maintaining high installation efficiency
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional support systems use fixed spacing configurations, then assembly is simplified, but adaptability to various panel sizes and spacing requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The extruded support members incorporate slots and channels that allow for adjustable positioning of panels at various spacings, enabling the system to adapt to different panel sizes and configurations while maintaining a relatively simple single-component structure
Data Source
AI summary
Precise parameters are maintained in a support system for solar panels or other panel-like structures through use of a collapsible folding, support frame which is preassembled to precise tolerances at a convenient staging site before being collapsed for shipment. Installation on flat roofs is also facilitated through the use of a roof interface frame which rotatably supports the panel support frame of the support system and folds along with it at the assembly, staging site.