IP Library Granted Patent US 11,594,998
Granted Patent B1
US 11,594,998 · App. 15/971,751 · Granted Feb 28, 2023

Systems and methods for mounting solar panels

Inventors: John Kapla (San Jose, CA); Kyle Feldmann (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
H02S20/23H02S30/00Y02B10/10
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,594,998
App. No.
15/971,751
Granted
Feb 28, 2023
Kind
B1
Abstract

Mounting a solar panel system includes installing a skirt to a roof in a predetermined position, the predetermined position guiding an alignment for additional components installed in the solar panel system; integrating a solar panel with a flange of the skirt, wherein the skirt supports a portion of the solar panel; determining if a width of the solar panel system will be increased; installing an additional skirt to which an additional solar panel is attached in response to determining that the width of the solar panel system will be increased; determining if a length of the solar panel system will be increased; and integrating an additional solar panel with a flange of a previously installed solar panel via a mount interface in response to determining that the length of the solar panel system will be increased.

Claims (38)

1. A method for mounting a solar panel system to a roof, comprising:

installing one or more skirts to the roof in a predetermined position, the predetermined position guiding an alignment for additional components installed in the solar panel system;

integrating a solar panel with a flange of each of the one or more skirts, wherein the one or more skirts respectively support a portion of the solar panel;

determining if a width of the solar panel system will be increased;

installing an additional skirt to which an additional solar panel is attached in response to determining that the width of the solar panel system will be increased;

determining if a length of the solar panel system will be increased; and

integrating an additional solar panel with a flange of a previously installed solar panel via a mount interface in response to determining that the length of the solar panel system will be increased,

wherein the mount interface includes a mounting flange, a 5-clip, a slotted lock, and a clamp,

wherein the 5-clip and mounting flange are configured to directly contact a lip of the installed solar panel,

wherein the mount interface structurally supports the installed solar panel via the mounting flange,

wherein the mount interface is configured to be attached to the roof via the clamp,

wherein the lip of the installed solar panel includes an upper lip and a lower lip, the 5-clip is configured to contact in a snap-fit engagement with a bottom surface of the upper lip,

wherein an upper surface of the mounting flange is configured to contact a bottom surface of the lower lip and a lower surface of the mounting flange, opposite the upper surface, is positioned within the slotted lock which allows sliding movement of the lower surface of the mounting flange within the slotted lock,

wherein the mounting flange includes a planar surface with two directly opposing faces continuously extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, and the planar surface extends substantially from the upper surface to the lower surface at an inclined angle, and

wherein the 5-clip is configured to directly contact the additional solar panel to secure the additional solar panel in a position adjacent the installed solar panel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein installing the additional skirt includes bridging the additional skirt with a previously installed skirt.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the skirts are bridged via a splicing component.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein installing the additional solar panel to increase the width includes bridging the additional solar panel with a previously installed solar panel.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the solar panels are bridged via a splicing component.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a mounting flange provides structural attachment between the roof and the solar panel.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the mounting flange is secured via a cam lever, wherein the cam lever is configured to clamp the mounting flange without additional tools.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mount interface is configure to reduce a number of structural attachments of the solar panel system.

9. A solar panel system, comprising:

one or more skirts secured to a roof on which the solar panel system is being installed, wherein a solar panel is integrated with each skirt via a skirt interface; and

a mount interface for each installed solar panel, the mount interface including a mounting flange, a 5-clip, a slotted lock, and a clamp,

wherein the 5-clip and mounting flange are configured to directly contact a lip of the installed solar panel,

wherein the mount interface structurally supports the installed solar panel via the mounting flange,

wherein the mount interface is configured to be attached to the roof via the clamp,

wherein the lip of the installed solar panel includes an upper lip and a lower lip, the 5-clip is configured to contact in a snap-fit engagement with a bottom surface of the upper lip,

wherein an upper surface of the mounting flange is configured to contact a bottom surface of the lower lip and a lower surface of the mounting flange, opposite the upper surface, is positioned within the slotted lock which allows sliding movement of the lower surface of the mounting flange within the slotted lock,

wherein the mounting flange includes a planar surface with two directly opposing faces continuously extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, and the planar surface extends substantially from the upper surface to the lower surface at an inclined angle, and

wherein the 5-clip is configured to directly contact an additional solar panel to secure the additional solar panel in a position adjacent the installed solar panel.

10. The solar panel system of claim 9 , wherein the skirt interface is configured to align the solar panel system.

11. The solar panel system of claim 9 , wherein the mounting flange is clamped via a cam lever, wherein the cam lever is configured to secure the mounting flange without additional tools.

12. The solar panel system of claim 9 , wherein the 5-clip and mounting flange are installed via a first predetermined installation technique.

13. The solar panel system of claim 9 , wherein the additional solar panel is secured via the 5-clip in response to a second predetermined installation technique, the additional solar panel increasing a length of the solar panel system.

14. The solar panel system of claim 9 , wherein the mount interface is configured to bridge solar panels in a row of solar panels.

15. The solar panel system of claim 14 , wherein the mounting flange is a bridge providing structural attachment between installed solar panels.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2025
From: SUNPOWER CORPORATION; SUNPOWER CORPORATION, SYSTEMS
To: UNIRAC, INC.
Reel/Frame 071302/0904 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2025
From: SUNPOWER CORPORATION,
To: UNIRAC, INC.
Reel/Frame 070704/0860 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2024
From: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
To: UNIRAC, INC.
Reel/Frame 069584/0419 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 14, 2024
From: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
To: GLAS AMERICAS LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066598/0964 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2022
From: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 061422/0566 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2021
From: KAPLA, JOHN; FELDMANN, KYLE
To: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057822/0170 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 62526072 · Jun 28, 2017
Cited By (4)
US 12,218,622 US 12,587,128 US 12,597,880 US 12,627,252