Corrugated washer for use with a corrugated L-foot mounting bracket for mounting solar panels to a roof
A corrugated washer for use with a corrugated L-foot mounting bracket and a structural mounting rail prevents vertical shear at the joint between the rail and the corrugated L-foot bracket when mounting photovoltaic modules (i.e., solar panels) to a roof of a building or other structure. The design locks the T-bolt from falling off the rail slot, and always aligns the T-bolt in the correct orientation and prevents back-rotation. The corrugations on the washer and L-foot help for making height adjustments, too.
1. A corrugated washer, comprising:
a plate with an aperture, the plate having a first corrugated surface, wherein first corrugations of the first corrugated surface extend parallel to each other and are shaped to engage with second corrugations of a second corrugated surface of an L-foot bracket; and
a pair of prongs that protrude outwards from the plate on a face that is opposite the first corrugated surface,
wherein the pair of prongs include a first prong and a second prong, and
wherein the first prong is located at approximately a vertical center of the corrugated washer and the second prong is located below the first prong in a vertical direction.
2. The corrugated washer of claim 1 , wherein the prongs are shaped to retain the washer when the washer is inserted into a slot.
3. The corrugated washer of claim 2 , wherein each prong has a retaining shoulder for retaining the washer in the slot.
4. The corrugated washer of claim 1 , wherein distal ends of the prongs extend completely outwards to an outer width of the plate.
5. The corrugated washer of claim 1 , further comprising a gap in the prongs that provides access to the aperture for a rhomboid-shaped head of a T-bolt to pass through.
6. The corrugated washer of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is rhomboid-shaped, with a rhomboid angle that ranges from 0 to 45 degrees, selected so that a T-bolt with a mating rhomboid-shaped head is secured in a slot.
7. The corrugated washer of claim 6 , wherein the rhomboid angle is 20 degrees.
8. The corrugated washer of claim 1 , wherein the plate is rectangular.
9. The corrugated washer of claim 1 , wherein the first corrugations protrude outwardly or inwardly from only one face of the plate in a direction perpendicular to the plate.
10. The corrugated washer of claim 1 , wherein the corrugations protrude from one face of the plate in a perpendicular direction.
11. A washer configured to pair with an L-foot bracket having a non-planar surface and being interposed between the L-foot bracket and a rail, the washer comprising:
a plate having a corrugated surface and an aperture therethrough, corrugations of the corrugated surface extending parallel to each other, and the corrugations being shaped to engage with the non-planar surface of the L-foot bracket; and
a pair of prongs that protrude outwards from the plate on a face that is opposite from the corrugated surface from which the corrugations protrude, the prongs being shaped to retain the washer on the rail when the prongs are inserted into a slot of the rail.
12. The washer of claim 11 , wherein distal ends of the prongs extend completely outwards to an outer width of the plate.
13. The washer of claim 11 , further comprising a gap in the prongs that provides access to the aperture for a rhomboid-shaped head of a T-bolt to pass through.
14. The washer of claim 11 , wherein the aperture is rhomboid-shaped, with a rhomboid angle that ranges from 0 to 45 degrees, selected so that a T-bolt with a mating rhomboid-shaped head is secured in a slot such that the T-bolt is prevented from back-rotating.
15. The washer of claim 14 , wherein the rhomboid angle is 20 degrees.
16. The washer of claim 11 , wherein the plate is rectangular.
17. The washer of claim 11 , wherein the corrugations protrude outwardly or inwardly from only one face of the plate in a direction perpendicular to the plate.
18. The washer of claim 11 , wherein each prong has a retaining shoulder for retaining the washer in the slot.
19. The washer of claim 11 , wherein the pair of prongs are symmetrical.