IP Library Granted Patent US 11,824,357
Granted Patent B2
US 11,824,357 · App. 18/118,581 · Granted Nov 21, 2023

Systems and methods for a mobile micro utility

Inventors: Thomas Buttgenbach (Santa Monica, CA); Finbar Sheehy (San Francisco, CA); Alex Rozkin (Millbrae, CA); Charlie Patton (Del Mar, CA)
Assignee: 8ME NOVA, LLC
H02J3/003H02J3/004H02J3/381H02J2203/10H02J2300/24H02J2300/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,824,357
App. No.
18/118,581
Granted
Nov 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A micro utility system. The micro utility system may include a portable container housing a plurality of pairs of rails on opposing interior faces of walls of the portable container and an energy storage system (ESS); a plurality of portable solar panel structures each comprising two or more solar panels coupled to each other at one end, each of the plurality of portable solar panel structures supported by a different pair of the plurality of pairs of rails; one or more charging port located on an exterior face of a first wall of the portable container and electrically connected to the ESS; and one or more discharging port located on the exterior face of the first wall or an exterior face of a second wall of the portable container and electrically connected to the ESS.

Claims (34)

1. A micro utility system comprising:

a portable container housing a plurality of pairs of rails on opposing interior faces of walls of the portable container and an energy storage system (ESS);

a plurality of portable solar panel structures each comprising two or more solar panels coupled to each other at one end, each of the plurality of portable solar panel structures supported by a different pair of the plurality of pairs of rails;

one or more charging ports located on an exterior face of a first wall of the portable container and electrically connected to the ESS; and

one or more discharging ports located on the exterior face of the first wall or an exterior face of a second wall of the portable container and electrically connected to the ESS.

2. The micro utility system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more discharging ports are located on the exterior face of the second wall opposite the first wall.

3. The micro utility system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of portable solar panel structures is coupled to at least two wheels at a distal end of the portable solar panel structure.

4. The micro utility system of claim 3 , wherein the at least two wheels are removably or foldably coupled to the portable solar panel structure, and wherein each of the plurality of pairs of rails is spaced apart from another of the plurality of pairs of rails by a distance set such that each of the plurality of portable solar panel structures can be inserted into the portable container with the two wheels removed or folded towards the portable solar panel structure.

5. The micro utility system of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of pairs of rails is spaced apart from another of the plurality of pairs of rails by the distance set such that at least one of the plurality of portable solar panel structures cannot be inserted into the portable container with the at least two wheels of the portable solar panel structure attached to the portable solar panel structure in a position substantially perpendicular to the portable solar panel structure.

6. The micro utility system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second portable solar panel structure electrically connected to a charging port of the one or more charging ports and supplying energy to the ESS through the charging port.

7. The micro utility system of claim 1 , wherein a load is electrically connected to a discharging port of the one or more discharging ports and receiving energy from the ESS through the discharging port.

8. The micro utility system of claim 1 , further comprising an air conditioning unit attached on an exterior surface of the portable container.

9. The micro utility system of claim 1 , further comprising an air conditioning unit attached on an interior surface of the portable container.

10. The micro utility system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a processor coupled to memory and configured by machine-readable instructions to direct electrical energy from a portable solar panel structure or the ESS through a discharging port of the one or more discharging ports to a load connected to the discharging port.

11. The micro utility system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pairs of rails are affixed, vertically adjacent to each other, to interior faces of opposing walls.

12. The micro utility system of claim 1 , wherein the portable container is a shipping container.

13. The micro utility system of claim 1 , wherein the ESS is mounted to a frame affixed to opposing interior faces of walls of the portable container and between a proximal end and a distal end of the portable container.

14. The micro utility system of claim 1 , wherein a first set of cables electrically connect the ESS to the one or more charging ports and a second set of cables electrically connect the ESS to the one or more discharging ports.

15. A micro utility system comprising:

a plurality of portable solar panel structures each comprising two or more solar panels coupled to each other at one end, wherein each of the plurality of portable solar panel structures is coupled to at least two wheels at a distal end of the portable solar panel structure; and

a portable container housing a plurality of pairs of rails on opposing interior walls of the portable container and an energy storage system (ESS), each of the plurality of portable solar panel structures supported by a different pair of the plurality of pairs of rails.

16. The micro utility system of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of pairs of rails is spaced apart from another of the plurality of pairs of rails by a distance set such that each of the plurality of portable solar panel structures can be inserted into the portable container with the two wheels of the portable solar panel structure removed or folded towards the portable solar panel structure but at least one of the plurality of portable solar panel structures cannot be inserted into the portable container with the two wheels attached to the portable solar panel structure in a position substantially perpendicular to the portable solar panel structure.

17. A portable container, comprising:

a plurality of walls;

an energy storage system (ESS) located within the portable container;

one or more charging ports located on an exterior surface of a first wall of the plurality of walls and electrically connected to the ESS; and

one or more discharging ports located on the exterior surface of the first wall or an exterior surface of a second wall of the plurality of walls and electrically connected to the ESS,

wherein the ESS is mounted to a frame affixed to opposing interior faces of the plurality of walls of the portable container and between a proximal end and a distal end of the portable container.

18. The portable container of claim 17 , wherein a load is electrically connected to a discharging port of the one or more discharging ports and receiving energy from the ESS through the discharging port.

19. The portable container of claim 17 , further comprising:

a first plurality of pairs of rails on opposing interior walls on a first side of the portable container; and

a second plurality of pairs of rails on opposing interior walls on a second side of the portable container, the first side of the portable container separated from the second side of the portable container by the frame affixed to opposing interior faces of the plurality of walls of the portable container.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2025
From: PATTON, CHARLIE; 1ST AVENUE CAPITAL GROUP, LLC
To: 1ST AVENUE NOVA, LLC
Reel/Frame 072006/0194 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2025
From: ROZKIN, ALEX
To: 1ST AVENUE NOVA, LLC
Reel/Frame 072006/0327 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2024
From: 8ME NOVA, LLC
To: 1ST AVENUE NOVA, LLC
Reel/Frame 068723/0860 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2023
From: BUTTGENBACH, THOMAS; SHEEHY, FINBAR
To: 8ME NOVA, LLC
Reel/Frame 064500/0078 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2023
From: 1ST AVENUE CAPITAL LLC
To: AVANTUS LLC
Reel/Frame 064500/0262 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2023
From: ROZKIN, ALEX
To: AVANTUS LLC
Reel/Frame 064500/0133 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2023
From: AVANTUS LLC
To: 8ME NOVA, LLC
Reel/Frame 064500/0175 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 17978080 · Oct 31, 2022
Continuation 17850502 · Jun 27, 2022
Continuation 17697665 · Mar 17, 2022
Provisional Application 63235278 · Aug 20, 2021
Related Publication 20230275430A1 · Aug 31, 2023
Cited By (2)
US 12,244,147 US 12,603,498