Solar panel rooftop mounting and grounding device

摘要

Disclosed is a device for securing, mounting, aligning, and grounding solar panels to a roof mounted rail. The device in combination with a t-bolt, a nut, and a solar panel end-clamp or mid-clamp, secure, mount, align, and ground the solar panels to the roof mounted rail. The device can be inserted into the top of the rail anywhere along its length. After the device and t-bolt are inserted in the rail, the t-bolt rotated so it inserts into a slot at the bottom of the rail thereby securing the device to the rail, assuring the proper orientation of the t-bolt, and preventing further rotation of the t-bolt.

主权项

1. An apparatus for mounting solar panels to rails, including:
a t-bolt including a t-bolt body, and a t-bolt head, and the t-bolt head includes a t-bolt head planar bottom surface with the t-bolt body projecting perpendicularly therefrom; a mounting device including a planar top surface, a planar bottom surface, a first portion with first portion parallel sides projecting vertically upward out of the planar top surface, a second portion with second portion parallel sides projecting vertically downward out of the planar bottom surface and aligned over and along the first portion parallel sides, an aperture passing through the first portion and the second portion, and a slot in the second portion cutting transversely across and through the second portion parallel sides and aligned over the aperture; the t-bolt, and the mounting device configurable into a first position where the t-bolt body passes through the aperture, the t-bolt head planar bottom surface engages flushly against the slot, and the t-bolt is rotationally captive within the slot; the planar top surface is divided by the first portion into a first top surface portion and a second top surface portion; a first grounding pin and a second grounding pin; the first grounding pin projecting through the first top surface portion and the planar bottom surface; and the second grounding pin projecting through the second top surface portion and the planar bottom surface.