Apparatus and method for securing solar panel cells to a support frame

Abstract

A clamp assembly for clamping one or more solar panel cells to a supporting frame rail. The clamp assembly may have a clamp body, an insert and a fastener. The clamp body may have a neck portion and a pair of shoulders extending generally perpendicular to the neck portion. The shoulders may be adapted to overlay edges of a pair of adjacently positioned solar panel cells resting on a frame rail. The insert may be sized to be inserted into the neck portion, with the insert having a plurality of teeth formed along its length. The insert may be captured within the neck portion of the clamp body so as to be non-removable therefrom, but still able to be rotated within the clamp body. The threaded fastener may be pressed into the insert and captured by the teeth, and then once a head portion thereof is positioned within a channel of the frame rail, the insert may be rotated to tighten the fastener and clamp the edges of the pair of solar panel cells to the frame rail.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A clamp assembly comprising:
 a clamp body having a head portion, a neck portion, and at least one shoulder projecting laterally from the head portion;   a tubular insert adapted to be inserted within the clamp body, the insert including a tooth;   a threaded fastener threadably inserted into the insert to engage the tooth, the fastener including an enlarged head portion sized to fit within a channel of a frame rail; and   rotation of the insert operating to threadably advance the insert onto the fastener, and draw the at least one shoulder against an edge of a solar panel frame to clamp the solar panel frame against the frame rail.   
     
     
         3 . The clamp assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the insert comprises a plurality of spaced apart teeth for threadably engaging the threaded fastener. 
     
     
         4 . The clamp assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the enlarged head portion of the threaded fastener forms a T-shape in connection with a shaft portion of the threaded fastener, the enlarged head portion being sized to be captured within the channel of the frame rail after rotating a degree in response to initial rotational movement of the insert. 
     
     
         5 . The clamp assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the insert includes a head portion having a plurality of upstanding bendable tabs that each receive a rotational force to cause rotation of the insert, and which bend into a flattened state when a predetermined rotational force being applied thereto is exceeded. 
     
     
         6 . The clamp assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the head portion of the clamp body includes a recess within which the head portion of the insert rests. 
     
     
         7 . The clamp assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the clamp body includes a first hole for receiving the insert therethrough, and a second hole for receiving a threaded shaft of the threaded fastener, the first and second holes further being longitudinally aligned with one another. 
     
     
         8 . The clamp assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the head portion of the clamp body includes an additional shoulder that extends in a direction opposite to the shoulder, such that the shoulder, the additional shoulder and the neck portion cooperatively form a T-shape. 
     
     
         9 . A clamp assembly comprising:
 a clamp body having a head portion, a neck portion and a pair of shoulders extending generally perpendicular to the neck portion, the shoulders adapted to overlay edges of a pair of adjacently positioned solar panel cells resting on a frame rail;   the clamp body including a pair of aligned holes;   an insert sized to be inserted through a first one of the aligned holes and into the neck portion through a first one of the holes, the insert having at least one tooth formed along its length, and   a threaded fastener adapted to be inserted through a second one of the pair of aligned holes and pressed into the insert, and captured by the at least one tooth, the fastener having a head portion adapted to be captured within a channel of the frame rail such that rotation of the insert enables the insert to be threadably advanced onto the fastener, to thus enable the shoulders of the clamp body to be drawn against the edges of the pair of solar panel cells, to thus clamp the solar panel cells to the frame rail.   
     
     
         10 . The clamp assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the insert includes a plurality of teeth formed thereon for grasping the threaded fastener when the insert is pushed onto the threaded fastener. 
     
     
         11 . The clamp assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the insert includes a head portion having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, bendable tabs that are engaged with an external tool that applies a rotational torque to the insert, and wherein the bendable tabs bend into a flattened orientation with the head portion of the insert when a predetermined rotational torque is exceeded by the external tool. 
     
     
         12 . The clamp assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the head portion of the clamp body includes a recess for housing the head portion of the insert, and wherein the tabs rest generally flush with a surface of the head portion of the clamp body when the tabs are bent into their flattened condition. 
     
     
         13 . The clamp assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the fastener includes a threaded shaft portion, and wherein the threaded shaft portion and the head portion of the threaded fastener cooperatively form a T-shape. 
     
     
         14 . The clamp assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the shoulders each include a plurality of serrations. 
     
     
         15 . The clamp assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the head portion of the threaded fastener is sized relative to the channel such that it may be inserted into the channel when orientated parallel to a longitudinal axis of the channel, and then captured within the channel when rotated a degree to extend non-parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         16 . The clamp assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the clamp body includes a first one of the holes in the head portion of the clamp body and second one of the holes at a lower end of the clamp body. 
     
     
         17 . A clamp assembly for clamping portions of a pair of solar panels to a frame rail, where the frame rail includes a longitudinally extending channel, the clamp assembly including:
 a clamp body having a head portion and a neck portion, the head portion further including a pair of shoulder portions extending laterally of the neck portion;   a tubular insert adapted to be inserted along a portion of its length into the clamp body, the insert including a plurality of teeth formed along a tubular body portion thereon, and a head portion with at least one tab that is engageable within an external tool to permit the tool to drive the insert rotationally;   a fastener having a threaded shaft and a head portion of dimensions permitting the head portion to be inserted into the channel of the frame rail in a first orientation and captured within the channel when rotated to a second orientation; and   the fastener able to be pushed into the tubular body portion of the insert, and then the insert rotated using the external tool to draw the insert threadably onto the fastener, to clamp the solar panels between the shoulders and the frame rail.   
     
     
         18 . The clamp assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the clamp body includes a pair of aligned holes, a first one of the pair of aligned holes receiving the insert therein. 
     
     
         19 . The clamp assembly of  claim 18 , wherein a second one of the pair of aligned holes receives the fastener therein. 
     
     
         20 . The clamp assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the clamp body includes a recess formed in the head portion of the clamp body, the recess receiving thereon the head portion of the insert.