Adjustable mounting assembly for standing seam panels

Abstract

An adjustable mounting assembly ( 70 a/ 70 b ) for installing solar cell modules ( 58 ) on a building surface ( 34 ) is disclosed. The mounting assembly ( 70 a/ 70 b ) includes a mounting device ( 74 ), a stud ( 114 ) that may be threaded to the mounting device ( 74 ), a clamping member ( 142 ) that may be positioned on the stud ( 114 ), and a nut ( 128 ) that may be threaded onto the stud ( 114 ) to secure the clamping member ( 142 ) to the mounting device ( 74 ). A nut ( 126 ) is fixed to the stud ( 114 ) at an intermediate location along its length. This fixed nut ( 126 ) may be used to tighten the stud ( 114 ) to a mounting device ( 74 ), and furthermore may be positioned such that the stud ( 114 ) does not extend into a slot ( 90 ) of the mounting device ( 74 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A solar cell module mounting assembly, comprising:
 a clamping member comprising a base and first and second clamping legs that are disposed in opposing relation and that extend upwardly from said base;   a stud comprising first and second stud ends, wherein said stud extends though said base of said clamping member;   a first nut threaded onto said first end of said stud and engaged with a first side of said base of said clamping member; and   a second nut positioned on said stud on a second side of said base of said clamping member, wherein said second nut is spaced from said second stud end, and wherein said stud extends upwardly from said base of said clamping member to said first stud end.   
     
     
         2 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said clamping member is positionable between a pair of adjacently disposed solar cell modules. 
     
     
         3 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second clamping legs are adapted to simultaneously engage first and second solar cell modules, respectively, that are adjacently disposed. 
     
     
         4 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said stud comprises first and second threaded sections, wherein said second nut is located between said first and second threaded sections, wherein said first threaded section extends from said first stud end toward said second nut, and wherein said second threaded section extends from said second stud end toward said second nut. 
     
     
         5 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said second nut is fixed to said stud. 
     
     
         6 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising an unthreaded section between said second nut and said first threaded section. 
     
     
         7 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 4 , further comprising an unthreaded section between said second nut and said first threaded section. 
     
     
         8 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said second nut is fixed to said stud. 
     
     
         9 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising an unthreaded section extending from said second nut toward said first stud end, wherein said first nut is positionable anywhere between said first stud end and said unthreaded section. 
     
     
         10 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an unthreaded section extending from said second nut toward said first nut end, wherein said first nut is positionable anywhere between said first stud end and said unthreaded section. 
     
     
         11 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a threaded section extending from said first stud end toward said second nut is at least about 1.5 inches long. 
     
     
         12 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said stud comprises a first threaded section that extends from said first stud end toward said second stud end, wherein said clamping member may be disposed at any location along said first threaded section. 
     
     
         13 . The mounting assembly of  claim 12 , wherein disposing said clamping member at different locations along said first threaded section accommodates clamping solar cell modules of different thicknesses with said solar cell module mounting assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a removable mounting plate, wherein said stud extends through said mounting plate, and wherein said mounting plate is located between said second nut and said second stud end. 
     
     
         15 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said mounting plate has a surface area of at least about 5 in. 2 . 
     
     
         16 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second nuts engage said first and second sides, respectively, of said base of said clamping member, respectively, when said solar cell module mounting assembly is in a first clamping configuration, and wherein said first nut engages said first side of said base of said clamping member and said second nut is spaced from said base of said clamping member when said solar cell module mounting assembly is in a second clamping configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said clamping member is at least generally U-shaped, and wherein said stud extends into an open space between said first and second clamping legs of said clamping member when said clamping member is positioned on said stud via said first stud end. 
     
     
         18 . The solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a third nut threaded onto said first stud end, wherein said first and third nuts engage said first and second sides, respectively, of said base of said clamping member, and wherein said third nut is located between said first and second nuts along said stud. 
     
     
         19 . A building assembly comprising the solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1  and a first solar cell module, wherein said first clamping leg of said clamping member engages said first solar cell module, and wherein said second clamping leg of said clamping member is unused. 
     
     
         20 . A building assembly comprising the solar cell module mounting assembly of  claim 1 , a first solar cell module, and a second solar cell module, wherein said first clamping leg of said clamping member engages said first solar cell module, and wherein said second clamping leg of said clamping member engages said second solar cell module.