Patent ID: 9425731
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: F16B,F16M,F24S,H01L,H02S,Y02B,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A solar panel rack comprising: at least first and second hollow sheet metal beams arranged side by side and in parallel with each other to define a plane, each hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis; a transverse support comprising two or more notches located in its upper edge; two or more first sheet metal brackets, each first sheet metal bracket having an outer cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to an inner cross-sectional shape of a corresponding notch in the transverse support, having an inner cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to the outer-cross sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned in the corresponding notch in the transverse support, and attached to and supporting the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam at least partially within the corresponding notch in the transverse support, each first sheet metal bracket formed from a single sheet of metal and comprising upper flanges configured to be closed around the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam to capture the hollow sheet metal beam within the first sheet metal bracket; one or more second sheet metal brackets, each second sheet metal bracket having an inner cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to the outer cross-sectional shape of a corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, positioned on and attached to the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, and configured to couple to a solar panel or solar panel assembly to position and attach the solar panel or solar panel assembly to the solar panel rack in a desired location in the plane defined by the hollow sheet metal beams; a third hollow sheet metal beam arranged collinearly with the first or the second hollow sheet metal beam and having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis; and an expandable and collapsible hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, the expandable and collapsible hollow sheet metal beam configured to be bent along predefined bend lines to assume a collapsed configuration, inserted while in the collapsed configuration into adjoining ends of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams, expanded to a configuration having an outer cross-sectional shape conforming to and tightly fitting an internal cross-sectional shape of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams, then attached to both of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams to couple the collinear hollow sheet metal beams to each other.