Patent ID: 9182153
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: F24S,Y02E,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A ball bearing tracker assembly, for solar tracking, the ball bearing assembly comprising: a housing including a top rim, the top rim of the housing having a generally circular opening, wherein the circular opening provides access to a generally spherical hollow chamber within the housing, the circular opening dimensioned for receiving a substantially rounded orb within the spherical chamber, the orb further including a solid elliptical shaft attached to a first portion of the orb, on a section of the orb not enclosed within the housing, whereby the elliptical shaft emerges beyond the circular opening of the rim when a second portion of the orb is housed within the spherical chamber, the elliptical shaft further attaches the orb to a plate on which is mounted one or more panels for solar tracking, the shaft includes an oval cross section having a major axis and a minor axis, whereby the major axis of the shaft generally directs the navigation of the plate along a north-south angular translation and the minor axis of the shaft generally directs the navigation of the plate along an east-west angular translation, the shaft is dimensioned so that each of the minor and major axes are of a sufficient length to clear the housing when the plate is at full angular translation in any of the north, south, east or west directions; and a plurality of ball bearings within the spherical chamber of the housing, whereby the ball bearings are displaced to surround a second portion of the orb when the orb is housed within the spherical chamber, the ball bearings arranged between the housing and the second portion of the orb support and surround the orb to provide low friction rotation and angular translation of the orb within the spherical chamber when the assembly is engaged in solar tracking.