Abstract:
A solar panel installation tool, with coarse and fine position adjustment. The tool fits on a mounting rail installed on a roof, and supports the solar panel along its bottom side. A panel support bracket on the tool is adjusted to align the solar panel with the roof edge. The tool can be removed after the solar panel is bolted into place on the rack.

Description:
PRIORITY/CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/060,908, filed Oct. 7, 2014 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The presently disclosed technology relates to a tool for use in mounting solar panels, and more specifically, a tool for mounting solar panels so that the bottom edges of solar panels align perfectly. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A common way to mount solar panels on a structure is by using mounting rails. The structure can be a steel frame which stands alone on posts, or the structure can be the roof of a building, the wall of a building, or the roof or walls of mobile structures such as RVs or vehicles. The example of solar panels which are mounted on the roof of a structure will be used for convenience, but is not meant to limit the claimed technology. Solar panels are typically rectangular and are mounted on mounting rails. The mounting rails are generally not perfectly parallel with the edge of the roof line. Some mounting rails have waves and curves and are not even close to being parallel with any straight line on the roof. Ideally, the rails would be perfectly parallel with a straight line of the roof, such as the bottom edge of the roof, the top edge of the roof, or the side of the roof. In reality, the rails are not perfectly parallel with the roof edge and they are not even parallel with each other. 
     The problem is when an array of rectangular solar panels is placed edge to edge on a roof; if they are not perfectly parallel with part of the roof, such as the lower edge of the roof, it is very obvious that they are not parallel, and the solar panel looks crooked. 
     The goal is to mount an array of solar panels so that all the bottom edges of the solar panels are aligned, or if they are not aligned, so that the bottom edge of the array of solar panels is parallel with the bottom edge of the roof or some other visible part of the roof. 
     What is needed is a tool which helps the installer of solar panels make the solar panel array parallel, in that the bottom edge of the solar panels can be controlled so that the entire array looks straight. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The purpose of the Summary is to enable the public, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection, the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Summary is neither intended to define the inventive concept(s) of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the inventive concept(s) in any way. 
     Disclosed is a solar panel installation tool for positioning solar panels on mounting rails. The mounting rails can be on the roof of a residence or other building, or the mounting rails can be on a framework specifically for holding solar panels. The mounting rails can also be on other structures such as the walls of buildings, or various places on mobile structures such as motor homes or RVs. The tool includes a tool body, which is an elongate piece of material which is typically metal, but other materials such as plastic or wood would also work. In one version of the device, the tool is a single piece, with a single position adjuster. In other versions of the device the device body can be two pieces and a coarse and a fine position adjuster. The tool body has a first end and a second end, with a U-shaped bracket called a rail engaging foot attached to the second end. The tool has a top surface and a bottom surface and the U-shaped bracket defines an opening called a rail slot which is on the bottom side of the tool body, and in this sense, extends downward onto the rail to which the solar panel will be installed. 
     The first end of the tool body includes at least one position adjuster, which can take many different forms of adjustments which are known in the art. This can include cam locks, telescoping tubes, friction fit locks which hold the tubes apart, screw devices, or other position adjusting structures. The adjuster is attached to a panel support bracket, which is provided so that the edge of a solar panel can rest against the panel support bracket. The rail engaging foot with its rail slot is placed over the rail on a roof structure, the solar panel rests against the panel support bracket, and the adjuster moves back and forth to adjust the position of the bottom edge of the solar panel. 
     The panel support bracket is attached to the position adjuster, and adjustment of the adjuster moves the panel support bracket back and forth in relation to the rail slot on the rail engaging foot. 
     Another embodiment of the device includes the tool body being made of a first arm and a second arm which are attached to each other. Typically the first arm and the second arm have corresponding holes placed in each arm, which line up with holes in the other arm. By placing bolts in two or more of these holes, the length of the tool body can be extended to make it longer or shorter. This serves as a coarse adjustment feature. A screw type fine adjustment is available to make final small corrections in position of the solar panel. 
     The disclosed solar panel installation tool allows for adjustable layout of panels (landscape or portrait) and easily slides on and off a mounting rack with little effort, even after a solar panel has been installed. The solar panel installation tool can engage the mounting rack and does not require the tool to be physically screwed down. While engaged with the rack, it allows for adjustment of either corner of the solar panel in either direction. The rail engaging foot of the solar panel installation tool can be replaced with an alternative foot to accommodate any type of manufactured racking system, so the device is not limited to one type of racking system. The solar panel installation tool allows the solar panel to sit flush on racking while the solar panel is being tightened down. It is specially designed with shock absorption which allows for the dispersion of weight from the solar panel without disturbing the temporary mounting of the tool to the racking. The solar panel installation tool has the measurements for solar panel placement built into the tool, in the form of preset distances built into the coarse adjustment. It is designed for individual panel mounting, which proves useful in mounting arrays with customized layouts. The solar panel installation tool does not require screws to tighten to the racking which reduces the likelihood of the tool wearing out and needing to be replaced. 
     Another embodiment of the claimed technology is an adjusting tool in which the tool body is made up of two tubes which telescope together and apart. One tube is designated an outer tube and the other is designated an inner tube. The outer tube has a fine adjustment built into the first end, and provides an opening at the second end of the outer tube for the inner tube to be inserted. The inner tube has a first end and a second end and has a rail engaging foot at the second end, and at the first end attaches to the fine adjustment screw on the first end of the outer tube. The two tubes are connected to each other with a coarse adjustment feature. One way that these tubes can be adjusted with the coarse adjustment is that holes on the outer tube align with a spring loaded detent on the inner tube, and whichever setting is appropriate for a particular installation, the detent from the inner tube snaps into the hole in the outer tube and locks the inner and outer tube together temporarily. The holes can have a recessed shoulder which allows the user&#39;s thumb better access to pushing down on the detent button and releasing the detent. 
     The fine adjustment can be a knob located at the first end of the outer tube, and it is connected to the panel supporting bracket. The fine adjustment knob moves the panel supporting bracket back and forth, to make it closer or further away from the rail engaging foot. 
     Still other features and advantages of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description describing preferred embodiments of the inventive concept(s), simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out the inventive concept(s). As will be realized, the inventive concept(s) is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the inventive concept(s). Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the solar panel installation tool. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a different embodiment of the solar panel installation tool. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the reverse side of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  of the solar panel installation tool. 
         FIG. 4  is an end view of the tool, showing the fine adjustment knob. 
         FIG. 5  is an end view of the tool, showing the rail engaging foot. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing two tools engaging a mounting rail. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing two tools ready to engage the rail, and engaging the rail. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the presently disclosed inventive concept(s) is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the inventive concept(s) to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept(s) as defined in the claims. 
     Referring now to the figures,  FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the solar installation tool. The solar installation tool is referred to as  10  in the figures, and in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  includes a tool body  12 , outer tube  14 , and inner tube  16 . The inner tube telescopes out from the outer tube, and the installation tool  10  includes a coarse adjustment  20  in the form of holes in the outer tube of which one hole is engaged by a detent button located on the inner tube. In this way the inner tube may be extended out from the outer tube, to achieve a coarse adjustment of the length of the tube. 
     The installation tool  10  also includes a rail engaging foot  30 , located on the second end of the inner tube  16 . The outer tube has a first end  22  and a second end  24 . The inner tube has a first end  26  and a second end  28 . The rail engaging foot  30  is attached to the second end  28  of the inner tube. Attached to the first end  22  of the outer tube  14  is a panel support bracket  34 . Attached to the panel support bracket  34  is a fine adjuster  18 , which in this case is a screw which is attached to the panel support bracket  34  and causes that support bracket to move back and forth in relation to the rail engaging foot, by a finely controlled adjustment. In one embodiment the panel support bracket is moved by a jack screw, by turning an adjustment knob  46 . The panel support bracket is held in a slot  60 , and moves back and forth on a screw  54 , by turning the adjustment knob  46 . The embodiment of  FIG. 1  can be different sizes for different sized solar panels, but in one embodiment the outer tube is 10.5 inches long, made of 1″ square aluminum tubing. The inner tube can be 8.5 inches long, made of ¾″ square aluminum tubing. The rail engaging foot can be ⅞″ thick, and form a slot 1¾″ deep and 11/16″ wide at the top. The slot tapers according to the profile of the particular rail being use. 
     The coarse adjustment of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  includes passages  50  defined in the outer tube  14 , and a spring loaded post  58  on the inner tube  16  which engages one of the passages  50  to lock the tubes  14  and  16  together for a use on a particular rail. The passages  50  can include a recessed shoulder  66  to aid the user in depressing the post  58  with his thumb or finger. 
       FIG. 2  shows a different embodiment of the device, in which the tool body  12  is made up of a first arm  14  which is equivalent to the outer tube shown as  14  in  FIG. 1 . It also includes a second arm  16  which is equivalent to the inner tube  16  shown in  FIG. 1 . A coarse adjuster  20  is present in the form of holes in the two arms which can be connected to each other at different points such as by the bolts  42  and wing nuts  40  shown in  FIG. 2 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  includes a rail engaging foot  30  which includes a rail slot  32  which is generally U shaped. The device includes a fine adjuster  18  which in this case is a screw with a crank which is attached to the rail engaging foot  30  and moves the rail engaging foot  30  back and forth in relation to the panel support bracket  34 .  FIG. 2  shows an alternative feature which may be present in any of the embodiments, which is a handle  44  which may be used to turn the device during the installation process of fitting the rail engaging foot  30  onto a rail. 
       FIG. 3  shows the same embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 , but shows the reverse side of the device. 
       FIG. 4  shows the first end of the device, including the fine adjuster knob  46 , the back rear side of the panel support bracket  34  and the back side of the rail engaging foot  30 . This shows that the center line C 1  of the rail engaging foot  30  is not coplanar with the center line C 2  of the tool body. It is offset, which allows it to fit between the rail and the solar panel, and then be turned, which will be shown in other figures. 
       FIG. 5  shows a view of the second end of the tool body, showing the rail engaging foot  30 , the outer tube  14  and the inner tube  16 , and the panel support bracket  34 . Again, the centerline of the rail engaging foot  30  is shown as being not coplanar with the centerline of the panel support bracket  34  and the outer tube  14 . The purpose of that will be discussed below. 
     Shown in  FIG. 6  are two solar installation tools  10 , which show how the units are mounted onto a rail  36 . The rails  36  would typically be mounted to a structure, which can be the top of a roof, or a side of a wall, or in a free standing frame. The solar panel would be placed on a rail, and the solar panel is not shown in  FIG. 6 . There is a gap between the bottom of the solar panel and the top of the rail, due to the solar panel having a frame which keeps the underside of the solar panel spaced apart from the top of the rail. The rail engaging foot  30  of the device is placed in a flat position between the underside of the solar panel and the top of the rail, and moved until the rail slot  32  is positioned over the top of the rail  36 . The tool  10  is then rotated as shown into position of the upper tool, so that the rail slot  32  fits down over the top of the rail  36 . In this configuration the bottom of the solar panel would be resting on the panel support bracket  34 . The fine adjuster  18  or the coarse adjuster  20  would be moved until the panel is in the right relationship to the rail and the edge of the roof. As other panels are attacked to the rail, the same tools  10  would be used to move each panel individually until it aligned perfectly with the first one. The tools are rotated and removed once the solar panels are bolted down. 
       FIG. 7  shows the underside of the solar panel  38  showing the rail  36 , with the same two installation tools  10  preparing to engage or engaging the top of the rail  36 . Shown is the panel support bracket  34  and in both tools the fine adjuster  18  is shown, and the coarse adjuster  20  is shown on the left hand tool. 
     In use, the first solar panel  38  would be roughly positioned over the pre-installed rails  36 , and aligned using the coarse and fine adjuster so the bottom edge of the solar panel is parallel with a feature on the roof, such as the bottom edge of the roof. Once the first solar panel is installed, the other solar panels are installed so that their bottom edges form a straight line, which is parallel with the feature on the roof such as the bottom edge of the roof, and parallel with the bottom edge of the first solar panel installed. Once a solar panel is positioned and bolted down, the installation tool can be rotated, and removed from the rail. 
     An option is to have a centering light such as a laser on the second end of the tool. A laser would be emitted from one tool to another, to verify that the panels are perfectly aligned. In this way a tool mounted on the first panel in a row could be used to align all the other panels in that row, using the laser on the first tool as a sight gauge to align subsequent tools and the panels they support. 
     An additional feature is calibration or increment markings  48  on the side of the tool. The marking can be at each coarse adjustment position, to indicate inches to the center of the rail. These are markings like 15, 16, etc. Additional increments are also possible, such as rule marks with 1/16 inch increments. 
     While certain preferred embodiments are shown in the figures and described in this disclosure, it is to be distinctly understood that the presently disclosed inventive concept(s) is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims.