Abstract:
A solar panel(s) positioning apparatus for controlling the orientation of a solar panel(s) having one edge pivotally mounted to a support surface including a lift bar attached to an opposite edge of the panel(s) and having a mast, a base supported on the support surface, a swing link connected between the base and the mast and an extensible ling pivotally connected between an intermediate point on the base end of the mast.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/538,834 filed Jan. 23, 2004. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to apparatus for controlling the positioning of solar panels which may be arranged independently or in groups or arrays. More particularly, the present invention relates to positioning apparatus for controlling the orientation of a solar panel(s) of the type normally mounted on motor homes, trailers and the like with the positioning system being controllable from a remote location, either inside or outside of the vehicle.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     It has become customary to mount a solar panel or an array of such panels on the rooftop of vehicles such as motor homes, trailers and the like. In the prior art, orientation of the solar panel, for the purpose of collecting solar rays, normally requires some type of manual manipulation, usually from a ladder or by actually climbing onto the vehicle roof. Such positioning systems are usually very rudimentary and often involve adjustable braces or the like connected between the solar panel and the vehicle roof. An example of such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,501 to Glidden et al. Alternatively hand crank operated panel lifting apparatus has been utilized to position motor vehicle roof-mounted solar panels. U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,753 to Noennich illustrates a device of this type. In the latter instance, crank elements are mounted so as to extend through the roof of the vehicle, allowing a person within the vehicle to operate a hand crank so as to position the solar panel. This arrangement, of course, requires openings to be made in the vehicle roof as an after market installation which may result in leakage problems or other structural damage to the motor vehicle or trailer. A need thus arises for a remotely controllable power unit and mounting operable either from within or without the vehicle to position solar panels. The positioning apparatus must be compact and otherwise adaptable to the motor home or other vehicle roof structure and must be acceptable in appearance and compatibility with the vehicle structure.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     A single solar panel or more commonly an array of two or more solar panels may be mounted on the vehicle roof usually carried in a more or less flat generally horizontal non-use position on the roof surface. In order for the generally flat panels to be moved from the horizontal position and oriented to the in-use position at an angle to the roof surface, they are pivoted or hinged along one lateral edge relative to the roof surface of the vehicle. An elongated base structure is anchored to the vehicle roof surface adjacent to the lateral edge of the panel(s) which extends at right angles to the hinged edge. A mast structure is connected to a lift bar which is fixed to the lateral edge(s) of the panel(s) opposite the hinged edge(s) to form a lift structure to raise the panel(s) by pivoting about the hinged edge. One end of the base structure is connected to the mast by means of a swing arm or swing arms which extend between the mast structure and a pivot point adjacent to the end of the base structure which is in alignment with the pivotal axis of the panel edge. The swing arm or arms may be connected adjacent the top end of the mast or intermediate the top and bottom ends thereof. A motor driven extendable link or arm is pivoted at one end to the base structure intermediate the ends of the base. The opposite end of the extendable link is pivotally connected to the mast either above or below the pivotal connection of the swing arms. In the present illustrated embodiment, the extendable link is disclosed by way of example as a motor driven screw jack. It will be understood that the type of extendable link, the structural detail and the mode of operation may be chosen from any number of equivalent extendable link devices. With this arrangement, the extendable length power unit may be extended to cause the panel(s) to pivot about their axis to orient the panel(s) for catching solar rays. In the non-use position of the panel(s), only the mast remains upstanding and may be kept to an acceptable design height above the roof surface. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the panel positioning apparatus mounted on the roof of a motor vehicle;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  an exploded perspective view of the panel positioning mechanism;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3 a  side elevational view of the panel positioning system in the lowered non-use position;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the panel and positioning system in the raised in-use position;  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of an electrical limit switch unit carried on the extendable link;  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is an exploded partial perspective view of the pivotal mounting for the solar panel;  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the panel positioning system; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a protective cover for the panel positioning apparatus. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the solar panel and positioning system  1  is illustrated as being mounted on the roof  2  of a motor vehicle such as a motor home, trailer or the like. The positioning system includes extendable link lift structure  3 , lift bar and mast  4 , and solar panels  6  and  7 . It will be understood that the solar panels  6  and  7  are conventional staples of commerce designed for converting solar energy into electrical energy. In  FIG. 1 , the particular solar panels illustrated are generally flat and rectangular in configuration. The panels comprise solar cells located in a central area surrounded by rectangular support frames  8  and  9  respectively, giving the panel dimensional stability. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the solar panels are mounted for rotation about respective lateral edges  11  and  12  by means of pivot brackets  13 - 14  and  16 - 17  respectively. The solar panels are mounted for rotation about a common axis along aligned lateral edges  11  and  12  respectively by means such as bolts or studs  18 . Their relationship is shown in detail in  FIG. 6 . The solar panels  6  and  7  are illustrated in their non-use position in  FIG. 1  and will be raised to the in-use position in the direction of the arrows in  FIG. 1  as they are rotated about the axis provided by the pivot bolts  18 .  
         [0016]     In the present illustrated embodiments, the panels  6  and  7  may be joined together by the elongated angle lift bar  19  which may be constructed from lightweight material such as aluminum. The lift bar  19  is securely fastened to the lateral edges of the panels  6  and  7  opposite the pivoted lateral edges  11  and  12  as shown in  FIG. 1 . While two such solar panels  6  and  7  are illustrated in the present embodiment, it will be understood that the present panel positioning apparatus may also be applied to a single panel or an array of panels in excess of the two shown. The lift bar  19  is provided with an upstanding U-shaped mast  21  located in the central portion of the lift bar between the solar panels  6  and  7 . The mast  21  may be bolted or otherwise securely and rigidly mounted to the lift bar  19  as shown in detail in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0017]     Power lift structure and linkage  3  comprises a U-shaped channel base  22  which may be constructed from aluminum channel stock or the like and is securely attached to the surface of roof  2  of the vehicle by bolting or the like as shown in detail in  FIG. 2 . The channel  22  as seen in  FIG. 1  is located between the two solar panels  6 - 7  and parallel to the edges thereof with one end extending to the pivoted edges  11  and  12  of the solar panels. The base is connected to the mast  21  by means of one or more swing arms or links  23 - 24 . The links  23  and  24  are pivotally connected to the sides of the U-shaped channel  22  as at  26  and  27  respectively as shown in detail in  FIG. 2 . The opposite ends of the links  23  and  24  are pivoted to the mast  21  as at the points  28  and  29  respectively. It is to be noted that the pivotal axis provided by the pivot points  26  and  27  are aligned and coincident with the pivotal axis of the solar panels provided by the bolts  18 . In this manner, the relationship between the solar panels and the swing arms  23  and  24  remains constant as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4  as the solar panels are raised from the horizontal to an in-use position.  
         [0018]     The lifting action of the power lift structure  3  in the present embodiment is provided by an extendable link in the nature of a screw jack assembly  31  shown in detail in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . The screw jack may be a commercially available unit such as that manufactured by the Duff Nortan Company of Charlotte, N.C. The screw jack structure is well known in the art and usually includes an elongated housing  32 , an electric motor  33 , a gearing unit  34  connecting the motor drive to the screw element and an electrical switching unit  36  for controlling the operation of the extendable link. Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , the housing  32  will be provided with a stationary projecting connector element  37  fixed to the housing for the purpose of pivotally connecting the housing to a base. An extendable screw member within the housing (not shown) is connected to an extendable nonrotatable ram  38 .  FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate the ram  38  in the withdrawn position and  FIG. 4  illustrates the ram  38  in the extended position which provides the extendable link for the lift structure. As illustrated in  FIG. 2  the stationary connector  37  of the screw jack is pivoted to the base structure  22  by means of a pivot bolt or the like  39  which extends through a bore in the connector  37  allowing the entire screw jack assembly to be pivoted relative to the base  22  during lifting. The distal end of the ram  38  is connected to the mast  21  by means of the pivot bolt  41  which passes through a suitable bore in the end of the ram  38  and is held in the centered position by the spacers  42 . Similar spacers (not shown) may also be used on the pivot bolt  39  to center the connector  37  between the sides of base  22 . In this manner the screw jack extendable link may be operated to move the solar panels  6  and  7  from the horizontal non-use position of  FIG. 3  to the in-use position shown in  FIG. 4  as the screw jack extends, the solar panels and the swing arms  23  and  24  rotate about the pivotal axis provided by the pivot bolts  18  and the pivots  26  and  27 . It is contemplated that the switching unit  36  may be controlled from a remote location either inside or outside of the vehicle through suitable electrical leads and a power source. The retracted and extended positions of the ram  38  may be suitably controlled by limit switches (not shown) located within the screw jack assembly and actuated by position detectors or the like such as that shown at  43  in  FIG. 5  mounted at selected locations along the length of the housing  32 . The detector  43  may be mounted on a guide plate or the like  44  received in a suitable slotting arrangement on the surface of the housing  32  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The position limiting switches are normally a part of the commercially available screw jack unit. It will be understood that other means of limiting the extended and retracted positions of the screw jack assembly may also be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0019]     Since the power lift structure and linkage is located at an exposed outside location on the vehicle roof surface, it may be desirable to provide a suitable cover or hood to protect the apparatus from the elements. Such a cover is illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 8 . The hood may be constructed from metal or molded plastic material and will be designed to cover the mast structure, the base member  22 , the power lift and linkage  3 , as well as the various pivotal connections. The cover will be provided with waterproof side and top walls and may be fitted over the lift structure and held in place by such means a pressure or snap fit, clips, bolts or the like. In any event, the protective cover preferably contacts the roof surface with suitable slots  47  and  48  being formed in the opposite forward side walls to accommodate the upstanding flange of the lift bar  19  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0020]     While the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4  utilizes a configuration wherein the pivotal connection between the ram  38  of the screw jack and the mast  21  is located above the pivotal connections  28  and  29 , in some instances it may be preferable to modify this arrangement.  FIG. 7  illustrates a modification of the pivotal arrangement wherein the ram  38  is connected to the mast  21  at a pivot point  49 , roughly comparable to the position of the pivot points  28  and  29  of the  FIGS. 1-4  embodiment. Links  23  and  24  of this embodiment are connected above the pivot point  49 , the pivot point for link  24  being shown at  51  in  FIG. 7 . The position of pivot point  51  roughly corresponds to the position of pivot point  41  of the ram  38  in the  FIGS. 1-4  embodiment. Utilization of the  FIG. 7  embodiment wherein the positions of the pivotal connections of the ram  38  and the links  23  and  24  are reversed, may be an advantage in those instances where it is desired to decrease the leverage of the mast  21  against the lift bar  19  to thereby decrease the pressure tending to twist the lift bar. These considerations may be of concern depending on the length of the mast  21 .  
         [0021]     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that alternative structural or mechanical details may be employed in order to accomplish the objects of the invention. As an example, different types of extendable link assemblies may be utilized such as pneumatic or hydraulic rams with various arrangements of limit switches and the like for limiting the movement of the solar panels. Various configurations of protective covers may be utilized and various materials of construction employed for the various linkages and pivotal connections. Still other modifications of remote control and electrical power sources for the extendable link may be utilized to raise and lower the solar panels from remote locations.