Abstract:
A system and method for mounting a solar panel includes a housing and a cover configured to pivotally connect to the housing. The cover disengages the housing when the cover is at a release angle from the housing.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to mounting assemblies and, more particularly, to solar panel units.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    In communication systems, it is often desirable to have repeaters interposed between two endpoints in order to permit communication over greater distances than achievable in the absence of repeaters. The repeaters are typically coupled to power sources, which permit the repeaters to amplify received signals.  
           [0003]    In some instances, the power supply of a repeater may be a chargeable cell (or battery) that is coupled to a solar panel. As is known, the solar panel receives light and converts the received light into electricity, which is then used to charge the chargeable cell. The chargeable cell then supplies power to the repeaters, thereby permitting the repeaters to properly amplify and relay signals.  
           [0004]    While the units that house the solar panels are fairly robust, sometimes a solar panel becomes inoperable due to accumulation of dirt, severance of electrical connections, physical fracturing of the solar panel, etc. When the solar panel becomes inoperable, it often becomes necessary to replace the solar panel or remedy the problem causing the malfunction of the solar panel. Typically, the remedy includes the replacement of the solar panel or other services that require the disassembly of the solar panel. Unfortunately, many solar panel units are difficult to disassemble and assemble.  
           [0005]    In view of this, a heretofore-unaddressed need exists in the industry.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0006]    The present invention provides systems and methods for mounting a solar panel.  
           [0007]    Briefly described, one embodiment of the system comprises a housing, and a cover hingedly connected to the housing, the hinged connection being configured to pivot the cover with respect to the housing for movement between a closed position and a range of open positions. The hinged connection is further configured to permit the cover to engage and disengage the housing when the cover is pivoted at a release position with reference to the housing.  
           [0008]    The present invention can also be viewed as providing methods for mounting a solar panel. In this regard, one embodiment of the method comprises the steps of securing a solar panel to a cover, the cover having a bar extending from one side of the cover, the bar being substantially parallel to the one side of the cover. Additionally, the method comprises the step of pivotally securing the cover to a housing, the housing having a C-shaped recess, the C-shaped recess having an opening, the opening configured to receive the bar, the bar being transversely inserted into the opening.  
           [0009]    Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a 3-dimensional perspective view of a solar panel unit having a cover, a housing, and a mount.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2B is a side view of the cover of FIG. 1.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2C is a top view of the cover of FIG. 1.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2D is a front view of the cover of FIG. 1.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the housing of FIG. 1.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3B is a side view of the housing of FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3C is a top view of the housing of FIG. 1.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3D is a back view of the housing of FIG. 1.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the mount of FIG. 1.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4B is a side view of the mount of FIG. 1.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4C is a top view of the mount of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4D is a back view of the mount of FIG. 1.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIGS. 5A through 5C are exploded views of the C-shaped recess and the bar of FIGS. 2B and 3B, respectively.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the method.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    Having summarized various aspects of the present invention, reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While several embodiments are described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit the invention to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a 3-dimensional perspective view of a solar panel unit  100  having a cover  200 , a housing  300 , and a mount  400 . As seen in FIG. 1, the solar panel unit comprises a housing  300  and a cover  200  that engage one another so as to form a flattened box. In one embodiment, the solar panels (not shown here) are placed between the housing  300  and the cover  200  so that the solar panels are encased in the solar panel unit  100  when the housing  300  and the cover  200  engage each other in a closed position. In addition to the housing  300  and the cover  200 , the solar panel unit  100  further comprises a mount  400 , which permits the mounting of the solar panel to, for example, a non-movable object. The mount  400  is pivotally connected to the housing  300 , thereby permitting repositioning of the housing  300  at many different angles with respect to the mount and/or the object to which the mount is attached. The mount  400  is configured to affix to, for example, a pole, a tree, a roof, using a C-clamp, a nail, a screw, adhesive, etc. Further details related to the mount  400 , the housing  300 , and the cover  200  are discussed with reference to FIGS. 2A through 5C.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2A is a perspective view  200   a  of the cover  200  of FIG. 1. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the cover  200  comprises several connectors  205   a ,  205   b ,  205   c  (collectively referred to as connectors  205 ) that extend from one side of the cover  200 . In a preferred embodiment, these connectors  205  have bars  210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c  (collectively referred to as bars  210 ) that are substantially parallel to the side of the cover  200  from which the connectors  205  extend. These connectors  205  are used to attach the cover  200  to the housing  300 , and are discussed in greater detail below.  
         [0029]    In addition to the connectors  205 , the cover  200  comprises several concavities  230  located inside the cover  200 . These concavities  230  are configured to receive solar panels (not shown). Once the solar panels are placed in the concavities  230 , the solar panels are secured by brackets (not shown), which are configured to insert into bracket holes  240   a ,  240   b ,  240   c  (collectively referred to as bracket holes  240 ). The brackets, in a preferred embodiment, may be plastic boards that span the width of the cover  200 .  
         [0030]    On the side opposing the connectors  205 , several cover-locking mechanisms  220   a ,  220   b ,  220   c ,  220   d  (collectively referred to as cover-locking mechanisms  220 ) extend from the cover  200 . As will be shown below, these cover-locking mechanisms  220  are configured to engage a corresponding set of housing-locking mechanisms (not shown here) on the housing  300 . The cover-locking mechanisms  220  are discussed in detail with reference to FIG. 2D.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3A is a perspective view  300   a  of the housing  300  of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3A, the housing  300  comprises several connectors  305   a ,  305   b ,  305   c  (collectively referred to as connectors  305 ), which extend from one side of the housing  300 . In a preferred embodiment, these connectors  305  have C-shaped recesses  310   a ,  310   b ,  310   c  (collectively referred to as C-shaped recesses  310 ), which are configured to engage the bars  210  of the cover  200 . Since the bars  210  are substantially parallel to one side of the cover  200 , the bars  210  insert transversely into the C-shaped recesses  310 . The engagement of the C-shaped recesses  310  with the bars  210  permits pivotal movement of the cover  200  about the axis of the bars  210 . In other words, the engagement of the C-shaped recesses  310  with the bars  210  creates a hinge-type mechanism between the cover  200  and the housing  300 , thereby permitting the cover  200  and the housing  300  to pivot around the hinge-type mechanism.  
         [0032]    In addition to the connectors  205  having the C-shaped recesses  210 , the housing  300  further comprises a mounting protrusion  320  located outside of the housing  300 . The mounting protrusion  320  is discussed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 3B. The housing  300  further includes a cavity  330  located inside the housing  300 . The cavity  330  is configured to receive a chargeable cell (not shown), which can be charged by the solar panels (not shown). In an alternative embodiment, the cavity  330  is also configured to receive a repeater (not shown). Thus, if it is determined that a desirable location for the solar panel unit  100  coincides with a desirable location for the repeater, then the repeater may be housed within the solar panel unit  100 . The cavity  330  is located inside the housing  300 , thereby shielding any device in the cavity  330  from elements such as weather or vermin when the cover  200  and the housing  300  are engaged in the closed position.  
         [0033]    Since the cavity  330  may house an electronic device (e.g., chargeable cell, repeater, etc.), which would be inside the solar panel unit  100 , the housing  300  further includes an orifice  340  that is configured to receive a wire (not shown). The orifice  340  permits electrical coupling between the interior and exterior of the solar panel unit  100 .  
         [0034]    On the side opposing the connectors  305 , several housing-locking mechanisms  350   a ,  350   b ,  350   c ,  350   d  (collectively referred to as housing-locking mechanisms  350 ) extend from the housing  300 . These housing-locking mechanisms  350  are the corresponding set to the cover-locking mechanisms  220 . Thus, when the cover  200  and the housing  300  come together, the cover-locking mechanisms  220  and the housing-locking mechanisms  350  permit the cover  200  to be secured to the housing  300  such that the solar panel unit  100  does not readily open. In a preferred embodiment, the housing-locking mechanisms  350  and the cover-locking mechanisms  220  comprise holes to accommodate screws, locks, bolts, etc., which may be used to secure the cover  200  to the housing  300 . In another embodiment, the housing-locking mechanisms  350  and the cover-locking mechanisms  220  comprise extensions that may be joined together by, for example, a clip or a clamp.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 4A is a perspective view  400   a  of the mount  400  of FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 4A, the mount  400  comprises two supports  405   a ,  405   b  (collectively referred to as supports  405 ), which extend from a back  415  in a substantially perpendicular manner. The supports  405  are configured to pivotally engage the mounting protrusions  320  of the housing  300 . In this sense, each support  405  has a cutaway  410  that is adapted for a bolt, a screw, or other rotationally invariant securing mechanisms. Thus, once the mounting protrusions  320  of the housing  300  are secured to the supports  405  of the mount  400 , the housing  300  may be positioned at various angles with reference to the mount  400 . Several features of the supports  405  are shown in greater detail with reference to FIG. 4B.  
         [0036]    Since the supports  405  extend substantially perpendicularly from the back  415  of the mount  400 , the solar panel unit  100  may experience one-dimensional directional instability in the direction parallel to the back  415  of the mount  400 . In order to remedy this, the mount  400  also includes braces  430   a ,  430   b  (collectively referred to as braces  430 ), which are interposed between the supports  405 , thereby providing structural support in the unstable direction. In addition to the supports  405  and braces  430 , the mount  400  comprises slots  440 ,  450  that are used to secure the mount  400  to, for example, a tree, a pole, a roof, etc. These slots  440 ,  450  are discussed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 4D.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 2B is a side view  200   b  of the cover  200  of FIG. 1. While FIG. 2B shows the cover-locking mechanism  220  and the concavity  230 , since these components have been discussed with reference to FIG. 2A, further discussion of these components is omitted with reference to FIG. 2B.  
         [0038]    The side view  200   b  of FIG. 2B shows, in greater detail, the connector  205  that is configured to pivotally engage the cover  200  to the housing  300 . As shown in FIG. 2B, the connector  205  has a bar  210  that is positioned substantially parallel to one side of the cover  200 . The side view  200   b  shows an axial view of the bar  210 . As seen from the axial view, the bar  210  has a cross-section defined by a generally circular outer circumference having two opposing flattened portions  215   a ,  215   b . As such, the bar  210  has the appearance of a “flattened cylinder,” or a cylinder having two opposing sides removed. As will be shown with reference to FIGS. 5A through 5C, the flattened portions  215   a ,  215   b  permit efficient assembly and disassembly of the solar panel unit  100 .  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 3B is a side view  300   b  of the housing  300  of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3B, the profile of the cavity  330  is substantially U-shaped, thereby accommodating items such as, for example, E-cell batteries.  
         [0040]    The C-shaped recesses  310  of the connectors  305  are also highlighted in FIG. 3B. As seen in conjunction with FIG. 2B, the C-shaped recess  310  is configured to receive the bar  210 , thereby permitting the cover  200  to pivotally engage the housing  300 . Since the C-shaped recess  310  has an opening  315  only on one side, the bar  210  may only be transversely inserted through the opening  315 . This is shown in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 5A through 5C.  
         [0041]    Another feature more clearly shown in FIG. 3B is the mounting protrusion  320 . As seen in FIG. 3B, the mounting protrusion  320  comprises a hole  360  that is adapted for a bolt, screw, or other rotationally invariant securing mechanism. This permits the mounting protrusion  320  to pivotally couple with the supports  405  of the mount  400  as described with reference to FIG. 4A. The mounting protrusion  320  further comprises friction points  370 , each of which is located at a predefined radius from the center of the hole  360 . In this sense, the locus of friction points  370  exhibits a circular pattern around the hole  360 . These friction points  370  are configured to inhibit pivoting between the housing  300  and the mount  400 . This is discussed further with reference to FIG. 4B.  
         [0042]    While the housing securing mechanism  350  is also shown in FIG. 3B, further description of the housing securing mechanism  350  is tabled until the discussion of FIG. 3D.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 4B is a side view  400   b  of the mount  400  of FIG. 1. While FIG. 4B shows the support  405  and the braces  430 , since these components have been described with reference to FIG. 4A, further discussion of these components is omitted here. Of special concern with reference to FIG. 5B is the cutaway  410  and several mount friction points  420 . As described with reference to FIG. 4A, the supports  405  are configured to pivotally engage the mounting protrusions  320  of the housing  300 . Thus, the cutaway  410  is adapted for a bolt, screw, or any other rotationally invariant securing mechanism, which secures the cutaway  410  to the hole  360  of the mounting protrusion  320  on the housing  300 . In this sense, if a rotationally invariant securing mechanism is used to couple the support  405  of the mount  400  to the mounting protrusion  320  of the housing  300 , then the housing  300  may be positioned at a variety of angles with reference to the mount  400 .  
         [0044]    In addition to the cutaway, the mount  400  comprises mount friction points  420 , which exhibit a circular pattern similar to the friction points  370  on the housing  300 . Once the supports  405  of the mount  400  are engaged to the mounting protrusion  320  of the housing  300 , the circular pattern of the mount friction points  420  overlaps with the circular pattern of the friction points  370  on the housing  300 . Thus, when the rotationally invariant securing mechanism is tightened to secure the mount  400  to the housing  300 , each of the friction points  370  on the housing  300  engages a corresponding mount friction point  420  on the mount  400 . Hence, the housing  300  may be secured at various discrete angles with reference to the mount  400 . Once the mount friction points  420  engage the friction points  370  on the housing  300 , the rotationally invariant securing mechanism may be loosened to disengage the mount friction points  420  from the friction points  370  on the housing  300 . The loosening of the rotationally invariant securing mechanism permits the repositioning of the housing  300  with reference to the mount  400 .  
         [0045]    [0045]FIGS. 2C, 3C, and  4 C are top views  200   c ,  300   c ,  400   c  of the cover  200 , the housing  300 , and the mount  400 , respectively. Since all of the components of FIGS. 2C, 3C, and  4 C have been discussed above, only a cursory discussion is presented here. The top views  200   c ,  300   c ,  400   c  facilitate the depiction of how the cover  200 , the housing  360 , and the mount  400  assemble. As shown in these figures, The back side of the cover  200  engages the front side of the housing  300 , thereby creating a box-like structure when the cover and the housing  300  are engaged and secured (i.e., closed). The back side of the housing  300  engages the supports  405  of the mount  400 , thereby coupling the mount friction points  420  to the friction points  370  on the housing  300 . This permits the pivotal movement of the housing  300  with reference to the mount  400 .  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 2D is a front view  200   d  of the cover  200  more clearly illustrating the cover-locking mechanism  220  and the bracket holes  240 . As described with reference to FIG. 2A, once the solar panels are placed in the concavities  230  of the cover  200 , the solar panels are secured by brackets (not shown), which are configured to insert into the bracket holes  240 . As shown in FIG. 2D, the bracket holes  240  are located at counterpoised sides of the cover  200 , thereby permitting one side of a bracket to insert into one bracket hole  240  and another side of the bracket to insert into the counterpoised bracket hole  240 . This configuration effectively sandwiches the solar panel between the cover  200  and the bracket, thereby securing the solar panel to the cover  200  of the solar panel unit  100 .  
         [0047]    Several cover-locking mechanisms  220  are also clearly visible in FIG. 2D. As shown in this embodiment, the cover-locking mechanisms  220  extend from the cover  200  at a side opposite the connectors  210 . These cover-locking mechanisms  220  are configured to engage a companion set of housing-locking mechanisms  310  on the housing  300 . Specifically, each cover-locking mechanism  220  in the embodiment of FIG. 2D has a hole, thereby permitting the insertion of a screw, nail, bolt, wire, or any other securing mechanism into the hole to lock the cover  200  to the housing  300 . This is explained in greater detail with reference to FIG. 3D.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 3D is a back view  300   d  of the housing  300  of FIG. 1. The cavity  330 , the housing-locking mechanism  350 , and the orifice  340  are more clearly illustrated in FIG. 3D. As discussed with reference to FIG. 3A, the housing  300  includes a cavity  330  located inside the housing  300 . The cavity  330  is configured to receive a chargeable cell (not shown), which can be charged by the solar panels (not shown). In an alternative embodiment, the cavity  330  may also be configured to receive a repeater (not shown) if it is determined that a desirable location for the solar panel unit  100  coincides with a desirable location for the repeater. Since the cavity  330  is inside the housing  300 , the housing  300  shields any device in the cavity  330  from elements such as weather or vermin when the cover  200  is securely placed on the housing  300 . As shown in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 3D, the cavity  330  is located at the center of the housing, thereby providing a relatively symmetric weight distribution to the solar panel unit  100 . Additionally, if the cavity  330  is formed into the housing  300  by, for example, an injection molding process, then that portion that defines the cavity  330  may protrude from the housing  300  as shown in FIG. 3A. Strategic configuring of the cavity  330  results in a protrusion that may be used to provide added structural integrity to the mounting protrusion  320 .  
         [0049]    As described with reference to FIG. 3A, the cavity  330  includes an orifice  340  that is configured to receive a wire (not shown), which permits electrical coupling between the interior and exterior of the solar panel unit  100 . The size of the orifice  340  is determined by the number of wires that span the interior and exterior of the solar panel unit  100 , the diameter of the wires, etc. One problem with having such an orifice  340  is that the orifice  340  may expose the interior of the solar panel unit  100  to elements such as water, vermin, etc. In order to prevent such exposure, a stopper (not shown) or a gasket (not shown) may be used to fill any gaps that may remain after the insertion of the wire.  
         [0050]    The housing-locking mechanisms  350 , as shown in FIG. 3D, correspond to the cover-locking mechanisms  220 . Thus, when the cover  200  and the housing  300  engage, the cover-locking mechanism  220  and the housing-locking mechanism  350  permit the cover  200  to be secured to the housing  300 , such that the solar panel unit  100  does not readily open. Similar to the cover-locking mechanisms  220  the housing-locking mechanisms  350  comprise holes to accommodate a screw, lock, bolt, etc., which may be used to secure the cover  200  to the housing  300 . In another embodiment, the housing-locking mechanisms  350  and the cover-locking mechanisms  220  comprise extensions that may be joined together by a clip, a clamp, a fastener, etc.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 4D is a back view  400   d  of the mount  400  of FIG. 1. Specifically, the slots  440 ,  450  of the mount  400  are presented clearly in FIG. 4D. In a preferred embodiment, the slots  440 ,  450  include two different sets of holes. The first set  440  is adapted to engage a C-clamp (not shown) to secure the mount  400 , for example, to a pole or a tree. In this sense, one end of the C-clamp would enter through one hole of the slots  440  while the other end of the C-clamp would enter through the other hole of the slots  440 . A nut or a pin would then secure the C-clamp to the pole or tree, thereby securing the mount  400  to the pole or tree.  
         [0052]    The second set of holes  450  is adapted to engage nails, screws, bolts, etc. In this sense, the mount  400  may be secured to a flat surface by placing the back of the mount to the surface and driving a screw or nail through the second set of holes  450 . Additionally, the second set of holes  450  may be used to secure a larger C-clamp (not shown) if the C-clamp is too big to fit into the first set of holes  440 . Alternatively, these slots  440 ,  450  may be threaded with wires, cables, or rope to secure the mount to the tree or pole. In other words, the slots  440 ,  450  may be used as a securing point for a rope or string to tie the mount  400  to the tree or pole. While the slots  440 ,  450  provide alternatives to mounting the mount  400 , it is also possible to secure the mount  400  to the tree or pole by using an adhesive, thereby removing the need for the slots  440 ,  450 .  
         [0053]    [0053]FIGS. 5A through 5C are exploded views of the C-shaped recess  310  and the bar  210  of FIGS. 2B and 3B. As shown in FIG. 5A, the C-shaped recess  310  has an opening  315  at one end of the C-shaped recess  310 . The opening  315  is a missing portion in an annular-shaped ring, thereby providing a gap of a predefined distance  510 . The bar  210  has a cross-section defined by a circle with two flattened portions  215   a ,  215   b . The two flattened portions  215   a ,  215   b  are defined by two approximately parallel chords of approximately equal length. If, as shown in FIG. 5A, the two flattened portions  215   a ,  215   b  are separated by a distance approximately equal to the predefined distance  510 , then the bar  210  may transversely insert into the C-shaped recess  310  when the two flattened portions  215   a ,  215   b  are aligned to the opening  315  of the C-shaped recess  310 . Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5B, once the bar  210  has been inserted into the C-shaped recess  310 , the bar  210  may be removed by aligning the two flattened portions  215  to the opening  315 . As shown in FIG. 5C, if the two flattened portions  215   a ,  215   b  are not aligned to the opening  315 , then the diameter of the cross-section is larger than the opening  315  of the C-shaped recess  310 . Thus, when the two flattened portions  215   a ,  215   b  are not aligned to the opening  315 , the bar  210  is secured within the C-shaped recess  310  and may not transversely disengage the C-shaped recess  310 .  
         [0054]    While specific embodiments of solar panel units  100  are shown in FIGS. 1 through 5C, another embodiment may be seen as a method for housing solar panels. One embodiment of the method is shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the method. As shown in FIG. 6, the method may be seen as having the step of securing ( 620 ) a solar panel to a cover  200 . In a preferred embodiment, the cover  200  has a bar  210  extending from one side of the cover  200  that is substantially parallel to the side of the cover  200 . Once the solar panel is secured to the cover  200 , a housing  300  is pivotally secured ( 630 ) to the cover  200 . In a preferred embodiment, the housing  300  has a C-shaped recess  310  with an opening  315 . The opening  315  is configured to receive the bar  210  when the bar  210  is transversely inserted into the opening  315 .  
         [0056]    The housing  300  may further be pivotally attached ( 640 ) to a mount  400  and pivoted ( 650 ) on the mount  400  to face a light source, thereby providing for maximum exposure of the solar panels to the light source. Once this is done, the mount  400  may be affixed ( 660 ) to a non-movable object using a C-clamp, nails, screws, adhesive, or any other securing mechanism.  
         [0057]    While the preferred embodiment of the method shows steps associated with the specific embodiments of the system as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5C, it will be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art that the method steps may be performed in other solar panel housing systems that are wholly independent of the specific embodiments of FIGS. 1 through 5C. Thus, the intent is not to limit the method to the specifically described system, but, rather, to cover implementation of the method in other housing systems. Also, process descriptions or blocks in flow charts may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the present invention. Additionally, several steps in the flowcharts may be omitted without detrimental effect to the scope of the invention.  
         [0058]    although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications, or alterations to the invention as described may be made, none of which depart from the spirit of the present invention. For example, while only three bars  210  and C-shaped recesses  310  are shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 through 5C, it will be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art the art that a fewer or greater number of bars  210  and C-shaped recesses  310  may be used depending on the desired level of structural integrity. Additionally, while only four locking mechanisms  220 ,  350  are shown in the illustrations, it will be clear to one or ordinary skill in the art that fewer or greater number of locking mechanisms may be used depending on the desired level of security. Also, while the cavity  330  is shown as generally cylindrical in shape, it will be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art that the cavity  330  may take any shape depending on the desired internal devices of the solar panel unit  100 . Further more, while only a finite set of slots  440 ,  450  are shown in the mount  400 , the number of slots  440 ,  450  may be increased or decreased as a matter of design choice. Moreover, while friction points  370 ,  420  are shown in FIGS. 3B and 4B, these friction points may be removed if the rotationally invariant securing mechanism is sufficient to prevent pivoting between the cover  200  and the housing  300 . All such changes, modifications, and alterations should therefore be seen as within the scope of the present invention.