Patent ID: 8387319

Claim:
Spacer element for supporting and retaining a peripheral edge portion of a photovoltaic panel assembly spacedly over a rooftop corrugated sheet supported by underlying rooftop frame elements, said spacer element including: a) a unitary main body being generally U-shaped and defining a base leg and two opposite first and second legs, said first leg being shorter than said second leg and having an oblong bore, said second leg having an intermediate ridge section extending parallel to said oblong bore and toward the plane of said first leg and forming a web and two diverging walls, said web closely spaced from said first leg parallel thereto, a screw aperture made centrally into said web and axially clearing said shorter first leg, said first and second legs defining inner walls facing each other and opposite outer walls, said second leg intermediate ridge section outer wall for abutting in conformingly fit fashion against a longitudinal rib of the corrugated sheet, a fraction of said first leg outer wall for supporting a peripheral edge portion of the photovoltaic panel assembly; b) a screw member engaging said main body screw aperture for anchoring said main body to the supporting rooftop frame elements through the corrugated sheet; c) an L-shape bracket, defining inner and outer legs, said bracket inner leg abutting against said main body first leg outer wall, said bracket outer leg for abutting sideways against a registering portion of the peripheral edge portion of photovoltaic panel assembly, and d) a first nut and bolt member engaging said first oblong bore and adjustably interlocking said L-shape bracket to said spacer element main body wherein said L-shape bracket is movable relative to said main body along an axis parallel to said main body ridge section for adjustment of the photovoltaic panel assembly in a plane parallel to the rooftop corrugated sheet.