Patent ID: 7574842

Claim:
A photovoltaic assembly comprising a plurality of photovoltaic modules each having first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite sides extending between said opposite ends; a plurality of mounting stands for said photovoltaic modules arranged in rows and columns, each of said mounting stands comprising a base plate for placement on a supporting roof structure, first and second mutually spaced module-supporting members attached to said base plate, and third and fourth mutually spaced module-supporting members attached to said same base plate and spaced from said first and second module-supporting members respectively, each of said photovoltaic modules at said first opposite end resting on first and second module-supporting members of first and second mutually adjacent mounting stands respectively and at said second opposite end having its first and second opposite sides pivotally connected to third and fourth module-supporting members of third and fourth mutually adjacent mounting stands respectively, each photovoltaic module being free to pivot upwardly out of engagement with said first and second module-supporting members of said first and second mutually adjacent mounting stands respectively in response to wind uplift forces; and first and second flexible tethers connecting each photovoltaic module at said first opposite end thereof to said first and second mutually adjacent mounting stands respectively, whereby to limit the extent that said first ends of said modules can move upwardly out of engagement with said first and second mutually adjacent mounting stands in response to wind uplift forces.