US 11,879,490 B2
Watertight fastening devices employed in a solar panel installation system
Greg McPheeters, Santa Clara, CA (US); Andrew Wickham, Santa Margarita, CA (US); and Geno Viscuso, Shingle Springs, CA (US)
Assigned to Sunrun South LLC, San Luis Obispo, CA (US)
Filed by Sunrun South LLC, San Luis Obispo, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/144,950.
Application 17/144,950 is a continuation of application No. 15/690,965, filed on Aug. 30, 2017, granted, now 10,890,205.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/381,175, filed on Aug. 30, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0207641 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. F24S 25/60 (2018.01); F16B 33/00 (2006.01); F24S 25/00 (2018.01); F24S 40/44 (2018.01); F24S 25/61 (2018.01)
CPC F16B 33/004 (2013.01) [F24S 25/00 (2018.05); F24S 25/61 (2018.05); F24S 40/44 (2018.05); F24S 2025/014 (2018.05); F24S 2025/021 (2018.05); F24S 2025/022 (2018.05); F24S 2025/6005 (2018.05); F24S 2025/6006 (2018.05)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solar panel installation system, comprising:
a mount comprising a bracket having a base with a conically-shaped mount aperture extending therethrough;
a base plate comprising:
a conically-shaped protrusion extending upwardly away from an upper surface of the base plate, and
a base plate aperture with upper and lower ends and situated concentrically with respect to the conically-shaped protrusion, wherein:
a width of the upper end of the base plate aperture is smaller than a width of the lower end of the base plate aperture;
a fastening device with an integral head, shank, and cover, wherein:
the shank extends away from the head towards a distal end of the shank, and
the cover extends outwardly and away from the head in the direction of the shank and defines an annular hollow region between the shank and an inner surface of the cover, wherein:
the mount is disposed on top of the base plate with the conically-shaped protrusion extending upwardly through the mount aperture,
the distal end of the shank of the fastening device is inserted downwardly through the base plate aperture and the mount aperture such that the hollow region of the cover is configured to envelop the conically-shaped protrusion and the mount aperture when a tightening force is applied to the fastening device extending through the base plate aperture until the cover is secured to the mount, the mount is secured to the base plate, and the base plate is secured to an installation surface, and
the conically-shaped protrusion of the base plate extends beyond the conically-shaped mount aperture into the hollow region of the cover when the tightening force is applied to the fasting device.