US 12,215,727 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 Sep. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/373,723.
Application 18/373,723 is a continuation of application No. 17/144,950, filed on Jan. 8, 2021, granted, now 11,879,490.
Application 17/144,950 is a continuation of application No. 15/690,965, filed on Aug. 30, 2017, granted, now 10,890,205, issued on Jan. 12, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/381,175, filed on Aug. 30, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0060524 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16B 33/00 (2006.01); F24S 25/00 (2018.01); F24S 25/61 (2018.01); F24S 40/44 (2018.01); F24S 25/60 (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)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solar panel installation system, comprising:
a track with at least one conically-shaped aperture;
a base plate, comprising:
at least one conically-shaped protrusion protrusion extending upwardly away from an upper surface of the base plate, and
at least one base plate aperture, where:
each base plate aperture has upper and lower ends and situated concentrically with respect to one conically-shaped protrusion, and
a width of the upper end of each base plate aperture is smaller than a width of the lower end of the base plate aperture; and
at least one fastening device with an integral head, shank, and cover, where;
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, where;
the track is disposed on top of the base plate with each conically-shaped protrusion of the at least one conically-shaped protrusion extending upwardly through one conically-shaped aperture of the at least one conically-shaped aperture, and
the distal end of the shank is inserted downwardly through one conically-shaped track aperture and one base plate aperture, such that:
the hollow region of the cover is configured to envelop one conically-shaped protrusion and the conically-shaped track aperture when a tightening force is applied to the fastening device extending through the base plate aperture until the cover is secured to the track, the track 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 track aperture into the hollow region of the cover when the tightening force is applied to the fastening device.