US 12,372,272 B2
Ground screw adaptor for solar panel support structure
Gregory Paul Huzyak, Salem, OH (US); and Nancy Elaine Schubert, New Springfield, OH (US)
Assigned to FLEXRACK by QCells LLC, Highland Hills, OH (US)
Filed by FLEXRACK by QCells LLC, Highland Hills, OH (US)
Filed on Sep. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/952,840.
Application 17/952,840 is a continuation of application No. 17/218,899, filed on Mar. 31, 2021, granted, now 11,454,423.
Prior Publication US 2023/0012809 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. F24S 25/617 (2018.01); F24S 25/12 (2018.01); F24S 25/65 (2018.01)
CPC F24S 25/617 (2018.05) [F24S 25/12 (2018.05); F24S 25/65 (2018.05); Y02E 10/47 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An adaptor for connecting a ground screw to an upright beam of a solar panel support assembly, comprising:
a cylindrical connector having an open ground-screw receiving bottom end and a top end, the cylindrical connector having an inner circumferential surface with a diameter larger by about ½ inch than that of a cylindrical top end of a ground screw and having at least two bolt hole sets, each bolt hole set including at least three bolt holes uniformly distributed circumferentially about the cylindrical connector at an axial level, and the at least two bolt hole sets being axially distanced from one another by an axial distance of at least 2 inches, and positioned to align with the cylindrical top end of the ground screw when the adaptor is installed in a telescoping fashion over the cylindrical top end of the ground screw;
an intermediate plate having a top surface and a bottom surface fixed to the top end of the cylindrical connector, wherein the bottom surface of the intermediate plate abuts a top surface of the cylindrical top end of the ground screw when the ground screw is inserted into the cylindrical connector; and
an upright beam connector fixed to the top surface of the intermediate plate, extending upward from the intermediate plate, and being configured to connect to an upright beam and retain the upright beam in a fixed direction;
wherein the axial distance causes a connection between the adaptor and the ground screw to have greater development length that enables adequate transfer of bending moments from the upright beam to the ground screw;
wherein the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical connector is sufficiently larger than an outer diameter of the cylindrical top end of the ground screw to permit gimballing and rotation between the cylindrical connector and the ground screw during installation; and
wherein the axial distance and the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical connector permit the at least two bolt hole sets to adjust a tilt direction of the upright beam connector when the adapter is secured to the ground screw.