| CPC H02S 20/23 (2014.12) [F24S 25/61 (2018.05); F24S 25/67 (2018.05)] |
| AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT: |
| The patentability of claims 1-17 and 19-24 is confirmed. |
| Claim 18 is determined to be patentable as amended. |
| New claims 25-45 are added and determined to be patentable. |
|
1. A mounting system for solar modules, the system comprising:
a pair of mounting rails attached to a roof surface and used to support a first solar module having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, wherein the pair of mounting rails extends in parallel along an interior portion of the first solar module between the first edge and the second edge; and
an edge splice configured to connect the second edge of the first solar module to a first edge of a second solar module supported by a single additional mounting rail, wherein the edge splice is laterally displaced from the pair of mounting rails and the single additional mounting rail.
|
|
[ 25. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein the second solar module is above the first solar module, wherein the pair of mounting rails further extend along an interior portion of a third solar module that has a first edge and a second edge aligned with the first edge and the second edge of the first solar module.]
|
|
[ 26. The mounting system of claim 25, wherein the edge splice is further configured to connect the second edge of the third solar module to the first edge of a second solar module.]
|
|
[ 27. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein the edge splice is configured to connect to the second edge of the first solar module along the entire length of the edge splice.]
|
|
[ 28. The mounting system of claim 27, wherein the single additional mounting rail further supports a third solar module with a first edge and a second edge substantially aligned with the first edge and the second edge of the second solar module and wherein the edge splice is configured to connect to the first edge of the third solar module.]
|
|
[ 29. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein the first solar module is secured to the pair of mounting rails by at least one clamp on an edge of the first solar module other than the first edge or the second edge and wherein the second solar module is secured to the single additional mounting rail by at least one clamp on an edge of the second solar module other than the first or second edge.]
|
|
[ 30. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein a vertical member of the edge splice is parallel with the second edge of the first solar module.]
|
|
[ 31. The mounting system of claim 30, wherein the first solar module and the second solar module are offset along the length of the vertical member of the edge splice.]
|
|
[ 32. The mounting system of claim 31, wherein the single additional mounting rail further supports a third solar module with a first edge and a second edge substantially aligned with the first edge and the second edge of the second solar module and wherein the edge splice is configured to connect to the first edge of the third solar module.]
|
|
[ 33. The mounting system of claim 4, wherein a vertical member of the edge splice is parallel with the second edge of the first solar module.]
|
|
[ 34. The mounting system of claim 33, wherein the first solar module and the second solar module are offset along the length of the vertical member of the edge splice.]
|
|
[ 35. The mounting system of claim 34, wherein the single additional mounting rail further supports a third solar module with a first edge and a second edge substantially aligned with the first edge and the second edge of the second solar module and wherein the edge splice is configured to connect to the first edge of the third solar module.]
|
|
[ 36. The method of claim 17, wherein the second solar module is above the first solar module, wherein the pair of mounting rails are further positioned along an interior portion of a third solar module that has a first edge and a second edge aligned with the first edge and the second edge of the first solar module.]
|
|
[ 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the edge splice connects the second edge of the third solar module to the first edge of a second solar module.]
|
|
[ 38. The method of claim 17, wherein the edge splice connects to the second edge of the first solar module along the entire length of the edge splice.]
|
|
[ 39. The method of claim 38, attaching a third solar module to the single additional mounting rail, wherein the third solar module has a first edge and a second edge substantially aligned with the first edge and the second edge of the second solar module and wherein the edge splice connects to the first edge of the third solar module.]
|
|
[ 40. The method of claim 17, connecting the clamps to an edge of the first solar module other than the first edge or the second edge and attaching the second solar module to the single additional mounting rail by at least one additional clamp connecting to an edge of the second solar module other than the first or second edge.]
|
|
[ 41. The method of claim 17, wherein a vertical member of the edge splice is parallel with the second edge of the first solar module.]
|
|
[ 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the first solar module and the second solar module are offset along the length of the vertical member of the edge splice.]
|
|
[ 43. The method of claim 42, wherein a third solar module is attached to the single additional mounting rail, wherein the third solar module has a first edge and a second edge substantially aligned with the first edge and the second edge of the second solar module and wherein the edge splice connects to the first edge of the third solar module.]
|
|
[ 44. The method of claim 17, wherein the first edge of the second solar module is inserted into the edge splice at an angle relative to a bottom flange of the edge splice.]
|
|
[ 45. The method of claim 44, wherein the edge splice secures the second module when the second module is lowered onto the single additional mounting rail.]
|