GERALD R WHIPPLE
General Contractor in Cedar City, UT
License number
Utah 4796285-S215
Issued Date
Feb 20, 2007
Category
Contractor
Type
S215 - Solar Thermal Systems Qualifier
Address
Address
Cedar City, UT
Professional information
Balanced Support And Solar Tracking System For Panels Of Photovoltaic Cells
US Patent:
2010013, Jun 10, 2010
Filed:
Nov 25, 2009
Appl. No.:
12/592480
Inventors:
Gerald Whipple - Cedar City UT, US
Tom Willsey - Cedar City UT, US
Spencer Murphy - Cedar City UT, US
Sterling Holmes - Cedar City UT, US
Tom Willsey - Cedar City UT, US
Spencer Murphy - Cedar City UT, US
Sterling Holmes - Cedar City UT, US
International Classification:
F24J 2/38
US Classification:
126576
Abstract:
A solar tracking mechanism and mounting platform for solar panels is mounted with three or four legs attachable to a concrete pad and includes a substantially vertically disposed axle and a substantially horizontally disposed axle to which a plurality of panel support members are mounted to form a panel support assembly. The vertically disposed axle allows at least 240 degree rotation of the panel support assembly to follow the daily East-West travel of the Sun in the sky. The substantially horizontally disposed axle allows declining or tilting of the panel support assembly for the North-South adjustment of the panel support assembly to correspond to the geographic latitude of the location where the solar tracking mechanism and platform is used. The substantially horizontally disposed axle is placed on the centroid or substantially on the centroid location relative to the panel support members, including solar panels so that, as a result, the assembly is completely or substantially balanced and can be placed horizontally or in any inclined position without the weight of the assembly, including solar panels mounted thereon, causing it to precipitously drop or fall.