The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 15, 2011
Filed:
May. 22, 2009
Jefferson G. Shingleton, Auburn, NY (US);
Thomas L. Dinwoodie, Piedmont, CA (US);
Gianluigi Mascolo, Emeryville, CA (US);
Jefferson G. Shingleton, Auburn, NY (US);
Thomas L. Dinwoodie, Piedmont, CA (US);
Gianluigi Mascolo, Emeryville, CA (US);
SunPower Corporation, Systems, Richmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A modular shade system with solar tracking panels includes a series of generally North-South oriented, spaced apart torque tubes, each torque tube having an axis, a series of panels mounted to at least some of the torque tubes to create spaced-apart rows of panels along the torque tubes, at least some of the panels being solar collector panels. The system also includes a shade structure, positioned at a selected location between selected ones of the torque tubes and above the support surface so to provide an enhanced shaded region thereunder, and a support structure. The support structure includes a first mounting assembly mounting each torque tube above the support surface for rotation about the axis of each torque tube and a second mounting assembly supporting the shade structure at the selected location. The system further comprises a tilting assembly selectively rotating each torque tube about its axis.