DESC: FIELD OF INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a field of mechanical engineering. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a coupling member for solar panels.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Solar panels are usually mounted on vertical posts for trapping sunlight and converting sunlight to electricity. Typically this arrangement is in areas where abundant sunlight is available. A sufficient gap is required to be maintained between solar panels to cater to expansion and contraction tolerance of a solar panel frame. However, such gaps maintained between the solar panels results in water leakage during operation and maintenance, and during rains. Therefore, it is required to seal the gaps formed between the solar panels to prevent water leakage and also to cater expansion and contraction tolerance of the frame.
Hence, there is felt a need of a coupling member for solar panels that alleviates the aforementioned drawbacks.

OBJECTS OF INVENTION
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows.
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a coupling member for solar panels.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coupling member for solar panels that is easy to install.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coupling member for solar panels that requires less maintenance.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coupling member for solar panels that prevents water leakage through gaps formed between solar panels.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coupling member for solar panels which can be retrofitted in existing installation and also used for coupling solar panels of new installation.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide coupling member for solar panels that is cost effective.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A coupling member for solar panels of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an isomeric view of a coupling member used for coupling solar panels and preventing water leakage therebetween, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the coupling member of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 and Figure 4 illustrates a schematic view of the coupling member of Figure 1 disposed in between two solar panels.
STATEMENT OF INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention discloses a coupling member 100 for solar panels 200 comprising a top portion 106 to abut the operative top surface of the solar panels 200, a bottom portion 104 to abut the operative bottom surface of the solar panels 200 and a body portion configured to connect said top portion 106 to said bottom portion 104 to form a coupling member 100 for providing adequate gripping of the coupling member 100 on the solar panel 200.
The body portion is configured with plurality of serrations 108 on either sides of the body 102 and throughout the length of the coupling member 100 to provide adequate gripping of the coupling member 100 on the solar panel 200.
The operative top portion 106 and said operative bottom portion 104 of the coupling member 100 is configured with an arcuate shape to abut the operative top and bottom surface of the solar panels 200 respectively to seal the gap and restrict the flow of water through the gaps.
The coupling member 100 is configured to be manufactured from a resilient or flexible material to cater expansion and contraction of the frame of the solar panels 200 wherein said coupling member 100 is configured to be made from rubbers like ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, etc.
The coupling member 100 is configured to be inserted in to the gap present between the installed solar panels 200 from either top or bottom or is configured to be press fitted on the solar panels 200 to facilitate installation. The coupling member 100 is configured to be retrofitted without dismantling or removing the solar panels 200 from the array of installed solar panels 200.
The solar panels 200 are optionally configured with complementary serrations on the side surface of the solar panels 200 to facilitate secure fitment of the coupling member 100 with respect to the solar panels 200.
The coupling member 100 is configured for eliminating the fasteners for coupling of the solar panels 200, preventing water leakages between the gaps of solar panels 200 and providing the light weight coupling arrangement for the solar panels 200.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Typically, an array of solar panels comprises a plurality of solar panels that are coupled together. The solar panels are usually installed on a roof of a building, on the ground, on a pole mounted frame, or on a dedicated elevated platform. In order to achieve optimal output from the solar panels, the location of their installation is required to be open where ample amount of sunlight is received. The continous exposure of the solar panels to direct sunlight results in increase in the temperature of the frame of the solar panels which results in expansion and contraction of the frame. Therefore, in order to cater to such expansion and contraction of the frame, sufficient gap is provided between the solar panels.
However, such gaps result in leakage of water during periodic wet servicing, operation and maintenance, and during rains which is not desired.
The present disclosure envisages a coupling member for solar panels that aleviates the abovementioned drawbacks.
Figure 1 illustrates an isomeric view of a coupling member 100 used for coupling solar panels 200 and preventing water leakage therebetween, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the coupling member 100. Figure 3 and Figure 4 illustrate a schematic view of the coupling member 100 of Figure 1 disposed in between two solar panels 200.
The coupling member 100 of the present disclosure is defined by a body 102. As depicted from Figure 2, plurality of serrations 108 are configured on either sides of the body 102, wherein the serrations 108 are longitudinal serrations. Further, an operative top end and an operative bottom end of the body 102 may have an arcuate shape, i.e., top arcuate portion 106 and bottom arcuate portion 104 respectively.
In an embodiment, the serrations 108 are formed throughout the length of the coupling member 100. The serrations 108 may be configured to provide sufficient gripping to the coupling member 100 on the solar panel 200.
In another embodiment, the dimension of the coupling member 100 is directly proportional to the dimension of the side, of the solar panel 200, facing the coupling member 100.
In an embodiment, the coupling member 100 may be manufactured using a resilient or a flexible material. In another embodiment, the coupling member 100 may be made of rubber, specifically ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber.
In an exemplary embodiment, the coupling member 100 is inserted in to the gap provided in between the installed or existing solar panels 200 from either top or bottom. The coupling member 100 may be configured to press fit with respect to the solar panels 200 so as to facilitate easy installation. Further, the arcuate portions, i.e., the top arcuate portion 106 and the bottom arcuate portion 104 abut the operative top and bottom surface of the solar panels 200 respectively to seal the gap and restrict the flow of water through the gaps.
Additionally, the usage of the resilient or the flexible material as the coupling member 100 also facilitates in catering to expansion and contraction of the frame of the solar panels 200.
In an embodiment, complementary serrations (not shown in figures) may be configured on the side surface of the solar panels 200. The complementary serrations facilitate secure fitment of the coupling member 100 with respect to the solar panels 200.
In another embodiment, the coupling member 100 can be easily installed on site without the requirement of dismantling or removing the solar panels 200 from the array of solar panels 200.
In an embodiment, the length of the coupling member 100 can be adjusted as per the application requirement.
The coupling member 100 of the present disclosure is cost effective, easy to install, requires less maintenance, and prevents water leakage through gaps formed between solar panels 200. Additionally, the coupling member 100 of the present disclosure eliminates the need for fasteners for coupling and preventing water leakages, thereby making the arrangement light in weight.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a coupling member for solar panels that:
• is cost effective;
• requires less maintenance;
• is easy to install;
• prevents water leakage from gaps formed between solar panels; and
• has simple configuration.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 – Coupling member
102 – Body
104 – Bottom arcuate end
106 – Top arcuate end
108 – Serrations
200 – Solar panels
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use can be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. A coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) comprising:
a top portion (106) to abut an operative top surface of the solar panels (200);
a bottom portion (104) to abut an operative bottom surface of the solar panels (200); and
a body portion configured to connect said top portion (106) to said bottom portion (104) to form a coupling member (100) for providing an adequate gripping of the coupling member (100) on the solar panel (200).

2. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body portion is configured with plurality of serrations (108) on either sides of the body (102) to provide adequate gripping of the coupling member (100) on the solar panel (200).
3. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said serrations (108) are configured throughout the length of the coupling member (100).
4. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said operative top portion (106) and said operative bottom portion of the coupling member (100) is configured with an arcuate shape to abut the operative top and the operative bottom surface of the solar panels (200) respectively to seal the gap and restrict the flow of water through the gaps.
5. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling member (100) is configured to be manufactured from a resilient or a flexible material to cater expansion and contraction of the frame of the solar panels (200).
6. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling member (100) is configured to be made from rubbers like ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, etc.
7. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling member (100) is configured to be inserted into the gap present between the installed solar panels (200) from either top or bottom or is configured to be press fitted on the solar panels (200) to facilitate installation.
8. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling member (100) is configured to be retrofitted without dismantling or removal of the solar panels (200) from the array of installed solar panels (200).
9. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said solar panels (200) are optionally configured with complementary serrations on the side surface of the solar panels (200) to facilitate secure fitment of the coupling member (100) with respect to the solar panels (200).
10. The coupling member (100) for solar panels (200) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling member (100) is configured for eliminating fasteners for coupling solar panels (200), preventing water leakages between the gaps of solar panels (200) and providing the light weight coupling arrangement for the solar panels (200).