Trailer With Solar Panels

Abstract

A trailer comprising a floor and a rigid frame coupled to the floor. The trailer also includes first and second solar panels configured to rotate from stored positions to deployed positions. Planar surfaces of the first and second solar panels are substantially orthogonal to the floor in the stored positions and disposed at angles relative to the floor in the deployed positions. The trailer also includes fasteners configured to fasten the first and second solar panels to the vertical supports of the rigid frame when the second solar panels are in the stored positions and configured to fasten the first and second solar panels to angled supports of the rigid frame when the solar panels are in the deployed positions.

1 . A trailer comprising:
 a floor;   a rigid frame coupled to the floor comprising:
 a first vertical support substantially orthogonal to the floor; 
 a second vertical support taller than the first vertical support and substantially orthogonal to the floor; 
 a first angled support coupled to a top end of the first vertical support and a top end of the second vertical support;
 a third vertical support substantially orthogonal to the floor and substantially the same height as the first vertical support; and 
 
 a fourth vertical support substantially orthogonal to the floor and substantially the same height as the second vertical support; 
 a second angled support coupled to a top end of the third vertical support and a top end of the fourth vertical support; 
   a first solar panel configured to rotate from a stored position to a deployed position, the first solar panel comprising:
 a first photovoltaic panel; 
 a first rigid solar panel frame coupled to the first photovoltaic panel; and 
 a first horizontal beam disposed along the length of the first photovoltaic panel, the first horizontal beam rotatably coupled to a top portion of the first vertical support and a top portion of the third vertical support; 
   first and second fasteners configured to fasten the first solar panel to the first and third vertical supports when the first solar panel is in the stored position and configured to fasten the first solar panel to the first and second angled supports when the first solar panel is in the deployed position,
 wherein a planar surface of the first photovoltaic panel is substantially orthogonal to the floor in the stored position and the planar surface of the first photovoltaic panel is disposed at a first angle relative to the floor in the deployed position; 
   a second solar panel configured to rotate from a stored position to a deployed position, the second solar panel comprising:
 a second photovoltaic panel; 
 a second rigid solar panel frame coupled to the second photovoltaic panel; and 
 a second horizontal beam disposed along the length of the second photovoltaic panel, the second horizontal beam rotatably coupled to a top portion of the second vertical support and a top portion of the fourth vertical support; and 
   third and fourth fasteners configured to fasten the second solar panel to the second and fourth vertical supports when the second solar panel is in the stored position and configured to fasten the second solar panel to the first and second angled supports when the second solar panel is in the deployed position,
 wherein a planar surface of the second photovoltaic panel is substantially orthogonal to the floor in the stored position and the planar surface of the second photovoltaic panel is disposed at a second angle relative to the floor in the deployed position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The trailer of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first and second fasteners comprise a first and second locking pin, respectively; and   the third and fourth fasteners comprise a third and fourth locking pin, respectively.   
     
     
         3 . The trailer of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a first mounting bracket coupled to the first angled support for receiving the first and third locking pins; and   a second mounting bracket coupled to the second angled support for receiving the second and fourth locking pins.   
     
     
         4 . The trailer of  claim 3 , wherein the first solar panel comprises first and second locking pin receptacles configured to receive the first and second locking pins; and
 the second solar panel comprises third and fourth locking pin receptacles configured to receive the third and fourth locking pins.   
     
     
         5 . The trailer of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the planar surface of the first photovoltaic panel faces the interior of a volume defined by the rigid frame when in the stored position and the first solar panel is configured to rotate approximately 135 degrees from the stored position to the deployed position; and   the planar surface of the second photovoltaic panel faces the interior of the volume defined by the rigid frame when in the stored position and the second solar panel is configured to rotate approximately 45 degrees from the stored position to the deployed position.   
     
     
         6 . The trailer of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid frame further comprises:
 a first horizontal support beam coupled between the first vertical support and the second vertical support;   a second horizontal support beam coupled between the third vertical support and the fourth vertical support;   a third horizontal support coupled between the first vertical support and the third vertical support; and   a fourth horizontal support coupled between the second vertical support and the fourth vertical support.   
     
     
         7 . The trailer of  claim 1 , wherein the first angle is substantially equal to the second angle. 
     
     
         8 . The trailer of  claim 7 , wherein the first angle is approximately 30 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The trailer of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one battery coupled to the first photovoltaic panel or the second photovoltaic panel. 
     
     
         10 . The trailer of  claim 9 , further comprising AC power delivery circuitry coupled to the at least one battery configured to convert electrical power from the battery to AC electrical power. 
     
     
         11 . The trailer of  claim 10 , wherein the AC power delivery circuitry comprises an inverter. 
     
     
         12 . The trailer of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid frame further comprises a fifth vertical support substantially orthogonal to the floor and substantially the same height as the first vertical support and a sixth vertical support substantially orthogonal to the floor and substantially the same height as the second vertical support; and wherein the trailer further comprises:
 a third solar panel configured to rotate from a stored position to a deployed position, the third solar panel comprising:   a third photovoltaic panel;   a third rigid solar panel frame coupled to the third photovoltaic panel; and   a third horizontal beam disposed along the length of the third photovoltaic panel, the third horizontal beam rotatably coupled to a top portion of the third vertical support and a top portion of the fifth vertical support;   a third angled support coupled a top end of the fifth vertical support and a top end of the second sixth support;   fifth and sixth fasteners configured to fasten the third solar panel to the third and fifth vertical supports when the third solar panel is in the stored position and configured to fasten the third solar panel to the second and third angled supports when the third solar panel is in the deployed position,
 wherein a planar surface of the third photovoltaic panel is substantially orthogonal to the floor in the stored position and the planar surface of the third photovoltaic panel is disposed at a third angle relative to the floor in the deployed position; 
 a fourth solar panel configured to rotate from a stored position to a deployed position, the fourth solar panel comprising: 
 a fourth photovoltaic panel; 
 a fourth rigid solar panel frame coupled to the fourth photovoltaic panel; 
 a fourth horizontal beam disposed along the length of the fourth photovoltaic panel, the fourth horizontal beam rotatably coupled to a top portion of the fourth vertical support and a top portion of the sixth vertical support; and 
   seventh and eighth fasteners configured to fasten the fourth solar panel to the fourth and sixth vertical supports when the fourth solar panel is in the stored position and configured to fasten the fourth solar panel to the second and third angled supports when the fourth solar panel is in the deployed position,
 wherein a planar surface of the fourth photovoltaic panel is substantially orthogonal to the floor in the stored position and the planar surface of the fourth photovoltaic panel is disposed at a fourth angle relative to the floor in the deployed position. 
   
     
     
         13 . The trailer of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the fifth and sixth fasteners comprise a fifth and sixth locking pin, respectively; and   the seventh and eighth fasteners comprise a seventh and eighth locking pin, respectively.   
     
     
         14 . The trailer of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the planar surface of the third photovoltaic panel faces the interior of a volume defined by the rigid frame when in the stored position and the third solar panel is configured to rotate approximately 135 degrees from the stored position to the deployed position; and   the planar surface of the fourth photovoltaic panel faces the interior of the volume defined by the rigid frame when in the stored position and the fourth solar panel is configured to rotate approximately 45 degrees from the stored position to the deployed position.   
     
     
         15 . The trailer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a ninth fastener configured to fasten the first solar panel to the third horizontal support; and   a tenth fastener configured to fasten the second solar panel to the fourth horizontal support.