Solar Light Mount

Overview:

A mounting bracket for a solar light.

My original light came with screw fixings and a bracket. It also held the light flat (not inclined). I wanted to mount it to a window, and have it slightly angled so the water could run off the top of it when its raining (and so the rain could ruin off without pooling), but also so that light projected out and away from the surface slightly, but did not affect the solar charging too much (The panels are built into the top of the light itself)

The mount comes in two pieces (left and right) so its easy to fit and so its not limited by the length of your light fitting, just print each end  and use 3M Command Strip adhesives to adhere it to a smooth, dry, clean surface.

Notes:

• This fitting has been designed to hold a rectangular light that is between 33mm/35mm tall  and 77mm/79mm  deep.  (The maximum recommended light dimension is 35mm x 80mm)

• The inclination is about 4.7 degrees. (Typical roof guttering is inclined at 1:200 or  ~0.286 degrees)

• The mount holds each end of the light with 8mm overlap. if your light has protrusions in this area, you will need to account for this during pre-printing.

• The surfaces of the mount that will stick to he 3M Command Strips are in the Z orientation during printing. They are oriented in the X and Y  axes of your printer so should print flat with no deviation if your belts are tuned to the correct tightness. (Only one axes motor should be turning during printing of this face)

• Make sure you clean the surface you are mounting too properly with isopropyl alcohol and a clothe/tissue first. If it is dirty, you may want to use detergent to remove any debris or grime first.

• Fix the command stripes to the mount first (pressing firmly to ensure a good bond), then peel the side that will be fixed to the wall/glass last, fit the light fitting between them and align and press firmly, holding in place for 10-30s .

• To remove the light, you can remove one side first (using the pull tag on the 3M Command Strip), remove the light, and then remove the other side of the mount.

Weight Considerations:

• The light I was mounting was only a few 100g, (in the range of 100 to 300g total), The mounts are deliberately wide enough so that I could use a 3M Command Strip that was rated for up to 1000g on each side.  If you light is heavier than this, you may wish to reconsider this mount.

• The mount itself has 15% gyroid infill so it doesn't contribute significantly to the total weight of the light (100g  to 300g) and mount (<60g), The mount accounts for about 23 to 19% of the total mass.

• The mount is designed so that the light creates a slight bending moment to push the lower half of the mount towards the glass, the 3M Commands Strips can easily take care of the counter bending moment and shear force.