Mounting device for building surfaces having elongated mounting slot

• US 10,077,562 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RMH Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Dustin M.M. Haddock, Robert M.M. Haddock
• Inventors: Haddock, Dustin M. M., Haddock, Robert M. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterling, Amy J.
• Application Number:
  US15/621,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20170275889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/61 of slab-shaped building elements with each other
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/389 Brackets
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0842 specially adapted for thin sheet-like materials, e.g. sheet-metal or plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6008 by using toothed elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/615 for fixing to protruding parts of buildings, e.g. to corrugations or to standing seams
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/636 clamping by screw-threaded elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/00 Supporting structures for PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/22 specially adapted for buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A mounting device or bracket for paneled building surfaces is disclosed. The mounting bracket includes an upper wall in the form of a flat surface for supporting various types of attachments. An elongated mounting slot extends through the upper wall, and the mounting bracket includes an elongated nut receptacle that is positioned below this elongated mounting slot. With an attachment being positioned on the upper wall, an attachment fastener may be directed through the attachment, then through the elongated mounting slot, and then may be threadably engaged with a nut that is positioned within and movable along the nut receptacle in its elongated dimension. The elongated configuration of the mounting slot and nut receptacle provides adjustability for the position of the attachment fastener relative to the mounting bracket, including after the mounting bracket has already been installed on the building surface.

Claims

1. A building system comprising:

a building surface comprising a plurality of interconnected panels that in turn comprises a plurality of building surface protrusions;

a mounting device positioned on said building surface, wherein a first dimension coincides with a length of said mounting device, wherein a second dimension is orthogonal to said first dimension and coincides with a width of said mounting device, wherein a third dimension is orthogonal to a reference plane that contains said length and width of said mounting device and coincides with a height of said mounting device, wherein a length of each of said plurality of building surface protrusions coincides with said first dimension, wherein each adjacent pair of said plurality of building surface protrusions are spaced from one another in said second dimension, and wherein said plurality of building surface protrusions are parallel to one another in said first dimension;

a first fastener engaged with each of said building surface and said mounting device, wherein said mounting device is maintained in a fixed position relative to said building surface, and wherein said mounting device is mounted to a first building surface protrusion of said plurality of building surface protrusions by said first fastener, said mounting device comprising;

an upper wall disposed above and spaced from an underlying portion of said building surface in said third dimension;

an un-threaded mounting slot that is elongated in said first dimension and that extends through said upper wall in said third dimension;

an open space that is disposed directly below and aligned with said mounting slot in said third dimension, wherein said open space is located between said building surface and said mounting slot in said third dimension, and wherein said open space is bordered by said upper wall, a first portion of said mounting device that extends relative to said upper wall in a direction of said building surface, and a second portion of said mounting device that is spaced from said first portion of said mounting device in said second dimension and that extends relative to said upper wall in a direction of said building surface;

an attachment fastener comprising a shaft, a first member positioned on said shaft, and a second member positioned on said shaft, wherein said first and second members are movable relative to one another along said shaft to change a spacing between said first and second members along said shaft, wherein said first member is positioned above said upper wall, wherein said shaft extends through said mounting slot, wherein said second member is positioned within said open space, and wherein said attachment fastener is disposable in multiple positions along said mounting slot and in said first dimension.

2. The building system of claim 1, wherein said mounting slot comprises a length, width, and depth, wherein said length of said mounting slot is measured in said first dimension and is of a greater magnitude than said width of said mounting slot, wherein said width of said mounting slot is measured in said second dimension, and wherein a depth of said mounting slot corresponds with a thickness of said upper wall and is measured in said third dimension.

3. The building system of claim 1, wherein said mounting device comprises a base that is spaced from an underside of said upper wall in said third dimension, and wherein said open space extends from said underside of said upper wall to said base in said third dimension.

4. The building system of claim 3, wherein said second member is a nut, wherein said open space is in the form of a receptacle, and wherein said base is configured to retain at least part of said nut within said receptacle in said third dimension.

5. The building system of claim 3, wherein said second member is a nut comprising a nut flange and a nut body, wherein said open space is in the form of a receptacle, wherein said receptacle comprises a nut flange receptacle and a nut body receptacle, wherein a width of said nut flange receptacle in said second dimension is larger than a width of said nut body receptacle in said second dimension, wherein an entirety of said nut flange is retained in said nut flange receptacle, and wherein said nut body extends into said nut body receptacle.

6. The building system of claim 5, wherein an effective outer diameter of said nut flange is larger than said width of said nut body receptacle in said second dimension.

7. The building system of claim 5, wherein said base comprises first and second base portions that are oppositely disposed, wherein said nut body receptacle extends between said first and second base portions.

8. The building system of claim 7, wherein said nut body is positioned between said first and second base portions.

9. The building system of claim 8, wherein said first and second base portions limit relative rotational movement between said nut and said mounting device.

10. The building system of claim 8, wherein said first and second base portions are disposed in closely spaced relation to opposing sidewall portions of said nut body.

11. The building system of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of said nut body is at all times retained between said first and second base portions.

12. The building system of claim 5, wherein said width of said nut body receptacle limits relative rotation between said nut and said mounting device.

13. The building system of claim 1, wherein said second member is a nut comprising a nut flange and a nut body, wherein said open space is in the form of a receptacle, wherein said receptacle comprises a nut flange receptacle and a nut body receptacle with said nut flange receptacle being located between said nut body receptacle and said upper wall in said third dimension, and wherein a width of said nut flange receptacle in said second dimension is larger than a width of said nut body receptacle in said second dimension.

14. The building system of claim 13, wherein an entirety of said nut flange is retained in said nut flange receptacle, and wherein said nut body extends into said nut body receptacle.

15. The building system of claim 14, wherein an effective outer diameter of said nut flange is larger than said width of said nut body receptacle.

16. The building system of claim 15, said width of said nut body receptacle is defined by a pair of base surfaces that are disposed in opposing relation, wherein each base surface of said pair is associated with a flat on a sidewall of said nut body, and wherein said base surfaces of said pair are spaced from each other in said second dimension such that each said flat is unable to be rotated past its corresponding said base surface.

17. The building system of claim 13, said width of said nut body receptacle is defined by a pair of base surfaces that are disposed in opposing relation, wherein each base surface of said pair is associated with a flat on a sidewall of said nut body, and wherein said base surfaces of said pair are spaced in said second dimension such that each said flat is unable to be rotated past its corresponding said base surface.

18. The building system of claim 1, wherein said open space is in the form of a receptacle, wherein said receptacle is defined at least in part by a pair of base surfaces that are disposed in opposing relation, wherein each base surface of said pair is associated with a flat on a sidewall of said second member, and wherein said base surfaces of said pair are spaced in said second dimension such that each said flat is unable to be rotated past its corresponding said base surface.

19. The building system of claim 1, wherein said open space is in the form of a receptacle, wherein said receptacle is defined at least in part by a pair of base surfaces that are spaced from one another in said second dimension and that each project in a direction of said upper wall, wherein said pair of base surfaces are spaced from an underside of said upper wall in said third dimension, and wherein said pair of base surfaces define a maximum amount that said second member is able to move away from said upper wall when said second member is disposed within said receptacle.

20. The building system of claim 1, wherein said open space is in the form of a receptacle, wherein said receptacle is defined in part by a base surface that projects toward said upper wall, that is vertically aligned with said mounting slot, and that is spaced from an underside of said upper wall in said third dimension, wherein a lowermost surface of said second member is positioned on said base surface.

21. The building system of claim 1, wherein said mounting device is of a one-piece construction.

22. The building system of claim 1, wherein said mounting slot is centrally disposed in said second dimension relative to an entirety of said mounting device in said second dimension.

23. The building system of claim 1, wherein said mounting device is disposed over a single one of said plurality of building surface protrusions in the form of a first building surface protrusion.

24. The building system of claim 23, wherein said first fastener engages said first building surface protrusion.

25. The building system of claim 1, wherein said mounting device is mounted to an adjacent pair of said plurality of building surface protrusions.