Roofing grommet forming a seal between a roof-mounted structure and a roof

• US 8,209,914 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rillito River Solar LLC (Esdec B.V.)
• Original Assignee: Vermont Slate & Copper Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Stearns, Brian Cecil, Lounsbury, Douglas Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Katcheves, Basil
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHAN, BETH A
• Application Number:
  US12/914,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20110120047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 52/58, 52/60, 52 24- 26, 523/026, 523/027, 526/98, 521/731, 521/733, 524/08, 52/97, 527/414, 126/621, 126/623, 136/244, 248/237, 248/500, 248/505, 285/42, 285/43, 411/439, 411/542
• US Class Current: 52/58
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/388 Separate connecting elements Connecting devices specially adapted for embedding in concrete E04B1/41; Dowels, i.e. members adapted to penetrate the surfaces of two parts and to take the shear stresses E04B1/48
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/66 Sealings damp-proof courses E04B1/644; fire-proof sealings E04B1/948; additions of anti-leak properties to plaster C04B; bituminous sealing masses C08L95/00; sealings for hydraulic engineering work in general E02B3/16; against ground humidity or ground water E02D31/02; coverings against rain or other precipitations of the atmosphere E04D; composition of material or manufacture of sealing foils, see the relevant classes for these foils
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/665 Sheets or foils impervious to water and water vapor
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/389 Brackets
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/04 Roof drainage; Drainage fittings in flat roofs, balconies or the likegutter tiles E04D1/30; gutter slabs E04D3/40; vessels for collecting rainwater E03B3/03; street gullies E03F5/04
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/10 Snow traps ; Removing snow from roofs; Snow melters
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/14 Junctions of roof sheathings to chimneys or other parts extending above the roof
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/1407 for flat roofs
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/147 specially adapted for inclined roofs trays for cavity walls E04B1/70
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/1476 wherein the parts extending above the roof have a generally circular cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 43/001 for sealing or insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0258 using resiliently deformable sleeves, grommets or inserts F16B43/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/021 Sealing means between support elements and mounting surface
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/61 for fixing to the ground or to building structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/23 specially adapted for roof structures
• 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 roof mount assembly mounts a structure to a roof having a rafter and a substrate supported by the rafter. The roof mount assembly includes a piece of flashing positioned on the substrate. The flashing includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and an aperture extending through the flashing. A fastener extends through the flashing aperture. A bracket is connected to the flashing via the fastener, and the bracket is sized to support at least one roof-mounted structure on the roof. A seal is positioned between the flashing aperture and the fastener. The seal is sized to form a water-tight seal with the aperture to inhibit flow of fluid through the aperture. The seal includes a first portion and a second portion, in which the first portion is positioned to abut the flashing first surface and the second portion is positioned to extend through the aperture.

Claims

1. A roof mount assembly for mounting a structure to a roof, the roof comprising at least one rafter and a substrate at least partially covering the at least one rafter, the roof mount assembly comprising:

flashing positionable on the substrate, the flashing defining a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and an aperture extending therethrough;

a fastener extending through the aperture;

a bracket coupled to the flashing by the fastener, the bracket being configured to support at least one roof-mounted structure on the roof; and

a seal including a first portion positionable between the first surface of the flashing and the bracket and a second portion positionable to extend through the aperture and between the flashing and the fastener, the seal forming a water-tight seal to inhibit flow of fluid through the aperture,

wherein the flashing includes a frustoconical protrusion substantially surrounding the aperture.

2. The roof mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the bracket defines a recess configured to receive at least a portion of the frustoconical protrusion of the flashing.

3. The roof mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal includes a first seal member, and wherein the roof mount assembly further comprises a second seal member, the first seal member and the second seal member mating to form the water-tight seal.

4. The roof mount assembly of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the first seal member is positioned to abut the first surface of the flashing and at least a portion of the second seal member is positioned to abut the second surface of the flashing.

5. The roof mount assembly of claim 3, wherein the first seal member has a substantially T-shaped cross-section with the first portion extending across the aperture and the second portion extending at least partially into the aperture.

6. The roof mount assembly of claim 3, wherein the second seal member has a substantially frustoconical shape engaging the second surface of the frustoconical protrusion.

7. The roof mount assembly of claim 6, wherein the second seal member has an inner surface abutting the first seal member and an outer surface abutting the frustoconical protrusion.

8. The roof mount assembly of claim 3, wherein the first seal member includes one of a protrusion and a recess and the second seal member includes a mating one of a protrusion and a recess, the mating protrusion and recess cooperating to retain the second seal member in engagement with the first seal member.

9. The roof mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal has a substantially T-shaped cross-section and extends across the aperture and at least partially into the aperture.

10. The roof mount assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal includes a first seal member and a second seal member mating to form the water-tight seal.

11. The roof mount assembly of claim 10, wherein the first seal member is substantially ring-shaped and the second seal member includes a wide portion sized to abut the flashing adjacent the aperture and a narrow portion sized to extend through the aperture.

12. The roof mount assembly of claim 11, wherein the first seal member includes one of a protrusion and a recess and the second seal member includes a mating one of a protrusion and a recess, the mating protrusion and recess cooperating to retain the second seal member in engagement with the first seal member.

13. The roof mount assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second bracket coupled to the first bracket by a second fastener, the first-mentioned fastener defining a first longitudinal axis and the second fastener defining a second longitudinal axis offset from the first longitudinal axis.

14. The roof mount assembly of claim 13, wherein the second bracket is configured to support the roof mounted structure at a distance above the roof.

15. A method of mounting a roof mount assembly to a roof, the roof including at least one rafter and a substrate at least partially covering the at least one rafter, the method comprising:

inserting a seal into an aperture defined in flashing;

positioning the flashing and the seal on the roof;

positioning a bracket on the flashing;

extending a fastener through the bracket, the flashing and the seal and into the at least one rafter;

retaining the bracket, the flashing and the seal on the roof with the fastener;

inhibiting fluid flow through the aperture with the seal;

inserting a protrusion defined by the flashing into a mating recess defined by the bracket.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising inserting a second seal member into the protrusion defined by the flashing adjacent the aperture.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the seal includes a first seal member and wherein the method further comprises further comprising engaging the first seal member and the second seal member.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising retaining the second seal member in the protrusion through the engagement between the first seal member and the second seal member.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising coupling a second bracket to the first-mentioned bracket at a location offset from the rafter.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising laterally adjusting a position of the second bracket on the first-mentioned bracket with respect to the rafter.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising vertically adjusting a position of the second bracket on the first-mentioned bracket with respect to the rafter.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising coupling a structure to the second bracket and supporting the structure on the roof.