Mounting system, device, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022010823-A1
Application number	US-202117371888-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 9, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mounting system for use with standing seams has a first side member with a mounting interface, a first foot, and a first aperture. A second side member of the mounting system has a first spacing arm, a second spacing arm, a second foot and a second aperture. The system may include a fastener extendable through the first aperture and the second aperture to secure the first side member to the second side member. One or more of the first spacing arm and the second spacing arm contact an interior surface of the first side member to ensure at least a minimum spacing between the first foot and the second foot when the first and second side members are secured together by the fastener.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A clamp, comprising:
a first component, comprising:
a first riser having a top portion, a bottom portion, and a first aperture extending therethrough;
a mounting interface extending from the top portion of the first riser, the mounting interface comprising a mounting aperture and having a first end separated from a second end opposite the first end by a first length; and
a first foot extending from the bottom portion of the first riser and away from the mounting interface, the first foot having a first heel proximate the bottom portion of the first riser and terminating in a first toe; and
a second component, comprising:
a second riser having a top portion, a bottom portion, and a second aperture extending therethrough;
a first arm extending from the top portion of the second riser;
a second foot extending from the bottom portion of the second riser and away from the first arm, the second foot having a second heel proximate the bottom portion of the second riser and terminating in a second toe; and
a second arm extending from the second riser in between the second aperture and the second foot.

2 . The clamp of claim 1 , wherein the mounting aperture comprises an elongate slot having a second length less than the first length of the mounting interface.

3 . The clamp of claim 1 , wherein the mounting interface further comprises a nut retention slot extending from the first end to the second end.

4 . The clamp of claim 1 , wherein:
the first arm extends along a first axis that is approximately perpendicular to a reference plane; the second arm extends along a second axis that is approximately perpendicular to the reference plane, the second axis approximately parallel to the first axis.

5 . The clamp of claim 1 , further comprising a fastener extendable through the first aperture and the second aperture to secure the first component to the second component.

6 . The clamp of claim 5 , wherein when the first component is secured to the second component, the first arm defines a plane that intersects the first riser between the mounting interface and the first heel.

7 . The clamp of claim 1 , wherein the first arm and the second arm are configured to maintain a predetermined distance between the first riser and the second riser when a fastener is used to secure the first component to the second component.

8 . The clamp of claim 1 , wherein the first foot comprises:
an upper bridge extending from an exterior surface of the first riser; a knuckle extending from the upper bridge; a lower bridge extending from the knuckle; the first toe extending from the lower bridge; a lower surface extending between the first toe and the first heel and including an arch; and the first heel extending from an interior surface of the first riser.

9 . The clamp of claim 8 , wherein:
the upper bridge is concave; the knuckle is convex; and the lower bridge is concave.

10 . The clamp of claim 1 , wherein when the first component is secured to the second component:
the first riser is oriented at a first angle relative to a reference plane defined by the top portion, the first angle having a first magnitude; and the second riser is oriented at a second angle relative to the reference plane, the second angle having a second magnitude that is approximately equal to the first magnitude.

11 . The clamp of claim 1 , wherein the first component and the second component are made of a metal.

12 . A mounting system for use with a standing seam, comprising:
a first side member, comprising:
a mounting interface;
a first foot; and
a first aperture between the mounting interface and the first foot;
a second side member, comprising:
a first arm with a first end;
a second arm with a second end;
a second aperture between the first and second arms; and
a second foot; and
a fastener extendable through the first aperture and the second aperture to secure the first side member to the second side member, wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the arms contact an interior surface of the first side member to provide a predetermined spacing between the first foot and the second foot.

13 . The mounting system of claim 12 , wherein:
the first foot is configured to engage a first channel of a first Riverclack® metal panel; the second foot is configured to engage a second channel of a second Riverclack® metal panel; and a slot formed between the first side member and the second side member is configured to receive the standing seam defined by the first Riverclack® metal panel and the second Riverclack® metal panel.

14 . The mounting system of claim 13 , wherein the first foot comprises a first heel and a first toe, the first toe configured to engage the first channel, and the first heel is configured to engage an inset portion of the first Riverclack® metal panel.

15 . The mounting system of claim 12 , wherein:
one of the first aperture and the second aperture is not threaded; and one of the second aperture and the first aperture is threaded.

16 . The mounting system of claim 12 , wherein:
a first axis of the first aperture is spaced a first distance from a first toe of the first foot; and a second axis of the second aperture is spaced a second distance from a second toe of the second foot, the second distance being approximately equal to the first distance.

17 . The mounting system of claim 12 , further comprising a mounting aperture extending through the mounting interface.

18 . The mounting system of claim 17 , wherein the mounting aperture is an elongated slot.

19 . A method of connecting a mounting system to a standing seam defined by first and second metal panels, comprising:
providing a first component of the mounting system, comprising:
a mounting interface;
a first foot comprising a first toe and a first heel; and
a first aperture between the mounting interface and the first foot;
inserting the first toe into a first channel of the first metal panel; positioning the first heel in a first insert portion of the first metal panel; providing a second component of the mounting system, comprising:
a first arm with a first end;
a second arm with a second end;
a second aperture between the first and second arms; and
a second foot comprising a second toe and a second heel;
inserting the second toe into a second channel of the second metal panel; positioning the second heel in a second insert portion of the second metal panel; and securing the first component to the second component with a fastener that extends through the first and second apertures, wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the arms of the second component engage an interior surface of the first component.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
mounting an accessory to the mounting system by extending a fastener through a mounting aperture of the mounting interface.

Assignees

• Rmh Tech Llc

Inventors

• Moss Jonathon
• Haddock Dustin M M
• Holley Nikolaus Jo

Classifications

• F16B5/0607

  joining sheets or plates to each other (F16B5/0692, F16B21/082 take precedence) · CPC title

• E04D1/2942

  having folded sections receiving interfitted part of adjacent section · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H02S30/00

  Structural details of PV modules other than those related to light conversion (semiconductor device aspects of modules of electrolytic light sensitive devices H01G9/20, of inorganic PV modules H10F10/00, H10F19/00, of organic PV modules H10K30/00) · CPC title

• F16B2/065 Primary

  using screw-thread elements (F16B2/08 - F16B2/12 take precedence) · CPC title