IP Library Granted Patent US 9,422,721
Granted Patent B2
US 9,422,721 · App. 14/813,199 · Granted Aug 23, 2016

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

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,422,721
App. No.
14/813,199
Granted
Aug 23, 2016
Kind
B2
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 (31)

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:

a 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; and

a seal including a first portion positionable adjacent the first surface of the flashing 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 protrusion substantially surrounding the aperture, and

wherein the seal and the protrusion have complementary shapes.

2. The roof mount assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bracket coupled to the flashing by the fastener, the bracket defining a recess configured to receive at least a portion of the 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 is shaped to engage the second surface of the 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 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 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 is pressed against the protrusion to form a water-tight seal.

11. The roof mount assembly of claim 10 , wherein a first seal member is substantially ring-shaped and a 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. 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;

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

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

inhibiting fluid flow through the aperture with the seal; and

compressing a surface of the seal against a surface of the flashing with the fastener to form a seal around the aperture,

wherein the surface of the seal and the surface of the flashing have complementary shapes.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising inserting a second seal member into a protrusion defined by the flashing adjacent the aperture.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising engaging a first seal member and the second seal member.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising retaining the second seal member in the protrusion through an engagement between the first seal member and the second seal member.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein compressing the seal includes compressing a first seal member and a second seal member against the flashing.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising positioning a bracket on the flashing.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising inserting a protrusion defined by the flashing into a mating recess defined by the bracket.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising connecting a second bracket to the bracket at a location offset from the rafter.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 25, 2025
From: ECOFASTEN SOLAR, LLC
To: ENSTALL US, INC.
Reel/Frame 073511/0490 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 31, 2021
From: ECOFASTEN SOLAR, LLC; IRONRIDGE, INC.; PANELCLAW, INC.; WENCON DEVELOPMENT, INC.; ESDEC B.V.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 057365/0001 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 1, 2019
From: RILLITO RIVER SOLAR, LLC
To: RILLITO RIVER SOLAR, LLC
Reel/Frame 051146/0295 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 1, 2019
From: RILLITO RIVER SOLAR, LLC
To: ECOFASTEN SOLAR, LLC
Reel/Frame 051146/0854 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2016
From: VERMONT SLATE & COPPER SERVICES, INC.
To: RILLITO RIVER SOLAR, LLC
Reel/Frame 039844/0026 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2015
From: STEARNS, BRIAN CECIL; LOUNSBURY, DOUGLAS TIMOTHY
To: ALPINE SNOWGUARDS
Reel/Frame 036214/0799 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2015
From: ALPINE SNOWGUARDS
To: VERMONT SLATE & COPPER SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 036214/0893 →