Self-sealing mounting bracket for roof mounted structures
View Patent ↗A self-sealing mounting bracket includes an outer shell that defines at least one downwardly facing chamber. A plunger is located in the downwardly facing chamber and is slidable within the chamber. The chamber is filled with sealant either at the manufacturing facility or in the field. Larger openings are formed in the top of the outer shell that align with and provide access to bolt holes in the top of the plunger. Smaller openings in the top of the outer shell are for attaching the shell to a roof with lag bolts. The mounting bracket is located on a shingled roof and lag bolts are inserted through the larger openings and threaded into the roof deck. The heads of these lag bolts pass through the larger openings and engage the plungers to press the plungers down in their chambers. This, in turn, compresses, squeezes, and extrudes sealant between the mounting bracket and the roof below forming a water tight seal. The outer shell is then firmly attached to the roof with additional lag bolts inserted through the smaller openings and their aligned bolt holes and threaded into the roof deck. Mounting hardware for items such as solar panels can then be secured to the bracket.
1. A self-sealing mounting bracket for use in securing items to a roof, the self-sealing mounting bracket comprising:
an outer shell having a top wall and defining at least one downwardly open chamber;
structures on the outer shell by which auxiliary hardware may be selectively secured to the mounting bracket;
a plunger having an upper surface and being slidably disposed in the at least one downwardly open chamber, the plunger being movable between a first position adjacent the top wall of the outer shell and a second position displaced downwardly from the first position;
a first mechanism for selectively moving the plunger from its first position toward its second position when the self-sealing mounting bracket is being secured to a roof;
a second mechanism separate from the first mechanism for securing the outer shell to the roof without engaging the plunger;
sealant within the at least one downwardly open chamber being compressed against the roof when the plunger is selectively slid toward its second position to form a seal between the self-sealing mounting bracket and the roof.
2. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one downwardly open chamber comprises two or more downwardly open chambers and further comprising a two or more plungers slidably disposed in each of the two or more downwardly open chambers, and mechanisms for moving each of the two or more plungers from first positions adjacent the top wall of the outer shell toward second positions downwardly displaced from the first positions to compress sealant in the two or more chambers against the roof to form a seal.
3. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first mechanism comprises an opening formed through the upper surface of the plunger sized to receive a fastener.
4. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 3 wherein the fastener comprises a bolt that may be advanced through the opening formed through the upper surface of the plunger and threaded into the roof to move the plunger toward its second position.
5. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 4 wherein the bolt has a head and further comprising an opening in the top wall of the outer shell, the opening in the top wall being aligned with the opening through the upper surface of the plunger and being sized to allow the head of the bolt to pass through the opening in the top wall.
6. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second mechanism comprises at least one bolt.
7. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 6 wherein the bolt has a head and wherein the second mechanism further comprises aligned openings in the top wall of the outer shell and the upper wall of the plunger through which the bolt may be advanced and secured to the roof, the opening in the top wall of the outer shell being smaller than the head of the bolt.
8. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a sealant disposed in the at least one downwardly open chamber.
9. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 8 wherein the sealant is disposed below the plunger.
10. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sealant is loaded into the at least one downwardly open chamber at the time of installation of the self-sealing mounting bracket.
11. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the structures on the outer wall comprises threaded bores for receiving bolts.
12. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 11 wherein the outer shell has sides and wherein at least one of the threaded bores is formed in the sides of the outer shell.
13. A self-sealing mounting bracket as claimed in claim 12 and wherein at least one of the threaded bores is formed in the upper surface of the outer shell.