Roof Mounting Standoff

Abstract

A new mounting system for elevating and supporting objects such as solar panels is disclosed. The mounting system is designed for attachment to new or existing roofs of a variety of constructions. Sealing features are incorporated into the mounting system so that additional separate flashing components are not required. The system requires only one bolt for attachment. The design is quick and simple to install, reducing the amount of time and labor required.

1 . A device for mounting a panel or other object on a supporting structure, said device comprising an elongated metal bar member having two opposed ends, each of said ends being centrally bored to provide two separate inwardly extending aligned channels each with an inner and outer end, the inner end of each channel being sealably closed by common separating wall means constituting part of the bar member such that said channels terminate adjacent each other but are separated therefrom, the outer end of one of said channels including means for fixing thereto the object to be mounted, and means including a screw thread fixed within the other channel and extending outwardly therefrom to affix the device to said supporting structure. 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the bar includes means to facilitate turning the device to affix the same to said supporting structure. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  including an O-ring fixed into the end of said bar member surrounding said screw thread to facilitate sealing of the device against the supporting structure. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the same end of said bar member that includes the o-ring further includes a cavity for housing a sealant, said sealant serving to facilitate further sealing of the device against the supporting structure. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the object to be mounted is a photovoltaic module. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the supporting structure is a roof-deck. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein only one bolt is used to affix the device to the supporting structure. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein no separate flashing components are required to provide a watertight seal. 
     
     
         9 . A mounting system for mounting objects above a roof-deck, said mounting system comprising:
 a cylindrical body having a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end comprising a circular outer groove and an inner cavity;   a threaded bolt engaged with and projecting in the same direction from said cylindrical body;   wherein the circular outer groove is designed to house an o-ring which makes contact with the roof-deck to form a first seal;   wherein the inner cavity is designed to house sealing caulk which makes contact with the roof-deck to form a second seal;   wherein only one bolt is used to attach the mounting system to the roof-deck,   wherein the first and second seal are sufficient to provide a watertight seal, and   wherein no separate flashing components are required to provide a watertight seal.