JP7486175B2 - Roof Mounting Bracket - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to roof mounting fixtures that are fastened and clamped to the roof seam, such as snow guard fittings that have a snow guard plate or snow guard angle stopper on the clamping fixture body, or solar panel mounting fittings that have a solar panel mounting part.

For example, roof mounting hardware such as snow guards and solar panel mounting hardware, which clamp and attach to a mounting part such as a roof seam from both sides, is configured to have opposing clamping parts (clamping hardware main body) at the bottom that clamp the mounting part from the outside, and a tightening bolt that moves the opposing clamping parts closer together is arranged in an erected state between the opposing clamping parts (clamping hardware main body), and the tightening bolt or the nut screwed onto the tightening bolt is tightened and rotated to move the opposing clamping parts closer together, and the mounting part is clamped and attached to the mounting part by the left and right clamping parts at the bottom by tightening and clamping from both sides.

However, with roof mounting brackets of this configuration, if the tightening torque is too strong, because the tightening bolt is installed in the vertical center of the bracket body, the bracket body will warp on both sides so that the tightening parts are recessed inward, i.e., the bolt tightening part will be recessed and the clamping part at the bottom will try to separate in the opposite direction, causing a "sag" phenomenon. This deformation of the bracket and the reduction in clamping force due to this sag phenomenon could reduce the mounting strength.

In other words, if the tightening bolt is tightened too much, the area around the bolt and nut will be bent inward, causing a phenomenon known as "folding inward," which weakens the clamping force at the bottom and may result in a decrease in the mounting strength.
For example, in the case of a fitting type vertical flat roof, the vertically extending seam portion is easily deformed, so the tightening bolts are easily tightened more than necessary, which can lead to a decrease in the mounting strength due to the phenomenon of buckling.

In order to install metal fittings with the appropriate tightening torque, it is desirable to use a torque wrench or similar tool to check the tightening strength while working, but when installing multiple metal fittings, this can be a very tedious task, and in reality, installation work is often done by tightening the fittings to an appropriate level based on the worker's own sense.

The present invention has identified and solved these problems, and aims to provide a roof mounting bracket that allows the tightening torque to be easily controlled by simple visual inspection without using a torque wrench or relying on the senses of an experienced worker, prevents a decrease in mounting strength due to the phenomenon of snapping caused by overtightening, and allows installation work to be performed instantly with a simple and appropriate tightening force at all times, without a decrease in mounting strength and with excellent workability.

The gist of the present invention will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

A clamping bolt 4 for moving the opposing clamping parts 3 closer to each other is arranged between opposing clamping parts 3 provided at the bottom of clamping parts 2 that clamp the roof mounting part 1 from the outside, and the clamping bolt 4 for moving the opposing clamping parts 3 closer to each other is arranged in an erected state. By tightening and rotating the clamping bolt 4 or the nut 5 screwed onto the clamping bolt 4 to tighten the opposing clamping parts 3 with the clamping bolt 4, the opposing clamping parts 3 move closer to each other, and the clamping parts 2 clamp and clamp the mounting part 1 from both sides to be attached to the mounting part 1. The holding part 3 has a curved part 6 that bulges outward, and this curved part 6 is configured to deform so that the degree of curvature is reduced by tightening the tightening bolt 4, and when the clamping part 2 tightens and clamps the mounting part 1 from both sides by tightening the tightening bolt 4, this curvature is almost eliminated, and the roof mounting bracket is characterized by being configured in a shape that allows the necessary and sufficient degree of tightening by the tightening bolt 4 to be visually confirmed by visually checking whether or not the curvature has disappeared.

The fastening bolts 4 are arranged in a horizontally spaced manner between the opposing clamping parts 3 in an erected state, and the curved part 6 is provided between the fastening bolts 4, with the middle part bulging outward. The curved part 6 is configured in such a way that when the clamping parts 2 clamp the mounting part 1 from both sides, the degree of curvature is almost completely eliminated, which allows the user to visually confirm in a plan view that the fastening by the fastening bolts 4 is necessary and sufficient. This relates to the roof mounting bracket described in claim 1.

The roof mounting bracket according to any one of claims 1 and 2, further characterized in that the curved portions 6 are provided in opposing relation to each other on both sides of the opposing clamping portions 3, and the curved portions 6 are configured in such a way that when the clamping portions 2 clamp the mounting portion 1 from both sides, the degree of curvature of both portions is almost completely eliminated, and the external shapes of the opposing clamping portions 3 are almost parallel in a plan view, allowing the user to visually confirm that the tightening by the tightening bolt 4 is necessary and sufficient.

The present invention is configured as described above, so the tightening torque can be easily controlled by simple visual inspection, the reduction in mounting strength caused by the phenomenon of snapping occurring due to overtightening can be prevented, and the installation work can be performed instantly with the correct amount of tightening at all times, resulting in a roof mounting bracket with excellent workability and no reduction in mounting strength.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view showing a state in which the present embodiment is used. 4A to 4C are explanatory plan views showing the state before and after fastening in this embodiment. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment in a fastened state. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment in a fastened state. FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment in a fastened state.

The optimal embodiment of the present invention will be briefly explained below, showing its function based on the drawings.

The clamping bolt 4, which is disposed between the opposing clamping parts 3 (clamping metal fittings main body) in an erected state, or the nut 5 screwed onto the clamping bolt 4 is tightened and rotated, and the opposing clamping parts 3 are tightened by the clamping bolt 4, so that the left and right opposing clamping parts 3 move closer to each other and the lower clamping part 2 tightens and holds the roof mounting part 1 from both sides. However, if it is tightened too much, the clamping force of the clamping part 2 will weaken due to the snap-back phenomenon, and the mounting strength will decrease, so torque management is required to prevent over-tightening.

In this regard, in the present invention, the opposing clamping portion 3 is provided with a curved portion 6 that bulges outward, and is configured to deform so that the degree of curvature is reduced by tightening the tightening bolt 4.

Therefore, if this degree of curvature is preset to a certain degree and mass-produced, when the clamping portion 2 clamps and holds the mounting portion 1 from both sides with an appropriate torque by tightening the tightening bolt 4, in other words, when it is tightened with an appropriate tightening force that is necessary and sufficient to prevent the snapping phenomenon, the curvature will be almost completely eliminated.

Therefore, in the present invention, when a worker performs the tightening work, by visually confirming (visually checking) the disappearance of the curvature of the curved shape portion 6, it is determined that the tightening by the tightening bolt 4 is necessary and sufficient and the proper installation is completed, and thus the tightening installation work with torque management can be performed instantly. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the installation strength due to the snapping phenomenon without compromising workability.

For example, if the tightening bolts 4 are arranged in parallel at horizontal intervals and the curved portion 6 is provided between the tightening bolts 4 with the middle portion bulging outward, when the clamping portion 2 clamps and holds the mounting portion 1 from both sides, the degree of curvature will almost disappear, and it will be possible to instantly confirm that the tightening by the tightening bolts 4 is necessary and sufficient, which will provide better operability and more reliable prevention of a decrease in mounting strength due to the snapping phenomenon.

Furthermore, if the curved portions 6 are provided in opposing relation to the left and right sides of the opposing clamping portion 3, the degree of curvature of both sides will be almost completely eliminated, and the outer shape of the opposing clamping portion 3 will be almost parallel in a plan view. Then, by tightening and clamping the clamping portion 2 with the tightening bolt 4, it will be possible to instantly and visually confirm that the tightening by the tightening bolt 4 is necessary and sufficient. This results in a roof mounting bracket that is extremely easy to work with and can be easily attached with high mounting strength without any reduction in mounting strength.

Specific examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a snow guard that is attached to a fitting-type flat roof, where the roof mounting part 1 is easily deformed by tightening, which can easily cause the phenomenon of the roof snapping off due to over-tightening, and where the clamping force of the clamping part 2 is easily weakened. The vertically extending seam of this fitting-type flat roof serves as the mounting part 1, which is clamped and attached from both sides.

Specifically, the snow stopper is equipped with a snow stopper angle stopper 7 that engages the snow stopper angle 9 in the angle engagement groove 8 and presses it down with a pressing part. The snow stopper angle stopper 7 is provided on the top of a metal plate clamping bracket body (a pair of opposing clamping parts 3) that is bent in opposite directions to form a clamping part 2 and a grounding part 10 that clamp the roof mounting part 1 from the outside at the bottom, and is made of an inverted U-shaped cross section. The front and rear ends of the lower part of both opposing clamping parts 3 (clamping bracket body) are bent outward to provide plate-shaped grounding parts 10, and the lower center part between these grounding parts 10 is bent inward to form a wide plate-shaped clamping part 2 that protrudes inward. A tightening bolt 4 that moves the left and right opposing clamping parts 3 closer together is arranged in an erected state between the pair of opposing clamping parts 3 (clamping bracket body).

The pair of opposing clamping parts 3 (clamping metal body) in this embodiment are made of metal plate material with an inverted U-shaped cross section, with plate-shaped opposing clamping parts 3 on the left and right, and the clamping part 2 is integrally formed in a bent state inward at the lower part of each as described above, and the inward protruding tip is configured to press and clamp the outside of the mounting part 1, and the upper parts of the left and right opposing clamping parts 3 are connected together, so that these plate-shaped opposing clamping parts 3 are opposed to each other and can be moved toward each other by tightening the tightening bolt 4 against their own spring elasticity.

In other words, in this embodiment, two tightening bolts 4 with tightening nuts 5 are arranged side by side at a horizontal distance between the opposing clamping parts 3, and the tightening bolts 4 or the nuts 5 screwed onto the tightening bolts 4 are tightened and rotated to tighten the opposing clamping parts 3 with the tightening bolts 4, so that the left and right opposing clamping parts 3 move closer to each other, and each lower clamping part 2 tightens and clamps the mounting part 1 from both sides, attaching it to the mounting part 1.

In this embodiment, the opposing clamping parts 3 on both the left and right sides are provided with curved parts 6 that bulge outward. The curved parts 6 in this embodiment are configured to deform so that the degree of curvature decreases when tightened by the tightening bolts 4. When the clamping parts 2 tighten and clamp the mounting part 1 from both sides by tightening the tightening bolts 4, this curvature gradually changes and is set to a shape that almost disappears when tightened appropriately. The necessary and sufficient degree of tightening by the tightening bolts 4 can be visually confirmed by checking whether or not the curvature disappears.

Specifically, when the clamping portion 2 clamps and holds the mounting portion 1 from both sides with an appropriate torque by tightening the tightening bolt 4, in other words, when it is tightened with an appropriate tightening force that is necessary and sufficient and does not cause the snapping phenomenon, this curvature is almost completely eliminated, and the worker can visually confirm that the tightening bolt 4 has been tightened sufficiently and that the installation has been completed properly.

To explain further, in this embodiment, the tightening bolts 4 are arranged in two parallel rows at the front-to-rear ends with a horizontal gap between them, at mid-height in the vertical direction, and the curved portion 6 is provided between the tightening bolts 4, with the middle portion bulging outward.

Specifically, in this embodiment, curved portions 6 with an external shape that bulges outward in both the vertical and longitudinal directions are provided on the opposing clamping portions 3 on the left and right sides between the tightening bolts 4, and when the nuts 5 of the tightening bolts 4 are tightened and rotated to clamp the clamping portions 2 from both sides of the mounting portion 1, the curved portions 6 gradually disappear as they deform, and the degree of curvature is almost completely eliminated, which can be visually confirmed in a plan view, allowing instantaneous visual confirmation that the tightening by the tightening bolts 4 is sufficient.

In addition, in this embodiment, the curved portions 6 are provided on both the left and right sides of the opposing clamping portion 3 in an opposing state, and when the clamping bolts 4 are tightened and clamped by the clamping portion 2 until the curvature of both of these portions almost disappears and the external shape of the opposing clamping portion 3 becomes almost parallel in a plan view, it is possible to visually confirm even more instantly that the tightening by the tightening bolts 4 is necessary and sufficient.

Therefore, when a worker performs the tightening work, by visually confirming (visually checking) the disappearance of the curvature of this curved shape portion 6, it is determined that the tightening by the tightening bolt 4 is sufficient and proper installation has been completed, and since the tightening installation work with torque management can be performed in this way instantly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in installation strength due to the snapping phenomenon without compromising workability.

Furthermore, even in snow guard fittings for fitting to a flat roof, which is prone to snapping and requires torque management, torque management can be easily performed by visual inspection without using a troublesome torque wrench. For example, as described above, a plate-like curved portion 6 is provided with a central portion that bulges outward when viewed from above, and the nuts 5 of the tightening bolts 4 are rotated and tightened. As the bolts are tightened, the bulge disappears and the outer edges of the curved portion 6 in the central portion become parallel when viewed from above. This design ensures sufficient tightening strength. By simply visually checking this during the tightening work, installation work can be completed instantly one after another with the appropriate tightening force and without over-tightening, resulting in a roof mounting fitting that is extremely easy to work with and can be easily installed with a high mounting strength at all times.

In addition, as described above, the curved portion 6 is shaped to bulge outward so that torque management can be performed in a plan view and a decrease in attachment strength due to snapping can be easily prevented. Because the shape is curved outward in the opposite direction to the direction in which the metal fittings warp, the metal fittings are less likely to deform during and after tightening, and the snapping phenomenon can be prevented as described above, resulting in a configuration that ensures even more sufficient attachment strength.

The present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the specific configuration of each component can be designed as appropriate.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Attachment portion 2 Clamping portion 3 Opposite clamping portion 4 Fastening bolt 5 Nut 6 Curved portion

Claims (3)

A roof mounting bracket configured such that a clamping portion that clamps a roof mounting portion from the outside is provided at a lower portion and a tightening bolt that moves the opposing clamping portions closer to each other is disposed between the opposing clamping portions, and the opposing clamping portions are tightened and rotated by tightening the tightening bolt or a nut screwed onto the tightening bolt to tighten the opposing clamping portions, thereby causing the opposing clamping portions to move closer to each other and the clamping portions to clamp and hold the mounting portion from both sides and be attached to the mounting portion,
The opposing clamping portion is provided with a curved portion that bulges outward,
This curved portion is configured to deform so that the degree of curvature decreases when tightened by the tightening bolt, and is configured in a shape such that when the clamping portion tightens and holds the mounting portion from both sides by tightening with the tightening bolt, this curvature almost disappears, and the roof mounting bracket is configured in a shape that allows the necessary and sufficient degree of tightening by the tightening bolt to be visually confirmed by visually checking whether or not the curvature has disappeared. The roof mounting bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that the tightening bolts are arranged in a horizontally spaced manner between the opposing clamping parts, and the curved part is provided between the tightening bolts, with the middle part bulging outward, and the curved part is configured in such a way that when the clamping parts clamp the mounting part from both sides, the degree of curvature is almost completely eliminated, which allows the user to visually confirm that the tightening by the tightening bolts is necessary and sufficient. The roof mounting bracket according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the curved portions are provided in opposing relation to each other on both sides of the opposing clamping portions, and the curved portions are configured in such a way that when the clamping portions clamp the mounting portion from both sides, the curvature of both portions is almost completely eliminated and the external shapes of the opposing clamping portions are almost parallel in a plan view, thereby allowing the user to visually confirm that the tightening by the tightening bolt is necessary and sufficient.

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