초록 ▼

A clamp having a clamp base that is attachable to a flat or sloped roof. A clamp top is releasably attachable to the clamp base. The clamp top includes a pedestal that is snap-fittingly engaged to the clamp base. The pedestal is made in two parts that are interconnected by an interconnecting wall th

A clamp having a clamp base that is attachable to a flat or sloped roof. A clamp top is releasably attachable to the clamp base. The clamp top includes a pedestal that is snap-fittingly engaged to the clamp base. The pedestal is made in two parts that are interconnected by an interconnecting wall that is releasably engaged by a locking member that forms a part of the clamp base. The header of a solar collector is confined in a space defined by the clamp base and clamp top. In a barrel tile application, a plurality of feet are attached to the bottom of the clamp base. At least one foot abuts the tile on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the tile. The bottom of each foot is contoured to match the convex surface of the tile. No feet are needed where the roof covering is flat.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A clamp for holding a solar collector header on a roof, comprising:a clamp base adapted to overlie said roof; a clamp top adapted to releasably engage said clamp base; said clamp base and clamp top, when releasably engaged to one another, collectively forming a space between them having a size su

1. A clamp for holding a solar collector header on a roof, comprising:a clamp base adapted to overlie said roof; a clamp top adapted to releasably engage said clamp base; said clamp base and clamp top, when releasably engaged to one another, collectively forming a space between them having a size sufficient to capture and retain without gripping said solar collector header so that said solar collector header may move freely as the collector expands and contracts in response expand and contract responsive to temperature fluctuations; said clamp base including a base wall; at least one aperture formed in said base wall; at least one fastening means adapted to extend through said at least one aperture and engage said roof; said clamp top including a top part adapted to overlie said header; said clamp top further including a pedestal disposed at an angle of substantially ninety degrees relative to said top part; and said clamp base having a bottom part adapted to underlie said header; whereby at least one fastening means is adapted to extend through said aperture and engage said roof; whereby said clamp may be positioned at any preselected location along the extent of said header; whereby said at least one fastening means may be secured in an optimal location on said roof; and whereby expansion or contraction of said solar collector header does not place additional stress upon said fastening means or said solar collector header because said clamp captures and retains said solar collector header but allows said solar collector header to expand and contract without constriction. 2. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising:a recess formed in said base wall in the vicinity of said at least one fastening means so that said fastening means does not interfere with said solar collector header positioned between said clamp base and said clamp top. 3. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising:said clamp base adapted to releasably engage said pedestal; said clamp base including a pedestal-receiving space defined by an upstanding rear wall and an upstanding forward wall. 4. The clamp of claim 3, further comprising:said upstanding rear wall being formed in three parts, said three parts including a first rear wall, a second rear wall laterally spaced apart from said first rear wall, and a center locking wall disposed between said first and second rear walls. 5. The clamp of claim 4, further comprising:said first and second rear walls constructed so that they are rigid and inflexible; said center locking wall constructed so that it is flexible and resilient and has a position of repose where it is substantially coplanar with said first and second rear walls; a pedestal-engaging means formed on a forward surface of said center locking wall; said pedestal-engaging means adapted to releasably engage said pedestal when said pedestal is positioned in said pedestal-receiving space. 6. The clamp of claim 5, further comprising:said pedestal having a first part and a second part disposed in laterally spaced apart relation to one another; an interconnecting wall disposed in interconnecting relation to said first part and said second part; said pedestal-engaging means disposed in overlying relation to a top edge of said interconnecting wall when said pedestal is fully received within said pedestal-receiving space. 7. The clamp of claim 6, further comprising:said pedestal-engaging means having a downwardly inclined top surface and a flat, substantially horizontal bottom surface; said flat, substantially horizontal bottom surface overlying said top edge of said interconnecting wall when said pedestal is fully received within said pedestal-receiving space. 8. The clamp of claim 7, further comprising:a protrusion formed on a rear surface of said interconnecting wall; said protrusion being flush with a bottom edge of said interconnecting wall and increasing in thickness gradually so that said protrusion protrudes furthest from said rear surface of said interconnecting wall at the top edge of said interconnecting wall; said protrusion adapted to slidingly engage said downwardly inclined top surface of said pedestal-engaging means and to transiently displace said center locking wall in a rearward direction until said flat, substantially horizontal bottom surface of said pedestal-engaging means clears said top edge of said interconnecting wall. 9. The clamp of claim 8, further comprising:said center locking wall having a height greater than the height of said first and second rear walls; said center locking wall being displaceable in a rearward direction to disengage said bottom surface of said pedestal-engaging means from said top edge of said interconnecting wall so that said pedestal and hence said clamp top part may be separated from said clamp bottom part. 10. The clamp of claim 9, further comprising:a pair of laterally spaced, upstanding alignment posts formed on said clamp base wall between said rearward wall and said forward wall; a corresponding pair of tubular members, each of which has a post-receiving lumen, formed in said pedestal, there being a first tubular member formed in said first pedestal part and a second tubular member formed in said second pedestal part. 11. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising:a plurality of longitudinally and transversely disposed partition walls depending from said base wall; a plurality of chambers formed by said partition walls; a plurality of foot members adapted to engage said clamp base; each foot of said plurality of foot members having a top part and a bottom part; each top part formed of a resilient, elastomeric material; each top part being secured by a press fit into a preselected chamber of said plurality of chambers; each bottom part being larger than its associated top part so that each bottom part limits the depth of insertion of each top part into its associated chamber. 12. The clamp of claim 11, further comprising:each bottom part having an inclined bottom wall to conform to the convex shape of said barrel tile; each foot of said plurality of foot members adapted to abuttingly engage a barrel tile; at least one foot of said plurality of foot members positioned on said barrel tile in spaced relation from a longitudinal centerline of said barrel tile on a first side of said longitudinal centerline; and at least one foot of said plurality of foot members positioned on said barrel tile in spaced relation from a longitudinal centerline of said barrel tile on a second side of said longitudinal centerline; whereby at least two feet of said plurality of foot members abuttingly engage said barrel tile on opposite sides of said longitudinal centerline.