Roof mounting system

Abstract

Generally speaking, one or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to a solar panel mount for a tile roof. The mount comprises a flashing sized to replace one tile of the tile roof, a plurality of fasteners, a rail mount including a plurality of fastener flanges arranged in a mounting pattern, an insert for securing the plurality of fasteners, a spacer, and a gasket. The spacer is configured to be positioned on the flashing opposite the rail mount, and the plurality of fasteners are configured to secure the rail mount, the flashing, and the spacer to the roof deck of the roof.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The current disclosure relates to a roof mounting system. More specifically, the roof mounting system can be used to mount solar panels regardless of the rafter location.

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 19 / 062441, filed February 25, 2025, titled “Roof Mounting System,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Background Technology

[0003] Many types of solar mounting hardware exist. However, these mounting systems can be time-consuming to install and have the problem of limiting possible solar panel mounting locations because they depend on rafter positions. Consequently, existing mounting solutions may result in installation in suboptimal locations. means of solving the problem

[0005] For the purpose of summarizing the advantages achieved with respect to the prior art and the invention, specific objects and advantages of the invention are described in the specification. Not all such objects or advantages may be achieved in any specific embodiment of the invention. Accordingly, for example, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be practiced or performed in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages taught in the specification, without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages that may be taught or implied in the specification.

[0006] In some aspects, a solar panel mount for a tile roof is disclosed. The solar panel mount comprises a flashing sized to replace one or more tiles of the tile roof, a plurality of fasteners, a rail mount comprising a plurality of fastener flanges arranged in a mounting pattern—the rail mount being located on the first side of the flashing—a plurality of fastener retainment inserts located within the plurality of fastener flanges, a spacer located on the second side of the flashing, and a gasket located opposite the spacer and on the opposite side of the flashing. The plurality of fasteners are coupled to the plurality of fastener retainment inserts, and the plurality of fasteners are configured to secure the rail mount, the flashing, and the spacer to the roof decking of the roof.

[0007] In some aspects, a solar panel mount for a tile roof is disclosed. The solar panel mount comprises a flashing, a rail mount comprising a plurality of fastener flanges arranged on the surface of the rail mount to form a mounting pattern, and a spacer. The spacer is configured to be located on the opposite side of the flashing on the rail mount, and the rail mount is configured to be secured to the roof deck with a plurality of fasteners.

[0008] In some embodiments, the rail mount includes a mounting rail perpendicular to the surface of the rail mount. In some embodiments, a plurality of fastener flanges include a plurality of fastener retainment inserts. In some embodiments, a plurality of fastener flanges includes six fastener flanges. In some embodiments, the solar panel mount includes a plurality of fasteners. In some embodiments, the plurality of fasteners includes deck screws, and each deck screw includes a sealing gasket washer. In some embodiments, the spacer includes a plurality of spacer fastener flanges configured to engage with a second surface of the rail mount, the second surface being opposite to the surface. In some embodiments, the second surface of the rail mount includes a plurality of complementary recesses, which are configured to engage with the plurality of spacer fastener flanges. In some embodiments, the spacer is configured to engage with the rail mount through flashing. In some embodiments, the spacer includes a plurality of snap-fits, and the rail mount includes a plurality of complementary snap-fits configured to engage with the plurality of snap-fits. In some embodiments, the flashing includes an inset mounting surface configured to be substantially parallel to the roof deck when the solar panel mount is installed on a tile roof. In some embodiments, the inset mounting surface defines a plurality of clearance holes, and the spacer engages with the rail mount through the plurality of clearance holes. In some embodiments, the solar panel mount includes a gasket positioned opposite the spacer surface on the opposite side of the flashing. In some embodiments, the gasket is configured to seal around a plurality of fasteners when the mount is fastened to a tile roof.In some implementations, the gasket includes sealing foam.

[0009] In some aspects, a method for installing a solar panel mount on a roof deck is disclosed. The method may include: a step of providing a pre-assembled solar panel mount comprising a flashing, a rail mount, and a spacer; a step of replacing a roof tile with a pre-assembled solar panel mount configured to attach a solar panel to the roof without verifying the position of the rafter or assembling with any component of the solar panel mount; and a step of securing the pre-assembled solar panel mount to the roof deck with one or more fasteners.

[0010] In some implementations, the pre-assembled solar panel mount includes a gasket configured to seal around one or more fasteners. In some implementations, the method includes a step of drilling a lead-in hole in the roof deck. In some implementations, one or more fasteners are secured to the pre-assembled solar panel mount. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0011] The inventions are described with respect to the attached drawings, and similar reference characters refer to similar elements; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a solar panel mount system according to the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional exploded view of a solar panel mount system according to the present disclosure. Drawing 3 is a perspective view of a solar panel mounting system and a mounted solar panel according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a rail mount according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a spacer according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a gasket according to the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0012] The detailed description of specific embodiments to be set forth below provides various descriptions of specific embodiments. However, the innovations described in this disclosure may be practiced in different ways, for example, as defined and covered by the claims. In this description, similar reference numerals and / or terms refer to drawings that may represent identical or functionally similar components. It should be understood that the components depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should also be understood that specific embodiments may include more components than those depicted in the drawings, or may include a subset of the components depicted in the drawings. Furthermore, some embodiments may include any combination of suitable features from two or more drawings. Headings are provided for convenience only and do not affect the scope or meaning of the claims.

[0013] Generally speaking, one or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to a solar panel mount for attaching solar panels to a tiled roof, such as a concrete tile roof or a ceramic tile roof. The mount may include a rail mount that may include a flashing capable of replacing a single tile of the roof and a plurality of fastener flanges arranged in a mounting pattern. A plurality of screws may pass through the flashing and the fastener mount. A spacer may be positioned below the flashing and may support the rail mount facing the roof deck. A gasket forms a waterproof seal around the deck mounting surface of the spacer to ensure that water cannot pass through the mounting point and the roof deck. Advantageously, the solar panel mount may be pre-assembled and may include a tile replacement flashing. Since the solar panel mount is configured to directly replace concrete tiles regardless of the rafter location, it has the advantage of being quick and efficient to install.

[0014] Generally speaking, one or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method of mounting a solar panel mount on a tiled roof. The method may include the step of providing a pre-assembled solar panel mount comprising any features described herein, such as flashing, rail mounts, spacers, and a plurality of screws. The method may include the step of drilling lead-in holes in the roof deck. In some examples, the method includes the steps of replacing roof tiles with the pre-assembled solar panel mount and securing a plurality of screws to the roof deck. Advantageously, the pre-assembled solar panel mount may be mounted on the roof as a single unitary body, thereby reducing the number of components that need to be adjusted when installing the solar panel mount. In some examples, a plurality of solar panel mounts may be installed on the roof, and the solar panels may be mounted on spanner bars connected to one or more solar panel mounts.

[0015] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a solar panel mount (100) according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the solar panel mount (100), and FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the solar panel mount (100). The solar panel mount (100) may include a flashing (110), a rail mount (120), a spacer (130), a plurality of fasteners (140), a gasket (150), and a plurality of fastener retainment inserts (160).

[0016] The flashing (110) may be designed to be sized to replace one or more roof tiles. In some examples, the roof tile may be a standard roof tile. In some examples, the flashing (110) may have a width of about 8 inches, 8.5 inches, or 12.375 inches. In some examples, the flashing (110) may have a range of values ​​of approximately 8 inches, 8.25 inches, 8.5 inches, 8.75 inches, 9 inches, 9.25 inches, 9.5 inches, 9.75 inches, 10 inches, 10.25 inches, 10.5 inches, 10.75 inches, 11 inches, 11.25 inches, 11.5 inches, 11.75 inches, 12 inches, 12.5 inches, 12.75 inches, 13 inches, 13.25 inches, 13.5 inches, 13.75 inches, or in between. In some examples, the flashing (110) may have a length of approximately 16.5 inches, 17 inches, 19 inches, 19.5 inches, or 20 inches. In some examples, the flashing (110) may have a length of approximately 16 inches, 16.5 inches, 17 inches, 17.5 inches, 18 inches, 18.5 inches, 19 inches, 19.5 inches, 20 inches, 20.5 inches, 21 inches, 21.5 inches, 22 inches, 22.5 inches, 23 inches, 23.5 inches, or 24 inches. The flashing (110) may include an inset mounting portion (112). The inset mounting portion (112) may be angled relative to the flashing (110) so that while the inset mounting portion (112) remains substantially parallel to the slope of the roof deck, the flashing (110) becomes substantially parallel to the roof tiles. The flashing (110) can be engaged with the roof tile when the solar panel mount (100) is installed. The inset mounting portion (112) may have an angle with respect to the flashing portion mounted to the roof tile. For example, the angle may be at least 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 degrees. The inset mounting portion (112) of the flashing (110) may include a plurality of clearance holes.A plurality of fasteners (140) may pass through a plurality of clearance holes. In some examples, the clearance holes may be slot-shaped and allow the plurality of fasteners (140) to move along the inset mounting portion (112) in a direction of length or lightness. For example, the clearance holes may allow the rail mount (120) to move within the inset mounting portion (112) in a longitudinal or transverse direction in a positive (+) or negative (-) direction by 0 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm, 1 mm, 1.25 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.75 mm, 2 mm or more, or any range in between.

[0017] A rail mount (120) may be located on the outer side of the inset mounting portion (112) of the flashing (110). A spacer (130) may be located on the inner side of the flashing (110). The spacer (130) may be snap-coupled to the rail mount (120) through the clearance hole of the flashing (110). A gasket (150) may be located on the inner side of the flashing (110). The gasket (150) may be located on the surface of the spacer (130) opposite the flashing (110). A plurality of fasteners (140) may pass through the rail mount (120), the clearance hole of the flashing (110), the spacer (130), and the gasket (150). The gasket (150) can form a seal around a plurality of fasteners (140) to ensure that mounting the gasket (150) to the roof deck is waterproof.

[0018] Multiple fasteners (140) may be screws (e.g., deck screws, wood screws, self-drilling screws, concrete screws, or sheet metal screws), pins, staples, rivets, nails, anchors, or other fasteners known in the art. In some examples, each fastener (140) may include a sealing gasket washer, threadlock, or water-sealant.

[0019] In some examples, the solar panel mount (100) may be pre-assembled before the solar panel mount (100) is assembled on the roof. Since the solar panel mount (100) may be supported by the roof deck, the rail mount (120), spacer (130), gasket (150), multiple fastener fixing inserts (160), and multiple fasteners (140) may be attached to the flashing (110) before the solar panel mount (100) is assembled on the roof. The multiple fastener fixing inserts (160) may securely hold the multiple fasteners (140) in the pre-assembled solar panel mount (100). The multiple fastener fixing inserts (160) hold the multiple fasteners (140) in the solar panel mount (100). The solar panel mount (100) may be secured to the roof deck with the multiple fasteners (140). Multiple fasteners (140) can secure the rail mount (120), flashing (110), and spacer (130) to the roof deck of the roof. A pre-assembly of the solar panel mount (100) can make installing the solar panel mount (100) simple and efficient. The solar panel mount (100) is installed by replacing the roof tiles with the solar panel mount (100) and then screwing the fasteners (140) to the roof deck.

[0020] Multiple solar panel mounts (100) may be installed on the roof. For example, four solar panel mounts (100) may be installed to support solar panels. In some embodiments, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more solar panel mounts (100) may be installed on the roof to support solar panels. In some examples, spanner bars are connected to 1, 2, 3, or 4 solar panel mounts (100). In some examples, solar panels are mounted on one or more spanner bars. In some examples, one or more solar panels may be installed on the roof. In some examples, the solar panel mounts (100) may be used to mount something other than solar panels. For example, satellites or solar water heaters.

[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a solar panel (200) mounted on two solar panel mounts (100). The two solar panel mounts (100) may be spaced apart from each other. The two solar panel mounts (100) may support the solar panel (200). Two spanner bars (210) may be placed between the two solar panel mounts (100) and the solar panel (200). The spanner bars (210) may attach the solar panel (200) to the solar panel mounts (100). The spanner bars (210) may be spaced apart from each other to support the solar panel (200). Each spanner bar (210) may be attached to the bottom of the solar panel (200). Each spanner bar (210) may be attached to one of the solar panel mounts (100). A first spanner bar (210) can be attached to a first rail mount (120) of a first solar panel mount (100). A second spanner bar (210) can be attached to a second rail mount (120) of a second solar panel mount (100). In some examples, the first spanner

[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a rail mount (120). The rail mount (120) may include a flashing mount (122) and a mounting rail (124). The flashing mount (122) may be a planar surface that can come into contact with the flashing (110). The mounting rail (124) may extend outward from the flashing mount (122). As described herein, the outward direction describes the direction away from the inner side of the roof from the outer side. The mounting rail (124) may be perpendicular to the flashing mount (122). The mounting rail (124) may include a through hole (125). The through hole (125) may be used to attach a spanner bar to the solar panel mount (100). The solar panel may be mounted on one or more spanner bars. The mounting rail (124) may include planar faces on both sides of the through hole (125). In some examples, the planar faces may be machined surfaces.

[0023] Multiple fastener flanges (128) may be positioned around a mounting rail (124) on the outer surface of a flashing mount (122). The rail mount (120) may include six fastener flanges (128) that may be positioned symmetrically around the mounting rail (124). In some embodiments, the rail mount (120) may include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 fastener flanges (128). Each fastener flange (128) may include a raised circumference and a central through-hole. In some examples, each fastener flange (128) may include a pocket or engagement element for attaching a fastener fixing insert (160) to the fastener flange (128). The fastener (140) can pass through the through hole of each fastener flange (128). One or more snap-fits (123) can be placed around the perimeter of the flashing mount (122). For example, there may be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or more snap-fits (123). One or more snap-fits (123) can be combined with spacers (130) via flashing (110) before assembly on the roof to secure the solar panel mount (100) together.

[0024] In some embodiments, the rail mount (120) may be made of aluminum, iron, or steel. In some embodiments, the rail mount (120) may be made of plastic, for example, polycarbonate, acrylic, PVC, or other plastic. In some embodiments, the rail mount (120) may be cast. In some embodiments, the rail mount (120) may be formed by welding a mounting rail (124) to a flashing mount (122).

[0025] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a spacer (130). In certain embodiments, the spacer (130) may have the shape of an elliptical cylinder. In some embodiments, the spacer may have a rectangular prism or other shape. In some embodiments, the spacer (130) may have a height that spans the distance between the flashing (110) and the roof deck. For example, the spacer (130) may have a range of values ​​of about 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, or in between.

[0026] Multiple fastener flanges (136) may be placed around the first surface (132) of the spacer (130). In some examples, the multiple fastener flanges (136) may be placed in the same pattern as the multiple fastener flanges (128) of the rail mount (120). The spacer (130) may include six fastener flanges (136) that may be symmetrically placed in certain implementations. In some implementations, the spacer (130) may include two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more fastener flanges (136). Each fastener flange (136) may include a protruding perimeter and a central through hole. The protruding perimeter of the fastener flange (136) may fit into a recess in the lower part of the rail mount (120) and have a shape that complements the fastener flange (136). The protruding perimeter can be advantageous for finding the position of the spacer (130) when assembling the solar panel mount (100).

[0027] The fastener (140) can pass through the through hole of each fastener flange (136). One or more snap-fits (138) may be placed around the perimeter of the spacer (130). For example, there may be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or more snap-fits (138). One or more snap-fits (138) may be joined to one or more snap-fits (123) of the rail mount (120) via flashing (110) to secure the solar panel mount (100) together before assembly on the roof. In some examples, the spacer (130) may be made of injection-molded plastic, composite material, aluminum, or steel.

[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a gasket (150). The gasket (150) may generally have the same perimeter as the spacer (130). The gasket (150) may include a plurality of through holes (152) arranged around the perimeter of the gasket (150). The plurality of holes (152) may be arranged in the same pattern as the plurality of fastener flanges (136) of the spacer (130). A fastener (140) may pass through each of the plurality of holes (152). In some examples, each of the plurality of holes (152) may be slightly smaller, equal to, or slightly larger than the diameter of the fastener (140). The gasket (150) may be made of sealing foam, butyl sealant, or other gasket material. The gasket (150) advantageously seals the hole in the roof deck when the solar panel mount (100) is installed on the roof.

[0029] The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the embodiments or exact formations disclosed in the specification. As such, it is considered that modifications and / or various other formations and embodiments of the present disclosure are possible from the perspective of the disclosure, whether explicitly described or implied in the specification. Accordingly, having described embodiments of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] In the specification above, the disclosure is described with reference to specific embodiments. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the various embodiments disclosed herein may be modified or otherwise implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, this description should be considered illustrative and is intended to instruct those skilled in the art in the manner of making and using various aspects of the disclosed mounting system. It should be understood that the forms of the disclosure shown and described herein should be considered as representative embodiments. Equivalent elements or materials may be substituted for elements that are representatively exemplified and described herein. Furthermore, specific features of the disclosure may be used independently of the use of other features, all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art after benefiting from the description of the disclosure. Expressions such as “including,” “comprising,” “incorporating,” “consisting of,” “have,” and “is” used to describe and assert the present disclosure are intended to be interpreted in a non-exclusive manner, that is, they allow for the non-exclusive existence of the described items, components, or elements. References to the singular form should also be interpreted in relation to the plural form.

[0031] Furthermore, the various aspects disclosed herein should be accepted as illustrative and descriptive and should not be interpreted as limiting the content of the disclosure. All combinator references (e.g., connected, associated, combined, etc.) are used solely to aid the reader's understanding of the content of the disclosure and may not form any limitations, such as the use, location, or orientation of the elements disclosed herein. Accordingly, where combinator references are present, they should be interpreted broadly. Moreover, such combinator references do not necessitate inferring that two elements are directly connected to each other.

[0032] Additionally, numeric terms such as “first,” “second,” “one,” “other,” or other general and numeric terms, but not limiting, should also be taken only as identifiers to help readers understand the various elements, embodiments, changes and / or modifications of the present disclosure and may not form limitations, such as the order or preference of elements, embodiments, changes and / or modifications, with respect to other elements, embodiments, changes and / or modifications.

[0033] Additionally, it will be understood that one or more elements depicted in the drawings / drawings may be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, and may also be removed in certain cases as useful depending on the specific application.

[0034] For illustrative purposes, the term "horizontal" as used herein is defined as a plane parallel to the plane or surface of the floor of the area where the device being described is used, regardless of its direction. The term "floor" may be used interchangeably with the term "ground." The term "vertical" indicates a direction perpendicular to the horizontal just defined. Terms such as "up," "down," "bottom," "top," "side," "front," "back," "side," "higher," "lower," "upper," "upper," and "lower" are defined with respect to the horizontal plane in use.

[0035] Terms such as "comprising," "including," and "having" are synonyms and are used in an open-ended fashion, without excluding additional elements, features, acts, or actions. Furthermore, the term "or" is used in an inclusive sense (rather than an exclusive one); for example, when used to link a list of elements, "or" refers to one, some, or all of the elements.

[0036] Although specific embodiments and examples have been described herein, those skilled in the art will understand that many aspects of the system described herein may be combined or modified differently to still form additional embodiments or acceptable examples. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. Various designs and approaches are possible. No function, structure, or step disclosed herein is essential or indispensable.

[0037] For the purposes of this disclosure, specific aspects, advantages, and new features are described herein. It should be understood that not all advantages are necessarily achieved according to specific embodiments. Accordingly, for example, a person skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure may be practiced or performed in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages taught in the specification without necessarily achieving other advantages that may be taught or implied in the specification.

[0038] Furthermore, while exemplary embodiments have been described herein, the scope of the invention includes all embodiments including equivalent elements that are obvious to those skilled in the art based on this disclosure, as well as modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., combinations of configurations between different embodiments), adaptations, and / or changes. The limitations set forth in the claims should be interpreted broadly based on the wording used in the claims and should not be limited by the embodiments described in this specification or during the filing process, and such embodiments should be interpreted as non-exclusive. Additionally, the operation of the disclosed processes and methods may be modified in any way, such as by changing the order of operations, inserting additional operations, or deleting operations. Accordingly, this specification and the embodiments are merely illustrative examples, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are defined by the full scope of the claims and their equivalents.

[0039] Conditional language used herein, such as "can," "might," "may," "eg," and similar terms, is generally intended to convey that certain features, elements, and / or states are included in some embodiments while other embodiments do not, unless otherwise specifically stated or otherwise understood within the context in which they are used. Accordingly, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and / or states are required for one or more embodiments in any way, or that one or more embodiments must necessarily include logic for determining, by the presence or absence of drafter input or prompting, whether these features, elements, blocks, and / or states can be included in or performed in any particular embodiment.

[0040] The scopes disclosed in this disclosure also include all overlaps, sub-scopes, and combinations thereof. Language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” “between,” etc. includes the mentioned numbers.

Claims

Claim 1 A solar panel mount for a tile roof, wherein the mount comprises a rail mount including a flashing sized to replace one or more tiles of the tile roof, a plurality of fasteners, and a plurality of fastener flanges arranged in a mounting pattern—the rail mount being located on a first side of the flashing—a plurality of fastener fixing inserts located within the plurality of fastener flanges, a spacer located on a second side of the flashing, and a gasket located opposite the spacer and on the opposite side of the flashing, wherein the plurality of fasteners are coupled to the plurality of fastener fixing inserts, and the plurality of fasteners are configured to secure the rail mount, the flashing, and the spacer to a roof deck of the roof. Claim 2 A device for a solar panel mount for a tile roof, wherein the mount comprises a flashing, a rail mount including a plurality of fastener flanges positioned on the surface of the rail mount and arranged in a mounting pattern, and a spacer, wherein the spacer is configured to be positioned on the side opposite to the flashing with respect to the rail mount, and the rail mount is configured to be fixed to a roof deck with a plurality of fasteners. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the device comprises a rail mount including a mounting rail perpendicular to the surface of the rail mount. Claim 4 In paragraph 2, the device comprises a plurality of fastener flanges, each including a plurality of fastener fixing inserts. Claim 5 In paragraph 2, the plurality of fastener flanges comprises six fastener flanges, forming a device. Claim 6 In paragraph 5, the device further comprising the plurality of fasteners. Claim 7 In claim 6, the plurality of fasteners comprises a deck screw, and each deck screw comprises a sealing gasket washer. Claim 8 In paragraph 2, the device comprises a plurality of spacer fastener flanges configured to engage with a second surface of the rail mount, wherein the second surface is opposite to the surface. Claim 9 In claim 8, the second surface of the rail mount comprises a plurality of complementary recesses configured to engage with the plurality of spacer fastener flanges. Claim 10 In paragraph 2, the device is configured such that the spacer is coupled to the rail mount through the flashing. Claim 11 In claim 10, the device comprises a spacer including a plurality of snap-fits, and a rail mount including a plurality of complementary snap-fits configured to contact the plurality of snap-fits. Claim 12 In claim 10, the device comprises an inset mounting surface configured to be substantially parallel to the roof deck when the solar panel mount is installed on the tile roof. Claim 13 In claim 12, the inset mounting surface defines a plurality of clearance holes, and the spacer is coupled to the rail mount through the plurality of clearance holes. Claim 14 The apparatus according to paragraph 2 further comprises a gasket positioned opposite to the surface of the spacer opposite to the flashing. Claim 15 In paragraph 14, the gasket is configured to seal around the plurality of fasteners when the mount is fastened to the tile roof. Claim 16 In paragraph 14, the above gasket is a device comprising a sealing foam. Claim 17 A method for installing a solar panel mount on a roof deck, the method comprising: providing a pre-assembled solar panel mount including flashing, a rail mount, and a spacer; replacing a roof tile with the pre-assembled solar panel mount configured to attach a solar panel to the roof without verifying the position of a rafter or assembling with any component of the solar panel mount; and securing the pre-assembled solar panel mount to the roof deck with one or more fasteners. Claim 18 In claim 17, the method further comprises a gasket configured to seal around one or more fasteners, wherein the pre-assembled solar panel mount comprises a gasket. Claim 19 A method according to claim 17, comprising the step of drilling a lead-in hole in the roof deck. Claim 20 In paragraph 17, the method wherein one or more fasteners are secured to the pre-assembled solar panel mount.

Images