Fastening Device With Sealing Gaskets For Watertight Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening devices for building-mounted structures, such as solar panels, often penetrate the building surface, leading to moisture ingress and potential damage from wind or seismic activity, as they lack effective sealing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The use of a fastening device comprising a base member with a hollow, threaded projection and a capping nut that threadably engages to create a water-tight seal, along with sealing gaskets and an O-ring to prevent moisture ingress, ensuring a secure and watertight mounting system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fastening device penetrates the building surface to secure a structure, then the structure is adequately secured against wind and seismic activity, but moisture can ingress through the penetration point
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing gasket is introduced as an intermediary element between the base member and the building surface. The gasket fills the penetration point created by the surface fastener, preventing moisture ingress while allowing the fastening device to maintain its securing function. The gasket acts as a mediator that resolves the conflict between penetration-based securing and moisture protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing gasket is made of a pliable material that can conform to imperfections in the building surface and the fastening device. This flexible membrane approach creates an effective moisture barrier at the penetration point while accommodating variations in surface flatness and component tolerances.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a sealing gasket is added to prevent moisture ingress, then moisture protection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing gasket is integrated with the base member in a unified assembly. The gasket is positioned within a recess of the base member, creating a combined component that reduces the number of separate parts. This merging approach maintains the moisture protection function while simplifying the overall device structure and reducing assembly complexity.
3Reliability
If the base sealing gasket is pliable to conform to surface imperfections, then the seal quality is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing gasket is designed with specific material properties (pliability) that allow it to adapt to surface variations. By changing the physical parameter of the gasket material rather than requiring precise surface parameters, the system achieves reliable sealing without demanding high manufacturing precision for surface flatness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a secure and watertight mounting system for building-mounted structures, preventing moisture ingress and enhancing the stability of the installation against wind and seismic forces while maintaining a tight seal.
Implementation Method 1
A capping nut having a centrally-located aperture can threadably engage the threaded projection to seal the fastening device from ingress of moisture.
Implementation Method 2
A base sealing gasket can be disposed between the base member and the building surface to prevent moisture from entering the building via the hole created by the surface fastener. The base sealing gasket can be pliable to conform to imperfections in the building surface and/or the fastening device in order to create a water-tight seal.
Implementation Method 3
Further, an O-ring can be provided around a proximal end of the hollow, threaded projection to seal off the joint between the capping nut and the base member.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for securing a component to a surface are disclosed. The fastening device can include a base member having a threaded projection extending from a base plate. A base sealing gasket can be provided between the base plate and a surface on which the base plate is mounted to ensure a water-tight fit. A capping nut having a nut aperture can be threadably engaged to the treaded projection, and a structural fastener can be inserted through the nut aperture for securing a structural component of a building-mounted structure. A nut sealing gasket can be disposed between within the capping nut to ensure a water-tight fit between the capping nut and the base member.