Patent Publication Number: US-2023155536-A1

Title: Single-piece hinged clamp for track mounting assemblies

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application Serial No. 17/889,957, filed on Aug. 17, 2022, which is a divisional application of U.S. Pat. Application Serial No. 17/070,351, filed on Oct. 14, 2020 and entitled “SINGLE-PIECE HINGED CLAMP FOR TRACK MOUNTED ASSEMBLIES,” which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Serial No. 62/988,677, filed Mar. 12, 2020, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety claims. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Building-mounted structures are typically secured to a building surface with one or more mounting assemblies. Such assemblies may include multiple components which coupled together to facilitate, for example, the ability to raise and lower track assemblies above an installation surface to which solar panel modules may be mounted during the installation of systems designed to generate solar power. One of these components could be a clamp which couples together two members of the mounting assembly in an arrangement desired for the installation. While clamps provide necessary functions to the installation process, each could be comprised of at least four separate components which an installer needs to handle simultaneously during the installation process: a threaded fastener, a nut, and two opposing members for providing a clamping force imparted by the tightening force applied to threaded fastener traversing through apertures of the opposing members to engage the nut with the proper amount of torque. During the installation of a solar power generation system, a significant delay can buildup due to the number of parts being fitted together. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a clamp assembly comprising a hinged-clamp, a fastener, and a spring. The use of this clamp assembly may improve installation time by reducing the number of parts with which the installer needs to handle and providing the installer a snapping feature to provide him/her an affirmative indication of that two structural members have been clamped together. 
     In one aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to single-piece hinged-clamp. The hinged-clamp could include a base with a flexible hinge, a right sidewall with an aperture, a tapered right flange, a right platform, and a right notch formed by the tapered right flange and the right platform; a left sidewall extending from the flexible hinge and having a tapered left flange, a left platform, and a left notch formed by the tapered left flange and the left platform, where the left notch and right notch are collinear with each other; and a vertical member with a threaded aperture that extends between the left platform and the horizontal member. 
     In a further aspect, the single-piece hinged-clamp may be defined with a right portion with an aperture and a right notch having a right platform; a left portion with a left notch having a left platform collinear with the right platform, a horizontal member, and a threaded aperture in a vertical member extending between the left platform and the horizontal member; and a base portion extending between the right and left portions and comprised of a flexible hinge. 
     In a further aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a method for securing a component with the single-piece hinged-clamp. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the inventive embodiments, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG.  1 A  illustrates a track assembly installed on a mounting or installation surface, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIGS.  1 B -  1 C  illustrate top and bottom perspective views, respectively, of the track assembly, in 
         FIGS.  1 D -  1 E  illustrate perspective views of a hinged-clamp, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  1 F  illustrates a side, cross-sectional view of the hinged-clamp without a release tab, in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  1 G  illustrates a side, cross-sectional view of the hinged-clamp with a release tab, in accordance with some embodiments; and 
         FIGS.  1 H -  1 I  illustrate side views of a release tool engaging a release tab of the hinged-clamp, in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, several specific details are presented to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the inventive concepts disclosed herein can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or in combination with other components. In other instances, well-known implementations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of various embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
       FIG.  1 A  illustrates track assembly  100  installed or mounted on installation surface  10  such as a roof and underlying support structure  20 .  FIGS.  1 B -  1 C  illustrate top and bottom perspective views of track assembly  100 ;  FIGS.  1 D -  1 E  illustrate perspective views of hinged-clamp  110 ;  FIG.  1 F  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of hinged-clamp  110 ;  1 F illustrates a cross-sectional side view of hinged-clamp  110  with a release tab;  FIG.  1 F  illustrate a side view of hinged-clamp  110 ; and  1 I illustrates a side view of hinged-clamp  110  with a release tab. 
     Track assembly  100  includes a clamp assembly comprised of hinged-clamp  110  and fastening hardware  150  of fastener  152 . In some embodiments, spring  154  could be employed. For the purpose of illustration and not of limitation, track  180  with right and left flanges  184  and  182 , respectively, could be coupled to mount  190  configured to facilitate height-adjustability of track  180  to which solar panel modules may be coupled in a solar power generation system. Track  180  is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. D853,954; mount  190  is disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 11,152,889, a reference which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     Hinged-clamp  110  includes base (or base portion)  112 , right sidewall  114 , left sidewall  116 , and hinge  117  providing a curved or smooth transition from base  112  to left sidewall  116  which facilitates the insertion and removal of left and right flanges  184  and  182  of track  180  into right notch  118  and left notch  120 , respectively, as track  180  is attached to and removed from clamp  110 , respectively. In some embodiments, the curved or smooth transition facilitates flexibility with a downward swing and a simultaneous buildup of potential energy in hinge  117  during the clamping process as discussed below. A right portion of hinged-clamp  100  could include distal end  122  of right sidewall  114  includes right flange  124  tapering angularly downward and inwardly towards left sidewall  116 . Also, the right portion could include right platform  126  extends inwardly and approximately perpendicularly away from inner surface  128  of right sidewall  114 ; together with tapered right flange  124 , right platform  126  forms right notch  118 . Right sidewall  114  includes aperture  130  through which fastener  152  extends when clamp  110  is coupled to mount  190 . 
     A left portion of hinged-clamp  100  could include distal end  132  of left sidewall  116  includes left flange  134  tapering angularly downward and inwardly towards right sidewall 514. Also, the left portion could include stop structure  136  includes left platform  138 , horizontal member  140 , and vertical member  142  extending between left platform  138  and horizontal member  140 ; together with tapered left flange  134 , left platform  138  forms left notch  120 . Vertical member  142  includes threaded aperture  144  for receiving fastener  152  when clamp  110  is coupled to mount  190 . Opposing vertical stops  146  extend towards each other from left platform  138  and horizontal member  140 , providing a gap or space between stops  146 . 
     In some embodiments, stops  146  may provide a visually indication of a prescribed depth insertion of fastener  152  during a two-step process for attaching track  180  to mount  190 . In a first step, mount  190  could be coupled to hinged-clamp  100  by inserting fastener  152  through aperture  130  and threadably engaging it with threaded aperture  144  in a tightening process until the tip of fastener  152  reaches stops  146  to provide a visual indication that fastener  152  has reached the prescribed depth insertion. At this point, hinged-clamp  100  is not fastened to mount  190  because the head of fastener  152  does not exert a compressive force against its mating vertical surface of mount  190 . At this point, hinge  117  is capable of swinging downwardly. 
     In the second step, track  180  may be attached to hinged-clamp  100  as described below. Then, the tightening process continues until the head of fastener  152  exerts a compressive force upon its mating vertical surface of mount  190  until the prescribed, final torque has been reached. During this tightening process, the threads of the tip of fastener  152  could be forced between stops  146 , especially in instances where fastener  152  is materially harder (e.g., steel) than stops  146  (e.g., aluminum). At this point, track  180  has become attached to mount  190  through hinged-clamp  100 , and hinge  117  is no longer capable of swinging downward. 
     In some embodiments, track  180  could be attached to hinged-clamp  100  by inserting right flange  184  into right notch  118 , pressing the tip of left flange  182  against left flange  184 , and applying a downward force to track  180  as it is continually pressed against left flange  184 , thereby imparting a downward travel to left flange  182 , a horizontal or outward travel of left notch  120 , and a downward swing of hinge  117  until left flange  182  reaches left notch  120 , whereupon left notch  120  decisively snaps into its place around left flange  182  for a notchable engagement. The snapping action results from a release of potential energy built up in hinge  117  during the application of the force. 
     In some embodiments, track  180  could be attached to hinged-clamp  100  by inserting left flange  182  into left notch  120 , pressing the tip of right flange  184  against right flange  184 , and applying a downward force to track  180  as it is continually pressed against right flange  184 , thereby imparting a horizontal or outward travel of left notch  120 , a downward swing of hinge  117 , and a compression of spring  154  until right flange  184  reaches right notch  118 , whereupon right notch  118  decisively snaps into its place around right flange  184 . The snapping action results from a release of potential energy built up in hinge  117  during the application of the force. 
     In some embodiments, the left portion of clamp  110  includes a release tab  160  comprising member  162  extending outwardly away from left sidewall  116 ; with member  162 , an installer may press downward on it with his/her hand to impart a horizontal or outward travel of left notch  120 , a downward swing of hinge  117 , and a compression of spring  154 . In some embodiments, a release tab  160  could include member  164  extending upwardly away from distal end  166  of member  162  to facilitate the use of release tool  170 . In some embodiments, member  164  extends angularly to form an acute angle  168  as shown. 
       FIGS.  1 H -  1 I  illustrate two side views of release tool  170  positioned in release tab 560 and applied to the track as shown to enable the release of left flange  182  of clamp  110  from clamp  110  as shown. In some embodiments, release tool  170  could be any solid object such as, but not limited to, a screwdriver and socket wrench placed in release tab  160  and against track  180 . To release track  180  from clamp  110 , a force is applied to track  180  through release tool  170 , imparting a downward swing of hinge  117 , a compression of spring  154 , and a horizontal or outward travel of left notch  120  until left flange  182  clears left notch  120 . In some embodiments, release tool  170  may not be necessary; rather, a person could apply a downward force against release tab 560, imparting a downward swing of hinge  117 , a compression of spring  154 , and a horizontal or outward travel of left notch  120  until left flange  182  clears left notch  120 . 
     It should be understood that the aspects, features and advantages made apparent from the foregoing are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the disclosed inventive embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.