Patent Application
20240360678
The present disclosure relates to an improved mounting bracket, and more particularly, to a mounting bracket for a thermal brick support system.
Brick support systems for building are known. In one such system, a shelf is mounted to struts that are mounted to the building substrate. As such, the brackets rest on the substrate. The shelf is mounted to elongated brackets that are affixed to inserts in the substrate. The brackets have legs that extend outward to which the shelves are mounted. The system thus allows for mounting the shelf and the brick spaced from the substate to accommodate insulation, vapor barriers and air gaps.
While such a system functions well for supporting and installing the brick façade, it can form a thermal bridge between the environs and the substrate. Such as thermal bridge allows for heat and cooling losses within the structure.
Accordingly, there is a need for a brick support system that reduces thermal losses from the substrate and structure. Desirably, such a system reduces thermal bridging. More desirably still, such a system allows for sufficient space between the brick and substrate to accommodate insulation, vapor barriers and air gaps.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thermal brick support system. The system includes a mounting bracket having a mounting plate and a pair of spaced apart legs extending from the mounting bracket. The legs extend perpendicular from the mounting plate, and each have an extension portion extending from the mounting plate and a depending portion depending from the extension portion. The extension portion spaces the depending portion from a plane defined by the mounting plate to define a gap. The legs each have a hook formed therein on a front edge thereof. In embodiments, the only connection between the legs is the mounting plate. The mounting bracket can be formed as unitary member.
A shelf has an upstanding leg and a transverse leg. The upstanding leg has through wall slots formed therein to cooperate with the mounting bracket hooks. When the shelf is positioned on the mounting bracket, the hooks engage the slots to support the shelf from the mounting bracket.
In embodiments, the hooks have an upwardly extending finger to secure the shelf on the mounting bracket. The hooks are formed on the front edge between an upper edge of the legs and a lower edge of the legs.
The mounting plate can further include an opening therein. The opening can be a slotted opening.
In embodiments, the mounting plate has a height and the legs have an overall height, and the height of the mounting plate is less than the overall height of the legs. The height of the mounting plate can be less than or equal to about ½ of the overall height of the legs. The height of the mounting plate can be about 40% to 50% of the overall height of the legs.
In embodiments, a depth of the mounting bracket is about 6¼ inches, a depth of the depending portion is about 5 inches and the gap is about 1¼ inches.
In another aspect, a mounting bracket for a thermal brick support system for securing the system to a wall, includes a mounting plate that defines a plane and a pair of spaced apart legs extending from the mounting bracket. The legs extend perpendicular from the mounting plate and each have an extension portion extending from the mounting plate and a depending portion depending from the extension portion. The extension portion spaces the depending portion from a plane defined by the mounting plate to define a gap. The only connection between the legs is the mounting plate.
The legs each have a hook formed therein on a front edge. When the mounting bracket is secured to the wall the depending portion is spaced from the plane defined by the mounting plate to define a gap between the depending portion and the wall.
In embodiments, the mounting plate has a height and the legs have an overall height, and the height of the mounting plate is less than the overall height of the legs. The height of the mounting plate can be less than or equal to about ½ of the overall height of the legs, and can be about 40% to 50% of the overall height of the legs.
Other aspects, objectives and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiments in various forms, there is described presently preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments illustrated.
Referring now to the figures and in particular to
Referring now to
In a current embodiment, the legs 24 extend about perpendicular from the mounting plate 22. The legs 24 each include an extension portion 30 extending from the mounting plate 22 and a depending portion 32 extending downwardly or depending from the extension portion 30. The extension portion 30 has a height h30 equal to the height h22 of the mounting plate 22. That is, there is no rear wall of the depending portion 32. The only rear wall is the mounting plate 22, and the mounting plate 22 is the only connection between the legs 24.
The extension portion 30 is configured to space the depending portion 32 from the mounting plate plane P22 to define a gap 34 between the depending portion 32 and the wall or substrate S. In a current embodiment, the mounting plate 22 minimizes the surface area of the mounting bracket 12 that is in contact with the wall or substrate S and the extension portion 30 spaces the depending portion 32 from the wall or substrate S to minimize the thermal bridge between the mounting bracket 12 and the wall or substrate S and thus the building structure. In embodiments, the mounting bracket 12 is a unitary member.
Upwardly extending hooks are 36 formed on a front edge 38 of the depending portions 32 of each of the legs 24 between an upper edge 40 of the legs 24 and a lower edge 42 of the legs 24. A space 44 is formed between an upwardly oriented finger 46 at the end of each hook 36 and the depending portion 32 of its leg 24.
Referring now to
The shelf transverse leg 50 includes slots 62 formed therein. The slots 62 are configured to receive tabs 64 on the overhead brick support members 16.
In a current embodiment the overall height h12 of the mounting bracket 12 is about 14.125 (14⅛) inches and the height h22 of the mounting plate 22 is about 6 inches or about 42.5 percent of the mounting bracket overall height h12. The gap or space 34 between the depending portion 32 and the rear of the mounting plate 22 or the wall or substrate S is about 1.25 (1¼) inches. The overall depth d12 of the mounting bracket 12, exclusive of the hook 36 is about 6.25 (6¼) inches. The overall height h14 of the shelf 14 is about 6 inches and the depth d14 of the shelf 14 is about 4.75 (4¾) inches. The hook 36 extends from the leg depending portion 32 about 1.25 (1¼) inches and the space 44 between the interior wall of the hook 36 and the front edge 38 of the depending portion 32 (to receive the shelf 14) is about 0.5 (½) inch.
When the shelf 14 is installed on the mounting bracket 12, the shelf 14 extends slightly below the depending leg lower edge 42. In a current embodiment the shelf 14 extends about 0.25 (¼) inch below the lower edge 42.
Referring now to
It will be appreciated that the present thermal brick support system 10 provides advantages over known brick support systems. For example, the present system 10 allows for the installation of brick B on a wall or substrate S to include insulation I, a backing board D, a vapor barrier and an air gap between the brick B and the wall S. In addition, the present system 10 minimizes the thermal bridge created by contact of the steel members of the support system 10 (which is only the mounting plate 22) with the wall or substrate S by reducing the surface area of the mounting bracket 12 that is in contact with the wall or substate S. In addition, the present system 10 facilitates ready installation of brick B on the wall or substrate S using readily installed mounting brackets 12 with a hook 36 and slot 52 mounting configuration.
It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the support system 10 and its components are examples only and that the system 10 and its components can have other dimensions as desired or required for a particular design or installation.
In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular. All percentages are percentages by weight, unless otherwise noted.
All patents and published applications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety, whether or not specifically done so within the text of this disclosure.
It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the relative directional terms such as sides, upper, lower, top, bottom, rearward, forward and the like are for explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
