Soffit mounting channel

Abstract

A soffit mounting apparatus for mounting a soffit to a structure via holding the soffit in the cavity of a channel includes a base with a front edge and a rear edge. A support is mountable to the base such that the support is spaced away from a bottom side of the base at a distance configured to receive a soffit therebetween. A snap joint is coupled to the base and the support and is operable to mount the support to the base. A method of using the soffit mounting apparatus to mount the soffit is also disclosed and claimed.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A soffit mounting apparatus comprising:
 a base having a front edge and a rear edge;   a support mountable to the base such that the support is spaced away from a bottom side of the base at a distance configured to receive a soffit therebetween; and   a snap joint coupled to the base and the support, the snap joint being operable to mount the support to the base.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base defines a plurality of mounting slots extending through a top side and the bottom side of the base, the plurality of mounting slots being distributed between a pair of lateral edges of the base. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the mounting slots of the plurality of slots are evenly spaced from each other. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of mounting slots is positioned adjacent to the front edge. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each mounting slot of the plurality of mounting slots is elongated in a direction extending between the lateral edges. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base has a planar shape. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the support has a planar shape, the support lying parallel to the base when the support is mounted to the base. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base is elongated between a pair of lateral edges. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the support is elongated between a pair of lateral sides thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a front end of the support forms a hem. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the hem is a rolled hem. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the snap joint comprises:
 an insert having an elongated portion coupled to and extending away from the support adjacent to a rear end thereof; and   a receiver having a pair of arms coupled to and extending away from the base adjacent to the rear edge, the pair of arms being spaced from each other to define a cavity therebetween, the insert being configured to snap to the receiver when positioned in the cavity of the receiver.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the insert having a pair of outwardly protruding portions coupled to the elongated portion, the pair of outwardly protruding portions being spaced from each other in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated portion; and   each arm of the pair of arms having a pair of inwardly protruding portions, the insert being positionable in the cavity of the receiver such that each outwardly protruding portion of the insert engages a respective inwardly protruding portion of a respective arm of the receiver.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the insert is integrally formed with the support and the receiver is integrally formed with the base. 
     
     
         14 . A soffit mounting apparatus comprising:
 a base having a front edge and a rear edge, the base defining a plurality of mounting slots extending through a top side and a bottom side of the base, the plurality of mounting slots being distributed between a pair of lateral edges of the base, the plurality of mounting slots being evenly spaced from each other, the plurality of mounting slots being positioned adjacent to the front edge, each mounting slot of the plurality of mounting slots being elongated in a direction extending between the lateral edges, the base having a planar shape, the base being elongated between the pair of lateral edges;   a support mountable to the base such that the support is spaced away from the bottom side of the base at a distance configured to receive a soffit therebetween, the support having a planar shape, the support lying parallel to the base when the support is mounted to the base, a front end of the support forming a hem, the hem being a rolled hem, the support being elongated between a pair of lateral sides thereof; and   a snap joint coupled to the base and the support, the snap joint being operable to mount the support to the base, the snap joint comprising:
 an insert having an elongated portion coupled to and extending away from the support adjacent to a rear end thereof, the insert having a pair of outwardly protruding portions coupled to the elongated portion, the pair of outwardly protruding portions being spaced from each other in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated portion, the insert being integrally formed with the support; and 
 a receiver having a pair of arms coupled to and extending away from the base adjacent to the rear edge, the pair of arms being spaced from each other to define a cavity therebetween, each arm of the pair of arms having a pair of inwardly protruding portions, the insert being positionable in the cavity of the receiver such that each outwardly protruding portion of the insert engages a respective inwardly protruding portion of a respective arm of the receiver, the receiver being integrally formed with the base. 
   
     
     
         15 . A method of mounting a soffit to a structure, the method comprising:
 mounting a base of a soffit mounting apparatus to an underside of a horizontal member of the structure, wherein the receiver of a snap joint of the soffit mounting apparatus is coupled to and extends downwardly from the base;   positioning the soffit under the base;   mounting, via insertion of an insert of the snap joint into the receiver, a support of the soffit mounting apparatus to the base and below the soffit, wherein the insert is coupled to the support; and   setting the soffit onto the support.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the support of the soffit mounting apparatus supports the soffit adjacent to one end of a pair of ends of the soffit, further comprising supporting the soffit at another end of the pair of ends of the soffit. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the soffit mounting apparatus is a first soffit mounting apparatus of a pair of soffit mounting apparatuses, further comprising:
 mounting the base of a second soffit mounting apparatus to the underside of the horizontal member remote from the base of the first soffit mounting apparatus, wherein the receiver of a snap joint of the second soffit mounting apparatus is coupled to and extends downwardly from the base of the second soffit mounting apparatus;   positioning the soffit under the base of the second soffit mounting apparatus, wherein the first soffit mounting apparatus and the second soffit apparatus are positioned at associated ends of a pair of ends of the soffit;   mounting, via insertion of an insert of the snap joint of the second soffit mounting apparatus into the receiver of the second soffit mounting apparatus, a support of the second soffit mounting apparatus to the base of the second soffit mounting apparatus and below the soffit, wherein the insert of the second soffit mounting apparatus is coupled to the support of the second soffit mounting apparatus; and   setting the soffit onto the support of the second soffit mounting apparatus.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the step of mounting the base of the first soffit mounting apparatus includes positioning the base of the first soffit mounting apparatus adjacent to a vertical member of the structure; and   the step of mounting the base of the second soffit mounting apparatus includes positioning the base of the second soffit mounting apparatus remote from the vertical member.