US Patent 9623795 Mounting base

A vehicle-roof mounting-base intended to temporarily mount lights, signs, kayaks, ladders, bicycles, and cameras, inter alia, on the roof of a vehicle with a steel or non-ferrous roof. The vehicle-roof mounting-base uses vacuum evacuation to adhere itself to a vehicle roof. The vacuum evacuation is accomplished by evacuating suction cups, which are in intimate contact with the vehicle roof, through the use of a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump is connected to a vacuum sensor, which can turn the vacuum pump on and off, insuring that sufficient retention force to hold the vehicle-roof mounting-base to the vehicle roof exists.