Patent Application
20230265945
Heated cables are commonly used to prevent ice buildup on roofs in cold climates. The positioning of these cables is critical for the cables to function properly. Roof clips are typically used to connect the cable to the roof top and vary in design according to the type of roof on which they will be deployed.
Standing seam metal roofs have parallel raised seams that are evenly spaced and run from the roof peak down to the eaves to create channels in between the seams. This type of roof has a smooth surface and may result in large pieces of snow breaking loose and sliding down the channels and off of the roof. It is thus important that a heated cable be routed such that shifting snow does not pull the cable out of position. It is of further importance that the clips route the cable in such a way that conforms to all industry standards.
The various embodiments of the invention described herein address the aforementioned needs by providing a cable clip that easily attaches to a standing seam metal roof and routes a heated cable such that the cable is oriented straight down the slope. The orientation of the cable provides an uninterrupted path for water and snow to slide down the roof without putting undue forces on the cable. The clip also prevents the cable from bending sharper than the minimum radius allowed by industry standards. Additionally, the clip allows the cable to be attached quickly and securely, to maximize installation efficiency.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a clip for use in securing a heating cable to a metal roof seam including: a first vertical wall having a first lower edge; a second vertical wall having a second lower edge; a top wall joining the first and second vertical walls and creating a gap therebetween; a routing clamp extending outwardly from each of the first and second lower edges, the routing clamp including: a lower guide; an upper guide; a bendable member joining the lower and upper guides and can be bent over a heating cable such that the heating cable is trapped between the upper guide, the lower guide, the bendable member and one of the first and second vertical walls.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system for preventing a buildup of ice on a metal roof with a plurality of parallel seams forming channels between the seams, the system including: a plurality of clips fastenable to seams on a metal roof; a heating cable routable through the plurality of clips; a routing pattern for the heating cable in which: the cable passes through a first routing clamp of a first clip of the plurality of clips, the first clip positioned on a first seam of the plurality of seams at a lower location; the cable continues upward along one side of the first seam through a first routing clamp of a second clip of the plurality of clips, the second clip positioned on the first seam at an upper location; the cable passes over the seam to a second side of the first seam; the cable passes through a second routing clamp of the second clip; the cable continues downward along the second side of the first seam through a second routing clamp of the first clip; the cable is routed below an upper surface of the roof to a second seam of the plurality of seams; wherein the routing pattern is repeated for a desired number of seams of the plurality of seams; wherein the channels between the seams remain clear of horizontally-oriented lengths of heating cables.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of preventing a buildup of ice on a metal roof with a plurality of parallel seams forming channels between the seams, the method including: fastening a plurality of clips to upper and lower locations on each of a plurality of seams; routing a heating cable through the plurality of clips such that the channels formed between adjacent seams of the plurality of seams remain free of horizontal lengths of the heating cable.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of which embodiments of the invention are capable of will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which;
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.
Referring now to the Figures and first to
The first vertical wall 20 has a first lower edge 22 from which a routing clamp 60 extends and the second vertical wall 30 also has a second lower edge 32 from which a routing clamp 60 extends. The clips 60 may be identical in form and/or function, and will be described herein as the same routing clamp 60.
Each routing clamp 60 includes a connector 62 that connects the routing clamp 60 to the lower edge of the respective wall. The routing clamp 60 further includes a lower guide 66 and an upper guide 64. The lower guide 66 and upper guide 64 are joined with a bendable member 68. The bendable member 68 is constructed to be bendable without the use of tools, yet strong enough to retain the bent configuration while subjected to shifting snow and ice.
In at least one embodiment, the roof clip 10 is constructed from a single sheet of a suitable rigid but bendable material, such as steel or aluminum, and formed into a preinstalled shape, such as that shown in
In at least one embodiment, the width of bendable member 68 may be smaller than a width of the connector 62 such that the connector 62 maintains a curve that orients the lower guide 66 in a perpendicular relationship to the respective wall to which it is attached.
The lower guide 66 and upper guide 64 are each curved to predetermined radii r1 and r2, respectively. Radii r1 and r2 may be equal. The curves facilitate entry and exit of the cable into and out of the clamp without contacting sharp edges that could damage the cable. Additionally, heated cable routing must meet industry standards, which includes a minimum radius of any bend in the cable. By selecting a predetermined radius r1, r2 that is equal to or greater than the industry standard, the installers are assured of meeting the standards without the need to measure the radius of the cable curves.
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Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.
This application claims priority to related previously-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/264,425 to Kuhl, filed Nov. 22, 2021, entitled ROOF CABLE CLIPS. The contents of this previously-filed application are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63264425 | Nov 2021 | US |
