Patent Application
20120061046
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for roofing, and more particularly for underlayment for melting snow and collecting solar energy using roof mounted structures.
2. The Background Art
During the winter, snow and ice accumulate on a roof covering a structure such as a dwelling or business space. Heat from the structure below rises and melts some of the snow and ice immediately above the structure. However, peripheral portions of the roof, especially the eaves, do not receive as much heat and may remain at subfreezing temperatures. Accordingly, water running off the heated portion may refreeze onto the peripheral portions resulting in an “ice dam” that can cause damage due to water backup and refreezing, snow and ice may also result in excess loading of the roof.
Some systems have been devised to prevent formation of ice dams. For example, a heating wire may be arranged on top of shingles above the eaves of a structure to melt snow. In a similar manner, a tube for carrying heated water may also be arranged above the eaves of a structure. These systems are somewhat ineffective in that they only heat a localized area of the roof. They rely on water melting and running down to melt other ice, but it usually runs underneath with slow and small melting effect. Moreover, they require installation after shingles or some other roofing material is applied, which can compromise the weatherproofing properties of the roofing material.
A metal slide plate may be placed on top of the roofing material to decrease gripping of snow. Some metal plates along the eaves of the house may improve distribution of heat. However, not only does heat rise away from wire sand plates, the plate captures moisture between itself and the roofing material which can result in decay of underlying sheathing. Others systems install a heating element before a roofing material is applied. However, these systems are suitable for use with a limited number of roofing materials in order to avoid puncturing the heating element during installation of the roofing material.
In view of the foregoing it would be an advancement in the art to provide a robust roof mounted heat emitting and collecting system that was simple to install using standard roofing materials and standard roofing installation methods.
The invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art and, in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available apparatus and methods. The features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
Consistent with the foregoing, a method for installing a heat transfer system on a roof includes applying panels to the roof such that the panels have an interlocking relationship at interlocking interfaces between adjacent panels. A heating element is laid among the panels such that the heating element extends along the interlocking interfaces such that an upper surface of the heating element does not protrude above the panels. A roofing material is then applied over the panels and heating element. The roofing material may be at least one of asphalt shingles, metal panels, tar and gravel, shakes, clay tiles, and concrete tiles.
In some embodiments, the panels each include first and second lateral sides, a first interlocking member positioned along the first lateral side, and a second interlocking member positioned along the second lateral side, the second interlocking member sized to receive the first interlocking member of an adjacent panel and a portion of the heating element.
In some embodiments, the panels are applied to a base layer having channels formed therein such that the second interlocking member is positioned within the channel. The second interlocking member may extend downward from the panel such that it is positionable within the channel.
In some embodiments, the panels each define at least one arcuate channel extending between the first and second lateral sides. In such embodiments, laying the heating element comprises laying the heating element within both the second interlocking elements and arcuate channels of the panels.
In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, as represented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of certain examples of presently contemplated embodiments in accordance with the invention. The presently described embodiments will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout.
Referring to
A first interlocking member 18a extends along the first lateral side 14a or edge 14b and a second interlocking member extends 18b along the second lateral side 14b or edge 14b. The second interlocking member 18b is sized to receive the first interlocking member 18a of an adjacent panel 10 when the panel 10 is installed on a roof. In the illustrated embodiment, the second interlocking member 18b is a channel 20 and the first interlocking member 18a is a downwardly depending flange 22. The illustrated channel 20 has a substantially rectangular cross section, but other cross-sectional shapes such as polygonal, curved, semicircular and the like are also suitable. The channel 20 and flange 22 may comprise portions of the panel 10 bent into the illustrated configuration. For example, the panel 10 may include sheet metal stamped into the illustrate configuration and cut to size. Alternatively, the channel 20 and flange 22 may be secured to the planar portion 12 by means of fasteners, welding, an adhesive, or other suitable fastening means.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the energy conducting element 28 carries fluid for receiving heat from the roof. For example, the energy conducting element 28 may be used to collect solar energy in order to generate electricity, heat water, or heat an interior space. In some embodiments, fluid may be pumped through the energy conducting element 28 to collect heat energy in order to reduce the temperature of the roof and reduce a cooling load on the structure covered by the roof.
In use, a plurality of panels 10 may be placed on a roof, such as by placing the panels 10 on a base layer 36 designed to provide vertical support from below and possibly anchoring for fasteners holding roofing surface materials above. The base layer may include wooden sheathing, rigid foam, or other material capable of supporting the panels against damage. In some applications, the base layer 36 is sheathing or insulation such as is placed on a vertical wall or a roof of a building. The energy conducting element 28 is then laid within the second interlocking member 18b, such as within the channel 20 in the illustrated embodiment.
Arcuate portions of the energy conducting element 28 extending from the ends of the channel 20 may connect portions of the energy conducting element 28 within the channel 20. Thus, the energy conducting element 28 forms an undulating shape across the surface of the base layer 36. As noted above, the depth 24 of the channel 20 is preferably less than or equal to the height 26 of the energy conducting element 28, potted, or both. Thus, an upper surface of the energy conducting element 28 does not usually extend below the upper surface 16a of the planar portion 12 following placement in the channel 20 unless potted to assure contact thereabove.
Prior to installation of the panels 10, a roofing sealer such as tar paper, polymer membrane, or the like may be applied. Following installation of the panels 10, one or more layers of final roofing material 38 may be applied to the panels 10. For example, the roofing material 38 may include shingles or metal panels secured to the panels by means of fasteners 40 such as nails. The roofing material 38 may include any roofing material known in the art, such as asphalt shingles, metal panels, tar and gravel, shakes, clay tiles, concrete tiles, polymeric tiles and the like
Referring specifically to
The resulting structure is suitable for receiving any type of roofing material, including those that require the use of fasteners that penetrate the panel 10, such as nails and screws commonly used to install shingles and metal roofing panels. Most roofing materials 38 are supplied as discrete roofing elements 42 covering a small area of the roof, such as shingles, shakes, or tiles. The location of the energy conducting element 28 where discrete roofing element 42 is to be secured can be readily ascertained. An installer can clearly see the panels 10 and conducting elements 28 as each discrete roofing element 42 is placed. The installer can thereby avoid the potential damage of driving a fastener 40 into the energy conducting element 28.
In some embodiments, the area of the upper surface 16a of the panels 10 may be greater than the area of the discrete roofing elements secured thereto. For example, the area of the upper surface 16a of the panels 10 may be between 2 and 50 times the area of the discrete roofing elements secured thereto.
Referring again to
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Formation of two arcuate grooves 54 of opposing concavity proximate the top and bottom of each set of adjacent straight grooves 52 may advantageously enable greater freedom in placing the heating element within the grooves 52, 54 during installation. Also, the aspect ratio of width-to-length of the repeating oval pattern may be designed at virtually any suitable number. For example, length may depend on how much of the roof surface or eave is to be heated. The width may depend on how much heat density is desired Likewise, the base layer may be made in sections having one or many ovals formed therein.
Referring to
Referring to
In the illustrated embodiment, each channel 20 includes two arcuate portions 56 or arcuate channels 56 having opposing concavity. The channel 20 may include an opening 58 formed in a wall 60 of the channel 20 secured to the lateral side 14b of the planar portion 12. An opening 58 may be located adjacent each arcuate channel 56 to enable an energy conducting element 28 within the arcuate channel 56 to extend into the straight portion of the channel 20.
The channel 20 may include additional openings 62 for each channel 56 formed in a wall 64 of the channel 20 opposing the wall 60. The flange 22 of each panel 10 may include openings 66 positioned adjacent each arcuate channel 56 to enable a energy conducting element 28 positioned within the arcuate channel 56 to extend into the channel 20 of an adjacent panel 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the openings 66 are placed in a position corresponding to the openings 62 such that an energy conducting element 28 may extend through both openings 62, 66 without excessive bending or risk of shearing.
In embodiments where the panel 10 is formed by stamping, or otherwise forming, sheet metal, the openings 58, 62, 66 may be cut prior to stamping. The one or more arcuate channels 56 may be formed during the same stamping operation that forms the main portion of the channel 20 and flange 22, or they may be formed in a separate operation.
Referring to
The energy conducting element 28 may be placed over each panel 10 such that it extends through a portion of each channel 20, through the opening 58 in the wall 60 of the channel 20, through the arcuate channel 56 adjacent the opening 58, through the opening 62 in the wall 64 of the channel 20 of an adjacent panel 10 and through the opening 66 in the flange 22 of the panel 10 into the channel 20 of the adjacent panel 10. A layer of roofing material 38 may then be applied to the panels 10 and secured with fasteners 40 as described hereinabove.
Referring to
At step 76, the energy conducting element 28 is placed within the second interlocking member, such as the channel 20. In some embodiments, step 76 may be performed prior to step 76 for each panel, such as in the installation configuration of
A final, protective, weatherproof, roofing material 38 may then be applied at Step 78. Step 78 may also be performed while performing steps 72-76. Applying the roofing surface may include driving a fastener, such as a nail 40, screw, or other fastener, into the panels 10.
However, this also highlights the fact that the process 70 may follow installation of the roof structure of rafters, trusses, etc, and the base underlayment 36. The base underlayment installation may include, and typically does, dealing the base 36 with tarpaper, membrane, or the like as its top surface.
Referring to
The fluid system 88 may include a pump 82 operable to circulate fluid through the tube or pipe forming the energy conducting element 28. The pump 82 may also pump fluid from the energy conducting element 28 through a heat exchanger 84 in order to extract heat from the fluid.
For example, a roof or wall having the panels 10 and energy conducting element 28 mounted thereon may be heated by solar energy incident thereon, or on a roofing or siding material 38 placed thereover. Fluid with the energy conducting element 28 may then be circulated therein and heated thereby. This thermal energy may then be transferred from the fluid by the heat exchanger 84.
The heat exchanger 84 may extract the heat by transferring it to a second fluid. The second fluid may be undergoing a liquid to gas phase change. The expansion of the fluid undergoing the phase change may be used to drive a generator 86. In some embodiments, the heath exchanger 84 may use heat extracted from the fluid passing through the energy conducting element 28 to heat water or air for use within a structure of for some other purpose. In some embodiments, the fluid passing through the heating element 28 may be used as hot water by occupants of a structure without the use of an intermediate heat exchanger 84. In such embodiments, the pump 82 may pump all or part of the fluid to a hot water storage tank after passing the fluid through the energy conducting element 28.
Referring to
The above description of embodiments of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations thereof are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
