Method and apparatus for providing an insulated snow storage facility
Accordion-shaped insulating mats simplify snow storage facility insulation by eliminating the need for individual board installation and transportation, reducing labor and costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SNOW SECURE OY
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
Smart Images
Figure 2026090311000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a snow storage facility with a heat insulating material.
Background Art
[0002] It is becoming increasingly common to store snow made for ski slopes and cross - country trails in various types of ski and winter sports resorts. Also, as the first snow ski tracks made by cities, for example, they are often stored in insulated snow storage facilities in summer. To keep snow in summer, it must be covered with a sufficient amount of appropriate heat - insulating material. This is because the outside air temperature can rise up to +30°C even in Nordic countries in summer. Also, the walls and roofs of the snow storage facility are exposed to a lot of direct sunlight in summer and get wet with rain during rainy days.
[0003] The heat insulation of the snow storage facility is achieved by adding a heat - insulating material on top of the stored snow deposited in the desired snow storage facility. Among the materials for the heat - insulating material, the following have continued to be the most common: sawdust, different types of cloth, and polystyrene and / or polyurethane insulation boards. The applied method functions well in other aspects, but at the stage of insulating and dismantling the snow storage facility, it requires a great deal of labor and also requires a great deal of effort and transportation costs to transport various heat - insulating materials from their storage locations to the back.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for insulating a snow storage facility, enabling the insulation of the snow storage facility to be constructed and removed more quickly and easily, and as a result, reducing the labor and heat - insulating material handling costs related to summer snow storage. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for simplifying the installation and removal operations of the heat - insulating material of the snow storage facility, and as a result, significantly reducing the large amount of work and expenses currently incurred. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for implementing the method according to the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]
[0005] The method according to the present invention comprises, at least a portion of the insulating material used to cover stored snow requiring thermal insulation, an insulating mat consisting of insulating boards joined in an accordion shape, and when the snow is insulated, the insulating mat is successively drawn to and aligned with the top / sides of the snow, and after the stored snow is removed, the insulating mat is pulled back in an accordion shape to cover other snow. Snow is used while it is stored in the storage facility (i.e., during the ski season), and snow intended for supplying stored snow for the next season is stored on the same site. For more precise description, the method and apparatus according to the present invention are characterized as described in independent claims 1 and 8, respectively. Dependent claims 2 to 7 and 9 to 15 disclose preferred embodiments of the method and preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention, respectively.
[0006] The advantages of the method and apparatus of the present invention are that, as an insulated snow storage facility is constructed, it eliminates the slow and laborious process of installing individual insulation boards on the top and sides of snow blocks, and that as the snow is used, there is no need to collect the individual insulation boards. Furthermore, as a result of storing the insulation material using the method according to the present invention, the insulation material does not need to be transported over long distances to a storage facility and then returned nearby to be reinstalled on new snow blocks intended for the next winter's needs. All of these methods simplify the setup and use of snow storage facilities by reducing and simplifying the work involved in constructing and using them, and result in a significant reduction in the cost of using snow stored throughout the summer compared to previously known methods. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings: [Figure 1] This is an oblique top view of a snow storage facility prepared by the method of the present invention, where snow is stored during the summer. [Figure 2]Figure 1 shows the snow storage facility with the insulation removed from the snow blocks stored during the summer. [Figure 3] Figures 1 and 2 show a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the insulation board mat used as insulation material for the roof, end walls, and side walls of the snow storage facility. [Figure 4] Figures 1 and 2 show a cross-sectional view of the insulation boards used as insulation for the roof, end walls, and side walls of the snow storage facility, after they have been folded into an accordion-like bundle. [Figure 5] Figures 1 and 2 show cross-sectional views of the region between the lateral edges of the insulation mat in the snow storage facility, and are cut along line AA in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0008] In the snow storage facility 10 shown in Figure 1, when insulated using the method of the present invention, the roof 11, end walls 12, 13, and side walls 14, 15 parallel to the long sides are insulated by an insulation mat 20 consisting of accordion-joined insulation boards 16. Typically, the insulation boards 16 of the insulation mat 20 are, for example, polyurethane, polystyrene, or similar insulation boards. Alternatively, the insulation boards 16, or a portion thereof, may be other insulation boards such as foamed rubber or bubble plastic boards. The external dimensions of the insulation boards 16 of the insulation mat 20 can be selected on a case-by-case basis, or standard-sized insulation boards can be used. The insulation boards 16 must be thick enough to adequately recognize the prevailing climatic conditions at the location of the stored snow 30.
[0009] The corners 17 between the side walls 14 and 15 and the end walls 12 and 13 of the snow storage facility 10 shown in Figure 1 are insulated by triangular corner inserts 18 fitted between them. Here, the corner inserts 18 are made of an elastic and bendable insulating material, such as foamed rubber or a single piece of foamed plastic sheet. The external dimensions and thickness of the corner inserts 18 can also be varied according to the size of the stored snow and the insulation requirements. In embodiments of the method and apparatus according to the present invention, the corners 17, and therefore the end walls 12 and 13, can also be insulated by an insulating layer provided on the inner wall using, for example, an inner wall made of snow and / or ice, and sawdust and / or pikelate, i.e., frozen sawdust, accumulated thereon.
[0010] The insulation material for the roof 11, end walls 12, 13, and side walls 14, 15 includes an insulation mat 20 composed of individual insulation boards 16 or groups of insulation boards made up of several joined insulation boards 16. The individual insulation boards 16 or groups of insulation boards are pivotally joined to one another alternately at the upper and lower corners of their lateral end edges 21. The continuous insulation mat 20 thus formed, comprising several insulation boards, is foldable into an accordion-like bundle of insulation boards 20' and can be reopened to a continuous insulation mat 20 (as shown in Figures 3 and 4). If the pivotally joined portion is a group of insulation boards 16 rather than individual insulation boards 16, the insulation boards joined to one another within the group are preferably fixed together as a single unit or inserted into a single bag or sleeve made of suitable fabric to hold them together and form a single continuous board piece.
[0011] In the snow storage facility of Figure 1, the continuous insulation boards 16 are pivotably connected to each other by a waterproof cloth 19 (such as PVC cloth), as shown in Figures 3 and 4, forming an accordion-like structure. In this case, the pivotable connection is achieved by inserting the continuous insulation boards into bags made of a cloth-like material, or into sleeves 19a that are open at both ends, where there are several bags or sleeves successively joined to each other at their edges by appropriate joints 19b. Thus, the insulation boards 16 inserted into the bags or sleeves 19a are pivotably joined to each other at their opposing edges by the joints between the bags or sleeves 19a. In a similar embodiment of the snow storage facility 10, groups of insulation boards can be pivotally connected to each other in the manner described above by inserting two or more insulation boards successively and / or side by side into a single bag or sleeve 19a.
[0012] As is evident from Figure 1, the edges and central portion of the stored snow 30 are covered with several adjacent insulating mats 20. In the case of the stored snow in Figure 1, three consecutive insulating mats 20 are stretched over the stored snow 30. Two of them are located on the sides (mainly on the side walls 14 and 15), and one of them is located on the roof 11 of the snow storage facility 10, on top of the stored snow 30. In another similar embodiment, there may also be one, two, or three or more consecutive insulating mats 20. In this case, the position of the insulating mats 20 is generally selected on a case-by-case basis to limit the inflow of rainwater into the stored snow as much as possible. In the stored snow in Figures 1 and 2, the intrusion of rainwater is also limited by a joint shield 24 provided at the top of the stored snow. The joint shield 24 covers the middle insulating mat 20, as well as the joint between it and the first and last insulating mats 20. Thus, rainwater cannot enter the stored snow 30 through the joints between the consecutive insulating mats 20, at least not very easily.
[0013] Figure 2 shows the snow storage facility 10 of Figure 1, where, viewed from the direction of the figure, the insulation mat 20 and corner insert 18 located at the front end 12 and corner 17 have been removed, and the first central insulation mat 20 at this end face has been removed, resulting in the snow storage facility 10 being in use. In Figure 2, the joint shield 24 provided on the roof of the stored snow and the joint shield 29 between the insulation mats 20 have also been removed.
[0014] The apparatus for insulating stored snow according to the present invention may include, in addition to various insulating materials, a tensioning device for spreading bundles of insulating boards 20' onto an insulating board mat 20 and pulling them onto the stored snow 30. The tensioning device may be, for example, an electrically or combustion engine-driven winch that enables each bundle of insulating boards 20' to be spread and pulled onto the stored snow 30. Alternatively (especially for smaller amounts of stored snow), some or all of the bundles of insulating boards 20' can be spread by manual tensioning. Such a suitable tensioning member, such as a tensioning rope, wire rope, or strap, is attached to the end of the bundle of insulating boards 20' and stretched over the stored snow, so that the bundles of insulating boards 20' can be spread and pulled onto the stored snow 30 by manually pulling the tensioning member.
[0015] When insulating stored snow 30 created in a storage facility by the method according to the present invention, insulation is performed using insulation mats 20 and corner inserts 18, as well as other different types of insulation materials provided in the intermediate areas between the insulation mats 20. After snow accumulation, accordion-shaped bundles of insulation boards 20' provided next to or brought in next to the stored snow 30 are spread out on the insulation mats 20 and pulled onto the stored snow 30. In the case of the snow storage facility 10 in Figures 1 and 2, accordion-shaped bundles of insulation boards 20' are provided on all sides of the stored snow 30, and the bundles of insulation boards 20' intended for each side are located next to that side. The position of the bundles of insulation boards 20' intended for the roof 11 of the snow storage facility 10 is selected on a case-by-case basis so that they can be pulled onto the stored snow 30 as easily as possible. Before starting the lifting operation, the bundles of insulation boards 20' provided next to the stored snow 30 can be tilted toward the stored snow 30 and pulled toward the stored snow 30 by the top insulation board to make them easier to spread out. The most common method for lifting bundles of insulation boards 20' to lie on the top and sides of the stored snow 30 is to use an electric tensioning device, such as an electric tension winch. The tension winch can be a vehicle-mounted tension winch, for example, the vehicle can be driven to a suitable position relative to the pulling direction. Alternatively, bundles of insulation boards 20' can be manually spread out and pulled onto the stored snow 30 by a suitable manual tensioning means (such as a rope or strap) extended over the stored snow on the opposite side of the stored snow. This allows bundles of insulation boards 20' intended to be placed at different positions on the top and sides of the stored snow 30 to be conveniently moved to these desired positions by pulling them with the tensioning means. Often, driven tensioning devices are used to spread and pull larger and heavier bundles of insulation boards 20' onto the stored snow 30, while manual force alone is used for the smallest of them.
[0016] Before pulling the bundles of insulation boards 20' onto the stored snow 30, and after removing them from the stored snow 30, the bundles of insulation boards 20' are stored alongside the stored snow 30 and moved laterally from the stored snow 30 over the required distance (for example, away from the trail of the ski slope). To prevent the bundles of insulation boards 20' from getting wet and freezing, they are covered with a tarpaulin (such as plastic or PVC cloth) that is suitable for the duration of use of the snow storage facility (i.e., mostly the entire duration of the ski resort).
[0017] With respect to the snow storage shed 10 in Figures 1 and 2, all of the bundles of insulation boards 20' are positioned on the side of the storage snow 30 encompassing their intended positions on the storage snow before being pulled onto the storage snow at the start of the insulation step. After being pulled away from the storage snow 30, they are folded back into the bundles of insulation boards 20'. In some embodiments, it is also possible to store some of the bundles of insulation boards 20' on the opposite side of the storage snow 30 from where the rest of the bundles of insulation boards 20' are located. To do this, when these bundles of insulation boards 20' are pulled onto or away from the storage snow 30, they are pulled in the opposite direction to the bundles of insulation boards 20' stored on the opposite side of the storage snow 30.
[0018] The insulating mats are pulled so that they lie side by side on top of the stored snow 30, resulting in multiple insulating mats 20 on top of the stored snow with their side edges 22 touching each other. Generally, the (longitudinal) side edges 22 of adjacent insulating mats do not need to be attached to each other, but they are usually positioned close to each other (by being properly pulled by a winch or a hand-operated pulling device) without leaving an excessively long distance (usually less than 0.5 m) between the opposing side edges 22. The space between adjacent insulating mats 20 is filled with a suitable insulating structure 25 consisting of insulating materials 26, 28, and 29. For the snow storage facility in Figure 1, as shown in Figure 6, the filling is done by providing a sealing cloth 26 in the area between their side edges before pulling the insulating mats 20 onto the stored snow 30. The sealing cloth 26 may be a single elongated piece of waterproof cloth or plastic (e.g., a PVC cloth piece with a thickness of about 0.5 to 1 m) and extends over the entire stored snow. It is also possible to form a groove (using a suitable tool) by pressing it into this point on the surface of the stored snow 30, so that the sealing cloth 26 forms a chute in the area between the side edges 22 of the insulating board mat 20, allowing rainwater that has entered between the insulating board mats 20 to drain from the stored snow 30. The insulating board mat 20 is then pulled into place and then onto the joint area, and if necessary, an intermediate insulating material 28 (such as foamed rubber or foamed plastic insulation) is provided between the side edges 22 of the insulating board mat 20 together with a joint shield 29 made of, for example, geotextile. As an example, the joint shield 29 can be fixed onto the insulating board mat by a connecting member 31 installed in the lateral region of the insulating board mat, such as a tie-down strap (as shown in Figure 5) that is tightened to the insulating board mat 20. This filling between the side edges 22 of adjacent insulating board mats 20 provides insulation and restricts the intrusion of rainwater into the stored snow 30 through the space between adjacent insulating board mats 20. However, if it is desirable to attach the insulation mats 20 to each other, for example, adhesive tape or Velcro® fastener tape / strips can be detachably attached to the insulation mats.
[0019] When multiple consecutive insulation mats 20 are pulled onto the stored snow 30, two or more insulation mats 20 are pulled onto the stored snow one after another, so that the first end of the first insulation mat 20 abuts against the second end of the second insulation mat 20, and the rear end of the third insulation mat 20 abuts against the first end of the second insulation mat 20. If it is desirable to attach the insulation mats 20 one after the other, this can be done in a manner similar to that in which they are attached side by side using appropriate fasteners that are removable at their side edges 22, i.e., between the lateral end edges 21 of the insulation mats 20. Snow storage facilities 10 are usually very large, and using a single insulation mat 20 to cover the entire distance from one side to the other of the stored snow 30 would require an insulation mat 20 consisting of dozens of insulation boards 16, so it is common to use two or more consecutive insulation mats 20. This is because the size of the 20' bundle of insulation boards, due to their weight and dimensions, makes it difficult to pull them onto and remove them from the stored snow 30, and to perform any other necessary operations.
[0020] The completed insulation of the snow storage facility 10 created by the method according to the present invention does not usually require any other insulation material to be provided on the insulation board layer of the insulation board mat 20. However, if it is desirable to do so, an insulating fabric such as a geotextile and / or moisture-proof shield, such as plastic or waterproof fabric (e.g., PVC fabric), can be laid on top of the insulation board mat. This eliminates the need for joint shields 29 at the joints between the side edges 22 of the insulation board mat 20.
[0021] Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the heat insulation plate mat, presenting a heat insulation plate mat 20 having, as a structural option, a bundle 20' of individual heat insulation plates inserted into a bag or sleeve 19a made of a waterproof cloth 19 (i.e., a horizontally open cloth sleeve). Here, the waterproof cloth 19 wrapping the heat insulation plate 16 has a joint portion 19b parallel to the side edge portion of the heat insulation plate, joining the upper waterproof cloth 19 and the lower waterproof cloth 19 of the heat insulation plate to each other, and performing welding, adhesion, or stitching between the side edge portions of the continuous heat insulation plates 16 (i.e., the edges perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heat insulation plate mat 20). The joint portion 19b is arranged between the fabric layers by alternating the continuous joint portions 19b at the levels of the lower and upper surfaces of the heat insulation plate 20. Thus, a connection across the heat insulation plate 20 is provided therebetween, and as shown in Figure 4, the heat insulation plate mat can be folded into an accordion-like bundle 20' of heat insulation plates.
[0022] Many aspects of the methods and devices according to the present invention can be implemented in ways that depart from the exemplary embodiments described above. In some cases, the heat insulation plate mat may be, for example, a single integrated body made entirely of a cellular plastic, or a similar highly heat-insulating soft and elastic heat insulation plate material. This integrated heat insulation plate - mat structure can have a more flexible lateral joint or point than other regions, allowing the heat insulation plate - mat to be folded into an accordion shape and then expanded again without causing damage to the structure. This type of heat insulation plate mat can be inflated with air or with other gases that are more heat-insulating than air, and can also be shrunk. Pull it on the stored snow, expand and inflate it, then shrink it before pulling it from the stored snow, and fold it into an accordion shape. This solution has the advantage that when the heat insulation plate mat is in a folded state as a bundle of heat insulation plates, it is at least simple and lightweight and requires less space compared to the above-described solution. Therefore, the methods and devices according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments and can vary within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A method for providing a snow storage facility (10) with insulating material involves covering the stored snow (30) produced in the snow storage facility with insulating material (16, 18, 20, 27, 28, 29, 32), wherein the insulating material includes insulating boards. - The insulation of the stored snow (30) in the snow storage facility (10) is provided by a plurality of insulation mats (20), each of which has a plurality of insulation boards (16), or a group of a plurality of insulation boards arranged side by side or in sequence, and the plurality of insulation boards (16) or the group of a plurality of insulation boards are pivotally connected to each other at the upper or lower corners of opposing lateral end edges (21), and the continuous insulation mats (20) are such that the plurality of insulation boards can be folded sequentially into an accordion-like bundle of insulation boards (20') and can be unfolded again into a continuous insulation mat (20), - If the stored snow (30) is to be insulated, the accordion-shaped bundle of insulation boards (20') can be spread out, pulled up and placed in a line, and placed sequentially on top of and to the sides of the stored snow (30), with the multiple insulation board mats (20) spread out on top of the stored snow, with the side edges (22) of each insulation board mat (20) touching or separating from each other, and the insulation board mats (20) that have been spread out and pulled up on top of the stored snow (30) cover at least a portion of the stored snow. - When the insulation mat (20) is removed from the snow storage area (10), the insulation mat (20) is detached from the stored snow (30), folded into a bundle of insulation boards (20'), and formed into an accordion-like configuration. A method in which thermal insulation material (26, 28, 29) is applied to the area between the side edges (22) of adjacent thermal insulation mats (20).
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bundle of insulating boards (20') is stored next to the stored snow (30) after it has been removed from the stored snow (30) and before it is lifted into the stored snow (30).
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein two or more continuous insulating mats (20) are lifted onto the stored snow (30).
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least a joint shield (24) such as geotextile or tarp is installed at the joints between the continuous insulating board mats (20) lying on the roof (11) of the snow storage facility (10).
5. A device comprising a snow storage facility (10) made of stored snow (30) and having insulation, comprising insulation material (16, 18, 27, 28, 32) in which at least a portion is an insulating board (16), the insulation material (16, 18, 27, 28, 32) comprises a plurality of insulating board mats (20), the plurality of insulating board mats (20) can be pulled and placed side by side and placed sequentially on top of and to the side of the stored snow (30), each of the plurality of insulating board mats (20) is made by combining a plurality of insulating boards (16) or a group of a plurality of insulating boards side by side or sequentially with each other, the plurality of insulating boards (16) or a group of a plurality of insulating boards are pivotally connected at the upper or lower corner of the lateral end edge (21), and the continuous insulating board mats (20) can be folded in order of a plurality of insulating boards (16) into an accordion-like bundle of insulating boards (20') and then unfolded again into a continuous insulating board mat (20), The apparatus comprises at least one sealing cloth (26), an intermediate insulation section (28), and / or a joint shield (29) for sealing the area between the side edges (22) of two adjacent insulation board mats (20).
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the continuous insulating boards (16) or bundles of insulating boards of the insulating board mat (20) are joined together by a cloth-like material (19).
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the continuous insulating boards (16) or bundle of insulating boards of the insulating board mat (20) are inserted into a bag made of a waterproof cloth-like material (19) or into a sleeve (19a) that has two opposing ends, and a plurality of bags or sleeves (19a) are joined to each other at their edges, and the insulating boards (16) inserted into the bags or sleeves (19a) are pivotably joined to each other at the opposing end edges (21) of the insulating boards (16) by the joining of the bags or sleeves (19a).
8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein two or more insulating boards (16) are inserted one after another and / or side by side into a single bag or sleeve (19a).
9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a triangular corner insert (18) for insulating the corner (17) between the end wall (12, 13) and the side wall (14, 15) of the snow storage facility.
10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 9, further comprising a joint shield (24) for sealing the joint area between two insulating plate mats (20) installed side by side on stored snow (30).
11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 10, comprising a tensioning device for spreading a bundle of insulating boards (20') onto an insulating board mat (20), pulling the insulating board mat (20) onto the stored snow (30), and removing it from the stored snow (30).