Snowfall protection roof structure

Abstract

This snow-protective roof structure eliminates snow accumulation during snowfall, significantly reducing the snow load on the snow-protective roof of an air conditioner's outdoor unit. Furthermore, the steep slope mitigates the impact of falling snow, making it less susceptible to damage even in harsh snow-covered environments. This provides a snow-protective roof structure that offers long-term, stable snow protection. [Solution] A snow-repellent roof structure 100 for protecting an air conditioner outdoor unit from falling snow, comprising: a plurality of vertically extending support columns 10; a plurality of reinforcing battens 20 spanning between the support columns 10; a support frame 30 forming a box-shaped space surrounding the front, back, and both left and right sides of the air conditioner outdoor unit; and a gable roof 40 fixed to the uppermost part of the support frame 30, wherein the roof slope angle of the gable roof 40 is 30 degrees or more, and a wide gable 43 is formed along the side edge of the inclined surface of the gable roof 40.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a snow protection roof structure for protecting an air conditioner outdoor unit from falling snow.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a conventional snow protection roof for an air conditioner outdoor unit, there is one described in Patent Document 1. This type of snow protection roof is mainly used in snowy regions to protect an air conditioner outdoor unit installed below the roof of a building such as a main house. Specifically, it is installed for the purpose of preventing falling snow sliding down from the roof of the building and snow falling from the sky from directly falling on the air conditioner outdoor unit, preventing snow accumulation on the top plate of the outdoor unit, and preventing the intake port of the heat exchanger from being blocked by snow.

[0003] The snow protection roof disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a roof panel inclined downward from the rear to the front is arranged at the upper end of a support frame erected so as to surround the air conditioner outdoor unit. Thereby, snow accumulation on the top plate of the outdoor unit is prevented.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, since the roof panel described in Patent Document 1 has a gentle roof slope, in heavy snow regions, snow accumulates on the roof and a large amount of snow remains on the roof, causing problems such as the roof bending or deforming. There is also a problem with the strength against the impact load during snowfall. Falling snow sliding down from the roof of a house brings a large impact force. In the roof panel described in Patent Document 1, the impact of falling snow cannot be efficiently released obliquely downward, and the load is received from the front, which may cause damage to the roof including the support frame.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a snow-protective roof structure that suppresses snow accumulation on the roof and reduces the snow load on the roof, mitigates the impact of falling snow with a sharp-angled gable roof to prevent damage to the roof, is stable over a long period of time, and can protect the air conditioner outdoor unit from snow accumulation and falling snow. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The snow-fall protection roof structure of the present invention is a snow-fall protection roof structure that protects an air conditioner outdoor unit from falling snow, and comprises a plurality of vertically extending support columns, a plurality of reinforcing battens spanning between the support columns, a support frame that forms a box-shaped space surrounding the front, back, and both left and right sides of the air conditioner outdoor unit, and a gable roof fixed to the top of the support frame, wherein the roof slope angle of the gable roof is 30 degrees or more, and a wide gable is formed along the side edge of the sloping surface of the gable roof. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this invention, by adopting a gable roof with a roof pitch angle of at least 30 degrees, snow accumulation during snowfall can be suppressed, the snow load on the roof can be significantly reduced, and deformation due to the weight of snow can be prevented. Furthermore, the sharp-angled gable roof mitigates the impact of falling snow, preventing damage to the roof, and provides a snow-protective roof structure that is stable over the long term and can protect air conditioner outdoor units from snow accumulation and falling snow. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a snow-shedding roof structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view of a snow-shedding roof structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an air conditioner outdoor unit housed in a snow-repellent roof structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an exploded view of section A in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The snow-shedding roof structure of the present invention will be described below based on embodiments. The drawings schematically represent the snow-shedding roof structure 100, its constituent members, and its surrounding members, and the dimensions and dimensional ratios shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual dimensions and dimensional ratios. Unless otherwise specified, for convenience, directions such as up and down are indicated based on the orientation of the snow-shedding roof structure 100 shown in Figure 1. Duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate, and the same reference numerals may be assigned to the same members.

[0011] Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a snow-shedding roof structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The snow-shedding roof structure 100 has a support frame 30 that forms a box-shaped space surrounding the front, back, and both left and right sides of an air conditioner outdoor unit 50, which will be described later, and has a plurality of vertically extending support columns 10 and a plurality of reinforcing rails 20 spanning between the support columns. A gable roof 40 made of a mountain-shaped plate member is fixed to the uppermost part of the support frame 30 so as to be positioned above the air conditioner outdoor unit 50.

[0012] The support column 10 includes a support column body 11 made of a long member having an L-shaped cross-section extending vertically, a plurality of mounting holes 12 drilled at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the support column body 11, and a leg portion 13 provided at the lowest end of the support column body and fixed to the installation surface.

[0013] The support column body 11 is formed with an L-shaped cross-section and has two plate-like members that intersect at right angles to each other. This ensures rigidity against loads from two axial directions, front-to-back and left-to-right, when the support frame 30 is constructed, and also provides flat mounting surfaces in two directions for connecting other members.

[0014] Multiple mounting holes 12 are arranged on each side of the main support column 11, aligned vertically. These mounting holes 12 connect the four support columns 10 and the reinforcing bars 20 to each other, constructing a box-shaped support frame 30 that surrounds the front, back, and both left and right sides of the air conditioner outdoor unit 50.

[0015] The leg portion 13 is fixed to the lower end of the support column body 11 so as to protrude horizontally outward in a flat plate shape. Through holes 14 are formed in the leg portion 13 for inserting anchor bolts, etc., and play a role in stably supporting the weight of the entire support frame 30 on the installation surface, as well as firmly fixing the entire structure to the installation surface against external wind pressure and vibrations.

[0016] The reinforcing bars 20 that make up the support frame 30 are provided with longitudinal reinforcing bars 21 that extend in the width direction of the frame, transverse reinforcing bars 22 that extend in the depth direction, and roof reinforcing bars 23 that support the gable roof 40 at the top.

[0017] The longitudinal reinforcing bars 21 and the transverse reinforcing bars 22 are both made of long metal members with a roughly L-shaped cross-section. Mounting flanges 24 are formed at both ends of the longitudinal reinforcing bars 21 and the transverse reinforcing bars 22 to make surface contact with the side surfaces of the support columns 10, and multiple mounting holes 25 are drilled in the mounting flanges 24 at predetermined intervals. The longitudinal reinforcing bars 21 are horizontally spanned between a pair of support columns 10 on the front side and between a pair of support columns 10 on the rear side. On the other hand, the transverse reinforcing bars 22 are horizontally spanned between support columns 10 that are arranged in the front-to-back direction. These multiple longitudinal reinforcing bars 21 and transverse reinforcing bars 22 are combined in a grid pattern at predetermined intervals along the height direction of the four support columns 10 to form a highly rigid box-shaped support frame 30 that surrounds the air conditioner outdoor unit 50 from all sides.

[0018] The roof reinforcing beam 23 is an angled member bent at a predetermined angle such that the central portion is convex upward to correspond to the steep gable shape of the gable roof 40. The roof reinforcing beam 23 is spanned across the upper ends of the front and rear support columns 10 at the left and right uppermost ends of the support frame 30. Specifically, it has inclined surfaces that slope downward toward the left and right with the bent top as the boundary, and these inclined surfaces function as support seats for the gable roof 40.

[0019] The longitudinal reinforcing beam 21, the transverse reinforcing beam 22, and the roof reinforcing beam 23 are aligned at their ends with the mounting holes 12 of the support column 10 and firmly fastened by fixing members (not shown) such as bolts and nuts. In particular, both ends of the roof reinforcing beam 23 located at the uppermost part are arranged at the upper ends of the support column 10 so as to overlap with the support column 10 and the gable roof 40, and are configured to be jointly fastened by a common fixing member. These groups of reinforcing beams serve to disperse the vertical load (snow accumulation load and impact of falling snow) to the support column 10, suppress the distortion of the entire support frame 30, and function as a framework to maintain the self-standing state and box shape of the support frame 30 even in a harsh falling snow environment.

[0020] FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a state in which the air conditioner outdoor unit 50 is accommodated in the falling snow protection roof structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The gable roof 40 has a top 41 extending horizontally in the center, and a pair of inclined surfaces 42 that slope steeply downward from the top 41 toward the left and right edges. Along the outer peripheral edge of the gable roof 40, wide windbreaks 43 bent vertically downward are formed over the entire circumference in the front, rear, left, and right of the pair of inclined surfaces 42.

[0021] The top 41 is configured as a ridge portion extending horizontally in the front-rear direction at the central position of the gable roof 40 in the left-right direction. This top 41 is located at the uppermost part of the gable roof 40 and serves as a boundary line (ridge line) connecting the pair of inclined surfaces 42 that spread to the left and right.

[0022] The inclined surface 42 consists of a pair of flat inclined surfaces that expand away from each other in a direction toward the left and right edges starting from the top 41. In a front view, the apex angle θ formed by this pair of inclined surfaces 42 is set to 120 degrees in this embodiment. Such a steep gradient structure with an apex angle of 120 degrees has the following multiple technical effects. First, it is the optimization of skiing performance. By setting the apex angle to 120 degrees, each inclined surface portion will have a roof gradient of 30 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and it can slide rapidly to the left and right sides without retaining the snow falling from the house or the snow falling from the sky. Second, it is the prevention of damage by load dispersion. When snow blocks fall from the roof of the house, if the roof surface is close to horizontal, it receives an impact load from the front. However, if the roof gradient is at least 30 degrees as in this embodiment, the vertical impact force can be efficiently received as a component force obliquely downward. Thereby, the impact of the falling snow can be alleviated, and the risk of damage to the gable roof 40 and the support frame 30 can be reduced. Note that the apex angle θ formed by the pair of inclined surfaces 42 is not limited to the above-mentioned 120 degrees (roof gradient 30 degrees), and appropriate design changes can be made according to the snowfall amount in the installation area and the assumed load of the falling snow.

[0023] The gable 43 is a wide, band-shaped hanging wall formed by bending the entire circumference of the outer edge, which consists of the front and rear edges and left and right edges of a pair of inclined surfaces 42, vertically downward at approximately a right angle. The bending width of the gable 43, i.e., dimension L shown in the figure, is set to approximately 120 mm in this embodiment. The gable 43 is arranged continuously to surround the gable roof 40 and functions as a "rib" that reinforces the outer circumference of the gable roof 40, which is a plate-like member. In particular, by setting the L dimension to a wide width of approximately 120 mm, the rigidity of the thin plate-like inclined surfaces 42 is dramatically increased. As a result, even when subjected to impacts from snow chunks falling from the roof of a house or the load of accumulated snow, it suppresses distortion and deflection in the surface direction of the gable roof 40 and plays a role in stably maintaining the mountain-shaped form with a 120-degree apex angle. Furthermore, the wide gable 43 is positioned to deeply cover the outer periphery of the uppermost part of the support frame 30 from the side, effectively blocking wind from entering the space below the gable roof 40. This suppresses the pressure rise that occurs on the underside of the roof during strong winds and also functions as a shield to prevent the gable roof 40 from being blown up (lifted). In addition, this wide structure also serves as a protective wall to prevent driving rain and snow from directly entering the air conditioner outdoor unit 50 inside the support frame. Note that the L dimension is not limited to the 120 mm mentioned above. For example, the design can be appropriately changed within a range of approximately 100 mm to 150 mm depending on the overall size of the gable roof 40, the wind pressure load at the installation site, the expected amount of snowfall, etc. In other words, the dimension can be set arbitrarily within a range that can achieve the structural rigidity and improved wind resistance that are the objectives of this invention.

[0024] Figure 4 is an exploded view of section A in Figure 1. At the lower ends of the four corners of the gable 43, U-shaped notched elongated holes 44 are formed, cut upward from the lower edge. The gable roof 40 is fastened together (together fastened) with the upper ends of the support columns 10 and the ends of the roof reinforcing battens 23 by bolts 45 and nuts 46 inserted through the notched elongated holes 44.

[0025] The mounting structure in this embodiment offers extremely excellent performance during maintenance. Specifically, even when the bolts 45 inserted through the notched elongated holes 44 are loosened, the bolts 45 connect the support column 10 and the roof reinforcing battens 23, maintaining their engagement. As a result, the roof reinforcing battens 23 are stably resting on the upper end of the support column 10. This makes it possible to easily remove only the damaged or deformed gable roof 40 by sliding it upward along the notched elongated holes 44 at the lower end, without removing any of the components constituting the support frame 30 (support column 10 and each reinforcing batten 20). In other words, it eliminates the need to dismantle the complex support frame 30 or for workers to manually support the roof reinforcing battens 23, enabling rapid replacement of the gable roof 40 with minimal bolt operation. This dramatically improves safety during work in harsh outdoor installation environments where damage from falling snow is anticipated, and contributes to reducing maintenance man-hours.

[0026] Thus, according to this invention, snow accumulation on the roof during snowfall is suppressed, reducing the snow load on the gable roof 40 and preventing deformation due to the weight of the snow. In addition, the steep slope of the roof mitigates the impact of falling snow, making it less likely for the roof to be damaged by falling snow, and providing a stable snow-repellent function over the long term. Furthermore, even if the roof is damaged or deformed by falling snow, the gable roof 40 can be easily replaced by sliding only the gable roof 40 upward and easily pulling it out. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 10 pillars 11. Main support column 12 mounting holes 13 Legs 14 Through holes 20 Reinforcement bars 21 Long-side reinforcing battens 22 Short reinforcing battens 23 Roof reinforcement battens 24 Mounting flange section 25 mounting holes 30 Support Frame 40 Gable roof 41 Top 42 Slope 43 Gable 44 Notched elongated holes 45 volts 46 nuts 50 Air conditioner outdoor unit θ vertical angle L width 100 Snowfall Protection Roof Structure

Claims

1. A snow-resistant roof structure that protects the outdoor unit of an air conditioner from falling snow, Multiple vertically extending support columns, and multiple reinforcing beams spanning between the support columns, A support frame that forms a box-shaped space surrounding the front, back, and both left and right sides of the air conditioner outdoor unit, The support frame is equipped with a gable roof fixed to the uppermost part of the support frame, A snow-shedding roof structure characterized in that the roof slope angle of the gable roof is at least 30 degrees, and a wide gable is formed along the side edge of the sloping surface of the gable roof.

2. The snow-shedding roof structure according to claim 1, characterized in that elongated holes are formed at the lower ends of the four corners of the gable, and the gable roof is fastened together with the support columns and reinforcing battens by bolts inserted through the elongated holes.

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