Roof snow melting system

Abstract

To provide a roof snow melting device that melts and removes snow accumulated on the roof without requiring the dangerous and physically demanding task of removing snow manually. [Solution] The system includes an injection pipe 2 provided above the roof 31 of the house 30, spaced apart from the roof and extending across the entire width of the house, having a space for circulating hot water 18 inside, and having multiple injection holes 3 that communicate inside and outside; a frame 10 erected on the ground 36 near both ends of the house in the width direction, each having at least one pair of support columns 11 that support the injection pipe; a storage tank 15 provided on the ground near the house for storing hot water inside; a pressure hose 26 connecting the injection pipe and the storage tank; and a water pump 25 provided between the storage tank and the pressure hose for pressurizing the hot water 18 from the storage tank to the injection pipe via the pressure hose.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a snow melting device for a roof that melts and removes snow accumulated on the roof of a house, and particularly to a snow melting device for a roof that uses warm water as a heat source for melting snow.

Background Art

[0002] In snowy regions with a large amount of snow accumulation in winter, a snow removal operation is carried out to manually remove the large amount of snow accumulated on the roof of a house, preventing damage, collapse of the house due to the weight of the snow, and accidents such as the fall of a snow canopy protruding from the eaves. In the following description, "house" shall refer to all buildings such as houses, stores, warehouses, garages, etc.

[0003] The snow removal operation is a heavy labor accompanied by danger, and safety is ensured using lifelines, helmets, etc. However, accidents such as falls during the snow removal operation and being buried in the snow that has been removed continue to occur every year. Particularly in snowy regions, there are many single-person elderly housing, so it is necessary to quickly develop some technology to reduce the burden of the snow removal operation.

[0004] An example of technology for reducing the burden of the snow removal operation is described in Patent Document 1. This technology is a snow melting device that uses tap water or well water as a heat source to melt and remove the snow accumulated on the roof. It is provided on the ground along the building, and includes a tank for storing water inside, a supply pipe provided from the tank to the top of the building such as the ridge of the roof, a pump provided at the connection part between the supply pipe and the tank for pumping the water in the tank into the supply pipe, a watering part such as a sprinkler provided at the part of the supply pipe provided on the ridge of the roof, etc., and a reflux pipe provided between the eaves gutter and the tank for collecting and returning the water scattered and the water generated by snow melting into the tank.

[0005] A snow melting system of this configuration works by operating a pump to pressurize water from a tank into a supply pipe, and then spraying this water onto the snow accumulated on the roof from sprinklers or other watering devices, thereby melting the snow. This eliminates the need for dangerous and physically demanding snow removal work, making it possible to remove snow from the roof.

[0006] Furthermore, by guiding the water generated from melting snow and the water used for watering through the gutters to a return pipe and then back into the tank through the return pipe, the water can be reused, thus reducing water consumption and lowering costs such as water bills and the expenses of pumping well water.

[0007] However, the snow melting device described in Patent Document 1 uses tap water or well water as a heat source to melt snow, so it takes a long time to melt the snow on the entire roof. As a result, during heavy snowfall, the amount of snow accumulating exceeds the amount of snow that can be melted, resulting in insufficient snow melting effect and making it impossible to completely remove the snow that accumulates on the roof.

[0008] Furthermore, because the supply pipes with sprinkler heads are installed on the roof ridges, during heavy snowfall, the sprinkler heads of the supply pipes become buried in the snow accumulating on the roof. Therefore, in order to maintain the function of sprinkling water from the sprinkler heads, the snow melting system must be kept running, which increases running costs. In addition, because the supply pipes are installed on the roof ridges, structural changes to the roof are necessary, which also increases costs.

[0009] Patent Document 2 describes another example of a snow melting device. This snow melting device (hot water snow melting device) uses hot water as a heat source and comprises a hot water supply source, hot water piping that guides the hot water supplied from the hot water supply source onto the roof, a hot water sprinkler connected to the hot water piping that sprays hot water onto the roof, and clamp fittings that fix the hot water sprinkler onto the roof.

[0010] A hot water snow melting system with this configuration can warm the roof surface by directing hot water from a hot water supply source through hot water pipes to a hot water sprinkler on the roof, and then spraying the hot water onto the roof via the sprinkler, thereby preventing snow accumulation on the roof during snowfall. Furthermore, if snow has accumulated on the roof, the accumulated snow can be melted and removed with hot water, eliminating the need for dangerous and physically demanding snow removal work.

[0011] However, the hot water snow melting system described in Patent Document 2, like the snow melting system described in Patent Document 1, has a hot water sprinkler installed on the roof to spray hot water. Therefore, in the event of heavy snowfall, it becomes impossible to completely remove the snow accumulated on the roof, and the hot water sprinkler becomes buried in the snow. As a result, in order to maintain the function of spraying water from the sprinkler, the hot water snow melting system must be kept running, which increases running costs. In addition, since a hot water sprinkler is installed on the roof, structural changes to the roof are necessary, which also increases costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-210746 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3110511 (Publication Gazette) [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0013] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a roof snow melting device that can melt and remove snow accumulated on the roof without requiring the dangerous and heavy labor of snow removal work, maintains its snow melting function without being buried in snow accumulated on the roof during heavy snowfall, reduces running costs, and can be installed without making structural changes to the roof. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the first invention is a roof snow melting device for melting and removing snow accumulated on the roof of a house, comprising: an injection pipe installed horizontally above the central part of the roof of the house, spaced apart from the roof and extending across the entire width of the house, having a space for circulating hot water inside and having multiple injection holes communicating the inside and outside; a frame erected on the ground near both ends in the width direction of the house and having at least one pair of support columns that horizontally support the injection pipe; a storage tank installed on the ground near the house and storing hot water inside; a pressurized hose connecting the injection pipe and the storage tank; and a water pump installed between the storage tank and the pressurized hose, which pressurizes the hot water inside the storage tank to the injection pipe via the pressurized hose.

[0015] According to the snow melting device for roofs of this invention, by operating a water pump, hot water inside the storage tank is pumped through a pressure hose to an injection pipe, and then injected towards the roof of the house through each injection hole in the injection pipe. The snow accumulated on the roof of the house is melted by this injected hot water and falls along the slope of the roof and is discharged onto the ground. Therefore, snow accumulated on the roof can be melted and removed without the need for dangerous and heavy labor such as snow removal work.

[0016] Furthermore, since the injection pipes are installed at intervals above the roof and across the entire width of the roof, it is possible to prevent the injection pipes from being buried in the snow that accumulates on the roof. This allows the function of injecting hot water from the injection holes to be maintained, so even during heavy snowfall, the device does not need to be kept running continuously, and the snow accumulated on the roof can be melted by activating the device only when necessary, thereby reducing running costs.

[0017] In addition, since the snow melting device is formed separately from the house, it can be applied to various existing houses without changing the structure of the house, enhancing its versatility.

[0018] The second invention is the roof snow melting device described in the first invention, characterized in that a shower head is attached to each of the injection holes.

[0019] According to the roof snow melting device of the present invention, since a shower head is provided in each injection hole, warm water can be dispersed and injected over a wide area of the roof through the shower head, and the snow accumulated on the roof can be efficiently melted and removed.

[0020] The third invention is the roof snow melting device described in the second invention, characterized in that the injection pipe is provided at a position higher than the maximum snow accumulation thickness of the roof.

[0021] According to the roof snow melting device of the present invention, since the injection pipe is provided at a position higher than the maximum snow accumulation thickness of the roof, even in heavy snow in heavy snow areas, the injection pipe will not be buried in the snow accumulated on the roof, and the snow melting effect by warm water can be continuously maintained.

[0022] The fourth invention is the roof snow melting device described in the third invention, characterized in that the warm water in the storage tank is maintained at a predetermined temperature by being heated by a heating source.

[0023] According to the roof snow melting device of the present invention, by heating with a heating source, the warm water in the storage tank can be maintained at a predetermined temperature. Therefore, by using inexpensive thinned wood, etc. as fuel for the heating source, the cost of producing warm water can be significantly reduced.

Effects of the Invention

[0024] As described above, according to the snow melting device for the roof of the present invention, by injecting warm water toward the roof of the house through each injection hole of the injection pipe, the snow accumulated on the roof of the house can be melted and dropped along the slope of the roof and discharged onto the ground. Therefore, it is possible to melt and remove the snow accumulated on the roof without requiring dangerous and laborious snow removal work.

[0025] In addition, since the injection pipe is provided at an interval above the roof and across the entire width of the roof, the injection pipe will not be buried in the snow accumulated on the roof even during heavy snow, and the function of injecting warm water from the injection holes can be continuously maintained. Therefore, even during heavy snow in heavy snow areas, there is no need to keep the device running, and the device can be driven only when snow melting is required, so the running cost can be reduced.

[0026] In addition, since the snow melting device is formed separately from the house, it can be applied to various existing houses without changing the structure of the house, and the versatility can be enhanced.

[0027] In addition, since each injection hole is provided with a shower head, warm water can be dispersed and injected over a wide range of the roof through the shower head. Therefore, the snow accumulated on the roof can be efficiently melted and removed. In this case, since the shower head will be arranged above the roof, the shower head will not be buried in the snow accumulated on the roof even during heavy snow in heavy snow areas, and the function as a shower head can be continuously maintained.

[0028] In addition, since the injection pipe is provided at a position higher than the maximum snow accumulation thickness on the roof, the injection pipe will not be buried in the snow accumulated on the roof even during heavy snow in heavy snow areas, and the snow melting effect by warm water can be continuously maintained.

[0029] Furthermore, by using inexpensive thinned timber as firewood as a heat source, the cost of producing hot water can be significantly reduced, thereby alleviating the economic burden. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] The drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention relating to this disclosure, including not only essential components of the invention but also optional and preferred embodiments. [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the first embodiment of the roof snow melting device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view along line II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the storage tank and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the bath boiler and the storage tank. [Figure 4] This is a front view of Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a left side view of Figure 1. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of a second embodiment of the roof snow melting device according to the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a magnified view of the showerhead. [Figure 8] Figure 6 is a front view. [Figure 9] This is a left side view of Figure 6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the roof snow melting device according to the present invention. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire roof snow melting device, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line II in Figure 1, Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the relationship between the storage tank and the boiler in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 1, and Figure 5 is a left side view of Figure 1.

[0032] In other words, the roof snow melting device 1 of the present invention is a device that melts snow 35 accumulated on the roof 31 of a house 30 with hot water 18 and removes it by letting it fall along the slope of the roof 31, and as shown in Figures 1 to 5, comprises a spray pipe 2, a frame 10 that supports the spray pipe 2, a storage tank 15 for storing hot water 18, a heating source 19 that maintains the hot water 18 in the storage tank 15 at a predetermined temperature, a pressure hose 26 provided between the storage tank 15 and the spray pipe 2, a water pump 25 provided between the pressure hose 26 and the storage tank 15, and a power distribution board 20 that controls the on / off state of the water pump 25.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the injection pipe 2 is made of a piping steel pipe such as a galvanized steel pipe for water piping, a carbon steel pipe for piping, or a stainless steel pipe for piping, and has a cylindrical space that penetrates longitudinally through the inside, and is formed to extend the entire width of the house 30. One end of the injection pipe 2 is open and the other end is closed. Note that the injection pipe 2 is not limited to a piping steel pipe, but may also be made of a resin pipe such as a cross-linked polyethylene pipe, a polybutene pipe, or a rigid polyvinyl chloride pipe.

[0034] The injection pipe 2 has multiple injection positions 2a at predetermined intervals along its longitudinal direction, and each injection position 2a has seven injection holes 3 that penetrate the inside and outside of the injection pipe 2 at predetermined intervals along its circumferential direction.

[0035] In this embodiment, seven injection holes 3 are provided at each injection position 2a along the circumferential direction. However, the system is not limited to this configuration, and the injection holes 3 may be provided at six or fewer locations, or at eight or more locations along the circumferential direction.

[0036] The spray pipe 2 is installed horizontally above the roof 31, at a predetermined distance from the ridge 32 in the center of the roof 31. The distance between the spray pipe 2 and the roof 31 is set higher than the maximum thickness of snow that accumulates on the roof 31 in winter. By installing the spray pipe 2 in this position, it is possible to prevent the spray pipe 2 from being buried in the snow that accumulates on the roof 31.

[0037] The injection pipe 2 is horizontally supported by a frame 10. The frame 10 consists of a pair of support columns 11, 11 formed by combining two steel members 11a, 11b into a V shape, which are erected on the ground 36 near both ends in the width direction of the house 30 and whose upper ends are connected to both ends of the injection pipe 2; a pair of diagonal reinforcing members 12, 12 formed by combining two steel members 12a, 12b into a V shape, which are installed diagonally between the steel members 11a, 11b of each support column 11 and the injection pipe 2; and a lateral reinforcing member 13 consisting of a single steel member 13a which is installed horizontally between the steel members 12a, 12b of each diagonal reinforcing member 12.

[0038] The upper ends of each steel member 11a, 11b of each support column 11 are connected to both ends of the injection pipe 2 by connecting means (not shown) such as welding or screwing, the upper ends of each steel member 12a, 12b of each diagonal reinforcing member 12 are connected to the injection pipe 2, and the steel members 12a, 12b of each diagonal reinforcing member 12 are connected to each steel member 11a, 11b of each support column 11 by connecting means (not shown) such as welding or screwing, and the steel member 13a of each lateral reinforcing member 13 is connected to each steel member 12a, 12b of each diagonal reinforcing member 12 by connecting means (not shown) such as welding or screwing.

[0039] The steel members 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, and 13a of the support columns 11, diagonal reinforcement members 12, and lateral reinforcement members 13 of the frame 10 can be H-shaped steel, angle steel, channel steel, or other structural steel, as well as carbon steel pipes for general structural use, carbon steel pipes for machine structures, etc. However, the material is not limited to these, and any material with similar properties may be used.

[0040] Furthermore, the support columns 11 of the frame 10 are not limited to a V shape; they may be formed into a U shape by combining multiple steel members. Also, the support columns 11 may be configured to support the injection pipe 2 with more than one pair of support columns 11.

[0041] The storage tank 15 is not particularly limited as long as it has a shape that can store hot water 18 inside and is heat resistant. In this embodiment, a stainless steel or enamel bathtub is used as the storage tank 15.

[0042] The storage tank 15 is installed on top of a base 17, which is constructed by stacking a plurality of concrete blocks to a predetermined height on the ground 36 adjacent to the house 30, as shown in Figure 3(a), and its upper opening is configured to be openable and closable by a lid 16. A boiler 21 is installed adjacent to the storage tank 15, and a pair of upper and lower circulation pipes 22, 22 are provided between the boiler 21 and the storage tank 15.

[0043] By placing firewood, such as thinned wood, as a heat source 19 into the boiler 21 and lighting a fire, and circulating the water 23 in the storage tank 15 between the boiler 21 and the storage tank 15 via circulation pipes 22, 22, the water 23 in the storage tank 15 can be heated to produce hot water 18 at 30-60°C.

[0044] Alternatively, as shown in Figures 1 and 3(b), a stove may be provided on the lower side of the storage tank 15, and firewood such as thinned timber, which serves as a heat source 19, may be placed inside the stove and lit to directly heat the water 23 in the storage tank 15 and produce hot water 18.

[0045] The water pump 25 is a centrifugal pump, a cascade pump, a submersible pump, etc. When a centrifugal pump or a cascade pump is used as the water pump 25, it is placed outside the storage tank 15, and when a submersible pump is used as the water pump 25, it is placed inside the storage tank 15. In this embodiment, a water pump 25 placed outside the storage tank 15 is used. The suction port 25a of the water pump 25 is connected to the storage tank 15, and the discharge port 25b is connected to one end of a pressure hose 26, which will be described later.

[0046] The lifting head (total head) of the water pump 25 is the height of the target house 30 plus the frictional losses in the piping system (pressure hose 26, injection pipe 2, etc.). For example, in the case of a two-story house 30, if the height from the ground 36 to the ridge 32 of the roof 31 is 6m to 8m, the actual lifting head will be 6m to 8m. However, since the frictional losses in the piping system must be taken into consideration, a water pump 25 with a total lifting capacity of 10m (0.1mPa) or more will be used.

[0047] The pressure hose 26 is a pressure-resistant and flexible hose, with one end connected to the discharge port 25b of the water pump 25 and the other end connected to the one-end opening 2b of the spray pipe 2. A connecting flange 4 is provided at the one-end opening 2b of the spray pipe 2, and the other end of the pressure hose 26 is connected to this connecting flange 4.

[0048] The pressure hose 26 is supported via a pressure hose support member 14 at the connection point between the steel members 11a and 11b of the support column 11 and the steel member 13a of the lateral reinforcement member 13, thereby preventing whipping and self-excited vibration from occurring in the pressure hose 26 when hot water 18 is being pumped. Alternatively, instead of the pressure hose 26, a steel pipe or a resin pipe for piping may be used, similar to the spray pipe 2.

[0049] Next, the operation of the snow melting device 1 of this embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained. First, as shown in Figure 3, water 23 is filled into the storage tank 15, firewood is placed in the boiler 21 as a heat source 19 and a fire is lit to heat the water 23 in the storage tank 15, and the water 23 is circulated between the boiler 21 and the storage tank 15 via circulation pipes 22, 22, thereby heating the water 23 in the storage tank 15 and producing hot water 18 at a predetermined temperature.

[0050] Next, the on / off switch on the distribution panel 20 is operated to drive the water pump 25, and the hot water 18 in the storage tank 15 is pumped into the injection pipe 2 via the pressure hose 26. As a result, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, the hot water 18 is sprayed from each injection hole 3 of the injection pipe 2 toward the roof 31 of the house 30, and the snow 35 accumulated on the roof 31 melts with the hot water 18 and falls along the slope of the roof 31 and is discharged onto the ground 36.

[0051] Therefore, since snow 35 accumulated on the roof 31 can be removed without requiring the dangerous and physically demanding task of snow removal, accidents such as falls from the roof 31 during snow removal work or accidents caused by snow cornices falling from the roof 31 can be prevented.

[0052] Furthermore, since the injection pipe 2 that sprays the hot water 18 is installed at a position higher than the maximum thickness of snow 35 accumulated on the roof 31 above the ridge 32 of the roof 31, the injection pipe 2 will not be buried in the snow 35 on the roof 31 even during heavy snowfall in heavy snow areas, and the function of spraying hot water 18 from the injection pipe 2 can be maintained. As a result, it is not necessary to keep the roof snow melting system 1 running even during heavy snowfall; the system only needs to be operated when necessary, thus reducing running costs.

[0053] Furthermore, since firewood made from thinned timber is used as the heat source 19 for producing hot water 18, the cost of producing hot water 18 can be significantly reduced, making it possible to offer an economically advantageous product.

[0054] Furthermore, since the spray pipe 2 is supported by a frame 10 provided on the ground 36 at both ends in the width direction of the house 30, the spray pipe 2 can be installed without making any structural changes to the roof 31 of the house 30, thereby reducing the cost of installation and making it possible to apply it to various types of houses 30, thus increasing its versatility.

[0055] Figures 6 to 9 show a second embodiment of the roof snow melting device 1 of the present invention. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the entire roof snow melting device 1, Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the shower head in Figure 6, Figure 8 is a front view of Figure 6, and Figure 9 is a right side view of Figure 6.

[0056] The roof snow melting device 1 of this embodiment has injection holes 3 arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the injection pipe 2 on the left and right sides of the diagonally lower side of the injection pipe 2, and a shower head 5 is attached to each injection hole 3 via a branch pipe 8, and the other configurations are the same as those shown in the first embodiment.

[0057] In this case, as shown in Figure 7, the shower head 5 is integrally connected to the lower part of the spray pipe 2 via the mounting plate 7, and the head portion 6 of the shower head 5 is configured to allow angle adjustment, so that the direction of the hot water 18 sprayed from the head portion 6 of the shower head 5 can be adjusted.

[0058] Furthermore, the snow melting device 1 for the roof of this embodiment also provides the same effects as those shown in the first embodiment. In addition, in this embodiment, since shower heads 5 are attached to each of the spray holes 3 of the spray pipe 2, hot water 18 can be sprayed over a wide area of ​​the roof 31 of the house 30 via the shower heads 5. This makes it possible to efficiently melt the snow 35 accumulated on the roof 31 and remove it by letting it fall from the roof 31.

[0059] In the above description, the snow melting device 1 for the roof according to the present invention is applied to a two-story house 30 with a gable roof. However, it may also be applied to a single-story house 30 with a gable roof, or to two-story or single-story houses 30 with various other roof shapes (hip roof, pyramidal roof, gable roof, half-gable roof, etc.). In these cases as well, the same effects as those of the embodiments described above will be achieved.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above explanation, hot water 18 is produced by circulating water 23 between the storage tank 15 and the bath boiler 21, and this hot water 18 is sprayed towards the roof 31. However, although not shown in the diagram, it is also possible to configure the system to utilize the hot water from a bathtub installed in the bathroom of an existing house and spray this hot water towards the roof 31. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 1. Snow melting system on the roof 2 Injection tube 2a injection position 2b One end open 3 injection hole 4 connecting flanges 5. Shower head 6. Head section 7 Mounting plate 8 branch pipes 10 mounting bases 11 Posts 11a, 11b Steel 12. Diagonal reinforcement 12a, 12b steel 13. Lateral reinforcement 13a steel material 14. Pressure hose support member 15 Storage tank 16 Lid 17 Base 18 Hot water 19 Heating source 20 Switchboard 21 Bath boiler 22 Circulation pipe 23 water 25 Water pump 25a Inlet 25b Discharge port 26 Pressure hose 30 houses 31 Roof 32 buildings 35 Snow 36 Ground

Claims

1. A roof snow melting device that melts and removes snow accumulated on the roof of a house, An injection pipe is provided above the central part of the roof of the house, spaced apart from the roof and extending horizontally across the entire width of the house, having a space for circulating hot water inside, and having multiple injection holes that communicate the inside and outside, A frame erected on the ground near both ends in the width direction of the aforementioned house, and having at least one pair of support columns that horizontally support the injection pipe, A storage tank is provided on the ground near the aforementioned house and has a storage tank inside for storing hot water, A pressure hose connecting the inside of the injection pipe and the inside of the storage tank, A roof snow melting device characterized by comprising a water pump provided between the storage tank and the pressure hose, which pressurizes the hot water inside the storage tank to the injection pipe via the pressure hose.

2. The roof snow melting device according to claim 1, characterized in that a shower head is attached to each of the aforementioned spray holes.

3. The roof snow melting device according to claim 2, characterized in that the injection pipe is provided at a position higher than the maximum snow depth of the roof.

4. The roof snow melting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the hot water in the storage tank is kept at a predetermined temperature by being heated by a heat source.

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