Ballasted Panel Mounting With Wind Plates for Fast Roof Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing panel mounting systems face challenges in achieving quick installation, maintaining rigidity, and minimizing material costs while preventing panel shifting or lifting under windy conditions, often requiring complex fastening methods and heavy materials that can damage roofs.
Innovation Solution
A panel mounting system utilizing elongated profiles, wind plates, and brackets with screwless engaging means, where panels are supported by one side and two edges, allowing for rapid assembly and reduced material usage, with wind plates designed to mitigate wind forces and optional ballast for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fastening methods (drilling, screwing, welding) are used to secure panels to the roof, then the panels are firmly fixed and prevented from shifting or lifting, but the installation time and effort increase significantly and the roof is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical fastening methods (drilling, screwing, welding) with a ballast-based weight system. Heavy concrete blocks or water-filled containers serve as ballast weights that rest directly on the panel mounting structure, providing downward force to counteract wind lift without penetrating or mechanically fastening to the roof. This substitution eliminates installation time for drilling and fastening while maintaining secure panel fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs ballast weights as counterweights to balance the upward lifting force exerted by wind on the panels. The ballast weights (concrete blocks, water-filled containers) provide a downward gravitational force that counteracts the aerodynamic lift, preventing panel lifting and shifting during installation and operation without requiring permanent roof modifications.
2Reliability
If heavy materials are used to prevent panel shifting and lifting under wind loads, then stability is improved, but material costs increase and transportation and manipulation become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive ballast weights such as concrete blocks or water-filled containers that can be easily manufactured, transported, and positioned. These objects are not permanently fixed but rather placed and removed as needed, providing temporary but effective wind resistance during installation and operation. The simplicity and low cost of these ballast objects offset the need for expensive heavy-duty permanent mounting structures.
3Reliability
If drilling and fastening through the roof top is used to secure mounting systems, then panels are firmly anchored, but the roof is damaged and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ballast weights to counteract wind lift forces without requiring any penetration or attachment to the roof structure. The weights rest on the mounting structure, providing downward force through gravity alone, thereby completely avoiding roof damage that would result from drilling, screwing, or welding fasteners through the roof membrane.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical fastening system (drills, screws, welds) with a passive gravitational system using ballast weights. This substitution eliminates all roof-penetrating operations and associated damage while maintaining adequate resistance to wind loads through the counterbalancing effect of the weights.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2E
Figure 3A~3E
AI summary
The invention relates to a panel mounting system (1) adapted to be placed on a flat surface (91), comprising elongated profiles (3) whereto brackets (5) and wind plates (4) are mounted by using screwless cooperating engaging means such as protrusions inserted in openings, so that it can be installed more quickly. The system further comprises panels (6) fixed at opposite sides to wind plates (4) by holding profiles (7), and engaged by the brackets (5). The wind plates (4) prevent wind from blowing under the panels (6), and have a flap-and-opening construction that helps natural convection in hot weather and brings about a downward pressure by high winds. The holding profiles (7) and the panel edge can create turbulences to limit the lifting force under windy conditions. The elongated profiles (3) can be placed on mounting bases (2), whereto additional ballast (92) can be placed if desired.