Flexible Mesh Snow Guard for Roof Ventilation and Insect Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snow guards fail to effectively control windblown snow and other particles while allowing ventilation in roof and wall constructions, and they do not provide adequate protection against harmful insects and insulation damage.
Innovation Solution
A snow guard with a mesh-type tubular structure made from flexible material, featuring a cylindrical geometry with integrally formed flanges, is produced using a method involving heating and pressurizing granulate material to create a mesh structure that allows air passage while halting particles, and the flanges facilitate easy installation and fastening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a solid mechanical structure is used for snow guards, then strength and reliability are improved, but adaptability and ease of installation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The snow guard uses a flexible cylindrical body made of elastomeric material that can be compressed and expanded. During installation, the body is compressed to fit through openings of various sizes in different construction types (brick walls, roofs, etc.), then expanded to provide the required structural strength for snow retention. This flexible shell approach resolves the contradiction by providing both adaptability during installation and strength during operation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a mesh structure is used, then ventilation capability is improved, but particle blocking capability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical body incorporates a mesh structure with specific local qualities - the mesh size, density, and pattern are optimized to allow air molecules to pass through while blocking larger snow particles and insects. The mesh structure provides different properties at different scales: permeable to gases but impermeable to solid particles, thus resolving the contradiction between ventilation and particle blocking.
3Ease of operation
If flexible material is used, then ease of installation is improved, but structural rigidity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The snow guard transitions from a flexible state during installation to a rigid state during operation. The elastomeric material allows the body to be compressed and manipulated easily during installation, then expands to provide structural rigidity for snow retention. This dynamic transition between flexible and rigid states resolves the contradiction between ease of installation and structural stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents snow and insects from entering enclosures while allowing ventilation, providing a resilient and easy-to-install solution for roof and wall constructions, capable of withstanding temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius.
Implementation Method 1
heating the granulate material to an elevated temperature and pressurising the granulate material to an elevated pressure
Implementation Method 2
pressurising the granulate material to an elevated pressure
Implementation Method 3
cooling the extruded mesh-type tubular structure by the cooling unit according to a specific cooling profile
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4a
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A snow guard comprising a body having a wall of a mesh structure, said body made from a flexible material, said body defining a substantially cylindrical geometry and a length-wise direction, said body being non-flexible in a direction parallel to the length-wise direction and a flange integrally formed on a surface of the body, and a method of producing a snow guard using an apparatus comprising a reservoir for storing granulate material, the reservoir having a first inlet and a first outlet, a heating and pressurising unit including a chamber having a second inlet and a second outlet, the second inlet in communication with the first outlet, a path of travel defined from the second inlet to the second outlet, the heating unit comprising heating and pressurising elements distributed along the path of travel, an extruder unit mounted downstream relative to the heating and pressurising unit at the second outlet, the extruder unit further including an extruder heating unit, the extruder defining an extruder outlet, the extruder unit generating a mesh-type tubular structure.