Adjustable Roof Support Foot for Vertical Profile Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roof support systems for flat roofs with slopes, such as those used for installations like solar panels and walkways, fail to maintain vertical profiles due to the roof's inclination, compromising water drainage and structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A support foot system with a base part and a skid part that includes a guiding structure and securing means, allowing the profiled section to be adjusted to compensate for roof slope, ensuring the profiled section can be positioned vertically or horizontally, even on inclined roofs, using an arched path and tensioning mechanisms for securement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a support foot is placed on a flat roof with slope, then the base part follows the roof inclination, but the profiled section cannot maintain vertical position
Solution Approach 1:
The skid part is made movable relative to the base part through a guiding structure with an arched path. This allows the skid part to be dynamically adjusted to different angular positions, enabling the profiled section to be positioned vertically even when the base part follows the roof slope. The movable design resolves the contradiction by allowing adaptation to roof slope while maintaining the ability to achieve vertical positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The support foot is divided into two functional parts: a base part that contacts and adapts to the sloped roof surface, and a skid part that holds the profiled section. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function independently - the base part adapts to the slope while the skid part maintains vertical positioning through adjustable angular orientation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the support foot is designed for adjustable angular position, then it can compensate for roof slope, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding structure employs an arched path with curved geometry to enable angular adjustment of the skid part. This curved guiding path provides a simple yet effective mechanism for achieving multiple angular positions without requiring complex mechanical components, thus resolving the contradiction between adjustability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The arched guiding path is formed as an integrated structural feature rather than a separate complex mechanism. By incorporating the guiding function directly into the geometry of the base part and skid part, the design achieves angular adjustment capability while minimizing additional components and overall device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the skid part is made adjustable on the guiding structure, then positioning flexibility is improved, but the securing and stabilization becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The skid part is designed to be movable during positioning but secure during operation. The guiding structure allows the skid part to be dynamically adjusted to the desired angular position, while the securing means (such as locking mechanisms or friction-based retention) ensure that once positioned, the skid part remains stable and securely held, thus resolving the contradiction between positioning flexibility and securing reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A support foot (1) for supporting a free standing structure on a flat roof includes a holding means (34; 62; 63) for holding a profiled section (40) to which other parts of said structure can be mounted. The support foot comprises a base part (2) with a guiding structure (22). The support foot (1) furthermore comprises a skid part (3; 6), which includes the holding means (34; 62; 63) for the profiled section (40) and which is slidably mounted on the guiding structure (22) of the base part (2) so as to position the holding means (34; 62,- 63) for the profiled section (40) in a desired angular position allowing to compensate for a possible slope of the flat roof. The support foot (1) also includes securing means for securing the skid part (3, 6) in said desired angular position on the base part (2).