Roof tile with a variable fixing element for roof attachments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roof hook systems for mounting roof accessories are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to durability issues due to weight loads, have insufficient bending stiffness, and require extensive material usage, leading to high costs and complex assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A roof tile with a fastening element that can be variably positioned along a guide rail and securely attached to the roof substructure, eliminating the need for a separate anchor plate and reducing material usage while ensuring stability and ease of installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional roof hook with anchor plate and spacer projection is used, then roof structures can be mounted on the roof, but the installation process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive due to cutting roof tiles and complex assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the mounting function and the roof tile integration into a single unit. The L-shaped mounting attachment is directly formed as an integral part of the roof tile, eliminating the need for separate anchor plates, spacer projections, and multiple assembly steps. This merging of functions resolves the contradiction by enabling quick installation without time-consuming cutting or complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary intermediate components from the traditional roof hook system. By removing the anchor plate, spacer projection, and bracket assembly, the invention reduces the system to its essential function: a mounting attachment that is directly formed on the roof tile. This extraction principle resolves the contradiction by simplifying the assembly process and reducing installation time.
2Reliability
If a traditional roof hook with U-shaped bracket is used, then roof structures can be attached, but durability problems occur under weight loads from snow and wind due to resilient yielding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mounting attachment into two functional parts: an L-shaped mounting attachment that provides structural strength and resistance to weight loads, and a fastening element that provides adjustable positioning. This segmentation allows the mounting attachment to be optimized for strength and durability under load, resolving the contradiction by ensuring the load-bearing component has sufficient strength while maintaining reliability through proper fastening.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the bracket yield resiliently under load (which causes durability problems), the invention inverts the approach by designing the mounting attachment to be rigid and strength-optimized. The fastening element, rather than the mounting attachment itself, provides the flexibility for adjustment. This inversion resolves the contradiction by ensuring the load-bearing structure has the necessary strength to resist snow and wind loads reliably.
3Stability of the object's composition
If traditional roof hooks are used to achieve bending stiffness, then structural stability is maintained, but extensive material usage and thick walls are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the structural functions: the L-shaped mounting attachment provides the necessary bending stiffness and structural stability, while the fastening element provides the connection function. This segmentation allows the mounting attachment to be optimized for minimal material usage while maintaining sufficient bending stiffness, as it only needs to support the mounting function rather than providing both structural and connection functions separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the connection function from the structural component. By removing the need for thick-walled anchor plates and brackets, the invention uses a thin-walled L-shaped mounting attachment that provides bending stiffness only where needed for the mounting function. The fastening element handles the connection task, allowing material usage to be minimized while maintaining structural stability.
4Ease of operation
If roof hooks are laterally offset from the rafter middle to accommodate surface contour, then installation is possible, but anchor plates become particularly pronounced and cost-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics through the adjustable fastening element that can be positioned at different locations along the L-shaped mounting attachment. This adjustability allows the system to adapt to various surface contours and rafter positions without requiring complex, pronounced anchor plates. The dynamic positioning capability resolves the contradiction by providing ease of operation across different installation scenarios while maintaining simple, cost-effective construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The L-shaped mounting attachment serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, accommodates lateral offset from the rafter middle, and works with the adjustable fastening element to adapt to different surface contours. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for specially designed, complex anchor plates for each installation scenario, resolving the contradiction by achieving adaptability through a universal, simple design.
5Productivity
If traditional roof hook assembly is used, then roof structures can be mounted, but cleaning work is required to remove roof tile splinters from roof and floor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the cutting operation from the installation process. By forming the mounting attachment as an integral part of the roof tile rather than cutting it out, the invention removes the source of roof tile splinters. This extraction principle resolves the contradiction by maintaining installation efficiency through a simplified process while eliminating the harmful effect of splinter generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of cutting roof tiles into a benefit by designing the mounting attachment to be formed rather than cut. The manufacturing process creates a clean, precise L-shaped attachment without generating splinters during installation. This transformation resolves the contradiction by maintaining installation efficiency while converting the harmful cutting operation into a beneficial formation process that produces no debris.
Data Source
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AI summary
The tile (1) has attachment elements (2) attached to an outer surface of the tile for a roof structure, where the tile is made of aluminum. The attachment elements are reversibly or irreversibly positioned on an outer surface of a middle cover region (4) of the tile along an X-axis and along a Y-axis extending in a ridge-eaves direction. Connection elements, which pass through the tile, are fixed to carrier parts of a roof substructure. Width (23) of the middle cover region of the tile lies in the range of 60 to 97 percentages of entire width (24) of the tile.