US20170051509A1

US20170051509A1 - Ice Concentration Prevention Mechanism

Info

Publication number: US20170051509A1
Application number: US15/243,028
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeff Marshall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-08-21
Filing date: 2016-08-22
Publication date: 2017-02-23

Abstract

An ice concentration prevention mechanism and ice dam dissipation system includes at least one pole, at least one bucket, a set of pulleys and at least one cable mechanism. The bucket is attached to the pole and the line. The pulley is at the end of the pole. The line is run through the pulley and used by the operator to control the bucket.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application takes priority from and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/208,233 filed on Aug. 21, 2015, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The subject invention relates to an ice melting equipment and more particularly equipment to prevent the accumulation and concentration of ice in edifice gutters and other such drainage systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Description of Concurrent Art

During extreme weather conditions, ice is known to accumulate within drainage systems, including pipes, gutters and other fluid routing systems.
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow and water from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas.
Ice dams are formed by a complex interaction among the amount of heat loss from a house, snow cover, and outside temperatures. The combination of these factors lead to ice dam formation. For an ice dam to form there must be snow on the roof and, simultaneously, higher portions of the roof's outside surface must be above 32° F. while lower surfaces are below 32° F. For a portion of the roof to be below 32° F., outside temperatures must also be below 32° F. When describing temperatures being above or below 32° F., usually these temperatures are an average temperature over sustained periods of time. Snow on a roof surface that is above 32° F. will melt. As water flows down the roof it reaches the portion of the roof that is below 32° F. and refreezes. The result: once the melted water refreezes it creates an ice dam.
An ice dam grows as it is fed by the melting snow above it. The dam limits itself to the portion of the roof where the average temperature is below 32° F. Therefore, the water above the dam backs up behind the ice dam and remains in liquid form. This liquid water finds cracks and openings in the exterior of the roof covering and then flows into the attic space of a house. From the attic, the water can then flow into exterior walls or through the ceiling insulation. If enough water builds up damage to the roof can occur including the roof collapsing. If enough water leaks through the roof, the result can be catastrophic, causing, in some circumstances, extreme flooding and severe damage to the home and to interior property.
Prevention of ice dams forming on roofs is a very important step for homeowners to consider every winter. One way to prevent ice dams is to remove snow from the roof. When heavy snowfall occurs, this task usually requires homeowners to climb atop their roofs and rake, broom, push, and shovel in order to remove the snow. This type of removal can cause damage to the roofing materials especially if a homeowner does not understand the proper ways to remove the snow without harming the roof. Furthermore, any person on a roof during the winter is risking serious injury and sometimes death.
In addition, there are methods to remove the snow from ground level. However, using a roof rake to remove snow from below on ground level is also risking human injury and risking damage to the roof, gutter system, wiring, and house. For many, it is recommended that homeowners do not perform the snow removal themselves but it is advised that homeowners should contact professionals to carry out the snow removal job. However, hiring professionals every time it snows, especially in regions where snowfall can be continuous for months on end, has proven to be costly and many homeowners do not seek help until it is too late and their homes have suffered irreparable damage.
In addition, homeowners who are unable to pay a professional to remove the snow ultimately either leave the snow on the roof risking the formation of ice dams or they attempt to remove the snow themselves. As stated above, this task has proven to be dangerous and can also cause severe and expensive property damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In its broadest interpretation, this disclosure describes an ice concentration prevention mechanism, the methods and systems for the ice concentration prevention mechanism, a primary goal of which is to provide a mechanism that will overcome the shortcomings of the concurrent art.
Briefly stated, in one embodiment, the present system contemplates an ice concentration prevention mechanism comprising a pole, a pulley, a bucket, and a line. The bucket is attached to the pole and the line. The pulley is at the end of the pole. The line is run through the pulley and used by the operator to control the bucket.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be practiced and all aspects and equivalents thereof are intended to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the ice concentration prevention mechanism in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the mechanism that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the system in detail, it is to be understood that the mechanism is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The system is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
These together with other objects of the mechanism, along with the various features of novelty, which characterize the system, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the system, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the system.
The foregoing has outlined the more pertinent and important features of the present mechanism in order that the detailed description of the mechanism that follows may be better understood, and the present contributions to the art may be more fully appreciated. It is of course not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components and/or methodologies, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations or permutations are possible. Accordingly, the novel architecture described below is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
In one aspect, the present mechanism provides an ice concentration prevention mechanism, particularly for ice and snow removal from gutter structures and roofs, which includes a pole, a pulley, a bucket, and a line. Another aspect of the present invention provides an ice concentration prevention mechanism that is compact. In another aspect, the invention provides an ice concentration prevention mechanism that is less expensive than current methods. In another aspect, the invention provides an ice concentration prevention mechanism that is efficient. In yet another aspect, the invention provides an ice concentration prevention mechanism that is safer than current methods used for snow and ice removal from gutter structures and roofs.
Realizing one aspect of the invention is an ice concentration prevention mechanism that aids in the removal of ice and snow from gutter structures, is a lighter, more efficient, safer, and less expensive device.
The subject invention features at least one extendable pole. There is at least one pulley system. There is at least one bucket device. There is at least one line. The bucket device is attached to the extendable pole by the line. The pulley system may attach at the end of the extendable pole. The line is then run through the pulley system and used to operate the mechanism by the user who can adjust and control the movement of the bucket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the present mechanism will be apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Having thus described the system in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of an ice concentration prevention mechanism;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of the ice concentration prevention mechanism without the line or bucket;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of the ice concentration prevention mechanism; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section of a one-and-a-half story house with a formed ice dam.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the system and does not represent the only forms in which the present system may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the system in connection with the illustrated embodiments.
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of the ice concentration prevention mechanism 1. The ice concentration prevention mechanism 1 comprises a pole 4, a pulley 8, a bucket 6, and a cable mechanism, wire rope mechanism or rope mechanism 2. One end 12 of the rope 2 is attached to a wall of the bucket 6. The rope 2 is laced through the pulley 8. In this embodiment the rope 2 is also laced through a set of eye bolts 10, however in other embodiments the rope 2 is only laced through the pulley 8. The pulley 8 is attached to an end arm 14 which extends from the pole 4 at a 90 degree angle. The bucket 6 is attached to a bucket arm 18 which extends from the pole 4 at a 90 degree angle. The bucket 6 is secured to the bucket arm with a nut 16.
FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the ice concentration prevention mechanism 1 without the bucket 6 or rope 2 attached.
FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of an ice concentration prevention mechanism 1. Similar to FIG. 1, the ice concentration prevention mechanism comprises of a pole 4, with a pulley 8 attached to the pole, a bucket 6, and a rope 2. One end 12 of the rope 2 is attached to a wall of the bucket 6. The rope 2 is laced through the pulley 8. In this embodiment the rope 2 is also laced through an eyebolt 10. The pulley is attached to an end arm 14, which extends from the pole 4. The bucket 6 is attached to a bucket arm (not shown), which extends from the pole 4. The bucket 6 is secured to the bucket arm with a nut 16.
FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section of a one-and-a-half story house with a formed ice dam 25. Ice dams form at the edge of the roof 27. There usually is a heat source warming the roof elsewhere causing the snow 29 to melt and relocate to the edge of the roof where it refreezes into an ice dam 25. The heat source that warms the roof primarily usually comes from the house. In rare instances solar heat gain from the sun may cause temperature differences on a roof too.
Heat from the house travels to the roof surface in three ways: conduction 31, convection 33, and radiation 35. Conduction 31 is heat energy traveling through a solid. Convection 33 is heat transfer by mass motion of a fluid such as air when the heated fluid if caused to move away from the source of heat, carrying energy with it. Convection above a hot surface occurs because hot air expands, becomes less dense, and rises. Radiation 35 occurs from heat produced by the sun. Heat transferred from the sun to the roof is a type of radiation. Another example of radiation occurs when heat is transferred from an energy source by electromagnetic waves.
In a house, heat moves through the ceiling and insulation by conduction 31 through the slanted portion of the ceiling 37. The top surface of the insulation is warmer than the other surroundings in the attic. Therefore, the air just above the insulation is heated and rises, carrying heat by convection 33 to the roof. The higher temperatures in the insulation's top surface compared to the roof sheathing transfers heat outward by radiation 35.
There is another type of convection that transfers heat to the attic space and warms the roof. Heat can be released by air leakage in the roof too. The heat that escapes warms and melts the snow 29. The melted snow then flows down the roof and reaches a portion of the roof that is below freezing, usually the edge of the roof 27. The newly frozen ice creates an ice dam 25 at the edge of the roof 27. The ice dam 25 continues to grow as more melted snow feeds it. The dam will be limited though to the portions of the roof that have average temperatures below 32° F. Therefore, melted snow becomes damned water 39. This water backs up behind the ice dam 25 and remains liquid 39. This water finds cracks and opening in the exterior roof covering and then flows and leaks 41 into attic space.
Furthermore, the ice dam 25 can weigh down the edge of the roof 27 and cause dangerous icicles 43. If the ice dam 25 becomes large enough it can cause roof collapses or cause the gutter to be torn away from the edge of the roof 27.
Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention.
Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An ice concentration prevention mechanism comprising of:

at least one pole;

at least one bucket;

a set of pulleys; and

at least one rope, wherein the at least one rope is routed through the set of pulleys and attaches to the at least one bucket.

2. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a set of eye bolts.

3. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1 wherein the set of pulleys attaches to the at least one pole.

4. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1 wherein the at least one rope further comprises two ends, a first end and a second end, wherein the first end laced around the set of pulleys and down the length of the at least one pole and the second end of the at least one rope is attached to at least one wall of the at least one bucket.

5. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first end of the at least one rope is laced through the set of pulleys.

6. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least one pole further comprises at least one end arm that extends from the at least one pole.

7. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 6, wherein the at least one end arm extends from the at least one pole at a ninety degree angle.

8. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1, where the at least one pole further comprises at least one bucket arm that extends from the at least one pole.

9. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 8, where the at least one bucket arm extends from the at least one pole at a ninety degree angle.

10. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1, where the at least one bucket is attached to the at least one bucket arm that extends from the pole.

11. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1, where the at least one bucket is secured to the at least one bucket arm with at least one securing mechanism.

12. The ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 11, where the at least one securing mechanism selected from the group consisting of nuts, bolts, and screws.

13. A method of operating the ice concentration prevention mechanism of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

using the first end of an at least one rope,

pulling the first end of the at least one rope to actuate a set of pulleys,

ambulating across an area below ice formation, and

disseminated a metered amount of ice melting chemical evenly on the ice formation.