EP2799640A1

EP2799640A1 - Snow Stopper For Roof

Info

Publication number: EP2799640A1
Application number: EP14170886.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Knut Nordvald Knutsen
Original assignee: Caneias ANS
Current assignee: Caneias ANS
Priority date: 2010-09-06
Filing date: 2010-09-06
Publication date: 2014-11-05
Also published as: WO2012031618A1; EP2614197A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a snow stopper (1) for connection or integration with a roof (2), preferably a pitched roof (2). The snow stopper (1) comprises a wire portion (30) for interacting with and holding back the snow and a base portion (10) which interfaces with the roof (2). The base portion (10) is provided by an elongate strip (11) of sheet material, preferably metal or plastic, extending in a first direction, the elongate strip (11) being bent along the first direction so as to form a fixing post (13) at a first end of the elongate strip (11). The wire portion (30) is removably attachable, or fixedly attached, to the fixing post (13) such that it will extend away from the surface of the roof (2) when the snow stopper (1) is positioned on the roof (2). Furthermore, the fixing post (13) is provided with a series of parallel slots (15) which pass there-through, so that the sections of the fixing post (13) may be bent out of the plane of the fixing post (13) to create channels (16) between the unbent sections of the fixing post (13) and the inner side of the bent bands (17), wherein the channels (16) are so shaped so as to accept sections of the wire portion (30) for holding the wire portion (30) to the snow stopper (1).

Description

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

During winter many countries experience significant snowfall which leads to snow remaining on the ground, and like, for weeks or months at a time. Ordinarily the snow build up is not of a direct danger to people once the snow has appropriately settled. This cannot be said, however, for snow on roof tops, in particular wherein the roof is a pitched roof. During the snowfall the roof can provide a surface on which the snow lands and sticks, thus allowing a build up of snow to occur.
Once the weather changes, or if the temperature rises a little, the snow on top of the roof could begin to melt. As it is typical for the interior of the roof to be warmer than the exterior of the roof, it is also possible for the snow in direct contact with the pitched roof to melt before the snow actually within the snow body melts. In situations such as this, it is possible for the snow to slip and indeed avalanche down the roof and off on to the ground below. Obviously, the snow in itself is quite heavy and can cause serious harm to anyone underneath such snowfall. The harm to an unfortunate person under the falling snow is greatly increased when the snow on the roof has melted and refrozen several times, and is thus much more like ice than snow.
In many countries it is necessary to fit devices to pitched roofs to reduce the chances of a so called roof avalanche for the snow. By positioning a small snow fence at the bottom edge of the pitched roof, and sometimes also halfway up the pitched roof if the roof is particularly large, the snow sliding down the pitched roof and off to the ground is hindered, and indeed in many cases stopped. Other designs also exist which instead of providing a fence at the bottom of the roof can also provide a series of stoppers over the full area of the roof, thus generally holding the snow in position on the pitched surface.
The single snow fence design suffers from certain drawbacks when applied to larger roofs. In particular, it is normal that a roof avalanche would perhaps begin with the snow towards to the apex of the roof slipping and pushing down on the snow towards the edge of the roof. In many cases, the shifting snow can in fact present a very large force on the snow fence, which could lead to failure of the snow fence. In order to combat this potential issue, the attachment of the snow fence to the pitched roof requires extremely large bolts or screws to be used to attach the fence to underlying wooden joists making up the roof. Further, the simple volume of snow sliding from the top of the roof downward, can lead to a significant pile up which actually means that much of the snow slides over the snow being directly held by the snow fence and can still travel over the edge of the roof and to the ground below. Indeed, this often leads to houses being provided with both a snow fence at the bottom of the roof as well as some sort of stoppers over the entire roof surface. This has primarily resulted from a lack of reliable data on the behaviour of snow on different shaped roofs.
The designs in which a larger number of snow stoppers are positioned over the whole area of the roof overcome these problems, in particular by literally reducing the amount of snow which is being held by each of the snow stoppers. Clearly, if a larger number of snow stoppers are positioned over the surface of the roof, each snow stopper is only responsible for holding back a certain amount of snow, as a snow stopper further up the roof will be responsible for part of the snow present on the roof. Current designs for such snow stoppers are typically quite small, and once again do not necessarily address the problems of snow at the upper side of the snow drifts from slipping over lower portions of snow and off the roof.
The present disclosure is directed to an improved design for a snow stopper wherein the snow stopper is able to resist a large force from slipping snow whilst also providing multiple units over the surface of the roof to avoid build up of large avalanches leading to failure of the devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a snow stopper in accordance with independent claim 1. Further preferred embodiments are given in the dependent claims.
The claimed invention can be better understood in view of the embodiments described hereinafter. In general, the described embodiments describe preferred embodiments of the invention. The attentive reader will note, however, that some aspects of the described embodiments extend beyond the scope of the claims. To the respect that the described embodiments indeed extend beyond the scope of the claims, the described embodiments are to be considered supplementary background information and do not constitute definitions of the invention per se. This also holds for the subsequent "Brief Description of the Drawings" as well as the "Detailed Description."
In particular, the present disclosure relates to a snow stopper which is intended to integrate with a roof, preferably a pitched rood, in order to hold any snowfall on the roof in position and avoid roof avalanches. The snow stopper may be constructed from a wire portion which is intended to provide the interaction with the snow on the surface of the roof to avoid the snow from slipping, as well as a base portion which holds the snow stopper on the roof. The attachment to the roof is preferably a removable attachment, however it is also possible to attach the snow stopper permanently to sections of the roof. The base portion is preferably provided by means of an elongate strip of sheet material, wherein the sheet material is a rigid solid material possibly a plastic or metal, which is able to resist large forces acting upon it without breaking, as well as the variations in temperature on a roof. The elongate strip extends in a first direction and a fixing post extending away from the plane of the elongate strip is provided at a first end of this elongate strip. In particular, the fixing post may be part of the material making up the elongate strip which has been bent out of the plane of the elongate strip to perform the fixing post.
It is also possible to provide the base portion with a strengthening strip which extends along one side of the elongate strip, for at least a part of the length of the elongate strip. This acts to stop the bending of the elongate strip with excessive force from the snow. In particular, the strengthening strip can also be formed as a section of the material making up the elongate strip which is bent out of the plane of the elongate strip to form an L cross section, thus reducing the chances of the elongate strip bending. In a further possibility, the strengthening strip and fixing post are integrally formed by bending a section of the elongate strip up out of the plane of the elongate strip to form the L cross section base portion.
Preferably, the wire portion is attached in a permanent or removable manner to the fixing post, such that the wire will be appropriately positioned to face the snow on the roof and thus act as the snow stopper. As will be understood, it is preferable if the wire portion is made up of a bent piece of wire which forms an effective surface area for facing the snow.
In the un-bent state, the elongate strip can itself have an approximately L-shaped shape wherein the short side may be bent up to form the fixing post. Preferably, the bend of the short side to form the fixing post is of approximately 90° to ensure that the fixing post extends perpendicularly out from the surface of the roof. The strengthening strip may then extend from a second end of the elongate strip, opposite to the first end which comprises the fixing post, and tapers outward into the fixing post, such that the strengthening strip and fixing post are an integral piece of the stopper. The tapering of the strengthening strip may be linear or curved up to the fixing post.
At the second end of the elongate strip, the strip may be bent to form a hook portion, or the like, such that this can fit behind a roof tile of the roof and hold the snow stopper on the roof. In such a manner, it is seen that the hook portion will be underneath a second roof tile which lies on top and overlaps the first roof tile, and thus the hook portion will be generally structured and shaped such that it does not interfere with the laying of the roof tiles. Further, it is clear that the strengthening strip will begin at such a point so that it also does not interfere with the roof tile lying above and on top of the first roof tile to which the snow stopper is hooked or engaged. Preferably, the hook holds the snow stopper in place without the need of a bolt, screw or the like.
In the fixing post, a fixing means is provided to attach the wire portion to the snow stopper. A preferred method of attaching the wire portion to the base via the fixing post, is to provide a series of slots in the fixing post which run approximately parallel with the plane of the elongate strip. The parallel slots through the fixing post allows for sections of the fixing post to be bent outward to create holding channels between the inner part of the bent piece and the normal plane of the unbent fixing post. As will be clearly understood, provision of two parallel slots will allow the formation of a band of material from the fixing post to be bent out of the plane of the fixing post so as to form the loop for holding a part of the wire portion. In a preferred design, the slots are provided in threes such that two bands lying vertically next to each other can be formed, wherein one band can be bent on one side of the fixing post, and the other band can be bent to extend from the other side of the fixing post. In this manner, several bands and channels can be provided for appropriately fixing the wire portion to the base portion.
The wire portion is preferably constructed from a single piece of wire which is bent to generate an affective surface area to face the snow. In particular, it is preferable for the wire portion to be bent such that the two ends are adjacent to each other and the wire portions next to the two ends extend for a certain distance approximately parallel with each other. In this way, the two parallel ends of the wire portion lie next to each other and could be used to interface with the slots or bands as described above on the fixing portion of the base portion.
After the two parallel portions of the wire next to the ends of the wire, the wire is appropriately bent to form the snow stopping section. The snow stopping section is an area in which the wire is bent and forms an effective surface for facing the snow and holding this to the roof. With such a design, the outer portions of the wire section making up the snow stopping section will be connected to the base portion only by means of the two ends of the wire which lie parallel with each other. In such a situation, it is clear that the outer portions of the snow stopping section can flex and move relative to the fixing section of the wire. This means that small vibrations of the roof with respect to the snow can be absorbed by bending and flexing of the wire portion, thus reducing the shockwaves transmitted via the snow stopper from the roof to the snow. This has an important affect as the snow on the roof is not in direct fixed relation to the building, and any vibrations passing through the building, perhaps by a passing vehicle or the like, can lead to shockwaves passing through the snow if the snow stopper cannot absorb the vibrations and reduce, or even stop, this from being transferred into the body of snow on the roof.
It is preferable if the wire of the wire section is bent into a symmetrical pattern lying either side of the fixing portion. By providing the wire with such a symmetric pattern, the snow being held by the wire portion will exert an equal force of the wire either side of the fixing to the base portion, thus reducing the torque on the device.
The wire forming the wire portion of the snow stopper is bent in such a way that a portion of the wire generally forms an outer peripheral section or frame. The frame defines the area of the snow stopper which effectively acts against the snow, and further portions of the wire are present and bent within this outer peripheral section. As snow will tend to bond in a three-dimensional manner, it is not necessary that the outer portion be a complete frame with no breaks, and indeed it is possible to have the outer peripheral portion formed with indents, or the like, or to have a wavy outer line to generally improve the snow stopping capabilities.
Within the wire portion of the snow stopper, the wire is bent in such a manner that the maximum gap between any points of the wire and with the outer peripheral section is at most between 25mm and 45mm, preferably between 30mm and 40mm, more preferably about 35mm. This gap depends on the width of the wire making up the snow stopping surface. By ensuring that the wire is bent in this manner, the gaps between the wires will ensure that the snow which is being held cannot pass through the snow stopping section. That is, the bent wire essentially provides this effective surface area as the weight of the snow being held by the snow stopper will not be sufficient to push this through the gaps of the wire owing to the three-dimensional bonding of the snow.
Preferably, the snow stopper is provided with a ratio of the effective surface area to the length of the wire which lies in the range: 9-15; preferably 10-14; further preferably 11-13; most preferably approximately 12.
Additionally, it is possible to provide that the snow stopper has a ratio between the effective surface area and the area of the wire which faces the snow of between: 1-5; preferably 2-4; most preferably approximately 3.
Finally, the cut length of the snow stopper is defined as the length of either side of the wire facing the snow, and gives a measure of how much of the snow area within the effective area of the snow stopper must be cut for sections to pass through the snow stopping surface. In the current snow stopper, the ratio of the effective area to the cutting length is between: 1-4; preferably 2-3; most preferably approximately 2.3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1:: A perspective view of the snow stopper according to the present disclosure.
Figure 2:: A side view of a snow stopper according to the present disclosure.
Figure 3:: A front view of the snow stopper showing the shape and profile of the wire making up the snow stopping face.
Figure 4:: Three views of the snow stopper according to the present disclosure showing dimensions of certain aspects. These dimensions are for guidance only and are not limiting.
Figure 5:: The snow stopper of the present disclosure integrated with a roof showing how the snow stopper fixes between roof tiles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

When snow builds up on a surface, in particular we refer here to a roof 2, preferably a pitched roof 2, it is important to realise that the snow tends to stick together in a fully three-dimensional manner. The snow flakes cannot be considered to be isolated items which have no connection to snow flakes next to them, as the snow will typically form some degree of connection with neighbouring parts of the snow drift. This has been seen by most children when they pick up snow and appreciate that the snow sticks together to a certain degree, and can in fact form meta-stable structures which do not need to be supported over their entire under surface.
Bearing this property of snow in mind, Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a snow stopper 1 according to the present disclosure. As will be appreciated from each of the figures, the snow stopper 1 is preferably provided by means of a two-piece construction. Within the snow stopper 1 one can see a wire portion 30 which is held on a base portion 10. The wire portion 30 actually provides the section of the snow stopper 1 which is used for stopping the snow and keeping this on the roof 2. The base portion 10 is intended to appropriately position the wire portion 30 in relation to the roof 2, as well as holding the snow stopper 1 to the roof 2. Figure 5 shows the integration of the snow stopper 1 via the base portion 10 to the roof 2, and in particular how the snow stopper 1 integrates with roof tiles 3 on the roof 2.
Turning to the base portion 10, it will be appreciated that this is formed from a planar material. In particular, the planar material making up the base portion 10 is ideally a rigid and strong material, such as a metal or plastic, which is appropriately structured to integrate with the roof 2. In the design shown in Figure 1, the base portion 10 is provided with an elongate strip 11 which forms the lower surface of the snow stopper 1. The elongate strip 11 extends in the first direction, and as can be appreciated from Figure 4 is somewhat longer than it is wide. It is important to appreciate that the dimensions given on Figure 4 are by way of guidance only, and relate to a particularly appropriate size of a snow stopper 1. The dimensions given in Figure 4, however, should not be construed in any way as limiting the actual dimensions of the snow stopper 1, and are merely provided for guidance.
At a first end of the base portion 10, the elongate strip 11 is so structured to integrate with the roof 2, in particular the roof tile 3. As will be appreciated, the elongate strip 11 is bent over to form a bent section 14. The bent section 14 can be provided with a variety of different profiles, and the profile shown in the figures is one of a first bump leading to a downwardly projecting tooth. It will be appreciated that the bent section 14 has an appropriate profile to fit with the profile of a roof tile 3. It is not uncommon for roof tiles 3 to be provided with a known upper edge profile or shape so that neighbouring roof tiles 3 appropriately interlock and are fixed into the roof 2. The bent portion or section 14 of the snow stopper 1 can be provided with any appropriate shape such that it does not interfere with the laying of the roof tiles 3 in the roof 2. The design shown in the figures is one particular design which appropriately integrates with a roof tile 3 that has ridges at its upper edge for integrating with the lower inner edge of the roof tile 3 lying above and on top. As can be seen from the figures, it is possible to provide the bent portion 14 with a width which is greater than the elongate strip 11, which is useful for increasing the interaction with the roof 2.
At a second end of the base portion 10, the snow stopper 1 is structured to provide a fixing post 13. The fixing post 13 is provided so as to allow integration of the wire portion 30 with the base portion 10. In the designs shown, the fixing post 13 is provided as an integral part of the base portion 10, in particular the elongate strip 11. It is possible, and indeed preferable, for the base portion 10 to be made from a flat sheet of material which is appropriately cut and bent. As can be seen from the figures, the design shown is structured from a flat piece of material which originally had an L-shaped profile, wherein the shorter leg on the L makes up the fixing post 13. As is clear from the figures, it is possible for the fixing post 13 to be bent up out of the plane of the elongate strip 11 to provide a generally vertical fixing post 13.
As will be appreciated from Figure 5, the fixing post 13 extends generally out of the plane of the roof 2 and provides an appropriate part of the snow stopper 1 for attachment of the wire portion 30. Indeed, if the fixing post 13 is lying along the perpendicular line to the plane of the roof 2, it is clear that the wire portion 30 will also generally lie perpendicular to the plane of the roof 2.
In order to improve the general bending strength of the base portion 10, it is possible to provide the snow stopper 1 with a strengthening strip 12. In the figures, the strengthening strip 12 is shown as being an integral part of both the fixing post 13 and the elongate strip 11. That is, the base portion 10 may be made with an approximately L-shaped profile, wherein the strengthening strip 12 extends from the region near the first end along the long side of the elongate strip 11 and generally extends outwards and into the fixing post 13. In the figures, the strengthening strip 12 is shown to have a curved profile leading into the fixing post 13. Obviously, it is also possible for the strengthening strip 12, when present, to extend outward to the fixing post 13 in an linear manner, thus giving the side profile of the snow stopper 1 in Figure 2 a more wedge like shape.
It will be appreciated that provision of the strengthening strip 12 will generally avoid the bending motion of the elongate strip 11, as well providing an increased strength to the fixing post 13 - especially if it is integral therewith. The snow stopper 1 is provided with most of the force through the wire portion 30 acting onto the fixing post 13. By providing the integral fixing post 13 and strengthening strip 12, it is clear that the fixing post 13 and the elongate strip 11 will not bend so readily when a high force is provided on the wire portion 30.
As can be seen in each of the figures, additional strength can be provided to the base portion 10 by means of an indented channel running along the long direction of the elongate strip 11. Further, at the point where the fixing post 13 and strengthening strip 12 are bent up out of the plane of the elongate strip 11, further indents or kinks can be provided in this bend to strengthen the bend and avoid force from attempting to flatten the fixing post 13 and strengthening strip 12 back into the plane of the elongate strip 11.
As has been touched on above, a particularly preferred mechanism of designing and making the base portion 10, is to punch or cut an appropriate outline from a single rigid and strong sheet like material. Once the approximately L-shaped profile has been cut, it is a simple matter to appropriately bend up out of the plane of the material the strengthening strip 12 and fixing post 13, especially when these two items are an integral single piece, although this is merely a preferred design, to provide a base portion 10 which has an approximately L-shaped cross section. Again, the L-shaped cross section has a long side provided by the fixing post 13, and a short side provided by the width of the elongate strip 11, as can be seen best in Figure 3. Further bending of the elongate strip 11 can be undertaken to provide the bent section 14 for integration with roof tiles 3.
It is necessary to attach the wire portion 30 to the base portion 10, in particular the fixing post 13, in a rigid and strong manner. One mechanism of providing this connection is shown in each of the figures. It is, however, also possible to integrate the wire portion 30 to the base portion 10 by welding brackets or fixing means formed on the fixing post 13 and welding the wire portion 30 to these parts. Further, the fixing means could be made and attached by riveting or any other known means for integration of the wire portion 30. Additionally, the wire portion 30 could be provided with flattened integrating ends such that these could be bolted, welded, riveted, or the like, directly to the fixing post 13.
A particular design shown in the figures for integrating the wire portion 30 to the fixing post 13, is by means of providing channels 16 by means of bent bands 17. Within the fixing post 13, it is possible to provide a series of parallel slots 15, wherein the parallel slots further preferably lie parallel to the plane of the elongate strip 11. Provision of these parallel slots 15 through the material of the fixing post 13, allows for a series of bent bands 17 to be bent out of the plane of the fixing post 13. By bending the sections of the fixing post 13 on one or both sides of the fixing post 13, a series of channels 16 can be provided which are structured by means of the inner portion of the bent band 17 and the unbent sections of the fixing post 13. As can be seen in the figures, the provision of these channels 16 by means of bent bands 17 allows for the ends of the wire portion 30 to be slotted within the channels 16, and thus integrate the wire portion 30 to the base portion 10.
In order for the wire portion 30 to appropriately integrate with the fixing post 13 in the manner shown in the figures and described above, the two ends of the wire portion 30 should be provided together, and the wires at each end extend for a certain distance generally parallel. Provision of the wire portion 30 in such a manner allows for the generally parallel ends of the wire portion 30 to be positioned within the channels 16 provided by the bent band 17, thus appropriately integrating the wire portion 30 with the base portion 10. Once the wire portion 30 is integrated in this manner with the fixing post 13, it can be held in a more permanent manner by provision of a weld at the bottom two ends of the wire portion 30. Additionally, it would be possible to provide a force sideways onto the fixing post 13 in order to deform the bent band 17 and tighten the channels 16, such that a friction fit holds the wire portion 30 to the fixing post 13. It would also be possible to provide the wire portion 30 with ends which do not quite meet, and indeed the parallel ends to the wire portion 30 are a little off parallel such that the ends are actually spaced a little way apart. In this manner, the wire portion 30 will need to be put under tension in order for the two ends to be slot within the channels 16, and the general restorative force of the wire portion 30 will tend to act against the inner portion of the channels 16 and again frictionally fit the wire portion 30 to the base portion 10. As can be understood, a variety of techniques for attaching together the wire portion 30 and base portion 10 can be undertaken after provision of the channels 16 in the fixing post 13.
It will be appreciated from the figures that the wire portion 30 is provided with the central fixing section 31, wherein the two ends of the wire lie together and approximately parallel. This means that the remainder of the wire making up the wire portion 30 can be bent into any particular shape or design, thus making the snow stopping section 32. For ease of manufacture of the snow stopper 1, the wire portion 30 may be made from a single wire which is appropriately bent into the desired profile and shape. The central fixing section 31 is the main constraint on the shape of the wire portion 30 according to the present design, and then allows for any bending of the wire in order to appropriately define the snow stopping section 32.
One particular advantage of the design shown in the figures, is that the snow stopping section 32 is provided with a rigid fixing point only by means of the central fixing section 31, which is a single fixing position. The wire making up the snow stopping section 32 is only constrained with respect to the base portion 10 at the central fixing section 31. Indeed, the entire wire portion 30 is to a degree slightly deformable and bendable with respect to the base portion 10. As will be appreciated, the wire making up the wire portion 30 has a certain level of rigidity, however forces acting upon the wire will lead to this bending and deforming to a greater or lesser degree. That is, it will be appreciated that a force acting on the outer side of the wire portion 30 will tend to cause the wire to deform slightly and move the outer section of the wire portion 30 with respect to the central fixing section 31 and base portion 10.
The general flexibility of the wire portion 30, in particular with regard to the majority of the snow stopping section 32 facing the snow, is particularly advantageous. Snow positioned on a roof 2 is generally held on the roof 2 by means of gravity and the snow stopper 1. Any shockwave entering the snow has the potential to cause the snow to begin to avalanche down the roof 2, thus potentially leading to snowfall from the roof 2. Passing vehicles, high wind, or the like, acting against a building to which the roof 2 is attached, will tend to lead to micro-vibrations, and the like, passing through the building and the roof 2. It is clear that the snow stopper 1 is formed as an integral part of the roof 2, and thus the snow stopper 1 will tend to move with the vibrations of the roof 2. The snow, by contrast, will not be fixed with the roof 2, and thus there exists a discontinuity between the vibrations of the building and roof 2 and the snow lying thereupon. By structuring the wire portion 30 such that the snow stopping section 32 can flex and move slightly with respect to the snow on the roof 2 and the base portion 10 moving with the roof 2, reduction in the shockwaves and forces being applied by the snow stopper 1 to the snow on the roof 2 occurs. Indeed, the general flex in the wire portion 30 dramatically reduces the micro-vibrations passing through the building and base portion 10 to the snow on the roof 2, which also reduces the chances of the shockwaves causing an avalanche in the snow.

As can be seen from the data in table 1 and as shown in graph 1, the snow stopper 1 of the present disclosure will allow the wire portion 30 to bend and flex to a significant degree with varying forces acting upon the wire portion 30. Within graph 1, the upper plot shows a permanent deformation of the wire making up the wire portion 30, whereas the lower graph shows the flex or deformation in the wire making up the wire portion 30 for a given force. As will be appreciated from the graph and data, the wire making up the wire portion 30 can be bent to a significant degree, ignoring the permanent bending, and thus the wire portion 30 can move, vibrate, flex or bend in order to absorb any vibrations passing through the building and the roof 2, with respect to the snow. In other words, the snow stopper 1 of the present design, in particular by means of the central fixing section 31 of the wire portion 30 to the base portion 10, significantly reduces any shockwaves passing into the snow lying on the roof 2, thus dramatically reducing the chances of avalanche effects from movement in the building and roof 2.

Table 1:

Applied Force (N)	Bend under Load (mm)	Lasting Deformation (mm)

100	0,345	0,07
200	1,25	0,055
300	2,25	0,1
400	3,23	0,15
500	4,345	0,21
600	5,5	0,24
650	6,1	0,28
700	6,685	0,35
750	7,425	0,48
800	8,335	0,83
850	9,18	1,055
900	9,96	1,365
950	11,065	1,89
1000	13,055	2,87

As can be seen from the dimensions and front view shown in Figures 3 and 4c, the wire portion 30 is provided with an effective surface 33. The effective surface is the area defined within the peripheral section 34, which is generally a rectangle made overlapping the external profile of the wire making up the wire portion 30. As has been discussed above, the general properties of snow means that this will bond together to form a meta-stable solid material. The wire making up the wire portion 30 is bent in such a way that the effective surface 33 defined by the peripheral section 34 will not allow significant portions of snow to pass there-through. In other words, the snow resting on the wire portion 30 will be bonded together in such a manner that the snow will not pass through any of the gaps, thus leading to the outer peripheral section 34 defining a footprint or effective surface 33. It is further clear that the actual area of protection given by the device of the snow stopper 1 will in fact be larger than the peripheral section 34, as the snow lying outside of the peripheral section 34 will also be held together with the snow lying directly behind the wire portion 30, thus meaning that the complete protection area afforded by the snow stopper 1 is even larger.
In order to ensure that the area defined by the peripheral section 34 provides the effective surface 33, gaps between the wires making up the wire portion 30 are given a maximum gap there-between. The gap may be chosen knowing the general properties of snow such that for even a very high force, or volume of snow lying behind the wire portion 30, the snow not lying directly behind one of the wires of the wire portion 30 cannot be forced through the gaps. That is, the bonding between the snow lying behind the wire portion 30 is stronger than the force acting upon the snow directly in contact with the wire portion 30, thus meaning that the central sections of the wire portion 30 in which no wire actually exists still provide an appropriate effective surface 33 stopping the snow from passing there-through. In particular, the design of the wire portion 30 is such that the maximum gap between any points within the peripheral section 34 lies in the range of at most between 25mm and 45mm, preferably between 30mm and 40mm, more preferably about 35mm. This gap depends greatly on the width of the wire making up the snow stopping surface.
As will be further appreciated, especially from the figures, the peripheral section 34 need not make a complete frame around the effective surface 33, and indeed sections of the wire making up the wire portion on the outer peripheral section 34 can bend inwards to create indents or the like, which further increases the effectiveness of the snow stopping section 32. One such indent can be seen in the upper surface of the wire portion 30 in each of the figures.
Other important properties of the wire portion 30 are the length of the wire within the effective surface 33. The best way of measuring the effects of the wire on the effective surface 33, is to take the ratio of the effective surface 33 and the length of wire making up the wire portion 30. In particular, it is desirable for the ratio of the effective surface 33 to the length of the wire to lie in the range of: 9-15; preferably 10-14; further preferably 11-13; most preferably approximately 12. As a direct consequence of this, the area of the wire which faces the snow to make up the snow stopping section 32 should also have a ratio of the effective surface area 33 to the area of the wire lying in the range of: 1-5; preferably 2-4; most preferably approximately 3.
As has been discussed above, snow tends to bond with itself to create a meta-stable material, such that the length of the edges of the wire making up the wire portion 30 form a sort of cutting edge or length. The cutting length provided by both sides of the wires in the wire portion 30 also provides an interesting measure of the effectiveness of the snow stopper 1, as the cutting length will need to be overcome in order for snow to pass either through the gaps in the wire portion 30 or past the wire portion 30 and past the snow stopper 1. Clearly, the length of these cutting surfaces can be increased by structuring the wire with more bends, and the like, such that for a given length of wire the actual cutting length is increased somewhat. Again, the ratio of the effective surface 33 to the cutting length lies in the range: 1-4; preferably 2-3; most preferably approximately 2.3.
As has been discussed above, the snow stopper 1 of the present disclosure is provided such that it can integrate with any roof 2. In particular, the snow stopper 1 is intended to slot within the roof 2 and be held by appropriate roof tiles 3 making up the roof 2. Advantageously, no permanent fixing by means of bolts, screws or the like is required to hold the snow stopper 1 within the roof 2, thus meaning that the snow stopper 1 can be readily integrated with any current roof 2. Of course, if the snow stopper 1 is to be used on a roof 2 which is made from sheet material, perhaps a metal or plastic, or a roof 2 made from shingles, the show stopper 1 may be fastened be means of a screw, or nail, or bolt or the like. To this end, the snow stopper 1 may be provided with a hole there-through, perhaps in the base portion 10, to allow passage of the fixing member. This design is not shown explicitly in any of the Figures.
It will also be appreciated that as the snow stopper 1 integrates with the roof tiles 3, any number of snow stoppers 1 can be integrated with a roof 2. As has been discussed above, the snow stopper 1 is provided with an effective surface 33, which does not necessarily indicate the complete area of snow which would be held by a snow stopper 1. One advantage of the snow stopper 1 of the present disclosure is that this may be positioned in an appropriate pattern all over the roof 2, such that on any given snow stopper 1 a maximum amount of snow can be held in place. By distributing the load of a roof full of snow over a large number of snow stoppers 1, the chances of an avalanche occurring are dramatically reduced. The chances of the avalanche occurring are even further reduced by virtue of the dampening effect provided by the wire portion 30, and the reduction in any vibrations passing from the roof 2 to the body of snow.
Whilst the above has been described with a variety of features making up the snow stopper 1, it is clear that any unintentional combination of features which is described in a definite sense should not be considered as a limiting design. Indeed, the above should be considered much more a combination or reservoir of features which could be introduced and included in defining a snow stopper 1 of the present disclosure.
The preferred aspects of the present disclosure may be summarized as follows:

1. A snow stopper (1) for connection or integration with a roof (2), preferably a pitched roof (2), wherein
the snow stopper (1) comprises a wire portion (30) for interacting with and holding back the snow and a base portion (10) which interfaces with the roof (2), wherein
the base portion (10) is provided by an elongate strip (11) of sheet material, preferably metal or plastic, extending in a first direction, the elongate strip (11) being bent along the first direction so as to a fixing post (13) at a first end of the elongate strip (11), and wherein
the wire portion (30) is removably attachable, or fixedly attached, to the fixing post (13) such that it will extend away from the surface of the roof (2) when the snow stopper (1) is positioned on the roof (2).
2. The snow stopper (1) according to aspect 1, wherein the elongate strip (11) has an approximately L-section in the un-bent state, wherein further the short side is bent out of the plane of the elongate strip (11) to form the fixing post (13), wherein the bend is preferably around 90°.
3. The snow stopper (1) according to either of aspects 1 or 2, wherein the base portion (10) is also bent along the first direction so as to form a strengthening strip (12) which extends along at least one of the long sides of the elongate strip (11).
4. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular aspect 3, wherein the strengthening strip (12) is formed to be integral with the fixing post (13) and extends from near a second end of the elongate strip (11), which is opposite the first end, and tapers outwardly from the elongate strip (11) to the fixing post (13), wherein the taper may be curved or straight lined.
5. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, wherein the second end of the elongate strip (11) is provided with a bent section (14) which is so shaped that it will fit behind the top edge of a roof tile (3) so as to hold the snow stopper (1) to the roof (2) without the need of a fixing bolt or screw, or the like; and/or
wherein the base member (10) is provided with a hole passing there-through to allow for a bolt, screw, nail or the like to pass through and attach the snow stopper (1) to the roof (2).
6. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, wherein the fixing post (13) is provided with a series of parallel slots (15) which pass there-through, so that the sections of the fixing post (13) may be bent out of the plane of the fixing post (13) to create channels (16) between the unbent sections of the fixing post (13) and the inner side of the bent bands (17), wherein the channels (16) are so shaped so as to accept sections of the wire portion (30) for holding the wire portion (30) to the snow stopper (1).
7. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular aspect 6, wherein bent bands (17) are provided extending outward on either side of the fixing post (13), and wherein preferably the parallel slots (15) are provided in groups of three which allows for two bands (17) to be formed directly next to each other, so that one may extend out of the plane of the fixing post (13) in one direction, and the other may extend out of the plane of the fixing post (13) in the opposite direction.
8. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, wherein the wire portion (30) is formed from a single bent wire in which both ends are located in close proximity, and the sections of wire at each end extend alongside each other, approximately parallel, to create a central fixing section (31) which is intended to be attached to, or removably attachable with, the fixing section (13), wherein preferably the central fixing section (31) interacts with the channels (16) defined in aspects 5 and 6.
9. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular aspect 8, wherein the bent wire extends away from the central fixing section (31) to form a snow stopping section (32), which is a bent section of the wire which forms an effective surface (33) which will trap and stop the snow, wherein the effective surface will generally face the apex of the roof (2), and wherein the outer portions of the bent wire away from the central fixing section (31) will be able to bend, flex and rotate with respect to the central fixing section (31), so as to absorb vibrations, in particular between the snow and the roof (2).
10. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular according to either of aspects 8 or 9, wherein the wire making up the wire portion (30) is bent either side of the central fixing section (31) in an approximately symmetrical manner, such that the torque generated by the snow acting on the wire portion (30) is equalized.
11. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular according to any one of aspects 8 to 10, wherein the wire is bent so as to form an outer peripheral section (34) within which the remainder of the wire and the central fixing section (31) are located, wherein the area within the outer peripheral section (34) defines the effective surface area of the snow stopper (1), and wherein the outer peripheral section (34) need not be complete and need not comprise an unbroken region of wire.
12. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular aspect 11, wherein the bent wire making up the wire portion (30) is bent in such a manner that the maximum gap between sections of the wire at any point within the outer peripheral section is at most at most between 25mm and 45mm, preferably between 30mm and 40mm, more preferably about 35mm, so as to ensure that no snow can pass through the gaps.
13. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular either of aspects 11 or 12, wherein the ratio of the effective surface area (33) to the length of the wire lies between 9-15; preferably 10-14; further preferably 11-13; most preferably approximately 12.
14. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular any of aspects 11 to 13, wherein the ratio of the effective surface area (33) to the area of the wire which faces the snow lies between1-5; preferably 2-4; most preferably approximately 3.
15. The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous aspects, in particular any of aspects 11 to 14, wherein the ratio of the effective surface area (33) to the length of the cutting surface of the wire, which is defined as the length of the interface between the wire and the gaps there-between and the edge of the wire making up the outer peripheral section (34) lies between 1-4; preferably 2-3; most preferably approximately 2.3.

Claims

A snow stopper (1) for connection or integration with a roof (2), preferably a pitched roof (2), wherein
the snow stopper (1) comprises a wire portion (30) for interacting with and holding back the snow and a base portion (10) which interfaces with the roof (2), wherein
the base portion (10) is provided by an elongate strip (11) of sheet material, preferably metal or plastic, extending in a first direction, the elongate strip (11) being bent along the first direction so as to a fixing post (13) at a first end of the elongate strip (11), and wherein
the wire portion (30) is removably attachable, or fixedly attached, to the fixing post (13) such that it will extend away from the surface of the roof (2) when the snow stopper (1) is positioned on the roof (2),
characterised in that:
the fixing post (13) is provided with a series of parallel slots (15) which pass there-through, so that the sections of the fixing post (13) may be bent out of the plane of the fixing post (13) to create channels (16) between the unbent sections of the fixing post (13) and the inner side of the bent bands (17), wherein the channels (16) are so shaped so as to accept sections of the wire portion (30) for holding the wire portion (30) to the snow stopper (1).
The snow stopper (1) according to claim 1, wherein the elongate strip (11) has an approximately L-section in the un-bent state, wherein further the short side is bent out of the plane of the elongate strip (11) to form the fixing post (13), wherein the bend is preferably around 90°.
The snow stopper (1) according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the base portion (10) is also bent along the first direction so as to form a strengthening strip (12) which extends along at least one of the long sides of the elongate strip (11).
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, in particular claim 3, wherein the strengthening strip (12) is formed to be integral with the fixing post (13) and extends from near a second end of the elongate strip (11), which is opposite the first end, and tapers outwardly from the elongate strip (11) to the fixing post (13), wherein the taper may be curved or straight lined.
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the second end of the elongate strip (11) is provided with a bent section (14) which is so shaped that it will fit behind the top edge of a roof tile (3) so as to hold the snow stopper (1) to the roof (2) without the need of a fixing bolt or screw, or the like; and/or
wherein the base member (10) is provided with a hole passing there-through to allow for a bolt, screw, nail or the like to pass through and attach the snow stopper (1) to the roof (2).
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein bent bands (17) are provided extending outward on either side of the fixing post (13), and wherein preferably the parallel slots (15) are provided in groups of three which allows for two bands (17) to be formed directly next to each other, so that one may extend out of the plane of the fixing post (13) in one direction, and the other may extend out of the plane of the fixing post (13) in the opposite direction.
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the wire portion (30) is formed from a single bent wire in which both ends are located in close proximity, and the sections of wire at each end extend alongside each other, approximately parallel, to create a central fixing section (31) which is intended to be attached to, or removably attachable with, the fixing section (13), wherein preferably the central fixing section (31) interacts with the channels (16) defined in claims 5 and 6.
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, in particular claim 7, wherein the bent wire extends away from the central fixing section (31) to form a snow stopping section (32), which is a bent section of the wire which forms an effective surface (33) which will trap and stop the snow, wherein the effective surface will generally face the apex of the roof (2), and wherein the outer portions of the bent wire away from the central fixing section (31) will be able to bend, flex and rotate with respect to the central fixing section (31), so as to absorb vibrations, in particular between the snow and the roof (2).
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, in particular according to either of claims 7 or 8, wherein the wire making up the wire portion (30) is bent either side of the central fixing section (31) in an approximately symmetrical manner, such that the torque generated by the snow acting on the wire portion (30) is equalized.
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, in particular according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the wire is bent so as to form an outer peripheral section (34) within which the remainder of the wire and the central fixing section (31) are located, wherein the area within the outer peripheral section (34) defines the effective surface area of the snow stopper (1), and wherein the outer peripheral section (34) need not be complete and need not comprise an unbroken region of wire.
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, in particular claim 10, wherein the bent wire making up the wire portion (30) is bent in such a manner that the maximum gap between sections of the wire at any point within the outer peripheral section is at most at most between 25mm and 45mm, preferably between 30mm and 40mm, more preferably about 35mm, so as to ensure that no snow can pass through the gaps.
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, in particular either of claims 10 or 11, wherein the ratio of the effective surface area (33) to the length of the wire lies between 9-15; preferably 10-14; further preferably 11-13; most preferably approximately 12.
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, in particular any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the ratio of the effective surface area (33) to the area of the wire which faces the snow lies between1-5; preferably 2-4; most preferably approximately 3.
The snow stopper (1) according to any one of the previous claims, in particular any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the ratio of the effective surface area (33) to the length of the cutting surface of the wire, which is defined as the length of the interface between the wire and the gaps there-between and the edge of the wire making up the outer peripheral section (34) lies between 1-4; preferably 2-3; most preferably approximately 2.3.