JP2003155802A - Snow melting device, snow accumulation detecting device, and generating set - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a snow melting device which is enhanced in snow-melting efficiency thereof by means of a heating coil or the like. SOLUTION: According to the snow melting device, a rear-end side of a piezoelectric element plate 3 is fixed to an upper surface of a base plate 6 on a roof, and a front end of the same is a free end. A top plate 2 has its lower surface on a rear-end side fixed to an upper surface of a rear-end side of the piezoelectric element plate 3 and its front end formed into a free end. The top plate 2 has a Peltier element 1 attached to a front surface thereof, and a front surface of the Peltier element 1 has a lower temperature than that of a rear surface of the same due to heat transferred from an attic. Therefore, electric power generated at the Peltier element 1 is stored in a battery pack 5 provided for the base plate 6. When snow accumulates on the front surface of the top plate 2, the front end of the same is deflected to abut on and press down the front end of the piezoelectric element plate 3, which then deflects the front end of the piezoelectric element plate 3, to thereby generate electromotive force at the same. When the electromotive force is detected, electric current is applied to the heating coil for snow melting from the battery pack 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a snow melting device, a snow accumulation detecting device, and a power generator, and more particularly to a snow melting device for detecting snow accumulated on a roof of a house and activating the snow melting function only when there is a certain amount of snow or more. The present invention relates to a snow cover detection device and a power generation device used in this snow melting device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The weight of snow on a roof increases as the amount of snowfall increases. It retains a considerable amount of gravitational energy, but it is obliged to remove snow if it accumulates on the roof to prevent the house from being damaged by the weight of the snow.

The conventional snow melting apparatus has been one that melts snow by using a heater with electric power or the temperature of groundwater, or melts the snow directly by adding running water to the snow and removes it.

[0004]

The conventional snow-melting device utilizes electric power or the temperature of groundwater, and has the inefficiency that no energy is obtained from the snow itself. In addition, there is a problem that it is difficult for a person to start and stop the snow melting device while seeing the snow accumulation state and to perform efficient snow melting according to the amount of snowfall.

[0005]

The snow melting device of the present invention detects a snow melting portion (4 in FIG. 2) that melts snow due to heat generation and the weight of the snow accumulated on the upper surface, so that a certain amount or more of snow can be generated. A snow cover detecting section (2 and 3 in FIG. 1) for operating the snow melting section when it is detected is included.

The snow melting apparatus of the present invention supports a base plate (6 in FIG. 1) and a cantilever whose rear end is fixed on the base plate and whose front end is a free end, and when its deflection exceeds a certain level. A flexure plate (3 in FIG. 1) that outputs a flexure signal to operate the snow melting section and a flexure plate whose rear end side is fixed to the rear end side and is supported in a cantilevered state is flexed by snow accumulation on the upper surface. A top plate (2 in FIG. 1) whose free end pushes down the tip of the flexible plate, and a Peltier element (1 in FIG. 1) that is provided on this top plate and generates power by the temperature difference between the front surface and the back surface of this top plate. It is characterized by including and.

In the snow melting apparatus of the present invention, the snow melting portion (4 in FIG. 2) that melts snow by heat generation, the base plate (6 in FIG. 1), the rear end side is fixed on the base plate, and the front end is a free end. A bending plate (3 in FIG. 1) that is supported in a cantilever state and outputs a bending signal when the bending exceeds a certain level to operate the snow melting portion, and the rear end side is fixed to the rear end side of this bending plate. A top plate (2 in FIG. 1) which is supported in a cantilevered state and is supported by the snow on the upper surface so that the free end of the free plate pushes down the free plate.
And a Peltier element (1 in FIG. 1) which is provided on the top plate and generates power by the temperature difference between the front surface and the back surface of the top plate, and the power generated by the Peltier element is charged to supply power to the snow melting section. And a battery (5 in FIG. 1).

The snow detection device of the present invention is characterized by detecting the weight of the snow accumulated on the upper surface to detect a certain amount of snow or more.

The snowfall detection device of the present invention is supported so as to bend due to the weight of the snow accumulated on the upper surface, and outputs a signal indicating snowfall when the deflection exceeds a certain level.

The power generator of the present invention is characterized by including a Peltier element (1 in FIG. 1) which is attached to the roof and generates power by the difference between the temperature of the rear surface to which heat is transferred from the attic and the temperature of the outer surface. .

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snow melting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The base plate 6 is attached to the roof. The rear end portion of the piezoelectric element plate 3 is fixed to the upper surface of the base plate 6, and the tip of the piezoelectric element plate 3 is a free end. The top plate 2 has a step on the back surface so that the rear end side is relatively thick, the front end portion is next thicker to form a protrusion, and the remaining portion on the front end side is thin, and the back surface of the rear end side thick portion is piezoelectric. The element plate 3 is fixed to the upper surface on the rear end side, and the front end is a free end.

The Peltier element 1 is attached to almost the entire surface of the top plate 2, and power is generated by the temperature difference between the front surface and the back surface of the Peltier element 1. When two types of resistors made of different materials are connected in series with the Peltier element, the magnitude of the current passing through each resistor is equal, but there is a difference in the total kinetic energy carried by free electrons. Generation / absorption of heat occurs, which causes a phenomenon in which a temperature difference occurs on the front surface / back surface. Contrary to this phenomenon, in the Peltier device 1, the temperature difference between the front surface and the back surface is used to generate an electromotive force.

Therefore, in the top plate 2 attached to the roof via the base plate 6, heat from the attic is transmitted to the back surface, and the surface is cooled by snow if there is snow, and is cold even without snow. The surface temperature of the Peltier element 1 becomes lower than that of the back surface when exposed to the outside air, and power generation is possible. The electric power generated by the Peltier device 1 is stored in the battery pack 5 provided on the base plate 6.

When snow accumulates on the surface of the top plate 2,
The tip of the piezoelectric element plate 3 bends, comes into contact with the tip of the piezoelectric element plate 3, and pushes it down. The tip of the piezoelectric element plate 3 also bends, causing bending strain. The piezoelectric element plate 3 generates an electromotive force generated in the piezoelectric element due to bending strain, and the snowfall on the top plate 2 is detected by this electromotive force.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the snow melting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 on the roof.

The unit 7 in which the top plate 2, the piezoelectric element plate 3 and the base plate 6 are assembled has a quadrangular planar shape, and is vertically and horizontally arranged and fixed on the roof. The heat wire 4 is stretched and fixed to a portion of the grid between the units 7 which forms a checkerboard pattern.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the snow melting apparatus of this embodiment.

Due to snow or the like, the Peltier device 1 senses the temperature difference between the front surface and the back surface and starts power generation (step S
1). The generated power is stored in the battery pack 5 (step S2).

The electromotive force generated by the piezoelectric element plate 3 caused by bending strain controls a switch (not shown) for supplying electric power to the heating wire 4. While the piezoelectric element plate 3 is sensing strain above a certain level, that is, while detecting the weight of snow on the top plate 2, the piezoelectric element plate 3 is
Electromotive force controls the switch to supply power from the battery pack 5 to the heat wire 4 (steps S3 and S4), and the heat wire 4 melts snow (step S).
5).

While there is no snow and the piezoelectric element plate 3 does not generate an electromotive force due to strain, the switch is controlled to stop the power supply to the heating wire 4 (step S3).

Even if there is no snow, if there is a temperature difference between the front surface and the back surface of the Peltier element 1 due to the outside air temperature or the like, the Peltier element 1 detects the temperature difference and generates electricity, and the battery pack 5
Charge to.

Instead of the Peltier element 1, any method may be used as long as it can generate electric power by utilizing the surface temperature difference.

Further, as long as the switching is controlled by sensing the strain due to the weight of the snow, not only the piezoelectric element but also a weight sensor such as a resistance strain gauge may be used for detecting the snow. Good.

The snow melting portion for melting the snow is not limited to the heating wire 4, but may be any other heat generating means such as a sheet heating element or a heating pipe.

A switch for controlling the current of the heating wire 4 by the electric power of the battery pack 5 charged by the Peltier device 1,
It goes without saying that the control circuit or the like may be driven.

If the power generation by the Peltier device 1 is not sufficient to operate the heating wire 4, an auxiliary battery or a commercial power provided separately may be used together.

Although FIG. 2 shows an example in which the unit 7 is spread so as to cover the roof, the heating wire 4 is spread over almost the entire area of the roof, but the unit 7 is installed only on a part of the roof. You may do it. Further, the top plate 2 having the Peltier element 1 without the piezoelectric element plate 3
The unit having only the top plate 2 (the shape is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1) is manufactured, and the unit having only the top plate 2 is almost the entire surface of the roof where the snow accumulation needs to be melted. Piezoelectric element plate 3
The unit 7 also having one may be provided one by one in an appropriate range to detect snow.

[0030]

In the snow melting apparatus of the present invention, since the on / off control of the snow melting section is switched by the weight of the snow, the snow melting section is automatically turned off when there is no snow and the on state of the snow melting section is wasted. If it does not continue and there is more than a certain amount of snow, the snow melting section will be turned on and the amount of snow can be reduced as much as possible,
High efficiency against snowmelt. Since snow is automatically melted, there is no need for snow removal work, and there is no need to always pay attention to the snow cover condition.

Further, since power is basically generated by the difference in surface temperature of the Peltier element due to snow (or outside air temperature), power supply efficiency is good.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a unit 7 in which a base plate 6, a piezoelectric element plate 3 and a top plate 2 of a snow melting device according to an embodiment of the present invention are assembled.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a snow melting device in which the units 7 shown in FIG. 1 are arranged on a roof.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the snow melting device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Peltier element 2 top plate 3 Piezoelectric element plate 4 heat rays 5 battery pack 6 base plate 7 units

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A snow-melting unit that melts snow due to heat generation, and a snow-covering unit that operates the snow-melting unit when a certain amount of snow or more is detected by detecting the weight of snow accumulated on the upper surface. A snow melting device. 2. A base plate and a rear end side fixed on the base plate and supported in a state of a cantilever whose front end is a free end, and when the deflection exceeds a certain level, a deflection signal is output to operate the snow melting section. A bending plate, and a top plate whose rear end side is fixed to the rear end side of the bending plate and is supported in a cantilevered state, and the tip which is a free end due to bending due to snow on the upper surface pushes down the tip of the bending plate, A snow melting device comprising: a Peltier element which is provided on the top plate and generates electric power by a temperature difference between the front surface and the back surface of the top plate. 3. A snow melting portion that melts snow due to heat generation, a base plate, and a rear end side fixed on the base plate and supported in a state of a cantilever whose front end is a free end. A bending plate that outputs a signal to operate the snow melting portion, and a rear end side of the bending plate that is fixed to the rear end side of the bending plate and is supported in the state of a cantilever, and a tip that is a free end due to the bending of the upper surface due to snowfall are A top plate that pushes down the tip of the bending plate, a Peltier element that is provided on this top plate and generates power by the temperature difference between the front surface and the back surface of this top plate, and the power generated by this Peltier element is charged to supply power to the snow melting section. A snow melting device, comprising: a battery to be supplied. 4. A snow cover detecting apparatus, which detects a certain amount or more of snow by detecting the weight of snow on the upper surface. 5. A snow cover detection device which is supported so as to bend due to the weight of snow accumulated on the upper surface and outputs a signal indicating snow cover when the bend exceeds a certain level. 6. A power generation device, comprising a Peltier element, which is attached to a roof and which generates power by a difference between a temperature of a rear surface to which heat is transferred from the attic and a temperature of an outer surface thereof.