JP2010520389A - Roof cover element - Google Patents

Abstract

A roof covering element (10) having means for heat exchange with the environment, having an upper surface (11) and a lower surface (12). To cover the roof, a plurality of adjacent elements (10) are juxtaposed so as to be interconnected in a specific way by means of interlocking devices (13, 14, 15).
At least one of an upper surface (11) and a lower surface (12) of an element (10) is at least partially formed of an alloy. The roof cover element (10) is specifically formed of an alloy comprising any combination of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe), ie CuZn ₄₀ Mn ₂ Fe _1. The The roof cover element (10) according to the present invention further comprises a cavity (16) formed between the upper surface (11) and the lower surface (12) of the element (10) inside the element (10). Fluid can be circulated in the cavity (16) for heat exchange with the environment. The roof cover element (10) according to the present invention can be interconnected by a tube system (25) to circulate fluid between the various elements (10).

Description

  The present invention relates to a roof covering element having an upper surface, a lower surface and an interlocking device. Adjacent elements are interconnected by an interlocking device. Thereby, a plurality of elements are juxtaposed in a specific way to cover the roof. The invention relates in particular to a roof covering element with means for performing heat exchange with the environment.

  The roof, ie the top cover of the building, is essentially provided in each and every building around the world. On the one hand, the purpose of the roof is to allow rainwater to flow away from the building and not accumulate on the building. On the other hand, the roof has a very important decorative function. To achieve these objectives, the roof is formed in a variety of forms and shapes and using a variety of materials. Regarding the form, the roof may have a high pitch (the inclination may be tight) or may have a form with a gentle inclination. Sloped roofs are commonly found in industrial or commercial types, while gradual slopes are the primary design found primarily in private homes. The roof must be able to withstand all climatic conditions because it faces the entire sky. In particular, the roof must be watertight, solid, durable, attractive, and elastic enough to withstand significant temperature changes without cracking. As a result, roof-building technology and roofing materials have been constantly improved over the centuries to provide a roof with considerable strength and durability.

  For thousands of years, people have protected their homes from the climate with animal skin and bark. Today, there are many choices for roofing materials, colors, shapes, etc. The use of these various materials depends primarily on climatic conditions, but can also be aesthetically pleasing. Traditional roof covers, slate and wood shakes, have been virtually unchanged for centuries. On the other hand, new materials such as asphalt / glass fiber composites, lightweight concrete, and metal tiles are the product of technological innovation. Each of these materials varies slightly in durability, appearance, price, and ease of application. Furthermore, today's roofs are complex systems formed of various components that cooperate with each other.

  In recent decades, so-called solar roof systems have been increasingly used for roof covers. In addition to acting as a roof cover, these systems are designed to generate electricity and / or hot water and air. Typically, these systems use so-called solar cells. A solar cell (ie, photovoltaic cell) is a device that can convert solar energy into another type of energy. A combination of solar cells is generally called a solar panel. Historically, solar cells and solar panels have been used when power from the grid is not available. Today, solar cells are increasingly being used as “clean” energy or alternative energy sources as opposed to “dirty” energy from nuclear power plants.

  Solar systems can be built on the roof in many different ways. On the one hand, solar cells can be directly integrated into a roof with a steep slope. These systems are usually called solar roofing boards. In essence, these solar roofing sheets are solar cells that have the same shape as conventional (slate or ceramic) roofing boards. They are designed to fit well on many different types of roofs and are compatible with normal roofing boards. Nevertheless, the solar system can also be installed on an existing roof. For example, solar panels can be attached to a tile roof or integrated with a flat roof.

  However, all known solar roof systems have a number of significant drawbacks compared to conventional roofs. First, all solar panels are deep and dark purple in color, so that a roof covered with a solar roof system has a completely different appearance from other roofs. Furthermore, the installation of solar roof systems is forbidden in various circumstances, in particular in aging buildings and particularly historic buildings. In addition, most solar cells have a significant dazzling effect, which causes significant inconvenience all around it. Other problems with conventional solar systems arise in connection with the integration of solar systems into existing roofs. As solar roof systems become more and more common, many homeowners want to replace existing roofs with solar roofs. Nevertheless, solar panels add additional weight to the underlying roof structure, and solar panel installation can often only be done after a complete renovation of the entire roof structure. Similar problems occur with solar roofing boards. In the case of solar roofing boards, replacement of conventional roofing boards usually requires new static calculations and significant changes in the roof support.

  On the other hand, so-called geothermal exchange heat pumps or ground source heat pumps (GSHP) have become a more common energy source for building heating. These geothermal heat pumps use the earth as a heat source when operating in the heating mode or as a heat sink when operating in the cooling mode. A geothermal heat pump has an outer loop containing a water / antifreeze mixture and a much smaller inner loop containing a refrigerant. Both loops pass through the heat exchanger. In addition, there are so-called air source heat pumps (ASHP) that use the same principle but extract heat from the air rather than the ground. Thus, the installation of these pumps is simple and inexpensive.

  However, these air source heat pumps have the disadvantage that it is difficult to discharge excess heat in the cooling mode. Thus, some systems that use air source heat pumps use additional cooling devices such as ventilators to extract heat. These ventilators bring additional discomfort to neighbors and further increase the price of these systems.

  The object of the present invention is thus to propose a new and improved roof covering element which does not have the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art described above.

  According to the invention, these and other objects are achieved in particular by the features described in the independent claims. Furthermore, other advantageous embodiments are according to the dependent claims and the following description.

  In particular, this object is achieved by the roof covering element of the present invention having an upper surface and a lower surface. To cover the roof, a plurality of elements are juxtaposed in a particular way so that adjacent elements are interconnected by an interlocking device. The roof cover element comprises means for performing heat exchange with the environment, and at least one surface of the element is at least partially formed of an alloy. The advantage of such a device is, inter alia, that the roof covering element can be manufactured from natural materials. Alloys are particularly suitable materials for this purpose. This is because alloy types and mixing ratios of the various components can be selected to meet all the various requirements of a particular roof. In particular, iron or aluminum alloys can be used in connection with modern buildings, in which case the silver shine of these materials is particularly advantageous. In addition, the particular alloy to be used as a function of its thermal or mechanical properties can be selected to provide optimal protection against atmospheric conditions and environmental effects.

  In a variation, the alloy includes any combination of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). This variant has the advantage, inter alia, that an alloy comprising a combination of these components has particularly advantageous characteristics with regard to thermal, mechanical or chemical properties. Thus, roof cover elements formed of this type of alloy are particularly suitable for implementing the present invention.

In another example, the alloy includes CuZn ₄₀ Mn ₂ Fe ₁ . CuZn ₄₀ Mn ₂ Fe ₁ alloy has certain mechanical properties that make it very suitable for the present invention. In particular, the color of the surface of this alloy, well known under the trademark Dorna A (DORNA-A) is a registered trademark, is not much different from the color of conventional tiles or other similar roof covering elements. Thus, the roof cover element according to this embodiment of the invention has the advantage that it can be very easily replaced with a conventional roof cover element.

  In another embodiment, a cavity is formed within the element, between the upper and lower surfaces of the element, so that fluid can be circulated within the cavity for heat exchange with the environment. The advantage of this embodiment is, among other things, that fluid can be circulated inside the roof covering device for heat exchange with the environment. The roof covering element provides a good platform for heat exchange by natural convection between the fluid and the outside air. Furthermore, sunlight can heat the fluid inside the cavity of the roof cover element, so that heat exchange can be effected in both directions (ie, the fluid cooling direction and the fluid heating direction). In this way, a building on which a roof is formed with a roof cover element according to this embodiment of the invention can be heated and cooled as required. In addition, this particular embodiment of the present invention allows a good combination with an air source heat pump system and easily dissipates excess heat into the environment.

  In another embodiment, at least one nipple with an opening is provided on at least one surface of the element, thereby connecting the opening of the nipple to the cavity. This embodiment has the advantage, inter alia, that the cavity can be easily filled with fluid or can be easily removed from the cavity of the roof cover element. The nipple further has the advantage that a tube or other similar device can be easily attached to the nipple and thus to the roof covering element for circulating the fluid.

  In yet another embodiment, the cavity includes a channeling system. The advantage of this embodiment is, among other things, that the inner surface of the roof cover element cavity can be increased so that heat exchange with the environment can be easily performed. By using a suitable channeling system, the inner surface can be greatly increased and a much better heat exchange rate can be achieved compared to other similar devices not equipped with such a channeling system.

  In another embodiment of the invention, fin structures are provided on the upper and / or lower surface of the element. In particular, the fin structure may be formed similarly to the structure of a radiator or similar device. The advantage of this embodiment is that, inter alia, the specific fin structure on the surface of the roof cover element makes it possible to exchange heat with the environment very efficiently. Since at least one of the surfaces of the roof cover element of the preferred embodiment is at least partially formed of an alloy, heat exchange with the environment can be accelerated. This is facilitated by using a special fin structure with a relatively large surface.

  In another example, the fluid is water and / or an aqueous solution. Water is very suitable for heat exchange because of its advantageous thermal properties. Similarly, aqueous solutions, in particular solutions of antifreeze materials, have a further significant effect.

  In this regard, in addition to the roof cover element according to certain embodiments of the present invention, the present invention further includes a roof cover element, a heat exchange system for a building or similar structure, a method for manufacturing a roof cover element, and the present invention. It has to be said that it also relates to a method for covering the roof using a roof covering element.

  The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional roof cover element. 2 is a perspective view of the conventional roof cover element combination of FIG. 1 juxtaposed in columns and rows and interconnected by interlocking devices to cover a portion of the roof. 3a and 3b are sectional views of two embodiments of a roof cover element according to the present invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a roof cover element and corresponding tube device combination according to the present invention, Fig. 4a shows the tube device attached to the roof cover element, and Fig. 4b removed from the roof cover element. A tube apparatus is shown. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a combination of a roof cover element according to the invention and a corresponding tube device. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the combination of the roof cover device according to the present invention of FIG. 5, FIG. 6a is a cross-sectional view along the line BB of FIG. 5, and FIG. 6b is a cross-sectional view of FIG. It is sectional drawing along the A line.

  FIG. 1 shows a conventional roof covering element 10 commonly referred to as a tile. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 is attached to the upper surface of the roof cover element 10. The top surface 11 of the roof covering element 10 may have various forms and contours and can be provided in various patterns, colors and structures. The top surface 11 of the roof covering element 10 may in particular be treated by mechanical or chemical means in order to achieve a specific optical, mechanical or thermal effect. The top surface 11 of the roof cover element 10 may be provided with a coating such as in particular a glossy coating. Furthermore, the roof cover element 10 of FIG. 1 includes interlocking devices 13, 14, 15. These interlocking devices are used to interlock adjacent roof cover elements 10 when the roof cover element 10 is used to cover the roof. The interlocking devices 13, 14, 15 are basically formed by both horizontal beads (horizontal bead) and vertical beads (vertical bead) 13, 14 and a groove 15 around the roof cover element 10. These elements cooperate to interconnect adjacent elements 10 into a continuous combination. The interlocking devices 13, 14, 15 provide additional interlocking fastening and / or fastening means (clamps) for safely and stably interconnecting, fastening and fastening adjacent elements 10 on the roof. It will be understood that it may also include (eg, nails).

  FIG. 2 shows a combination of the conventional roof cover element 10 of FIG. 1 juxtaposed in columns and rows and interconnected by interlocking devices 13, 14, 15 to cover a portion of the roof. . Reference numeral 20 in FIG. 2 is attached to the skeleton bar. These skeletal bars function as a support for the roof cover element 10. Typically, the skeleton bar 20 is wooden. However, the skeleton bar 20 may be formed of any other suitable material. The roof cover element 10 is suspended from the frame bar 20 in many parallel rows. As a result, each row overlaps with the row below it, preventing rainwater from entering. As described above, additional fastening means may be used to securely attach the roof covering element 10 to the roof. Thus, the specific configuration of the roof cover element 10 can hide the fastening means (ie nails and hooks) that hold the rows arranged immediately below. It goes without saying that various other ways of covering the roof using the roof cover element 10 are conceivable, in particular with regard to the method of arranging and / or interconnecting the roof cover element 10.

  An example of a roof covering element 10 according to various embodiments of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3a is a cross-sectional view of the roof cover element 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3b is a cross-sectional view of the roof cover element 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3 a, reference numeral 11 relates to the upper surface of the roof cover element 10 and reference numeral 12 relates to the lower surface of the roof cover element 10. As can be seen in FIG. 3a, the top surface 11 of the roof covering element 10 may have a specific shape or contour that can be selected based on aesthetic criteria, functional criteria, architectural criteria, or any other criteria. . The top surface 11 of the roof cover element 10 of FIG. 3a has a concave contour, and the contour or shape of the top surface 11 of the roof cover element 10 may be any other shape including a convex contour and a flat contour. The bottom surface 12 of the roof cover element 10 is basically flat, but other shapes of the bottom surface 12 are possible. Nevertheless, since the lower surface 12 of the roof cover element 10 is basically invisible, its shape can be selected in any way as long as the functionality of the roof cover element 10 is not limited.

  The roof cover element 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 3a further includes interlocking devices 13, 14, 15. These interlocking devices are beads 13 and 14 and grooves 15. The beads 13, 14 and the grooves 15 of the interlocking devices 13, 14, 15 are designed to be easily interconnected with the adjacent roof cover element 10. Specifically, the beads 14 are designed to cooperate with the grooves 15. At this time, the bead 13 is designed to cooperate with a groove provided on the lower surface of the bead 14. In addition, the roof covering element 10 typically includes other beads and grooves extending perpendicular to the cross-sectional plane of FIG. 3a. However, it will be appreciated that the roof cover element 10 may be provided with other means that facilitate and ensure the interconnection of adjacent elements 10. In this way, any roof can be covered with successive rows and rows of individual roof cover elements 10 or any other combination. The roof cover element 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 3a has a bead 14 with a recess 14a. The recess 14a can be used in particular to provide a fastening means or fastening means that can be used to hold the two roof cover elements 10 well. In this way, the interconnection between the two elements 10 can be strengthened in order to provide a particularly robust and durable roof even in very bad weather situations. Of course, fastening or fastening means for strengthening this interconnection can be arranged at various locations on the roof cover element 10. On the other hand, the recess 14a can be used to correspondingly adjust the weight of the roof cover element 10 if necessary.

  The upper and lower surfaces 11 and 12 of the roof cover element 10 and the interconnecting structures 13, 14, 15 and other parts of the roof cover element 10 can be formed of the same material. However, one part or various parts may be formed of a material different from the other parts. In particular, at least the upper surface 11 of the roof cover element 10 may be at least partly made of an alloy. Specifically, the alloy may contain a combination of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). However, the alloy may contain non-metallic materials that are particularly necessary or advantageous for obtaining the special properties of the alloy. At the same time, other parts of the roof covering element 10 may be formed of another material, in particular another metal or alloy, but not a clay, ceramic, glass, plastic or other synthetic material. You may form with a metal material. For example, the upper surface 11 of the roof cover element 10 may be formed of a first alloy, the lower surface 12 of the roof cover element 10 may be formed of a second alloy, and the interlocking devices 13, 14, 15 may be formed of a third alloy. Good. It will be understood that any other combination of materials is possible without departing from the overall inventive concept of the present invention.

  Reference numeral 16 in FIG. 3 a relates to a cavity formed between the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12 inside the roof cover element 10. The size, shape, and dimensions of the cavity 16 can be changed without changing the basic concept of the present invention. In detail, this cavity 16 may extend over the entire area of the roof cover element 10, but may occupy a slightly smaller area compared to the entire area of the roof cover element 10. The cavity 16 is formed so that fluid can circulate in the cavity 16. The fluid may in particular be water or a specific aqueous solution, but basically it may be any other suitable fluid. The fluid used may in particular be water / antifreeze, which can be used in a very critical temperature range without any difficulties caused by low temperatures. Particularly suitable antifreeze solutions are propylene glycol, denatured alcohol and / or methanol. Since the fluid is contained in the cavity 16 between the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12 inside the roof cover element 10, heat exchange between the fluid and the environment can be easily realized. In particular, the top surface 11 of the roof cover element 10 is always in contact with the outside air, and the temperature difference between these two media allows the fluid inside the roof cover element 10 to be without any additional action or mechanism. Heated or cooled. Furthermore, common alloys and especially copper-containing alloys have very advantageous thermal properties, so that heat exchange with the environment can be carried out in an optimal manner. Furthermore, when illuminated by the sun, the top surface 11 of the roof cover element 10 is particularly subject to a very significant heat rise and the fluid inside the cavity 16 of the roof cover element 10 can easily be brought to a very high temperature.

  Furthermore, the roof cover element 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 3a is provided with a nipple 17, which is provided with an opening 17a. The nipple 17 of FIG. 3 a is formed on the lower surface 12 of the roof cover element 10. However, the nipple 17 may be formed at any other location on the roof covering element 10. Such locations specifically include the top surface 11 of the roof cover element 10, the interlocking devices 13, 14, 15, or the sides. Of course, the roof cover element 10 may include one or more nipples 17 if necessary. The opening 17 a of the nipple 17 is connected to the cavity 16 so that fluid can enter and leave the cavity 16 through the opening 17 a of the nipple 17. The roof cover element 10 may be provided with a plug for closing the opening 17a of the nipple 17 after filling the cavity 16 with fluid or after draining the fluid. In this way, the cavity 16 of the roof cover element 10 may be filled with a fluid for heat exchange with the environment, or may be withdrawn after the fluid reaches a desired temperature.

  A second embodiment of a roof cover element 10 according to the invention is shown in FIG. The roof cover element 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a structure very similar to the roof cover element 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same components. That is, reference numeral 11 relates to the upper surface of the roof cover element 10 and reference numeral 12 relates to the lower surface of the roof cover element 10. Reference numbers 13, 14, 15 relate to the interlocking device, and reference number 16 relates to the cavity between the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12 of the roof cover element 10. Reference numeral 17 relates to a first nipple having an opening 17 a, and reference numeral 17 ′ relates to a second nipple having substantially the same structure and function as the first nipple 17. This second embodiment of the present invention includes a channeling system 18. The channeling system 18 includes various straight portions and bends, thereby greatly increasing the inner surface of the cavity 16. In this way, heat exchange between the fluid confined in the cavity 16 and the environment can be performed particularly effectively. Since the wall of the channeling system 18 is directly connected to the upper surface 11 of the roof cover element 10, the heat exchange between the upper surface 11 and the fluid inside the cavity 16 can be carried out very effectively and easily. it can.

As can be seen very well from FIGS. 3a and 3b, the appearance of the roof cover element 10 according to these two embodiments of the invention is not so different from the appearance of a conventional roof cover element. The shape of these roof cover elements, including the shape and function of the interlocking devices 13, 14, 15 of the roof cover element 10, is designed to accurately reproduce the corresponding elements of conventional roof cover elements. Further, by using a specific alloy (ie, the copper alloy CuZn ₄₀ Mn ₂ Fe ₁ ), the roof cover element 10 according to embodiments of the present invention need not be subjected to additional mechanical or chemical treatment on the surface. Moreover, it can be made almost the same color as a conventional clay roof cover element. Furthermore, the roof cover element 10 of the present invention may preferably be designed to have exactly the same weight as a conventional roof cover element of the same shape. This feature allows an existing roof cover element to be replaced and replaced with the roof cover element 10 according to the present invention without requiring any additional changes to the roofing structure or other roof elements. On the other hand, the roof covering element 10 according to these embodiments of the present invention provides the particular advantages of heat exchange without the disadvantages of the prior art solutions mentioned above.

  FIG. 4 shows the assembly of a roof cover element 10 according to any one of the embodiments of the present invention into a part of a roof using a corresponding tube device 25. FIG. 4 a shows the combination with the tube device 25 attached to the roof cover element 10, and FIG. 4 b shows the same combination with the tube device removed from the roof cover element 10. As can be seen, individual tubes interconnect the two elements 10. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration of the tubes and the choice of interconnection pattern can be varied without departing from the concept of the present invention. The tubes are attached to the nipples 17, 17 ′ of the corresponding roof cover element 10 and thus interconnect the cavities 16 of the elements 10. In this particular way, all individual roof covering elements 10 form a link system through which fluid can freely circulate. In this system, in particular, fluid can enter the system at the first roof cover element 10 and generate a fluid flow in a direction away from the system after passing through all roof cover elements 10 of the combination. This flow can in particular be supported by a pump (not shown) or any other similar device. In this way, any optimum heat exchange can be realized.

  FIG. 5 is a view from below of a combination of a roof cover element 10 and a corresponding tube device 25 according to the invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the combination of roof cover elements 10 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 5. These figures show one of the possible structures of a combination of roof cover elements 10 according to any one of the embodiments of the present invention. Again, the same reference numbers are used to refer to the same components, structures and functions. For simplicity, these will not be described again.

  While this disclosure has been described with reference to specific means, materials, and examples, it should be understood that the gist of the present disclosure can be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made so as to have various uses and characteristics.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Roof cover element 11 Upper surface 12 Lower surface 13, 14, 15 Interlocking device

Claims (13)

A roof cover element (10) having an upper surface (11) and a lower surface (12), wherein a plurality of elements (10) are connected in a specific manner and adjacent elements (10) are interlocking devices to cover the roof In the element (10), juxtaposed to be interconnected by (13, 14, 15), the roof cover element (10) comprising means for performing heat exchange with the environment,
The element (10), wherein at least one of the upper surface (11) and the lower surface (12) of the element (10) is at least partially formed of an alloy. Element (10) according to claim 1,
The element (10), wherein the alloy comprises any combination of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). Element (10) according to claim 1 or 2,
Element (10), characterized in that the alloy is made of CuZn ₄₀ Mn ₂ Fe ₁ . Element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A cavity (16) is formed inside the element (10) and between the upper surface (11) and the lower surface (12) of the element (10), thereby providing heat to the environment. Element (10), characterized in that fluid can be circulated in the cavity (16) for exchange. Element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
At least one nipple (17) having an opening (17a) is provided on at least one of the upper surface (11) and the lower surface (12) of the element (10), whereby the nipple ( 17) The element (10), characterized in that the opening (17a) of 17) communicates with the cavity (16). Element (10) according to claim 4 or 5,
Element (10) characterized in that said cavity (16) comprises a channeling system (18). Element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The element (10), wherein a fin structure is provided on the upper surface (11) and / or the lower surface (12) of the element (10). Element (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 7,
Element (10), characterized in that the fluid is water and / or an aqueous solution. In a combination of roof cover elements (10) comprising at least one roof cover element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims,
A tube device (25) is provided for interconnecting at least two roof cover elements (10), and fluid can circulate between the roof cover elements (10) through the tube device (25). Union. The combination according to claim 9,
A combination, characterized in that a pump is provided to circulate fluid between the roof cover elements (10). A heat exchange system located in a building or similar structure that uses a fluid to perform heat exchange with the environment, the storage device for storing the fluid, and for circulating the fluid in the system In a heat exchange system including a pump and a controller for regulating heat exchange,
A heat exchange system, characterized in that it comprises at least one roof cover element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims.   A method for manufacturing a roof cover element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims.   A roof covering method using the roof covering element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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