NZ299807A - Multiple tube solar absorber and support for inter-engagement with another such support and sheet roofing - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand No. 299807 International No. PCT/ TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION Priority dates: 06.03.1992;12.08.1992; Complete Specification Filed: 08.03.1993 Classification: (6) F24J2/52.24.05; E04D13/18 Publication date: 19 December 1997 Journal No.: 1423 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Securing means for solar absorbers Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: STEPHEN THOMAS KNIGHT, an Australian citizen of 349 Bayview Street, Hollywell, Queensland 4216, Australia Patents Form # 5 ^nder tti» proviskHW o4 R«9»-tatran 23 (1) the ....QtyUdl, IrtWate 2998 0 N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 2 2 NOV 1996 RECEIVED DIVISIONAL OUT OF APPLICATION » 247081 ANTE-DATING REQUESTED TO 8 MARCH 1993 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 Tit la Securing Means for Solar Absorbers - divisional application thereof I, Stephen Thomas Knight Address: 349 Bayview Street, Hollywell, Queensland 4216, Australia Nationality: Australian do hereby declare the invention for which I/we pray that a patent may be granted to me/us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PF05.JWP fee code 1050 299 8 0 7 Technical Field THIS INVENTION relates to securing means for seauring a member or members to a roof of a building. In a particular but not exclusive aspect, the present invention relates to securing means for securing solar absorbers of the 5 multi-tube type to a roof* Background Art In many situations which arise where a msmber or members are to be secured to a roof of a building, difficulties ocour in ensuring that; suoh securing means hold the member to 10 the building in an efficient manner. Such situations arise where say it is desired to secure cables or wires to a roof, for example television aerial wires. Other situations where this problem is encountered is in the securing of solar energy absorbers and in particular solar energy absorbers of the type 15 used for heating swimming pools to a roof. In the latter nituation the absorbers often comprise multi-tube plastic or synthetic rubber integrally interconnected tubes which are often looated within and extend along recesses in roof tiles or alternatively in the troughs of corrugated roofing. The 20 fixing methodB currently employed sometimes require the use of a bonding compound such as silicon into which the absorber is embedded, however, such compounds do not prove particularly effective in high wind situations, are messy to apply and are not aesthetically pleasing. Another method used has involved 25 wire passed through apertures in the tiles as the securing means. Use of this method is time consuming and awkward. In the above described arrangements, the absorbers are located in the tile recesses or roof corrugations, however, it has been found just as effeotive to have the absorbers run transversely 30 of the recesses. Similar problems to that described above are encountered in securing absorbers in this attitude to a roof. Summary of the Invention The present invention aims to overcome or at least alleviate one oz more of the above disadvantages by providing 35 securing means for securing members to a roof, such as a tiled roof, or a metal roof, for example a corrugated roof or other 3 299 8 0 7 roof docking. The present invention is particularly suitable for securing absorbers of solar energy heating systems to roofs but may be equally applied to securing other members in position upon a roof, for example manifolds of solar heating 5 assemblies, ducts, wires or cables of any type or any other member to a roof. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become hereunder.

The present invention thus provides in a first aspect securing means for securing a member to a roof, said 10 securing means including an elongated element adapted to extend along and be retained to said roof, and holding means associated with said element for holding a member to be secured to said roof in such a manner that said member extends transversely of said element.

In one form, the roo£ comprises a tiled roof comprising a plurality of overlapping roof tiles and the element is retained to the roof at the overlapping portions of said tiles. Suitably, means are provided at one end of the element adapted for location between overlapping portions of 20 adjacent tileB. Preferably, also, in this embodiment, means are provided at the opposite end of the element adapted to be engaged with the end of the lowermost of said overlapping tiles remote from the overlapping portions.

Preferably the element holding means includes at 25 least one clip or the like for engaging the member, the olip being preferably in the form of a resilient member formed integrally with or secured to the element. The resilient member suitably includes a resilient clip seoured to the element at one end and free at its opposite end. Preferably 30 a series of clips or the like are provided along the element bo as to enable holding of a plurality of members thereto.

The means at the one end of the element suitably comprises a tongue adapted to be located between overlapping portions of tiles and upon which an upper roof tile may seat 35 to hold the tongue in position and prevent the element lifting from the tile on which it is seated. The tongue is preferably stepped downwardly from the element to spaoe the element from 4 2998 07 ths tile and may include a atop at its free end for further restraining detachment from a tila.

The means at the opposite end of the element for engaging a roof tile suitably comprises a hook for location 5 under the leading, normally lower end of the tila. Suitably the hook is of generally l-shaped form having one longer lag extending from and integrally connected to the element and a shorter leg spaaed from the longer leg. The normally lover end of the tile is thus received between the longar leg and the 10 shorter leg.

In a further form, the roof comprises a natal roof such as a corrugated metal roof formed of roof sheeting and the element is adapted to be connected to the roof by fasteners of any suitable form.

The elongated support may be made up of a plurality of interconnected elements of the type described above for use with tile roofs. For this purpose each element may be apertured at one end and be provided with an upstanding lug at its opposite end for location within an aperture or slot of an 20 adjacent member so that a string or series of longitudinally aligned such elements may be interconnected. Where formed from elements of the type used for tile roofs the tongue and hook of the element are preferably formed so as to enable them to be detachable from the elements. For this purpose tha tongue 25 and hook may be attached to the remainder or main body of tha element by a reduced thickness or necked portion at whiah the tongue and hook may be severed byr for example being simply broken away therefrom.

Alternatively, the elongated support may be 30 constructed in continuous lengths provided with a seriaa of holding means thereon, the support then being out as desired to the required length.

The support may be secured to a metal roof by means of fasteners such as screws. For this purpose, tha alamanta 35 which form the support may be provided with an aperture or apertures to receive a fastener or fasteners therethrough.

The securing means of the invention may be used for <5 299807 forming a solar absorber assembly, such an assembly inaluding a plurality of securing means for supporting solar absorbers such as multi-tube absorbers and a transparent panel Mounted to the securing means over the absorber or absorbers.

Brief Description of the Drawings In order that the invention may be mors readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and whereinJ-10 Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a first form of securing means according to the present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates tha application of tha securing means of Fig. 1 to a roof formed from roof tiles; Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the relationship 15 between the securing means of the invention and roof tiles; Fig. 4 illustrates an application of ths invention to a corrugated roof} Fig. 5 illustrates the connection between adjacent 20 elements indicated at A in Fig. 4; Fig* 6 is an isometric view of a second form of securing means according to the present invention; Fig* 6A illustrates the connection between a pair of elements of the type shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 7 illustrates ths manner in which the securing means of Fig. 6 may be used with metal tile roofs; Fig. B illustrates the combination of a plurality of clips of the type shown in Fig. 6 with a transparent panel to form a solar absorber assembly; and 30 Fig. 9 is an end view of an assembly of the type shown -in Fig. 8 associated with a tile of a tile roof. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to the drawings and firstly to Fig. 1, there is illustrated securing means 10 according to the present 35 invention comprising an elongated planar strip~like element 11 having located thereon or formed integrally therewith a plurality of clipping or holding members 12 which are in ths 6 2998 07 form of resilient fingers secured or integrally connected to the element 11 at one end and free at their opposite end and which are adapted to resiliently engage a member to be seaured to a roof. The element 11 at one end is provided with a hook 5 13 which may loaate under the leading end of a tile ^a the manner described below. The hook 13 is of generally L-sbaped form and has its longer lower leg 14 integrally formed with the element 11 and extending downwardly therefrom and a shorter upright leg 15 spaced from the leg 14. At its opposite end* 10 the element 11 is provided with a downwardly stepped forwardly extending tongue 16 adapted to seat on the top surface of a tile. The element 11 additionally includes at ite end adjaaent the hook 13 a transverse slot or aperture 17 and at the opposite end an upstanding lug 18 for a purpose described 15 further below.

In use and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the securing means 10 is looated relative to a roof tile 19 so that the hook 13 locates under the leading end 20 of the tile 19 which ie received between the hook legs 14 and 15 and so that the tongue 20 16 rests on the upper surface of the tile 19 to be overlapped in use by the leading end 20' of an adjacent upper tile 19'• It will be seen from Fig. 3 that the hook 13 in co-operation with the tile end 20 captures and restrains the securing means 10 from detachment from the tile 19 at its normally lower end. 25 At its opposite upper end the tongue 16 being sandwiched between adjacent overlapping tiles 19 and 19' is prevented from lifting from the surface of the tile 19. As shown the hook 13 and downwardly stepped tongue 14 in this embodiment space tha element 11 from the upper surface of the tile on which the 30 securing means 10 is located.

The securing means 10 of the present invention is particularly suited for securing multi-tube absorbers 21 of the type used in solar heating apparatus to a roof tile so that the absorbers 21 extend in a direction transversely relative to ths 35 roof tiles 19 and 19' and element 11. For this purpose the absorbers 21 are simply slipped under the dipping members 12 if necessary by deflecting the members 12 upwardly and are held 2998 07 7 In position by the resilience inherent in the clipping members 12.

Respective securing means 10 may be located on laterally spaced tiles so that the absorber 21 or any other 5 member to be held to the roof is secured at spaced apart positions across the roof* Should the securing means 10 be required to be associated with a metal corrugated roof or metal decking as shown in Figs. 4 and 5r the tongue 16 and hook 13 may be 10 removed from the element 11. For this purpose the junctions between the hook 13 , tongue 16 and the element 11 may be necked or formed with a reduced thickness regions 22 and 23 so that the hook 13 and tongue 16 may be simply detached from the the element 11 by being broken or snapped away therefrom. The 15 securing means 10 which in then in a planar strip-like form may then be simply attached to sheeting of a metal roof 24 by means of rivets, screws or any other suitable fasteners 25 say through preformed apertures 26 >in the elements 10. A plurality of such securing means 10 may be interconnected by insertion 20 of the lugs 18 of one element 11 into the apertures 17 of adjacent elements so that an elongated aligned series of elements 11 can be formed. Alternatively and for a metal roof the securing means 10 may be made in continuous lengths of the element 11, being simply cut to size as desired* 25 As shown, the elements 11 are arranged to extend along a peak of a corrugation of the roof and at spaced apart corrugations bo that the member or members to bs seaured to the roof are supported at spaced positions.

The securing means 10 may be formed of metal or 30 resilient plastics material with all the elements thereof integrally formed or alternatively fabricated from separate components. Variations however, may be made to the configuration of the device. For example the clipping members 12 may comprise spring loaded clipping members or any other 35 form of clipping or holding device* A further alternative would be to form the clipping members 12 so that they are pivotally or hingedly connected at one end to the body of the 2998 07 8 element 11 and releasably latched at their opposite ends to tha body of the element 11 ao that they can hold a member in position* Alternatively, the clipping members 12 nay be secured to the body of the element 11 by one or more screws or 5 similar fasteners at one or both ends so that the members 12 act aa clamps to clampingly hold a member to the element 11* Of course the size and shape of the members 12 may be varied to mate with any form of component to be seoured to the roof.

As stated above the element 11 with integral clipping or holding membera 12 may be formed in continuous lengths* In this form, the element 11 may be adapted for use with roof tileB by being cut to a desired length and provided with separate tongues 16 and hook 13 which may be detachably 15 Becured to the element 11 at desired positions.

Referring now to Figs. 6 to 9 there ie illustrated a modified form of securing means 30 according to the present invention which has components similar in many respects to those of the securing means 30 o£ Fig. 1 which components have 20 been given like numerals* In this embodiment however, the tongue 16 is provided at its free end with an upwardly extending lug or projection 31 which in use acts as a stbp to co-operates with a tile 19* in the manner shown in Fig. 9 for the purposes of further retaining and preventing detachment of 25 the securing means 30 frpm the tiles 19 and 19'* The tongue 16 is additionally provided with a transversely extending slot 32 sized for location over the lug 33 in the manner described further below. The lug 33 in this embodiment is provided with a pair of downwardly and outwardly flared wings 34 whiah serve 30 when respective securing means 30 are interengaged in the manner shown in Fig. 4, 5 and 6A to positively hold and look the securing 30 means together, the wings 34 when the lug 33 is located in the slot 17 preventing detachment of adjacent securing means 30.

The hook 13, in addition to the reduced thickness region 23 is provided in this embodiment with an additional intermediate reduced thickness line 35 and af< aperture 36 29 9 8 0 7 9 between the line 35 and the element 11 • The projBoting^ga'iry portion 37 o£ the element 11 containing the slot 17 is also connected to the remainder of the element 11 by means of a transversely extending reduced thickness line 38 which permits 5 the portion 36 to be broken away preferably by hand from the remainder of the element 11. The adjacent clipping member 12' is provided with a nipple-like projection 39 for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

The securing means 30 for use with roofing tiles 10 of the type shown in Figs. 2 and 9 may be employed as described previously. Where, however, the securing means 30 is to be used with metal roofing tiles, suoh as those known under the trade mark DBCRABOND, the tongue 16 is broken away from the element 11 at the region 23 and is reversed in attitude as 15 shown in Fig. 7 and the slot 32 located over and engaged with the lug 33 so that the portion 40 of the tongue 16 presents an upwardly directed flange or hook. At the opposite end the portion 37 is broken away along the line 38 and the hook 13 broken away along the lino 35 to thereby leave a downwardly 20 directed flange 41 containing the aperture 36.

When positioned relative to a metal tile 42, the hook 40 locates under the uppermost tile 42', rearwardly of its downwardly directed flange 43'. The flange 41 is located adjacent the downwardly directed flange 43 of the tile 42 so 25 that a nail or other fastening element 44 may ba driven through the aperture 36 into the end flange 43 of the tile 42 and into the underlying roof batten 45. The securing means 30 will thus be positively and securely held between overlapping tiles 42 and 42'.

The securing means 30 in any of its forms and applications described above may be combined with a transparent panel 46 of the type shown ir Figs. 8 and 9." The panal 46 is preferably in continuous lengths and may be constructed of perspex, acrylic, Lexan or other like material. Tha panal 46 35 is provided at one end with a first curved flange 47 whiah is slotted in its return portion at 48 at spaced positions so as to enable it to be located over the lugs 33 of respeotive 299807 securing- maanB 30. At its opposite edge, the panel 46 also inoludea a curved flange 49 provided with ^ plurality of apertures or hollow dimples 50 for looation over tha end clips 12* for receipt of the lugs 39 thereon. As before, 'a nralti-5 tube absorber or absorbers 21 are secured to apaoed apart securing means 30 by the clips 12. The use of a glaring panel 46 as above will substantially increase the efficiency of heat collection within the solar absorbers 21 sscured by the securing means 30 to the roof.

It will be apparent that the panel 46 may be in many different forms and engage with the aeouring means 30 (or 10) in any fashion. The opposite sides of the panel 46 nay be provided with any form of recesses or configurations for engaging the securing means 30 (or 10) which nay if desired be 15 provided with separate engagement elements for engagement with the panel 46.

The panel 46 may also be provided on its opposite side edges with seals, such as rubber seals so as to reduce the flow of air • about the absorbers 21 and thereby reduce heat 20 Iobs. Buoh seals may be of channel section form and simply locate over the side edges of the panel. To further support the absorbers 21 additional securing means 30 may be provided, the additional securing means 30 in this case having the portions 16 and 13 removed and simply clip engaged with the 25 panel 46 to be supported thereby.

All other modifications and variations to the invention as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the appended claims.• 40 \

Claims (3)

11 299 80 7 WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A solar absorber assembly mounted to a roof comprising elongate roof sheeting, said solar absorber assembly including a multi-tube absorber and securing means comprising a plurality of elongated securing elements, each securing element being attached to said roof sheeting so as to extend longitudinally thereof, each said element having: ^ ^ an upstanding member at one end of said element; an aperture at its opposite end receiving the upstanding member of an adjacent said element whereby a plurality of said elements are interconnected in longitudinal alignment; each said element defining holding means holding said solar abs^iber to said roof in an attitude extending transversely of said element and said roof sheeting.

2. A solar absorber assembly according to claim 1 wherein each elongated element has at least one opening therein and is attached to said roof sheeting by a fastener passing through said opening.

3. A solar absorber assembly according to claim 2 wherein said holding means comprise a plurality of resilient clips formed integrally with each element, said absorber being restrained beneath a said clip. n James W Piper & Co Attorneys For: Stephen Thomas Knight N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 3 0 OCT 1997 END OF CLAIMS RECEIVED