Method and device for monitoring roof loads

• US 20070164874A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hermanus Visser
• Original Assignee: Hermanus Visser
• Inventors: Visser, Hermanus
• Granted Patent: US 7,646,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.100
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 7/00 Roofs; Roof construction with regard to insulation structures for roofs as well as for floors E04B5/00; ceilings E04B9/00; greenhouses A01G9/14; large containers having floating covers B65D88/34; roof trusses, truss-like structures, joists E04C3/02; roof coverings E04D
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/00 Special arrangements or devices in connection with roof coverings; Protection against birds; Roof drainage ; Sky-lights ventilation tiles E04D1/30; ventilation slabs E04D3/40; internal channels E04F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/081 by using a contact-less detection method, i.e. with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0091 by using electromagnetic excitation or detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions

Abstract

A method for monitoring the load which is exerted on a roof comprises the following steps: providing a roof with an external surface on which a load can be exerted by, for example, a layer of water or snow, providing a sensor for detecting a phenomenon related to the load which is exerted on the roof, monitoring the phenomenon by means of the sensor, storing at least one predetermined value for the phenomenon, emitting a signal when the value for the phenomenon detected by the sensor exceeds a predetermined value.

Claims

1. Method for monitoring the load which is exerted on a roof (3), comprising the following steps:

providing a roof (3;

18) with an external surface on which a load can be exerted by, for example, a layer of water or snow,

providing a sensor (7, 9;

16) for detecting a phenomenon related to the load which is exerted on the roof, characterized by;

storing at least two predetermined different values for the phenomenon (8),

emitting a signal when the sensor (7, 9;

16) detects one of these values for the phenomenon,

emitting a different signal when the sensor (7, 9;

16) detects another one of these values for the phenomenon (8).

2. Method according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

storing at least three predetermined values of a monotonously changing magnitude for the phenomenon,

emitting signals associated with these predetermined values of a correspondingly monotonously changing magnitude, such as of a monotonously changing intensity or emphasis when these respective values are detected.

3. Method according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

storing a series of predetermined values with a stepwise change in the magnitude for the phenomenon,

emitting at least one signal when one of these predetermined values changes to another predetermined value in a stepwise manner.

4. Method according to claim 1, comprising the step of intermittently monitoring the phenomenon.

5. Method according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

providing a detection signal source (6),

emission of a detection signal (8) by this detection signal source (6),

detection of the detection signal (8) by the sensor (7, 9;

16).

6. Method according to claim 5, comprising the following steps:

affecting the detection signal (8) in such a manner that this changes in a continuous manner when the phenomenon changes,

emitting a warning signal on the basis of the continuous change in the detection signal (8).

7. Method according to claim 5, comprising the following steps:

providing a constant detection signal (8),

causing the position of the detection signal. source (6) and the sensor (16) relative to one another to change when the phenomenon changes, emitting a warning signal on the basis of the change in. the position of the detection signal source (6) and the sensor (16) relative to one another.

8. Method according to claim 1, comprising the step of emitting an audible and ! or visual signal.

9. Method according to claim 1, in which the phenomenon is related to a movement of at least part of the roof (3).

10. Method according to claim 1, in which the phenomenon is related to a vertical movement, such as a sagging movement, of at least part of the roof (3).

11. Building (1), comprising a roof (3) which may be subjected to a load, such as a layer of water and/or a layer of snow, as well as a device (6, 7, 9;

16, 10, 14) for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims in connection with the detection of a phenomenon which is associated with this load, which device comprises a sensor (7, 9;

16), an evaluation unit (9) to which the signals originating from the sensor (7) are fed, as well as a signaling unit (10, 14) to signal on the basis of the phenomenon detected by the sensor (7;

16), characterized in that at least two different predetermined values for the phenomenon are stored in the evaluation unit.

12. Building (1) according to claim 11, in which the sensor is a light-sensitive sensor, such as an infrared sensor.

13. Building (1) according to claim 11, in which a light source (6), a light- sensitive sensor (7, 9;

16) receiving the light from the light source (6) as well as an interrupter (11, 12) connected to the roof (3) are provided.

14. Building (1) according to claim 13, in which the interrupter (11, 12) is designed to allow light to pass through in different intensities, depending on the movement of the roof (3).

15. Building (1) according to claim 11, in which the sensor (16) is of multiple deign and comprises a series of sensor elements (17), each of which sensor elements (17) is associated with a predetermined value for the phenomenon.

16. Building (1) according to claim 11, in which the light source (6) and the light-sensitive sensor (7, 9) are connected to a wall (2) of the building (1), and the interrupter (11, 12) is connected to a part of the roof (3) such as a supporting girder (4).

17. Building according to 11, comprising a gable roof construction (18), in which the light source (6) and/or the light-sensitive sensor (7, 9;

16) are connected to a part of the roof construction (18) such as a roof truss.