Ice shield for roof eaves

• US 6,166,352 A
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Turton
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Turton
• Inventors: Turton, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Tu Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/317,346
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 219/200, 219/201, 219/209, 219/211-213, 219/538, 219/539, 219/541, 219/542, 219/544, 219/545, 219/546, 219/548, 219/549, 52/518, 52/520, 52/522, 52/543, 52/519
• US Class Current: 219/213
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/103 De-icing devices or snow melters for drainage outlets E04D13/0409, for gutters E04D13/0762, for down pipes E04D13/08
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/003 using serpentine layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/004 using zigzag layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/005 using multiple resistive elements or resistive zones isolated from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/011 Heaters using laterally extending conductive material as connecting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/014 Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2214/02 Heaters specially designed for de-icing or protection against icing
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/36 heating conductor embedded in insulating material

Abstract

An ice shield for use with an eave of a roof, the roof including a gutter assembly secured in proximity to a downwardly angled and terminating edge of the eave. The shield includes at least one continuously wound roll of a flexible and elongate mat of material which includes a first exposed face and a second reverse side face. The elongate mat is preferably constructed of first and second layers of a durable and rubberized material, capable of convecting heat generated by generally longitudinally extending coils embedded between the layers. The mat is unrolled and positioned atop and along an eave edge location of the roof. An adhesive coating of specified width is applied in longitudinal fashion along the reverse side face and a release tape is applied over the coating to prevent bonding of concentrically wound layers of the roll and prior to a selected length of the roll being unrolled and positioned. The ice shield is preferable installed underneath one or more initial rows of shingles subsequently applied along the roof eave and so that the heat convected from the coils and through the mat is likewise passed through the lower-most shingles so as to melt an ice deposit formed upon the shingles.

Claims

1. An ice shield for use with an eave of a roof, the roof further including a gutter assembly secured in proximity to a downwardly angled and terminating edge of the eave, said ice shield further comprising:

a continuous wound roll of a flexible and elongate mat having a first exposed face and a second reverse side face,

an adhesive coating of specified width being applied in longitudinal fashion along said second reverse side face and a release tape being applied over said adhesive coating to prevent bonding of concentrically wound layers of said roll, a selected length of said continuous wound roll being unrolled and positioned along the roof eave edge and said release tape being removed prior to attachment of said length; and

a selected plurality of coils extending generally longitudinally within said mat between said first and second faces and converting an externally supplied voltage input source into a resistance heat emitted by said coils and through said flexible and elongate mat so as to melt a deposit of ice formed upon the layers of shingles and contiguous with the roof eave edge.

2. The ice shield as described in claim 1, said mat including a first layer and a second layer, said first and second layers being secured together around their outlines and sandwiching therebetween said plurality of coils.

3. The ice shield as described in claim 1, said ice shield being installed underneath one or more initial rows of shingles subsequently applied along the roof eave.

4. The ice shield as described in claim 1, further comprising first, second, third and fourth pairs of spaced apart and longitudinally extending coils arranged along a lower one-half width of said ice shield.

5. The ice shield as described in claim 4, a first selected pair of coils being longitudinally arrayed at a range of between 3" to 5" from the roof eave edge.

6. The ice shield as described in claim 1, further comprising a first pair of longitudinally extending coils extending a parallel spaced distance proximate to the roof eave edge, a second pair of coils extending likewise in a generally longitudinal direction and in a sinusoidal wave pattern across a lower one-half width of said ice shield and contacting said first pair of coils at selected locations.

7. The ice shield as described in claim 1, further comprising a first pair of longitudinally extending coils extending a parallel spaced distance proximate to the roof eave edge, a second pair of coils extending likewise in a generally longitudinal direction and in a zig-zag pattern across a lower one-half width of said ice shield and contacting said first pair of coils at selected locations.

8. The ice shield as described in claim 1, said voltage input source further comprising a extension cord extending from an edge surface location of said flexible and elongate mat for engagement with a conventional DC outlet.

9. The ice shield as described in claim 8, further comprising a second roll of flexible and elongate mat being unrolled and positioned along the roof eave edge in end-to-end arrangement with said initial wound flexible and elongate mat, each said elongate mat including, at interconnecting ends, a further extension cord which terminates in an adapter for securing together so as to supply said voltage input to said second flexible and elongate mat.

10. The ice shield as described in claim 1, said flexible and elongate mat being constructed of a durable rubberized material with first and second layers and exhibiting a 3'"'"' width dimension by 36'"'"' length dimension.

11. The ice shield as described in claim 1, said flexible and elongate mat being constructed of a durable rubberized material with first and second layers and exhibiting a 3'"'"' width dimension by 50'"'"' length dimension.

12. The ice shield as described in claim 1, said flexible and elongate mat being constructed of a durable rubberized material with first and second layers and exhibiting a 3'"'"' width dimension by 75'"'"' length dimension.