Method and device for monitoring roof loads

• US 7,646,309 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hermanus Johannes Visser
• Original Assignee: Hermanus Johannes Visser
• Inventors: Visser, Hermanus Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/649,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/510, 340/666, 340/556, 250/224
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• 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 includes 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 with 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. A method for monitoring the load which is exerted on a roof (3) of a building (1), comprising the following steps:

providing a roof (3;

18) with an external surface on which a load can be exerted,

providing a sensor (7, 9;

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

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

emitting a signal when said sensor (7, 9;

16) detects one of these values for the phenomenon, and

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

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

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising she following steps:

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

emitting signals associated with the at least three predetermined values of a correspondingly monotonously changing magnitude when these respective values are detected.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the emitting signers stop includes emitting signals associated with the at least three predetermined values of a correspondingly monotonously changing intensity.

4. The 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.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of intermittently monitoring the phenomenon.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

providing a detection signal source (6),

emitting a detection signal (8) by this detection signal source (6), and

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

16).

7. The method according to claim 6, 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).

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

providing a constant said detection signal (8),

causing the position of the detection signal source (6) and she sensor (16) relative to one another to change when toe 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.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of emitting at least one of an audible and visual signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the phenomenon is related to a movement off at least part of the roof (3).

11. The method according to claim 1, in which the phenomenon is related to a vertical movement of at least part of the roof (3).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the phenomenon is related to a sagging movement of at least part of the roof (3).

13. A building (1), comprising:

a roof (3) subjected to a load

a device (6, 7, 9;

16, 10, 14) constructed and arranged to detect a phenomenon which is associated with this load, said device comprising;

a sensor (7, 9;

16);

an evaluation unit (9) to which the signals originating from the sensor (7) are fed; and

a signalling unit (10, 14) to signal on the basis of the phenomenon detected by the sensor (7;

16),

wherein at least two different predetermined values for the phenomenon are stored in the evaluation unit and wherein said different predetermined values are associated with at least a single said sensor.

14. The building (1) according to claim 13, in which the sensor is a light-sensitive sensor.

15. The building (1) according to claim 14, wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor.

16. The building (1) according to claim 13, 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.

17. The building (1) according to claim 16, in which the interrupter (11, 12) is designed to allow light to pass through in different intensities, depending on the movement or the roof (3).

18. The building (1) according to claim 13, wherein the sensor (16) further comprises:

a series of sensor elements (17), each said sensor element (17) being associated with a predetermined value for the phenomenon.

19. The building (1) according to claim 13, in which the light source (6) and the light-sensitive sensor (7, 9) are connected to a wall (2) of the building (1), and an interrupter (11, 12) is connected to a part of the roof (3).

20. The building (1) according to claim 19, wherein the interrupter (11, 12) is connected to a supporting girder (4).

21. The building according to claim 13, comprising a gable rout 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).

22. The building according to claim 21, wherein at least of the light source (6) and the light-sensitive sensor (7, 9;

16) are connected to a roof truss.