| Electrically heated de-icer for roof drip edge -> Monitor Keywords |
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Electrically heated de-icer for roof drip edgeElectrically heated de-icer for roof drip edge description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060037252, Electrically heated de-icer for roof drip edge. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an electrically heated plastic drip edge device for de-icing the outer edge of a roof. [0003] 2. Prior Art [0004] In cold climates it is common for ice dams to occur at the edges of a building roof, causing water and ice to work up beneath shingles or other roofing material and allowing water to seep into the building. Also, ice dams may form in a gutter under the edge of the roof, blocking the gutter and resulting in heavy accumulation of ice and water and causing damage. Flow of water in a gutter is also frequently impeded by leaves and such-like debris which falls into the gutter. [0005] Many proposals have been made to alleviate these problems. Drip edges have been provided to prevent water from flowing onto the facia. For the ice dams, the proposals usually include heating cables at the drip edge or in the gutter, or both. In addition, gutter protectors have been used which prevent debris such as leaves from falling into the gutter. Representative U.S. patents which show heating cables used for drip edges, and gutter protectors, are as follows: [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,630, issued Jul. 6, 2004 to Tenute; [0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,453, issued Mar. 23, 2004 to Tenute; [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,352, issued Dec. 26, 2000 to Turton; [0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,533, issued Mar. 9, 1999 to Swanfeld, Jr.; [0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,858, issued Feb. 21, 1995 to Tourangeau et al.; [0011] U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,526, issued Sep. 6, 1988 to Taouil; [0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,657, issued Mar. 28, 1978 to Stanford; [0013] U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,512, issued Jun. 28, 1974 to Stanford, and [0014] U.S. Pat. No. 2,699,484, issued Jan. 11, 1955 to Michaels. [0015] A common problem with the prior art represented by these patents, particularly in relation to the drip edge heaters, is the difficulty of replacing the electrical heater or cable in the event of its failure. In the Turton patent the whole mat of electrically heated material would need to be removed from underneath the outermost shingle edges and replaced. In most of the other patents the drip edge heater at least needs to be removed temporarily in order to replace the cables. An exception is the Tenute '453 patent where, in the FIGS. 1 and 2 embodiments, the cable can be replaced by removing a protective cap which is held in place by screws, but even here the replacement of the cable would involve tools and a somewhat tedious procedure. [0016] An opportunity exists to provide an improved drip edge device that has advantages over the prior art. [0017] The invention in its general form will first be described, and then its implementation in terms of specific embodiments will be detailed with reference to the drawings following hereafter. These embodiments are intended to demonstrate the principle of the invention, and the manner of its implementation. The invention in its broadest and more specific forms will then be further described, and defined, in each of the individual claims that conclude this Specification. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0018] In accordance with the present invention, a drip edge device for a roof includes, according to one aspect: [0019] a panel, preferably of plastic material, having top and bottom surfaces, the panel having an integrally formed flange protruding downwardly from said bottom surface, with the flange arranged so that an inner side thereof can locate against a roof edge when an inner portion of the panel extends under shingles or other roofing material adjacent the roof edge; [0020] a lip also integrally formed with the device and positioned outwardly of the flange so as to form, together with portions of the outer side of the flange and the bottom surface of the panel, a recess for a heating cable, [0021] at least one of said flange and lip being resilient and providing a grasping restricted entry into the recess such that the recess can retain a heating cable sized to fit the recess when such cable has been pushed into the recess. [0022] The panel is preferably integrally formed from polymeric plastic material by extrusion, having sufficient thickness and rigidity to perform its function as a drip edge, preferably. In order to give suitable conduction of heat from the heating cable to parts where the heat is required, a panel thickness combined with thermal conductivity is chosen. The device may be extruded from most commodity olefin resins such as rigid polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene or ABS. The thermal conductivity of such plastics is generally intermediate to that of wood and metals. Continue reading about Electrically heated de-icer for roof drip edge... Full patent description for Electrically heated de-icer for roof drip edge Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Electrically heated de-icer for roof drip edge patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Electrically heated de-icer for roof drip edge or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Polishing medium for chemical-mechanical polishing, and method of polishing substrate member Next Patent Application: Gutter protection system Industry Class: Static structures (e.g., buildings) ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Electrically heated de-icer for roof drip edge patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.44984 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers 174 |
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