IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0652836
(2003-08-29)
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등록번호 |
US-8122682
(2012-02-28)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- American Builders & Contractors Supply Company, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
11 인용 특허 :
32 |
초록
A ballast system for roof membranes includes connected modules filled with loose-fill ballast and adapted to hold a predetermined volume of water for at least a predetermined period of time on the roof to control runoff.
대표청구항
▼
1. A modular ballast system for roofs, the system including: a) a rectangular module having: i) sidewalls extending upwardly from a bottom; andii) a module interior space defined by the sidewalls of the module;b) a first pair of corner bases and a second pair of corner bases, wherein: i) the two pai
1. A modular ballast system for roofs, the system including: a) a rectangular module having: i) sidewalls extending upwardly from a bottom; andii) a module interior space defined by the sidewalls of the module;b) a first pair of corner bases and a second pair of corner bases, wherein: i) the two pairs of corner bases are positioned at the corners of the module; andii) each corner base in the first pair of corner bases includes a corner base hole extending therethrough; andc) a pair of front supports and a pair of back supports, wherein: i) each front support extends: 1) upwardly from the module interior space, and2) through the corner base hole of one of the first pair of corner bases, andii) each back support extends upwardly from one of the second pair of corner bases; andd) a photo-voltaic panel secured to the front and back supports. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein: a) the photo-voltaic panel makes a panel angle with a top of the module; andb) the pair of back supports have adjustable lengths such that the panel angle is adjustable. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein: a) the photo-voltaic panel makes a panel angle with a top of the module; andb) the photo-voltaic panel is hingedly secured to the pair of front supports such that the panel angle is adjustable. 4. The system of claim 3 further including a second module, wherein the photo-voltaic panel makes an adjustable panel angle with a top of the module, the panel angle being adjustable to a position in which at least a portion of the photo-voltaic panel is positioned above a junction between the module and the second module. 5. The system of claim 1 further including: a) a second module adjacent to the module, the second module having a second module interior space with ballast therein; andb) a cover positioned over at least a portion of a top of the second module, the cover being light-reflective so as to limit heating resulting from the absorption of light. 6. A modular ballast system for roofs, the system including: a) a rectangular module having sidewalls extending upwardly from a bottom, the bottom and sidewalls defining a module interior space;b) ballast materials in the module interior space;c) an energy collection apparatus;d) a first pair of corner bases and a second pair of corner bases, i) each corner base in the first pair of corner bases having a corner base hole extending therethrough,ii) the two pairs of corner bases positioned at the corners of the module; ande) a pair of front supports and a pair of back supports, wherein: i) the front supports extend: (1) upwardly from the module interior space,(2) through the corner base holes of the first pair of corner bases, and(3) to the energy collection apparatus, the pair of front supports being secured to the energy collection apparatus; andii) the back supports extend: (1) from the second pair of corner bases, and(2) to the energy collection apparatus, the pair of back supports being secured to the energy collection apparatus. 7. The system of claim 6 wherein: a) the energy collection apparatus is a photo-voltaic panel; andb) the front and back supports are configured to support the photo-voltaic panel at a panel angle with a top of the module. 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the pair of back supports have adjustable lengths to allow the panel angle to be adjustable. 9. The system of claim 7 wherein the photo-voltaic panel is hingedly secured to the pair of front supports to allow the panel angle to be adjustable. 10. The system of claim 9 further including a second module, wherein the panel angle is adjustable to a position in which at least a portion of the photo-voltaic panel is positioned above a junction between the module and the second module. 11. A modular ballast system for roofs, the ballast system including: a) a rectangular module having sidewalls extending upwardly from a bottom, i) the bottom and sidewalls defining a module interior space,ii) the module having a first pair of module corners and a second pair of module corners;b) an energy collection apparatus;c) a pair of corner bases, i) each corner base having a corner base hole extending therethrough,ii) the pair of corner bases positioned at the first pair of module corners; andd) a pair of front supports and a pair of back supports, wherein: i) the front supports extend: (1) upwardly from the module interior space,(2) through the corner base holes of the pair of corner bases, and(3) to the energy collection apparatus, the pair of front supports being secured to the energy collection apparatus; andii) the back supports extend: (1) from the second pair of module corners, and(2) to the energy collection apparatus, the pair of back supports being secured to the energy collection apparatus. 12. The system of claim 11 wherein: a) the energy collection apparatus makes an apparatus angle with respect to a top of the module; andb) the pair of back supports have adjustable lengths to allow the apparatus angle to be adjustable. 13. The system of claim 11 wherein the energy collection apparatus: a) makes an apparatus angle with respect to a top of the module; andb) is hingedly secured to the pair of front supports to allow the apparatus angle to be adjustable. 14. The system of claim 13 further including a second module, wherein the apparatus angle is adjustable to a position in which at least a portion of the energy collection apparatus is positioned above a junction between the module and the second module. 15. A modular ballast system for roofs, a) the system comprising: i) a plurality of rectangular modules connected in contiguous relation, the modules having an open top and a closed bottom established with: (1) a floor configured for resting on a roof and for allowing multi-directional water flow thereunder and therebetween, and(2) sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom, the sidewalls having over-flow holes formed therethrough at a predetermined height above the bottom for retaining a predetermined volume of water therein;ii) loose-fill ballast materials in the modules;iii) a first pair of corner bases and a second pair of corner bases, (1) each corner base in the first and second pairs of corner bases having a corner base hole extending therethrough,(2) the two pairs of corner bases positioned at the corners of a first module; andiv) a pair of front supports and a pair of back supports, wherein: (1) each front support extends from the corner base holes of the first pair of corner bases to a photo-voltaic panel, the pair of front supports being secured to the photo-voltaic panel; and(2) each back support extends from the corner base holes of the second pair of corner bases to the photo-voltaic panel, the pair of back supports being secured to the photo-voltaic panel;b) wherein: i) the photo-voltaic panel makes a panel angle with the open top of the first module;ii) the photo-voltaic panel is hingedly secured to the pair of front supports such that the panel angle is adjustable;iii) the first module includes a first module interior space defined by the bottom and sidewalls of the first module; andiv) each of the pair of front supports extends upwardly from the first module interior space and through the corner base holes of the first pair of corner bases. 16. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 further comprising connectors secured to the modules to establish a roof top mounting platform for mounting an alternate energy collection apparatus above the roof. 17. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 further comprising a cover positioned over the open top of one of the modules, the cover being reflective so as to substantially limit heating of a roof. 18. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 in which the sidewalls include flanges having horizontal portions provided with vertically extending holes, the system further comprising connectors configured for vertically inserting into holes of flanges of adjacent modules and spanning across the sides of the adjacent modules. 19. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 in which the modules are tied together with cable extending across the sides of adjacent modules. 20. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 in which the sidewalls include flanges with a horizontal portion and a downwardly depending skirt, the system further comprising connectors having a top member spanning across the sides of adjacent modules and a lower upwardly facing channel member sized to the surround the flange skirt of adjacent modules, and means for connecting the top member and the lower channel to draw the lower channel into snug engagement against the skirts of adjacent flanges. 21. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 20 in which the connectors further comprise threaded fasteners to draw the upper and lower channels into snug engagement with the flanges of adjacent modules, the fasteners including eyelets at the upper ends thereof, the system further comprising cables threaded through the eyelets and anchored to one of eyelets of adjacent panels or an anchor connected to the roof structure. 22. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 further comprising edge finishing having elongated edge termination members extending from the sidewalls of the modules to the roof, and clip means connecting the edge termination members to the outer sidewalls of the modules. 23. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 22 in which the sidewalls of the modules include a flange with downwardly depending outer skirt, and said clip means includes an upwardly extending clip to engage between the skirt and the sidewall of the module. 24. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 further comprising an absorbent mat in bottom of module. 25. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 further comprising an absorbent pad with absorbent clay. 26. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 further comprising wicking extending from the bottom of the modules out the over-flow holes to achieve continuous controlled outflow of water when water is present in the module. 27. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 in which the floor of the module is formed with small holes sized to achieve a predetermined dynamic continuous outflow characteristic. 28. The modular ballast system as defined in claim 15 further comprising a bug screen secured over the open top of the modules, at a height above the over-flow holes. 29. The modular ballast system of claim 15 further including a plurality of cables connecting the modules together to secure the modules to a roof. 30. The system as defined in claim 29 in which the sidewalls include outer flanges having downwardly depending skirts, the system further comprising a connector having upper and lower members, the upper member being sized to span across the flanges of adjacent modules, the lower member having a center portion and upwardly extending legs sized to fit between the skirt and the sidewalls of the modules, and a fastener connecting the upper and lower members together to draw the adjacent modules snugly together, the connector further having means for receiving the cable connecting the modules together. 31. A method for establishing the modular ballast system of claim 15 comprising: a) installing the modules in contiguous relation on a roof;b) filling the modules to a predetermined level with loose ballast fill; andc) cooperatively determining i) the volume of the ballast fill materials in the modules, andii) the height of over-flow holes in the sidewalls to achieve predetermined water retention and out-flow characteristics for the modules. 32. The method of claim 31 further including the step of forming over-flow holes in the sidewalls at the cooperatively-determined height. 33. A method for establishing the modular ballast system of claim 15 comprising: a) installing the modules in contiguous connected relation on a roof;b) determining the water retention and out-flow characteristics of the modules by determining the space density of the ballast, the flow characteristics of over-flow holes in the sides of the modules, and the footprint area of the modules; andc) filling the modules with loose ballast to establish the determined water retention characteristics. 34. The modular ballast system of claim 15 wherein the pair of back supports have adjustable lengths such that the panel angle is adjustable. 35. The modular ballast system of claim 15 wherein: a) each corner base in the first and second pairs of corner bases: i) includes a base first side and a base second side, the base first side being at least substantially perpendicular to the base second side; andii) is secured to the first module by a base fastener; andb) each corner base hole of the corner bases is positioned over the first module interior space. 36. The modular ballast system of claim 35 further including: a) a second module adjacent to the first module; andb) a cover positioned over the open top of the second module, the cover: 1) including reflective metal; and2) being configured to limit heating of the roof. 37. The modular ballast system of claim 15 wherein the panel angle is adjustable to a position in which at least a portion of the photo-voltaic panel is positioned above a junction between two adjacent modules.
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