Rolling protective cover
AssigneeT & C Enterprises, LLC
InventorsJared Tavernier, Clark Craig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rolling protective cover for installation over structures provides a means to deploy one or more alternative protective membranes controlled by computer and actuated on various environmental conditions. Using an environmental sensor, the computer system can deploy a protective cover, retract a cover, or alternate between covers. The system can be used to increase the energy efficiency of the structure, solar panels, or to provide protection from elements such as fire, snow, hail, dust and debris accumulation. The system could further be used for application of fluid to the structure for use as a cleaner, fire retardant, or other such application.
Claims23
A rolling protective cover comprising:
- a mounting bracket;
- a proximal end included in the mounting bracket adapted to be mounted on a structure;
- a distal end included in the mounting bracket;
- a membrane storage roller carried by the distal end;
- an axis included in the membrane storage roller about which the membrane storage roller rotates;
- a membrane;
- a first end included in the membrane and connected to the membrane storage roller;
- a second end included in the membrane and connected to a cover extender roller;
- a torsion spring carried by the cover extender roller and configured to rotate the cover extender roller;
- and;
- wherein rotation of the membrane storage roller in a first direction releases the membrane from the membrane storage roller and the cover extender roller retracts the membrane, and rotation of the membrane storage roller in a second direction retracts the membrane onto the membrane storage roller and the cover extender roller releases the membrane.
A rolling protective cover comprising:
- a continuous loop membrane carried by a drive roller and a second roller;
- a mounting structure adapted to secure the drive roller, second roller, and continuous loop membrane above a structure;
- a motor to power the drive roller;
- and
- a computer in operable communication with the motor and one or more environmental sensors selected from the group consisting of thermostats, thermal sensors, water sensors, photo sensors, snow sensors, hail sensors, humidity sensors, wind sensors, motion sensors, smoke detectors, ionizing radiation sensor, and any combination thereof, and can be configured to actuate the motor based on an environmental condition;
- wherein the continuous loop membrane is a material selected from the group consisting of photo-active film, wavelength altering film, optical concentrating film, polyimide film, aluminized fiberglass, flame retardant, vinyl, poly, plastic, fabric, tambour, display screen, screen and any combination thereof.
A rolling protective cover comprising:
- a mounting bracket;
- a proximal end included on the mounting bracket adapted to be mounted on a structure;
- a distal end included in the mounting bracket and adapted to carry a membrane storage roller;
- an axis about which the membrane storage roller rotates;
- a membrane;
- a first end included in the membrane and adapted to be connected to the membrane storage roller;
- a second end included in the membrane and adapted to be connected to a cover extender roller;
- and,
- wherein rotation of the membrane storage roller in a first direction releases the membrane from the membrane storage roller, and rotation of the membrane storage roller in a second direction retracts the membrane onto the membrane storage roller.
A rolling protective cover comprising:
- a mounting bracket having a proximal end adapted to be mounted on a structure and a distal end;
- a first membrane storage roller carried by the distal end;
- an axis included in the first membrane storage roller about which the first membrane storage roller rotates;
- a membrane having a first end and connected to the first membrane storage roller and having a second end connected to a second motorized membrane storage roller;
- a torsion spring carried by second motorized membrane storage roller and configured to rotate the second motorized membrane storage roller;
- and;
- wherein rotation of the first membrane storage roller in a first direction releases the membrane from the first membrane storage roller and rotation of the first membrane storage roller in a second direction retracts the membrane onto the first membrane storage roller and a cover extender roller releases the membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.