Heated roof drainage raceway with self adjusting heating cable cavity
OwnerMalcolm Brent Narkinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
If roof top snow melt water is allowed to refreeze on the colder areas of the roof, an ice dam can be formed. A heated drainage path ensures this water is drained away from the structure's foundation. The various sheet metal raceway products disclosed contain spring-like folded members to securely press against the self-regulating heating cable, thereby maximizing the thermal conduction between the heating cable and the sheet metal raceways. The spring-like members of the raceways ensure a tight thermal contact to heating cables of different thicknesses. The spring-like members compensate for metal fatigue to provide a longer useful life of the installed system. The system also allows easy end of life replacement of the heating cable.
Claims18
A heated continuous roof drainage raceway system with at least one run of self-regulating heating cable for high snow and ice load regions, wherein
- the raceway is formed by a multi-segment, bellows-like spring member and a thermally conductive base, the spring member, pressing the heating cable against the thermally conductive base, consisting of a strip portion extending along a first side of a substantially rectangular panel, having at least two bends which form at least two overlapping parallel strip segments;
- said spring member creating a flexible retention system providing a constant pressure on the heating cable, without damaging the heating cable, thereby minimizing any air gap between the heating cable and the thermally conductive base, and maximizing the heat transfer to the thermally conductive base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.