Abstract:
A device for directing sunlight towards snow or ice including a panel member configured for attachment to a structure of a building, where the panel member has a reflective surface suitable for reflecting sunlight, said reflective surface having a curved configuration adapted for directing sunlight towards an adjacent road surface for melting snow or ice on the road surface.

Description:
[0001]    BACKGROUND 
         [0002]    The present application generally relates to a device and method for melting snow or ice. More particularly, the present application relates to a device and method including a reflective panel for directing sunlight towards snow or ice. 
         [0003]    During the winter months, many parts of the country, particularly the northern states, experience periodic snowfalls. Commercial businesses often hire snow removal contractors to plow the snow off of the road surfaces around the buildings of the business. However, snowplows are unable to remove all of the snow, as a thin layer of snow remains and snow becomes piled up at the edges of the road surface. Therefore, some snow remains, and often snow is pushed towards, and piles up against, buildings on the property during the plowing process. 
         [0004]    Where road surfaces are exposed to direct sunlight during the course of the day, the sunlight may cause the snow to melt. However, where road surfaces are not exposed to direct sunlight, the snow may remain until temperatures rise above freezing. Further, where the road surfaces are only exposed to sunlight for a limited period of time, the snow may partially melt and turn to ice when a shadow moves over the area, or during the night. Such conditions may occur where adjacent buildings are positioned close together. As a result, often snow and/or ice remain on the road surfaces creating an undesirable condition. 
         [0005]    Having snow and ice remain on the road surfaces is particularly undesirable in the case of self-storage buildings. Self-storage buildings may include a series of buildings positioned adjacent to one another, sometimes with a 20 foot wide aisle between buildings, and often with the buildings having a length of 100-300 feet. Because of the close proximity of the buildings, snow and ice may build up in front of the storage units, making it difficult for customers to access their storage unit. Furthermore, it may be difficult to customers to traverse the snow and ice in front of their units when adding items to, or removing from, the storage unit. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a device and method for melting the snow and/or ice that accumulates on road surfaces, and particularly on the aisles between respective buildings of a self-storage facility. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In one aspect, a device for directing sunlight towards snow or ice is provided including a panel member configured for attachment to a structure of a building, where the panel member has a reflective surface suitable for reflecting sunlight, said reflective surface having a curved configuration adapted for directing sunlight towards an adjacent road surface for melting snow or ice on the road surface. 
         [0008]    In a further aspect, a reflective gutter system is provided having a gutter secured to a building structure, a panel member having a top end secured to the gutter of the building, where said panel member has a reflective surface suitable for reflecting sunlight, where said reflective surface has a curved configuration adapted for directing sunlight towards an adjacent road surface for melting snow or ice on the road surface. 
         [0009]    In a further aspect, a method of directing sunlight towards a road surface is provided including the steps of providing a panel member configured for attachment to a structure of a building, said panel member having a reflective surface suitable for reflecting sunlight, and said reflective surface having a curved configuration adapted for directing sunlight towards an adjacent road surface for melting snow or ice on the road surface; securing the panel about a gutter on the structure of the building; and directing sunlight towards snow or ice positioned on a road surface positioned adjacent the building. 
         [0010]    In a further aspect, means for melting snow or ice on a road surface adjacent a structure of a building using a sun-reflective panel mounted on the structure of the building is provided. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals, and wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view with of a storage facility  10 , according to an example embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating sunlight being reflected off of a sun-reflective panel  300  on building  200  towards road surface  30  of storage facility  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , according to an example embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a close up view of building  200  including sun-reflective panel section  300 , according to an example embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is another perspective view of storage facility  10  showing snow  40  and ice  50  positioned within shadow  60  on road surface  30  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of building  200  having sun-reflective panel  300  positioned thereon, according to an example embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a gutter system  204 ; according to an example embodiment; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a close up cross-sectional view showing sun-reflective panel  300  positioned over gutter system  204 , according to an example embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a self-storage facility  10  shown having building  100  adjacent building  200  with road surface  30  positioned therebetween. Building  100  includes storage unit doors  102  and gutter  104  and building  200  includes storage unit doors  202  and gutter  204 . The road surface  30  forms an aisle between building  100  and  200 , and typically has width of around 20 feet which is wide enough to allow two vehicles to pass each other, but narrow enough so that a number of adjacent buildings may be erected on the storage facility property. 
         [0020]    As will be appreciated, sunlight  22  from sun  20  often does not shine directly onto the entirety of road surface  30 , and may only do so when the sun is directly overhead. However, most often sunlight from sun  20  is blocked by building  100  or  200  and a shadow is cast over part or over all of the road surface  30 . In particular, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , sunlight  22  coming from the low angle of winter sun  20  is blocked by building  100 , and a shadow  60  having an edge  61  is cast over part of road surface  30 , in front of building  100  which may be northward facing. In this example, the portion of road surface  30  exposed to direct sunlight in front of south facing building  200  is free of snow and ice. However, the area of road surface  30  positioned within shadow  60  is still covered with ice  50  and snow  40  which is piled up adjacent to storage unit doors  102 . It is undesirable to have snow  40  or ice  50  remaining on the road surface  30 , as it increases the difficulty of a storage unit customer from adding items to, or removing items from, their storage unit. 
         [0021]    Example embodiments are directed to a reflective panel that may be mounted on the existing gutter of a building to direct sunlight towards a road surface adjacent the building. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a reflective panel  300  has been mounted over the gutter on the roof of building  200  of self-storage facility  10 . Rays of sunlight  22  and  22   a - 22   d  from sun  20  reflect off of reflective panel  300  as rays  32   a - d  and are directed towards road surface  30  and building  100 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a close up view of building  200  including a section of sun-reflective panel  300  positioned over gutter  204 , which is at the top of building  200  above storage unit door  202 .  FIG. 4  is another perspective view of storage facility  10  showing snow  40  and ice  50  positioned within shadow  60  on road surface  30  in front of building  100 . In this embodiment, the reflective panel  300  is positioned along the entire length of the gutter of building  200 . Rays of sunlight from sun  20  reflect off of reflective panel  300  and are directed towards the snow  40  and ice  50  within shadow  60  in front of building  100 . The sunlight reflected off of reflective panel  300  and directed towards snow  40  and ice  50  in front of building  100  provides additional energy in the form of heat useful for melting the snow  40  and ice  50 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of building  200  showing reflective panel  300  positioned over the entire length of the gutter of building  200 . Another reflective panel may be positioned over gutter  104  of building  100  (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 ) so that at a different time of the day sunlight may be reflected towards the road surface  60  in front of building  200 , to help melt ice and snow that may be located in on the road surface  60  in front of building  200 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a gutter system  204  that may be used on building  200  shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , and  FIG. 7  is a close up cross-sectional view showing sun-reflective panel  300  positioned over gutter  204 , according to an example embodiment. As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , gutter system  204  includes outer walls  204   a  and  204   b,  lower wall  204   c,  and rear wall  204   d.  Gutter system  204  is open at the top to allow for water to enter the gutter system  204  where it is held within walls  204   a - d  and directed towards a drain site. Gutter system  204  is secured to building structure  210  with screws  206 . A top portion of the reflective panel  300  is secured to building structure  210  and gutter system  204  by inserting screw  206  through upper flange  302  of the reflective panel  300  and through upper flange  204   e  of gutter system  204  and into building structure  210 . 
         [0025]    In this manner the top of the reflective panel  300  is held in place, without interfering with the operation of the gutter system  204 . However, the bottom portion having an end  304  may rest against the bottom wall  204   c  of gutter system  204 . This mounting system advantageously provides for easy installation of the reflective panel without requiring additional hardware components, as screw  206  is already being used to secure the gutter system  204  to building structure  210 . The reflective panel may be comprised of sheet metal typically used for HVAC ducts. Thus, the sheet metal of this type may already have a “curl” to it providing for a desired curved, convex outer surface  306 . The outer surface may be circular or curvilinear. In some embodiments the outer surface may be formed as an arc extending more than 180 degrees from a point where it is secured to the gutter system to a point beneath the gutter system. A thin layer of reflective Mylar  308  or other reflective material, such as a mirrored surface, may be adhered to the convex outer surface  306  of reflective panel  300  with contact cement or other adhesive to provide for greater reflectivity. 
         [0026]    The reflective panel  300  may also be formed of a plastic or composite material. For example, the reflective panel  300  could be formed as a plastic molding or extrusion, having a reflective surface, which could be manufactured inexpensively, yet provide a desired reflective panel. The reflective surface could be formed by polishing an exterior surface, or by adhering a thin layer of a highly reflective material, such as Mylar, or other mirror-like material that has a high degree of reflectivity. An added highly reflective material could be adhered to the reflective panel using an adhesive such as contact cement, or other suitable adhesive. In addition, the reflective panel  300  may be another metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel that has a highly reflective surface. For example, the outer surface of could be highly polished to provide a high degree of reflectivity. Alternately, a reflective layer could be adhered to the aluminum or stainless steel surface as desired. 
         [0027]    The disclosed embodiment may provide additional advantages as well. For example, as the sun  20  sets and lighting fixtures mounted on the north facing building  100  turn on, the reflective panels may now reflect the light generated from the light fixtures providing additional lighting at no additional cost. 
         [0028]    Example embodiments have been described above. Those skilled in the art will understand that changes and modifications may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention, which is defined by the claims.