Patent Issued for Roof Inspection And Repair Device (USPTO 10,626,628)

2020 MAY 05 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States) has been issued patent number 10,626,628, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventor is Haefli, Eric (Bloomington, IL).

This patent was filed on May 8, 2018 and was published online on May 4, 2020.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “During storms, gusts of wind can blow loose shingles off a roof. However, because roof shingles are arranged to overlap, identifying loose shingles in the absence of a powerful wind can be difficult because secure shingles overlapping loose shingles keep the loose shingles in place. Moreover, the application of sealant can be a tedious process that involves lifting up a shingle or tab of a shingle and spreading sealant onto the roof in order to secure the shingle in place.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent: “Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure are directed to a roof inspection and repair device that, in some arrangements, can be wheeled along a roof to identify loose shingles and dispense the sealant necessary to secure them in place. In order to achieve these ends, the roof inspection and repair device in some arrangements may have both a blowing system and a sealant dispensing system. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the roof inspection and repair device may be configured to be wheeled and actuated by a standing user, thus eliminating the discomfort previously associated with crouching to identify and repair loose shingles.

“In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the blowing system includes an air tube to which other components of the roof inspection and repair device are connected. The air tube may have an air tube inlet that connects the air tube to a blower, an air tube outlet that expels air, and an air tube body that connects the air tube inlet to the air tube outlet. The air tube may be configured such that, when the roof inspection and repair device is in an upright position, the air tube outlet is at or near the bottom of the roof inspection and repair device. When the blowing system is connected to an active blower, air thus may be expelled through the air tube outlet at the level of the shingles. If a shingle or tab of a shingle is insufficiently connected to the roof, the air may be able to slide underneath it and jostle it, making it possible for a user to visually identify loose shingles or tabs. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the blowing system may also be used to clean surfaces of shingles prior to sealing a loose shingle in order to create a better seal. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the blowing system may be configured such that the air tube inlet is at a height that allows easy access by a user when the user is standing in order to facilitate the user connecting the air tube to a blower. The blower may be carried in a backpack worn by the user or may be secured to the air tube.

“Wheels may be connected to the bottom of the air tube body near the air tube outlet and one or more handles may be connected to top of the air tube body near the air tube inlet in order to allow a user to hold the handles and wheel the roof inspection and repair device along a roof. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, a blower activator may be provided on at least one handle in the form of a button, knob, handgrip, or other mechanism in order to allow a user to activate the blower without letting go of the handles of the roof inspection and repair device. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the air tube outlet may expel air in the same direction that the roof inspection and repair device moves when being wheeled forward. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the air tube outlet may expel air in a direction perpendicular to the direction that the roof inspection and repair device moves when being wheeled forward. The air tube may be oriented at other angles for expelling the air intermediate between the same direction of movement and the perpendicular to the direction of movement.

“In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the sealant dispensing system may have one or more sealant storage containers connected to the air tube body of the air tube, a sealant dispenser at or near the bottom of the roof inspection and repair device, and one or more sealant tubes connecting each sealant storage container to the sealant dispenser. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, a single sealant tube connects each sealant storage container to the sealant dispenser, while in other embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, a plurality of sealant tubes may connect each sealant storage container to the sealant dispenser. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the sealant dispenser may have a flat rectangular shape. In other embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the sealant dispenser may be a roller. The sealant dispenser may have a plurality of openings through which sealant is dispensed. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure in which the sealant dispensing system has one or more sealant storage containers, certain openings of the plurality of openings may be connected by one or more sealant tubes to certain sealant containers. In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the sealant dispensing system may further include a sealant dispensing system activator that is provided on at least one handle in the form of a button, knob, handgrip, or other mechanism in order to allow a user to dispense sealant without letting go of the handles of the roof inspection and repair device.

“In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the roof inspection and repair device may further include a shingle lift mechanism. For example, in some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the sealant dispenser may be configured to further function as a shingle lift mechanism by being rectangular with a sloped front. A user may insert the sealant dispenser under the shingle or tab by prying the shingle or tab up with the sloped front and may then rock the roof inspection and repair device back on its wheels in order to further pry the loose shingle or tab up. The user may then dispense sealant below the loose shingle or tab and press the shingle or tab back down. The weight of the roof inspection and repair device may be utilized to help press the shingle or tab back down. In other embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, the shingle lift mechanism may be distinct from the sealant dispenser and may be a hook, protrusion, or other mechanism.

“In some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, a method of using a roof inspection and repair device is provided. The roof inspection and repair device may include any one or more of the features disclosed herein. In some arrangements, the method may include wheeling a roof inspection and repair device on wheels using handles along a roof, activating a blower using a blower activator, causing air to travel through an air tube inlet, down an air tube, and out an air tube outlet, identifying loose shingles, dispensing sealant from a sealant storage container, spreading sealant using the sealant dispenser, and/or pressing a loose shingle against dispensed sealant to secure the loose shingle. Air may travel out the air tube outlet in the same direction the roof inspection and repair device is being wheeled. Air may travel out the air tube outlet in a direction perpendicular to the direction the roof inspection and repair device is being wheeled. The method may include jostling loose shingles and/or lifting shingles by using a shingle lift mechanism, which may include rocking the roof inspection and repair device back on its wheels. The sealant may be dispensed from the sealant storage container using a sealant dispensing system activator. Dispensing the sealant may include causing sealant to travel from a sealant storage container through a sealant tube and out through a plurality of openings of the sealant dispenser. The method may include cleaning an area where the loose shingle will be secured by activating the blower. Pressing the loose shingle may include rotating the sealant dispenser over the loose shingle.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“The invention claimed is:

“1. A roof inspection and repair device comprising: a blowing system including an air tube having an air tube inlet configured to connect to a blower and an air tube outlet; handles and wheels connected to the air tube; and a sealing dispensing system including one or more sealant storage containers connected to a sealant dispenser, wherein the air tube outlet is configured to expel air in the same direction that the roof inspection and repair device moves when being wheeled forward.

“2. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 1, wherein the sealant dispenser includes a plurality of openings.

“3. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 2, further including two or more sealant storage containers, wherein some openings of the plurality of openings are connected by one or more sealant tubes to one sealant container while other openings of the plurality of openings are connected by one or more sealant tubes to another sealant container.

“4. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 1, further including a shingle lift mechanism.

“5. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 4, wherein a sloped front surface of the sealant dispenser is configured to be the shingle lift mechanism.

“6. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 1, further including a blower activator that includes at least one of a handgrip, button, and knob.

“7. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 1, further including a sealant dispensing system activator, which includes at least one of a handgrip, button, and knob.

“8. A roof inspection and repair device comprising: a blowing system including an air tube having an air tube inlet configured to connect to a blower and an air tube outlet; handles and wheels connected to the air tube; and a sealing dispensing system including one or more sealant storage containers connected to a sealant dispenser, wherein the sealant dispenser is configured as a roller, wherein the air tube outlet is configured to expel air in a direction perpendicular to the direction that the roof inspection and repair device moves when being wheeled forward.

“9. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 8, wherein the air tube outlet is contained within the roller.

“10. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 8, further including a blower activator that includes at least one of a handgrip, button, and knob.

“11. The roof inspection and repair device of claim 8, further including a sealant dispensing system activator, which includes at least one of a handgrip, button, and knob.

“12. A method of using a roof inspection and repair device comprising: wheeling a roof inspection and repair device along a roof, the roof inspection and repair device comprising an air tube having an air tube inlet and an air tube outlet, at least one wheel and at least one handle coupled to the air tube, a sealant storage container, and a sealant dispenser; activating a blower using a blower activator, causing air to travel through the air tube inlet, down the air tube, and out the air tube outlet; identifying one or more loose shingles with the air coming out of the air tube outlet; dispensing sealant from the sealant storage container; spreading sealant using the sealant dispenser to seal at least one of the loose shingles; and pressing the loose shingle against the dispensed and spread sealant to secure the loose shingle.

“13. The method of claim 12, wherein air travels out the air tube outlet in the same direction the roof inspection and repair device is being wheeled.

“14. The method of claim 12, wherein air travels out the air tube outlet in a direction perpendicular to the direction the roof inspection and repair device is being wheeled.

“15. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying one or more loose shingles includes jostling loose shingles.

“16. The method of claim 12, and lifting shingles by using a shingle lift mechanism.

“17. The method of claim 16, wherein lifting shingles by using a shingle lift mechanism includes lifting shingles using a sloped surface of the sealant dispenser.

“18. The method of claim 17, wherein lifting shingles by using a shingle lift mechanism includes rocking the roof inspection and repair device back on its wheels.

“19. The method of claim 12, wherein dispensing sealant from the sealant storage container includes using a sealant dispensing system activator.

“20. The method of claim 12, wherein dispensing sealant from the sealant storage container includes causing sealant to travel from the sealant storage container through a sealant tube and out through a plurality of openings of the sealant dispenser.”

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Haefli, Eric. Roof Inspection And Repair Device. U.S. Patent Number 10,626,628, filed May 8, 2018, and published online on May 4, 2020. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,626,628.PN.&OS=PN/10,626,628RS=PN/10,626,628

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