U.S. patent application number 11/649415 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-10 for insulation batt with integral air vent.
Invention is credited to Murray Toas.
Application Number | 20080163565 11/649415 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39593084 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080163565 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Toas; Murray |
July 10, 2008 |
Insulation batt with integral air vent
Abstract
An insulation product having an integral air vent channel is
disclosed for use in attic and cathedral ceiling applications. The
product includes an insulation blanket having at least a pair of
raised strips formed on one side thereof. When installed, the
blanket is fit up between a pair of roof rafters until the raised
strips contact the undersurface of the roof. The strips ensure that
a predetermined offset exists between the insulation blanket and
the roof, thus forming an unobstructed ventilation path running
from the soffit to the roof peak. The raised strips can be foamed
polyurethane or other polymer material that is dispensed or
laminated onto the insulation blanket after the blanket exits the
curing oven. The blanket may be a foamed polymer insulation that is
extruded as a blanket at the proper insulation height for
installation or may be cut to size from an overthick bun of
insulation. The blanket and strips may be formed by a mold that
shapes a pour in place foam. The blanket, with attached strips, can
then be compressed for packaging and shipping. When unpackaged at
the work site, the insulation product can be installed between roof
rafters without the need for a separate vent panel, thus
simplifying the installation process.
Inventors: |
Toas; Murray; (Norristown,
PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DUANE MORRIS, LLP;IP DEPARTMENT
30 SOUTH 17TH STREET
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103-4196
US
|
Family ID: |
39593084 |
Appl. No.: |
11/649415 |
Filed: |
January 4, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/95 ; 52/309.4;
52/741.4; 52/745.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D 13/172
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/95 ; 52/309.4;
52/741.4; 52/745.2 |
International
Class: |
E04D 13/16 20060101
E04D013/16; E04D 13/17 20060101 E04D013/17 |
Claims
1. An insulating structure for maintaining a ventilation space
between insulation material and a roof structure, the insulating
structure comprising: an insulating body portion having first and
second major surfaces and a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of
support members disposed on the first major surface, said support
members each having a length oriented substantially parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the insulating body portion and a height which
extends said support members outwardly from said first major
surface; wherein the plurality of support members are positioned in
laterally spaced apart relation across a width of the first major
surface to create at least one ventilation opening, said
ventilation opening formed by the first major surface of the
insulating body portion and opposing inner side surfaces of said
adjacent support members; and wherein the insulating body portion
is resilient and comprises a fiberous or foam insulation material,
and the plurality of support members comprise a stiffness
substantially different from a stiffness of said insulating body
portion.
2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the insulating body portion
comprises glass fibers and the plurality of support members
comprise a foamed polymer.
3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the insulating body portion
comprise a foamed polymer and the plurality of support members
comprise a foamed polymer.
4. The structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support
members each has a height as measured from the first major surface
of the insulating body portion, the height being predetermined to
provide the ventilation opening with a predetermined
cross-sectional area.
5. The structure of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of
support members is offset from a respective lateral side of the
insulation body portion by a predetermined offset distance.
6. The structure of claim 5, wherein a width of the insulating body
portion is about 15 or 23 inches and the offset distance is about
21/2 inches.
7. The structure of claim 6, wherein the width of the insulating
body portion is about 23 inches, and the plurality of support
members comprises at least three longitudinal strips spaced apart
from each other across the width.
8. The structure of claim 5, wherein the plurality of support
members form peripheral ventilation openings defined by the first
major surface of the insulating body portion and respective outer
side surfaces of the support members.
9. The structure of claim 1, the insulating structure further being
configurable into a compressed state upon application of a
compression force.
10. The structure of claim 9, the insulating structure further
having an uncompressed state and an uncompressed thickness greater
than a thickness of the structure in the compressed state, wherein
the insulating structure is capable of self-expanding from the
compressed state to the uncompressed state upon removal of said
compression force.
11. The structure of claim 10, wherein the insulating structure is
configured in the compressed state for packaging, and is configured
in the uncompressed state prior to installation between a pair of
roof rafters.
12. The structure of claim 9, wherein a thickness of the insulating
structure prior to application of the compression force is about
105% to about 130% of the thickness of the insulating structure
subsequent to release of the compression force.
13. The structure of claim 9, wherein a thickness of the insulating
structure prior to application of the compression force is about
110% of the thickness of the insulating structure subsequent to
release of the compression force.
14. The structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support
members are resilient.
15. The structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support
members are rigid.
16. A method for insulating a roof structure, comprising: providing
an insulating body portion having first and second major surfaces
and a longitudinal axis, a first major surface of the insulating
body portion containing a plurality of support members disposed
substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insulating
body portion, each of said support members further being disposed
to extend outward from said first major surface and spaced
laterally apart from one or more adjacent support members; and
disposing the insulating body portion adjacent to a roof sheathing
member such that said support members contact said roof sheathing
member to thereby create a ventilation space between the first
major surface of the insulating body portion, opposing inner side
surfaces of adjacent support members, and a surface of the roof
sheathing member.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the insulating body portion and
the plurality of support members are resilient.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein either the insulating body
portion or the plurality of support members are rigid.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of disposing the
insulating body portion adjacent the roof sheathing member further
creates peripheral ventilation spaces between the first major
surface of the insulating body portion, outer side surfaces of
respective support members, inner side surfaces of adjacent roof
rafters, and a surface of the roof sheathing member.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing step comprises
dispensing a foamed material onto said first major surface to form
said plurality of support members.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing step comprises
laminating strips of a foamed polymer material onto said first
major surface to form said plurality of support members.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the foamed insulation material
comprises polyurethane foam and the insulating body portion
comprises glass fibers.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the dispensing step is
performed after the insulating body portion exits a curing
oven.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the dispensing step fixes the
foamed insulation material in at least two longitudinal strips
along the first major surface of the insulating body portion.
25. The method of claim 16, wherein after the dispensing step the
insulating body portion and the plurality of support members are
configured to a compressed state, packaged, shipped to a work site,
and configured to an uncompressed state prior to disposing the
insulating body portion adjacent to the roof sheathing member.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the insulating body portion has
a thickness prior to being configured to the compressed state that
is about 105% to about 130% of the thickness of the insulating body
portion subsequent to being configured to the uncompressed
state.
27. The method of claim 25, wherein the insulating body portion has
a thickness prior to being configured to the compressed state that
is about 110% of the thickness of the insulating body portion
subsequent to being configured to the uncompressed state.
28. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of support
members have a thickness prior to being configured to the
compressed state that is about 105% to about 130% of the thickness
of the plurality of support members subsequent to being configured
to the uncompressed state.
29. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of support
members have a thickness prior to being configured to the
compressed state that is about 110% of the thickness of the
plurality of support members subsequent to being configured to the
uncompressed state.
30. A method of manufacturing an insulation product, comprising:
providing a layer of insulation blanket material; moving the layer
of insulation blanket material in a machine direction; dispensing a
strip of foamed material on a surface of the layer of insulation
blanket material.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of dispensing a strip
of foamed material comprises dispensing a pair of substantially
parallel lanes of said foamed material on the surface of the layer
of insulation blanket material.
32. The method of claim 30, wherein the layer of insulation blanket
material has a width of about 15 inches or about 23 inches.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein the width of the insulating
body portion is about 23 inches, and dispensing step comprises
dispensing three substantially parallel strips of foamed material
on a surface of the layer of insulation blanket material.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the dispensing step comprises
dispensing a thickness of foamed material to thereby provide a
strip with a predetermined height as measured from the surface of
the layer of insulation blanket material.
35. The method of claim 33, wherein the dispensing step is
performed after the layer of insulation blanket material exits a
curing oven.
36. The method of claim 33, wherein the layer of insulation blanket
material is resilient, the foamed material is either resilient or
rigid, and the foamed material has a stiffness that is greater than
a stiffness of the layer of insulation blanket material.
37. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:
cutting the insulation product to length; compressing the
insulation product so that the insulation product assumes a
compressed state in which a compressed thickness of the insulation
product is less than an uncompressed thickness of the insulation
product; and packaging the insulation product in the compressed
state.
38. The method of claim 33, wherein the layer of insulation blanket
material comprises mineral wool, and the foamed material comprises
polyurethane.
39. The method of claim 33, wherein the dispensing step fixes the
foamed material to the insulation blanket material.
40. The method of claim 33, wherein the strip of foamed material is
offset by a first distance from a lateral side edge of the layer of
insulation blanket material.
41. A method of manufacturing an insulation product, comprising:
providing a layer of insulation blanket material; moving the layer
of insulation blanket material in a machine direction; and
laminating a strip of foamed material on a surface of the layer of
insulation blanket material.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein the insulation blanket has a
width of about 15 inches or about 23 inches, and the step of
laminating a strip of foamed material further comprises laminating
a pair of substantially parallel lanes of said foamed material on
the surface of the layer of insulation blanket material.
43. The method of claim 42, wherein the width of the insulation
blanket is about 23 inches, and the step of laminating a strip of
foamed material further comprises laminating a third strip of
foamed material between said pair of substantially parallel lanes,
said third strip being substantially parallel to said pair of
substantially parallel lanes.
44. An insulating structure for maintaining a ventilation space
between insulation material and a roof structure, the insulating
structure comprising: an insulating body portion having first and
second major surfaces and a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of
support members disposed on the first major surface, said support
members each having a length oriented substantially parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the insulating body portion and a height which
extends said support members outwardly from said first major
surface; wherein the plurality of support members are positioned in
laterally spaced apart relation across a width of the first major
surface to create at least one ventilation opening, said
ventilation opening formed by the first major surface of the
insulating body portion and opposing inner side surfaces of said
adjacent support members; and wherein the insulating body portion
is resilient, the insulation body portion and the plurality of
support members further comprise foam material, and the plurality
of support members have a stiffness substantially the same as a
stiffness of the insulating body portion.
45. The structure of claim 44, wherein the insulating body portion
and the plurality of support members comprise a foamed polymer.
46. The structure of claim 45, wherein the insulating body portion
and the plurality of support members comprise a pour in place
foam
47. The structure of claim 44, wherein the plurality of support
members each has a height as measured from the first major surface
of the insulating body portion, the height being predetermined to
provide the ventilation opening with a predetermined
cross-sectional area.
48. The structure of claim 44, wherein each of the plurality of
support members is offset from a respective lateral side of the
insulation body portion by a predetermined offset distance.
49. The structure of claim 48, wherein a width of the insulating
body portion is about 15 or 23 inches and the offset distance is
about 21/2 inches.
50. The structure of claim 49, wherein the width of the insulating
body portion is about 23 inches, and the plurality of support
members comprises at least three longitudinal strips spaced apart
from each other across the width.
51. The structure of claim 48, wherein the plurality of support
members form peripheral ventilation openings defined by the first
major surface of the insulating body portion and respective outer
side surfaces of the support members.
52. The structure of claim 44, the insulating structure further
being configurable into a compressed state upon application of a
compression force.
53. The structure of claim 52, the insulating structure further
having an uncompressed state and an uncompressed thickness greater
than a thickness of the structure in the compressed state, wherein
the insulating structure is capable of self-expanding from the
compressed state to the uncompressed state upon removal of said
compression force.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention is related to co-pending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/666,657, filed on Sep. 19, 2003, by Duncan
et al., titled "Baffled Attic Vent and Method of Making Same," U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/083,397, filed on Mar. 18, 2005, by
Duncan et al., titled "Reconfigurable Attic Air Vent;" and U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/996,225, filed on Nov. 23, 2004, by
Trabbold, et al., titled "Insulation Batt Having Integral Baffle
Vent," the entirety of which applications are incorporated herein
by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to insulation products installed
between adjacent roof rafters of a structure, and particularly to
an insulation batt having an integral air vent space to allow for
air circulation adjacent to the roof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] With an increasing emphasis on energy efficiency, attic
insulation has often been supplemented by blown, loose-fill
insulation, or by additional or thicker insulation bats to prevent
heat loss in the winter and cool air loss in the summer.
Unfortunately, thicker attic insulation can lead to poor air
circulation when the spaces between the roof joists and the top
wall plate of the building are closed or obstructed. These spaces
must be left open to provide air flow between the soffit area and
the attic space, for reducing excess humidity and heat, which have
been known to deteriorate roofing and structural components. In
order to keep this area open, attic vents have been used.
[0004] The purpose of an attic vent is to prevent installed
insulation, such as fiberglass bats, blankets, fiberglass and
cellulose loose fill, and polymer foam batts from blocking the
natural air flow from the ventilated soffit up through to the roof
ridge vent or gable vents in the attic. Several attic vents have
been designed for this purpose. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No.
4,007,672 directed to a perforated block-style vent, U.S. Pat. No.
4,125,971 directed to a flat panel formed on site into an arch;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,973 directed to a perforated block-style vent;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,683 which is directed to the use of a vent
board attached in the A-plane of a header board; U.S. Pat. No.
4,214,510 directed to a rolled sheet design; U.S. Pat. No.
5,341,612 directed to the use of a longitudinal ridge in a roof
vent for compressive stiffness; U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,847 directed to
a vent having an integral transverse stiffening element integrated
in the bottom offset wall; U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,928, directed to a
vent having stiffeners in the form of saddles in the longitudinal
ridges of the roof plane and gussets between offset, bottom surface
and the inclined walls of the channel; U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,991,
directed to a vent having an integral hinge in a transverse
direction, about 4-6 inches from one end; U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,040,
directed to an integral vent and dam folded on-site from a flat
sheet; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,185, directed to a vent having a
sealable panel that prevents air infiltration except through the
vent.
[0005] In addition, there are many commercial attic vents available
for this purpose: PERMA-R.RTM. from Owens-Corning; or
CERTIVENT.RTM. from Diversifoam, Inc. A simple foam available from
Apache Products; DUROVENT.RTM. and PROVENT.RTM., available from ADO
Products; and products available from Pactiv; AEROVENT.RTM. from
Shelter Enterprises, Inc.; and POLYVENT PLUS.RTM. from Moore
Products, LLC.
[0006] Most of the above mentioned patented or commercial vents are
vacuumed-formed extruded polystyrene foam. These designs provide
for an open air flow area required by most building codes, while
providing the stiffness to resist collapsing when the insulation is
installed.
[0007] The use of such pre-formed vents requires that the vent and
insulation be provided as separate pieces, since the insulation
batts are typically packaged compressed for packaging so as to
reduce the insulation package size for shipping and storage. At the
work site, the installer typically nails or staples the vent to the
roof structure before the insulation is installed. As a result,
there is a chance that the installer may inadvertently fail to
install the vent or may install fewer vents than is desirable for
optimal venting of the roof structure. Proper installation of vents
is particularly important in cathedral ceiling applications, in
which every rafter bay is individually insulated, and where the
insulation vents should be installed along the entire length of the
roof.
[0008] Accordingly, there is a need for an attic air vent that
needs no separate installation step apart from installing the
insulation batt, such that an air space is automatically formed
between the batt and the underside of the roof when the insulation
batt is installed between adjacent roof rafters. Advantageously,
the air vent should be formed with the insulation material during
manufacture and compressed along with the insulation batt for
packaging, shipping, storage and installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] An insulating structure is disclosed for maintaining a
ventilation space between insulation material and a roof structure.
The insulating structure may comprise an insulating body portion
having first and second major surfaces and a longitudinal axis, and
a plurality of support members disposed on the first major surface.
The support members may each have a length oriented substantially
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insulating body portion
and a height which extends said support members outwardly from the
first major surface. The plurality of support members further may
be positioned in laterally spaced apart relation across a width of
the first major surface to create at least one ventilation opening.
The ventilation opening may be formed by the first major surface of
the insulating body portion and opposing inner side surfaces of
said the support members. The insulating body portion may be
resilient and comprises a fibrous or foam insulation material, and
the plurality of support members may comprise a stiffness
substantially different from a stiffness of said insulating body
portion.
[0010] A method for insulating a roof structure is disclosed,
comprising providing an insulating body portion having first and
second major surfaces and a longitudinal axis, a first major
surface of the insulating body portion containing a plurality of
support members disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal
axis of the insulating body portion, each of said support members
further being disposed to extend outward from said first major
surface and spaced laterally apart from one or more adjacent
support members; and disposing the insulating body portion adjacent
to a roof sheathing member such that said support members contact
said roof sheathing member to thereby create a ventilation space
between the first major surface of the insulating body portion,
opposing inner side surfaces of adjacent support members, and a
surface of the roof sheathing member.
[0011] A method of manufacturing an insulation product is
disclosed, comprising: providing a layer of insulation blanket
material; moving the layer of insulation blanket material in a
machine direction; and dispensing a strip(s) of foamed material on
a surface of the layer of insulation blanket material
[0012] A method of manufacturing an insulation product is
disclosed, comprising: providing a layer of insulation blanket
material; moving the layer of insulation blanket material in a
machine direction; and laminating a strip(s) of foamed material on
a surface of the layer of insulation blanket material.
[0013] An insulating structure is disclosed for maintaining a
ventilation space between insulation material and a roof structure.
The insulating structure may comprise an insulating body portion
having first and second major surfaces and a longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of support members disposed on the first major surface.
The support members may each have a length oriented substantially
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insulating body portion
and a height which extends said support members outwardly from said
first major surface. The plurality of support members further may
be positioned in laterally spaced apart relation across a width of
the first major surface to create at least one ventilation opening.
The ventilation opening may be formed by the first major surface of
the insulating body portion and opposing inner side surfaces of
said adjacent support members. The insulating body portion may be
resilient, the insulation body portion and the plurality of support
members further may comprise foam material, and the plurality of
support members may have a stiffness substantially the same as a
stiffness of the insulating body portion. In one embodiment, the
foam material may be a pour in place foam.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments
of the invention so far devised for the practical application of
the principles thereof, and in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the insulation assembly of
the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a typical building
construction showing the insulation assembly of FIG. 1 installed
adjacent the building roof;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a right-side cross-sectional view of the installed
insulation assembly of FIG. 2, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a left-side partial cross-sectional view of the
installed insulation assembly of FIG. 3, taken along line 4-4 of
FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] This invention is directed to attic air vents used under the
roof of a building to ventilate air from a soffit area to an attic
space. The invention is particularly advantageous for use in
cathedral ceiling applications in which pre-formed insulation batts
are placed between roof rafters. Pre-formed insulation batts can be
self-retaining, meaning they are manufactured to have a width that
is about 1/4'' to about 1/2'' wider than the distance between
adjacent roof rafters. The resulting friction-fit between the batts
and roof rafters eliminates the need for stapling or other
mechanical fastenings. One problem with such self-retaining
insulation batts is that without careful installation they can be
pressed up too close to the roof, thereby cutting off air flow from
the soffit to the roof peak.
[0020] In accordance with the Figures, and particularly FIGS. 1 and
2, there is shown a preferred insulation batt 1 for ventilating air
under a roof 2 between a soffit area 4 of the roof and a roof peak
6 of a building 7. The batt 1 comprises an insulation blanket 8
having a pair of raised strips 10 connected to an upper surface 13
of the blanket. The raised strips 10 are configured to engage the
attic side 12 of the roof 2 when the batt 1 is inserted between a
pair of adjacent roof rafters 16, to thereby maintain a desired
offset distance between the upper surface 13 of the blanket and the
attic side 12 of the roof 2. The height "H" of the raised strips 10
is selected to provide a predetermined offset height "H" between
the insulation blanket 8 and the attic side 12 of the roof 2,
resulting in a desired ventilation space (i.e. a duct) 14 between
the blanket 8 and the roof once the batt 1 is installed.
[0021] Preferably, the raised strips 10 will be formed along with
the insulation blanket 8 during the manufacturing process for the
batt 1, and the assembly will be compressed for packaging, storage
and shipment to the work site. The presence of the raised strips 10
simplifies proper installation of the batt 1, ensuring that the
desired ventilation passage 14 is preserved without requiring the
user to install a separate vent as with some prior art designs.
With the present design, the user may simply un-package the
insulation batt 1, cut it to length, and press it up between a pair
of adjacent roof rafters 16 until a slight resistance is felt
(indicating the strips 10 have made contact with the attic side 12
of the roof 2). The insulation batt 1 can be installed without
special tools in new and existing structures, and the installation
can be performed with a minimum of time and labor.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows the batt 1 of FIG. 1 installed between adjacent
rafters 16 of a structure or building 7. Strips 10 are positioned
to provide a ventilation passage 14 from the soffit area 4 of the
roof to the roof peak 6 of the building 7. The building can be an
industrial or a residential building, including a home, office, and
like structures. Building 7 may have a generally horizontal ceiling
18 that extends inwardly from external wall 20 to create an attic
space 19. Roof rafters 16 may extend upwardly from the wall 20 and
ceiling 18 and support the roof sheathing or boards 22. The roof
rafters 16 are, for example, on 12'', 16'' or 24'' centers. The
structure 7 may further have conventional openings between the roof
sheathing 22, the ceiling 18, the wall 20 and adjacent the roof
rafters 16 which provide for the movement of air from soffit area 4
to the roof peak 6. Soffit area 4 may have a vent 24 for allowing
air to move into the soffit area 4 from below the roof
overhang.
[0023] Air flow from the soffit 4 is illustrated by flow arrows,
and can be seen entering the soffit vent 24 beneath the eaves, and
traveling upward along the attic side 12 of the roof 2, between the
roof and the insulation batt 8 until it reaches the roof peak
6.
[0024] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an exemplary batt 1 in position between a
pair of adjacent rafters 16. The batt 1 is positioned so that the
raised strips 10 are engaged with the attic side surface 12 of the
roof 2, thus forming ventilation space 14 bounded by the upper
surface 13 of the insulation blanket 8, the attic side surface 12
of the roof 2, and the inner side surfaces of the raised strips 10.
In addition to this main ventilation passage, a pair of smaller
ventilation passages 15 are also formed between each of the raised
strips 10 and the associated rafter 16.
[0025] Referring again to FIG. 1, strips 10 may be positioned on
the insulation blanket 8 so that the longitudinal axis A-A of each
strip is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis B-B of the
blanket. Additionally, as best viewed in FIG. 3, strips 10 may be
laterally offset from the side edges of the blanket 8 by an offset
distance "OD" to provide substantially even support to minimize sag
in the center of the blanket 8, and to prevent over-compression of
the batt against the attic side of the roof during installation,
which could reduce the cross sectional area of the ventilation
space 14 and undesirably choke air flow.
[0026] It is noted that although the illustrated embodiment
describes a pair of strips 10 associated with the insulation
blanket 8, a fewer or greater number of strips 10 may be provided
along a length of insulation blanket 8, such as a "W-shaped"
cross-sectional configuration. Additionally, although the strips 10
have been described as being continuous lengths of material, they
could instead be formed from multiple discrete lengths of material
laid out along the length of the insulation blanket 8 and separated
by a desired distance.
[0027] The insulation blanket 8 may be formed from polymer foam,
organic fibers such as polymeric fibers, or inorganic fibers such
as rotary glass fibers, textile glass fibers, stonewool (also known
as rockwool) or a combination thereof. Mineral fibers, such as
glass, are preferred. The insulation blanked 8 is typically formed
from glass fibers, often bound together with a heat cured binder,
such as known resinous phenolic materials, like phenolformaldehyde
resins or phenol urea formaldehyde (PUFA). Melamine formaldehyde,
urea-formaldehyde, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic, polyester, urethane
and furan binder may also be utilized in some embodiments.
[0028] The insulation blanket 8 may also comprise a resilient
polymer foam. Exemplary resilient polymer foams that may be used as
the insulation blanket 8 include those specified in ASTM C1534
Standard Specification for Flexible Polymeric Foam Sheet Insulation
Used as a Thermal and Sound Absorbing Liner for Duct Systems, those
specified in ASTM C534 Standard Specification for Preformed
Flexible Elastomeric Cellular Thermal Insulation in Sheet and
Tubular Form, and other flexible resilient foams that may not be
specified by ASTM C534 and C1534. Such polymer foams include, but
are not limited to, polyethylene, polyolefin, natural rubber, PVC,
EPDM, Nitrile/Buna N Rubber, melamine, urethane, neoprene,
polyester, polyether, and EVA.
[0029] The blanket 8 may be a foamed polymer insulation that is
extruded as a blanket at the desired insulation height for
installation, or it may be cut to size from an overthick bun of
insulation.
[0030] In some embodiments, a water vapor retarder facing layer
(not shown), may be provided on the bottom surface 11 of the
insulation blanket 8. The water vapor retarder layer may be a
cellulosic paper, typically formed from kraft paper, coated with a
bituminous adhesive material, such as asphalt, or a smart water
vapor retarder polymeric film, comprised of nylon and/or ethylene
vinyl alcohol, or other construction that has water vapor
transmission properties that adapt to changes in the surrounding
relative humidity. The facing layer may have a water permeance of
no more than about one perm when tested by ASTM E96 Method A test
procedure.
[0031] The strips 10 may be manufactured from cellulosic materials,
such as corrugated cardboard, compressed or molded portions of the
batt 1 itself, or more preferably, any suitable foamed polymer,
such as polyurethane or polyolefin foam. Other appropriate foams,
such as PVC, natural rubber, EPDM, Nitrile/Buna N Rubber, melamine,
neoprene, polyester, polyether, and EVA polyisocyanurate, and
phenolic can be used. Thermoplastic foams such as polystyrene,
polyethylene, and polypropylene can also be used. Foams may be
applied in either monolithic form or in particulate form bonded
together by an adhesive. Additionally, foam layers, with, or
without, adhesive backing layers, could be employed.
[0032] The material used to form the strips 10 may be resilient or
may be rigid. In one embodiment, the strips 10 are formed from a
resilient, flexible urethane foam that may be compressed in
thickness in the mineral fiber batt packaging process where several
layers of batts are compressed to the thickness of one layer and
packaged in a plastic bag. In another embodiment, the strips 10 are
formed from a rigid foam that is not compressed in thickness in the
mineral fiber batt packaging process. The foam strips applied to
the mineral fiber insulation have a higher resistance to
compression than the mineral fiber insulation. Strips laminated to
a foam insulation batt may have equal to or greater stiffness and
resistance to compression than the foam insulation. For a pour in
place foam insulation batt, the foam strips are formed by the mold
that forms the batt and are the same composition as the body of the
batt.
[0033] As noted, the batt 1 may be compressed for packaging. Since
the batt 1 may be in this compressed state for an extended period
of time, it is expected that the batt 1 will experience a degree of
compression set, such that the thickness of the batt 1 when
unpackaged at the work site will be somewhat less than the
thickness of the batt 1 prior to packaging. In one embodiment, the
thickness of the batt 1 prior to packaging may be greater than the
thickness of the batt 1 when unpackaged at the work site.
Preferably, the thickness of the batt prior to packaging will be
from about 105% to 130% of the thickness of the batt 1 when
unpackaged at the work site. More preferably, the thickness of the
batt 1 prior to packaging will be about 110% to about 125% of the
thickness of the batt 1 when unpackaged at the work site. Most
preferably, the thickness of the batt 1 prior to packaging will be
about 110% of the thickness of the batt 1 when unpackaged at the
work site.
[0034] In one embodiment, the insulation blanket 8 comprises a
15-inch or 23-inch wide by 48-inch long cathedral ceiling batt of
mineral fiber insulation material. The strips 10 may be about
1-inch wide by 1-inch high ("H"), and may comprise a
foamed-in-place urethane foam material. Urethane foam dispensing
equipment may be used to dispense two continuous strips 10 about
8-inches apart on the top surface 13 of one or more lanes of
mineral fiber insulation blanket 8 after the insulation exits the
curing oven. Dispensing the strips onto the top surface 13 of the
insulation blanket 8 in this manner ensures that the strips 10 will
be tightly adherent to the blanket 8. Exemplary urethane foam
dispensing equipment and polyurethane foam materials are Sealed Air
Corporation's Instapak.RTM. Model 901 foam dispenser and
Instaflex.TM. High-Performance Resilient Cushioning Foam and UCSC
of Phoenix, Ariz. Duraseal closed cell polyurethane foam.
[0035] Alternatively, the raised strips 10 may be formed, and
adhered, to the insulation blanket 8 in separate steps. In a
further alternative embodiment, the strips 10 may be preformed, cut
or stamped from a sheet of material which may then be adhered to
the insulation blanket 8 using a suitable adhesive. The square foam
strips may also be cut from rolls of resilient foam such as Durkee
International of Wuhan, China EPDM foam, Crestfoam of Moonachie,
N.J. flexible urethane foam, therma-cel closed cell polyethylene
from Nomaco K-flex of Youngsville, N.C., or Armaflex flexible foam
from Armacell LLC of Mebane, N.C. In a continuous mineral fiber
batt manufacturing process, a 12 inch wide continuous roll of foam
is cut into 1'' wide continuous strips that are guided on to the
surface of six lanes of 15'' wide mineral fiber insulation with two
strips per lane. The foam strips are bonded to the mineral fiber
insulation with a strip of hot melt adhesive that is applied to the
surface of the mineral fiber insulation in the location where the
foam strips subsequently are applied to the surface of the mineral
fiber insulation. The foam strips applied to the mineral fiber
insulation are stiffer and have a higher resistance to compression
than the mineral fiber insulation.
[0036] A method for forming individual insulation batts in multiple
lanes is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/690,295, filed Oct. 21, 2003, titled "Separable Fibrous
Insulation;" subsequently published as U.S. patent application
Publication No. 2005-0081481, the entirety of which application is
incorporated by reference herein.
[0037] Strips 10 may have a height "H" of about 1-inch to provide a
desired ventilation passage 14 of a desired size between the roof 2
and the blanket 8.
[0038] Although the embodiment described in relation to FIG. 1
shows a pair of strips 10, it will be appreciated that any
appropriate number of strips may be provided, as desired. Thus,
where wider insulation batts 8 are used, such as those having
23-inch widths, it may be appropriate to provide a third support
strip between the pair of strips 10. In one embodiment, all three
strips 8 are parallel to each other, and the third strip 10 is
disposed at about the longitudinal centerline of the insulation
blanket 8.
[0039] It is noted that both the strips 10 and the insulation
blanket 8 may be made from substantially compressible materials
such as sponge-like, fibrous or foam materials, thus allowing them
to be compacted for packaging and storage. When they are removed
from the package at the work site, they may quickly return to
substantially their original shape and size, e.g., by resiliently
returning to their prepackaged shape and size.
[0040] As will be appreciated, the present design simplifies
manufacture and packaging/shipping as compared to standard
pre-formed molded vents. Since the insulation blanket 8 engages the
inside of the associated rafters, additional means for securing the
strips 10 are unnecessary. In use, the installer can simply unpack
the batt 1, allow the blanket 8 and the strips 10 to regain their
shape, place the batt 1 between a targeted pair of rafters and
press upward until a slight resistance is felt when the strips 10
have engaged the attic side 12 of the roof. The upper surface 13 of
the insulation blanket 8, thus installed, forms a ventilation
passage 14 between the attic side 12 of the roof 2 and the upper
surface 13 of the blanket 8 to provide the desired ventilation
path.
[0041] As an additional advantage, the present design will not
cause moisture buildup in the insulation blanket 8 as some current
solid vent panels can. In normal use, moisture from the attic space
19 can pass through the attic drywall and accumulate in the
insulation blanket 8. Current solid vent panels may cover a large
portion of the upper surface 13 of the insulation blanket 8, thus
hindering the passage of moisture from the blanket into the
ventilation passage 14. By contrast, the strips 10 of the present
design cover only a small portion of the upper surface 13 of the
blanket 8, and thus moisture can freely move from the blanket 8
into the ventilation passage 14 where it can then be carried out
the roof vent or attic roof fan at the peak 16 of the roof.
[0042] Accordingly, it should be understood that the embodiments
disclosed herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the
invention. Various other modifications may be made by those skilled
in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and
fall within the spirit and the scope thereof.
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