U.S. patent application number 12/791388 was filed with the patent office on 2011-12-01 for two piece roof vent.
Invention is credited to Michael Vagedes.
Application Number | 20110294412 12/791388 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45022525 |
Filed Date | 2011-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110294412 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vagedes; Michael |
December 1, 2011 |
TWO PIECE ROOF VENT
Abstract
A roof vent designed to be nestable for easy shipment and which
can be injection molded includes a base member and cover member.
The base is nestable in an identical base, and the cover is
nestable in an identical cover. The base and cover can be totally
separate or connected by a living hinge or runner. To install the
vent, the cover is positioned over the base and the two are nailed
together to the roof surface.
Inventors: |
Vagedes; Michael; (Florence,
KY) |
Family ID: |
45022525 |
Appl. No.: |
12/791388 |
Filed: |
June 1, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
454/242 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 7/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
454/242 |
International
Class: |
F24F 7/02 20060101
F24F007/02; F24F 13/20 20060101 F24F013/20 |
Claims
1. A one piece roof vent comprising a base member and a cover
member connected together: said base member including a top flange,
a bottom flange and side flanges, front, back and side walls
extended from said flanges, and a top wall, said top wall having
air flow passages; said cover member having a top and bottom flange
and a front wall, back wall and side walls, and a solid top wall;
whereby a vent in an unfolded condition is nestable within an
identical vent; and whereby said cover member folds over said base
member at said living hinge and said front, back and side walls of
said cover member surround and are spaced from said front, back and
side walls of said base member.
2. The roof vent claimed in claim 1 wherein the base member and
cover member are connected together at a living hinge.
3. The roof vent claimed in claim 1 wherein the base member and
cover member are connected together by a runner.
4. The roof vent claimed in claim 1 wherein said top flange of said
cover member extends farther than the top flange of said base
member.
5. The roof vent claimed in claim 2 wherein said cover member and
base member are connected by first and second straps, each having a
living hinge.
6. The roof vent claimed in claim 5 wherein said cover member and
base member are hinged together at top flanges of said base and
cover.
7. The roof vent claimed in claim 1 wherein said top wall of said
base has air openings which are smaller than air openings in the
side walls of said cover member.
8. The roof vent claimed in claim 1 wherein said base includes a
raised peripheral shoulder and wherein bottom edges of said front,
back and side walls of said cover member locate adjacent said
shoulder when said vent is folded.
9. The roof vent claimed in claim 1 wherein said base member and
cover member are held together on a roof surface by nails extended
through flanges in said base and said cover member.
10. The roof vent claimed in claim 7 wherein said vent is injection
molded.
11. A two piece roof vent comprising a base member and a cover
member, said base member including a top flange, a bottom flange
and side flanges, front wall, back wall and side walls extended
from said flanges, and a top wall, said top wall having air flow
passages; said cover member having top and bottom flanges and a
front wall, back wall and side walls and a solid upper wall wherein
said cover member locates over said base member and said front back
and side walls of said cover member surrounded and spaced from said
front, back and side walls of said base member, and wherein said
side walls of said cover member include slotted air openings
whereby identical cover members are nestable in each other; and
identical base members are nestable in each other.
12. The roof vent claimed in claim 11 wherein said base and cover
member are held together on a roof surface by nails extended
through flanges in said base member and said cover member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Generally, roof vents on residential buildings are nailed to
the roof surface and cover a hole which extends through the roof
surface into an attic space. The vents are attached to the roof at
the same time the roof is shingled, with the bottom flange of the
roof vent extending over a lower row of shingles, and an upper row
of shingles extending over a top flange of the roof vent. The roof
vent has an inner section and an outer section that creates a
circuitous path preventing water from passing through the outer
openings in the roof vent into the building but allow air through
the vent.
[0002] This construction causes the roof vents to be relatively
bulky. If several vents are shipped together, they are usually in
individual packages because these vents do not nest. Further, they
cannot be easily formed by injection molding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention is premised on the realization that a
more compact, easily manufactured roof vent can be formed in two
sections, an inner section and an outer section, both sections
having forward and rear flanges and at least one of the sections
having side flanges. These are installed together by placing one on
top of the other and nailing the two together to the roof.
[0004] Because these are formed as two sections, the vents can be
injection molded. Further, if the sections are totally separate,
the inner section can be formed from a less expensive material
without coloring, and the outer section can be formed from a
variety of different colors, which decreases the cost of
manufacturing but allows multiple colored roof vents to be
manufactured.
[0005] The roof vent can also be formed in one piece wherein the
inner and outer sections are connected together by a living hinge
or runner. Either construction allows the two pieces to be nested
together so that multiple vents can be shipped in a single box that
is only about twice the size of a box that would hold only one
prior art roof vent.
[0006] The objects and advantages of the present invention will be
further appreciated in light of the following detailed description
and drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view broken away of a roof vent on a
shingled roof;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention in a
disassembled form;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken at lines 4-4 of FIG.
2;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a one-piece product during
assembly; and
[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view of an alternate
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] According to the present invention, a roof vent 10 includes
an inner base member 12 and an outer cover member 14. The vent 10
is attached to a roof surface 16 and covers an opening 17 through
the roof surface 16. The roof vent 10, in turn, is surrounded by
shingles 18. The vent can be plastic and formed by injection
molding or the vent can be metal.
[0014] The base member 12 has a peripheral flange 20 formed from a
top flange 22, a bottom flange 24 and two side flanges 26.
Peripheral flange 20 includes a circumferential raised shoulder 28.
Sloped side walls 30, forward wall 32, and back wall, or lower wall
34 extend up from shoulder portion 28 and surround a top wall 36.
The base member 12 includes upper air openings 38 through wall 32,
and air openings 40 through top wall 36. These openings are
relatively small to keep bugs from passing through the vent. The
remaining side walls 30 and lower wall 34 are solid to prevent
water ingress.
[0015] As shown in the one piece embodiment of FIG. 3, the cover
member 14 is attached to the base member 12 by first and second
connecting straps 42 and 44. These extend from the forward flange
32 of the base member to a forward flange 45 of the cover member 14
and connect to the flange 45 with living hinges 47.
[0016] The cover member 14 includes, in addition to the forward
flange 45, minor side flanges 48 and a rear flange 54. Indented
portion 49 on the upper flange 45 and side flanges 48 correspond to
the straps 42 and 44 and portions of the front flange 22 and side
flanges 26 of the base member. The cover member 14 further includes
side walls 50 with air openings 51; a back wall 52, again with air
openings 53; as well as a forward solid wall 55; as well as a top
solid wall 56. The location and size of the respective walls allow
the cover member 14 to fit over and cover the base member 12.
[0017] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the two sections are combined by
rotating the cover member 14 onto the base member 12 at living
hinges 47, as shown by arrow 59. The indented portion 49 of the
flange 45 and side flanges 48 will overlie the straps 42 and 44,
forward flange 22, and portions of the side flanges 26 of the base
member 12. The raised shoulder 28 aligns the walls of the cover
member 14 and the base member 12.
[0018] The bottom flange 54 of the cover member rests on the bottom
flange 24 of the base member 12 with nail holes 58 aligned with
nail holes 60, and nail holes 62 aligned with nail holes 64 in the
bottom flange 24. An additional nail hole 66 is centered over a
space 68 between straps 42 and 44. When the cover member is over
base member 12, circuitous air paths are provided through the
opening 17 in the roof surface 16, through either the openings 38
or 40 in the base member, and then, subsequently, through openings
51 or 53 in the side walls or lower wall of the cover member. These
are represented by arrows 65 in FIG. 4.
[0019] As can be seen in FIG. 3, base 12 and cover 14 are formed
from single walls, i.e., without bracing, or the like, which allows
multiple vents in an unfolded condition to nest together. This
allows one to ship a large number of vents in a relatively small
container. The straps can be much thinner and may simply be runners
connecting the two sections.
[0020] Vent 10 is installed as the roof is covered with shingles
18. The cover member 14 is first folded over the base member 12. As
shown in FIG. 1, the row 72 of shingles 18 immediately below the
roof vent 10 are placed in position so that the bottom flanges 24
and 54 of the assembled vent overlie the shingles in row 18 in row
72. The vent is held together by nails 73 that extend through holes
62 and 64 into the roof surface. These nails are then caulked over
to prevent any leakage. Nails are then driven through holes 58 and
60, and through hole 66, nailing the upper section of the vents
together and fixing these to the roof at the same time. Upper row
74 of shingles 18 is placed in position so that it covers the upper
flange 45 and portions of the side flange 48.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment in which roof vent 80
includes separate base member 82 and cover member 84. Base member
82 includes a circumferential flange 86, raised shoulder 88 and
sloped walls 90, 92, 94, and 96, which surround a top wall 98. Top
wall 98 and front wall 90 both include air passages 102. The cover
member 84 likewise includes a top flange 104 and bottom flange 105.
It also includes walls 106, 108, 110 and 112, respectfully, which
surround and support a top solid wall 114. The base of the walls is
sized to rest adjacent the shoulder 88 of the base member. Side
walls 110 and 108, and rear wall 112 include slotted air passages
113.
[0022] This product is assembled on the roof in the same manner as
the roof vent 10. As the roof is being shingled, the cover member
84 is placed on top of the base member 82. Flanges 104 and 105
include nail holes 115 that align with nail holes 117 in the flange
86. This product is then installed in the same manner as the vent
10, disclosed above.
[0023] The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 has the added advantage that
it can be injection molded with two different plastics. The plastic
used in base member 82 can be different than the plastic used with
cover member 84. This allows the color of the cover member 84 to be
changed while keeping the base member the same color, thereby
reducing expenses. The two portions members 84 and 82 however will
nest so that a plurality of cover members 84 can be shipped in one
package and a plurality of base member 82 can be shipped in a
separate package allowing a plurality of the vents to be contained
in smaller packages relative to typical roof vents.
[0024] This has been a description of the present invention along
with the preferred method of practicing the present invention.
However, the invention itself should only be defined by the
appended claims, WHEREIN I CLAIM:
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