U.S. patent application number 13/197634 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-29 for flexible-based roof vent for metal roofing.
Invention is credited to Jacob L. Haines.
Application Number | 20120073239 13/197634 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45869230 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120073239 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Haines; Jacob L. |
March 29, 2012 |
Flexible-Based Roof Vent for Metal Roofing
Abstract
A roof ventilation apparatus or cover comprising a vent base
having an opening formed therethrough, a vent cap attached to the
vent base and at least partially covering the opening of the vent
base, and a flexible base attached to the vent base and/or the vent
cap. The flexible base may be in covering relationship to an outer
periphery of the vent base or the vent cap. Furthermore, the
flexible base may be configured to be molded to corrugations of a
metal roof and secured thereto. The roof ventilation apparatus may
be used in a method of replacing composite or wood shake roof
shingles on a roof with metal roof panels and at least one vent
opening in a sloped portion of the roof spaced away from a ridge
line of the roof.
Inventors: |
Haines; Jacob L.; (Colby,
KS) |
Family ID: |
45869230 |
Appl. No.: |
13/197634 |
Filed: |
August 3, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61385837 |
Sep 23, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/745.21 ;
454/367; 52/748.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 7/02 20130101; F24F
13/20 20130101; E04D 13/1476 20130101; E04D 13/1475 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/745.21 ;
52/748.1; 454/367 |
International
Class: |
E04D 1/34 20060101
E04D001/34; F24F 13/20 20060101 F24F013/20; E04B 1/38 20060101
E04B001/38 |
Claims
1. A method of attaching a roof ventilation apparatus to a roof,
the method comprising: attaching to the roof a ventilation
apparatus comprising a vent base, a vent cap, and a flexible base,
the roof ventilation apparatus having a passage therethrough to
communicate with an opening formed through the roof; molding the
flexible base to a surface portion of the roof surrounding the
opening formed through the roof; and securing the flexible base to
the roof.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the vent cap
to the vent base such that the vent cap substantially covers an
opening of the vent base aligned with the opening formed through
the roof.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vent cap is integrally formed
with the vent base and substantially covers an opening of the vent
base aligned with the opening formed through the roof.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible base is secured to
the roof with at least one of an adhesive and one or more
mechanical fasteners.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface portion of the roof
to which the flexible base is molded is corrugated.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the roof comprises sheathing and
metal roof panels attached onto the sheathing.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible base is made of at
least one of rubber, a moldable hydrophobic material, and a
flexible metal lining.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the sheathing is at least one of
plywood and oriented strand board (OBS)
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible base is permanently
seamed to a flange portion of the vent cap.
10. A roof vent cover comprising: a vent base having an opening
formed therethrough; a vent cap attached to the vent base and at
least partially covering the opening of the vent base; and a
flexible base attached to the vent base and/or the vent cap in
covering relationship to an outer periphery of the vent base or the
vent cap and configured to be molded to corrugations of a metal
roof and secured thereto.
11. The roof vent cover of claim 10, wherein the flexible base is
made of at least one of rubber, a moldable hydrophobic material,
and a flexible metal lining.
12. The roof vent cover of claim 10, wherein the flexible base
comprises one or more contours configured to align with one or more
contours of the corrugated metal roof.
13. The roof vent cover of claim 10, wherein the vent base has a
tube portion protruding upward toward the vent cap and a flange
portion configured to rest against the roof or against sheathing
under the roof.
14. The roof vent cover of claim 13, wherein the flexible base is
permanently seamed to the flange portion of the vent cap.
15. The roof vent cover of claim 10, wherein the vent base and vent
cap are part of a standard static vent having pre-cut slots around
the edge to allow an edge portion to be bent for providing
securement to the roof.
16. The roof vent cover of claim 10, wherein the vent base
comprises a flat portion attachable to sheathing of the roof and a
tube formed around the opening of the vent base and configured to
protrude upward from the flat portion through metal roofing
attached to the sheathing.
17. The roof vent of claim 16, further comprising a rubber vent
boot having a graduated conical configuration extending upward from
the flexible base around an opening of the flexible base, wherein
the rubber vent boot is installed over the tube of the vent
base.
18. The roof vent of claim 17, wherein the vent cap is a hood and
is attached to at least one of the vent base tube and the rubber
vent boot.
19. The roof vent of claim 10, wherein the flexible base is
configured to be secured to the roof using a mechanical fastener
and/or an adhesive.
20. The roof vent of claim 10, wherein at least one of the vent
base and vent cap are made of at least one of metal, plastic, and
structural composite.
21. A method of replacing composite or wood shake roof shingles on
a roof with metal roof panels, wherein the roof has a vent opening
in a sloped portion of the roof spaced away from a ridge line of
the roof, the method comprising: removing composite or wood shake
roof shingles from sheathing of the roof; installing a plurality of
metal roof panels and a roof vent cover onto the roof, the metal
roof panels being installed onto the sheathing such that the vent
opening is not covered by the metal roof panels, the roof vent
cover comprising a flexible base and a passage that communicates
with the vent opening in the roof; molding the flexible base to
conform with corrugations of the metal roof panels; and securing
the molded flexible base to at least a portion of the metal roof
panels.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the flexible base has an
opening formed therethrough substantially aligned with the vent
opening in the roof.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the roof vent cover further
comprises at least one of a vent base and a vent cap, wherein the
flexible base is attached to an outward-facing surface of at least
one of the vent base and the vent cap, wherein an opening of the
vent base is aligned with the vent opening in the roof.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the flexible base is
permanently seamed to a flange portion of the vent cap.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein the flexible base is secured to
the roof with at least one of an adhesive and one or more
mechanical fasteners.
26. The method of claim 21, wherein the flexible base is made of at
least one of rubber, a moldable hydrophobic material, and a
flexible metal lining.
27. The method of claim 21, wherein the sheathing is at least one
of plywood and oriented strand board (OBS).
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/385,837, filed Sep. 23, 2010,
which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates generally to roof vent systems
installed on residential and commercial buildings for the purpose
of releasing hot, moist air from attics. To install such a system
with conventional, asphalt shingles, a hole is cut in the plywood
sheeting of a roof. A metal vent incorporating flat, metal flashing
and a hood to prevent water entering the attic is then screwed down
over the hole. Shingles can then be cut to lie around the
protruding portion of the vent and covering the flashing in order
to keep water from getting under the vent.
[0003] Due to their longer life and superior weather and fire
resistance, metal roofs are becoming more popular in the
construction of both residential and commercial buildings. These
roofs presently do not allow for the use of conventional roof
vents. Prior art methods for venting metal roofs require the
installation of ridge cap vents. This involves careful measuring,
marking and cutting along the ridge of the roof and then cutting
the vents themselves to fit the length of the roof as well as the
holes that have been cut, which is a labor-intensive project.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention provides the ability to use existing
attic vent holes when installing a metal roof. A flexible base
allows for the ventilation of various metal roofing profiles with a
watertight seal, preventing the introduction of unwanted elements.
By utilizing existing holes, this invention removes the necessity
for cutting new holes in order to adapt a structure for the
installation of metal roofing.
[0005] Specifically, a roof ventilation apparatus or roof vent
cover of the present invention may comprise a vent base having an
opening formed therethrough, a vent cap attached to the vent base
and at least partially covering the opening of the vent base, and a
flexible base attached to the vent base and/or the vent cap.
Specifically, the flexible base may be in covering relationship to
an outer periphery of the vent base or the vent cap. Furthermore,
the flexible base may be configured to be molded to corrugations of
a metal roof and secured thereto.
[0006] A method of attaching a roof ventilation apparatus to a
roof, according to various embodiments of the invention, may first
include the step of attaching to the roof a ventilation apparatus
comprising a vent base, a vent cap, and a flexible base. The roof
ventilation apparatus may also have a passage therethrough
configured to communicate with an opening formed through the roof.
Next, the method may comprise the steps of molding the flexible
base to a surface portion of the roof surrounding the opening
formed through the roof and securing the flexible base to the
roof.
[0007] In another embodiment of the invention, a method of
replacing composite or wood shake roof shingles on a roof with
metal roof panels may first include a step of removing composite or
wood shake roof shingles from sheathing of the roof. The roof, in
this embodiment of the invention, may have a vent opening in a
sloped portion of the roof spaced away from a ridge line of the
roof. The method may further comprise the step of installing a
plurality of metal roof panels and a roof vent cover onto the roof.
Specifically, the metal roof panels may be installed onto the
sheathing such that the vent opening is not covered by the metal
roof panels. Furthermore, the roof vent cover may comprise a
flexible base and a passage that communicates with the vent opening
in the roof. Finally, the method may comprise the steps of molding
the flexible base to conform with corrugations of the metal roof
panels and securing the molded flexible base to at least a portion
of the metal roof panels.
[0008] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed
subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present
invention will be apparent from the following detailed description
of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing
figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail
below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roof ventilation apparatus
constructed according to various embodiments of the invention and
installed on a metal roof;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the roof
ventilation apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the roof
ventilation apparatus of FIG. 1, including sheathing and roof
panels of the metal roof;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a roof ventilation system
constructed according to an alternative embodiment of the invention
and installed on a metal roof; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the roof
ventilation system of FIG. 4, including sheathing and roof panels
of the metal roof.
[0015] The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to
the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The
drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being
placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The following detailed description of the invention
references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific
embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The
embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in
sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice
the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be
made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The
following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a
limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only
by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to
which such claims are entitled.
[0017] In this description, references to "one embodiment", "an
embodiment", or "embodiments" mean that the feature or features
being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the
technology. Separate references to "one embodiment", "an
embodiment", or "embodiments" in this description do not
necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually
exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily
apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For
example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one
embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not
necessarily included. Thus, the present technology can include a
variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments
described herein.
[0018] Embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in
FIGS. 1-5, include a roof ventilation apparatus 10 (also referred
to herein as a roof vent cover) configured for attachment to a roof
12 to cover a vent hole 28 formed therethrough. The roof 12 may be
made of any substantially rigid material, such as a metal roof
comprising corrugated metal sheets. Specifically, the roof 12 may
comprise a plurality of roof panels 14 attached to sheathing 16
secured to beams. The roof panels 14 preferably comprise metal
panels, but it is within the scope of the present invention for
other types of roofing materials to be used including plastic
panels, composite panels, composition or wood shake shingles, or
any other known roof-covering materials. The sheathing 16 may be
plywood, oriented strand board (OBS), or any other sheathing known
in the art of roofing. In one embodiment, the roof ventilation
apparatus 10 comprises a flexible base 18 that conforms to
corrugations of the roof 12, a vent base 20, and a vent cap 22.
[0019] The flexible base 18 may be configured for providing a
watertight peripheral seal between the vent base 20 and/or the vent
cap 22 and the roof 12. The flexible base 18 may be made of any
flexible, moldable material. Specifically, the flexible base 18 may
be manufactured from rubber, synthetic resin material (e.g.,
plastic), or any other hydrophobic material that can be molded to
accommodate a wide range of metal roof profiles, and may further
comprise a flexible metal lining to provide additional structural
support. For example, the flexible base 18 may be made from any
combination of the following flexible materials: thermoplastic
polyolefins, polyolefin elastomers, and synthetic rubbers.
Thermoplastic polyolefins may include polyethylene (PE),
polypropylene (PP), polymethylpentene (PMP), polybutene-1 (PB-1),
and the like. Polyolefin elastomers may include polyisobutylene
(PIB), ethylene propylene rubber (EPR), ethylene propylene diene
Monomer (M-class) rubber (EPDM rubber), and the like. Synthetic
rubbers may include nitrile butadiene rubber (Nitrile, NBR),
polychloroprene (neoprene, CR), polysiloxane (silicon rubber, SI),
and the like.
[0020] The flexible base 18 may also comprise one or more contours
configured to mate or nest with one or more ridges of the roof 12.
The flexible base 18 may have an opening or hole 34 formed
therethrough and configured to align with the vent hole 28 of the
roof 12. In some embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in
FIGS. 4-5, the flexible base 18 may further comprise or be
integrally formed with a vent boot 30, such as a rubber vent boot.
The vent boot 30 may be a hollow tube having two opposing open ends
and may extend upward from the flexible base 18 and be aligned with
the hole 34. The vent boot 30 may have any cross-sectional shape.
For example, the vent boot 30 may have a stepped graduated conical
configuration extending from the flexible base 18. The vent boot 30
may be placed over the vent tube 24 of the vent base 20.
[0021] The flexible base 18 may be attached to the vent base 20
and/or the vent cap 22 in covering relationship to an outer
periphery of the vent base 20 or the vent cap 22 and may be
configured to be molded to corrugations of the roof 12 and secured
thereto. Specifically, the flexible base 18 may be cut (forming the
hole 34) or otherwise formed to fit around a protruding portion of
the vent base 20 and/or the vent cap 22. Alternatively, the
flexible base 18 may be sealed to a bottom surface of the vent base
20 and extend outward from the outer periphery of the vent base
20.
[0022] A water or airtight seal may be formed between the flexible
base 18 and the vent base 20 and/or between the flexible base 18
and the vent cap 22. The seal may be formed by way of permanent
seaming by the manufacturer or installer. However, other methods of
forming the seal may be employed without departing from the scope
of the invention. The flexible base 18 may be configured to be
reshaped or molded to corrugations of the roof 12 via the
application of heat and/or pressure applied to the flexible base 18
after it is positioned on the roof 14. Other methods of reshaping
the flexible base 18 to conform to the roof 12 may be employed
without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0023] The vent base 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, may be
fabricated from metal, plastic, structural composite, or any other
rigid material. The vent base 20 may have any desired dimensions;
however, in certain embodiments, the vent may have a length or
width of between approximately six to thirty-six inches. The vent
base 20 may comprise a vent tube 24 (also referred to herein as a
tube portion) protruding from a flat portion 26 (also referred to
herein as a flange portion), and may be configured to allow passage
of air from the vent hole 28 to the vent cap 22. The flat portion
26 may be integrally formed with the vent tube 24, and the vent
base 20 may be made of any rigid material, such as plastic, metal,
composites, and the like.
[0024] The vent tube 24 may be a rigid, hollow tube having two open
ends. For example, FIGS. 2 and 5 illustrated the vent tube 24
having a substantially cylindrical configuration. However, the vent
tube 24 may have any cross-sectional shape without departing from
the scope of the invention. The flat portion 26 is illustrated as a
substantially square or rectangle sheet of rigid material with a
hole cut therethrough and aligned with one of the openings of the
vent tube 24. However, the flat portion 26 may be a rigid sheet of
any shape and may comprise a hole of any shape formed therethrough
without departing from the scope of the invention. In some
embodiments of the invention, the flat portion 26 may be configured
to be attached directly to the sheathing 16, with the associated
roof panels 14 installed over the flat portion 26 and the vent tube
24 extending through a hole cut in the metal roof panels 14.
Alternatively, the flat portion 26 may be attached directly to or
on a top of one of the metal roof panels 14.
[0025] The vent cap 22 may be configured to allow hot air to escape
without allowing unwanted elements in therethrough. The vent cap 22
may be fabricated from metal, plastic, structural composite, or any
other rigid material. The size of the vent cap 22 may range from
approximately six to thirty-six inches. However, the vent cap 22
may have any size without departing from the scope of the
invention. In some embodiments of the invention, such as those
illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the vent cap 22 may have a static vent
configuration, as described below. Specifically, FIGS. 1-3
illustrate a slant back static metal roof vent having a plurality
of screened or louvered vent openings formed therein and flanges
configured to join the vent cap 22 with the flat portion 26 of the
vent base 20. In other embodiments of the invention, as illustrated
in FIGS. 4-5, the vent cap 22 may be a hood with venting ports
attachable to the top of the vent tube 24. The hood may be designed
in a manner that ensures escape of the hot or moist air from an
attic via the vent hole 28 while ensuring that water and other
unwanted elements are not able to enter the vent tube 24. The vent
cap/hood 22 illustrated in FIGS. 4-5 has a circular cross-section,
however vent caps of any shape or configuration may be used without
departing from the scope of the invention. The vent cap 22 and/or
the vent base 20 may be any roof vent known in the art, such as a
static roof vent, power roof vent, wind turbine, and the like.
[0026] The roof ventilation apparatus 10 may be installed over the
hole 28 of the roof 12 in a variety of ways, depending on the
configuration of the roof 12 and/or the roof ventilation apparatus
10. For example, the flat portion 26 of the vent base 20 may be
placed over or under the roof panels 14, as described below.
Additionally, the vent cap 22 may be attached to the flat portion
26 or the vent tube 24 of the vent base 20, depending on the
configuration of the vent cap 22. Furthermore, various methods of
sealing the flexible base 18 to the vent base 20 and/or the vent
cap 22 may be employed.
[0027] In one embodiment of the invention, the vent base 20 may be
attached and/or integrated with the vent cap 22 to form a one-piece
static vent 32, such as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The static vent
32 may be a standard static vent with the addition of pre-cut slots
around an edge thereof, which may be bent to provide additional
securement to the roof 14. In this embodiment, the flexible base 18
may be cut to fit around a protruding portion of the static vent 32
and permanently seamed, by the manufacturer or installer, to a top
surface of a bottom flange of the static vent 32. The completed
assembly (flexible base 18 and static vent 32) may be placed over
the hole 28 formed through the roof 12 for venting a room or attic,
such that the completed assembly sits atop the roof 12. The
flexible base 18 may then be molded to the roof 12. For example,
the flexible base 18 may be molded such that it covers gaps between
a bottom face of the static vent 32 and corrugations in the metal
roof panels 14 of the roof 12, preventing the introduction of water
and other unwanted elements. Finally, the completed assembly may be
secured to the roof 12 by screwing sheet metal screws or other
various mechanical attachments through the flexible base 18 into
the roof panels 14 and sheathing 16.
[0028] In another embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in
FIGS. 4-5, the roof ventilation apparatus 10 may consist of three
separate components (the flexible base 18, the vent base 20, and
the vent cap 22) that can be installed individually. In this
embodiment of the invention, the flat portion 26 of the vent base
20, which may be similar to flashing on traditional roof vents, may
be secured directly to the sheathing 16. In this example embodiment
of the invention, the vent tube 24 may extend upward approximately
four to six inches from the flat portion 26 and may be configured
to protrude through the roof panels 14 via the vent hole 28.
However, the vent tube 24 may have any dimensions without departing
from the scope of the invention. Next, the roof panels 14 may be
cut to fit around the vent tube 24 and installed over the flat
portion 26, which is already attached directly to the sheathing 16,
as described above.
[0029] Furthermore, as illustrated in FIGS. 4-5, to form a seal
around the vent tube 24, the vent boot 30 extending from the
flexible base 18 may be placed over the vent tube 24. The flexible
base 18 may then be molded to the corrugations of the roof panels
14. A silicon or epoxy sealant may be applied to the base of the
flexible vent boot 30 and/or the flexible base 18, which may then
be screwed in place to the roof 12, providing a watertight seal to
both the vent tube 24 and the roof 12. Next, the vent cap 22 (e.g.,
a hood with venting ports) may be attached to a top of the vent
tube 24. The vent cap 22 may be designed in a manner that ensures
escape of the hot or moist air from the attic while ensuring that
water and other unwanted elements are not able to enter the vent
tube 24.
[0030] The roof ventilation apparatus 10, as described above, may
be used in a method of replacing roofing panels, such as composite
or wood shake roof shingles, with metal roof panels 14. This method
may particularly be useful when the vent opening 28 of the roof 12
is in a sloped portion of the roof 12 spaced away from a ridge line
of the roof 12, such that ridge cap vents cannot be used. The
method may comprise the steps of removing composite or wood shake
roof shingles from the sheathing 16 of the roof 12, then installing
a plurality of the metal roof panels 14 and the roof ventilation
apparatus 10 onto the roof 12.
[0031] Specifically, the metal roof panels 14 may be installed onto
the sheathing 16 such that the vent opening 28 is not covered by
the metal roof panels 14. The hole 34 of the flexible base 18 may
be in communication with and/or aligned with the vent opening 28 in
the roof 12. Furthermore, the flexible base 18 may be attached or
sealed to an outward-facing surface of the vent base 20 and/or the
vent cap 22, with an opening of the vent base 20 aligned with the
vent opening 28 in the roof 12.
[0032] Next, the method may comprise the steps of molding the
flexible base 18 to conform with corrugations of the metal roof
panels 14 and securing the molded flexible base 18 to at least a
portion of the metal roof panels 14. As mentioned above, the
flexible base 18 may be secured to the roof 12 with an adhesive
and/or at least one mechanical fastener.
[0033] Although the invention has been described with reference to
the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing
figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and
substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the
invention as recited in the claims.
[0034] Having thus described various embodiments of the invention,
what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent includes the following:
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