Patents by Inventor Sudhir Railkar

Sudhir Railkar has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9416539
    Abstract: A roofing system and roofing shingles for use therein are disclosed. The roofing system comprises a multiplicity of courses of roofing shingles having a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, and a lateral trailing edge, wherein the headlap portion has a width that is less than a width of the buttlap portion defining a reduced-width headlap, wherein the lateral trailing edge of a shingle in a course partially overlaps and partially abuts the lateral leading edge of an adjacent previously installed shingle to form an interlocking edge between adjacent shingles in the course, and wherein the lateral edge includes a trailing edge projection having a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Luis Duque, Ming-Liang Shiao, Sudhir Railkar, Olan Leitch
  • Publication number: 20160222667
    Abstract: A roofing panel has a field, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first end, and a second end. The field of the roofing panel is ornamented such as by being coated and/or embossed and/or pressed to emulate the appearance of a traditional roofing shingle. A clip extends along the forward edge of the roofing panel and projects downwardly therefrom. A slot extends along the rear edge of the roofing panel and the slot has an upwardly facing elongated opening. The slot is cut short or truncated at the first end of the roofing panel such that the second end of a like shingle can be overlapped onto the first end in such a way that the ornamentation on the field of the roofing panel prevents water migration through the region of overlap of the roofing panel and the like roofing panel. The clip is configured to be pressed down by an installer through the opening of the slot and lock within the slot to attach one course of shingles securely to a next lower course of shingles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Eric R. Anderson, Tommy Rodrigues, Sudhir Railkar
  • Patent number: 9399870
    Abstract: A roofing system and roofing shingles for use therein are disclosed. The roofing system comprises a multiplicity of courses of roofing shingles having a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, and a lateral trailing edge, wherein the headlap portion has a width that is less than a width of the buttlap portion defining a reduced-width headlap, wherein the lateral trailing edge of a shingle in a course partially overlaps and partially abuts the lateral leading edge of an adjacent previously installed shingle to form an interlocking edge between adjacent shingles in the course, and wherein the lateral edge includes a trailing edge projection having a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Olan Leitch, Luis Duque, Ming-Liang Shiao, Sudhir Railkar
  • Patent number: 9399871
    Abstract: A roofing system and roofing shingles for use therein are disclosed. The roofing system comprises a multiplicity of courses of roofing shingles having a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, and a lateral trailing edge, wherein the headlap portion has a width that is less than a width of the buttlap portion defining a reduced-width headlap, wherein the lateral trailing edge of a shingle in a course partially overlaps and partially abuts the lateral leading edge of an adjacent previously installed shingle to form an interlocking edge between adjacent shingles in the course, and wherein the lateral edge includes a trailing edge projection having a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Olan Leitch, Luis Duque, Ming-Liang Shiao, Sudhir Railkar
  • Patent number: 9371450
    Abstract: A finished flake for a roofing material including a metal flake substrate having an emissivity value up to approximately 0.25 and a reflectivity value up to approximately 0.95. A first coating is provided having unpigmented sodium silicate disposed on the substrate, wherein the first coating increases the emissivity value of the substrate and decreases the reflectivity value of the substrate. A second coating is provided having sodium silicate loaded with reflective pigments non-uniformly disposed about the first coating, wherein the finished flake has an emissivity value in excess of approximately 0.75 and a reflectivity value ranging from approximately 0.4 to approximately 0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: BUILDING MATERIALS INVESTMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul G. Wilson, Jacob S. Zhanel, Sudhir Railkar, Daniel Boss, Matti Kiik
  • Publication number: 20160145869
    Abstract: A roofing system and roofing shingles for use therein are disclosed. The roofing system comprises a multiplicity of courses of roofing shingles having a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, and a lateral trailing edge, wherein the headlap portion has a width that is less than a width of the buttlap portion defining a reduced-width headlap, wherein the lateral trailing edge of a shingle in a course partially overlaps and partially abuts the lateral leading edge of an adjacent previously installed shingle to form an interlocking edge between adjacent shingles in the course, and wherein the lateral edge includes a trailing edge projection having a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Olan Leitch, Luis Duque, Ming-Liang Shiao, Sudhir Railkar
  • Publication number: 20160145868
    Abstract: A roofing system and roofing shingles for use therein are disclosed. The roofing system comprises a multiplicity of courses of roofing shingles having a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, and a lateral trailing edge, wherein the headlap portion has a width that is less than a width of the buttlap portion defining a reduced-width headlap, wherein the lateral trailing edge of a shingle in a course partially overlaps and partially abuts the lateral leading edge of an adjacent previously installed shingle to form an interlocking edge between adjacent shingles in the course, and wherein the lateral edge includes a trailing edge projection having a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Luis Duque, Ming-Liang Shiao, Sudhir Railkar, Olan Leitch
  • Publication number: 20160145872
    Abstract: Metal roofing panels have a forward edge portion with a downwardly extending skirt and return flange and a rear edge or headlap portion with an upwardly open channel and a locking tab extending over a portion of the upwardly open channel. A method of installing the roofing panels includes nailing a lower course of panels in end-to-end overlapping relationship to a roof deck. The forward edge portions of panels in the next higher course of panels are then pressed downwardly into the upwardly open channels of the lower course panels. The return flanges of the upper course panels snap beneath the locking tabs of the upwardly open channels thus locking the panels together and forming a watertight connection between courses of panels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Eric R. Anderson, Sudhir Railkar
  • Publication number: 20160145870
    Abstract: A roofing system and roofing shingles for use therein are disclosed. The roofing system comprises a multiplicity of courses of roofing shingles having a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, and a lateral trailing edge, wherein the headlap portion has a width that is less than a width of the buttlap portion defining a reduced-width headlap, wherein the lateral trailing edge of a shingle in a course partially overlaps and partially abuts the lateral leading edge of an adjacent previously installed shingle to form an interlocking edge between adjacent shingles in the course, and wherein the lateral edge includes a trailing edge projection having a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Olan Leitch, Luis Duque, Ming-Liang Shiao, Sudhir Railkar
  • Patent number: 9273885
    Abstract: A roof integrated photovoltaic system includes a plurality of photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge. A right end coupler is secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels and a left end coupler is secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels. The right end couplers and the left end couplers are configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement with each other. At least one front edge coupler is affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof and at least one back edge coupler is affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Tommy F. Rodrigues, Sudhir Railkar, Daniel E. Boss, David J. Gennrich, Cory Boudreau, Daniel Roger Nett, Kent J. Kallsen, Luis Duque
  • Patent number: 9169646
    Abstract: A solar roofing panel has a rectangular body with solar cells exposed on the upper surface of the body and an electrical junction box on the lower surface of body along the forward edge portion thereof. A cutout is formed in the upper edge portion of the rectangular body at a corner thereof. When a plurality of solar panels are arranged on a roof in courses with an upper course partially overlapping a lower course, the junction boxes of roofing panels in the upper course are disposed in the cutouts of roofing panels of the lower course. Accordingly, the solar roofing panels present a low profile mimicking the profile of slate-style shingles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Tommy F. Rodrigues, Sudhir Railkar, Walter Zarate, Matti Kiik
  • Patent number: 9166523
    Abstract: A solar roof shingle for providing AC electrical power when exposed to sunlight includes a shingle frame having a bottom panel supportable on a roof deck, a top panel, and a thickness between the bottom panel and the top panel. The solar roof shingle also includes a solar collector mounted to and covering at least a portion to the top panel of the shingle frame, with the solar panel producing DC electrical energy at DC terminals when the solar collector is exposed to sunlight. A nano-inverter is disposed within the shingle frame between the bottom panel and the top panel and is electrically coupled to the DC terminals. The nano-inverter converts DC electrical energy to AC electrical energy available at AC terminals mounted to the shingle frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corportion
    Inventors: Matti Kiik, Daniel E. Boss, Tommy F. Rodrigues, Sudhir Railkar
  • Publication number: 20150197639
    Abstract: A finished flake for a roofing material including a metal flake substrate having an emissivity value up to approximately 0.25 and a reflectivity value up to approximately 0.95. A first coating is provided having unpigmented sodium silicate disposed on the substrate, wherein the first coating increases the emissivity value of the substrate and decreases the reflectivity value of the substrate. A second coating is provided having sodium silicate loaded with reflective pigments non-uniformly disposed about the first coating, wherein the finished flake has an emissivity value in excess of approximately 0.75 and a reflectivity value ranging from approximately 0.4 to approximately 0.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Paul G. WILSON, Jacob S. Zhanel, Sudhir Railkar, Daniel Boss, Matti Kiik
  • Patent number: 9068354
    Abstract: An outside corner patch for TPO roofing is formed from a circular piece of TPO membrane material being vacuum formed to define an array of flutes that extend from the center of the piece toward its edges. The flutes form ridges and valleys that generally are shaped as conical sections with the apex of the conical sections located at the center of the patch. The number and size of the flutes is optimized in such a way that, when the flutes are stretched flat, the patch conforms to and fits flat against the surfaces of an outside corner formed by the intersection of a roof deck with an upward protrusion from the roof. The TPO outside corner patch is applied over the corner and thermally welded to surrounding TPO membranes on the roof deck and the protrusion to form a watertight seal at the outside corner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventor: Sudhir Railkar
  • Publication number: 20150159378
    Abstract: A vent is disclosed that is particularly suited to use in ventilating attic spaces beneath a hip roof. The vent is configured to be installed along a hip of the roof overlying and covering a ventilation slot formed through the roof deck along the hip. The vent includes an elongated laterally flexible top panel from which baffle arrays depend. The baffle arrays are formed of a plurality of depending arcuately curved vanes that arc away from the vent. The vanes are aerodynamically shaped to redirect wind-blown rain and snow away from the vent and are configured to block the migration of rain and snow through the vent. A pair of spongy conformable filler strips is attached beneath the edge portions of the vent. The filler strips conform to the shapes of underlying shingles when the vent is installed to fill any gaps that otherwise might be formed between the vent and the shingles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: Tim Manasterski, Walter Zarate, Sudhir Railkar, Jeffrey Avitabile, Peter Campbell
  • Patent number: 8925262
    Abstract: A solar ridge vent includes an elongated laterally flexible panel having edge portions and ventilation grids extending along the edge portions. Channel members extend along the edge portions of the panel and define channels that have channel openings facing inwardly. The channels are sized to receive edges of auxiliary components to hold the auxiliary components on the ridge vent. The auxiliary components may be ridge cap shingles, slate cap shingles, light emitting emergency location panels, or fluid heating panels. In a preferred embodiment, solar power generating panels are configured to be mounted on the ridge vent with its edges held in the channels. A remote electrical box has chargeable batteries, a power inverter, and an AC outlet to provide electrical power in an emergency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Sudhir Railkar, Walter Zarate, Matti Kiik
  • Publication number: 20140366464
    Abstract: A roof integrated photovoltaic system includes a plurality of photovoltaic panels each having a right end, a left end, a front edge, and a back edge. A right end coupler is secured to the right ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels and a left end coupler is secured to the left ends of at least some of the photovoltaic panels. The right end couplers and the left end couplers are configured to interlock and form a seal when two of the plurality of panels are moved into end-to-end engagement with each other. At least one front edge coupler is affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the front edges thereof and at least one back edge coupler is affixed to at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic panels at the back edges thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Tommy F. Rodrigues, Sudhir Railkar, Daniel E. Boss, David J. Gennrich, Cory Boudreau, Daniel Roger Nett, Kent J. Kallsen, Luis Duque
  • Patent number: D761447
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Eric R. Anderson, Tommy Rodrigues, Sudhir Railkar
  • Patent number: D763468
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Olan Leitch, Luis Duque, Ming-Liang Shiao, Sudhir Railkar
  • Patent number: D764687
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Building Materials Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Eric R. Anderson, Tommy Rodrigues, Sudhir Railkar