Flexible-Based Roof Vent for Metal Roofing
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.
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.
BACKGROUNDThe 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.
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.
SUMMARYThe 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
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 DESCRIPTIONThe 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.
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.
Embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in
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.
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
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.
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.
The vent base 20, as illustrated in
The vent tube 24 may be a rigid, hollow tube having two open ends. For example,
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
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.
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
In another embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
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.
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.
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.
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.
Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:
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).
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 3, 2011
Publication Date: Mar 29, 2012
Inventor: Jacob L. Haines (Colby, KS)
Application Number: 13/197,634
International Classification: E04D 1/34 (20060101); F24F 13/20 (20060101); E04B 1/38 (20060101);