Self-registering roof ventilation system
A self-registering roof ventilation system comprised of a panel including flanged lateral edges. At least one flanged lateral edge has a registration tab for registering with an adjacent panel. The panel is installed on top of roof framing members prior to the addition of roof sheathing so that the flanged lateral edges can be secured between the roof framing members and the roof sheathing. The panel in combination with the roof sheathing creates a vent channel for channeling air from soffit vents along the underside of the roof sheathing and out of the attic through a ridge vent. The panel may further comprises a baffle flap with a living hinge that is adjustable to any pitched roof. The baffle flap forms a barrier to stop insulation from the attic from getting into the eave space and obstructing the soffit vents. Additional panels can be added to extend the length of the vent channel.
This invention relates generally to a roof ventilation system. In particular, the present invention is directed to a roof ventilation system that incorporates an eave component and optional continuation components, each component comprising a panel including at least one registration tab for self-registering to an adjacent panel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONResidential and commercial buildings with sloped roofs typically include an open, unheated attic. The proper use of insulation and ventilation within the attic space can provide both energy conservation and help reduce common adverse conditions associated with moisture build up and extreme temperature variations. For example, during the summer extreme heat in the attic can degrade the roofing materials and increase cooling costs for the space below the attic. Insulation is normally placed in the ceiling/attic floor assembly to insulate the occupied levels of the building from the heat that builds up in the attic. A ventilation system is usually incorporated to reduce heat build-up and remove moisture from the attic. The ventilation system requires a combination of soffit vents that bring air into the attic and a ridge vent that allows air to vent out of the attic. In general, the air is moved along the underside of the roof sheathing by thermal convection. Where the soffit vents are located below the eaves of the roof, it is important to provide an air pathway between the soffit vent and the underside of the roof sheathing to allow for this air movement. This air pathway will allow cool air to enter through the soffit vent, run along the underside of the roof and exit through a ridge vent to cool the roof and allow moisture to escape. In cold climates, inadequate insulation and ventilation at the eaves often results in repeated freezing and thawing of snow which produces ice dams at the roof eaves. These dams can cause water to creep up under the shingles and leak into the building. Lack of ventilation will also cause moisture to condense on the underside of the roof and within the insulation. This moisture will degrade both the roof sheathing and reduce the effectiveness of the insulation. Prolonged moisture can also result in mold growth in the attic space. This condition can again be mitigated by providing a continuous and clear air pathway from the soffit vent along the underside of the roof to a ridge vent. Cool air entering from the soffit vent will flow through this pathway to cool the underside of the roof reducing snow melt higher up the roof that would then flow down the roof and freeze near the eaves creating an ice dam. The thermal convection of air will also remove airborne moisture that would otherwise condense on the underside of the roof or in the insulation.
It is therefore common in the building industry, and required by most building codes, to install some form of roof ventilation system that will provide a vent channel (air pathway) on the underside of the roof running from the eave space to an upper portion of the roof. It is also common to install some type of baffle that fits between roof framing members at the exterior wall plane to prevent insulation materials from getting into the eave space and thereby blocking the soffit vents. Most prior art roof ventilation baffles are designed to be installed after the roof has been completely sheathed with plywood or some other substrate. The process of installing and fitting “vent chutes” and baffles into the narrow, sloped areas where the eave portion of the roof intersects the exterior wall structure of the building can be tedious and time consuming. This process can lead to both ineffective vent formation and increased labor costs when constructing a building. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that opportunity exists for providing new and improved ventilation structures that can create an air passage between the soffit vents and the attic ridge vent. Such a structure should be one that is pre-formed, easy to align, does not have to be cut, and can adjust to any angle roof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne aspect of the present invention is directed to a roof ventilation system comprising a panel that includes flanged lateral edges. At least one flanged lateral edge has a registration tab for registering with an adjacent panel. When the flanged lateral edges are secured between the top of roof framing members and the roof sheathing, a vent channel is created between the roof and the panel.
Another aspect is directed to a method of forming a roof vent channel comprising the steps of providing a framed roof with exposed roof framing members and a panel including flanged lateral edges. At least one of the flanged lateral edges has a registration tab for registering with an adjacent panel. The method then includes registering the panel to the adjacent panel on the roof framing members and securing the panel to the roof framing members. Roof sheathing is installed over the roof framing members and the panel to create the roof vent channel.
The foregoing and other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
Each flanged lateral edge 28a and 28b of eave component 21 has at least one registration tab 44 for alignment to an adjacent panel.
Eave component 21 further includes a baffle flap 48 on first end 30 of panel 26. Baffle flap 48 is preferably 13½ inches long, but the baffle flap may take any length appropriate for the exact application. Baffle flap 48 is integrated with panel 26 by way of a living hinge 50. Panel 26 and baffle flap 48 are preferably fabricated as one integral unit during manufacture. Baffle flap 48 is adjusted down during installation to create a barrier between attic space 52 and eave space 54. The purpose of baffle flap 48 is to keep insulation 56, which may be laid or blown between ceiling framing members 58, from getting into eave space 54. Baffle flap 48 has two baffle flap tabs 60a and 60b that are formed from the canted sections 38. Baffle flap tabs 60a and 60b are secured by fastening means 43 such as nails, screws and staples to the sides of roof framing members 22 as shown in
Baffle flap 48 can adjust for any slope roof by way of living hinge 50,
Eave component 21 may further include one or more openings 60 near second edge 32. Openings 60 may be a gap, a slot or other appropriately shaped opening. Opening 60 may be positioned adjacent to or just interior second end 32. The primary function of opening 60 is to accept an interlocking tab 62 from continuation component 23,
Continuation component 23 is for extending the length of vent channel 36 in certain applications. Continuation component 23, shown in
Each flanged lateral edge 28a and 28b of continuation component 23 has at least one registration tab 44 for alignment to an adjacent panel.
Continuation component 23 may further comprise at least one interlocking tab 62 at first end 30 for interlocking with a second continuation component 23 or an eave component 21. Continuation component 23 may further include one or more openings 60. Openings 60 may be a gap, a slot or other appropriately shaped opening. Opening 60 may be placed adjacent to or just interior second end 32 of panel 26. The primary function of opening 60 is to accept an interlocking tab 62 from a second continuation component 23. Opening 60 also functions to help with self-registering a first continuation component 23 to a second continuation component 23. Furthermore, opening 60 may function as a way to conveniently carry or hold continuation components 23 during installation.
Eave component 21 and continuation component 23 may include perforations 64 as shown in
Eave components 21 and continuation components 23 can both be fabricated using several methods. These methods include, but are not limited to stamping, extrusion, thermal molding and injection molding. The preferred fabrication material is a plastic such as PVC, ABS, HDPE, LDPE, polystyrene or other plastic compound. However, non-plastics such as corrugated cardboard, thin metal sheets and other composite materials may be used. Cost, weight, strength, structural rigidity over the expected environmental temperature range and fabrication costs all determine which material is appropriate for a given application. Since each type of component (eave component 21 or continuation component 23) is substantially flat and each type has the same shape, components of the same type can be easily stacked and packaged in groups of 10-24 units at a time as shown in
Eave components 21 and continuation components 23 of roof ventilation system 20 are designed to be installed on top of exposed roof framing members 22 just prior to applying roof sheathing 24. This installation can occur in new building construction or when a roof structure is being renovated. The overall roof structure at installation is similar to that shown in
In certain applications such as cathedral ceilings 84 (
As shown in
The invention provides a simple and inexpensive way to create a roof ventilation system with air pathways along the bottom side of a roof The ventilation system is easy to install by including self-registering tabs and gaps. Furthermore, the ventilation system can be used in numerous roof ventilation applications by incorporating multiple components comprising panels that register and interlock together.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments represented and described above but includes all variants notably those concerning the materials used to form the eave and continuation components, the exact shape and spacing of registration tabs and gaps, and the cross-sectional shape used to form the vent channel. Nothing in the above specification is intended to limit the invention more narrowly than the appended claims. The examples given are intended only to be illustrative rather than exclusive.
Claims
1) A roof ventilation system comprising a panel including flanged lateral edges, a first end and a second end; wherein at least one flanged lateral edge has a registration tab for registering with an adjacent panel; and wherein when said flanged lateral edges are secured between the top of roof framing members and the roof sheathing, a vent channel is created between the roof and said panel.
2) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 1, wherein said registration tab registers with a registration gap in said adjacent panel.
3) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 2, wherein said registration tab fits within said registration gap.
4) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 1, wherein said flanged lateral edges include a plurality of said registration tabs.
5) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 4, wherein said panel is secured to said roof framing members through said plurality of registration tabs.
6) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 1, where said flanged lateral edges include a plurality of registration gaps.
7) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a baffle flap at said first end.
8) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 7, wherein said baffle flap is connected to said first end by a living hinge.
9) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 7, wherein the orientation of said baffle flap can adjust to be secured to the roof framing members to create a barrier between the attic and eave space for any slope that the roof has.
10) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the width of said panel is substantially equal the space between roof framing members plus the thickness of two roof framing members.
11) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an opening having a location that is at least one from the group including interior and adjacent to said second end.
12) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 11, wherein said opening is at least one from the group including a slot and a gap.
13) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 11, wherein said opening is for interlocking a plurality of said panels to extend the length of said vent channel
14) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 11, wherein said opening is for holding said panel during installation.
15) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 11, further comprising an interlocking tab at said first end.
16) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 1, comprising a first panel and a second panel installed along the length of said roof framing members to extend the length of said vent channel.
17) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 16, wherein said first end of said second panel is adjacent to said second end of said first panel.
18) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 17, wherein said second panel registers with said first panel.
19) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 18, wherein said second panel has an interlocking tab at said first end that interlocks with an opening in said first panel.
20) A roof ventilation system as recited in claim 1, wherein said panels are stackable.
21) A method of forming a roof vent channel comprising;
- a) providing (i) a framed roof with exposed roof framing members and (ii) a panel including flanged lateral edges, wherein at least one of said flanged lateral edges has a registration tab for registering with an adjacent panel;
- b) registering said panel to said adjacent panel on the roof framing members;
- c) securing said panel to the roof framing members; and
- d) installing roof sheathing over the roof framing members and said panel to create said roof vent channel.
22) A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said providing step further includes providing a registration gap in said adjacent panel.
23) A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said registering step further includes registering said registration tab to said registration gap in said adjacent panel.
24) A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said securing step further includes that said panel is secured through said registration tab.
25) A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said providing step further includes (iii) a baffle flap hinged to a first end of said panel.
26) A method as recited in claim 24, further comprising adjusting said baffle flap to the roof framing members prior to step d) to create a barrier between the eave space and attic.
27) A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said providing step further includes providing (iii) said panel including openings and (iv) a continuation component including interlocking tabs.
28) A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising laying said continuation component along the length of said roof framing members prior to step d) such that said interlocking tabs interlock with said openings to extend the length of said vent channel.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 12, 2008
Publication Date: Mar 18, 2010
Inventor: Kirk Thomas Moore (Sunderland, VT)
Application Number: 12/283,569
International Classification: E04D 13/17 (20060101); E04D 13/152 (20060101); F24F 7/02 (20060101); E04B 7/18 (20060101);