Roof Panel

Abstract

A novel V crimp roof panel design allowing for the frameless installation of solar panels.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the design and construction of a novel V crimp roof panel allowing for the frameless installation of solar panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Metal roof panels are utilized in residential and commercial real estate construction as an alternative to shingle, asphalt, tile or shake roof materials. Currently, two types of metal roof panels are generally utilized in construction: Standing Seam or twenty four inch (24″) V Crimp with five (5) ridges per panel.

Standing seam provides a cleaner look, having no exposed fasteners and the panel integrity (leak resistance) is not compromised by the need to place fasteners through the panel surface. In the absence of exposed fasteners, a flexible solar panel can be seamlessly mounted to such a surface. Unfortunately, standing seam roof panels are more expensive to manufacture, install and maintain than V Crimp roof panels.

V Crimp roof panels provide an economical metal panel design both from a manufacturing and installation standpoint. The V crimp, or raised portions of the roof panel provide necessary rigidity in the panel design while further providing a sloped surface for maximizing leakage resistance when penetrated at its top-most portion by screw retaining means. Unfortunately, to properly secure the roof panel to a roof while meeting building codes designed to secure panels in high winds, such as those experienced in hurricanes, the roof panel must be fastened to a roof by screws spaced at distances of about eight inches (8″) in panel width. Commercially available solar panels and solar panels sized to provide sufficient photovoltaic conversion will not fit between the raised portions of the prior art V crimp roof panels. The solution has been to mount the solar panels on a frame which is secured to and sits above the roof and roof panels. The disadvantages to this design are (1) the expense of manufacture, installation and maintenance; and (2) the reduced wind resistance of the frame and solar panel assembly. Even flexible thin film solar panels cannot be mounted on prior art V crimp roof panels as surface mount screws prevent secure seamless mounting of the thin film solar panel to the V crimp roof panel. Furthermore, no design exists which can utilize a flat-head screw penetrating the panel in portions between V crimps while retaining structural integrity and weather resistance.

Prior art metal roofing panel installations generally have a low insulation R-value, which can result in the transfer of heat from the outside surface to the roof and ultimately to the structure interior. Both prior art designs have large metal surfaces in contact with the roof or underlayer surface resulting in a great potential for heat transfer.

In view of the prior arts' shortcomings, it is thus desirable to create a roof panel which provides a means for surface mounting a solar panel while retaining both reduced costs of manufacture, installation and maintenance and the means to meet building code requirements for securing the roof panel to the roof surface while minimizing heat transfer to the roof and structure interior. The proposed invention is also novel in providing a means to retrofit existing V crimp roofing installations to allow the installation of thin film solar panels. It may be further installed on shingle roofs, making solar installations more economical and possible for many existing roofing installations. Finally, integral roofing panel/solar panel designs are possible with the propose invention which allows both stacking of the roof/solar panel combination and easier packaging and delivery of the combination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view depiction of prior art roof panels capable of accepting the integral installation of solar panels.

FIG. 2 is a depiction of thin film laminate solar panel material intended to be be integrally attached to the proposed invention according to the embodiments described herein.

FIG. 3 is a depiction of prior art roof panels which cannot be used with thin film laminate solar panel materials as discussed herein.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a side view of the FIG. 3 prior art roof panels indicating the raised portions of the panels and screw means of panel attachment to a roof.

FIG. 5A is a side view of the proposed invention roof panel indicating raised outer portions and depressed inner portions of the panel as discussed herein.

FIG. 5B is a top view of the proposed invention roof panel.

FIG. 5C is a partial top view of multiple sections of the proposed invention roof panel shown installed without the thin film laminate solar panel materials (thereby exposing the depressed portion of the panel)as discussed herein.

FIG. 6 is a partial top view of multiple sections of the proposed invention roof panel shown installed with the thin film laminate solar panel materials as discussed herein.

FIG. 7A is a side view of the proposed invention roof panel indicating raised outer portions and depressed inner portions; all portions with screw means for panel attachment to roof as reflected in FIG. 7B.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the proposed invention roof panel indicating raised outer portions and depressed inner portions; all with screw means for panel attachment to roof, and further depicting the installed thin film laminate solar panel material as discussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Shown in FIG. 1 is a side view depiction of prior art roof panel designs (1a-1d) capable of accepting the integral installation of thin film laminate solar panels. These roof panels are referred to in the industry as “standing seam” roof panels and utilize interlocking assemblies (2a-2h) at their outer edges or clips to secure roof panels together. A standing seam roof panel design is as generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,360. Standing seam design roof panels do not have exposed fasteners hindering the installation of thin film laminate solar panels, however they are significantly more expensive to manufacture and more difficult and costlier to install and maintain.

Shown in FIG. 2 is a depiction of thin film laminate solar panel material (3) intended to be be integrally attached to the proposed invention. The solar panel material utilizes an adhesive or equivalent non-hardware based means to secure itself to a roof panel surface.

Shown in FIG. 3 is a depiction of another prior art roof panel design (4), referred to in the industry as “through-fastened” or “V Crimp” roof panels. Current panel designs utilize raised V crimps (5) and exposed fasteners (6) to secure the panel to a roof (12). The intermediate V crimp of a single panel (5a) and exposed fasteners (6a) prevent the installation of thin film laminate solar panel materials (3) of sufficient surface area to the roof panel (4).

Shown in FIG. 4 are two side views of a FIG. 3 “V Crimp” prior art roof panel (4) depicting the raised portions of the panels (5) and screw means (6) of panel attachment to a roof (12).

FIG. 5A depicts a side view of the proposed invention roof panel (7) indicating raised outer portions (8a-8b) and a depressed inner portion (9) of the roof panel (7). The depressed inner portion (9) of the roof panel allows the panel to be securely fastened to the roof surface while not impeding the seamless mounting of a thin film solar panel on the roof panel top surface. The depressed inner portion also assists in raising the roof panel surfaces off the roof or underlayer, providing an air-space between the bottom surface of the roof panel and the top surface of the roof, resulting in increased thermal insulation. Two or more depressed surfaces (not shown) may be utilized to maintain compliance with building code requirements while extending the dimensions of the roof panel, resulting in increased available solar panel surface area and reducing the number of exposed screws on the roof panel surface.

FIG. 5B depicts a top view of the proposed invention roof panel (7) showing a top surface (14), four edges (15a-15d), a first raised portion (8a), a second raised portion (8b) and a depressed portion (9).

FIG. 5C depicts a partial top view of multiple sections of the proposed invention roof panel (7) shown with the first raised portion (8a), second raised portion (8b), and depressed portion (9). In this figure, the thin film laminate solar panel materials (3) are not installed along the top outer surface (14) of the roof panel (7) thereby exposing the depressed portion (9). The panel is secured to a roof (12).

FIG. 6 is a partial top view of multiple sections of the proposed invention roof panel (7) shown installed with the thin film laminate solar panel materials (3) along the top outer surface of the roof panel (7); all secured to a roof (12).

FIG. 7A is a side view of the proposed invention roof panel (7) depicting raised outer portions (8a-8b) and a depressed inner portion (9); all portions (8a, 8b and 9) with screw means (10) for panel attachment to roof as reflected in FIG. 7B.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the proposed invention roof panel (7) indicating raised outer portions (8a-8b) and a depressed inner portion (9); all with screw means (10) for panel attachment to roof (12), and further depicting the installed thin film laminate solar panel material (3) as discussed herein.

Claims

1. A roof panel constructed of substantially rigid material, comprising a top and a bottom surface and 4 edges, a first raised portion of said roof panel adjacent to a first edge and a second raised portion of said roof panel adjacent to a second edge parallel to said first edge, and a depressed portion extending parallel to said first and second raised portions, said depressed portion positioned between said raised portions; said roof panel dimensioned such that a thin film laminate solar panel may be positioned to lay flat along the roof panel surface between said raised portions and over said depressed portion.

2. A roof panel as described in claim 1 wherein said roof panel is secured to a roof by screw retaining means along said first and second raised portions and along said depressed portion.

3. A roof panel as described in claim 2 wherein said screw retaining means includes a flat-head screw along said depressed portion.

4. A roof panel as described in claim 1 wherein said depressed portion extends from a first edge to a parallel second edge.

5. A roof panel as described in claim 1 wherein said first raised portion and said second raised portion both extend from a first edge to a parallel second edge.

6. A roof panel as described in claim 1 further comprising two or more depressed portions designed to accept screw retaining means.

7. A roof panel as described in claim 1 wherein said roof panel is secured to a roof by screw retaining means alongside said first and second raised portions and along said depressed portion.

8. A root panel as described in claim 1 wherein the distance from said first raised portion to said second raised portion is between about fifteen (15) to eighteen (18) inches.

9. A roof panel as described in claim 1 further including a solar panel comprised of thin film laminates integrally installed over that roof panel area positioned between said first raised portion and said second raised portion.

10. A roof panel as described in claim 9 wherein the solar panel is affixed to the roof panel by adhesive.