BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one preferred embodiment of a pan tile of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a prior art roofing system.
FIG. 3 is an end view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an end perspective view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3.
FIG. 4A is an end view in perspective of another preferred embodiment of the pan tile of the present invention similar to but distinguishable from the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the pan tile as represented in FIGS. 1 and 3.
FIG. 6 is a top view of a plurality of pan tiles of the present invention disposed in a predetermined orientation, as practically applied when used in a roofing system.
FIG. 7 is an end view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 with a plurality of roof tiles supported on the array of pan tiles.
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention is directed to a pan tile, generally indicated as 10, of the type intended to be used on roofing installations, as well as a roofing system which incorporates a plurality of such pan tiles. As dimensioned, configured and structured the pan tile 10 of the various preferred embodiments of the present invention facilitates the installation of a preferred roofing system and in addition significantly reduces the cost factor of the materials utilized. Therefore the pan tile 10 and roofing system of the present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages and problems associated with known or conventional roofing systems and materials associated therewith.
More specifically, the pan tile 10 of the present invention may be produced or manufactured by a machine, rather than by hand, and may be formed of a ceramic material or other appropriate material which facilitates a reduction in the cost of the plurality of pan tiles utilized. Further, the plurality of pan tiles 10 incorporated in a roofing system are structured to facilitate direct confronting engagement with a roof deck 20 or underlying support on which the exterior, exposed roof tiles 18 of the roofing system are also placed. Moreover, the plurality of pan tiles 10 are adaptive for use with a variety of different styles and types of roof tiles such as, but not limited to, barrel tiles 18 which in typical fashion are disposed in overlying relation to the underlying pan tiles. An additional advantage in the utilization of the pan tile 10, based in part on their dimension, configuration and overall structure, is the reduction in the number of the exterior roof tiles 18 which are required for use over a given surface area of the underlying roofing surface 20 being covered.
More specifically, and as represented in the accompanying Figures, a most preferred embodiment of the pan tile of the present invention is generally indicated as 10 and comprises a base 12 having an elongated configuration and being integrally secured to two side segments 14 and 16. Each of the side segments 14 and 16 preferably extend along the entire length of the base 12 and extend outwardly from opposite peripheral sides or edges 14′ and 16′ of the base 12 in predetermined angular orientation. In a most preferred embodiment, each of the side segments 14 and 16 extend outwardly from the base 12 at a common, obtuse angle so as to facilitate cooperative positioning and support of spaced apart, laterally adjacent roof tiles 18 as clearly represented in FIG. 7, as will be explained in greater detail here and after.
Additional structural features of each of the pan tiles 10 include the side segments 14 and 16 collectively comprising a substantially converging configuration as the side segments 14 and 16 of each pan tile 10 extend from the leading end 22 to and towards the trailing end 24 and preferably along the entire length of the base 12. Moreover, the leading end 22 of each of the pan tiles 10 comprises a greater height dimension than that of the trailing 22. Such a variance in height from the leading end 22 to the trailing end 24 is preferably accomplished by a progressively decreasing transverse dimension or height of the side segments 14 and 16 as they extend continuously from the leading end 22 to the trailing end 24, as represented in FIG. 5. Such a variance in the height or transverse dimension of the side segments 14 and 16 is also demonstrated in the opposite end views of FIGS. 3 and 4.
Other structural and operative features of at least some of the plurality of pan tiles 10 include the base 12 having a substantially planar configuration being further defined by a substantially flat or planar undersurface, as at 12′. As such, the flat or planar undersurface 12′ of each of the pan tiles 10 are disposed in engaging, confronting relation to a roof deck or like underlying support structure 20 of the roof. Such confronting engagement of each of the pan tiles 10 with the underlying support 20 facilitates a stable mounting and/or securing of each of the pan tiles 10. In accordance with the roofing system of the present invention, the plurality of pan tiles 10 are disposed in laterally adjacent relation to one another, as represented in FIG. 6.
However, yet another preferred embodiment of the pan tile 10′″ of the present invention is represented in FIG. 4A. This embodiment is structurally characterized by a grooved undersurface, generally indicated as 12″, of the base 12, wherein the undersurface comprises a plurality of grooves generally and collectively indicated as 13. The grooves 13 are disposed in at least minimally spaced relation to one another and extend along at least a portion of the length of the undersurface 12″ As such, one or more of the grooves may extend along a majority of the length or along substantially the entire length of the undersurface 12″ of the base 12. The grooves 13 may vary in number, size and overall configuration and may or may not be disposed in a uniform array on the undersurface 12″. One purpose of the existence of the grooves 13, which in turn may be at least partially determinative of their number, size, configuration, etc, is the ability to facilitate the adherence of the base to the exposed roof deck or underlying supporting surface of the roof 20. Moreover, the existence of the grooves 13 may provide a more secure interconnection or gripping engagement with a cementitious or other type adhering material which may be disposed between the undersurfaced 12″ and the exposed exterior surface of the underlying supporting roof structure 20.
As also represented in FIG. 4A the interior surfaces of the side segments 14 and 16 may also be grooved by including a plurality of elongated, spaced apart grooves generally indicated as 15. As with the plurality of grooves 13, the grooves 15 may vary in number, size, configuration, length, etc. In at least one preferred embodiment represented in FIG. 4A, one or more of the plurality of grooves 15 extend along at least the majority or along substantially the entire length of the inner surface of the side segments 14 and 16. Also, similar to the structure and function of the plurality of grooves 13, the plurality of grooves 15 are provided to better facilitate the securement or connection between a binding or adhering material and the overlying roof tiles, wherein the binding, material is generally disposed into and along a length of the space 19 (see FIG. 7) so as to securely fasten or adhere the overlapping roof tiles 18 to the correspondingly positioned side segments of adjacently positioned ones of the pan tiles 18.
It should be further noted that a variation of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 4A may include the plurality of grooves 13 and the plurality of grooves 15, respectively disposed in the undersurface 12″ of the base 12 and the inner surfaces of the side segments 13 and 16, being used either independently of one another or in combination with one another. More specifically, there may be practical applications where it is desirable to use the plurality of elongated grooves 13 formed in the undersurface 12″ of the base 12, while the plurality of grooves 15 formed in the side segments may not be necessary. Alternatively, there may be additional practical applications wherein the plurality of grooves 15 formed in the inner surfaces of the side segments 14 and 16 are included in the pan tile 10′″ and the undersurface of the base 12 is absent the grooves 13 and comprises a flat, planar surface 12′, as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4.
Yet additional structural features of a most preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises each or at least the majority of the pan tiles 10 having a leading end generally indicated as 22 and a trailing end generally indicated as 24. For purposes of clarity the leading end 22 of each of the plurality of pan tiles 10 is disposed substantially “above” the trailing end 24, such as when the plurality of pan tiles 10 are incorporated within a roofing system secured to a sloped or slanted underlying roofing support 20, as is common. Also common to the overall array of both pan tiles and exterior roof tiles is their overlapping orientation or arrangement to longitudinally adjacent tiles, as generally indicated in FIG. 2. As indicated in this prior art representation of conventional curved or barrel shaped tiles 30, longitudinally adjacent tiles are disposed in underlying relation to exterior, overlapping roof tiles 32. As such, longitudinally adjacent ones of the pan tiles 30 are disposed in overlapping relation to one another and are disposed beneath or in an underlying relation to overlapping ones of longitudinally adjacent roof tiles 32.
With further regard to the prior art representation of FIG. 2, and as generally set forth above, the use of barrel shaped pan tiles 30 in underlying, supporting engagement to exteriorly exposed roof tiles 32 results in a greater expense in the installation or use in that both the pan tiles 30 and the exposed roof tiles 32 may be hand made or customized and are typically formed from the same ceramic material. Further, the utilization of the curved or barrel shaped pan tile 30 requires a greater number of both the pan tiles 30 and roof tiles 32, which in turn results in a greater material cost as well as an increased labor cost when installing and/or repairing a conventional or prior art roofing system of the type demonstrated in FIG. 2.
Also, common terminology used in describing both the conventional roofing system of FIG. 2 and the improved, roofing system incorporating the pan tiles 10 of the present invention both may include the term “longitudinally adjacent” and “laterally adjacent”. Accordingly, longitudinally adjacent tiles are those that are arranged in rows or columns extending from a ridge crest of the roof downwardly, wherein laterally adjacent tiles are those that are arranged in adjacent, side-by-side relation to one another. Accordingly, FIGS. 6 and 7 represent a roofing system wherein laterally adjacent tiles 10, 10′, and 10″ are disposed in side-by-side relation to one another and further wherein laterally adjacent roof tiles 18, 18′, 18″, etc. are disposed in laterally adjacent but spaced apart relation to one another.
Therefore, additional structuring of the pan tiles 10 which may be incorporated into a roofing system similar to but structurally and operatively distinguishable from the conventional roofing system of FIG. 2, accomplishes the relative overlapping relation between longitudinally adjacent ones of the pan tiles 10 and roof tiles 18 by forming the pan tiles 10 such that the leading end 22 thereof has a greater transverse dimension or width then that of the trailing end 24. Accordingly, the spacing between laterally adjacent pan tiles 10, 10′, 10″, etc., is represented in FIG. 6. As such, the leading ends 22 have a greater transverse dimension or width and are disposed immediately adjacent and/or in confronting relation to one another. In addition, the trailing ends 24 are orientated at a greater spaced distance from one another. However, as practically applied to the roofing system schematically represented in FIGS. 6 and 7, laterally adjacent pan tiles 10 such as at 10′ and 10″ are disposed to engage and at least partially support the same roof tile 18″. Such engaging support of the roof tile is accomplished by laterally adjacent ones of the pan tiles as at 10′ and 10″ having correspondingly disposed side segments 16′ and 14′ being oriented in underlying relation and at least partially on the interior of the commonly supported roof tile 18″.
The relative positions and/or orientations of the pan tiles 10, 10′, 10″, etc. is such that a greater spacing will be created between the laterally adjacent roof tiles 18, 18′, 18″, etc. due to the overall structure of each of the respective pan tiles 10, 10′, 10″, having a flat or planar configuration of the respective bases 12. Also additional stability is provided by the confronting relation or engagement of the flat undersurface 12′ or the grooved undersurface 12″ with the exposed surface portion of the underlying roofing support structure 20. As such, the entire exposed outer surface area of the underlying support 20 will be adequately and appropriately covered by the roofing system as demonstrated in FIG. 7. Also, a significantly lesser amount of cementitious or other type adhering material such as polyurethane, cement, etc. may be utilized to secure the pan tiles 10 or 10′″ to the underlying support 20, when such securing or adhering material is utilized. Clearly, other installation techniques and processes may be used to secure the pan tiles 10 to the underlying support 12, as well as secure the roof tiles 18 to the pan tiles 10 to the underlying support 20 and one another.
Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiment of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Now that the invention has been described,
Patent Application
20070289242
