The present invention relates to a roof ridge vent for enhancing the circulation of air in a space between a roof and an underlying structure.
It is useful, and in many locales a building code requirement, that the attic area of a building be provided with a means to permit air exchange. Such ventilation prevents undue heat buildup, which can render the living quarters of the building uncomfortable and impose unreasonable energy requirements for cooling. Proper ventilation of the attic area also tends to preserve the structural integrity of the roof and roof coverings.
One known method of venting consists of applying a venting media over a ventilation slot cut along the ridge of a roof. This type of vent is referred to as a ridge vent. Examples of roof ridge vents are disclosed by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0220714 of Caruso et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,942,699 issued to Spinelli; 5,960,595 issued to McCorsley et al.; 5,673,521, 5,902,432, 6,308,472, 6,298,613, 7,604,536, 7,422,520 and 7,393,273 issued to Coulton et al.; and 6,277,024, 6,981,916, 7,384,331 and 7,182,688 issued to Coulton. Other examples are provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,343,985 issued to Smith and 5,425,672 and 5,167,579 issued to Rotter.
While the roof ridge vents disclosed in the above referenced patents and published application may function satisfactorily, there is a need for improved alternatives with respect to a ridge vent capable of efficient and inexpensive manufacture. The ridge vent should be capable of being readily and properly installed in a manner requiring labor skills possessed by the average roof installer and may permit use of standard pneumatic roofing nail guns. Further, the roof ridge vent should be capable of being provided as a continuous, indeterminate-length mat/web which can be stored, transported and supplied to installers in roll-form.
A roof ridge vent for installation overlying an open ventilation slot of a roof ridge to provide ventilation to a space beneath a roof is provided. The ridge vent is a continuous, elongate mat of randomly convoluted polymeric filaments having an openwork upper face, an openwork opposite lower face, and opposite longitudinally-extending openwork side edges. A plurality of hollow recesses extends into the mat and opens into the lower face of the vent. The openwork upper face is formed of randomly convoluted filaments formed to provide a relative flat surface of sufficient density to catch heads of fasteners and to prevent heads of fasteners from passing through the mat. Thus, the mat does not require the addition of a reinforcement layer of material and relies solely on the filaments of the mat itself for this function.
According to a most economical embodiment of the present invention, the roof ridge vent consists solely of the mat without any dissimilar materials laminated thereto. For example, the mat can consist solely of melt-spun thermoplastic polymeric filaments extruded in overlapping, irregularly-looped patterns with the polymeric filaments being self-bonded and fused at random points of intersection without bonding agents or inserts. The side edges of the mat can be formed by looped uncut sections of the filaments and thus do not even require trimming operations during manufacture of the vent. As an alternative, one or both side edges can be subjected to a trimming, cutting, slitting or like operation.
The plurality of hollow recesses can be separated and defined by a plurality of upstanding openwork walls of convoluted filaments that extend from the upper face to the lower face of the mat. The hollow recesses can have openwork bases made of convoluted polymeric filaments, and the bases can be coplanar with the flat openwork upper face of the mat. Also, the recesses can be arranged in a grid pattern and the upstanding openwork walls can be arranged to form a latticework structure such that no unobstructed passageway extends through the mat through which wind-blown rain and snow can freely pass. According to one contemplated embodiment, the upstanding openwork walls of the latticework structure extend transverse to the side edges and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the mat.
The mat includes a central longitudinally-extending hinge portion and opposite laterally-extending flap portions extending from opposite sides of the hinge portion. The hinge portion is flexible and permits the mat to conform to an inverted-V shape of an underlying roof ridge. The grid pattern of recesses and the latticework structure of upstanding openwork walls preferably extend uniformly and uninterrupted throughout the flap portions and across the hinge portion. In at least some contemplated embodiments, a density of convoluted polymeric filaments within the hinge portion can be less than a density of convoluted polymeric filaments in the opposite laterally-extending flap portions to provide the hinge portion with flexibility.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a roof ridge ventilation assembly is provided. The assembly includes a roof having a ridge with an elongate open ventilation slot, the above referenced ridge vent secured with headed fasteners to the ridge overlying the open ventilation slot, and an exterior covering secured to and overlying the ridge vent.
The features and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The ridge vent 12 is interposed between the cap shingles 20 and the underlying portions of the roof 10 such that it covers the slot or slots 24. The vent 12 is an openwork roll-form type product which is rolled lengthwise into a spiral roll 54 (see
The ridge vent 12 is formed as an elongate, indeterminate-length, single-sheet, openwork mat, or web, 30 of randomly convoluted polymeric filaments. For example, see the spiral roll 54 of the elongate mat 30 illustrated in
By way of example, a contemplated process for producing the openwork mat 30 is to utilize a method similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,590 issued to Rasen. For instance, continuous melt-spun thermoplastic monofilaments can be extruded onto a profiled support in overlapping rows of irregular loops which are self-bonded or fused at random points of intersection without using any bonding agent or reinforcing inserts. The profile of the support provides a negative image of the bottom face 32 of the mat 30. For example, the profile can include a grid-like arrangement of square truncated cones so that the face 32 of the mat 30 includes a plurality of hollow pyramidal-shaped recesses 38 having generally flat bases 40 at the apex of the point of truncation of the truncated cones of the support. The shape of the recesses 38 can be readily formed by extruding the plastic filaments, while they are still capable of deformation, onto the previously described negative image of the profile of the support such that the filaments assume the surface shape of the profile and then harden in that shape.
In contrast to the face 32 having the plurality of recesses 38, the convoluted polymeric filaments on the opposite face 42 of the mat 30 (i.e., top face of the vent 12) are formed to provide a flat, level, or planar openwork surface. See
The width “W” of the mat 30 can be provided at any dimension desired for a ridge vent. For example, the width “W” can be 10.5 inches or greater or smaller. The mat 30 is provided as a continuous elongate vent having opposite longitudinally-extending side edges, 34 and 36, that extend substantially parallel to a central longitudinally-extending hinge portion 44 of the ridge vent 12. The side edges 34 and 36 may be formed from looped monofilaments because the mat 30 is made from continuous melt-spun thermoplastic monofilaments extruded in overlapping rows of irregular loops. For example, see edges 34 and 36 as illustrated in
The hollow recesses 38 are formed in a grid pattern in the mat 30 and open into the bottom face 32 and not the top face 42 of the mat 30. For example, in the cross-sectional views of
According to one particularly economical embodiment of the present invention, the ridge vent 12 consists solely of the mat 30 without the use of any fabric backing layer or like separate material laminated to the openwork mat 30. The arrangement of monofilaments of the mat 30 is sufficiently dense, particularly with respect to walls 48, to prevent wind-blown water, precipitation, snow or the like or other unwanted foreign objects from passing into the side edges 34 and 36 of the mat 30 and through the mat 30. In addition, the flat upper face 42 of the mat 30 is sufficient to catch and support nail heads. Of course in some less-economical embodiments, a separate fabric or like material could be laminated to the mat 30 should additional nail head support or weather barrier protection be desired.
The hinge portion 44 of the mat 30 extends along the central longitudinal axis “A” of the mat 30 and defines opposite laterally-extending flap sections, 50 and 52, of the vent 12. In the hinge portion 44, the amount or density of convoluted filaments can be reduced relative to that in the flap sections 50 and 52. For example, see the hinge portion 44 in the cross-sectional view of
The ridge vent 12 consisting of the mat 30 described above can be fastened to the roof deck 16 with nails or like fasteners. The face 32 of the mat 30 with the plurality of recesses 38 formed therein is disposed downward and engages the underlying structure of the roof on opposite sides of the slot 24 and roof ridge 22. The opposite flattened face 42 of the mat 30 faces upward and nails or other headed fasteners are inserted therein to secure the vent 12 to the roof deck 16. The heads of the nails or fasteners are caught and supported by the flat surface of openwork face 42 of the mat 30. The cap shingles 20 are applied on top of the vent 12 thereby hiding the ridge vent 12 from view. The side edges 34 and 36 of the mat 30 are exposed to ambient atmosphere, and the openwork nature of the mat 30 permits an appropriate amount of air flow through the mat 30 so that the needed ventilation of the building's attic occurs via the slot 22 and overlying ridge vent 12 to ambient atmosphere.
In one contemplated embodiment, the mat 30 is constructed from a series of continuous polypropylene, nylon 6, polyethylene, or high density polyethylene monofilaments which have a diameter of from about 200 to about 1000 microns. The weight of the mat 30 can range from about 20 to about 100 grams per square foot. The formation of the recesses 38 in the body of the mat 30 enables the weight of the mat 30 to be reduced to these levels yet still provide resistance to weather, nail head support capability, and crush resistance. The density of the filaments can be essentially constant throughout the mat 30, except within the central hinge section 44 in which the density can be less than that of the outer flap sections 50 and 52 to accommodate flexing of the vent 12 across the roof ridge 22.
The above-described roof ridge vent 12 provides a roll-form vent which is easy to install, inexpensive to manufacture, particularly when the vent consists solely of the openwork mat without other layers laminated thereto, and enables use of standard pneumatic roofing nail guns and like tools. Further, the vent provides a desired capacity of air flow through the mat and prevents unwanted intrusion of blowing rain, snow and the like.
While a preferred ridge roof vent has been described in detail, various modifications, alterations, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the vent according to the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
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