The present invention relates to a roof ridge vent that enables the circulation of air between a roof of a building and an underlying ceiling 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 method of venting the roof structure consists of applying a venting media over a slot present along the ridge of a roof. These types of vents are known as ridge vents.
Examples of ridge vents are provided by U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,595 issued to McCorsley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,613 issued to Coulton et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,472 issued to Coulton et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,432 issued to Coulton et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,521 issued to Coulton et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,699 issued to Spinelli. These patents are owned, or co-owned, by Benjamin Obdyke, Inc., the assignee of the present application.
While the roof ridge vents disclosed in the above referenced patents function in a superior manner, there continues to be a need for alternatives with respect to the design, materials and manufacturing of roof ridge vent products. To this end, the vent should permit a sufficient amount of ventilating air flow without compromising weather infiltration resistance and should be capable of being properly installed in a manner requiring labor skills possessed by the average roof installer. In addition, the vent should be capable of efficient manufacture from inexpensive materials and should be capable of being formed into a roll for shipping, transportation and subsequent installation on a roof ridge.
More specifically, the present invention provides a roof ridge vent made of an elongate, continuous strip of a material having walls defining a plurality of separate open cellular cavities, such as a honeycomb material. The strip of material has an upper face for supporting cap shingles, a lower face for engaging a roof, and a pair of longitudinally-extending side edges through which paths of ventilation are provided. The walls and cavities of the material extend in a direction from the lower face to the upper face, and the paths of ventilation extend transversely through the walls of the material.
Preferably, the vent is rollable lengthwise into a spiral roll for storage and transport, and the walls of the material have a composite strength in compression sufficient to support overlying cap shingles. The walls of the material can be perforated or made of an air permeable material, such as a non-wicking hydrophobic material that has a multiplicity of closely spaced openings permitting a flow of venting air therethrough. According to one contemplated embodiment, the material has a flexible longitudinally-extending center section that permits the material to conform to an inverted-V shape of a roof ridge.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a roof ridge vent is made of a continuous, elongate strip of sheet material having an underside to which a material having walls defining a plurality of separate open cellular cavities, such as a honeycomb material, is bonded. The walls and cavities of the material extend downwardly from the sheet material, more preferably, substantially perpendicular to the underside of the sheet material. The material with the walls and cavities defines paths of ventilation that extend transversely through its walls as discussed above. According to one contemplated embodiment, the material comprises a pair of continuous, elongate strips of honeycomb material that are secured to the underside of the sheet material on opposite sides of a longitudinally-extending centerline of the sheet material. Alternatively, the material with walls and cavities can comprise a plurality of separate sections that are spaced-apart along the length of the sheet material and that define paths of ventilation therebetween. In such an embodiment, an outermost wall of each section can form a part of a longitudinally-extending side edge of the vent that is free to pivot when wind blows into the vent to close an adjacent one of the paths of ventilation to prevent weather infiltration.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a roof ridge vent installation includes a roof having a ridge with an elongate open slot, an elongate, continuous ridge vent secured to the roof overlying the ridge and open slot, and cap shingles overlying the ridge vent. The vent is constructed of a material having walls defining a plurality of separate open cellular cavities, such as a honeycomb material, as discussed above. The walls of the material are oriented in an upstanding position relative to the underlying roof and provide a path of ventilation transversely therethrough from the open slot to the longitudinally-extending side edge of the vent.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings,
A roof ridge vent according to the present invention is constructed of a ventilation material having walls defining a plurality of separate cellular cavities. The material can be, for instance, a honeycomb ventilation material or the like. The ventilation material may or may not be used in connection with a sheet backer material, as will be discussed. The ventilation material has a network of interconnected walls that form a mass of separate cells, or cavities, located in side-by-side relation. Although the typical dictionary definition of the term “honeycomb” requires cells of a hexagon shape, for purposes of the present invention the terms “honeycomb material” and “ventilation material having walls defining a plurality of separate cellular cavities” are also used to define materials having cells or cavities of any shape, including for instance, square, rectangular, triangular, diamond, circular and oval shapes.
According to the present invention, the walls and cavities of the honeycomb material extend in a direction defining the thickness, or height, “H” of the vent. To this end, the honeycomb material has an underside for engaging a surface of the roof, an upper face adjacent the cap shingles, and sides that form the longitudinally-extending side edges of the vent. Thus, the paths of ventilation 24 extending from the open slot 22 in the roof 10 to the side edges of the vent extend transversely of the walls of the honeycomb material through the walls of the honeycomb material.
The walls of the honeycomb material have a composite strength in compression sufficient to support overlying cap shingles. The walls can be made of an air impermeable material, such as plastic, cardboard, metal, or the like, or of an air permeable material. If an air impermeable material is utilized, perforations can be made through the walls to provide ventilation passageways. Alternatively, the honeycomb material can be provided as discontinuous, spaced-apart strips that provide a path of ventilation therebetween. Permeable walls can include those made of a plastic or metal mesh material or fabric material such as a non-wicking hydrophobic material or a non-woven fabric. Preferably, the permeable wall materials provide a multiplicity of closely spaced openings permitting a flow of air therethrough, but preventing the infiltration of weather, insects and the like.
Turning to a first embodiment of the present invention illustrated in
When installed on a roof ridge 16 as illustrated in
A second embodiment according to the present invention is illustrated in
Additional weather infiltration protection can be provided to vent 44 by providing the outermost edge wall 56 of each honeycomb section 52 with the ability to flex inwardly under the force of wind. To this end, each section 52 is bonded to the backer sheet 46 with the exception of the outermost edge wall 56, which is free to pivot relative to the backer sheet 46. Thus, as best illustrated in
A third embodiment according to the present invention is illustrated in
By way of example, and not by way of limitation, any of the above described ridge vents can be made in indefinite, continuous lengths having a width “W” of about 7 to about 12 inches and a height “H” of about 0.5 to about 1 inch. Larger or smaller dimensions can also be utilized.
Each of the above referenced ridge vents are installed by placing an elongate length of the vent over the open slot 22 formed along the roof ridge 16. Preferably, the vent is provided in a spiral roll, is unrolled lengthwise on the roof ridge, and is aligned therewith. The vent is secured to the underlying roof surface with nails, staples, adhesives, or the like and cap shingles 20 or the like are secured thereon.
The above-described roof ridge vents according to the present invention provide a uniquely constructed roll-form vent that is easy to install, is inexpensive to manufacture, provides a desired amount of air flow therethrough, and prevents weather infiltration.
While preferred roof ridge vents and roof ridge vent installations have been described in detail, various modifications, alterations, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the vent and installations according to the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/617,151, filed Oct. 8, 2004.
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3949657 | Sells | Apr 1976 | A |
4942699 | Spinelli | Jul 1990 | A |
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5704509 | Rosenkrantz | Jan 1998 | A |
5704834 | Sells | Jan 1998 | A |
5902432 | Coulton et al. | May 1999 | A |
5921863 | Sells | Jul 1999 | A |
5960595 | McCorsley, III et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
6213868 | Sells | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6298613 | Coulton et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6308472 | Coulton et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6450882 | Morris et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060079173 A1 | Apr 2006 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60617151 | Oct 2004 | US |