Patent Grant
11834832
The present invention relates to a roof window system configured for being mounted in an opening in a roof structure of a building, said roof window system including a ventilation unit configured for being mounted adjacent to a roof window and adapted for providing ventilation of the interior of the building in which the roof window is mounted, where said roof window comprises at least one frame defining a frame plane and including a pane mounted in said frame, the frame comprising a top frame member intended for being located highest in the mounted state when seen in the direction of inclination of the roof structure, a bottom frame member opposite the top frame member, and two side frame members extending between the top frame member and the bottom frame member, said frame members together form a window structure delimiting a frame opening and each having an interior side intended for facing the interior in the mounted state, an exterior side intended for facing the exterior, an inner side facing the frame opening and an outer side facing away from the frame opening, where the ventilation unit is configured for being arranged adjacent to the outer side of a frame member.
The invention also relates to a method of providing ventilation to a building through such a roof window system.
Roof windows can serve different purposes on buildings. Besides facilitating the entry of natural light indoors, they may keep the building ventilated. The provision of ventilation in windows has become standard equipment nowadays. The intentional air exchange through windows is called airing. The unintentional airflow through openings of the building is called air infiltration. Ventilation itself can be divided into mechanical, or forced, and natural ventilation. In mechanical ventilation, fresh air is supplied into the room with the help of fans, ducts, inlet and outlet openings or vents. In natural ventilation, the air flow is brought through purpose provided openings, e.g. windows, like airing. There are lower investment, maintenance and operational costs associated with natural ventilation. On the other side, natural ventilation systems may not be able to keep a constant air flow rate, since they are much de-pendent on outdoor weather conditions (i.e. wind speed, wind direction, temperature differences). Overall, windows may offer different options of ventilating a room and refreshing the air indoors. This can help to improve indoor air quality and also, reach a desired indoor temperature. Moreover, ventilating through windows can be a quick, affordable and noise-less solution for the occupants.
Different solutions for enhancing the ventilation through windows have been previously developed and found in literature. Examples of roof windows and ventilation assemblies are presented in DE 20 2016 100 906 U1, EP 3 309 468 A2 and EP 3 348 736 A1. Another example is shown in EP 2 784 240 A2, which discloses a roof window system comprising a ventilation assembly being adapted to accommodate a ventilation unit or units, where air enters or exits the building via an air passage between the frame and the sash which can be closed by a so-called ventilation flap. That allows the air to enter or exit the room with a direction away from the window pane.
The above-mentioned prior art documents provide good solutions of ventilating the indoor space by utilizing the roof windows. However, their configuration is usually complicated and certain alterations to the existing window and/or roof structure may be needed. Moreover, the intervention on the exterior of the building is significant, also leading to necessary modifications of the roof structure (e.g. removal of tiles around the roof window). In some of the cases, the configuration of the ventilation assembly results in increased wind buoyancy which affects the thermal sensation of the occupants. All these reasons infer several limitations to the existing solutions of roof windows with integrated ventilation assemblies.
With this background, it is an object of the invention to provide a roof window system by which it is possible to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality without compromising other parameters such as functionality, installation, use, or aesthetics.
This and further objects are achieved with a roof window system of the kind mentioned in the introduction which is furthermore characterised in that it comprises a ventilation panel allowing air passage from one side of the ventilation panel to another side of the ventilation panel, thereby defining an intended air flow direction, said ventilation panel being configured for facing the interior of the building and extending away from the interior side of the frame member adjacent to which the ventilation unit is mounted.
In a second aspect, a roof structure is provided with such a roof window system.
In a third aspect, a method of providing ventilation to a building is provided.
One non-limiting advantage that is gained by the use of the roof window system according to the invention is providing a ventilation unit that integrates well with a roof and roof window and utilizes the available space, while the installation is simple. This is achieved by the ventilation unit being placed adjacent to the outer side of the frame member, meaning that only a minimal amount of roofing material has to be removed and that the total roof window system will appear compact in the mounted state. Therefore, a flexible solution is provided that may be mounted to most roof windows, without causing any extra damage to the roof, since the existing window structure (i.e. frame members) are used to support the ventilation unit and the ventilation panel.
The ventilation panel allowing air to flow from one side of it to the other facilitates the natural ventilation and may ultimately contribute to the improvement of the indoor air quality and thermal comfort. The flexibility and ease of the window installation is ensured and the operation of the ventilation is facilitated through the ventilation panel which is facing the interior of the building and extending away from the interior side of the frame member. This means that the ventilation panel is located in continuation of the inner side of the window frame member so that the air enters close to the window and the wall or ceiling of the building is not interrupted or at least only interrupted where an opening has already been made for the window. Air entering close to the window may contribute to a better thermal sensation of the occupants of the building. Furthermore, the window frame itself does not have to be modified.
In an embodiment, the ventilation panel may be configured such that the ventilation panel is not extending below the inner window frame plane defined by the inner side of the frame member in a mounted state. In an alternative embodiment, the ventilation panel may be configured such that the ventilation panel is placed between the inner window frame plane defined by the inner side of the frame member and the outer frame plane defined by the outer side of the frame member in a mounted state. In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation panel is placed 5 mm away from the inner frame plane towards the outer direction. The ventilation panel may be placed in a distance of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 mm from the inner frame plane towards the outer direction. The positioning of the ventilation panel such that it does not extend below the inner frame plane facilitates the invisibility of the ventilation panel from indoors.
The inner frame plane and the outer frame plane define the thickness of the frame member. The ventilation panel may be configured such that the thickness of it does not exceed ⅓ of the total thickness of the frame member.
In one embodiment of the invention, the ventilation panel may be configured such that the intended air flow direction may extend substantially perpendicular to the frame plane in the mounted state. This allows for an effective exchange of air between an interior space covered by the roof structure and an exterior surrounding the building, the air flow direction being substantially parallel to the frame plane and hence to the pane of the window. This may contribute to reducing the formation of condensation on or at the pane.
The ventilation unit may be configured to be connected to or adjacent to a frame member. This may allow the ventilation unit to be mounted to any roof window, without causing severe damage to the roof, thus consisting a flexible solution. Moreover, the window and the ventilation unit may potentially be handled as one unit during installation.
The ventilation unit may be mounted by connecting means to the window frame or by connecting bracket means to the roof structure.
The ventilation unit may be configured to be arranged at the top frame member, which is an optimal position from a ventilation point of view, but could also be at the bottom or at the sides of the window. In addition, other types of accessories such as shades, shutter, blind, rain sensors etc. are typically mounted at the top of roof windows and by positioning the ventilation unit here means that one housing can be used for one or more different accessories.
The ventilation unit may preferably comprise a cover side configured for being arranged adjacent to or at the interior side of said frame member.
The ventilation panel may be configured for being accommodated in a groove in the frame adapted for receiving a lining panel and/or provide a groove configured to accommodate a lining panel. This makes the ventilation panel easy to install and provides a robust and visually appealing joint between the ventilation panel and the frame and/or lining panel. The ventilation panel may extend between the interior side of the roof window frame and the lining panel covering at least a part of a surface of the roof structure defining the roof opening in the mounted state, thus replacing and/or being integrated into the innermost part of a prior art lining panel closest to the window frame.
The roof window system may further comprise a lining panel, according to which the ventilation panel is integrated in the lining panel. The ventilation panel may be mounted into the top part of the lining panel. In this case, this will make the ventilation panel not visible from an average eye-level height indoors and eliminating a step in the mounting process since the ventilation panel will automatically come into place when mounting the lining panel.
The ventilation panel may comprise a grating and/or a closure, for safety reasons.
The roof window system may comprise a ventilation assembly that comprises the ventilation unit and a housing to accommodate the ventilation unit.
The housing may comprise a solar cell mounted on the exterior side of the housing to supply the ventilation unit with electricity. This solution can lead to significant energy savings with regards to the power that is needed to run the ventilation unit, a driving motor inside the ventilation assembly or a ventilator. The maximum area that the solar cells can cover, thus, are given by the exterior surface of the housing. For example, an area of 0.28 m2 should be adequate to supply electricity to the ventilation unit so that it provides ventilation of 170 m3/hour to a building.
The roof window system may further comprise a sash, comprising a top member, bottom member and two side members defining a sash plane. The ventilation unit may be configured for being mounted such that the ventilating unit, the frame member adjacent to which the ventilation unit is mounted and the corresponding sash member are located substantially in continuation of each other when seen in the direction of the frame plane in the mounted state. The housing being in the plane of the frame makes it possible to provide a ventilation assembly which is inconspicuous and easy to install, as the same aperture in the roof may be utilized, for instance simply by removing one or more rows of tile above the window. No penetration of the underlying vapour barrier collar is necessary, just as the provision of cover members is made easy. Consequently, flashing members fitting the roof window may be provided, just with an extra length as compared to the flashing fitting the window itself to accommodate the housing of the ventilation unit, as well.
The dimensions of the housing may be chosen such that the length of the housing is parallel to the length of the frame member which the ventilation unit is adjacent to, and does not exceed the length of the frame member, and the height of the housing is parallel to the height of the frame member which the ventilation unit is adjacent to, and does not exceed the height of the frame member. This provides ease of installation since the aperture in the roof may be utilized without making extreme alterations to the roof structure and means that the ventilation assembly does not stand out from the roof window thus making the roof window system inconspicuous in the mounted state. In order to make the underroof water tight, the roof membrane may need to be penetrated and the commonly used underfelt collar may be ex-tended to also cover the housing. This may require that the underfelt collar has a necessary size to cover the whole roof window system.
It may be advantageous to choose the dimensions of the housing, such that the length of the housing is parallel to the length of the frame member which the ventilation unit is adjacent to, and is smaller than the length of the frame member, and the height of the housing is parallel to the height of the frame member which the ventilation unit is adjacent to, and is smaller than the height of the frame member. This may reduce the manufacturing costs and result in less bulky housing that is easier to mount.
In relation to the frame member which the ventilation unit is adjacent to, a length dimension may be defined as a dimension substantially in parallel with a respective top or bottom peripheral side of the pane in the mounted state, a height dimension may be defined as a direction perpendicular to the length dimension, and a width dimension may be defined as a dimension perpendicular to the height and length dimensions.
The roof window system may be mounted in an inclined roof structure. Inclined roof windows are typically built into an opening in an inclined roof structure with an angle above 15 degrees with a substantial part of the inclined roof window being positioned within the inclined roof structure in an installed position. Thus, roof windows for inclined roofs are typically built into the roof structure. This means that the frame and sash, e.g. most of the frame and sash structures, are embedded in the roof so that much, most or all of an outer surface of the frame facing away from the opening in the frame is positioned within the roof structure.
The ventilation panel may further comprise a ventilation duct for covering and protecting the ventilation panel and directing the air towards the ventilation passage and to the interior of the building. The ventilation duct may comprise a permeable fabric (e.g. polyester).
The ventilation unit may be configured for installation in a sloping roof with inclination from 20 to 70 degrees, preferably 30 to 60 degrees.
The ventilation unit may further comprise a hinge at the exterior outer side of the housing, such that the opening and/or closing of the top case of the housing is enabled.
The ventilation assembly may comprise an input and exhaust of air and/or a ventilator and/or an air purifying filter. The ventilator may be pivotally journaled in housing of the ventilation assembly to switch the flow direction. A regenerator or a heat exchange device may also be comprised in the ventilation assembly. Other elements that may be comprised into the housing may be found in the application EP 2 784 240 A2.
The drainage channel may be configured to form a positive angle of at least 5 degrees with reference to the plane of the window.
The insulation of the interior of the building may be adjusted to accommodate for the installation of the ventilation panel. The ventilation panel may be placed near the window pane and/or near the bottom side of the lining panel.
In an embodiment of the invention, a manifold may be pressed into a spacing between the frame and the underfelt collar, such that there is no need to penetrate the underfelt collar.
The roof structure may include the roof window system, including the ventilation unit.
The method according to the invention comprises the steps of:
arranging the ventilation unit adjacent to the outer side of a frame member, said ventilation unit being adapted for providing ventilation of the interior of the building,
arranging a ventilation panel so that it faces the interior of the building and extends away from the interior side of the frame member adjacent to which the ventilation unit is mounted, and
passing air through a ventilation panel from one side of the ventilation panel to another side of the ventilation panel in an intended air flow direction using the ventilation unit. This method may comprise the steps of providing the housing with activation means, connecting the ventilation unit or units to the housing and activating the housing by operating the ventilation unit. Activation means may be a closure that is handled manually, a ventilation flap etc. The closure may be temporary locked between an open and a closed position. According to this, the operation of the ventilation unit is facilitated. Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the [element, device, component, means, step, etc]” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Embodiments and advantages described with reference to one aspect of the invention also applies to the other aspect(s) unless otherwise stated.
The invention will be described in more detail below by means of non-limiting examples of embodiments and with reference to the schematic drawings, in which
Referring to
As shown in
The frame (and/or the sash) of the window may be made of wooden members or members made of cast or extruded polyurethane (PUR). In the mounted state, the frame 2 and the sash 15 are protected by cover elements including a top frame covering 9 and a flashing arrangement 7, which are here interconnected by the top case 8 of the housing of the ventilation assembly 17. Towards the interior, a lining panel 10 is provided as a suitable finishing. In
In relation to the roof window system, an exterior direction 21 is defined as facing towards the surrounding of the building, an interior direction 22 is the opposite direction of the exterior facing towards the interior 14 of the building. An inner direction is defined as facing towards the frame opening 16, while an outer direction is the opposite of the inner one. An inner frame plane A1 is defined by the inner side of the frame member, while an outer frame plane A2 is defined by the outer side of the frame member.
As illustrated in
The ventilation assembly 17 comprises the ventilation unit 5 and the housing 6. The ventilation unit 5 may be adapted to be connected to the ventilation assembly 17 of the roof window 13 so as to provide an air connection between the interior of the building 14 and the exterior, in the mounted state. The housing 6 accommodates the ventilation unit 5 and is placed adjacent to the top frame member 2a. In this embodiment, the ventilation assembly further comprises a ventilator 11 and an exterior air grating 18 as seen in
The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.
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