US 10,852,016 B2 · Roof vent

Abstract

A roof vent for ventilating the roof of a building to the atmosphere. The roof vent includes a flange portion to lay against the roof, the flange portion having an opening to let air vent from the interior of the building (e.g. an attic). The roof vent can optionally include a collar portion extending from the flange portion and enclosing, at least in part, about a periphery of the opening and a cap dimensioned and configured to cover over the opening (including the hole in the roof) and optionally over the collar portion. The cap is configured to provide a passage (between the flange portion and the cap) through which air can pass between the atmosphere and the opening. The roof vent also includes a corrugated filter plate, e.g. partially enclosed by the cap, and interposed between the central opening and the passage, the corrugated filter plate having a pore size sufficient to permit air to pass through but inhibit the passage of snow particles, cinder particles and/or water droplets there-through.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims18

Dependent claims

A roof vent for ventilating a roof of a building via a hole in the roof to the atmosphere, the roof vent comprising:

a flange portion for resting on the roof, the flange portion having an opening for overlapping with the hole;
a frame portion having sides extending upwardly from the flange portion, the frame portion for maintaining a cap portion in a spaced apart relationship with the flange portion;
the cap portion connected to the frame portion and covering over the opening;
and
a first corrugated filter plate and a second corrugated filter plate positioned between the flange portion and the cap portion as a pair of corrugated filter plates opposed to one another, the pair of corrugated filter plates positioned in a spaced apart manner on respective opposite sides of the roof vent, the pair of corrugated filter plates extending between the cap portion and the flange portion, each of the pair of corrugated filter plates having a corrugated surface exposing a plurality of alternating folds as furrows and ridges to a passage of air providing a surface area to the passage of air greater than a corresponding planar cross-sectional area of the respective side of the roof vent, each of the plurality of folds comprising a fold line extending in a direction between the flange portion and the cap portion, each of the alternating folds having a plurality of individual pores spaced apart from one another on a respective surface of each of the plurality of folds;
wherein the pair of corrugated filter plates facilitates the passage of air between the atmosphere and the opening by having a pore size of each of the plurality of individual pores sufficient for facilitating the passage of air through the pair of corrugated filter plates while inhibiting passage of water droplets through the pair of corrugated filter plates;
wherein summation of an effective open area of said each of the plurality of individual pores of the pair of corrugated filter plates satisfies a minimum net open area threshold for a combined planar cross-sectional area of the respective opposite sides.

4 more elements

An insert for a roof vent for ventilating a roof of a building via a hole in the roof to the atmosphere, the roof vent having a flange portion for connecting to a cap, the insert comprising:

the flange portion for resting on the roof, the flange portion having an opening for overlapping with the hole;
and
a first corrugated filter plate and a second corrugated filter plate for positioning between the flange portion and the cap as a pair of corrugated filter plates opposed to one another, the pair of corrugated filter plates positioned in a spaced apart manner on respective opposite sides of the roof vent, the pair of corrugated filter plates for extending between the cap and the flange portion, each of the pair of corrugated filter plates having a corrugated surface exposing a plurality of alternating folds as furrows and ridges to a passage of air providing a surface area to the passage of air greater than a corresponding planar cross-sectional area of the respective side of the roof vent, each of the plurality of folds comprising a fold line extending in a direction from the flange portion [to the cap], each of the alternating folds having a plurality of individual pores spaced apart from one another on a respective surface of each of the plurality of folds;
wherein the pair of corrugated filter plates facilitates the passage of air between the atmosphere and the opening by having a pore size of each of the plurality of individual pores sufficient for facilitating the passage of air through the pair of corrugated filter plates while inhibiting passage of water droplets through the pair of corrugated filter plates;
wherein summation of an effective open area of said each of the plurality of individual pores of the pair of corrugated filter plates satisfies a minimum net open area threshold for a combined planar cross-sectional area of the respective opposite sides.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description6,121 words

Summary947 words

#This disclosure relates generally to roof vents for venting the roof of a building such as a house.

#Roof vents provide the necessary ventilation to the roof of a house or other building, inhibiting condensation in the roof due to the infiltration or otherwise collection of moisture into the roof or attic cavity. Various roof vents employ vanes, grates and louvers to permit air to be channeled between the roof and the atmosphere, and to try to inhibit rain from entering the roof through the roof vent. A variety of caps and covers have been used to act as a guard to prevent the infiltration of rain. However, prior art roof vents have thus far been ineffective in inhibiting the infiltration of snow into the attic space, particularly in cases of snow storms and the like.

#It is an object of the present invention to provide a roof vent that obviates or mitigates at least some of the above-presented disadvantages in the art.

Brief description of the drawings20 figures

#The foregoing and other aspects will now be described by way of example only with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roof vent;

#FIG. 2 is a side view of the roof vent shown in FIG. 1;

Detailed description4,820 words

#In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

#FIGS. 1,3 show a roof vent 10 for ventilating the roof of a building to the atmosphere. The roof vent 10 includes a flange portion 12 to lay against the roof, the flange portion 12 having an opening 22 to let air vent from the interior of the building (e.g. an attic). The roof vent 10 can optionally include a collar portion 14 extending from the flange portion 12 and enclosing, at least in part, about a periphery of the opening 22, and a cap 16 dimensioned and configured to cover over the opening 22 (including the hole 28 in the roof) and optionally over the collar portion 14. The cap 16 is configured to provide a passage (between the flange portion 12 and the cap 16) through which air can pass between the atmosphere and the opening 22. The roof vent 10 also includes a corrugated filter plate 46, e.g. partially enclosed by the cap 16, and interposed between the central opening 22 and the air passage (e.g. gap) between the cap 16 and the flange portion 12. The corrugated filter plate 46 can have a pore size 47 (e.g. perforations, holes, a plurality of apertures, etc.—see FIG. 7) sufficient to facilitate air to pass through the corrugated filter material 46 (e.g. from one side 19 of the corrugated filter material 46 to the other 19) but inhibit the passage of snow particles, cinder particles and/or water droplets there-through (e.g. from one side 19 of the corrugated filter material 46 to the other 19). In any event, it is recognized that the purpose of the corrugated filter material 46 is to provide for the flow through of air while inhibiting the passage of undesirable particles/droplets (e.g. solid and/or liquid pieces of matter) through the corrugated filter material 46 impinging from the atmosphere and into the interior of the roof via the opening 22 and adjacent hole 28.

#For example, the corrugated filter material 46 can be positioned as extending upwardly between the flange portion 12 and the cap 16 (covering the opening 22). It is recognized that the corrugated filter material 46 can be in contact with a top surface 13 of the flange portion 12, in contact with a underside surface 17 of the cap 16, and/or in contact with the top surface 13 of the flange portion 12 and with the underside surface 17 of the cap 16. It is recognized that a sidewall 15 (e.g. collar wall—see FIG. 2) extending upwardly from the top surface 13 of the flange portion 12 can also be considered as part of the top surface 13 of the flange portion 12. It is recognized that a sidewall (not shown) extending downwardly from the bottom/underside surface 17 of the cap 16 can also be considered as part of the bottom/underside surface 17 of the cap 16.

Facts

Application

16/371,726Filed 1 Apr 2019 · continuation

Priority

7 Nov 2011

Published

US 2019/0285294 A119 Sep 2019

Granted

1 Dec 2020

Term ends

7 Nov 2031

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification15 codes

F24F 7/02
Ventilation: roof ventilation
B01D 46/00
Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases
B01D 46/0004
Casings; Housings; Frame constructions: details of removable closures, lids, caps or filter heads
B01D 46/521
Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filters embodying folded corrugated or wound sheet material: using folded, pleated material

Family

Application13/290,182Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Nov 2011

Application14/271,824Parent of this continuation · filed 7 May 2014

Application15/252,672Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Aug 2016

US 9,457,304 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Oct 2016

US 10,018,368 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Jul 2018

US 2019/0285294 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Sep 2019

US 10,295,208 B2Parent of this continuation

Application15/252,672Parent of this continuation

Application14/271,824Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2013/0115871 A1Published application

US 2015/0321131 A1Published application

US 2017/0051930 A1Published application

US 10,852,016 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Roof vent

Life of this patent

Roof vent

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims18

Description6,121 words

Drawings

Description6,121 words

Classification15 codes

Life of this patent