Patent ID: 7707791
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: E04D

Abstract:
1. Roofing method for a pitched roof having a ridge and eaves, said method using self supporting roofing plates, which are to be fit together for covering the pitched roof in a manner allowing for a sparse supporting structure of the roof having widely spaced apart rafters without crossing purlins, wherein each of the roofing plates is made of a sheet of material formed to comprise at least the following four non-interrupted walls: (1) first and second upright walls forming a gap in between and both extending along an entire longitudinal dimension of the plate for self supporting of the plate, wherein, when the roofing plate is mounted on the roof, the first wall is adapted to be closer to the ridge than the second wall, a bottom end of the first wall is configured to contact at least one of the rafters, and a bottom end of the second wall is spaced upwardly from the rafters; (2) a third upright wall, adapted to be oriented parallel to and adjacent the second upright wall of a neighboring similar roofing plate when the roofing plates are mounted on the roof; and (3) a fourth wall extending along the entire longitudinal dimension of the plate, leveled with and delimited between the bottom end of the upright second wall and a top end of the upright third wall, and adapted to be facing the sky when the roofing plate is mounted on the roof, wherein the fourth wall has a wavy shape extending all the way from the bottom end of the upright second wall to the top end of the third wall, and wherein a portion of the second wall above its bottom end and a portion of the third wall below its top end are free of said wavy shape; each of said roofing plates further comprising a rear portion adapted to be closer to the ridge than the first through fourth walls of the roofing plate when the roofing plate is mounted on the roof, said method comprising: (a) erecting a roof infrastructural construction having widely spaced apart rafters free of crossing purlins, wherein the average space between two neighboring rafters is between 200-330 centimeters; (b) positioning on the rafters a first said roofing plate, or a first line of said roofing plates, adjacent the roof eaves; (c) engaging the rear portion of each said first roofing plate with a receiving portion of at least one support member in a position corresponding to a rafter crossing underneath; (d) joining the engaged support member and first roofing plate to the corresponding rafters such that the roofing plates are self supported between the rafters over said space; (e) positioning a second said roofing plate, or a second line of said roofing plates, above the first ones, wherein the third upright wall of each of the second roofing plates overlies the second upright wall of one of the first roofing plates; (f) joining the third upright wall of the overlying second roofing plate and the second upright wall of the underlying first roofing plate by means of joining members that are spaced laterally at predetermined intervals; and (g) repeating steps ‘c’ to ‘f’, until the entire roof is covered.