Device for reducing moisture beneath a roofing structure

The subject invention is a device used to help dehydrate and dehumidify the substructure immediately under the roof structure. The subject device includes an air intake member adapted to eject relatively humid air, under the roof surface, said device being in the form of a longitudinally extending, vertically upwardly protruding finger-like member formed as a one-piece member having an internally disposed longitudinally extending internal chamber which communicates with an opening in the bottom thereof, which opening in turn communicates with yet another opening in the roof structure which second opening communicates to spatial areas immediately beneath the roof structure. The upper part of the device has a plurality of openings that communicate from the internal chamber to spatial areas outside said unit. A thimble-like cover is emplaced in conforming fashion over the upper part of the finger-like member, which thimble is positioned in such a manner so as to be pivotably mounted at its uppermost part for limited pivotable movement at its bottom portion so as to provide a spatial zone at the bottom for air venting purposes at such bottom.

DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
The subject invention pertains to roofing systems in general, and is 
addressed to a device to help remove moisture and alleviate moisture level 
under a roof from inside the building and immediately under the roof 
structure. The invention is adapted to take in relatively dry air from 
outside the building, and thence disperse same under the roof structure. 
In this latter regard, most buildings generally have a layer of insulation 
placed either immediately below the roof level for heat preservation 
purposes. Such insulation layer, in flat roofs or otherwise, is frequently 
positioned immediately below the undersurface of the flat roof. In some 
installations there may be a relatively narrow air gap between the 
insulation layer and the roof deck provided for circulation purposes for 
purposes of alleviating the moisture problem in the insulation layers. 
In the past, there have been an array of inventions conceived and produced 
to dehydrate the insulation material so as to prevent damage to the roof 
and building infrastructure. Several such inventions have been structured 
as simple ventilating systems to merely direct air currents over a portion 
of the insulation layer, usually the upper surface, however, none have 
utilized a simplistic device that effectively provides a general flow of 
relatively dry air both within and immediately outside the insulation 
material. It is this state of art and general problem area that gives rise 
to the conception of the subject invention, and the following designated 
objects of the subject invention are directed accordingly. 
OBJECTS 
An object of the subject invention is to provide an improved ventilating 
device for dehumidifying insulation materials disposed immediately beneath 
a roof structure; 
An additional object of the subject invention is to provide an improved 
dehydrating device for aerating an insulation system under a building roof 
structure; 
Still another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved 
dehumidifying device for a building; 
Yet another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved 
apparatus for using wind currents to dry the insulation layer and other 
components under a building roof structure; 
Other and further objects of the subject invention will become apparent 
from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the 
claims.

DESCRIPTION OF GENERAL EMBODIMENT AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
The subject invention is a device used to help dehydrate and dehumidify the 
substructure immediately under the roof structure. The subject device 
includes an air intake member adapted to eject relatively humid air, under 
the roof surface, said device being in the form of a longitudinally 
extending, vertically upwardly protruding finger-like member formed as a 
one-piece member having an internally disposed longitudinally extending 
internal chamber which communicates with an opening in the bottom thereof, 
which opening in turn communicates with yet another opening in the roof 
structure which second opening communicates to spatial areas immediately 
beneath the roof structure. The upper part of the device has a plurality 
of openings that communicate from the internal chamber to spatial areas 
outside said unit. A thimble-like cover is emplaced in a loose and 
conforming fashion over the upper part of the finger-like member, which 
thimble is positioned in such a manner so as to be pivotably mounted at 
its uppermost part for limited pivotable movement at its bottom portion so 
as to provide a spatial zone at the bottom. 
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In describing the preferred embodiment of the subject invention, it must be 
stressed that this preferred embodiment is only one embodiment of the 
subject invention, as other embodiments fall within the scope of the 
claims. Therefore, the following description shall not be construed to 
limit the scope of the claims herein. 
Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, an overall view 
of the installation of the subject intake device 5 is shown as it is 
emplaced in a roof structure 10 on a building structure 20. Further, the 
apparatus described below may be installed or retrofitted into an existing 
building structure. Specifically, as shown, the subject apparatus 
encompassing the subject invention is a dehumidifyer apparatus for aiding 
in the removal of moisture from the insulation layer 45 immediately under 
the upper roof structure 10, as such roof strcture is utilized as a 
protective layer over building 10 as can be seen from the drawings. The 
subject apparatus generally includes as its major elements the following 
members: First, there is at least one air intake element 25 disposed on 
the upper surface of the roof structure 10, as shown, or at some location 
outside a building 20 being adapted to draw relatively dry air from 
outside so as to help dehumidify the roof substrcture, and the insulation 
layer 45 thereunder. Disposed immediately beneath each air intake element 
25 is an opening 42 in the roof 10 which opening is adapted to pass the 
air from the air intake element 25 to the areas beneath the roof 
substructure 10 to pass said air to the insulation layer 45, and areas 
juxtaposed theeby. As shown, a plurality of such air intake members 25A, 
25B...25F may be used in some spatial relationship over the roof surface. 
Attention is again addressed to FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the roof 10 and 
building structure 20 interrelationship is shown, and as seen the building 
10 is graphically displayed and represented as a conventional rectangular 
structure with the horizontal roof 10 disposed on the upper portion 
thereof. As can be determined from a view of FIG. 1 the roof 10 covers the 
upper part of the building 20, with the roof extending laterally to the 
upper perimeter edges 30A, 30B... of the building 20. Such latter 
perimeter edges are generally defined by the upper edges of the building 
sides such as building side 35A shown in FIG. 1. 
As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 the general roof infrastructure generally 
comprises a lower rigid deck 40 which may be metal or wood, which lower 
deck provides the base structural support for the roof infrastructure. The 
horizontally disposed insulation layer 45 is usually emplaced horizontally 
either over or under the top of the roof deck 40 in a flush manner, as 
shown. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the insulation layer 45 is 
set under the roof deck 40. This insulation layer 45 functions to prevent 
the escape of rising heated air in the building 20 and generally helps to 
retain air temperature levels inside the building at optimal levels. In 
most applications the external roof deck 40 is then emplaced in a 
generally horizontal and flush manner over the upper surface of the 
insulation layers 45, as can be determined from a view of FIGS. 2 and 3. 
In many more recent and modern applications, the upper protective covering 
of roof structure 10 is comprised of rubber sheath cover 47. At this 
point, it must be emphasized that the structural principles of the subject 
invention remain generally applicable even though the foregoing roof 
structure may vary, such as when the insulation layer 45 is disposed over 
the roof deck 40, or when other than rubber materials are used over roof 
10, or whatever other structural arrangement may be utilized. 
As stated, the roof 10 is generally shown to be a horizontal, flat roof 
covering adapted to cover a building 20 with a roof deck 40 functioning as 
the upper fixed part of the superstructure and frame of building 20. As 
can be seen from FIG. 3, the spatial area 50 beneath the roof 
infrastructure 10 is generally partially filled and comprised of a loose 
insulation layer which is adapted to insulate heat loss through roof 
infrastructure 10. Generally immediately beneath this insulation layer is 
a secondary support ceiling, not shown, which is adapted to secure and 
hold the insulation in the spatial area 50, as seen in the drawings. It is 
generally the spatial area 50 with its insulation layer that usually 
absorbs a substantial amount of moisture from the roof and other sources 
inside and outside the building. Because of this moisture problem, means 
are needed to dehumidify the insulation or spatial area in order to 
minimize building damage or other problems. 
Attention is again directed to FIGS. 3 and 4 in which is shown the air 
intake member 5. As shown, the air intake system may comprise a series of 
such individual units disposed over the upper surface of said roof 
structure 10. Such an air intake member 5 in general comprises a 
longitudinally extending housing member 200 shaped like a finger. Such 
housing member has a first end 230 which is the bottom end and a second 
end 240 which is the top end. More particularly, such longitudinally 
extending member 200 appears parabolic in shape, in a cross-sectional view 
from a side elevation, as shown in FIG. 4 and in cross-sectional view from 
the top appears round, as in FIG. 6. The base housing member 200 has a 
hollow interior chamber 250 of longitudinal extent and which chamber 
conforms in general to the outer rounded surface configuration 215 of the 
longitudinal housing member 200. 
As can be seen from the drawings, the longitudinally extending chamber 250 
extends from the first or bottom end 230 of the longitudinal housing 
member 200 to the second or upper end 240 of such housing member 200, and 
as can be seen, such chamber 250 opens to and communicates at the first 
end with an opening 260 at the bottom or first end 230 of such 
longitudinal member 200, which opening communicates with spatial areas 
outside said opening, thus rendering said interior chamber 250 open at the 
bottom end 230 and thus open to spatial areas outside the housing member 
200. Moreover, the internal chamber 250 extends to the upper end 240 of 
the housing 200, but is enclosed at the top. Thus, as can be seen, the 
longitudinal housing member 200 is a hollow finger-like member open only 
at the bottom end, as shown and described. 
As seen in the drawings and particularly FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, there are a 
plurality of laterally disposed openings 270...270M in the longitudinal 
housing 200, which openings extend from the inside of chamber 210 to areas 
outside the housing 200. These latter openings 270A... 270M are laterally 
disposed to pass air from the inside of chamber 210 to spatial areas 
outside the housing 200 thereof, as more specifically described below. 
As can be seen from the drawings, the upper end of the housing member 200 
has a thimble-like cover shield 300 concentrically and conformingly 
disposed and integrally connected over such second or upper end 240 of 
such housing member 200. As can be seen from the drawings, such upper 
thimble-like shield 300 is generally a cylindrical member having a hollow 
interior spatial area 310 and an open bottom 320 with an opening 325 
thereon, and a hemisperical inner upper surface 330 immediately beneath 
the upper end 335, which is enclosed. As can been seen from the drawings, 
in the preferred embodiment of the subject invention, with particular 
references to FIGS. 4 and 5, such cover shield 300 is integrally affixed 
to the uppermost outer surface 350 on the upper end 240 of the housing 
member 200 through a solid umbilical extension 380 that is an integral 
extension between the upper surface 350 of the housing member 200 and the 
upper inner surface 330 of the shield 300. The umbilical extension 380 is 
a continuous and integral vertically upwardly extending member of the 
upper surface of the upper surface 350 of the housing member 200, being a 
vertical extension thereof that connects directly to the upper inner 
surface 330 of the cover shield 300, so that the shield 300 is connected 
integrally to the housing 200 only through such vertically extending 
umbilical extension 380. 
Stated alternately, the upper thimble-like shield 300 is an integral 
extension of the longitudinally extending housing member 200, and fits 
conformingly over the upper fingertip-like end 240 of the housing member 
200, with the upper male end of such housing member being fitted into the 
corresponding female receptacle opening 325 formed in the lower part of 
the cover sheild 300 where the internal chamber 310 is open at the bottom. 
In this latter structural relationship, the respective longitudinal axis 
of the cover shield 300 and the upper part of the housing 200 are aligned 
so that the two members are concentrically joined, as shown in the 
drawings. 
Moreover, as can be seen in the drawings, and particularly figures 4 and 5, 
the inner diameter of the internal cavity 310 cover shield 300 is slightly 
larger than the outer diameter of the upper part of the housing such that 
the cover shield 300 is able to wobble slightly at its bottom portion 
about the connecting umbilical chord 380, as a pivotal point. More 
particularly, the lower part 315 of the upper cover shield 300 is 
structured in its relationship to the upper part of the housing 200 to 
move laterally in a wobbling manner, in any lateral direction around a 360 
degree arc at its bottom part relative to the adjacent outer 
circumferential surface 450 of the housing member 200, as shown. Thus, 
when the shield is pushed slightly from any external direction, the 
opposing portion of the shield moves away from the outer surface of the 
housing 200, as seen in FIG. 2. This allows a slight spatial area to exist 
between the housing member 200 and the inner chamber 310 of the cover 
shield and thus permits air passage from the chamber 310 in the cover 
shield 300 to the bottom partially exposed opening 375 in the bottom part 
of the cover shield 300. Note in FIG. 4 that in the preferred embodiment 
of the subject invention the outer surface 450 of the longitudinal housing 
member 200, at a point adjacent the bottom extreme of the cover shield 
300, has a circumferentially extending ledge 465 having an upper flat 
surface 475. In the preferred embodiment of the subject invention, the 
lower extreme circumferentially extending edge 485 forming the bottom 
opening 375 of the cover shield 300 rests against such ledge 465 in a 
manner to permit lateral slidable movement in or out away from the outer 
surface of said longitudinal housing member, as shown, to accommodate the 
above described wobbling feature. 
In viewing the structural relationship between the upper portion of the 
housing member 200 and the cover shield 300, as seen in figure 4, the 
internal chamber 310 of such cover shield thus has only a limited area 
wherein air inside the chamber 310 of such cover shield 300 can escape to 
the outside and that being the zone described above where the lower 
circumferential edge 485 of the cover shield extends away from the 
circumferential ledge in the outer surface of said housing member 200. 
As shown diagramatically in FIG. 5, when wind pressure pushes against any 
one portion of the outer surface 500 of the cover shield 300, it presses 
such latter portion inwardly towards the outer surface of the housing 200 
causing thereby the diametrically opposite portion of the cover shield to 
move away from the outer surface of the housing 200 with the lower 
circumferential edge 465 moving out from off the ledge 465, thus exposing 
interior chamber 310 to the air outside the housing 200. In this manner, 
relatively moist air inside the roof structure 10, such as in insulation 
45, will vent through opening 42 in the roof, up through the opening 215 
in the bottom of the housing 200 through internal chamber 210 to lateral 
openings 270A...270M and thence into chamber 310 in cover shield 300 and 
then outside through the bottom of the shield 300, by the process 
described above. 
In summary, the subject invention is a device for aiding in the in the 
removal or alleviation of moisture from under a roof structure, such 
device comprising a longitudinally extending finger-like housing member, 
such finger-like member having a first end and a second end, such housing 
member having a longitudinally extending hollow chamber therein extending 
from the first end to just short of the second end, such longitudinally 
extending housing member having a plurality of openings therein extending 
from the inside of said chamber to areas outside such housing, and a 
thimble-like cover mounted over the upper part of such housing.